I didn’t do much work on the
translation today although Derek and I did discuss any potential overlaps in
our projects. It’s possible the vault
was a chapel but why then was it walled up and sealed off? The words I’ve managed to decipher so far
don’t appear to be particularly religious – at least, not what I would describe
as a Christian religion. It’s
misleading because the illuminations and style look like typical writing by
medieval monks – yet they would have written in Latin and this is Old
French. It’s becoming intriguing.
Profelis arrived today and Nick met
him at Peri’s old house. Apparently,
Profelis thought he was going to stay there and, now he’s on the island, I
can’t say he’s very happy to be here.
That probably accounts for the huge argument I had with him this
afternoon. I never meant for it to turn
so nasty. I just wanted to know why
Peri won’t tell me what she knows. The
conversation began amiably enough. I
was showing him around the grounds. It
was a beautiful day today – the sun was hot, no breeze off the water. I thought maybe showing Profelis the garden
might help him settle in. And, I have
to admit, I thought maybe the fact that Peri had arranged all this without
telling him why might put us on the same side.
It didn’t. He likes the
garden. He likes the house. He just doesn’t want to stay here with
us. He’s very different to Peri. There’s a barrier behind his eyes. He listens, is polite, but I never feel I’m
making contact. When I asked him, in a
mild voice, why she refused to share with me, he halted and turned such a
closed, cold expression on me.
‘Because, most of the time, we can’t,’ he said. ‘Personalities don’t come into it. It’s a matter of operational security. And you should know better than to keep on
pressing for information which is forbidden to you.’
He tried to walk away but I was pretty
mad and I grabbed at his arm. ‘But why
won’t she tell me even that?’ I demanded.
‘That’s all I want to know.’
‘But it isn’t,’ he said. ‘I’ve just told you and you’re still
asking. You think Aquila does this
deliberately. It’s true. She does.
But not because it’s you. I told
you – personalities don’t come into it.
Let it rest, Ms Moreau.’
‘I can’t close the file,’ I told him.
‘Then it must remain open,’ he said
and walked back to the house.
That isn’t good enough for me. I am so near to closing the file but I can’t
do it. I am tired of being told to let
it rest, let it go. I understand
operational security but … I guess I
want to hear it from her and that means I have to wait till she comes back.
Profelis got me so mad I haven’t been
able to turn my thoughts to Haystone Manor and the mystery there. I hope Andrew knows as much as I’ve
discovered. There again, why would he
go into such background detail? He
isn’t there to solve the mystery. I
don’t expect he’s all that interested in the McFarlanes and that small window
of opportunity. Four years. Just 1461 days. Tomorrow, I’ll have to get back to it. Maybe I can hold out an olive branch and see if Profelis would
like to help. For now, though, I’m
having an early night. I am going to
soak in the tub and let all this tension unwind. My shoulders are so stiff, I’m getting a headache.
*****
We’re in the sitting room tonight
because it has furniture. We can’t take
off the dust sheets so we’re sitting on top of them but last night, on the
floor in the library, it got so cold that, by dawn, we were all shivering. Andy’s done more coffee tonight. I wondered about the temperature, if it
might have been a sign of a ghostly presence, but Peri says it’s cold because
it’s late October.
Nothing happened last night except we
all got frozen. Carrie was the one who
insisted we use another room tonight.
She said there was a funny smell in the library. Peri looked at her rather quickly but she
didn’t say anything. Maybe Carrie was
being insulting but she didn’t sound like she was. She sounded like someone making an
observation even though no one smelled anything funny.
