The Haunting of Shadow Hill House

by Caroline Clark

  Jenny turned and she heard the house phone ring. Today it didn’t scare her. Instinctively she knew it was the school. That there was trouble with Abby and that she would have to come home again. How she hoped that this new knowledge would enable her to help Abby and she realized that she also wanted to help Victoria.

  Though her mind rebelled against it, she believed that Victoria was a spirit child and that she was stuck in Shadow Hill House. Maybe all the stories those women had told her were true. Yet, Jenny could not feel angry at Victoria, the child had suffered and she was fighting back in the only way she knew how. Jenny had to find a way to help her or destroy her. Somehow, she had to do that and at the same time keep her family safe. Was such a thing even possible?

  Chapter 12

  Jenny drove to the school a little too quickly. It seemed that Abby had assaulted another pupil and the school was adamant that she was brought home immediately. When Jenny got there she could feel their stares. They think this was caused by bad parenting and maybe it was. Maybe they should have put a stop to this situation some time ago but how do you do that?

  In the end all Jenny could do was apologize and explain that nothing like this had ever happened before. Gently, she took Abby’s hand and led her from the school. Once she was in the car she let out a sigh of relief.

  “I’m so sorry, Mum, but it wasn’t me... it was Victoria.”

  As soon as the words were said the car cooled and the air filled with menace. Jenny could see her breath frost before her and she felt crushed by Victoria’s intent. How was the spirit doing this? Shouldn’t it be tied to the property? Keeping calm, she knew she had to reassure her own daughter. Victoria was scared and suffering but so was Abby. Jenny turned in her seat and smiled.

  “I know, sweetheart, and I believe you,” Jenny said. “Victoria, if you are listening to me, I understand what you have been through and I want to help you. We need to talk, to communicate, and I want you to trust me. No one will ever hurt you again, I promise.”

  The air warmed and the pressure felt easier.

  “Now, I’m going to drive us home but we can talk on the way. Abby, if Victoria tells you anything you can tell me, I believe you, honey, there is no need to hide anything.”

  Abby nodded and Jenny turned back and pulled the car out of the school yard. She could feel the accusing eyes of fellow students and she wondered if her daughter’s school career could ever recover.

  On the journey back Abby spoke about the day.

  “Victoria didn’t like the other girls,” Abby said.

  Keep calm, Jenny told herself. “Do you know why?”

  “Because they were nice to me. She’s really angry with you as well, Mummy,” Abby said and Jenny could hear the tears in her voice. She really wanted to pull over and hug her daughter but she felt that it was best if this was kept dispassionate for now. It seemed cruel but she was scared of upsetting Victoria even more and having this escalate before she was ready to handle it.

  “Do you know why?” Jenny asked and yet she knew why. She had violated the child’s diary.

  “You went to her secret place and she doesn’t like it.”

  “I know I did, Victoria, and I’m sorry. The reason I did it though was because I want to help you. I want to understand what you have been through and I want to help you get over it.

  Jenny felt the steering wheel yanked to the right and she had to fight to pull it back. The car swerved and lifted onto two wheels for a moment but luckily, the roads were clear and they did not hit anything coming in the other direction. Adrenaline flooded Jenny’s body, causing her heart to pound and her arms to prickle. These was a pressure on the wheel, someone was holding it and could turn it at any moment. Which way would she go this time? Would Jenny be quick enough to stop her?

  “Do not get upset,” Jenny said. “I’m not trying to make you leave.” She didn’t know why she said that but it seemed to be the right thing and the pressure on the wheel lessened and then was gone. So, it looked like the spirit was afraid of being banished. She could understand that but one way or another she had to go.

  The rest of the drive was uneventful and Jenny was relieved when she pulled up into the driveway. Abby climbed out and they walked into Shadow Hill House. Jenny expected it to feel different, expected a presence, or malevolence and yet there was nothing. The magnificent hallway greeted them, filled with sunlight, it seemed to glow. The throw rug covering the carpet was barely noticeable and they walked past it and into the kitchen. If she didn’t know what was happening it would look perfect, just like she imagined it.

