How Many More?

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

     “Kingsley?” Camille heard Salacia ask. What now? She groaned inwardly. But hearing his name Kingsley had already looked up from where he had been talking to her. After Anne and Neil’s announcement the group of them had gone to the beach outside, where Kevin had managed to lit a small camp fire.

    “Jaden mentioned something about some murder in that lighthouse. He said that you might know more about it.” She shot a glare at Salacia. This was absolutely not the time to bring out morbid subjects. But still… A murder? That was intriguing.

     “Well a man was murdered there. Some 18 years ago. It was quite gruesome apparently, but I don’t know much more about it.”

     “Was the killer found?”

     “Nope. They found signs of a struggle but never the murderer.”

     “In fact,” Neil said this time, “there have been quite a few murders there.”

     “What does that mean?” Piper asked from her spot on Kevin’s lap.

     “The place is said to be haunted.” Neil said grinning wickedly.

     Piper snorted, shaking her head.

     “Don’t laugh, its true. I firmly believe it.” Kevin said also grinning to Piper.

     “Wait, what’s the story? I haven’t heard it!” Camille said, now very intrigued.

     “Well It’s more of a folk tale really.” Anne said, smiling at them kindly. “It starts in early in the 19th century. Vasilik city, as such, didn’t exist. Some big over lord owned a manor house here even though he himself lived in some another neighbouring.

     The atmosphere around the fire had changed drastically. Where as earlier it had been lazy and relaxed, now it was charged and excited. 

     “He kept his mistress here. He used to visit her every few weeks and bring her supplies and all. But essentially he kept her trapped here. She loved him though.”

     “How do we know she did though? It must be just to make the story more romantic.” Bliss argued. Camille agreed with her. How could you love somebody when they kept you trapped, even if it was in a fancy manor house. Essentially you were somebody’s secret. Somebody they were ashamed of.

     “Don’t interrupt me and you’ll find out.” Anne snapped. “As I was saying, the mistress loved the lord. But one day he never came. He started from his place but never reached. He had been killed on the way. The mistress was heartbroken. She thought that he had left her. She used to wait in the lighthouse and light the lamp, trying to indicate to lord that she was waiting for him. It was the only other building in the area except the house. But he never came of course. So she hung herself there.” At this she pointed at the lighthouse and a shiver trembled its way up Camille’s spine. She felt spooked. And then she felt stupid. But the lighthouse had taken a sinister edge, as had the peaceful evening.

     “And what? The place has been haunted ever since?” asked Jaden skeptically. He was sitting next to Victoria, an arm slung around his sister’s shoulders.

     “Hold on, how do you not know any of this? Did you not have any sadistic nannies to tell you these gory stories?” Neil asked Jaden, earning a glare from him.

     “Well kinda.” Kingsley said. “It’s said that the lighthouse never worked after that day. Though I doubt anyone ever tried either. When people started settling down here in the late 19th century, a new lighthouse was built on the other side of town.”