Bottled by Stephanie Ellis

Author:Stephanie Ellis [Ellis, Stephanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: author, dark, Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Literary, Paranormal, Writer
Publisher: Silver Shamrock Publishing
Published: 2020-01-21T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

She took hold of his arm, guided him out of the study, and led him to the cellar door. She made no mention of the disruption in the room, disregarded it completely as if it was expected. Had he been manipulated again?

“Time to go downstairs.”

Downstairs? A rather everyday harmless little label to describe the other world below. He’d never entered the cellar despite his youthful exploration. Something about it kept him firmly of the opinion it was better to remain curious than to actually go and look. The door had never even been locked against him. In fact opened of its own accord whenever he’d been nearby.

Once before, he stood at its threshold and seen a slight glimmer of light from below. He’d listened to Mrs. Waites as she shuffled about there doing god knew what. Or, he assumed it was Mrs. Waites, until she appeared at his shoulder as was her habit and the movement below continued. He then ascribed the sounds to his grandfather, until he heard Julius call down the corridor, summoning Mrs. Waites to the study. Something else inhabited those regions and he’d no desire to discover what.

Tyler looked longingly at the front door although he knew its offer of freedom was illusory. Perhaps there might be another way. But first, he would humour her in whatever sick fantasy she and his grandfather concocted. His rational side still fought to reassert itself, reminding him hypnotism and suggestion were all tricks played on the mind.

She took hold of his arm. He was surprised by the contact, her steel grip, her determination. Nor could he deny part of him expected her to push him down the flight of steps and slam the door, like in the films. But she went first, catching the door on a hook so it wouldn’t swing shut, turning on a light so they could see their way. His body betrayed him once more, forced him to follow in her wake.

The cellar appeared almost empty. The far end was shrouded in darkness but the area beneath the one functioning light was all too clear. A coffin sat incongruously on a large steel table.

“Don’t worry. It’s not a vampire,” said Mrs. Waites. “That would be too far-fetched. It’s only your granddad.”

No. How could it be? The last time he had seen this particular casket was when it was being lifted into its recess in the mausoleum. The feeling of relief at the end of the service had been overwhelming. No, he felt cheated. It wasn’t fair. His grandfather had never really left him and the terrible weight of his presence clamped down even more heavily on him. He didn’t want to know. He wanted to know. “But how?”

“A simple switch, one poor soul in need of a decent burial in exchange for your grandfather. The bodies have always been brought back here. It’s tradition.”

“And no questions asked?”

“The occasional little hitch. Nothing the house couldn’t handle.”

They were both on either side of the coffin. Mrs. Waites’ hand idly caressed the oak, her mouth moved silently.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.