It’s all change today. With Rachel reporting the face showed up
again at the lodge last night, the investigation’s been split, and not equally
either. Tonight, Derek is with Rachel in
the lodge to provide the expert assistance, and Drake is there too because he
has a better chance of photographing a face (a lot better than photographing a
sound!), and Andrew’s there because he’s the leader, and, finally, Florence is
at the lodge too – as my representative and also because she wants to see the
face. Nick is not here but he isn’t in
the lodge either – he’s providing exterior security, patrolling outside all
around the lodge. Peri and I are in the
Manor alone.
Actually, it’s an ideal opportunity. We have all the recorders to capture any
sound and the video cameras on the top landing. Drake’s moved all his cameras out. Peri and I can really get into the heart of this house now – I
say we’re here alone but we also have Aquila.
Between the 3 of us, I’m hopeful we’ll make good progress.
The Manor’s not quiet tonight. In fact, it has a definite feeling of
oppression about it, almost menace.
It’s never had that before. For
the 1st time since I walked into this house, I feel uneasy. I asked Peri if she felt it too and she
nodded. She seems not exactly tense but
wary; I don’t think she’s sat down yet this evening. She’s constantly listening.
When we speak, it’s in whispers.
I’ve walked around – we’ve stayed
together – and the feeling’s growing. I
haven’t ‘seen’ anything but I feel it’s close.
It’s like it’s on the other side of the door. If I could only open it in time, I’d see a snapshot of the past
.. but I never get there fast enough.
Peri says she’s had the same feeling from the start. We’ve really been able to talk tonight. She’s told me that she doesn’t get any evil
in here, not true evil. What happened was
bad and that’s down to interpretation.
It may have been seen by one as acceptable, by another as not good,
another as bad, and yet another as evil and wicked. Maybe the last was ambivalent and had no opinion one way or the
other. Whatever, it was definitely sad.
It’s nearly 11:00 now and it’s
suddenly gotten very cold in here. I
Well.
I’m glad the others weren’t here to share tonight with us, (I mean
Florence, Andrew and Drake). It was
incredibly frightening. Aquila says the
Manor is mad at us for going where we shouldn’t (I think that’s a reference to
the unlocked doors) and it’s thrown a tantrum.
My ears are still ringing. What
we find on the tapes tomorrow … Derek’s
going to be busy. What with setting up
in the lodge, they didn’t get any analysis work done today. Tonight’s event was sheer sound – banging,
thumping, like a herd of giant feet stamping around, giant hands hitting the
walls and doors. So loud! I was shouting and Peri couldn’t hear
me. It went on, in bursts, for about an
hour. It’s been silent now for another
hour so I think it’s over.
It’s now an hour after I wrote
that. I hadn’t planned on adding
anything to today’s entry but .. Peri’s just told me about San Stefano. We sat in the library in our jackets because
the Manor is freezing. It isn’t quite
as menacing but I get the feeling it’s watching us. All the time we don’t patrol, it’ll leave us alone. The San Stefano account is staggering. She told me the reason she hadn’t said
anything to me before was purely down to my attitude long term. That I’d hear it and accept it now but, in
the future, I’d resent it. So she was
taking a chance and, if I once raise it, she’d remind me of this night. She also said she’d give me the straight
facts .. and she did. We did go to the
counting house and confront the Castles and Agatha Hicks. We got the full story from them (Peri told
the story too, just as they’d told it to us), and then we let them go but we
wouldn’t let them escape. It had been
against Peri’s training but she’d done it.
And she’d seen us all die. Not
just us but all those trapped in there with us too. All because she’d made a mistake. And then something Philip had said had nudged a memory and she’d
turned back time so that the end was different. To us, it hadn’t happened so I’d been resentful that she was
making all the decisions. But I was
alive now because she had. I asked her
why she’d told me after all this time and she said because the truth’s
important and, while she was taking a chance on me, she trusted me to know what
was right. Then she warned me that I
wasn’t to ask her to turn back the clock again because she could only do it in
the bubble, not out in the real world.
I almost wish she could because then
Haystone wouldn’t be able to hide its secrets from anyone.
*****
Tonight, we are in the lodge. Upon arriving back here this morning, we
learned that the enigmatic face had returned in the night and appeared at the
lounge window. Carrie had been badly
scared by its reappearance. Therefore,
it was agreed that we should divide our efforts and investigate both
locations. There are two main reasons
for this – one is obvious. We may learn
some new fact. The other is to provide
support to Carrie. Being surrounded by
people anxious to help her will bolster her confidence, I hope. Rachel is agreeable to the idea.