  Jenny sat down at the table and indicated for Abby to join her.

  "Victoria wants to play outside," Abby said.

  "We should talk first." Jenny pulled out a chair and waited for Abby to sit down.

  Abby pulled out another chair and placed Mr. Good Bear on the table. Where did he come from, Jenny asked herself as she was sure the bear was upstairs. The bloodstain seemed to mock her and for a few moments she could not pull her eyes from it. What had happened to the bear and was Victoria holding it at the time?

  Abby sat down in the chair closest to Jenny and looked at the other chair. For a moment, Jenny expected to see it move. The thought of the ghost child pulling the chair under the table was almost too much for her. This whole thing was crazy, and yet it was happening.

  "Tell me what occurred today," Jenny asked. "I’m not angry and you are not in trouble but I need to know the truth."

  Abby was staring at the empty chair, her fingers holding on to the crusted fur of Mr. Good Bear's stomach. For a moment, Jenny wanted to scream but she knew she must be patient. She had to let this play out and to learn from it what she could. Now, Abby was nodding and mouthing as if she was talking to someone but was making no sounds. How long would this go on? What would happen to her little girl? At last Abby turned towards her.

  "Victoria doesn't want to go to school anymore, she wants to play outside."

  "First, I need to know why," Jenny said as gently as she could manage.

  The room cooled, not enough for her to see her breath but enough to feel it. Victoria was getting angry again so she must tread carefully.

  "I can only help you if I understand. Do you hear me, Victoria?"

  The temperature raised a little and she could see that Abby was turned away from her again, intent on the empty chair.

  "Victoria doesn't trust anyone. People can be mean and hurt you. She just wants to stay here with me."

  That was worrying, not with all of them, just with Abby.

  "We don't want to be mean to you, Victoria. We want you to be part of our family… but to do that you must understand what we need too."

  Once again the room cooled and Jenny felt as if the air was getting thicker, heavier. She must tread carefully.

  "We need you to talk to us, to explain how you feel and let us help you. We also need Abby to go to school she must learn her lessons for if she does not we will get into trouble. If Abby doesn't go to school then the authorities will come and that could be bad for all of us. Do you understand?"

  Jenny could see her breath frosting before her and it felt hard to breathe. It was obvious that Victoria was angry but she was not prepared to back down, not fully. If she let the spirit know that she was weak she felt things would be worse.

  "Victoria says she will think about it but we have to play outside. Can we go now?" Abby asked.

  The last thing Jenny wanted to do was let her child go outside with this spirit and yet she felt it was maybe the right thing to do for now. Still, she hesitated.

  Across the kitchen, on the surface, the toaster flew to the end of its cord and then snapped back and landed with a heavy clatter on the counter. It was as if an angry child had slammed it across the worktop. For a few moments it jiggled at the end of the cable, banging up and down as if someone was picking it up and dropping it. Jenny knew she was beaten. Letting them go out and play was possibly the only thing she would be
allowed to do.

  "Of course you can. Go outside and play but don't go too far. I will bring you out hot chocolates in about half an hour so stay close."

  Abby jumped up and grabbed the bear. With her right arm held out as if she held someone’s hand she ran from the room.

  The toaster dropped back down onto the countertop and was silent and still. Jenny let out a gasp and flopped onto the table. With her head in her hands she wanted to scream but she knew she mustn't. She had half an hour to do some research and then she had to check on Abby. Who knows what could happen if she left it any longer?

  Chapter 13

  Jenny sat at the table wondering what to do. Part of her wanted to run out of the door, grab Abby, get in the car and drive so far away that she would never think of Shadow Hill House again. Yet she knew that was not possible. Another part of her even felt sorry for Victoria and wanted to help the child find peace. Yet, just thinking that made her wonder if she was mad. Had she lost it? Had the stress of the move and their finances pushed her over the edge? Only that didn't explain Abby and the trouble she was in. It didn't explain what was happening in the house. No, there was more to this and Jenny had to find out what it was.

