The Ghost of Castle Isle

by C. Fennessy

Chapter Two

  "Oh, no!" Emma groaned, "Don't ask me to go to that haunted castle!"

  Emma dreaded going anywhere that might be dangerous or scary.

  "Emma, there is probably a logical explanation for what appears to be a ghost. It could be just some kind of light reflection," Kacey assured her.

  "Oh, no, it was real," Aunt Mary insisted, "It even spoke to me!"

  Emma's eyes ballooned, and Ava asked, "What did it say?"

  "It was the ghost of Abigail Simms. She said something like, 'Remember me' or something like that. I was so frightened, I didn't hear her clearly."

  "What did she look like?" asked Ava.

  "She was wearing a long white dress that flowed down, like a gown. Her long, white hair was loose and her skin was as white as chalk. She appeared in the hallway of the castle on the night of a thunderstorm. I saw her when lightning struck and lit up the dark hall. There she was, just as plain as day. And then a moment later, she was gone."

  Everyone was silent as they imagined the experience of seeing a ghost.

  "Has anyone else seen any ghosts at the castle?" asked Ava.

  "Oh, yes. Some have reported seeing William Carlson, and others have seen Abigail Simms. There have been several sightings over the past fifty years that I know of."

  "Sometimes people imagine they see something, but it's not really a ghost, just their imaginations," Kacey said.

  Ava asked, "Oh, like those teenage girls who accused people of being witches back in the Salem Witch Trials? Like they imagined everything and believed it to be real?"

  Aunt Mary nodded, "Back in 1692, Mary Glover cast spells on the Goodwin children after one of them stole some linen from her. Then the children began having fits. The people all accused Mary Glover of witchcraft and casting spells on the children. Oh, modern day doctors claim it was hysteria or some kind of fungus they ate in rye bread that caused hallucinations. But it still remains a mystery as to why so many people were affected so strangely."

  "I wish I knew more about it," Ava said eagerly.

  "Oh, I have a book on the library shelf that tells all the history of the witch trials here in America and in Europe. I'll let you take it so you can read it," said Aunt Mary.

  "But don't read it before bed!" Emma cautioned, "It might give you nightmares!"

  Ava rolled her eyes and shook her head.

  "What's the castle like inside?" asked Kacey.

  Aunt Mary's eyes grew wide as she said emphatically, "Oh, it's beautiful! Before the castle was built, the island was used as a temporary fort during the Revolutionary War. Then it was abandoned. William Carlson bought the island and used the stones from the old fort to build his castle. He had made his fortune in shipping. He traveled all over the world, exploring and collecting all kinds of wonderful things. When he retired, he decided to build a castle to house his collection. So he bought the island to build the castle.

  "It is filled with rare antiques and interesting artifacts from around the world. William wanted to protect his antiques because some of them were priceless. He found a cave on one side of the island, and had a staircase made that leads up from the cave into the castle. The castle has towers with spiral staircases, and hidden rooms. There are full suits of armor, swords and shields, and he made a huge portcullis for security."

  "What's a portcullis?" Emma asked.

  "Well," Aunt Mary explained, "It's a large iron grate that is hung over the entrance. When the grate is down, no one can enter the castle."

  "Pretty cool," Ava said.

  "It's a shame you can't go there anymore," Aunt Mary said, "Going there is like walking back in time. But they do have electricity and phone service. That was installed just after the second World War."

  "Have you ever asked Garth Simms to let you visit?" asked Kacey.

  "Well, after I took him to court over the will, he was quite angry, so I never asked."

  "Where is the castle?" asked Emma.

  "It's on an island just off the coast. You can see it from the shore, but it's too far out to swim to. Besides, you'd never get inside. He keeps the portcullis down and has 'No Trespassing' signs all around the island."

  Ava said eagerly to the girls, "Maybe we can take a look at it sometime."

  Aunt Mary replied, "Oh, you can walk down this road out front to the beach. From there you can see the island."

  When the girls finished cleaning up the lunch dishes, Aunt Mary insisted that they take a walk to the beach to see Castle Isle.

  Kacey, Emma, and Ava walked down the road past large Victorian mansions, framed by colorful, autumn trees. The sun was shining, and an ocean breeze rustled the leaves which wafted down like giant snowflakes.

  The beach at the end of the road was deserted except for the sea gulls soaring above them and pecking for food along the shore. A cold, sea breeze drove the waves against the shoreline, splashing against large granite boulders on both sides of the sandy cove.

