Midnight

Ashlyn Frost was dared to spend Halloween Night inside Baltimore Cove’s resident abandoned house. She also had to bring something out of the place, as proof that she’d actually been there. It was a crazy idea, thought up by her long-time friends. Rumors of hauntings had already been circulating around town.

As the well-known sceptic of the group, Ashlyn accepted the challenge straight away. On the evening in question, it was a clear sky and the moon had become full. You could see the stars no matter where you were looking from.

Ashlyn and her friends rode their bikes and parked them alongside the worn-out front gates of Amberly Hill house. She adjusted her Jack Skellington suit and white plaited wig. Before she slipped through the gap in the gates, Karise handed her a torch and a disposable camera. “Good luck!”

Mathew made spooky noises, waving his arms around like a lunatic. “Here’s hoping you come back alive!” His brother Zack stared at him, as if wondering how on earth they could be related. “You know better than to try and scare her.” Ashlyn smiled at the twin she liked the most. “I’ll see you guys in the morning.” “Be careful.”

The porch steps were way too crumbly. Although it really wasn’t necessary, she tiptoed around the left side, where the kitchen window barely hung on its hinges. She pulled herself up and into the space, landing softly on linoleum floors. The moonlight couldn’t reach this far, so Ashlyn switched on her torch. A sweeping glance revealed cobwebs, dust, and a lot of grime. White sheets covered the furnishings. People had not been in here for a while. She took photos of everything.

Creaks and groans were to be expected. It was a very neglected house. As she moved upstairs, she paused to look at the painted portraits of those who had once called this place home. Even though she knew it had to be a trick of the light, the eyes of some of the paintings, seemed to follow her.

The pitter patter of rodent feet made her jump, but rats in general were not an issue. She brushed aside faint webbings across the first door she came to. A damp, mouldy bathroom, that even smelled rotten. She held her nose and quickly shut the door. The room at the end of the hallway caught her attention. The intricate details on the handles were quite lovely, despite the wear and tear.

Ashlyn decided this was where she would sleep. A large four poster bed dominated the room. There was a chest of drawers, a big wardrobe, an armchair, a writing desk, and a full-sized mirror. Another door let to the adjoining bathroom, but she had never felt less like using the toilet.

She took off her wig and let it drop to the floor. She untied her shoes and brushed dust from both a dark blue blanket and the bed itself. Then she lay down. Ashlyn had no troubles falling asleep in a room that wasn’t her own. She would be happy to report to her friends the next day, that there were no ghosts haunting Amberly Hill.

Her dreams that night were fairly peaceful. Up until a few moments before she awoke. Somebody was choking her; she could feel the hands around her neck. She shot up from bed and opened her eyes. Breathing heavily, she flicked on the torch, checking every corner. Nothing. Then out of the corner of her eye, she saw a pale figure standing inside the mirror.

It was a woman, dressed in an old-fashioned nightgown. She was saying something, but the words could not be heard. Ashlyn was frozen in place. She couldn’t move even if she wanted to. The image faded. But a message had been left on the glass: Please Help Me, I am Trapped!

Now she was alone again, Ashlyn’s heartbeat had returned to normal. So, ghosts were real after all, at least in this house. She began to wonder who that lady was. Her portrait wasn’t hung up on the wall. Intriguing. She knew she wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep now. She still had to be here in the morning. Why could she not explore a bit more? She looked at her watch. Midnight on the dot, imagine that. After she snapped a photo of the mirror message, Ashlyn put her shoes back on. She’d come back for the wig later.

####

All up, there were five bedrooms, plus the bathroom, a study, and a playroom. On the ground floor there was of course the kitchen and lounge areas. There was also an office. A sliding back door led to an undercover patio. As before, dust and grime and tons of cobwebs were everywhere. The rickety stairs in the cellar, only just held up as she took them one step at a time.

There was a large wine rack and boxes of peoples’ possessions all over the place. A faint scent of something awful lingered in the air. Maybe an animal had died. A small shoebox suddenly fell off a shelf. No, she was sure it had been pushed off. The box landed at Ashlyn’s feet. She knew what to do. A bunch of small notebook pages were now held in her hand. She pulled out a folded-up deck chair and using the torchlight, began to read.

