She could see the big manor house quite vividly as she stood in the dirt road, gazing up at the vast structure. It appeared ominous and almost frightening. Yet somehow she could sense the warmth as well. Mostly, though, she sensed the darkness that surrounded the property. Something sinister had taken place here. She just couldn't ever see what.

The vast house always called to her in way she couldn't understand. Why? She'd never seen this particular property before. It was like something straight out of a nightmare. Dark colors swirled within the building, mingled with bright red blood, as it oozed from the decrepited walls.

She never understood how in her dreams, one moment she'd be standing outside than the next, inside, staring in horror as the blood cascaded down as though it were crying tears of blood.

She always awoke, heart rapidly fluttering against her chest, her brow drenched in sweat as the images slowly faded from her memory. That part always bothered her. She desperately wanted to remember. But it was like her brain was purposely short circuiting and she despised that.

This morning was no different. She'd been dreaming nearly all night of that place. As she climbed out of her bed, she stretched her memory, pushing farther than she ever had.

A man, maybe in his forties, dressed in entirely in black, standing in a room which is decorated completely in white. It looks like a stark hospital room. Only there's a coffin, sitting in in the middle of the room, a beautiful woman lying in it, dressed in white.

He's sobbing as his head is bend over, as the tears pour down his face, the small droplets falling on to the woman. She suddenly opens her eyes and smiles. The man falls back, gasping in fear. The woman sits up, curiously examining the coffin before slowly climbing out, standing before the man, advancing upon him.

"No! You're dead! You're a demon! Back demon back!" He grabs a silver crucifix holding it front of him. The woman merely smiles as she lunges at him, his screams of terror filling the air.

She came back with a start and a gasp, as she collapsed against the bedroom wall. Her breathing was labored and she was trembling violently. She focused on controlling her breathing and slowly, slowly she regained her senses and began preparing for her day ahead.

***

"Penelope! Are you awake yet?" Jane Smith called up the stairs to her youngest daughter. Penelope was the last of her three children entering into adulthood and she felt a small pang in her gut. She wasn't looking forward to having Penelope move out.

Especially since Penelope had appeared to develop a sixth sense about the supernatural over the last few months. Jane wasn't the least bit surprised. That kind of thing seemed to run in their family.

Jane's grandmother was a psychic who often saw visions of the future. Jane had been quite close to her grandmother and although the woman often saw other's demises, she'd never saw her own coming.

The poor woman had died from a fatal accident falling down the stairs in her own home.

Jane had been devastated when her own mother had called her with the horrific news that one of her cousins had come to visit and happened upon the body. She never fully completely recovered from the blow.

As Jane placed a plate of scrambled cheesy eggs and some toast on the kitchen table, Penelope shuffled into the kitchen, looking glassy eyed and pale.

"Good morning, darling." Jane leaned over, placing a quick kiss on the top of her head. "Sleep well?"

"Good morning, Mum. Ah, not really. I was dreaming about that odd place again."

Jane's body went completely still. She had a feeling that Penelope was dreaming about Esper Hall, where her grandmother once resided when she'd met her fatal ending.

"P.J., I think I should tell you something."

"Mum, I'm not going to visit Auntie Lenora. I hate her. She's so cold and snobby."

"Watch your tongue, young lady!" Jane said sharply. "That's my older sister you're speaking of. Have some respect for your elders."

"I apologize," Penelope said in a forced tone. She'd only been speaking the truth. Auntie Lenora was so...eccentric and she'd never married. Penelope always thought it was because the woman was so stand-offish and snobby.

"I think it would do you a world of good to go visit your lonely old auntie for a few weeks and get away from this stuffy, crowded city."

Jane brought her own plate over to the table, along with a cup of tea for Penelope and then collected her own mug, taking a seat beside her daughter.

"Mum, she's not old or lonely. She chose to be an old spinster."

Jane stared at her daughter, frowning disapprovingly aa she lifted her mug of steaming hot tea and took a sip.

"Perhaps. But wouldn't you like a proper holiday? It's been ages since we've got anywhere."

"Can't we go to the beach?" Penelope wasn't eating. She was only pushing her eggs around on the plate and poking holes in her toast with her finger.

"I may as well tell you." Jane said setting her mug down. "Auntie Lenora isn't...well. She rang me up when you were out the other day. She's been fighting a nasty cold that she can't seem to shake."

"Tell her to go to the chemist," Penelope said flatly. She closed her eyes and...

The woman is walking down the stairs, the front of her dress covered in dark, red blood, her expression blank as she holds a bloody knife in her right hand.

"Madam? What's the trouble? Madam?" The woman didn't seem to hear the housekeeper calling out to her as she floated through the door and outside.

Penelope gasped as though she'd just emerged from under water and threw her head back. Jane cried out grabbing for Penelope's arm.

"Penelope, darling! Are you all right?"

"It..keeps happening, Mum? Why?" Penelope was close to tears as she clutched her mum's hand.

"I think it's time we paid a visit to Esper Hall, darling."

***

Lenora Esper was sitting out on the balcony of the second story bedroom, enjoying her afternoon tea when she caught a glimpse of...white just out of the corner of her eye. It wasn't out of the ordinary.

