DUNWICH MANOR
This is a Lovecraft-type horror story about family ties and crime. Please comment nicely!
Chapter One: Tiring Journey
"Ah, here we are. Wake up, Julia. Welcome to Dunwich Manor!"
"Huh?" Julia Tyler sat up in the passenger seat of Professor Henrietta Bradford's small sedan, rubbing her eyes and yawning. The drive from Boston had taken more than three hours, with the New England landscape growing ever more barren and desolate. Gloomy tales of Puritan days had flitted through Julia's drowsy thoughts, with every gnarled tree and rocky outcrop seeming to embody the lingering presence of ancient evil. Back in Boston, it had been exciting to be chosen as a research assistant for Professor Bradford's next book. But as she stepped out of the car, the slim, long-legged college girl felt a shiver of chill foreboding.
"Looks rather forbidding, doesn't it? Those high towers and turrets give it a dark and menacing air. Dunwich Manor was originally built in 1673. But don't worry, the interior is completely modern."
"I hope it's not too modern! Will we see the collection right away?" Julia knew that the Dunwich Collection was part of a large family library, full of rare and age-yellowed manuscripts describing the terror of the local witch trials and the strange events that followed.
"Let's meet the family first, shall we?" Professor Bradford put her beefy arm around the raven-haired girl's slender waist, guiding her up the gravel path. "We'll pay our respects and then have something hot to drink, before we discuss the details of our visit."
"It's certainly nice of them to invite us to stay." Julia was grateful for the promise of refreshments. She was famished after the long trip, hungry as well as thirsty, but she felt very nervous about meeting the Dunwich family. During the drive up, the imaginative college girl had pictured them in Puritan attire, their stern cruel faces full of displeasure, frowning at her short skirt and high heels. In her dreams Julia had imagined herself being dragged in chains before the Dunwich clan, a young witch facing judgment.
And now she was going to meet them for real.
"Looking for a good time, baby doll?" The young workman loomed up out of the shadows, his enormous hands still gripping a shovel. For some reason Julia imagined he'd been digging a grave.
"I'd rather be reading a good book," Julia said sweetly. Her cool comeback didn't quite come off because her cheeks were red hot.
"Mrs. Dunwich is expecting us," Professor Bradford said, her crisp voice putting the annoying loser in his place even as she gave Julia a quick pat on the behind. "Please tell her we've arrived."
"Yes, ma'am!" Instead of trying more sarcasm on blushing Julia, the tall, broad-shouldered young man actually bowed to the plump and short but very distinguished-looking lady professor.
"Well, at least that guy isn't afraid of the family curse!" Julia tried to laugh as the two of them entered the darkened house, drawn towards the promise of comfort suggested by the glow of a fire.
"Ah, there you are!" The well-dressed old woman sitting by the fire was confined to a wheelchair, but her eyes were bright and alert. She held out her small, wrinkled hands to the two strangers.
"Julia, this is Mrs. Dunwich, the head of the family." Professor Bradford smiled as Julia bent down to take the old woman's hand.
"It's very kind of you to invite us into your home," Julia said, her voice a bit husky. She had never been around rich people before. Mrs. Dunwich wore a thick double strand of glowing pearls around her neck. Her small wrinkled hands were covered with diamonds.
"Nonsense, my dear." The old woman patted Julia's cheek. "We never see any new faces around here. It's like living in a tomb! Having a fresh-faced girl like you as a guest is a real pleasure."
"That's right, Aunt Caroline. A girl like Julia could be a real shot in the arm for all of us." A bald and slightly built but very dapper little man flashed Julia a winning smile from the other side of the fire.
"Julia, this is my nephew, Dr. Benjamin Dunwich Carlson. He's an expert on aging and family-related ailments, as well as being my personal physician."
"Dr. Carlson, how do you do," Julia breathed, feeling rather intimidated by the cultured and sophisticated-looking older man.
"Call me Ben, my dear. This is a mansion, not a morgue!" Dr. Carlson laughed softly, and then kissed Julia's hand in a sophisticated way that made her forget his strange and macabre sense of humor. Dunwich Manor was a fascinating place!
"So the two of you would like to research the history of witchcraft in our family?" The moment her guests had been served with hot chocolate and sandwiches, Mrs. Dunwich got right down to business. Her helpful and attentive nephew hovered close by, filling her crystal glass with a ruby-red liquid that looked like wine.
"Both of us are here to do research," Professor Bradford explained, "but Julia is younger and more energetic, not to mention a bit lighter on her feet. While I study the manuscripts in the library she'll be focusing on grave research and finding the location of the actual supernatural events."
"You mean the rumored supernatural events," Dr. Carlson put in, his blue eyes twinkling. "Julia, my dear, you don't actually expect to uncover any witches, do you?"
"I want to find the exact spot where Reverend Silas Dunwich burned that poor woman at the stake." Julia put down her cup of hot chocolate. "I don't believe in witches, but I know that strange things happened here once. They say that Madge Tarleton's ghost still haunts the hollow where she was . . . where she was burned." Julia shuddered as she pictured the unspeakable evil of the past. She reached instinctively for her hot chocolate.
"Old Madge was a witch," Mrs. Dunwich said, watching as the young girl drained her cup. "She killed the old man's daughter. They say she drained the life and strength from dozens of victims while prolonging her own life for years. You'd be better off staying away from that hollow, my dear. Besides, the paths are hard to find now that the forest has covered every trace of the old village."
"Well, there's no great hurry," Professor Bradford remarked, yawning and sounding much less interested in the field research. "Julia can work with me in the library for a day or two, get some background and a little bit of rest before she ventures outdoors."
"And speaking of rest," said Dr. Carlson, "I think it's time we all retired for the evening. May I show our two visitors to their rooms, Aunt Caroline?"
Instead of answering, Mrs. Dunwich studied the backs of her wrinkled hands. "Drying up," she muttered. Then she looked up, seeming to notice Ben and Julia looking at her with concern. "Yes, yes, it's time for bed. Sweet dreams, my dears!"
"Does your aunt ever go to Boston for medical treatment?" Julia asked, after Ben had shown Professor Bradford to her room.
"I wish she would," Ben said quietly. "But she loves Dunwich Manor and wants to spend the rest of her days here. You'll understand why once you've really gotten to know the old place!"
"I feel like I have already." Julia smiled as she said goodnight to Dr. Carlson, who really seemed like a friend she'd had for years. When she got into bed she wished she had thought of asking him about giving her a tour of the Dunwich land as well as the house. But then again, the dapper doctor didn't exactly seem like the outdoor type! Julia fell asleep wondering if there was anyone at Dunwich Manor who really did know the way to the old hollow. For some reason the angry face and muscular form of the rude young gardener came into her mind, but as she fell asleep Julia told herself that he was the last person she would ever ask for help.