by Cindy Winget
Annabel paused. “I-I don’t know. I just can’t see John murdering someone. Perhaps the house got to him. It makes people go insane.” She gestured toward her ex-husband, who was now pretending to brush his teeth, though he had no personal items with him. There was nothing inside the cell but a narrow bed, thin blanket, a single pillow, and a rusty toilet and sink.
“Do you truly believe that? Or is it a much more realistic explanation that he killed his friend and concocted this whole ‘haunting’ bit to assuage his guilt and hoodwink the rest of you into believing that it was the house that had caused it?”
“That’s not true,” insisted Annabel. “I was there. I happen to be a talented medium, and I witnessed things, before Valdemar’s death, that proved that Hill House was haunted!”
Dr. Nichols crooked an eyebrow and drew out a pad of paper and a pen. “I think you and I ought to meet together sometime to discuss this.” He wrote a date and time on the top sheet, ripped it from the pad, and handed it to Annabel.
Annabel took it from him with a glare. “You think I’m crazy now, too?”
“Not at all. I just think you may be confused about a few things. Memories can be faulty. Come back next week and we’ll discuss it.”
“Fine,” Annabel said with a sigh.
After one last peek at Dr. Montague, Annabel waved her goodbyes to Dr. Nichols, walked on down the hallway, and out into the warm August sunshine.
The End
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Author’s Note
I initially set this story in modern times, but something just wasn’t clicking for me. I felt myself not really interested. I wondered a time or two whether I should write it in the 1950’s as a bit of homage to when the original book of The Haunting of Hill House was written, but that felt like a lateral move. It didn’t really add anything to the story. I decided I needed to go even earlier. That’s when the idea of using the spiritualist movement hit. I loved that idea! Most people probably think of the 1800’s when they think of the spiritualist movement but when I came across the information about Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle during my research, I was hooked. The idea of setting the book in the 1920’s was intriguing.
All the information given during these two characters’ stay at Hill House is historically accurate. While Harry Houdini did a tour in England, these two seemingly very different men became good friends through their interest in Spiritualism. In 1920, Harry Houdini became disenchanted with the movement and felt that these fraudulent mediums were preying upon people who had lost loved ones during World War I. He spent his time attending séances in disguise, bringing along a reporter and police officer, to expose these frauds for what they were until his death in 1926. His training in stage magic helped him debunk these mediums who had successfully fooled many scientists and academics. He was a member of a scientific American committee that offered a cash prize to anyone who could successfully demonstrate supernatural abilities. The prize was never collected.
These activities cost Houdini his friendship with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who remained a staunch believer in spiritualism and gave many public speeches on the subject. He believed Houdini himself was a powerful medium and that he performed many of his magical stunts on stage with use of his supernatural abilities. Arthur believed that Houdini used these gifts to block those of other mediums he “debunked” as a means to further his own career. This disagreement led to the two men becoming public antagonists, and Doyle began to view Houdini as a dangerous enemy.
Before Houdini died, he and his wife agreed that if he found it possible to communicate with her from the other side, he would give her the message “Rosabelle believe.” After his death, Bess Houdini held yearly séances every Halloween for ten years. Even today, you can go to the top of the hotel where they were held and do a séance in order to try and contact Harry Houdini.
There are two interesting things I came across during the course of my research that unfortunately couldn’t make it into the book as they would seem out of place. 1) In 1926, Harry Houdini hired H.P. Lovecraft to write an entire book debunking religious miracles, which was to be called The Cancer of Superstition. But it was never published. 2) PT Barnum did some of his own debunking. He claimed that the spirit photos taken by William Mumler—who was thought to be the first photographer to capture a spirit in a photograph in the early 1860’s—was merely a means of preying upon those families and individuals who were grieving loved ones. This followed allegations that Mumler had broken into houses to steal family photos of deceased relatives. It was thought that Mumler’s photographs may have been achieved by inserting a previously prepared positive glass plate, featuring the image of the deceased, into his camera in front of an unused sensitive glass plate, which was then used to photograph his client. This double exposure technique not only captured the image of the client, but also the ghostly image from the prepared glass plate in front. Mumler was put on trial for fraud, and PT Barnum testified against him.
I was able to incorporate bits and pieces (some large and some just a small, vague reference) from twelve of Edgar Allen Poe’s stories/poems. I was curious to see how many I could use without making the story seem convoluted. Plus, some just wouldn’t work for a story like this.
I hope you enjoyed reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it. I was pleased to be able to insert some history, which I love, into this work of gothic horror.
Acknowledgements
I first want to thank my husband, Devan, for believing in my dreams and always being supportive in my aspirations to become a published author.
A special shout-out to my friends and family, who are always inquiring about what I am writing and have been excited with me during my successes and for always encouraging me to continue writing.
I gratefully acknowledge Warren Designs for my cover and Lisa at Precision Editing Group for polishing this rock into a gem. Without these two wonderful people this book would not have happened. Thank you!
I am also extremely grateful for my beta readers: Shem, Tyler, Mel, and Audrey. This book is better because of their insights.
I must also make mention of Shirley Jackson and Edgar Allan Poe. Without their great works, I could never have had the fun of exploring a world where both of their genius co-existed together.
Lastly, but certainly not least, to my readers. You are what makes this difficult and sometimes frustrating process all worthwhile.
About the Author
Cindy Winget has always loved to write. Her first foray into the writing realm involved illustrated notebooks full of stories about her stuffed animals. She has since honed her writing skills but retains the delight and excitement of writing that she felt during those first attempts.
She is a graduate of Weber State University and lives in Ogden, Utah, with her husband Devan,
and two beautiful daughters, Daphne and Lilly Rose.
You can always find her curled up on the couch with a good book, jotting down notes for the many ideas she has for future books, or spending time in nature.