Haunted House Collection (12 Book Box Set) by Riley Amitrani

Author:Riley Amitrani [Amitrani, Riley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-04-11T22:00:00+00:00

By Riley Amitrani

Prologue: The Cabins at Atsion Lake

Wharton State Forest, New Jersey

1958 - 1972: Golden Days at Atsion Lake

Deep in Wharton State Forest, near the small, but scenic surroundings of Atsion Lake, a scattering of rustic log cabins dotted the western and southern shores of the placid water feature. Despite its proximity to both Philadelphia and Atlantic City, the Atsion Lake getaway had remained a well-guarded retreat to almost everyone except the most intrepid for years, following their original construction in the late 1950s’. Charles Ridgemont, who had made his fortune in various endeavors, some legitimate which seemed to be a smokescreen for some of a rather questionable nature, had had about half a dozen small cabins erected for use for his family and close friends. Such as this was, the development was not highly publicized nor known to most people of the day. The name Ridgemont was highly respected, if not outright feared among the New Jersey populace and though not explicitly stated as such, Charles’ cabins were, for the most part, considered a private reserve.

No local or federal law enforcement agency could ever prove that Ridgemont had ties to organized crime, but it was just one of those things that everyone within a few hours of Haddonfield took on faith—those that did not or that accidentally stumbled across the structures while hiking or exploring…well…let’s just say you only made that mistake once. For years, the Ridgemonts and their associates relaxed and recreated in near-absolute privacy. Even state and FBI officials turned a blind eye and deaf ear to the situation creating a “live and let live” policy toward the area. However, in the mid to late 1960’s, depending on your source of information, there was a major “reorganization” of the circles in which Charles did business and in just a few months his family and anyone that was close to him mysteriously vanished without a trace.

It did not take a genius to read between the lines about what had most likely happened, but again professional law enforcement just shrugged and moved on with other concerns. Oddly enough, even with his questionable background and character, Charles Ridgemont did leave a will behind, and once his “disappearance” was confirmed to the approval of all authorities, the property circling Atsion Lakes, known colloquially as Ridgemont Acres, was passed on to a distant relative, Richard Bellingham. Bellingham was from the Midwest somewhere and as far as anyone could tell, informally or otherwise, he had zero connections with his third cousin, Charles. In fact, when Ridgemont’s lawyer contacted Richard concerning his new acquisition of property, Richard seemed as surprised as anyone.

Unaware or not, Richard Bellingham gladly took over the enterprise, seeing a golden opportunity for a new business in renting out the various cabins to the general public. He heard all the stories about his ignominious relation but just shrugged it off with indifference focusing only on what a money-making gift he had received. Richard had no other family, apparently, and made major

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