The Haunting Of Larkspur Farm (Ghosts and Haunted Houses): A Haunting In Kingston (The Hauntings of Kingston Book 4)

by Michelle Dorey

  The Haunting

  Of

  Larkspur Farm

  A Haunting In Kingston

  By

  Michelle Dorey

  About This Book

  Larkspur Farm is the refuge that Paige and her family have craved. A hobby farm in the countryside is a welcome change from the congestion and crime of big city life. Now hopefully, her sister Amanda can recover from her clinical depression and resume being the mother to her two young children. The family has sunk every penny to make this new life work.

  But from the day they move in, they’re welcomed to their new home by a series of eerie events. Events that seem innocent in the beginning; that photo in the living room just won’t stay straight!

  But the picture’s only the beginning…when Paige discovers an antique music box, malevolent spirits stir. Skeptical at first, Paige becomes intrigued, then alarmed. When she discovers the farm's tragic past, she's horrified.

  They all become terrified as the mysteries of Larkspur Farm are revealed. They’re not the newest owners of Larkspur Farm, they’re its latest victims.

  Larkspur Farm doesn’t want them to keep its secrets.

  It wants them dead.

  Copyright 2016, Michelle Dorey

  ISBN: 978-1-927984-90-1

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  011717.mobi

  Dedication

  To my Mother and Father—I think of you every day.

  Contents

  About This Book

  Contents

  Before we begin, a word…

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Before we begin, a word…

  Please feel free to join my mailing list. I’ll keep you updated about new releases and special offers of my works. In fact, if you take me up on this offer, I’d like to give you one of my books for free—my first book, Crawley House. It’s been a strong seller for me and I think you’ll enjoy it!

  Just click this link and follow the easy peasy directions!

  Chapter 1

  Paige cringed as she saw the door open and Jennifer emerge from the old lady’s den. Oh shit. It was her turn now.

  Silently cursing the fact that she hadn’t been able to dodge this bullet, she got to her feet. But really, what could she say? It was Jennifer’s birthday wish and how often do you turn twenty-five, a quarter of a century? Her friend’s blue eyes were sparking with excitement after hearing what the old biddy had ‘seen’ in her fortune.

  Paige watched as Jennifer plopped down next to Alison on the ancient, over-stuffed sofa, the two of them already talking a mile a minute past each other, extolling the predictions of Lady Mystical. The pizza they’d shared at the birthday supper took a slow roll in her stomach and she toyed with the idea of rushing out of the shoddy townhouse.

  Jennifer looked up for a moment and broke off mid sentence from her conversation with Alison. “You okay, Paige?” Without waiting for a response, she grinned and continued, “Seriously...it’s fun. I can’t wait to hear what she tells you.”

  Paige’s fingers closed over the glass doorknob, her eyes barely registering the brown, crackled varnish. She took a deep breath before turning it and stepping inside. Filmy blue eyes stared out from a heart shaped face, the skin as fine and delicate as parchment, while a nest of silver hair topped the elderly lady’s small head. There was a knowing, enigmatic smile on her thin lips while the eyes seemed to bore right through Paige, sending a chill up her spine.

  “Come in, dear. Have a seat.” One of the woman’s blue veined hands left the deck of cards, gesturing at the chair across from her. “This won’t take long. Don’t worry.”

  Paige hesitated, looking down at the spindly chair with the needlepoint floral seat. For a second she saw herself as the old lady must be viewing her—a smart-ass twenty something year old, eager to appease her friends and get this over with. Well in that, the woman was showing a degree of clairvoyance.

  She swallowed hard and eased down into the chair. Actually, this kind of stuff scared her more than she would ever admit. Even her sister didn’t know about the premonitions she’d had on that nightmare of days—the day their parents were killed in the car accident. She’d been a basket case, alternating between crying and silent dread, knowing something bad was going to happen, but no details as to what that thing would be.

  And now here she was about to delve into that spooky stuff again with a stranger. Please God, don’t let this woman bring up the death of her parents. Even though it was now more than three years in the past, today the wound felt raw.

  Madam Mystical picked up the heavy glass holder containing a bundle of spindly, smoldering weed and circled the deck of large cards with it, letting the smoke drift in a swirl over the table.

  The pungent smell filled Paige’s nostrils and she eased back in her chair from her rigid perch on the edge.

  The old lady set the smudge aside and her gaze linked with Paige’s. “The tarot cards tap into universal energy, which of course, includes your own energy.” She set her elbows on the table and folded her hands together, resting her chin on them, silently staring at Paige. The only sound was the Grandfather clock in the corner of the room, ticking like a time bomb.

  Paige’s lips parted and she peered with narrow eyes at the old woman. “What’s wrong? Shouldn’t you be—”

  “Silence.”

