A/N: I needed an escape from everything going on in the world so I finished up this chapter. Things are getting tense for Tris and Tobias in this house and they are going to get more intense. Thank you for your reviews and love on this story!
Charleston 1801
Tobias rolls up his sleeves and looks out over the yard slowly walking toward his family, He and Emily's two children were playing on the south lawn near one of the fields as Emily sat on a blanket laughing at their game of tag. The work in the fields was going well for the season. His oldest son Nathaniel was now 13 and his daughter Caroline was 9. He and Emily live a quiet comfortable life on the plantation. There are times when they both miss England and Nathaniel and Caroline have been begging to go, Tobias thinks that the next summer will be a perfect time to visit. His mother and stepfather had passed away several years ago leaving everything to Tobias and Emily. The plantation had recovered from the hardships of the War of Independence. Tobias had done a great deal of work with his neighbors in the newly formed country to ensure that he wanted to make this work despite their ties to England with both of their families being British peers. It took him a while to adjust to calling their home Charleston instead of Charlestown, separating the city from its English origins. They tried to be as kind-hearted and generous as they could with their slaves, unlike many of their neighbors. Emily would never get used to the concept of owning slaves and she and Tobias had lengthy conversations about how to make the plantation work without them not seem as though they weren't embracing the ways of their new county.
"Master Tobias, come quick, it's Ms. Mattie" Sarah calls tearing Tobias out of his thoughts. Emily waves him off with her hand telling the children to gather their things. Mattie had done just as she said the day they arrived from England and mothered over Nathaniel and Caroline just as she had Tobias. She was just as important to Emily now as she was Tobias. They had been dreading this day as she grew weaker knowing that death was near.
Tobias tears off towards the brick cabins closest to the house. Mattie's was the first one. Even when Tobias tried to free her after his mother died, she stayed on working as a free woman. He had tried to track down her children and husband that had been sold before he was born but he hit dead end after dead end. Tobias had told her he would always take care of her just like she had him, and then his children when they were babies.
Tobias comes through the door of the small space and kneels down at her beside clutching her calloused hand. She looks so tired, she had been sick for weeks and Tobias had feared that this was the end of the road for her.
"It's okay Mattie, You can rest now" Tobias whispers.
Mattie looks at Tobias. He looked exactly like his father except for his eyes. She had never told him the secret of who his mother was, mostly because without Eric there she didn't know what he would say. Would he have cast her out? She believed that he loved her but she didn't trust with the world that she lived in that she could overstep her bounds to tell him his mother was a slave no matter how kind-hearted he had been to her.
"Tobias, you have to find the book," she says weakly, her breathing ragged now and she can barely get the words out.
"I know Mattie, I've looked and looked but I never found this journal of my father's. I'm sorry, but I promise I will keep looking"
"You need to know...The truth" she says struggling to breathe as Tobias clutched her hand as tears fell from his face. "Your mamma, she not Jeanine..."
"Shhh now, save your strength" Tobias soothes, placing his hand to stroke her hair. He could feel her grip on his hands weakening as she took her last breaths. "I know you were always more of a mother than mine ever was to me. Thank you, Mattie."
And with one final breath Mattie, closed her eyes leaving a weeping Tobias at her bedside taking her secret with her.
Charleston Present Day
Tobias tells Tris all about the encounter with Uriah and Zeke so she can log it into her notebook. Tris also shows him the things she's found about Nita and his family record. Tobias stares at the pages. Tris pulls out another envelope with copies of photos and drawings of Eaton family members. Due to the links to the British peers, there was quite a bit of information.
"Look at this portrait, it kind of looks like you" Tris comments as she holds up the copy.
"Wow, it kind of does, Who is this"
"Eric Eaton, younger son of the Earl of Roth. He married Jeanine Matthews whose father built Dauntless Hall." Tris responds after looking at a page of the packet. "His son was Tobias"
"Do you think my parents knew about this Tobias when they named me?"
