Sunday 7 September 2014

Sunday, September 07, 2014 -

Bleakdale Grange: The Haunting

...the second book of the Bleakdale Grange Trilogy
by Karl Quentin
Published: Aug 02, 2014
Words: 28,383
Category: judicial, fantasy
Orientation: M/F
Click HERE for further details and purchase options.
OPENING EXTRACT
"I tell you, it's a ghost up there!" insisted Charlotte Davies. "I've been hearing it the last five nights. There's rustling behind the wall by my bed, and there's a voice whispering words that I can't quite catch, and I don't want to catch either!" She shivered. "And I've heard sounds like hooting, when I can't sleep in the middle of the night. It's up there, whatever it is, in the loft or something above our dorm. I tell you I'm frightened! I asked Mr Smith whether I could change beds, but he point-blank refused, and said he'd spank me if I started spreading silly rumours about ghosts to frighten the girls in their new dorm."

Barbara Watson sighed. "Well, the sadist is right about that anyway. There are no such things as ghosts, you daft girl. It's probably an owl up there that nests in the old wall."

"I don't agree with you there, Babs!" said Carole Gibbs. "There are ghosts all right. When I lived out at Druids Heath the house next door had poltergeists! Father O'Malley had to be called to do an exorcism. Right terrifying it were!"

"And did they have children as well?" asked Barbara. "Or were they on the housing waiting list?"

"How did you know? They were on the waiting list, yes. And they did have children! Two teenagers!"

"Mmm. It's funny how teenagers and poltergeists seem to go together," Barbara replied sarcastically.

"That's because teenagers' sexually charged auras evoke ectoplasmic matter from the 'Unseen Kingdoms' which takes form as poltergeists," interjected little Fiona Williams. Barbara rolled her eyes. "Charlotte, I'm sure you're right about this ghost. What we should do is try to contact it through a Ouija board."

"For God's sake! Where are you going to get a Ouija board from? And if you could get one, when are you going to do it? You know as well as I do that it's an automatic six for being out of bed at night. And whoever's duty dorm monitor will get it as well. Don't be so childish."

"Childish yourself, granny!" said Charlotte. "Fiona's right. But we don't need a Ouija board. All we need is a glass from the kitchen and twenty six letters. It's our duty to try to contact the ghost. The poor thing's probably stuck between the worlds, lost in the lower astral plane unable to find the spirit world. We must help it if we can."

"But...!" said Barbara in exasperation.

"I remember Derek Acorah talking about this!" said Sophie Garland excitedly. "I expect the ghost has got some unfinished business here on earth. If we can find out what it is, and make it happen, the poor ghost will be released!"

"Yeah!" added Lucy Marshall. "We can steal a glass tonight at supper. And if we each give a sheet from our exercise books we can make the letters."