Chapter 1: Allerdale Hall
"So please do tell me why we are here again?" I asked worried as we looked up at the doors of Allerdale Hall. Locals had succeeded in stopping it from sinking a little bit too well and even after over 100 years it was still standing even though it should have sunken down into the red clay years ago.
"We are here because Jannet's family has bought it and we are allowed to stay here. And we want to know if she really is related to the Sharpe family." Harriet said and we walked inside.
"And I'm here because…?"
"It would be to scary being just the two of us."
"So why didn't you bring Eric or any other beefy guy you know?"
"Because they think we are silly for trying to communicate with the dead here and wanting to see if we can find anything about the Sharpe family!" I halted in the hallway.
"Communicate with them? Is that the real reason I'm here? Because I can see and talk to ghosts?" She looked sheepishly at me.
"Sorry for not telling you earlier. Jannet forbid it." I stared at Harriet and then dashed into the livingroom.
"Jannet!" I said and walked over to her. "Did you just bring me here so I could talk to ghosts?!"
"Isn't that what your family does?" She asked nonchalant. "You are the third generation who can do it, so I see no reason why not put that gift to use." I gaped.
"For real? Well, how about you being honest with me next time before dragging me out to a haunted house filled with ghosts of murderers and their victims that's in the middle of nowhere and where no one will come and pick us up until next month." I said furious and marched away.
"Wait, Edith! We want to start the ghost hunt right away!"
"Good luck with that because I'm not doing it!" I said and hurried up the stairs.
"Edith! Edith, wait! Where are you going?!"
"I'm going to sleep! Good night! Oh and if the fireplace howls, don't worry, it's just the house that's breathing!" And as on a cue, it did just that and Jannet and Harriet screamed surprised. I hurried up to the second floor and took off into a corridor that looked quiet deserted and went into the third door on the right and halted. It was indeed a huge bedroom with a double bed but… it felt like I had been here before. I looked around the room, it was rearranged but it certainly felt like I had been here before. I shook my head. No, that's impossible. With a deep breath I walked in, closed the door behind me and locked it before I walked over to one off the windows and looked out over the scenery. I had a very bad feeling about this place… A feeling that told me that there was something bad and wicked in this place. Something we don't want to disturb. And for some reason, I did not want to go into the bathroom that was connected to the bedroom. I looked towards it but quickly went over to it and closed and locked the door. No thank you. Just thinking of taking a bath in there made me shiver.
I walked over to the fireplace and started the fire in my own pace and could hear in the distance how Jannet and Harriet called out to me, wanting me to 'stop hiding.'
"I'm not hiding…" I mumbled. "I simply know my way around better than you two." I said to myself and as the fire finally started I rose and turned towards the windows again but halted as I saw a black shadow of a woman. She had a wide dress and a hat which the lace covered her face but as she turned towards me, a black mist flew off her and I could see the shape of a skull underneath the lace netting. My eyes landed on her hands as she started to flicker nervously at her dress and looked around her. She wasn't supposed to be here… And something here scared her, a ghost.
"Who are you?" I asked and she looked back at me.
"Edith… Beware of Crimson Peak. She's still here." Crimson Peak? She?
"What are you talking about?" I asked and walked towards her and gasped surprised as she suddenly flung herself forward and grabbed my arms.
"You need to leave, Edith! Beware of Crimson Peak! Why did you come back?! He will weep!"
"W-What are you talking about?!"
"Beware of Crimson Peak!" And with that she disappeared. I gasped as the temperature became warm again, I hadn't even noticed the temperature drop. I took a deep breath and quickly grabbed my bag again, unlocked the door and hurried out from the room.
"There you are!" I jumped as I heard Jannet. "We have been looking all over for you! Where were you?" her tone almost sounded accusing.
"In my room, being warned by a ghost about this place. I'm leaving!" I said and rushed down the stairs.
"Wait, Edith! You can't leave! No one will come and pick us up until next month!" Harriet said and the two followed me down the stairs.
"I don't care! I will walk if I have too! I'm not staying here anymore, I…!" I gasped surprised as Jannet suddenly grabbed my shoulder, pulled me back and pushed me into the wall with a strength I didn't know she had.
"Jannet!" Harriet cried out.
"Listen carefully, Edith. You are not leave Allerdale Hall! Neither of us is until we figure out my heritage to this place! You understand?! I won't let you leave! So you better start telling me what those ghosts are telling you!" I glared at her.
"All she said was Beware of Crimson Peak. She doesn't want us here. There's something bad here."
"I will be the judge of that." Jannet said and ripped my bag out of my grasp. "Now, where did you find that bedroom of yours? I'm putting your bag back there."
"Second floor, into a deserted corridor, door three on the right side." She smiled wide at me and then just walked off with my bag and I placed a hand on my shoulder and I stared after her. I could have sworn some of that black mist left her hair as she walked away… "The ghosts have already begun to affect her…" I whispered low to myself. This could get dangerous, depending on which ghost it was that was affecting her. I looked down towards the main door. I can't leave without Harriet. And probably not Jannet either, depending on how open she is to a possession. If she is to open for it and the ghost in question is really strong, the ghost could do more than to just rub off on her…
"What a bloody mess." I muttered to myself before I walked down the stairs to the bottom floor. I could feel someone stare at me and looked up and saw Jannet with a worried Harriet by her side. I looked back up at them and then went straight into the library. I had to figure this out, before Jannet would be taken over by the ghost or someone would get hurt.
"Beware of Crimson Peak…" I mumbled. Crimson Peak… Why did that name ring a bell? Without thinking I just walked straight over to a bookshelf about Allerdale Hall and up to the table by the big window and started to look through it, not really sure what I was searching for. Not until I found an article about the house posted by a local newspaper back when Sir Thomas Sharpe was building some sort of machine that would dig up the red clay and make him and his sister rich.
"Sir Thomas Sharpe has once again succeeded in getting a sponsorship from his lovely wife lady Sharpe and the work on his miracle machine has once again taken up speed. But can Crimson Peak really rise up from the red clay or is it doomed to sink?" I read to myself. Crimson Peak… It was Allerdale Hall! Beware of Allerdale Hall! There's something in this house that I should be scared off! But what did the lady mean about that she was still here, that he would weep and that I had come back? One answer, several questions left to answer and the clock is ticking.
If you like it and want more, please write a review and tell me so I know! If the interest is big enough, I will keep posting chapters when I got time and inspiration!