  Paige jerked back and her mouth closed with a snap. What the heck? This wasn’t going the way she’d pictured a psychic reading, nothing like what Hollywood hype portrayed. The watery gleam in the old woman’s eyes staring intently made Paige’s neck muscles seize up tight as a fist.

  The old woman sniffed and sat back in her chair, resting her gnarled fingers once more on the table. “With you, a simple three card reading will suffice.” She nodded to the stack of cards in the centre of the table. “Think of something in your life that you are unsure of...a question about your family, a lover or even your job. Shuffle the deck seven times while pondering your question.”

  Paige reached for the cards, holding them for a beat while her mind flashed to her sister. She was the only family left. Poor Amanda. How many times ha
d Paige visited her sister in the three years since Avril was born, only to find her crying in bed? The term ‘post partum depression’ didn’t come close to describing the black hopelessness her sister had suffered. And just when she was coming out of it, she’d had to deal with the death of their parents.

  It had been hard for both of them but more so for Amanda. Paige could still see her sister’s frail body propped up by Josh’s strong arm as they walked from the grave a broken woman.

  Paige’s eyes narrowed and her teeth clenched thinking of the final straw, the one that threw Amanda back down into the depths of depression just as she seemed to be getting better. The cops still hadn’t caught the punks who had broken into Amanda and Josh’s home and trashed it, taking only a laptop.

  She shuffled the cards, seeing her sister’s tear filled grey eyes, her fingers clutching her arms, wringing the flesh while Josh’s arms cradled their two kids sitting snuggled close on his lap. The kids were crying in their father’s shirt and he was definitely fit to be tied. The family sure as hell hadn’t needed that. What a setback for Amanda.

  Paige had spent every day off and even some sick time trying to help out with the kids, keep the household running while Amanda alternated between sleeping and crying herself to sleep.

  At first, Paige’s boss had been patient but that was wearing thin too. She swallowed hard thinking of the letter she’d been given—the letter threatening dismissal for absenteeism. They needed someone reliable to show up for work at the group home.

  “Cut the cards three times, setting them in three stacks. Take the top card from each stack and place it face up in front of you. The first card represents your past. The second card, the present and the third card, your future.” The old lady’s voice was faint, barely above a whisper, and her eyes were intent watching her.

  Paige’s fingers trembled a little as she set the cards down and divided them into three separate piles. She barely dared to breath in the suddenly thick air, while the candle’s light flickered wildly on the sideboard.

  The first card showed a young man in armor astride a horse, holding a golden, star shaped pentacle in his hand. The Knight of Pentacles was printed at the bottom. At the sight of the five pointed star, her stomach did a flip flop as it always did.

  She plucked the top card from the middle pile and flipped it over, setting it next to the first. Her eyes became wide and she jerked back. The card showed a young family, the kingly father reaching down to play with a child at his feet while behind him a blond haired woman smiled down at them In her arms was a bunch of red roses. Bordering the edges of the scene were ten of the same pentacles that the knight in the first card carried.

  It could have been Amanda and Josh in the card’s picture. But, not exactly as there wasn’t a baby and they sure as heck didn’t live in a castle but still...

  She took a breath and let it out slowly before reaching for the last card and flipping it over. This was the one that represented her future. When she turned it over and set it next to the other two, her hand held the corner, frozen in place. There was a stone tower being struck by lightning, fire erupting from its windows while a young person fell to the ground. Oh shit. The card sent a shiver down her spine.

  She bit her lower lip and looked up at the old lady, trying to read her face. But aside from the set line of her lips and eyes flickering from card to card, there was no clue what she thought.

  Lady Mystical sat straight and folded her hands in front of her. “The Knight of Pentacles representing your past, shows a person who is steady, and patient. Someone who has worked hard to achieve her goals.”

  Paige nodded and then caught herself, sitting up straighter and keeping a poker face. The old lady smiled and looked down at the cards once more.

  “Your present...hmmm...there is family involved.” Her eyes flickered up for a moment, “I see success. However, there are many burdens, hardships involved with this success.” Her head tilted to the side and she squinted, gazing hard at Paige. “You are not married. This is not your child nor husband.”

  Paige’s stomach roiled at the old woman’s words. This was hitting things right on the mark.

  The old woman sat back and her eyebrows rose. “It is hardship for you, I think. This card in conjuncture with the Knight denotes that. It speaks to your character and resilience. But there is more...much more I’m afraid.” She folded her hands in front of her, staring hard across the table. “Are you sure you would like me to go on?”

  Paige’s heart thumped hard in her chest and she rubbed her sweaty palms over the threadbare denim on her thighs. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

  “There is danger around you. Do you know about protecting yourself from spiritual forces?”

