Page 13 of Ghost Hunters 1

Chapter Eight

Matthew struggled tohis feet and Dino helped him along.When they got to the stairs they saw Jillian coming down.

She smiled at Dino and said, “I made Matthew a room downstairs.I hope you don’t mind?”

Matthew smiled at her and said, “My child, I don’t mind at all.I don’t think I could have gotten up the stairs tonight.”

Jillian grinned.“I had a feeling about that.I made up a room for Dino right next to yours.”

“Bless you, child,” Matthew told her.“I hope it wasn’t any trouble.”

“None at all, although I should warn you,” Jillian said.“I heard something last night that I can’t explain, like an argument and footsteps running down the hall.Then there was nothing.I looked but I didn’t see anything.I also saw a vision of the woman you called Claire.The same one we just saw earlier.She was just standing at the end of the hall.I only caught sight of her for a few seconds and then she was gone.”

Matthew nodded.“This close to the anniversary I wouldn’t be surprised.The spirits of the dead are restless and often relive past events.”

Jillian cocked her head and stared at him.“Do you know anything about it?The voices raised in anger I mean?”

Matthew nodded.“I might.”He ambled over to the sofa and sat down again.He placed his cane directly in front of him and looked at her.“I haven’t been completely honest with you.”

“What does that mean?”Jillian crossed her arms over her chest.

“After the Inn came back, I stayed here for a while,” he explained.“I was the only person in the county that was actually brave enough to step inside the place.Anyway, I stayed here for almost a year.Just before the anniversary of the fire, I heard something in the night, much like you heard last night.A scene from the past played itself out, just as I remembered it.At first, I didn’t understand what was going on.That’s when I realized that to break the curse I had to find Tilly.I had to free her soul.But before I could do that I found myself on the side of the road just like before.By the time I got back I could see the place was burning and I couldn’t get back inside to look for them.I tried every year for five years and it always ended the same way.”

“The Inn burns down every year and then it comes back...I heard this already...but...Like that’s really true?”She stared at him.

Matthew shook his head.“No, the fire isn’t real, it only appears to be.But every year something or someone prevents me from getting back inside the Inn.I have to stand outside and watch the place burn to the ground.I have to listen to the god-awful screams from that night.Finally, after the fifth year I stopped coming back.It broke my heart but I couldn’t relive the same tragedy every year.Everything from that night haunts my dreams and it always ends the same.I can’t get back inside the Inn.”

“Then why did you come back now?”Jillian wanted to know.

“I had a feeling this year I’d better come back.I’ve lived too long with this in my soul and it is time to end the curse.I had to come back and find my Tilly.”

“I keep trying to tell you Grandpa, there is no curse,” Dino stated.“I wish you two wouldn’t keep on talking about ghosts and curses and other garbage.”

“Ok, I will if you explain Claire’s visit to me then.You were here and we all saw her appear from nowhere and disappear into thin air.”

Dino shrugged.“I don’t know how to explain that but I don’t believe in curses.”

Jillian hesitated briefly then told them, “I’m afraid there’s more.Your grandpa might be right about something evil being here.”

“What do you mean?”Dino now crossed his arms over his chest.

“Earlier today, I saw something that scared the socks right off me,” she admitted.

“What was it?”Matthew asked.