She ignored it, however, knowing that if she dared to engage with that well whatever the hell it was, it only made things worse. A shattering noise sounded in the distance and Lenora cringed. Damn it. That vase had been her favorite. It had belonged to her grandmother and now, it was completely destroyed beyond repair.

Lenora contemplated speaking out but before she'd made up her mind, her housekeeper, Micah Wren appeared with the tray to take away the morning tea dishes.

"Micah, has anything strange happened to you today?" Lenora asked irritably as she stood up, twisting her head around to try and see where the vase had landed. She could see the broken pieces lying scattered on the floor and it was like a knife had been plunged into her heart.

"No more than usual, madam," Micah replied as she collected the tea dishes and went to lift up the tray, heading back into the house.

Lenora followed behind, heading to where the broken vase lay and swore under her breath as she wrapped her arms around herself, that awful chill surrounding her. Damn ghost. If they weren't already dead, Lenora was strongly considering murder.

She'd had several priests come in and try to cleanse the house of the malicious spirit, which stubbornly refused to leave the premises, for reasons beyond Lenora's control.

It was preposterous! Why did that damned spirit insist on staying here? Was there some unfinished business they had or did they simply refuse to cross over because they couldn't bear to vacant this place? Lenora suspected it was more the latter.

She sighed and went to collect a broom to sweep up the broken pieces of the vase to throw away. She was just returning to the bedroom, as she was violently pushed towards the stairs.

Lenora dropped the broom and managed to catch herself at the last second, landing hard on the wooden floor as a whitish figure hovered over her, screaming. Lenora squeezed her eyes shut and covered her ears, lying completely still until the figure evaporated into nothing.

Finally the awful noise stopped and she opened her eyes and took her hands off her ears, just lying there, trying to calm herself. Micah came running, calling out to her.

"I'm all right, Micah. Thank you." Micah helped Lenora to her feet and the two went about cleaning up the mess, unaware that they were being spied on from a distance.

***

Penelope was sitting listlessly in the passenger seat of the car as her mum hummed along with the music playing on the radio. She really wasn't interested in visiting her aunt. They'd never gotten along well and Penelope supposed it was mostly because there was something unsettling about her aunt. Like she was hiding something deep and dark.

"It'll be good to see Esper Hall again," Jane said cheerfully. "I haven't been there since Granny died. That was a sad day."

Penelope grunted. She'd heard this story multiple times and she didn't wish to hear it again. Yes, it was sad that her great grandmother died. But everyone dies eventually. So what was all the fuss about?

"How come Auntie Lenora decided to move in there?" Penelope asked. "I thought you said that place was...crawling with bad luck?"

"Well Lenora inherited the place and decided she may as well go live there. She didn't want strangers living in our old family home."

"It sounds horrid," Penelope exclaimed. "I'm glad we didn't inherit it. I wouldn't want to live there permanently."

"Oh but it's such a lovely structure! You don't see many buildings built the way Esper Hall is built."

Penelope grunted again. As if that were of interest to her. She would have preferred a proper holiday, spending it at a lovely beach somewhere instead of going to some piece of shit building that was over two hundred years old.

As her mother crested the hill, Penelope sat up straighter. Her eyes went wide. This was the house she'd been dreaming about! But how? She'd never seen it before. Her mum hadn't even shown her a photo.

Her mum pulled up in front of the house and parked. Penelope opened the car door, climbed out and just stared at it. It was just as it appeared in her dreams. Ominous, yet somehow warm, too. The front door opened and her aunt stepped out, smiling stiffly.

"Jane, Penelope. How wonderful to see you. Won't you come in?"

***

He was watching as the women all trooped into the house. He'd known they'd come. Especially the girl. He was fairly certain she had the gift. He did as well.

He remembered when he first started having the visions. They'd startled and frightened him. Until he spoke with his grandmother about it. She had explained everything to him. Ever since he'd used his gift to the best of his ability.

That is, until all hell broke loose in this cursed place and he couldn't stay. Or he tried to tell himself that. He'd left but returned shortly thereafter. This place had a hold on his soul that he couldn't seem to shake. The same way it had on any lost soul who dared to enter.

The same way it had called to the girl. It was why she was here. It was a part of her, rather she understood that or not. He'd tell her when the time came. Or die trying.

***

After Auntie Lenora had Micah, the housekeeper, show her to her room, Penelope asked if she might do a bit of exploring on her own. Since she and her mum had just traveled nearly three hours in the car, she was anxious to walk around.

"You actually want to walk around this gloomy place, alone?" Auntie Lenora smiled thinly at Penelope and she had to push down the sharp retort that was just at the back of her throat.

"I'm not worried, Auntie. But perhaps you wouldn't like me roaming about, in case I stumble across something sinister?"

Penelope saw her aunt's face tighten ever so slightly. She could sense something stirring inside her aunt. Some strong emotions just waiting to bubble up to the surface.

"There's nothing sinister hidden here, child. Don't be so dramatic." Jane made a sharp noise in her throat and Penelope pretended not to notice.

"I'll be back shortly." Penelope quickly left the kitchen and headed up the stairs, curiosity swirling within her. As she reached the top, she gasped. There was a faint breeze coming from somewhere and Penelope was certain she'd seen someone standing just around the corner. But when she went to see, they were gone.

Chapter 1

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