We all slept, although there was a
slight alteration in the arrangements.
Carrie slept in the dining room with Rachel. Alex took Carrie’s place upstairs with Florence. Nick and Peri moved into the lounge. No one was disturbed.
This afternoon, we spent time moving
equipment back from the Manor and setting it up in the lodge. We are all here tonight except for Nick who
is prowling outside as our security, and Alex and Peri who are undertaking the
watch in the Manor. The change in focus
meant that Andrew and I could devote no time to the analysis of the
screaming. Florence, too, was involved
in moving equipment so has been unable to do much in the way of research. However, this evening, she has learned that
Gladys Campbell accepted another proposal of marriage and left the area several
months before Haystone’s gates were closed to the world. She has now concluded that line of inquiry
and turned her efforts to Dr Carver and the medical records.
Nick has just called in for a cup of
coffee and has reported that the Manor is awash with light. Every shuttered window has light spilling
around it. He will not go up there but
he wanted us to know. The Manor is
10-12 minutes’ walk away from the lodge and around a bend in the drive so it
cannot be seen from the gate. It may be
that it does this every night. We have
centered our investigation inside the Manor and it has not blazed with light at
all so far .. at least, that we know about.
The atmosphere in the lodge is not
tense. It is warm and welcoming. People are sitting around and are
comfortable. We don’t have a fire in
the hearth but the rooms are a lot smaller and not really designed for this
many occupants. But Carrie looks
relaxed, pleased so many are sharing her ordeal or are willing to help her thru
it.
I took some time early this afternoon
to speak with her. I did it because I
felt a little guilty that I hadn’t done so before now plus it gave Rachel a
break – not that Rachel finds this a hardship.
She genuinely wants to see Carrie back on her feet and established on
the road to recovery. Carrie was a
little shy with me, a little embarrassed for her previous behavior but she
joined in the conversation after an awkward few minutes.
As to the others – Drake’s misgivings
about Peri seem to be sidelined at the moment as he is concentrating on
acquiring his photographic proof of a real, live ghost (if that is not a
contradiction in terms). Andrew is both
excited at the prospect of finally achieving a life’s ambition and uneasy about
it being here in the lodge. I have
noticed he is pacing a lot between brief bursts of sitting down. It is actually quite a revelation, seeing
him like this. Back home, Andrew is the
epitome of cool, collected calmness.
Florence is on her own tonight and manfully shouldering the research
burden in Alex’s absence. She is
working across the hall in the dining room .. although she emerges every now
and then just to check. I have asked
her to see if she can find any information on the gatekeeper, the former
resident of this building. I have been
thinking back over the tape recordings made so far and it is possible one voice
could be that of a servant. It is, as
Nick remarked, worth checking out.
Ah, our decision to divide our efforts
has paid off. We have indeed been
visited again by the disembodied face.
She appeared at the lounge window and did not seem to react at all to so
many people looking at her, or, indeed, taking photographs of her. Nick saw her too, from outside, and set off
to follow her but returned soon after as she had vanished. Carrie was able to confront the woman and
that is a good sign for her recovery.
But, on the whole, a disappointing night – no communication has been
established.
*****
I’ve spent time today reading back over
this journal, or, at least, the days leading up to Haystone and the time we’ve
been here, and I really can’t believe I was so bitter and cruel. I’ve been nasty to Florence and especially
to Drake. And yet they’ve been so
fantastic. I honestly thought they’d
celebrate my ‘attack’ (not that it was a real attack – I wasn’t mugged or
anything), or just laugh at me. But
they haven’t. They’ve been really
great. Okay, some of it I can put down
to wanting to be here to see what I saw, to take pictures of it. We are the ghost club, after all. It’s natural enthusiasm .. something I’ve
lacked and seen in others with scorn.
But, the rest of it is because they care and I don’t deserve that, not
after how I treated them. Drake has
been so kind and gentle today. His eyes
can’t lie. I’ve seen him laugh at me
before and it wasn’t there today.
Florence, too, has been attentive.
I wanted friends and I had them.
I just never realized it.