This morning, we ended the watch at
6:30 and went back to the lodge. Andy
did breakfast and then we crashed for 7 solid hours. By 3:00, we were all back inside the Manor to rig it for sound
and vision. Drake’s got some fancy
gizmos this year – a time lapse thing on one camera and some kind of sensor
which activates a video camera when it hears something. I don’t really understand it but I think
it’s very clever. Peri suggested the
best places to put the cameras. She
also brought a couple more recorders and extra microphones with her. Strange, she never said she’d brought them
yesterday. If I didn’t know better, I
would have to say she magicked them up from nothing. Obviously, she didn’t. It
was probably Carrie’s attitude put it right out of her head. Understandable, I guess. Anyway, Andy was really pleased and we all
found it interesting learning how to set up this type of equipment. I can’t speak for the others but I really
feel semi-professional now – or less like an amateur! I wasn’t totally sure how I’d react to having a newcomer in the
group, especially one who knows what she’s doing. I like Peri a lot as a person but I wasn’t sure how she’d fit
with the work, whether she’d start giving us orders. She hasn’t. She’s offered
to show us how to do things and made it very clear that it’s our choice if we
learn or not.
Once the house was rigged, Andy went
back to the lodge to start cooking supper.
Drake and I began checking for hidden passages – tapping on walls,
pushing panels. We do it every time we
go into a place like this. Part
routine, part fun, part to stop us feeling scared. I guess it gives us a possible explanation. Peri and Carrie went their separate ways and
we all met up again after an hour or so to head back to the lodge. Supper was just about done so we ate quickly
and went back up to the Manor. Peri
didn’t come in with us. She said she
wanted to check around the perimeter, take a look in the outbuildings. To my surprise, Carrie said she’d come too,
though maybe it was to keep an eye on her.
I think Drake wanted to go as well but Andy said he’d need our help to
get the recorders switched on. Andy
warned everyone that, once the recorders were active, we had to keep the noise
down and that, if we spoke or noticed any weird noises, we had to make a note
of the time on our activity log sheet.
Before she set off, Peri asked me if I had a book on Haystone she could
read and I left it out for her. That’s
what she’s doing right now – reading by flashlight.
After Drake, Andy and I switched on
the recorders and tested them, we put out the rest of the equipment – all very
amateur. The thermometers propped in
likely places, and the sheets of paper with the quarters on them and the pen
mark around the coins. We recorded
everything on our log sheets. Now the
watch has begun properly, one of us does the rounds every hour to note the
temperature and if any of the coins has been moved. It’s my turn next. It’ll
be midn – what was that? I think I just
heard a gunshot!
*****
If I didn’t know better, I would have
to say Alex appears to want to self-destruct.
First, she has a stab at Peri and, now that Peri’s put some distance
between them, Alex has turned her attention to Profelis who arrived this
morning and promptly entered what must have felt to him like a
battlefield. But I guess he’s used to
that.
Nick was up early – so I understand
because I wasn’t there – and, after his dawn run and stint in the kitchen, he
went over to the mainland to meet Profelis.
Apparently, Profelis didn’t know he was going to be covering for Peri or
staying here on the island. Nick had to
break the news to him and bring him back.
Nick hasn’t said but I think Profelis blames him in some way. I know they’re not talking. Profelis is keeping pretty much to himself
and not talking much at all.
Alex told me about the argument she’d
had with him. Maybe I’m overreacting,
saying Alex wants to self-destruct.
People like Peri and Profelis don’t hold grudges, and can’t retaliate in
a violent way when ordinary people – like Legacy members – press for
information. Profelis wouldn’t lash
out, not physically. But he did make
his point very clearly to Alex and it certainly wasn’t the answer she wanted to
hear. If it had been me, I would’ve
given the guy a little longer to settle in and worked around to the
subject. A stroll in the garden, a few
short minutes of small talk and then launching into some demands .. not a good
idea. They may not hold grudges but
they have phenomenal memories – they have to, to keep track of all the lies
they’re forced to tell – and Profelis won’t forget this for a very long time,
if ever. Peri can be trusted to keep a
disagreement in-house. Profelis has no
such personal loyalty to us. He’s free
to pass it round to all the others.
Alex may well find this rebounding on her, years from now.
Nick is helping Derek with his
cleaning projects. They were in the lab
today, trying out various chemical combinations in varying strengths. The fumes were enough to make your eyes
water.