Tris shrugs in response. "I haven't found anyone else in your family tree named Tobias yet. There's some information here that says he and his wife Emily were a part of the abolitionist movement in South Carolina and helped with the Underground Railroad"
"No way!" Tobias says excitedly looking over the information with Tris. Tris loves the smile on his face. The good thing about this whole ghost business is that Tobias was learning so much about his family history. She knew it bothered him even if he hadn't said it out loud since they were teenagers. They spend about 30 more minutes going over the papers before Tobias remembers he wants to show Tris the attic before it gets dark.
"I do want you to go up to the attic with me to check out all this old furniture we found, I think you can Chris can use some of it in furnishing the guest rooms. But lowkey I think I would feel more comfortable if we go up there in the day time"
"Uh Yeah, me too" Tris agrees with a nervous laugh getting up quickly.
Tris and Tobias find several wardrobes, a buffet, that are in good condition, as well as two desks and a few rocking chairs. Tris takes pictures and sends them to Christina who is ecstatic about the finds. As soon as they make it to the second floor after leaving the attic the sound of a woman sobbing.
"Wh...What is that? '' Tris stammers out in a whisper as they freeze dead in their tracks in the hallway.
Tobias shook his head with his eyes wide. It sounded like it was coming from everywhere and yet nowhere at the same time. Tris finally gets the courage to move and she walks up to the 3rd room on the floor.
"Tris don't," Tobias says looking back behind him as the sobbing continues. The sound was so full of despair and pain. All the hairs on the back of Tobias's neck were standing up, but for some reason he was moved by the sobbing, wanting to do something to help them. That room though still freaked him out and he had a distinct feeling that the two weren't connected.
Tris reaches the door to the room and turns the door handle and pushes it open gently. It creaks open slowly. Tris can feel the cold from where she stands and peers into the empty room. The sobbing stops suddenly and Tris looks back to Tobias who cautiously steps forward both wondering if the sobbing stopped when Tris opened the door. Suddenly the door to the room slams shut with such force that Tris has to jump back.
"What the fuck" Tobias says and he instinctively grabs Tris and pushes her towards the stairs and places his hands on her shoulders wanting to put as much distance between them and the room as possible. When they get to the ballroom just before the door to the kitchen they stop. Tris is breathing hard, shaking, and Tobias paces across the room and wipes his hands across his face. Neither one of them say anything.
"This is getting intense T.," Tris says quietly after her heart stops racing. Whatever was in that room on the second floor made it clear that she wasn't welcome in that room. "But I feel like there is something here trying to get my attention from these dreams, but that's not what happened in that room."
"Yeah, I feel that too but I don't understand how all this is connected or not connected or why anything would feel animosity towards you and not me unless it's because you are a woman. Let's plan to get with Zeke, Uriah, and Christina about this over the weekend". Tris takes one last look toward the staircase before they go back downstairs to their apartment.
Tris sheds her clothes and climbs into bed with only her underwear on and settles into a deep sleep. She wanted to take a nap while Tobias was out in the farm office with Gabe and Harrison. Neither of them had slept much the night before with the wailing ghost. She had drug herself through the day but she just needed about an hour and she would get up to make dinner for them. Shauna was arriving over the weekend and she wanted to get a few things straight to make room for her until the guest house was ready for her to move in. Zeke and Uriah were going to shift gears and do the renovations on the guest house before starting on the second-floor guest rooms.
Tris doesn't know how long she's been asleep but she can tell it's dark outside but when she goes to move she can't. Her body is frozen. As she panics sweat starts to build. She's trying to move with all her might but it's like her body is paralyzed. All she can get out are muffled screams. Tears stream down her face as she screams for Tobias and continues to try and move her body. Tris sits up gasping for air clawing at her neck. Tobias wakes in a panic at the sound of Tris gasping for air and quickly turns on the lamp beside the bed.
Tobias makes his way into the house to wash up and to wake Tris for dinner. He knew she was exhausted, hell he was too after the night they had. He starts to panic when he hears muffled noises when he walks into the bedroom.
"Tris baby, wake up, You're having a bad dream" Tobias soothes hurriedly trying not to let the panic reach his voice. When she doesn't respond and continues to appear to scream through her teeth. Tears are coming out of her eyes and Tobias looks around not sure of how to wake her up.
