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

A Place of Nightmares - Chapter 8 Arrivals.

Eleven hours in a plane riding in coach listening to Aiden snoring and we were disembarking at Heathrow. I had never been to England before, and promised myself some shopping on High Street after our job was finished.

Aiden wanted to get a suit at Harrods. Aiden was planning on asking his partner Rodney to marry him when went back, and he wanted to look his best. It was cute really, he was almost child like in his excitement.

It was a sharp contrast to the serious and focused Demonologist he often had to be on the job.

We got through Customs in fair time, and collected our bags. We moved through to the main part of the airport, and looked for our ride.

I couldn't have missed the O'Donnels if I'd been blind. There were five of them. All looking pale and drawn. But that wasn't what made them stand out at least not to me anyway. Dark shadows hovered behind the family. Shifting and changing, but always close. This was not good.

They had left Devon and the Manor behind to fetch us, but something had hitched a ride with them. It lead me to suspect even if this poor family had fled the house, chances are, something would flee with them, and it would start all over again.

I turned to Aiden, "Do you see it?" I asked him.

"The Dark Maul?" He asked, "Yeah, little hard to miss."

Of course the other passengers etc rushing about the big airport couldn't see them, it was only those of us like Aiden and I, cursed with second sight that could see it.

Aiden had an added extra I did not, and did not want. Aiden could see demons too. Hence his career path as one of the World's leading Demonlogists.

We walked towards the O'Donnel's the little pixie of a girl held up a sign with our names on it. This must be Macy. She was a dark Irish like me. The elder girl Lucy was a blue eyed blonde. The boy Jay was also a dark Irish. The parents had chestnut colored hair, the mother with natural blonde streaks. They would have been a handsome bunch, if not for the lines of fear and fatigue describing their faces.

"Maggie and Martin O'Donnel?" I asked. "I'm Shania Longwood, my partner Aiden Delgado."

Maggie O'Donnel let out a sob and flung her arms around me, much to my surprise. I wasn't the touchy feely type usually, but I returned her hug. The poor woman was at her wits end.

"Thank goodness you're here!" Martin O'Donnel came forward to shake hands with Aide.

"Lucy, show the lady your arms honey." Maggie said stepping back.

The sixteen year old shyly came forward and rolled up the arm of the chambray shirt she was wearing. There on the girl's soft white skin were four long furrows. Red and itchy looking. Scabbed over but painful looking.

"Aide?" I asked.

Aiden came over and gently examined Lucy's arm. His breath caught in his throat when he touched her. His face went pale. There was definitely something demonic here. Now I was scared as well. What had we agreed to?

"What?" Asked the girl fearfully.

"Nothing sweetie pie, I'm just so sorry you got hurt." Aiden reassured her.

"We should get on the road, it's a long drive." Said Martin and we turned to follow him to the car.

The minute we were seated, I got to work. Digging about in my hex-bag for the herbs and charms I thought I'd need. Fortunately everything was passed by Customs.

By the time we had lunched at McDonald's and pulled up outside the imposing facade of Rosenthorne Manor, I had seven protection charm bracelet's made. Consisting of silver and turquoise, wolf's bane and king's foil. And, most importantly rock salt. Spirits hated rock salt, it burned them like fire.

We exited the car, and the shadows were growing long. The sun going down in a fiery flash.

"Okay, put these on, all of you." I said passing around the bracelet's. A big Golden Retriever bounded down the porch steps. I quickly grabbed more charms and knotted them together and tied it to the dog's collar. "Any other pets?" I asked.

"No, just Corky here." Said Macy.

"Okay, now before we go in, I am going to use a smudge stick to dissipate any residual bad energy and protect us whilst we are inside. This may seem a bit strange but it works. I will be invoking the elements as I do this. If you feel something rushing around you, don't be afraid. It's the elements surrounding you in protection. I am one half Cherokee, this is our magic, and it works."

I got the stick out of my bag, and filled my bowl with dirt from the drive way. As I sprinkled it in the ceramic bowl it started to smoke. Not good, there was powerful evil here.

Quickly I lit the smudge stick and called on the spirits of the Sage to take the evil away. A cool wind blew across the dirt and the smoke dissipated.

I turned in a circle calling the elements, Fire, Earth, Air and Water. As the elements arrived different scents and temperatures accompanied them. Field flowers for earth, summer rain for water, warm wind for fire, alpine breezes for air.

Macy jumped and giggled as they rushed about her.

It was when I began invoking the blessing of Supreme Protection and smudging the family something strange happened.

I was making the second last round of the circle when the ground started rumbling.

"Ah, Shan? Better hurry it up there Hun." Said Aide sounding nervous.

I quickly completed the circuit and then walked backwards to finish it. Calling on the ancestors to protect the family.

The rumbling increased and a large crack appeared in the driveway. A unearthly scream rent the air, and a dark shadow could be seen fleeing into the sky. The wind rushed after it.

Then as quickly as it had begun the rumbling stopped and the crack disappeared.

"What the hell just happened?" Asked Martin.

I turned to him answered him honestly, "I'm not sure." I did have the feeling that something had been released, but was it gone from here? Or had we unleashed something terrible on the quiet Devon country side?

The O'Donnel's stared at me, Martin looking annoyed, but Aide came to my rescue.

"Feel that?" He asked, we all stopped and just felt the air and listened.

It was quiet and the mood was light.

"Aiden?" I asked.

"We just released several trapped souls. They're gone." He said smiling.

"Is that it? Are we safe now?" Asked Maggie.

I turned to look at the Manor, and saw her. The woman in black. Scowling down from one of the second floor windows. This was only the begining.

"Let's just see how it goes hey?" I answered. "We should go inside."

Martin helped us in with our bags and equipment. As soon as I walked in the door I could feel them. The poor souls that fled on our arrival were the souls of children, children buried in the garden outside.

These things inside the house were totally insane and dangerous. They hung back, sensing the power of the charms I had made, they also knew Aide and I were not like the O'Donnels. We commanded their respect, at least for the ones who still remembered once being human.

We were going to have our work cut out for us here. And yes, this time. I was afraid.