Friday 13th September 5.00 pm.
“Ohh, come on!” Sighed Lucifer. ”It’s just dark! There is no such thing as ghosts...”
“I didn’t say anything about ghosts, Lu. I just said that old Anny McCormick died in there and by ‘investigating’ we are being intrusive don’t ya think?” argued Daniel.
“C’mon if we investigate here now, we’re going to be the most popular guys in the 6th form. Besides it can’t be that ba-“ He never finished. The gloomy forest parted to reveal a tall spooky tower sheltering the cracked and broken manor house below. The windows were boarded up hiding the mysterious insides. Along the walls, shadows fell into deeper crevices that once held statues and the bricks crumbled under pressure and the front door was rotting away and had become a house in itself for woodlice. As the boys approached the wildlife seemed to silence in shocked anticipation of the events that were about to unfold. They pushed open the door and were greeted by a terrible smell wafting down from upstairs. As they stepped inside the smell got stronger and stronger. “What is that?” whispered Lu, disgusted. Dan didn’t answer; instead he pulled off one of the crumpled, once white sheets, to reveal a piano. “I recognise this,” he mumbled.
“Huh?” replied Lu, only half listening.
“Nothing...” Wavered Dan as he tugged away another dusty sheet. For a while silence fell like a blanket over the house, only being disrupted as the boys dragged off the sheets that covered all remaining furniture in the house. Gradually Dan became aware of another noise. At first he thought it was Lu shifting around but he soon noticed that Lu was making a different noise entirely, as he was trying to peel the carpet up so he could check for hidden safes and trap doors underneath. Suddenly the sound became louder and Dan started to worry. Eventually he broke the silence, “Lu can you hear that? It sounds like walking.” In response Lu tipped his head and listened.
“Yeah, It sounds like its –“
“-Above us.”finished Dan. Suddenly, as if the mysterious presence upstairs knew that it had been identified the noise quickened and long since rotted away floor boards on the stairs started to creak. The boys looked at each other in desperation and hastily hid in a half collapsed pantry cupboard, listening in scared anticipation. The footsteps crept along the floorboards heading straight towards the cupboard where they stopped and seemed to examine the door with snuffling breaths. After what seemed like an age the footsteps seemed satisfied and returned to the constant pacing upstairs. Carefully the boys opened the door and after summoning all the courage they could, bolted for the front door. They leaped over the white sheets and weaved in and out off the ancient furniture, hearts racing. Lu was out front in seconds and only when he reached the borderline of the woods did he notice the lack off footsteps behind him. He glanced around but didn’t stop running. No one was in sight. Where was Dan? he wondered. Suddenly an ear splitting scream cracked the silence like a hammer to an egg. But still Lu’s step didn’t falter. There was no way in hell he was going back there - not even for his best friend.
The next day Daniel Jeanne was reported officially missing. His parents publicly announced this and begged for any information of his whereabouts.
Three months later the police got an anonymous tip that he was seen on the 14 September looking out of the upper floor manor house window in the middle of the woods. When this information was received the police immediately initiated a siege on the house which was backed up by SWAT teams. During the search they found Dans body lying in the attic off the manor decapitated with his wrist chained to the floor. The time of death was accurately pinpointed at 3.00pm on the 13 September that same year.
But that can’t be can it? Go on, look at the the date it started. Look at the time. How can I be sure that's what happened? I hear you ask. Trust me I know. OK, say I humor you, how can the medical examiner be so sure? I hear you think. Trust me he was right.
Signed
Daniel Jeanne
Trainee Medical Examiner
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