This is going to be a rather strange
comment to write – but I miss Andrew. I
don’t believe I ever truly realized before how much of a civilizing influence
he is. I’m sure Alex and Profelis
wouldn’t have argued if Andrew had been here.
I’m sure Profelis wouldn’t have walked into such an atmosphere. Andrew would have make him feel at
home. In Andrew’s absence, that task
falls to me.
I’m loth to call myself the hostess of
the house. I don’t live here. If anyone has a right to that title, it’s
Alex. And Derek is the host. But he’s busy, absorbed in his
projects. Alex has upset Profelis. Nick is getting the silent treatment which,
to him, is water off a duck’s back. So
I’m left to step into the void.
Profelis was in his room and looking
rather miserable when I went to find him.
Fortunately, I have an abundance of experience in dealing with guys who
prefer to be loners and not talk. I
gained it all from one guy – a colleague of mine. I know the best routine so I told Profelis that we’re really not all
that bad and I laughed as I said it. He
smiled; I was off to a good start. I
offered the dollar tour so he wouldn’t get lost and he accepted.
As we walked, I apologized for Alex
and for Nick, even though I didn’t know what Nick had done. I found out. Profelis wanted to stay at Paradise Drive but Nick wouldn’t give
him the keys. Profelis had quietly
insisted and Nick had quietly dug in his heels. Profelis had asked to speak with Aquila. Nick said she wasn’t around and that he
didn’t know where she was. Profelis
told me Nick had lied to him.
That meant I had to stop thinking of
Peri as selfish and going away without a word.
Obviously, she had told Nick her plans and he’d lied to us as well. Unless Profelis was lying to me …
Profelis also told me he’d tried to
call Peri but her phone was switched off.
That shouldn’t happen, he said.
I suggested that, as he was supposed to be covering her, maybe she’d
felt it was okay to cut herself off.
Profelis nodded so I think he’s okay on that. Then he asked me why Alex was so adamant about getting answers
and I explained about San Stefano and everything which had happened there as
far as I knew it. He nodded again and I
think he sighed a little. He said that
the Legacy had always been like this – pushing for knowledge they shouldn’t
have – and it had been a problem in the past.
He wondered why we were like this, why we couldn’t be content with our
much wider area of operations. I
explained that we prefer to know the truth, no matter how bad or evil it may
be. Knowing the truth helps us if we
ever encounter such a situation again.
It doesn’t mean we’d act on that truth in retrospect.
He wanted to know next why Peri had
forced him to live here. He wasn’t
comfortable in group settings. I
commented that wasn’t quite true because Profelis was fine during training
week. He said that was different, he
was with people he knew and who understood what it was like. I told him that we tried very hard to
understand, that Peri had been a good teacher.
Yes, it did cause tension at times but we worked thru it. He looked at me very strangely and remarked
that, if that was true, why had Aquila gone away? I couldn’t answer him. I
just said that most of the time we worked thru it and maybe she’d
insisted on him staying with us so he could learn to feel comfortable with
us. He knew us by name and by
reputation, now he had the chance to know us as people. I said that, if he ever wanted to talk, he
could come find me or call me, and that it was okay to take it gradually. No one expected an overnight miracle.
He took my words to heart because he
didn’t join us for supper.
*****
I think night 1 of the watch went
well. It got damned cold though and we
ran out of coffee. I should have
brought more flasks so I could do soup.
Maybe PB could take a run into Littleriver tomorrow. I’ll ask.
She did offer to be an extra pair of hands and she isn’t one of the
group. I feel we should stay on
site. PB is under no such obligation.
When we got back to the lodge and
after breakfast, I slept so quickly.
Drake’s snoring didn’t keep me awake at all. I crashed almost instantly and the next thing I knew it was past
2:30. PB was already awake and had
fixed coffee for everyone. When I found
her in the kitchen, she looked so guilty but I told her it was okay. Kind of nice. Anyway, we had to hustle.