  So, she found out her laptop and logged onto the Internet. Mason had told her it was only working occasionally and she expected it not to work now. Could Victoria be the reason it wasn't working? If she was, surely she would not be able to search for ways to destroy the spirit child.

  Only, the Internet was working and it was reasonably fast but that didn't help Jenny much. When she searched for ways to get rid of a ghost most of the websites were rather foolish. The other ones she found were for books only they were fiction books. What did you do if you had a real haunting?

  Ghostbusters.

  As the word came into her mind she had to laugh. Only, that was what she needed. A real life ghost buster. Maybe the priest could help?

  Ignoring that thought Jenny changed tactics. She searched for true ghost stories, and real haunted houses. Most of the results were rubbish and yet one stuck out to her.

  The Haunting of Seafield House a True Story from a True Skeptic.

  At first she thought it was another book but the link took her to a blog written by a woman called Gail Parker. It appeared that Gail was engaged to a man who believed in spirits and invited her to a haunted house. Jenny read the blog, scouring down the information like a blind man who suddenly had sight.

  Gail had not believed anything she had seen. In fact, at first she blamed it on an illness but soon she could not deny what was going on all around her.

  When Jenny read that it was a child who was haunting the house she felt her blood run cold and thought of Abby and Victoria. She checked her watch, it had been three-quarters of an hour since Abby had gone out to play. Though she wanted to read more, to research more, and possibly even to contact Gail, she felt that she had left it too long. If Victoria was frightened or feeling threatened, who knew what she would do. Quickly, she bookmarked the page and closed the laptop. Hopefully, Abby and Victoria would be just outside. She could check on them quickly and then come back in and do some more research.

  Jenny left the house hoping to see Abby on the lawn at the back. It was a large stretch of open grassland with wonderful views all around. There was nowhere to hide and yet Abby and the teddy bear were nowhere to be seen. Jenny felt her heart kick up a notch and her breath caught in her throat. Had something already happened?

  Part of her wanted to run back to the house and call Mason. Only he couldn't get back unless she went to fetch him. There was no way she was leaving the house, not until she had found Abby. Trying to calm the panic that raged in her mind she wondered where the child could be. Maybe she had just wandered around the house or around the grounds. Fighting down her panic she set out to search.

  The house was surrounded by grassland and gardens. It was all low growing with no shrubs, or trees, or buildings where a child could hide. There was also not much to do except to sit on the grass and play. That was truly what she had expected Abby would be doing. Playing with that confounded bear and her pretend or spirit friend.

  Shadow Hill House sat on a hilltop and most of the land for miles around was easily visible and truly picturesque. Perfect for artists. If Abby had gone in all but one direction then she would be able to see her. There was just one side of the hill that was covered with woodland. Had Abby ventured into those trees? Jenny doubted she would have felt safe to do so. As a city girl she was used to streets and cars and people. Surely, the dark and lonely woods would seem a scary place. They certainly did to Jenny!

  Approaching the trees Jenny fought down her panic and started to call out.

  "Abby, Abby where are you... Abby?"

  The words were absorbed by the trees and seemed to travel no distance. Jenny was running up and down the side of the woodland. Where would Abby be? How would she find her if she had gone into these woods?

  It was darker under the trees and to Jenny it seemed so very scary. There were no birds singing and the trees seem to murmur a warning. In her mind, she could hear them telling her to keep back, keep back they whispered and rustled, keep out, keep away. Only it must all be in her mind. Panic clawed at her mind and stomach making her nauseous and uncertain what to do. One moment she wanted to call the police, the next Mason, and the next Gail Parker. How would she find her? What should she do?

  Just when she had decided she must return to the house and call the police she noticed a path. It was little more than trampled down grass and looked as if it had not been used for a long time but it was clearly the only entrance into the woodland.