Anyway, I’m getting ahead of
myself. After the face came back last
night, Rachel drew the drapes and made us hot chocolate, then she sat and read
to me. It was to take my mind off
things and, at first, I felt like a little kid but then it got cozy. We talked over the story line and chatted
about everyday things – I spoke of my job and she told me about her
daughter. When the others got back at
6:15, and Rachel told them what had happened, I didn’t feel any panic or that I
was being singled out. We decided to
split the focus of the investigation – here and at the Manor. Alex and Peri (another person I’ve treated
so badly) would take the Manor and everyone else would be at the lodge. We ate breakfast, reorganized the sleeping
arrangements, and went to sleep. I’m
glad I’m not in that room anymore. I
doubt, even though I feel so much better, that I could’ve slept in there.
When we woke, we had lunch and then
the afternoon was used moving equipment back here from the Manor. Rachel insisted I help with that – the
exercise would do me good. The lodge is
pretty cluttered now and I feel a little that it’s my fault, but Derek assures
me it’s all in a good cause.
We spoke this afternoon, while Alex,
Nick and Peri were setting up with Drake, Andy and Florence. Rachel went for a walk herself – I think she
needed some timeout alone because she’s hardly left my side in over 24
hours. I was embarrassed speaking with
Derek. I remembered thinking he was a
good catch and not much more. How wrong
I’ve been! Florence remarked to me a
few days ago that, if she ever was in a real crisis, she’d like to have someone
like Derek around because she just felt safe with him there. He may be a human being and he may jump at
strange, sudden noises, and even be scared, but he doesn’t let it paralyze him. That shone thru today. He wasn’t exactly brisk when we talked but
he kept it practical. He didn’t pat my
hand or gush sympathy but I could see he was concerned and he said that every
effort would be made to resolve this. I
believe him.
At 6:00, Alex and Peri left for the
watch at the Manor and the rest of us settled for the evening. Andy and Rachel played cards earlier but now
she’s reading and he’s pacing. Drake’s
prowling with his cameras. Florence is
in the dining room over the way working on research. I’ve dozed a little so I must be feeling calmer – it’s because
I’m not alone. Derek wrote his
journal. Nick is outside, patrolling
the area around the lodge. Drake told
me Nick has a gun and knows how to use it.
I’m not sure how that will work against a ghost but I do feel safer
knowing he’s outside. Andy remarked to
Drake that Nick was a SEAL once and Drake went a little pale. I thought it was funny and he smiled too ..
after a while. I think that’s about all
for today.
I wrote too soon. The face came back, just as it did last night,
outside the lounge window. Florence
came running in, Drake was taking photographs like cameras were about to be
banned. Andy just stared, his mouth
open. Rachel and Derek tried to talk to
it but it didn’t seem to see us at all.
I went right up to the window and really looked hard but she seemed to
look right thru me as if I were the ghost. Nick was outside and he followed after her when she turned away
.. but he’s back inside now. She was
heading toward the Manor when she disappeared.
Derek is disappointed that we didn’t communicate but I feel
terrific. I faced my demon and I beat
it. Has to be a victory for the good
guys.
*****
What
a difference 24 hours make. Last night,
Carrie and I were here alone. Tonight,
we’re surrounded and I couldn’t be happier.
Well, yes, I could, but, in this context, no. The lodge is a little cramped, people are sitting on the floor as
well as the furniture, we have wires and cables and cameras on tripods .. but
the atmosphere is exactly what Carrie needs right now. Brisk yet relaxed, purposeful yet laid back,
enthusiastic rather than tense.
Everyone who should be here is here.
I know it; more importantly, so does she.
Last
night, I felt slightly overwhelmed and anxious. Not for myself but for Carrie.
The face isn’t threatening. If
anything, it causes a feeling of deep sadness.
But I’m only one person and my responsibility was to Carrie, my
unofficial patient. Tonight, there are
others here to cope with the face, should it return, and I know my focus won’t
be split – and, if I have to devote myself to Legacy work, there are others
here to care for Carrie. I’m covered
whatever happens. Carrie is too, and
that doesn’t need to be said. I can see
she is a lot more relaxed.
After
the visitation last night, I drew the drapes and made hot chocolate. I sat Carrie down and read out loud to her
to distract her thoughts. She was
uncomfortable for a while but I persevered and her resistance crumbled. When she was relaxed again, we had our first
proper therapy session although I doubt she realized it was that. We talked about the story line in the novel
as that’s completely unrelated to current events, then moved on to her life,
her work. I have to admit, I think
Carrie’s in the wrong job. She needs
something with a slower pace or something not so high profile and
stressful. I told her about Kat. It was a nice way to pass the long hours of
the night.