I fixed a very quick lunch and we all headed back to the house. PB had already passed on her suggestions to
Drake about where to place the cameras.
She is being so careful not to tell us what to do. It’s all suggestions and ‘if I were you, I’d
.. but it’s your choice’. Drake,
however, is badly smitten so he did exactly as she’d said. If he ever meets NB, he is going to crash and
burn.
Then, out of the blue, PB said she had
2 extra recorders and mikes. Digital
ones and we can keep them as long as we need to get any results transferred to
disk. I don’t think DR knows about
this. I wonder if it’s her way of
apologizing for forcing her way in. If
so, it’s gratefully accepted! She can
come with us any time she wants. Again,
she offered to help show us the best way to set it up and we learned a lot.
It took over an hour to rig the Manor
and I had to leave the others to finish up.
I went back to the lodge to start supper. We got so cold last night that I prepared something more
substantial this time. After supper, we
took more clothes with us and returned for the first proper night of the
watch. PB wanted to check the perimeter
– I think her semi-military use of words comes from NB – and , surprisingly,
Carrie said she’d come along. Drake was
about to go too but I had to haul him back, partly because I did need his help
in getting everything switched on and partly to spare his feelings. I told everyone that, now we had sound
recorders which are triggered by noise and the mikes are very sensitive, they
should keep the chat to a minimum and be very quiet in their necessary
observations. We have the log sheets,
one each, and we have to use them.
After everything was switched on,
Drake, Florence and I did the rounds with thermometers and the ‘move’
tests. Log sheets were updated with the
locations. Drake took some Polaroid
shots. Florence is due to do the next
hourly inspection at midnight.
It’s an hour and a half later
now. Carrie’s had hysterics. Drake and Florence look very shaken. I’m not too steady either. PB is like a rock. Just after I wrote ‘midnight’, there was the distinct sound of a
gunshot. For a second, no one moved
except PB stopped reading and looked up.
Drake wondered if it was a car outside but none of us went for
that. We all stuck together and went to
investigate. Carrie saw the blood on
the landing and began to scream.
Nothing else has happened since.
I’d say it’s a result .. but what does it mean? And what else can we expect?
*****
Profelis arrived this morning and did
not appear to know arrangements had been made for him to stay with us. When I think back to the last time he
covered for Peri, he lived on the mainland and, unless we went to see him, we
didn’t see him at all. I think Peri has
forced the issue this time and Profelis is not happy about it. Nick told me that he had asked for the keys
to Paradise Drive and Nick had refused to give them to him. It had led to an increasingly loud
discussion between the two men. Nick
won. Profelis is here.
I managed to spend some time with him
this evening. He did not join us for
supper and so sadly missed my efforts at culinary creation. However, after Rachel had left and Alex had
retired for the night, and Nick was working in the control room, Profelis did
come down to the lounge for a nightcap.
He is quite different from Peri who is
different again from Alopex. Alopex is
more at ease in social situations not involving his unique group. Peri is at home anywhere and with
anyone. Profelis is profoundly
uncomfortable outside his group of colleagues.
I could tell from the way he sat on the edge of the sofa, his brandy
cupped in one hand, his shoulders hunched with tension. He does not see the Legacy as ‘middle
ground’, somewhere beyond the ordinary world yet short of his peers. He sees everyone who is not like him as the
same. Possibly the only one who does
not fall into this category is Nick but Profelis is not on speaking terms with
Nick at the moment. I don’t think Nick
has noticed yet.
I asked him how he was settling in – a
reasonable question – and he told me, quite candidly, that he would stay
because Aquila had, in effect, ordered him to do so, his room was comfortable,
and he could see very little purpose in him being here. He didn’t like to mingle but he would do his
job. I thanked him and asked why he had
come if it made him feel so awkward to be among us. Peri had not ordered him here, merely refused to let him live in
her house. She had asked, and I’d
agreed, that Profelis stay on the island but he could leave whenever he
wanted. There were hotels in plenty he
could use instead. He shook his
head. Aquila wanted this, Profelis had
to do it. Or, he added rather
miserably, there would be hell to pay.