"TRIS, TRIS, WAKE UP" he screams now shaking her shoulders to no avail. "Tris baby, please, please wake up," he pleads now placing his hand on her cheek almost on the verge of tears himself.
As soon as Tobias laid his hand on her Tris could finally move and she gasps for breath, tears continually streaming down her face. Gaining the function of her limbs again she launches herself into Tobias' arms.
"Hey, It's okay, Baby, it was just a bad dream. I'm right here." Tobias says lovingly wrapping his arms around Tris' body and holding her close.
"Tobias, that wasn't a bad dream. It was awful, I didn't feel like I was dreaming. I couldn't move, I was frozen and I was screaming for you and you couldn't hear me" she sobs as he pulls her in closer with her clinging on to him like a lifeline.
Tobias doesn't say it out loud but he's worried. If the ghost in the house just attacked Tris something was going to have to be done. He wasn't going to keep putting his wife in danger.
Tris is so on edge she doesn't object when Tobias packs them up to go to a hotel that night. What he doesn't see as they drive off down the avenue of oaks is the pale-faced blonde with icy blue eyes that stares at them from the window of the 3rd bedroom on the second floor.
Tobias and Tris pull up to the restaurant at the same time as Zeke, Uriah, and Christina. They greet each other with hugs and Tris and Christina link elbows as they walk inside the pizza place she picked for dinner. Christina can tell that Tris doesn't seem like herself but decides to hold her normal questioning until later.
"You two look like shit" Christina finally lets out, not being able to hold it in any longer, observing a swig of her beer after they order the pizza.
"Yeah, we haven't been sleeping much the past few days" Tris admits.
"That's what I'm talking about," Zeke says but draws his eyebrows together when he sees Tris and Tobias look at each other and Tris nods her head as if to give Tobias the okay to talk"
"Well we wanted to be honest with you, as much as we love hanging out with you, that wasn't the only reason that we wanted to have dinner with you tonight. We really need to talk to you."
Uriah and Zeke both furrow their eyebrows deep and look at each other before looking back at Tobias.
Tris puts her arm in front of Tobias and pushes him back against the booth, he was being dramatic and drawing this out and she just wanted to get to the point.
"Let's get straight to the point. Look, Our house is haunted and we want to know what you've heard." Tris says with a straight face.
Zeke was in the middle of taking a swing of his beer and starts to cough and Uriah pats him on the back as he wipes his mouth.
"Damn Tris, just rip the bandaid off," Christina says, looking at Zeke and Uriah with raised eyebrows.
"Things have gotten intense and we need help. We thought we were going crazy but now we don't have any choice but to face the facts" Tobias adds.
"So you believe us?" Tris asks looking at her friends who all nod in response. They weren't fools to think that there were no such things as spirits or ghosts around Charleston even if many people puffed up stories to make a buck off tourists.
"Well it's always been rumored that the place is haunted, but that doesn't mean much around here, everything is rumored to be haunted because Charleston is so old." Uriah starts. "When we were teenagers we used to dare each other to sit in front of the slave cabins for 15 minutes by themselves while the rest of us waited at the end of the drive. No one ever made it to 15 minutes".
Tris puts her head in her hands and sighs. What were they going to do, lose all the money they were investing in this renovation.
"What is the story of why it's haunted or does anyone know?" Tobias asks "We've been doing some research and want to see if we at least find out who might be attached to the property."
"That there's a curse from a slave that was hung for witchcraft. She was treated horribly by the owners and they mysteriously died after she was hung." Zeke chimes in.
"Yeah we've heard that too, but there are ghosts of soldiers too" Tris adds.
"So there's more than one ghost... Great.…" Christina asks sarcastically while taking a drink.
"I mean if you think about it, how many pissed off dead slaves could be stuck there. It's not like there was a shortage of horrific deaths in a place that was settled in the 1600s and used people of color for free labor" Uriah points out.
"Point taken," Tobias replies.
"You don't think we're crazy?" Tris asks.
"I for one believe in haints" Uriah reassures her "And I.."
"What's a haint?" Tris asks cutting Uriah off. She was still working on catching all the Gullah words used by the locals just like Tobias.
"It Gullah for ghost" Uriah clarifies.
