Jinxed

T W E N T Y

Chapter 20: A Warning

EMILIA 

"Haunted?" I echoed, glancing at Estelle "What does he mean Burial ground?"

"It's nothing" she reassured me "Just some no nonsense gossip told by folks around these parts."

"It is something" Kai said, pointing at the man "Because his face says that this isn't just a rumor. He's as pale as a ghost and shaking like a leaf."

"That's the liquor talking."

"The ghosts" the man murmured to himself, his chin tucked closely to his chest as he nursed his drink "The ghosts are the worst. They never leave you alone. No matter how much you try to drown out their voices. Always moaning and groaning."

I gripped Kai's leg at the mention of Ghosts...

"Jaques..." Estelle sighed "Those are old tales our grandaddies used to tell us just to get us to go to bed. Those old coots were always so drunk that they didn't know up from down or the truth from lies."

Jaques narrowed his eyes at Estelle "I know what I heard Stelley."

"I know what you thought you heard" she corrected "Something that was probably induced by that special drink of yours."

"That land is no good, you hear" he ignored her, turning his sole attention onto us "If I was you, I would pack up my things and leave. Nothing ever good comes from stolen and tainted land."

"Stolen land?"

Estelle grimaced at Jaques words.

"Apparently, before The Devereux's built that lavish ol' Manor of theirs, they had a little dispute with the previous inhabitants" she clarified "A local tribe used to occupy that land but then suddenly disappeared on the one day the Devereux started building."

"Murdered" Jaques sniffled as he wobbled out of his seat and headed to the bar "They were murdered. Everyone in town knows it. The ghosts know it."

Estelle sighed once again, this time choosing not contraindicate Jaques words.

"I take it you agree with that statement?" Kai asked.

"I do find it a little suspicious that those tribe members suddenly up and left their land" she said "Considering that they were all here before us and left us be as long as we let them be."

"So you're telling us that the tribe was here even before this city was built?" I asked.

"They were."

"And they vanished when?" Kai asked.