When
the others came back early this morning, they related what had happened in the
Manor and I told them that we hadn’t exactly been bored either. We had a very quick discussion and agreed
that we would have to divide the investigation. Alex and Peri would go to the Manor, everyone else would remain
here. Then we had a small rearrangement
of the sleeping accommodations. I
didn’t want Carrie in her room upstairs so she and I used the dining room, Nick
and Peri had the lounge and Alex took Carrie’s place with Florence.
This
afternoon was really rather pleasant.
The weather hasn’t broken yet.
It was a lovely day and we spent a lot of it outside, moving equipment
back to the lodge and setting it up. I
took a break on my own to help clear my old thoughts and start thinking new
ones. Derek and Carrie spoke a little –
he hasn’t had any real conversation with her before now. Today was a people day rather than an
equipment or situation day.
At
6:00, Alex and Peri left. It’ll be
interesting to hear what, if anything, happens tonight. Peri has Aquila and I know for a fact that
Aquila hasn’t been idle during this.
Alex, of course, has the sight.
Maybe not as developed as Derek’s gift but she’s no slouch and, with no
one watching their every move, they’re free to do a lot. As for us, it’s been a calm evening but the
.. it’s anticipation more than tension and it’s rising as the hours drift
closer to midnight. Everyone’s affected
by it – gazes are constantly straying to the window, people are hanging around
close to the window; even Carrie isn’t immune but she seems to be coping a lot
better tonight. I’m glad about that.
Nearly
two hours later ~ the feelings are mixed now that we have seen the face
again. The members of the ghost club
are ecstatic and awed. Drake is very
hopeful that he’s captured something on film.
Florence can’t quite wipe the grin from her face. Andrew is just sitting. He hasn’t said very much, he seems dazed,
but in the same way as a father is having seen his child come into the world –
he can’t quite believe his good fortune.
Carrie has beaten her fear and is just as overjoyed. The experience has made them all
stronger. The members of the Legacy,
however, are not so happy. We’ve
learned nothing new. We attempted communication
but received no reply. I doubt we even
made contact. The woman at the window
seems to be one of those ghosts who exist in their own past, oblivious to the
present day and who are simply repeating the events of their lives. She looked in the window at a scene long
lost to history. And it’s that history
we have to discover.
*****
It’s
been a day of frustrations, journal.
The routine established has collapsed and I lost valuable computer time
this afternoon. I guess the mystery
here isn’t just in the Manor. No one’s
ever documented disturbances in the lodge yet it seems this place is almost as
active. The entry in the book needs to
be amended to ‘the Haystone estate hauntings’.
Yes,
I’m in the lodge tonight. Alex is up at
the Manor with Peri. I’m working in the
dining room because it’s quieter and a lot less crowded. I really want to be in the lounge with the
others but Alex is relying on me to find some answers. Peri is at the Manor with Alex but everyone
else is here – except Nick who’s outside.
It’s much nicer working here. It
isn’t so cold or echoing.
I’ve
discovered that Gladys Campbell had nothing to do with the closing of the
estate. According to her cousin’s diary
(which I found in a Campbell family archive), Gladys did have a few dates with
Jack McFarlane but he was never the love of her life. Some guy called Michael Steersworth was and she accepted his
proposal and moved to Sacramento as his wife.
All this happened several months before Jack shut the gates and turned
his family into recluses. There doesn’t
seem to be any correlation between the two.
End of that line of inquiry. Now
I’m digging for information on Dr Carver.
Derek’s also asked me to see if I can find anything on the
gatekeeper. Never rains but it
pours! I never realized how much
background checking has to be done. But
I guess, if you’re going to understand the play, you need to know the whole
cast of characters.
There’s
just one problem with that – society people had their names out there. Information on the McFarlanes is few and far
between but it is there. Servants were
anonymous. Obviously, they weren’t at
the time but they left no records. They
served .. and it was taken for granted.
They didn’t keep journals and, if they did, no one’s thought to put them
on the net. I may have to resort to
other means to fill Derek’s order.
I
have to say it’s very hard to concentrate.
I really want to be in the lounge.
Anyway,
to fill in the gaps of today – we came back at 6:10 this morning. I felt exhausted. I was tired anyway, what with missing 2 hours’ sleep yesterday,
and the screaming left my nerves raw.
The least sound after that – I jumped.