He also mentioned that Alex had asked
him some impertinent questions earlier and had refused to accept his
answers. If this was an example of what
he was liable to face each day, the time would certainly drag. I apologized for Alex’s behavior and
explained why she was so persistent. He
said Rachel had told him the same thing when she’d given him the tour this
afternoon. He asked me where Peri had
gone and I told him honestly that, as far as I was aware, she’d gone on
vacation for a week or so. I suspected
I knew where but I had no firm information.
I cannot forget the man can tell if someone is lying or speaking the
truth so it is always best to be as honest as one can.
Then he surprised me by asking what we
were working on right now and I told him about the tasks referred to us by the
Paris house. Profelis seemed interested
and I suggested he might want to help us with the work. Even if he only observed, his observations could
be useful to us and an Enforcer’s advice on anything is always worth
having. He looked pleased and, maybe,
began to understand a little of what Peri wanted him to accomplish during his
stay.
I told him that the medallion is
bronze and that Nick and I had worked most of the afternoon in the lab using a
chemical wash to dissolve the encrustation covering it. Rachel is of the opinion that it could be
some kind of memorial tablet as it is rather on the large side to be an item of
personal ornamentation. We still have
some cleaning work to do but I’m hopeful that, tomorrow, we’ll be able to read
any inscription upon it. Profelis said
he’d like to watch and, if there was any way he could assist, he would. I asked if he had any knowledge of Old
French so he could help Alex with the translation and he said no but remarked
that monks of the alleged era would not have written in Old French but in Latin
so it was possible the manuscript was not written by monks at all. He would examine it if Alex agreed. This could be a way of mending the broken
ground between them.
I think Alex is more upset about
arguing with Profelis than she is about arguing with Peri because, tonight, I
found something of hers in the control room – some research notes on Haystone Manor. As usual, I discovered, upon reading thru
them, Alex has been meticulous in noting her discoveries. If there was some way of getting this
information to Andrew, I’m sure he would find it useful. It appears that, whatever happened to
trigger the manifestations at Haystone, it occurred during a 4 year period
between the death of Constance McFarlane and ownership of the Manor passing to
her eldest child, and the sale of the Manor by that child to Augustus
Jessop. I’m intrigued by this. It would be an interesting study to learn
how the brothers and sisters had gotten along in their day to day lives. Haystone was the family home but, once their
mother had died, the eldest brother became sole owner; his siblings remained
living there too but on what grounds?
Did Jack McFarlane welcome the idea of sharing? Did he resent them being there? Similarly, did the other son accept his
brother’s rise to domination? Did he
fight against it? How did the 3
daughters see the situation? Were they
glad to have a familiar roof over their heads or did they find it
restrictive? Fathers can often be
reluctant to give their daughters in marriage but brothers can be even more
protective and difficult. I think I
might suggest to Alex that she see if there is any local knowledge on these
questions.
*****
It doesn’t smell in here so that’s a
big improvement. Night 2 of the ghost
watch is underway. Night 1 ended with
nothing to show for being frozen. No
fires are allowed inside the Manor. My
toes were like little blocks of ice.
But the ordeal served its purpose.
Night 1 is always getting a feel for a place. Tonight, I have two sweaters and a jacket and two pair of
socks. Not quite toasty but better than
I was. Andy cooked a hearty supper –
much more than I usually eat especially if all I’m doing is sitting around –
and we’ve brought more coffee with us.
I’m getting all ahead of myself; let me backtrack for a second.
The watch ended on time this morning,
we went back to the lodge, ate breakfast, and I went to my room. I felt lonely. I could hear Florence and Thing talking for a while. The new bag worked very well; I was soon
warm and asleep. Woke to the smell of
cooking. Ate lunch. Went back to the house. Thing is trying so hard to ingratiate
herself – she brought more recording equipment. Andy, naturally, was delighted.