"And do they attack people? Harrison told me something about a boo hag" Tobias interjects.
"That's hardcore right there," Zeke says with a worried look on his face "You don't want to get rode by a hag"
"What the hell do you mean I got rode by a hag," Tris and Tobias both ask at the same time.
"It's a spirit that's a witch trying to get in your body" Uriah clarifies.
Tris and Tobias explain what happened the night before with Tris's nightmare and they can tell Christina, Uriah and Zeke are nervous as she describes what happens.
"Tris, it for sure sounds like you got rode by a hag. Gullah legends around here say when you get rode by a hag it is exactly what you are describing. It happened to my cousin once." Zeke confirms based on everything he has ever been told even though it never happened to him.
"Have you noticed the blue porches and window trims when you've been riding around?" Christina asks.
Tris and Tobias nod their heads remembering what Jack Kang told them when they came to visit the first time.
"Blue keeps the haints away, at least that's what Ms. Hana always says" Christina relays. "But it doesn't seem to be working for your house"
"Maybe it's because there is supposed to be this curse, the haint blue isn't enough?" Uriah thinks out loud.
"I feel dirty," Tris says looking defeated and shivering as she runs her hands over her arms. "I'm going out and buying all the blue paint I can find tomorrow."
"I think we should take you two to meet our mom, she knows all of these stories and Gullah legends that have been passed down. I know we all used to think they were to scare us but there are always truths in some legends" Uriah says with Zeke nodding his head in agreement.
"Yeah I agree, Ms. Hana is always pushing us to keep up with our history and culture, she could probably tell you stories about the property too" Christina agrees.
Hana Pedrad is a ball of light and energy with a deep Gullah accent. Uriah and Zeke both favor her and she welcomes Tris and Tobias in with a hug. Tris hasn't felt this kind of warmth and love since her mother died. She listens intently to Tris and Tobias' stories of all the activity in the house, squinting her eyes at certain parts and nodding.
"My dears, I think from what you and my boys have told me there is a lot going on. But what I think is most important that you two don't realize is that you both what I like to call the sight"
"Sight like we can see ghosts?" Tobias asks with his eyes wide.
"Yes, but it's a bit more than that, you feel them too, sense their presence. I have it and so does Uriah. I don't know why those of us who have it do, but it is stronger in some people than others. Tris, I have a feeling it's very strong in you. It sounds like one of the spirits really wants to connect with you based on the dreams you've been having"
"Why?" Tris asks leaning forward resting her elbows on her knees.
"Maybe she trusts you, I have a feeling if it's the spirit of a slave and you are the first Black woman to be seen as the owner of the house, maybe she feels like you have the power to help her. That you might understand her."
"That makes so much sense, I always felt like it was someone watching me like they were deciding if they like me to get close to me like they were curious," Tris says going over the memories in her mind.
"Which makes it clear that the room on the second floor is something dark," Hana adds. "If this gentle spirit likes you, it might be trying to scare you off before you can help"
"So what do we do now Ms. Hana, I'm worried about Tris getting attacked again" Tobias lets out and Uriah claps him on the back with encouragement.
"Well for starters you need to keep a bible under your pillow at night, each of you, and place a straw broom at the foot of your bed." Hana instructs
Tris raises her eyebrows but keeps listening.
"The hags can't resist counting the straws of a broom, they can't hurt you in the daylight. It was after dusk when it happened wasn't it"
Tris and Tobias nod in response, the sun was going down when Tobias had come in to wake Tris about dinner. It was winter and the days were very short now.
"I also need to make a call to my friend Johanna at the Amity Paranormal Society. She'll be able to help with this too. She's dealt with these types of hauntings in other places."
Tris and Tobias nod as Tobias takes his wife's hand and squeezes tight. They could walk away from Dauntless Hall and be alright but he and Tris were happy here for the most part and wanted to make it work in Charleston with their new friends. They were willing to try anything at this point to take back control of their home.
A/N: Getting rode by a had is a Gullah legend in the Low Country. I've tried to convey how the people that I have talked with said it feels when they experienced it. There are many different stories about Boo Hags, as witches who look for people to wear their skin during the day and they cannot resist counting the bristles of a straw broom when they see it.