  Chapter 14

  Without even thinking Jenny stepped beneath the trees and followed the path. It was darker under the branches and cooler. Not as cold as the house when Victoria was angry but maybe she couldn't affect such a large area so deeply. Jenny shook her head, of course it was cooler, the trees blocked out the sun. Further and further she followed the path and soon she was running. Her breath was coming in short sharp gasps, tears ran down her face and she thought that she was wailing just a little.

  All sorts of images flashed through her mind and none of them were good. Who would take a child into a woodland? What would they do with her there? The best case scenario was that Abby was taken by a ghost and yet how could that ever be good?

  Suddenly, Jenny turned a corner and stopped instantly.

  Abby was there in a small clearing. The bear hung from her left hand. She was mercifully alone and staring at something in front of her. Jenny ran to her side and grabbed her by the shoulders. Abby let out a squeal and jumped away, turning, her eyes were wide and frightened.

  "It's okay, baby, Mummy’s here."

  Abby ran into her open arms and Jenny hugged her tightly. As she held her to her chest she looked over her shoulder and almost let out a gasp of her own. There was a gravestone sat alone in the desolate clearing. Though the writing had worn on the stonework it was clear what it was. What was Abby doing here? Jenny shuddered. How had her baby found this place and who did the grave belong to?

  "What are you doing here?" Jenny asked as she pulled back. Abby had tears in her eyes. They were wide and pleading and her bottom lip trembled.

  "Victoria lives here," Abby said. "She wanted me to see this place. She wants me to live with her but I want to stay with you, Mummy, and Daddy. Victoria says you can maybe come with us but that Daddy can't because daddies are always mean."

  Jenny felt as if a knife had been plunged into her heart. The spirit child wanted to kill her baby, to put her in the cold dark ground and keep her here forever. Jenny pulled Abby to her chest once more and hugged her tightly.

  "Well, you're staying with us," she whispered into Abby's ear. "Victoria can be your friend but she cannot take you from us. Now, let's get you back to the house with a nice hot chocolate. Would you like that?"

  Abby nodded against her shoulder.

  Jenny did not know what else to d
o but she knew the stakes had been raised. As quickly as she could, she walked her away from the graveyard... gravestone. Only her mind would not come away. Was the grave really Victoria's? If so, why would she be buried here? Jenny knew she had to come back to find out but for now she would have to pick Mason up and give her heart and mind time to settle. She had to learn how to keep her baby safe and what to tell Mason.

  Daddies are mean... should she involve him?

  If she did, was she signing his death warrant? Even though she knew the thought was crazy it made sense and she knew she must keep this to herself for a little while. So far, Victoria seemed to have ignored Mason and maybe it was best if things stayed that way.

  Abby soon seemed to forget her fear and worry and once she had drunk her hot chocolate her spirits were fine once more. The journey to fetch Mason went uneventfully. He had had a wonderful day and couldn't stop talking about it. Though Jenny wanted to tell him her fears and what she had found on the Internet she held her peace. Even though she wanted his help and support she still thought it was better if he knew as little as possible. He would fight for his baby... if he believed her... and that could spark Victoria to remove him. So, Jenny listened to Mason and let the normality of his day offer her some peace.

  Once Mason and Abby were back in the house Jenny asked for half an hour just to do some drawing. Mason was pleased to let her go, happy to see that she was interested in her art once more.

  So, Jenny left the house with an art pad and pencil and traced the route back to the graveyard. Once more the trees seemed to be whispering, and warning her, and yet this time she could hear birdsong. Maybe she had before, only maybe before, her panic was so bad that she had simply shut it out. For a moment or two she just stood and looked at the grave. The gray stone was worn and pitted and the writing had faded so much that it was illegible. Only there was a way to read it and that was the reason she had brought her pencil and pad. Before her courage left her Jenny tore out a sheet and placed it over the gravestone. Taking the pencil, she ran it backward and forward across the paper until she had a rubbing of the cold gray stone. What she saw chilled her to the bone. With her breath coming in desperate gasps, she pulled off another sheet and completed the same task on the bottom of the stone.