He’d probably be fired if he didn’t act pleased. Thing’s also got Drake wrapped around her
finger. We worked hard this afternoon,
setting up all the gear under Thing’s direction. It isn’t our group anymore, it’s hers. To be fair (grudgingly), she does know what she’s talking about
and it was educational. When Andy left,
Drake and Florence went off to play the usual game of ‘find the secret
passage’. Thing went to explore and I
followed her. There’s something very
suspicious about her. Her eyes are too
bright (I think she has colored contacts) and way too direct. It’s like she’s looking straight thru
me. Weird. Creepy. She just walked
around, pausing every so often as if listening. I listened too – never heard a damn thing.
Anyway, we began Night 2 at 7:30. Drake, Andy and Florence went inside. Thing said she wanted to check the
perimeter. P-lease! Are we in the army? I said I’d go with her. We looked in the outbuildings first – an old
garage (empty), some garden sheds (equally empty), then walked around the
garden. Thing didn’t say a word – she’s
ignoring me. But then, out of the blue,
she turned and said ‘you smelled the stink last night, in the library. So did I.
Like something dead and rotting.’
I nodded. ‘Be careful,’ Thing
said. ‘It could be you’re sensitive to
this house and what happened.’
Me.
Sensitive. As if. She just said it to scare me, I know she
did. Anyway, we went back in and
everything was ready. We’re in the
sitting room. Right now, it’s nearly m
I’m sorry. I had to stop there.
Something happened. There was a
sound, like a gun being fired. I jumped
really badly. Drake half laughed and
made some stupid comment about a car outside – as if we’d be able to hear a car
that clearly this far from the road.
Peri was as still as the rest of us but not with shock. It was the strangest thing. She looked .. ready. And that did more to settle my racing heart
than anything else. Even so, I was pretty
scared. It had sounded like a gun. My hand’s shaking as I write this. We all went to investigate. On the top landing, there was a huge pool of
blood. Fresh. I began to scream. I
totally lost it. I feel sick right
now. Drake and Florence are very
quiet. Even Andy looks upset. But Peri has been great. She didn’t react at all and she’s been at my
side, calming me down, ever since. I
think I was wrong about her. One
thing’s for sure – no way am I sleeping on my own today. I’m sharing with the others. I’m too scared to be by myself.
*****
I think the weather’s going to turn
soon. Early morning has a very definite
cold snap to it. An hour later, it
feels like summer. Deceptive. I fixed breakfast and then headed over to
the mainland. Profelis was due to
arrive today but I had to get the plans to the contractor; I met him at the new
house and showed him what we wanted.
Then I went next door and waited for Profelis to arrive. Merli had told me not let him have the keys,
no matter what arguments he used. He
tried, I’ll grant him that. It began
well enough, catching up on developments in both our lives, then got a little
hostile. He didn’t want to stay here on
the island – it was too far from everything, too difficult to get to and away from,
and there were people there he didn’t know.
I just shrugged and said ‘tough.
I got my orders, just like you’.
He demanded to speak to Aquila.
I lied. He knew it. Said I didn’t know where she was. I don’t feel bad about lying to him – they
lie to each other all the time; it’s their way of saying back off. Profelis got the message. He’s here.
He isn’t speaking to me but that won’t last. These guys hate to lose.
He’s just feeling sore with me.
We’re a pretty easy going bunch (most of the time) when it comes to
guests, especially guests like him.
Alex can be shortsighted though. She’s gotten used to Merli and she isn’t
scared of her, certainly isn’t scared of speaking up. I think Merli likes that.
Profelis isn’t used to that kind of treatment. He came in from his walk in the garden with Alex looking
distinctly uneasy. Alex came in soon
after and I’m glad I wasn’t on the receiving end of that expression.
