*The first story I wrote involving ghosts.
The main characters also sparked the idea for sequels with an anti-occult scientist haunted by a special slime girl and a village seemingly terrorised by a werewolf.
*
Chapter 01
It all began when I received an anonymous letter about a manor in the country.
It said, "To Henrick van Schwaffle", that's me, "When I heard you were a researcher in occult matters I immediately intended to let you know about a situation that has been going on since the death of Lord Blackfire, who resided at his manor north of Stoke On Alwater in Brambleshire.
At the time of his death, some thirty-three years ago and under suspicion of unnatural cause, his servants had gone missing, and the manor has been the sight of seemingly otherworldly activity since.
Lights have been seen behind windows, people entering the grounds for various reasons have gone missing or were found in the grip of lunacy miles away, and there are reports of sounds at night while no one could be seen making them.
Police has ruled out criminal causes and are unable to investigate further, advising anyone to keep away who has no business there lest they get into an accident.
There is no known family or others who could inherit the manor and any other possible possessions, so there's no reward given to solve this mysterious case, but I thought you might have a professional interest in this."
Signed, "A member of the occult curiosa society".
That was it. No names or return address, no postage either so it must have been hand delivered. Also strange was that the edge of the paper had brownish colour in some parts, and a faint scent of smoke raised the suspicion those were burn marks.
I put it aside to think about my decision to investigate or not. But it got me very curious.
And that's how I found myself standing inside the dark entrance hall from a large manor out in the country, with my luggage and my coat dripping from the rain.
I remembered deciding to have a look because my last few occult investigations only turned out to be natural causes as in mice and bugs creeping around at night, and a very shrewd raven stealing food through a loose upper window. I also remembered taking the train to Binsbury, then hiring a carriage to take me here, but not how I actually arrived at the grounds and entered the manor. That span of time was a rather blank period. I wondered if that was just a taste of what was to come. And it was.
Thunder rolled outside, flashes of lightning lit up the hall through windows blurred by rain streaming down them. The noise echoed lightly inside from the polished light grey stone floor and walls along with the patter of water dripping down from my coat onto the floor. There was no draft, so I assumed all windows and doors in the manor were unbroken.
Decorations in the hall were sparse. A few paintings with landscapes and probably ancestors of Lord Blackfire, slender tables with an empty vase or small statue, thick carpets leading to hallways to my left, the back, and the wide stone stairs in front of me.
I turned back to the large oaken front doors. Locked. Although I didn't remember, I'm sure no one had let me inside, locked the doors, then vanished. I was forced to stay the night here. Then again, I had planned on doing so anyway.
I took my two large suitcases upstairs hoping to find a bedroom I could use. Judging from the lack of dust and cobwebs I was convinced I'd find a bed in good condition. And I did indeed at the first room I tried. It looked like a smaller guest bedroom because I found no personal items, but it was complete with fireplace, wash basin, wardrobe, and a bath in the corner. The bed was soft and luxurious, the sheets, blankets, and pillows obviously changed not more than some months ago. Someone, or something, still kept the place neat and tidy all these years.
I unpacked my belongings after setting a fire and placing the stones for the bed warmer in it. Slipping into a warm bed would be great joy after the tiresome journey. A small desk provided enough room to place my instruments on. The electro-force meter showed no activity, nor did the aura gauge and the mana compass. I put on my spectrum goggles, checked the room, and found it to be negative in spirit signatures.
The stones were hot enough by now and I used them in the bed warmer to warm up the bed while I dressed in my night gown and picked one of my books and the bottle of wine out of my suitcase before slipping between the warm sheets.
I was a few pages into the works of professor Ambrosius and the chapter he wrote on his trip to the Middle East to investigate genies in bottles, when I heard a faint noise at the door. A quick glance at the aura gauge that I had kept beside me told me it was still at neutral. The separation of the blue and red fluids inside the slender glass tube was still at the zero mark. Whatever happened at the door was probably no spirit activity then. Once more there was noise as if someone leaned against it.
I yawned, put my book away, blew out the candle, and pretended to lay down to sleep. Instead, I slipped out on the other side of the bed, crawled along the wall towards the door, and yanked it open.
Nothing. Just the empty hallway lit by the occasional lightning flash. I went out into the hallway, checked left and right and the stairs, and went back to bed concluding it must have been a draft or mouse or something. Falling asleep was easy in the comfortable softness with the noise of the thunderstorm fading away outside.
Chapter 02
I woke up feeling refreshed and stepped out of bed with a little regret at leaving such a comfortable spot, but the prospect of exploring the manor and the possibility of occult phenomenon made me excited enough to start as soon as I could.
I dressed in my black coverall, put on my belt with tools to attach my various instruments on, put notebook, pencil, short candles, and matches in my pockets, and checked my instruments.
I designed these myself from technical knowledge collected from occult reference books. My mana compass to point to the strongest source of spiritual energy was a glass ball covered in a thin copper mesh with a needle inside, just like a regular compass but it could point in any direction. My electro-force meter looked like a regular meter with two antennas attached, and it measured the strength of electricity charged presences. I hooked these to my belt along with the aura gauge to detect negative or positive presences and took my spectrum goggles. These copper framed thick violet glasses with leather strap are for seeing the difference in reality of materials. I put them on together with sturdy leather gloves and headed out.
Although it should have been a bright morning according to the time on my watch, outside it was a dark grey light while rain continued coming down. Wind blew it gently against the windows. I didn't mind because it wouldn't affect my measurements.
I began by following the hallway in one direction. Most spirit sightings at haunted places had been at upper floors so there was a larger chance of detecting something on this floor first. Here as well stood the occasional small table with a statue of a graceful woman or animal like a deer or horse. More portraits that convinced me they were from the lord's family. The same thick eyebrows, sharp nose, and the eyes that pierced right through you, even in paint and observed through my goggles. The depressing light shining through the windows completed the creepy mood.
If the portraits weren't watching me, something else was. My instruments didn't detect anything, but my subconscious sensed it. I tapped the electro-force meter. 'Maybe it's not sensitive enough.' I muttered. 'I can't scientifically submit feelings in the back of my head though.' One stroke of my gloved finger across the surface of the table made one thing certain. 'Whoever is doing the housekeeping here is doing a great job. I'd like it if they could do mine.'
A faint rustle and knock on wood behind me startled me. I turned around at once but there was nothing but the empty hallway. Peering at one of the tables with a statue of a woman pouring a water jar, I wondered if it had slightly changed position. I doubted it had, and that I heard things right because of the rain coming down against the windows, so I continued my exploration.
That something still kept a presence here and guarded the manor became obvious when I came across several ornamental silver candleholders. I examined them carefully and they were clean with fresh candles in them. Thieves would have stolen these at first sight. I had no interest in the monetary value though and left them in their place after measuring them for residual activity.
At random I checked paintings and the occasional slender wall rug, and apart from admiring the art and their perfect state I didn't get any impression of spiritual influences. As I sat back on a windowsill I had to compliment the housekeeping again and I still couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.
I went on exploring seemingly endless hallways large and small, taking corners, going up and down stairs, and had a strong hunch I was lost. It had to be reality getting warped.
My stomach made itself known. I hadn't thought of bringing something to eat along and being lost made me regret it even more. On top of that a thunderstorm welled up outside and rumbled gently in the distance. I sighed. I hoped I'd find my room back soon. Sticking to hallways at the front of the manor seemed like the best option to find my way back. I strode to the end of the hallway where I saw lightning flash through a window and turned the corner.
