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

A Place of Nightmares Chapter 14 Finding Macy.

I raced up the stairs behind the others. Lucy and Maggie waiting nervously in the door to the stair well.

As I entered the Attic I was aware of a terrible smell, it smelt like death.

The place was musty and dusty, motes swirled in the air like fairies and glittered in the small shafts of late afternoon sunlight that filtered in through the dormer windows.

There was a lot of old stuff up here. Large chests, a scary looking chair that looked like it came straight out of The Green Mile. A gurney complete with leather straps, and a book case full of old leather bound books.

I joined the others calling for Macy. The Attic was huge and deep. She could be anywhere. I peered at the book case. I read the spines of a couple of old tomes, WitchCraft and SpellCasting, The Dark Lord and Worshipping Practises. Ugh! I went to pull out another book and a big rat stuck it's head out at me. I unleashed a startled cry and stumbled back falling on my butt. The rat fled.

As I fell I reached back to break my fall and my hand landed on some lump in the floor, almost like a doorknob in the wooden boards. There was a click and the door swung out, and inside was Macy, the two ghost kids and and an array of toys, blankets and old cans of food.

"Here!" I yelled.

The men and the dog clattered over.

"Macy you okay?" I asked picking myself up.

Macy sniffled and nodded, I helped her up and passed her to her father. Martin scooped the frightened child up and she clung to him like a koala bear.

I looked into the space where McKinley and Jimmy sat. "Where does this go?" I asked.

"We'll show you. Follow us." McKinley said.

I was about to protest about the lack of light when she pointed up. To my left was a switch, I flicked it and lights turned on in there.

I felt something soft and warm pressing against my legs, it was Corky, he was sniffing the air and looking curiously down the passage.

I heard Martin calling Lucy and Maggie up. They crowded in behind me, Maggie crying and hugging Macy.

I turned to Macy, "How did you end up in here honey?"

Macy wiped her nose with her sleeve and replied, "The monster lady dragged me up the stairs, I don't even remember coming up here. The door swung open and Corky tried to grab the seat of my pants to pull me back but she was too quick for him. She grabbed me, and used her magic to push Corky away. Then she dragged me up the stairs. She let go and picked up this big knife. I thought she was going to cut me with it, when the wall swung open and McKinley yanked me in here. Then I heard you guys coming."

"Thank you McKinley." Maggie called into the passage, "Are they still here?" She asked.

I nodded, "They want us to follow them. Let's go."

Corky and I moved off, following the ghostly pair, the passage opened up, there was another small room, also filled with kid stuff.

McKinley explained, "I used hide in these rooms and passages. Trying to hide from Mrs Tweed, but one night I overslept and she got me."

I fought back a tear that wanted to slide down my cheek, the terror this child must have faced night after night.

"Why didn't you tell some one?"

"I tried, she was sneaky, the old Janitor was the only one who knew about her. Nobody listened to him because he was old, thought he was living in the past. Thought he had the old timers disease. He told me to hide from her, I didn't hide well enough."