This afternoon, Derek and I were in
the lab getting down and dirty with the chemicals. I think Rachel’s gotten the right idea with the medallion. It feels more like a memorial tablet. It’s heavy and too big and thick. We’ve almost gotten down to the metal. Tomorrow, we should get a good result. Derek’s asked me to make a start then on
cleaning up the remaining two items. If
they’re bronze as well, it shouldn’t be a big problem. Just incredibly messy. I swear Derek gives me the crap jobs on
purpose because I’m used to getting dirty.
Good thing I don’t mind.
Strange thing happened to me late this
evening – and it wasn’t down to Derek’s cooking (which wasn’t at all bad). I was in the control room, catching up on my
usual workload – monitoring the newspapers for events which interest me – and I
suddenly missed my wife. It wasn’t the usual
background general ‘she isn’t here, oh well’ kind of deal. It was intense, like someone had stuck a red
hot poker into my chest. For a second,
I couldn’t breathe. Then it
passed. I wanted to call her so bad,
see if she was okay but I didn’t. Her
phone’s switched off. I can’t contact
her at all, short of physically going up the coast. If I get this feeling again, that’s what I’m doing. I don’t think we’re psychically connected
but we do have an intimate bond. Does
it mean anything? What could go wrong
on a ghost watch? Merli isn’t in danger
from a bunch of ghosts but, maybe, she is in trouble. She can’t work openly, not like she can around us. Maybe I picked up on that. If I did, it’s a good early warning system
for all that it hurt like hell.
Maybe I should do some checking into
Haystone Manor and what could be going on there. It could be Andrew and his friends have taken on something too
big for them to handle. Has been known
to happen – happens to us a lot. And I
have always found it’s better to be prepared before the shit hits the fan.
*****
It’s been all go today. Last night, there was the stink. Tonight, we’ve had the first proper
manifestation. Everyone heard it. A gunshot.
It came from the third floor landing and there was fresh blood on the
floor. I’m not sure what it means
beyond the obvious – someone used a firearm and wounded someone else, possibly
fatally. I don’t think it was
deliberate. Maybe an argument got out
of hand and a firearm was let off accidentally. Deliberate murder tends to have more aggressive hauntings.
Several things have happened as a
result of tonight’s events. 1, Carrie’s
protective armor shattered and she’s feeling very vulnerable and scared right
now, and a little embarrassed too at having hysterics in front of everyone
else, including me. 2, her opinion of
me has swung right around .. for now, at least. 3, everyone is very impressed by the way I stayed calm. Have to watch that. I’m not the leader here.
We’re in the sitting room and going on
with the watch tonight. Everyone is
painfully on edge. You can cut the
tension in this room with a knife. I’ve
sent Aquila out to prowl. Carrie
doesn’t need any more surprises.
Drake and Florence handled it pretty
well, all things considered. Shaken but
not to pieces. Andy is calm but
quiet. As the leader of this group, he
takes the responsibility seriously.
Earlier today, or yesterday, I checked
out the perimeter, just to be sure. I
couldn’t find any traces of anything big.
I don’t have the right psychic ability for that. Derek and Alex are the experts on that and
they’re not here. Carrie could use
Rachel right now because I can only do so much soothing and comforting before I
find it a chore.
I created two new recorders and extra
mikes because this house has a lot going on and one piece of equipment just
isn’t enough. I thought someone might
say something about me producing them but they’ve taken it in their stride. Amazing what the mind can accept even when
all the evidence suggests it’s impossible.
Lucky me, huh?
I don’t exactly feel out of my depth
here, not with what’s going on in the house, but I do feel just a little like
I’m out on a limb with the people. I
don't know their degrees of flexibility, endurance, and reaction times. How much of this they can take before they
crack. Carrie’s pretty close to
breaking right now. It means, in an
emergency, I can’t rely on them to do what I say. In a way, I’m back to how I was before I hooked up with
Nicky. Trust no one but myself. A lone operator. It’s only a few years but I find it uncomfortable to go back to
that kind of behavior. And .. I can’t
do very much. This house hasn’t seen
evil. My hands are tied and that’s good
but it also means there isn’t much I can do to protect these people and that
isn’t so good.