So much for hoping I’d be able to cope, huh! When we got inside, we couldn’t go straight to sleep (even though
I was almost asleep standing up) – Derek had to update Rachel and then Rachel
had to update us. The face had come back. That woke me up a little. We talked it over and Andy agreed to the
idea that we split up. Alex and Peri
said someone should be at the Manor so they volunteered. Everyone else was tired of hearing but not
seeing so we voted to stay here. Then
we had to decide who would sleep where because Carrie felt anxious in our
room. Excuse me! I’m in there. Am I not allowed to feel anxious too? Well, Alex took Carrie’s place
upstairs. Rachel and Carrie took Nick
and Peri’s room, and they moved into the lounge. Then we went to sleep.
I don’t know if it was because Alex was there but I slept very well and
I wasn’t woken by anything.
After
lunch, we moved most of the gear back to the lodge. All Drake’s cameras, one of the Luna Foundation’s video cameras for
my bedroom just in case the woman turns up and doesn’t wake us. I know I sometimes sleep like the dead – a
bomb going off wouldn’t rouse me. Two
more of their stills cameras are trained at the window in the lounge. Then there’s the monitors, and the laptop to
control the EM sensors and thermometers – all very high tech stuff! I got to help with setting up. Alex has such an interesting job – I would
love to do this and get paid for it. So
that was the afternoon. Now it’s the
evening and, as I suspected, the face hasn’t shown itself again. My luck every time. I’ll write more tomorrow – I’m going into
the lounge now to see what’s going on.
PS! I really don't believe I’ve seen it! But I have.
My first ever ghost! Oh, wow, it
was incredible! It drifted up to the
window and peered in, and we were right there looking out. Derek and Rachel tried talking to her (she
does look sad) but she didn’t answer.
Drake took a whole roll of film and he’s so excited. He’s torn now between waiting to see if it
comes back or going down to the cellar to develop some prints. Andy’s just in shock. I would’ve thought Derek and Nick would be
happier but they’re not. And to think –
Alex missed it all!
*****
Well,
Day 8 in Haystone, journal, and I’ll be honest with you. This morning, I was ready to quit. The screaming last night was just about the
last straw on the camel’s back. If I
had been here with any other group of people, it would have been ‘adios,
amigos, I am outta here!’ But it wasn’t
any other group. It’s my
group. And so I stuck around. I did feel depressed though. I started out for Haystone with such hopes. After all these years of nothing, maybe this
year we’d get lucky. And, to be fair, I
haven’t been disappointed. Haystone did
come thru for us. It is definitely a
haunted house. But it’s all noise. If I were a sound guy, I would have been
over the moon, but I’m a photographer.
I need visuals. Haystone Manor
just doesn’t have them. It’s been a good
vacation but not the best. Maybe next
year, huh?
Then
we got back to the lodge. And guess
what, journal? While we’d had our
nerves shredded, Rachel and Carrie got to see the face again. See the face. A 2nd time. Was my interest stimulated? Too fucking right it was! I didn’t have to press my case, however,
because Derek thought we should divide the investigation and cover both the
Manor and the lodge. He’s a great guy,
really got his heart in the right place.
Andy had to agree or I would’ve hit him.
I’ve
just flipped back a few pages and read how, yesterday, I was scared that the
lodge had been invaded. How stupid was
that? There again, taking a step back
and being rational, if I’d been on my own here .. maybe I would still be
scared. However, I am not on my own,
I’m with the ghost club and Andy’s employers who are professionals who do this
for a living each day of the year.
Therefore, I am not scared, I am excited.
We
changed the sleeping arrangements too.
Andy and I aren’t affected, nor is Derek, but everyone else played
musical chairs so Carrie wouldn’t have to sleep in ‘that room’. I felt sorry for Flo. She still has to sleep in there but Alex is
with her and Alex is one of those people who can only be knocked over by a
hurricane. Andy and I talked it over a
little before we slept. It was going to
be a full house; everyone stuffed in here except for the two girls who’ll be
able to spread out in the big house.
After
such a fraught night, I thought I’d either not be able to sleep or I’d wake
feeling grouchy but the short sleep the day before meant I went out like a
light and I woke feeling great. We ate
and then got straight to it. I wanted
my stuff out of the Manor and into the lodge.
I wasn’t going to miss this chance.
Derek wanted one of the video cameras back here, plus a couple of sensor
operated stills cameras. Then there was
the laptop for the EM thing and the thermographic analysis. And these people don’t have degrees in
nuclear physics either. Nick, for
example, I learned today was a SEAL.
Well, thanks for telling me, Andy!
A few days ago would have been a lot better. I wonder just how close to a bloody, painful death I got before
my crush on his wife was cured.
Anyhow,
I can laugh about it now (albeit rather hollowly) and I waved goodnight to Alex
and Peri at 6:00 with a joyful heart.
