EVOLUTION Vol.2

ESTATE MANAGEMENT

For today's prompt, tell a ghost story.

*

Shako was an international volunteer who had fallen in love with the island he had been assigned to. Once the mission was over, he'd gone home, packed his things and returned to the island. Eventually he applied for and was granted citizenship of the island he loved so much.

He landed a job at one of the hotels as resident story teller. It had been several months since he had been entertaining the guests at a luxurious resort. The hotel complex was located on the island of Saint Lucia, which is well known as the number one honeymoon destination in the world as well for its beautiful beaches, lush rainforests, and stunning mountain views.

One evening, Shako was approached by a group of guests who wanted to hear a story. They had heard rumours of a haunted estate on the island and wanted to hear more about it. Shako obliged, and began to spin a tale of horror and mystery.

"Once upon a time, there was an estate on the island of Saint Lucia," Shako began. "It was a grand and imposing structure, with acres and acres of land, and it was said to be the home of a wealthy and powerful family."

The guests listened in rapt attention, hanging on every word that Shako spoke.

"But the family that lived in there was not like any other," Shako continued. "They were said to be cursed, and their lives were plagued by misfortune and tragedy."

The guests leaned in even closer, their eyes wide with excitement.

"One day, the estate was attacked by the African people they had enslaved," Shako went on. "The family was taken captive and held hostage in exchange for freedom, but the family was never seen again.

"What happened?" A guest ventured to ask.

"The military was sent in by the Governor and all the rioters were killed. It was said that when the soldiers arrived and started to shoot the enslaved people that the freedom fighters killed the family and the bodies have never been found."

The guests shuddered at the thought of the dangers that lurked in the Caribbean. They knew that the waters around the island were dark and treacherous and that it was easy to get lost or lost at sea.

"But the story does not end there," Shako continued. "Many years later, a new family moved onto the estate. They were said to be descendants of the original family, and they claimed that the estate was their ancestral home."

The guests listened in silence, their imaginations running wild with possibilities.

"But something strange began to happen," Shako said. "People who visited the estate reported hearing strange noises and seeing ghostly apparitions. Some said that they had been touched by unseen hands, and that they had felt a cold, clammy presence in the room."

The guests shuddered again, and some of them looked around nervously as if expecting to see a ghostly figure lurking in the shadows.

"One night, a group of friends decided to spend the night in the estate," Shako continued. "They set up camp in one of the upstairs rooms and settled in for the night. But they were not alone."

The guests leaned in even closer, their eyes wide with fear.

"In the dead of night, they were awakened by a loud crash," Shako said. "They looked up to see a ghostly figure standing in the doorway, its eyes glowing with a malevolent light. It let out a blood-curdling scream, and the friends fled in terror, never to return."

The guests sat in silence, their imaginations running wild with the possibilities of what had happened in the estate. They knew that the Caribbean was a place of beauty and wonder, but also of darkness and danger. They wondered what other secrets the island held, and what other horrors might be waiting for them in the shadows.

Shako had one last titbit, "The estate still stands and it's been refurbished into a luxurious resort. Sleep well, my friends."

© 27 April 2023