The Book of the Ghost by Eric Asher

Author:Eric Asher [Asher, Eric]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
Publisher: Eric R. Asher
Published: 2019-09-26T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Vicky took the rear staircase. She slid past the old piano and up a few creaky steps to the second floor. She circled the banister and eyed an old quilt framed on the wall before hurrying up the stairs to the third floor. To call those stairs narrow would be an understatement. She could hardly believe Damian would be able to fit his gangly feet on them. Even with one hand on the banister, she didn’t have to raise her arm far to reach the other wall.

Something clicked nearby in the house, like a door closing, but with the strange acoustics, Vicky couldn’t identify where it came from. She frowned and looked around for Terrence, only to find that she couldn’t see the ghost. “Are you still there, Terrence?”

She heard footsteps on the stairs she’d just come from, but no one was there. As she watched, a shadowy form resolved at the bottom step. It was Terrence, but he was more transparent than she’d seen him before.

Vicky frowned at the ghost. “What happened?”

“The house is warded,” Terrence said. “I think if I stay close to you it doesn’t have as heavy effect on me. Or maybe it was because we came from the Abyss?”

“You’ll be okay?”

Terrence studied the hallway. “Innkeeper said it’s safe. I must admit I’ve never seen a wardstone before. The innkeeper’s full of stories. I’ll be downstairs if you need me.”

Vicky nodded and continued down the hall. She turned to the left, and at the far end beneath the window she could see an overstuffed bookshelf. Each of the rooms had a little nameplate by it. She could make out the details of some of the couches and recliners as she neared the reading nook. She found the Nile room near the end.

As soon as she reached for the knob, the lock clicked and the door swung open. A deep blue paint and exposed brick work framed by carefully sanded wood greeted her. A shiny brass bedframe stood out in the dim light, and an ancient wardrobe flanked her by the door. Beyond that was a small table with leaves folded down so it was barely two feet wide. Vicky passed it, running a hand along the aged wood before she poked her head into the bathroom. A giant whirlpool tub waited, and an old pedestal sink sat beside it by the toilet.

As tempting as a bath was, the bed was more enticing. Vicky chose to rinse her face and arms in the sink and call it a night. A good measure of dirt and blood came off her face, and she frowned at the stains she left behind on the innkeeper’s towels.

Considering who the innkeeper tended to have as guests, Vicky figured she’d have an effective stain remover. Vicky made her way back to the bed, slid her phone out of her pocket, and flopped onto her back. She picked up an old book from the nightstand.

Vicky wasn’t sure exactly how long she managed to stay awake reading about pirates and privateers, but she knew it hadn’t been long.

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