Then we settled back to wait out the evening. Andy and Rachel played cards.
I paced, camera at the ready.
Flo worked on the research in the dining room – I have to ask myself if
it’s really necessary now. We’re not
going to crack this, not in the time we have left. We’ve achieved most of our goals. Is solving the mystery so important? Flo thinks it is. I’m not
so sure.
And,
now, it is 12:45 in the morning and I am a very happy guy. I’ve seen the face. What’s more, I have shot a roll of film of
the face at the window. If I’m very
lucky, when I develop that film, there will be a face on the prints. If I’m not so lucky, I’ll get some other,
less incontrovertible proof that the camera does not lie.
It
drifted up to the window and peered in at .. the room. I can’t in honesty say it peered in at us
because we were all right there and she didn’t seem to see us at all. She didn’t react to Nick either, and he was
.. 10 feet away from her, outside.
Rachel tried talking; she was ignored.
My experience with ghosts is shallow to say the least but I know ghosts
tend to act out the last traumatic events of their lives, over and over. We know the family left Haystone alive. So, after her death, assuming this is one of
the McFarlane daughters, what brought her back here?
Maybe
that mystery does need to be solved after all.
*****
The
nights are definitely getting a lot colder.
I’m inside now but, for the past few hours, I’ve been strolling around
the lodge. It was decided by Andrew and
Derek this morning that we’d stay here tonight. Alex and Merli are up at the Manor alone. I’m not worried about Alex. She has the best backup anyone could have,
and I think something big’s gone down there tonight. Earlier, about an hour, 90 minutes ago, the place was lit up like
a Christmas tree. We’ll find out in the
morning.
I’m
in the kitchen writing this because it’s empty and there’s hot coffee. I can feel the heat of it starting to work
thru my muscles. Standing still outside
for any length of time drives the chill into my bones. It’s either that or I’m getting old.
Where
do I start to record today’s events?
This morning, having nursed 3 frightened people thru the night, we were
ready to sleep when we got to the lodge.
I was asking myself how much more they can take as well as how much
longer do we have. There’s a permit
which gives us access to the estate for a certain period. We go over that, we could have the cops come
pay us a visit. We may be able to
stretch it another day, maybe 2, because the local agent is Andrew’s old man,
but, if he wants to continue being the agent, he’ll have to throw us out.
To
be honest, this investigation seems to be going nowhere fast. It isn’t dangerous, doesn’t pose a threat to
anyone. Sure, it’s sad but, if we can’t
discover what happened because we can’t communicate with these spirits, how can
we solve it and help them? It’s true of
people so it has to be true for ghosts as well – some people just don’t want to
be helped.
When
we got inside, Rachel heard about the screaming and she told us about the
face. It had come back. This was different – this was what Andrew
and his friends had come to Haystone for.
Wasn’t rocket science to guess that they’d want to hang here
tonight. Derek thought he should be
here too. Rachel has to be here for
Carrie. Alex said she’d go to the
Manor, Merli offered to go with her – they didn’t need to be here because
they’ve both seen ghosts and it’s nothing new.
Plus, with everyone else here, they could take the Manor
apart. I was of more use here but the
lodge would be packed so I did what I’m best at – security.
Merli
and I slept in the lounge today. She
told me she’d tell Alex tonight and she hoped she wouldn’t regret it in the
future. Alex is a wonderful person but
she can sometimes get so focused she loses sight of the big picture. She’s a big fan of justice, equity,
fairness. If she feels she’s being
shortchanged, she won’t give up till it’s put right. Only .. some things can’t be put right, they can only be
tolerated or forgotten. Do anything
else, it becomes a grudge, then an obsession for revenge.
This
afternoon, it was moving equipment around.
Derek wants a complete record kept of everything so, if we have to quit,
we can take what we have and continue to work on that while we arrange
permission to return. Part of me hopes
we won’t have to do that – it’d be insulting to Andrew – but exactly what we
can accomplish in the few days we have left, I don’t know. Merli’s been here longer than us and she’s
no closer to the answers either.
Once
everything was set up and wired in, we had supper then Alex and Merli left for
the night watch. I waited till dusk
then went on patrol. The mood’s
different again today. People seem to
have rediscovered their motivation. I’m
not saying the face which appears here isn’t important – it’s plainly part of
the overall mystery – but it isn’t as important as the Manor. Screaming, crying, a gunshot – how that does
compare with a floating face? Whatever
happened, happened at the house, not the lodge. We should be up there, not here.