  The girls spotted the island right away. With their binoculars they could see the grey stone castle surrounded by barren trees.

  "It looks really spooky!" Emma declared, "I'm glad we can't go on that island."

  Kacey smiled, "I'd still like to get a closer look at it. Let's take a boat ride out to the island and drive around."

  Ava frowned, "Where would we get a boat?"

  "My Uncle John has a fishing boat that he keeps at the Marbleton Yacht Club. I'll call him and see if we can borrow it."

  Kacey took out her phone and looked up her uncle's number. Soon, it was ringing, and a man's voice answered.

  "Uncle John? It's Kacey."

  "Kacey! How are you?" her uncle asked enthusiastically.

  They chatted for a moment and then she asked if she and her friends might borrow his boat while they were visiting Aunt Mary.

  "Of course! Just go to the yacht club and tell them who you are. I'll give them a call right now and tell them know you're coming. One of the club staff will give you a quick lesson on how to drive the boat. I'm sure you'll find it's pretty easy."

  "Thanks, Uncle John!" Kacey replied.

  The other girls were excited at the prospect of a boat ride. They hurried back to Aunt Mary's. First, they asked Aunt Mary if there was anything she needed, and if she would mind it if they went out for a boat ride in Uncle John's boat.

  "You can get me some milk and bread at the store just down the road," she said, pointing up the street, "But that's all I need. I usually take a nap in the afternoon, so you girls go have some fun."

  "I'll make you a really good dinner when we come back," Emma promised.

  "That sounds wonderful!" Aunt Mary said, and bid them goodbye.

  Kacey decided to go boating first, and to get the groceries on the way home. She knew where the yacht club was located from her family's trips. She parked at the yacht club overlooking the harbor, and they went into the small, grey-shingled building.

  As soon as Kacey gave her name to a man at the front desk, he grinned and cried, "Oh, so you're Kacey? Your Uncle John just called me and said you'd be coming. I'm Fred Cummings, and a good friend of your Uncle John. I have the keys to his boat here. Let me give you a quick driving lesson before you go out on your own."

  Mr. Cummings took them out the back way to the harbor. Small sailboats and larger power boats bobbed in the water. Many others were tied at the long pier leading into the cove. Mr. Cummings led them along the pier to a large power boat with a cabin, and that seated six people comfortably on the back deck.

  "Man, this thing is huge!" Ava remarked, "I thought you said it was a fishing boat!"

  "Well, Uncle John uses it to fish," Kacey explained.

  Mr. Cummings smiled, "Yeah, this is a pretty nice boat all right."

  "Boat? It's more like a ship!" Emma declared.

  Mr. Cummings got the motor started and drove the boat out into the cove. He showed Kacey the controls, and told her to drive it back to the pier.

  "Good job!" Mr. Cummings said, "Y
ou'll be fine. This boat is very safe, even in rough water. But try to get back before it gets dark."

  "Oh, we'll be back before dinner," Kacey promised.

  The girls sat down and Mr. Cummings climbed out and waved as they headed out of the cove onto the ocean.

  The girls were glad they'd worn their jackets because a cold, stiff breeze blew across the water. They huddle together in the cabin while Kacey steered the boat towards Castle Isle.

  When they arrived at the island, she slowed down. The boat bobbed up and down while trolling the choppy water. From the boat, they saw large signs warning, "No Trespassing!"

  Circling the island, they realized it was much bigger than they had realized. The island was made mostly of solid reddish-tan granite with steep, rocky cliffs surrounding it. A few trees sprouted from the rocks, and more bare trees surrounded the castle at the top.

  Soon they came to the portcullis. They were amazed at the size of the grate. It was over twenty feet high and ten feet wide. Waves splashed against it, and Kacey navigated the boat closer to look inside. Although the girls tried to look through the grate, the cave was too dark to see inside.

  As she steered the boat away from the portcullis, they suddenly heard a loud BOOM!

  A second later, something huge splashed into the water next to the boat, sending a surge of cold water into the air and over the sides.

  The girls screamed in surprise, and then another BOOM came, followed by a splash on the other side of their boat. The shock waves sent the boat rocking wildly from side to side. Emma grabbed onto her seat and held on tightly, fearful that the boat would capsize.

  "Let's get out of here!" Ava yelled.

  Kacey turned the wheel and threw the throttle into high gear. As the boat picked up speed, another explosion came and a large, black object came hurling directly toward the boat.

  Something huge splashed into the water next to the boat, sending a surge of cold water into the air and over the sides.