  Paige’s mouth became dry and she barely dared to breathe. The old woman’s tone had become earnest, her ancient eyes staring intently into Paige’s. She shook her head. “I don’t know what you are talking about. This is—”

  The old woman slapped the table with her hand and leaned forward. “I know you have the sixth sense. I knew it the moment you walked through the door. You foresaw the death of two people you were very close to. And, I know that wasn’t that long ago.” The old lady took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment before continuing.

  “You also sense spirits. You were visited by your deceased grandmother when you were a little girl. Isn’t that right?”

  Paige felt her throat grow tight while her eyes welled with tears. This wasn’t fair. None of it was. That drunk driver ramming into her parents’ car...Amanda’s depression and then those punks breaking in... Shit! And now to sit here and re-live the nightmares, worry about some kind of ‘danger’ and protecting herself?

  She took a deep breath and shook her head sharply to dispel the tears. “Look, I’ve had some weird things happen. Who hasn’t? Not sure that means I should protect myself, whatever that entails.” She tapped her finger a few times on the last card. “What about this one? The one that’s supposed to be my future. What does it have to do with that? Tell me.”

  “There are forces, unnatural forces that are aligning against you. The time we live in is precarious. We are on the brink of world war...possibly. If not that, then climate disasters that we’ve never seen the likes of. The veil that keeps dark forces at bay is growing thin.”

  She reached across and her bony fingers clutched Paige’s arm. “You will experience malevolent entities, but you must protect yourself first before you can help your family. There are charms, amulets and even the way you must guard your thoughts, when you’re in the presence of...” She sighed. “...of evil entities.”

  An icy chill swept through Paige’s body and she shuddered. The sight of the card, the lightning striking it and the body falling to its death shot a bolt of fear through her heart. Her eyes locked with the old woman’s and the look of alarm she saw made her blood run cold.

  “How am I supposed to do that? I don’t even know who or what my enemy is. You say evil entities but how am I to know? What are you really saying?” Paige’s eyes welled with tears but this time from anger.

  She was only in her mid twenties, just starting to carve out a place for herself...with every spare minute helping her sister cope. And now this witch was warning of evil entities out to get her? It was too much!

  She shrugged the woman’s hand off and stood up so fast the chair toppled backward, landing with a soft thud on the worn carpet. “This is bullshit.”

  She scrambled in her purse with trembling fingers, trying to locate her wallet. Her fingers closed around it, snatched a twenty from the soft leather and she plunked it sharply onto the table, upsetting the third stack of cards.

  “Here! Thanks for the reading. It was entertaining—NOT!” As she turned, her eye paused on the card that had spilled from the deck, facing up and accusing her. It was a man hanging by one leg, upside down from a cross, while a halo of golden light circled his head. ‘The Hanged Man’ was inscribed on the bottom.
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br />   The old woman stared at the card, then back up to Paige. “You’re coming to a crossroad, my dear,” was all she said.

  Paige spun on her heels and fled from the room.

  Chapter 2

  A week later...

  Paige’s hands drifted softly over her niece’s back and she leaned down to sniff the toddler’s downy hair. There was nothing sweeter than the scent of Avril’s skin and hair just fresh from the bath. She pulled the three year old in closer and crossed her legs, adjusting the child’s weight against her body.

  Across the table, Amanda’s dark eyes were bright and her smile a mile wide, leaning forward in her chair. Despite the fact that she was in her thirties, with a few lines crossing her forehead, she looked young, excited as a kid on Christmas morning.

  “Oh my God, Paige! Wait till you see it. The house needs a little work, decorating mainly—nothing drastic or structural. And the barn! I’ll be able to get a couple horses and maybe some chickens and—”

  Josh slapped the table. “Hold on!” He shook his head, but his eyes were crinkled in the corners.

  For a moment the smile fell from Amanda’s face and even the sleepy black dog laying next to Josh rose to its feet.

  Amanda’s huffed a sigh.”What? You know I want to get back into animal care. It’s a hobby farm, a perfect set-up for boarding and grooming. That’s a big part of the appeal.”

  Paige’s eyes locked with Josh’s for a moment. She turned to her sister. “You don’t want to over-extend yourself though, Sis. Moving to the country...hell, another city is going to be a huge adjustment as it is.” Paige’s shoulders slumped. She was really going to miss them.

  But, it had been a long time since she’d seen her big sister this happy. Amanda’s eyes were framed in dark lashes, thickened with a brush of mascara and she even wore a trace of lipstick. Not that she needed make-up to look pretty but the fact that she was wearing it, meant the new meds were working. Her energy level and enthusiasm was really encouraging. Maybe, she truly was better now.