But this is Derek’s democracy in action – it’s Andrew’s case so he calls
the shots.
I
was fairly close to the lounge window when the ghost showed up. Temperature dropped like a stone. I saw a face, hair, maybe the hint of
shoulders but no body. It drifted to
the window and looked in. It didn’t
take any notice of me or the others inside.
Stood there for .. 15-20 minutes, then turned back toward the
Manor. I followed but, 50 yards up the
drive, it faded away. Now I’m in the
kitchen, getting warm again. I think
I’m done for the night. But there’ll be
more tomorrow. Guaranteed.
*****
It’s
late, very late. Almost a quarter after
2. I meant to start this hours ago but
I just could not settle to it. My own
fault. Nervous excitement and no meals
to prepare. RC distracted me earlier
with a game of cards but it didn’t last.
I couldn’t sit still long enough.
It’s only now that I’m calm enough to collect my thoughts and write them
down but this I have to state right now – I HAVE SEEN A GHOST !
I
didn’t see it at the Manor, I saw it at the lodge. It was Carrie’s face. Not
her face but the face she saw yesterday morning. When we got back from the Manor – no, I have
to go a little way farther back than that.
When I left the Manor, I was really in 2 minds whether to stay or give
up. Haystone is everything I’d hoped it
would be and rather more than I’d hoped in a lot of ways. Okay, it doesn’t have everyone’s idea of
ghosts but it is haunted. We have had
the ‘haunted house’ experience in full because Carrie has seen a ghost
as well. Strictly, by the terms of the
club, we don’t have to stay. And the
screaming scared me badly. I didn’t
want another night of that. There
again, the lodge was now affected as well so it didn’t feel safe. I dreaded going back there. It was the longest walk of my life.
Then
we did get back and I was still undecided.
Carrie looked tired but okay. DR
told them what they’d missed and he sounded so calm about it. Then RC told us what we’d missed and
it was like someone had prodded me with a live electric wire. Drake looked at me with a very pointed
expression. Florence’s eyes had lit up. The face had come back in the night. That meant there was a chance it would come
back again. DR suggested splitting our
efforts because he’d like to see it too.
AM and PB offered to do the watch at the Manor. And I said yes to everything. All of us in one room – how could I be
frightened of a face? We agreed to
spend the afternoon moving equipment back from the Manor, ate breakfast,
reordered who would sleep where, and went to bed.
Drake
wanted to chat and went on about this was his big chance, he wasn’t going to
pass this up, etc. I think he talked me
to sleep because I don’t remember him shutting up. The next thing I knew it was
nearly 2:00 and time for lunch. The
afternoon passed in a blur of repetitive activity – exactly what I needed to
keep myself from thinking too much. At
the back of everything though was a burning hope that this time I would get to
achieve a life ambition.
It’s
a strange thing to wish for – to see a ghost.
A lot of people have life ambitions but seeing a ghost isn’t one of them. I wanted it to be here, at Haystone. This house had first set me on the path
toward that dream. This afternoon, I
wasn’t particularly bothered if it happened in the Manor or at the lodge – it
was inside the gates and that was all that mattered.
I
can’t say I remember anything of the setting up. I did what I was told – plug this cable into that socket, put
this sensor by that window frame. Drake
was busy setting up his cameras. It’s a
very precise business. We couldn’t use
flash photography because there would be glare on the window and thus the
object would be obscured. Then it was
time to prepare supper; we ate and AM and PB set off for the Manor while the
rest of us tried to find ways to pass the time. The atmosphere was one of hopeful anticipation tinged with a
dreadful sense of hopelessness. We
wanted it yet couldn’t resist thinking what if it doesn’t show? I don’t know what DR made of my behavior
tonight. I couldn’t rest. No sooner had I sat down than I was on my
feet again. We all kept looking at the
window, couldn’t help it. Florence was
trying so hard to work in the dining room but she was in and out on the least
excuse.
And
then, just after midnight, there it was.
Drake almost dropped his camera in surprise. Florence just stared, her mouth open. Carrie was magnificent.
She went up to the window and really stared hard but she didn’t shake or
scream or anything. As for me – I was
in shock. There she was. My ghost of Haystone. Such a sad face but she was
there. We all saw it!
DR
and RC tried to communicate with her.
NB was outside the whole time and she didn’t react to anything. In fact, after 15 minutes or so, it got a
little embarrassing. I almost felt like
going to the door and inviting her in.
