The Ghost Hunter Chronicles - A Place of Nightmares Vol 1.

A Place of Nightmares - Chapter 1. The House on the Hill.

Macy O'Donnell sat in the back seat of her parent's SUV and scowled up at the old Manor House that loomed over everything upon the quiet hillside. Her older sister Lucy and her brother Jay were out and making dibs on the bedrooms. Mum and dad were taking stuff inside.

Macy didn't want to go inside. The old house reminded her of a spider. A big old back tarantula, like one she'd seen in Mexico last Christmas holidays. The spider had been housed in a terrarium of the man they were staying with's son. Miguel had come in and caught Macy eyeballing the arachnid, which was named surprisingly, Fluffy.

"Want to help me feed him?" Miguel had asked her, Macy had shaken her head. Miguel had just smiled and dumped a couple of crickets in the spider's condo. Fluffy had sat watching the crickets for a second or two, then he had pounced.

Macy had squealed and taken off, much to Miguel's surprise. She had run to her father telling him about it. Daddy had explained that the spider was just having dinner, that they ate bugs.

Macy however had never forgotten Fluffy the Tarantula, and now this was just what that damn house looked like. A great big Tarantula just ready to pounce on her as soon as she exited the vehicle.

She was soon aware of a whine from behind her and a large wet nose poking her arm. She turned to see Corky the Golden Retriever grinning at her and panting. Corky wanted out of the hot car. Macy sighed, they couldn't stay in the car forever.

"Okay, boy." Macy said and opened the door, she got out, never taking her eyes off the house, Corky bounded out behind her and began peeing on everything in sight.

Macy finally dragged her eyes off the ugly old pile looming over her, and cast her eyes about the hillside.

So this was Devon? It was very green, and very quiet. It was midsummer but where were the birds? A large clump of woodland lay to the east of the manor, and big oak trees were dotted about the property. A dead garden that might have been quite pretty once, wound around the side and into the back yard. It was full of thorny things that might once have been rose bushes, and some other tangled bushy things. Macy didn't like that garden either. She would be glad when mum worked her magic on it, bringing it back to life. Macy's mother Margret was an avid gardner, Macy loved the Foxgloves, Holly Hox and Blue Bells she grew at the old house.

But as she eyed the ugly brown plants still claiming ownership, she wondered would anything actually grow here? The garden seemed to be too full of dead things.

She turned away from the garden and noticed Corky gazing up at the attic window towards the front of the place. He was wagging his tail and poking his bottom up in the air in the play with me pose. He bounced up and down, chuffing in delight.

"What are you looking at boy?" Macy said joining the dog. She squinted up at the window but the sun was flaring off it, she couldn't see anything, but at the same time got the uncanny feeling of being observed.

She stared backing up and ran into something, or rather someone behind her, and let out a startled little cry.

"Mace!" Cried her mother, "Come on Pet, grab Corky and your stuff, I'll show you your room! It's pretty!" Macy regarded her mother with suspicion. Macy was highly doubtful anything in this ugly place could be pretty.

Margaret caught her daughter's look, "What's wrong Pet?"

Macy just shrugged and looked down.

"Don't you like it Hun?" Margaret knelt down before her youngest child. Macy was seven going on forty. She was quiet, serious and not known for typical seven year old hysterics.

Macy met her mother's concerned gaze, and shook her head. "Everything's dead here."

Margaret couldn't help but notice the shiver that traced down her spine at her daughter's words, then she noticed Corky peeing on a dead bush. Macy must mean the garden. She knew Macy loved flowers, the sight of the garden in this condition must have been upsetting to her.

"Not for long love, we'll bring it back to life. Now come on, let's go see your room, you might be surprised."

Macy sighed, "Okay." And turned to grab her bag and coat out of the back seat. Corky trotted over and they went inside.

They entered the great entrance hall, and Macy followed her mother upstairs. Even when Jay and Lucy joined them to explore Macy's room, and daddy came in suggesting McDonald's for lunch, Macy still felt watched, and the unshakable feeling of menace only increased.