My name is Lea Henderson. I am the daughter of a banker. Even in this modern day and age, he and my mother hoped that I would find a wealthy man to marry when I grew up. I secretly wished that I’d come across a man I could fall in love with. A good financial status would be a bonus, not something I'd actively seek out.

Douglas Smythe appeared on the horizon and it looked like my parents’ dream would come true. I wasn’t so sure. I spent more time with him and began to change my mind. Perhaps he would be a good choice for a husband. I guess I felt what I thought was love.

We were married in church. I was nineteen. He had just turned thirty-five. He brought me to his family home. Things quickly changed.

Living with him, the charming, sweet man I had started to care for, was gone. In his place was someone who was arrogant, brutish, and somewhat sneaky. Douglas cut me off from my friends and family and insisted we only visit my relatives once or twice a year. We hardly even saw his own parents. I wrote letters and called, but it wasn’t the same. I couldn’t tell my mother what was really going on. I had been the one to make the mistake, now I had to deal with it. Oh well, at least the servants liked me.

About four years into our marriage, Douglas suggested we try for a baby. I was reluctant to have a child with him, so I took precautions. He was disappointed in me, but I no longer worried about his opinion. I saw less of him, which was actually a good thing. I overheard him sweet talking another woman on the phone one day, but I didn’t confront him. It hardly mattered to me whose bed he slept in. Many times, I thought about running away, but where could I go?

Little did I know that my chance for escape would show up out of the blue. Ian was one of the few cousins Douglas was actually close to. The table was set for dinner. My husband told me to dress nice. So, I put on a new dress and applied my makeup. I twisted my hair up into a knot and added appropriate jewellery. When I saw him for the first time, my heart skipped a beat. I am no expert on men, but I think Ian was just as affected by me.

Douglas led me to my seat. He was totally unlike the person I had been with for the past several years. I knew it was an act, but did his cousin? You can probably guess what happened next. Yes, Ian and I fell for each other. We plan on leaving together as soon as possible. Douglas has a foul temper, especially when drinking. He may not love me, but he sure as hell wouldn’t let anyone else take me from him. Not without a fight. I fear for our lives. Hopefully, we won’t be discovered.

Here was where the writing ended. There were red smudges on the papers. It could be dried blood. Sunlight came pouring into the dusty window. Ashlyn took another look at her watch. 7am. Time for her to get on home. The first thing she did, was call her friends. They showed up at her house and she told them what happened. Karise had an older brother who was a cop. She was all for going to the police station. The twins agreed.

###

The police chief finally made up his mind to have the Amberly Hill house checked out, just to be sure something wasn’t amiss. It had never been considered a crime scene before, since it was assumed that Lea had taken off with her lover. It was what her husband had said too. Skimming through the notebook pages, Douglas Smythe was now beginning to look suspicious.

Within hours of beginning the search, Lea’s body was found, sealed up behind a brick wall in the cellar. Forensics painted a disturbing picture once they were done; The killer had hit Lea over the head and strangled her into unconsciousness. She’d been unable to cry for help. But her body still worked, at least for a while. A switchblade knife which had fallen from the man’s pocket, served as a useful carving tool. Within the small space she had, she wrote his name, spelled out in big capital letters, on one of the bricks. Lea had remained alive for another four or five days, before finally dying of the injuries inflicted upon her.

Although an older man and not in the best of health, Douglas Smythe was still taken into custody. He broke down under interrogation. A second body was found on the Amberly Hill property, shoved into a well. His identity was confirmed as Ian Smythe.

But Douglas never even got to stand trial. The prison guards found him on the floor of his cell. The expression left on his face, was one of total fear.

Ashlyn saw the newspaper headline the following day and felt that justice had been served. She never saw Lea’s ghost again. However, she had definitely become more open minded on the subject of hauntings after her own encounter. The reality of ghosts didn’t scare her. She believed in the theory that most of them, just needed closure. They wanted answers to their deaths, which they were either unaware of, or unwilling to face. So, the true mystery of Lea’s disappearance was finally solved, and she was given a proper burial. Ashlyn hoped that the young woman's spirit had found some kind of peace, wherever she had gone.

THE END