But then she turned away and headed back up the drive. NB followed her but returned soon after,
saying she’d vanished. I feel sorry for
them. They’ve learned nothing new and
didn’t even appear excited. The rest of
us were celebrating – still are! Thank
you, Haystone!
*****
Today,
I put Alex out of her misery. No, I
haven’t hurt her and I don’t believe for a second she’s been miserable since
she got here but I decided tonight was the best time to tell her about San
Stefano. It was Aquila’s idea. Just the 2 (or 3) of us in the Manor, no one
else around (that I need to worry about, anyway) to overhear us, lots of quiet
to ask questions and thrash it all out until she’s happy. And that’s pretty much what’s happened ..
except the lots of quiet part. We
haven’t had that tonight. If the
screaming last night almost started a stampede, tonight would have succeeded –
what’s more, they wouldn’t have stopped till they got to the Mexican border.
Okay,
back to the beginning. Carrie’s ghost
turned up again in the night – a fact which pissed off Aquila no end and who
fumed she’d been checking out the wrong house all these nights – so it was
decided to divide and conquer. Alex and
I would take the Manor (Aquila couldn’t believe that) and everyone else would
stay at the lodge. Such excitement! I couldn’t blame them – seeing ghosts is
why they came in the first place. Then
we had to exchange bedrooms so Carrie could get some decent rest – she has
definitely changed. I can’t say she’s
humble but she’s human now, not an exaggeration. Attitudes toward her have changed too. Positive upward spiral.
Good result. Nicky and I slept
in the lounge. I said to him I was
thinking about telling Alex; he said she’d appreciate it. I’m not so sure about that as I’ve already
recorded in this damned journal.
Appreciate knowing the truth, yes.
Appreciate the motivation behind my action, maybe. Appreciate that I did what I did ..
undecided. But she deserves to know and
God help her if she ever throws it in my face in the future.
This afternoon was a reverse of setting up
the Manor. We had to ship most of it to
the lodge. Now, the lodge isn’t
big. It was built for a gatekeeper and
his family. Man, wife, kids. There are 3 bedrooms in the lodge (1’s used
for storing furniture so can’t be used), a kitchen, lounge, dining room, small
sitting room/study/estate office, and a cellar. None of it is what I’d call big.
Presently, there are 7 adults in there plus a hell of a lot of equipment
and cables. Good pacing room will be at
a premium. Once supper was out of the
way, Alex and I left them to it.
The
Manor is very different tonight. Aquila
was instantly intrigued at the change of mood.
If I could ascribe characteristics to a house, I’d have to say it’s
frowning at us. It definitely does not
want us here. It’s oppressive,
threatening – like a thunderstorm about to break. Alex felt it too and asked me if I could feel it. Oh yeah.
We did the rounds, including all the now unlocked rooms, and the feeling
got worse. I was wary, wondering what
we’d hear tonight. Aquila couldn’t
wait. She’s itching for something to
happen that she can deal with. We got
back to the library and the temperature dropped. It had to be below freezing.
I was about to start in on the explanation when the Manor threw a
tantrum. Man, it was loud! I have good hearing but I couldn’t hear Alex
shouting at me from 5 feet away. It was
banging, crashing, thumping, booming, pounding. It was like thunder inside the house but with a beat of some
kind. Aquila couldn’t find a source, it
was everywhere. I think it’s because we
unlocked the doors. I read in Derek’s
book this happened once before – I guess the tenant of the time was curious
too. Then it stopped, and it started
again. We had over an hour of it.
Then
it did stop but there’s the feeling it could start again any second if we go
walking where we shouldn’t. After an
hour had passed and we had the quiet I’d wanted, I started talking. I began by saying why I hadn’t said anything
before. It’s her attitude toward what I
do. I told her I was taking a chance
and that I’d remind her of this night if she ever raised it again. I gave her the straight facts, what had
happened our last night in the bubble.
I left nothing out, told her everything. I didn’t dramatize it or underplay any part of it. I just told her what had happened. I added that she was alive now because I’d
taken a decision on my own, and left her to reason it out that everyone else
was alive because of it too. Alex
listened in silence and didn’t ask 1 question till I’d finished. Then she asked why I had told her after all
this time and I said because the truth’s important and, while I was taking a
chance on her, I trusted her. Then I
warned her never to ask me to do the time thing again because I can’t do it out
here. Time runs screwy only in bubbles.
We
still have to find out Haystone’s truth.
It has to be soon. Aquila’s
going crazy with not knowing …
Continue to Day 13 Return to Home