The Haunting Of Ashburn House Novels & Stories

The rest of that night passed in fragments for Ashley. She returned to the scullery long after the hall had emptied, her hands shaking as she scrubbed the silver until her knuckles bled. The other servants cast curious glances but asked no questions. In Blackthorn Keep, silence was safer than curiosity. She finished her chores by candlelight, then slipped into the narrow attic room she shared with two other maids. The pallet was thin, the blanket thinner, but she curled beneath it anyway, staring at the rafters while the bond pulsed beneath her skin like a second heartbeat.

“That’s impossible! He didn’t even take his phone with him…” She was right. They had taken my phone before we left, but the housemaid couldn’t bear it and secretly returned it to me. I had planned to record the route, thinking maybe one day I could find my way back. Hence, when I was taken, the phone was still in my chest pocket. That was how this footage was captured. After seeing it, Ralph crawled to Agnes’s feet, crying. “Jacob is doing great overseas right now! This has to be AI! Agnes, don’t believe it!”

Ashley kept trembling, "Mason, I've seen the ghosts. Come and help me!" Mason was in confusion, "Are you out of your mind? You sure you've seen ghosts?" "Ghosts for real. They're coming to me, with hammers and knives ... So much blood... Ah..." Before Ashley could finish his trembling words, the two ghosts came up to her car. One of them raised the hammer and slammed it against the window of Ashley's car. The sound of breaking glass made Ashley scream in horror. And the phone was hung up. Mason was shocked with the phone. Screams of anguish of Ashley a few seconds ago on the phone struck terror into his heart.

“Weren't you just seen with a dead body? You should be resting, not running around playing vigilante," “How can I rest when someone is tossing bombs into my room,” I replied as I gave him a photo I pulled from the airfield surveillance unit. It was a picture of Mr Ash. “I need to find that man,” “Ash Hoshiri,” “You know him?” He exhaled deeply as he shredded the paper with nervous breaths, “Having just that endangers you. He is a ghost, you don't find ghosts. They haunt you,” “Ever watched Ghostbusters?” “Damn it!” He grabbed my shoulders fiercely, unable to contain his terrors.

The room was massive, just like the one in his townhouse. It was beautiful. But I could barely enjoy it. My chest still stung. “I’m sorry about what happened earlier,” Ashley said gently. I forced a smile. “I’m used to it… so it’s okay.” Ashley looked down, playing with the hem of her sleeve. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him. Maybe… he doesn’t like being in this house anymore. Maybe it still haunts him.” “Haunt him?” I echoed. She sat up in bed, and I followed her lead. “Yeah. Because of what happened before.”

Frail, emaciated and timid. The carriage came to a halt beside the short fence that surrounded the grand townhouse. From the look of things, we were located at the grand side of Blood Moon. Most of the houses in the neighbour-hood had a touch of eliteness to them, except this house seemed to be the largest and most beautiful one amongst them. The gate opened and the carriage rode into the compound dragging us along. I looked up to see the words ‘ASHWORTH HOUSE’ etched into the façade above the entrance. Ashworth? This lady belonged to the Beta-blooded family? The footman opened the carriage door, letting Lady Nova out of it and ushering her into the house. Lucius alighted the carriage as wel

Ash spun, knife drawn, not sure what he’d strike. “You built this for her, didn’t you?” the voice circled. “A dream of safety. A life away from hunt and blood. A sad fantasy.” “Show yourself!” Ash yelled, voice breaking with rage and pain. “Why?” the voice answered. “This is more… personal.” The air chilled. Their breath misted. Memories flowed into the room like ghostly pictures. A young Ash smiled softly while stacking stones for the chimney. A ghost Liora laughed as she tried to mend the roof with reeds. Happy ghosts, clueless of watchers.

Looking around at the worn-out features and materials, it was clear that this house once had a touch of luxury, but now everything screamed of neglect, like it had been occupied by rogue wolves. “I see you’re in a hurry,” he said as we walked down the hallway. “But you’ll want to hear this.” Fabian paused at a large oak door and turned to face me, his expression suddenly serious. “Ashley’s not as invincible as you think. There are cracks in her foundation, and I know exactly where they are.” I crossed my arms, not allowing myself to hope too much. “Go on.”