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

A Place of Nightmares Chapter 23 Into the Light.

We ascended the basement stairs. The rumbling below had stopped, the screams had died down and all was silent. The darkness was now not quite so absolute. The flashlight beams white and strong cutting a strong swath through the dark, that was just dark.

The stairs creaked gently under our feet and Cardinal Ambrose pushed the door to the kitchen open. We stepped into a quiet house filled with bright morning sunshine.

The Doc came running into the kitchen followed by two uniformed Police officers.

"You're all back!" He said coming to hug us all. He was acting like he hadn't seen us for a week."Two days is sure a long time te be down cellar!" He exclaimed.

"Wait, what?" I asked.

"Two days? Really?" Asked Aiden, it felt like we had been there forever but two whole days?

"Aye! Two days! Yesterday the house opened up and we got the two young Ambo's te the hospital. Then we had a call from the Vatican looking for the gentlemen who went down into the basement."

"Yes, we were meant to call in daily." Agreed George Snell nodding.

"The O'Donnel's have been calling non stop too. Wanting te know what was going on. I had te tell them I was afraid the cellar ate you all!"

"And these guys?" I asked addressing the somewhat confused young officers.

"We were sent to check on the clergy men mum. The Vatican called and sent us out this morning. Dr McAllister has been here waiting for you all to come back." One of them explained.

"What happened here?" Asked the other one.

"Why don't we all go into town to the Inn and we'll explain." Said Ambrose. He and Cardinal Snell were still supporting Jim. He was pale and shell shocked still. He hadn't spoken since the possession, he smiled not at all. He just wasn't himself and I was worried.

"Just a minute." Said George. He strode over to a bag that was lying just inside the hall. All the furniture had been put to rights, and the door was patched, a shiny new lock was also in place.

"Wait who?" I asked looking around.

"Aye Lassie, that was me. Needed something to do with my time. Lucky for you it were my days off from the hospital." Smiled the Doc. I was really beginning to like the jovial Scot.

The Cardinals gently delivered Jim to a chair and Aiden went to fetch him some water.

The men were pulling out a golden sheet of paper, it was inscribed with Latin writing and holy symbols. The strode to the basement door. George producing a fine silver hammer and long silver nails. They shut the door and nailed it shut. After which I was surprised to see them remove a sticky backing from the golden paper. They stuck it across the door crime-scene fashion. And then blessed the seal and door with Holy water.

George Snell turned from the door, and announced, "The Evil is gone from this house. In the name of our Lord God Almighty, we declare this property safe, and hallowed ground!" They began flinging Holy Water about. Then went from room to room giving blessing.

It was as I turned from the spectacle I noticed Jim slip from his chair and go into convulsions.

"Doc!" I yelled. McCallister hurried over and the young police men radioed in for the third Ambulance in as many days to Rosenthorne Manor. This place would be getting quite the reputation.

The Cardinals rushed back into the room. Ambrose knelt beside Jim and started reciting more Latin prayers. Soon his quivering stopped and he lay still.

"Is he alright?" Aiden worried coming over.

George nodded, "He will be, we need to get him to a hospital, them we need to get him to the Vatican. You realize we performed an Exorcism on him?" He asked us.

We nodded, and McAllister's mouth fell open, but he said nothing.

"Is this residual from that?" I asked.

Ambrose nodded, "We think so. Who knows what damage that filthy thing did while it was inside him."

Soon the wail of a siren sounded coming up the drive. We sat with Jim until a fresh set of EM's came in and bundled him off to the hospital. George went with him. Ambrose helped Aiden and I gather our stuff, and we went out to the car.

McAllister was seeing off the police.

"Are they going to be a problem?" I asked him.

"No Lass, everyone around here knows about this place. Besides they were looking for missing persons, and the persons turned out to not be missing aye?"

I smiled and nodded.

"We best be getting to the Inn, the O'Donnel's will be beside themselves by now!" He exclaimed, and climbed into his car.

I turned and looked at the imposing hulk of Rosenthorne Manor. It felt different here now, the sun shone, birds sung. Flowers were beginning to poke through the weeds in garden. A deer even shyly wandered about in the back yard.

I regarded the Attic window. It stared blankly back. No angry white face leering down, no sad ghostly children looking for home. A cool breeze ruffled my hair. Hannah Maygar and her crazy family were no more, they were gone after millennia of ownership. Rosenthorne Manor now belonged wholly and solely to Maggie and Martin O'Donnel and I couldn't wait to tell them.

"Sweetie?" Aiden was by my side, he was gently pressing something into my hands.

"My necklace!" I exclaimed, "Where did you find it?"

"It was on the floor, snapped off your neck when she threw you."

I nodded I remembered now, I had been groping around for it before the Zombie Gilles had carried me off into the wall. I shuddered.

"If I'd lost you...." Said Aiden.

"I know!" I said tears forming in my eyes, and felt myself enfolded in a patented Aiden hug, best hugs in the world.

"We should be going children." Spoke Cardinal Ambrose from the driver's seat.

"Yes, let's go!" I agreed.

We settled into the comfortable rental car, and watched the big old house dwindle in the distance. I sighed and closed my eyes. It was over, and I hoped to never lay eyes on that house again.

I laid my head on Aiden's shoulder and felt myself fall asleep, funnily enough, not one bad dream followed me into it's depths.