Page 21 of Ghost Hunters 1

Poppy headed over to a door on the far side of the kitchen and then she barked.

Jillian stared at her dog.Walking over to the door, she opened it and went inside.“It’s a pantry,” she told the guys.Looking around, she couldn’t find any kind of door that led anywhere else.She came back to the kitchen and began opening cupboards.No sign of any kind of root cellar door anywhere.She even went out on the back porch looking for another door that might lead them to the cellar.She found nothing.

The men watched her.

Dino actually followed her around as she searched.

Finally, she snapped her fingers.“Wait a minute.I have a blueprint drawing of the house from the realtor.Maybe the root cellar is on there.”She ran for the bedroom at the top of the stairs where the file was.She opened the door and rushed in.

Claire was there just casually lounging on the bed.

Jillian gasped and stopped in her tracks.

“You won’t find my sister, you know.I can’t let you,” Claire told her.Her eyes snapped with anger.She had one foot higher than the other and she was tapping her foot in the air.

Jillian raised her brow at her and though she couldn’t believe she was speaking to an actual ghost, she asked, “And why not?”

“Because if you find her then I will cease to exist,” Claire explained.“My time on earth, even in this form will be over and I’m not ready to depart just yet.”

“How so?”Jillian asked.“Like is there some rule about this?”

“Yes, in fact, there is.If you happen to find Tilly, the curse will be broken and time here will catch up with itself.”

“Then this place is caught up in some kind of curse,” Jillian said.“What happened?”

Claire shrugged.“I don’t really understand it myself but George said we’re caught in a time loop.’

“George?I heard this name before, who is he?”

“Never mind who he is.I’m here to tell you I can’t let you find Tilly!”

“What more do you have to do here anyway?”Jillian asked as she glanced around the room for the file.She finally spotted it on the table next to the window.

“I have to atone for my mistakes in life,” Claire told her.

“Then why don’t you help us find your sister?”Jillian asked.“Wouldn’t that atone for your mistakes?”

Claire smiled briefly.“No, it wouldn’t.That would only send me to hell.And that is something that I don’t want to see.”

“What do you mean?”Jillian asked.

“My sin was Cain’s sin in that we each killed our sibling.Cain killed Able out of jealousy like I did.I may not have done the deed myself but I am responsible for what happened to Tilly.Our fates are linked to hell and while he doesn’t mind the fire and damnation, I would,” Claire explained.“As long as Tilly’s body is lost, I’ll remain here on earth.I must relive the same hell on earth that my sins created.”

“Then it’s true,” Jillian muttered.

“What’s true?”Claire asked.

“Matthew told us that you would burn the Inn down again soon,” Jillian told her.

Claire nodded.“It’s that time.Every year on the day the Inn burned down it has to burn down again.It’s part of the punishment.”

“You have to relive the event that caused your death until the wrong is righted,” Jillian foretold.

Claire nodded.“I’m too afraid not to,” she admitted.She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood.

“What are you afraid of?”Jillian asked as she edged closer to the table where the plans were.

“I’m afraid of going to hell.Wouldn't you be?.And that is what’s waiting for me if the wrong is ever righted,” Claire admitted as she began to pace.“I would rather take the burning pain of what’s coming then go somewhere I don’t know.George says it’s the way it has to be.”