Maybe Andy’s best course of action is
to call in some help.
*****
Peri is the best. Why Andy has kept her a secret for so long,
I have no idea. She is great, and I
don’t mean just to look at – although that’s like basking in a warm sun; you
feel good looking at her. She’s a great
teacher. I have learned SO much today. Where to position a camera to get a better
shot, for instance. How to place
microphones and connect them to recorders, how to set it all up (I already knew
that, but not in the context of haunted houses .. and that goes for cameras too
– I am a professional photographer after all).
And we have 3 recorders! I tell
you, the woman is amazing.
I think – but I don’t know – that she
has some kind of psychic ability. Some
people see things. Others can make
things move. Some people say they can
read minds. I think Peri has a psychic
ear because she always seems to be listening.
(Can you have a psychic ear ..?)
Carrie was a pain but why should today
be any different? When we finished the
watch this morning, she said no way were we spending another night in the
library. Not because it was damned cold
in there (I would’ve gone along with that) but because there was a smell. Well, d’uh!
The house hasn’t been lived in for years. Did she expect it to be like a daisy? Even Peri looked at her strangely.
Slept like a log but then I always do
when I’m on these trips. Andy’s lost
none of his touch with cans and packets.
Then, this afternoon, it was back to the Manor for equipment
lessons. Flo and I checked the place
for hidden panels and secret passages.
Found none. One of these years,
we are going to strike it lucky. Law of
averages.
After supper in the lodge, we all took
extra clothes and set up in the sitting room.
Carrie was pleased about that when she finally came in. She and Peri went to take a look around
outside. I wanted to go for no other
reason than I like Peri’s company and wanted to witness any fights they had,
but Andy said I had to help switch on all the stuff. I think he’s being a friend and trying to protect me. Then it was getting the thermometers in
place and the trick with the quarters.
Andy did the rounds at 10:00, I did them at 11:00. Nothing had moved. Temp hadn’t dropped significantly beyond what’s normal for this
time of year and location. Flo is due
to check at midnight. I hope somethi
Oh .. my .. God !! This is so … It isn’t bizarre, it’s more than that. What I’ve always wanted to happen did happen right in the middle
of writing a word and I can’t believe it.
I heard it and now my mind is trying to tell me I didn’t. Let me state for the record – I heard a
gunshot. There is no one in the house
except us, we were all together and none of us even has a gun. I think I cracked a joke about maybe it was
a car because otherwise I would’ve yelled.
For a second there, I nearly lost it big time. But I’m a guy and guys have to be strong. Flo went as white as a sheet. Carrie frowned but looked shocked. Andy jumped. Peri – she just looked up from the book on Haystone. Her eyes .. man. I’ve never seen such an intense stare up to a ceiling.
I have to write this down now while I
remember – we all went to investigate.
We looked like the Scooby gang.
No one wanted to wait behind.
Andy led the way – hesitantly.
Peri was at the back. We found a
huge puddle of blood on the top floor landing.
Peri examined it. It was real
and wet. She never flinched – my God,
what has she done in her life to be so reactionless? Carrie began to scream.
She went to pieces. While Flo
and Andy tried to comfort her, Peri checked the rooms. Empty.
No one there. We wanted Haystone
and, man, we got it.
I’m scared. I don’t think we have the experience to deal with this, let alone
cope with it. Carrie’s retreated into a
shell and I do not blame her. I wish I
could. Tomorrow, we have to talk about
what to do next. Right now, I’m not
sure if I’m gonna vote to stay or get the hell away from here. The only thing keeping me in the Manor
tonight is the way Peri’s sitting by the door.
Whatever tries to get in here to us has to get past her. So much for being a strong guy, huh? I’m using a woman as a shield but something
says to me that she’s used to it.
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