101 Hilltop Drive

By Jennifer L. Brinkle

For almost 100 years the house on Hilltop Drive has remained vacant after a tragedy had befallen the family that lived there. Legends remain of the mansion being haunted. For teenager Jan Kelley, that legend soon becomes her nightmare when she and a group of friends enter the mansion one evening on a dare. For something has been living dormant in the mansion...watching...waiting.

And it is hungry...

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Feb 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9781483530628

Book preview

into.

PART ONE: Introduction

Chapter One

Walking through the dark forest Jan berated herself for leaving her friends at the old mansion. Although she knew they should not have been trying to break into it, she could not quite convince her friends. As always, she had been out voted and cast out into the night. Now she wondered at her logic. Somehow, the thought of roaming through the deserted place seemed appealing when compared to her lonely exile.

Following the old overgrown path through the woods, Jan allowed her mind to wander. She began to think of what it would be like to live in such a large house overlooking the woods. Of course, it hadn’t always been that way. Once, the estate had looked over the town of Lakeview as a jealous miser over his wealth, silent and brooding. Every child in town had been told the haunted tales of the man who built the grand structure and how he went insane and massacred his family. The house itself was presumed to hold the restless spirits of his family forced to die prematurely and roam for eternity without rest. If she remembered correctly, there was only one person in town old enough to remember him. Her name was Henrietta Johnson.

Jan felt a tap on her shoulder and was startled out of her thoughts. Turning quickly, she was relieved to discover it was merely a branch from a nearby tree. Smiling in spite of herself she continued walking, cursing aloud for being so jumpy. The crickets screamed at her from their hiding places as though they too laughed at her paranoia. But, she thought, what does a bug know?

She remembered once when she was younger she had asked her father about the mansion. He told her that it was at one time a beautiful place, a home for princesses to be exact. Jan smiled at the memory of curling up in his lap before the fireplace, the smell of cologne faint but unmistakable. He had said there was originally a lake on the property but it was filled in after a horrible accident. After the murders, the house was boarded up and had been placed on the market where it still remained.

Jan stopped for a moment and listened intently. She thought she had heard a twig snap but wasn’t certain. Her skin crawled when she heard footsteps and rustling branches behind her. She could feel her muscles twitch as adrenaline pulsed through her veins.

Jan? Jan where are you? a familiar voice called through the darkness. Jan breathed a sigh of relief and was mildly surprised to discover she had been holding her breath in anticipation. Turning, she peered into the darkness and watched as four figures emerged from the shadows. One of them was bobbing a flashlight ahead of them searching the woods a few feet from where Jan stood.

Over here Karianne...to your right, Jan called back. The light moved and soon bathed her in its brilliance. Hey! You’re blinding me here! She smiled, relieved to see her friends. The light remained on her face for a few seconds before returning to the ground. She heard a soft giggle and knew it was her sister Lisa that held the flashlight.

Scared ya didn’t we? Lisa asked, swinging the flashlight back and forth across the path.

What do you think? Where are the guys? Jan asked as she searched behind her friends for her date. The five of them had decided to have a group date the day before. It had seemed like a great idea at the time and would have worked if they had called it an early evening. Instead, they had become brutally aware of how different their tastes in men were. It was only until the old mansion was mentioned that the guys showed any sign of common interest.

They found a loose board on a basement window and pried it off. Boys will be boys! We decided we were tired of them and split. Also, the thought of going into that spider trap was kind of creepy so we followed the trail as fast as we could to try and catch up with you! Erin rubbed her arms and looked about her. Can we go home now? I’m cold and tired not to mention hungry!

Relax Erin; there are no ghosts out there. Didn’t your parents ever tell you there was no such thing as the boogey-man?

Shut up Laura! Erin spat at the opposing girl. Nobody asked for your opinion anyway!

Shh! Do you hear that..? Jan interrupted, tilting her head to the side.

"What? I don’t hear anything?

Jan’s just trying to freak you guys out, Lisa declared, stifling a yawn. I don’t know about you guys but I’m going home.

Jan? Are you okay? Karianne tentatively placed her hand on Jan’s forearm. Jan snapped her head up as the night was pierced by a shrill scream. It was followed by two more.

Bobby!! Laura wailed, her voice cracking in a sob as she screamed in reply. She turned and raced toward the old mansion. Lisa quickly followed. Jan hesitated only a moment before she too followed in stride.

The race to the mansion was anything but easy. On her trip down the path, Jan had been cautious, her feet slowly picking their way over and around the many obstacles in her path. On her return trip, the plant life seemed to have come alive. Branches from the surrounding trees whipped at her arms and head as brambles tugged at her legs. If she hadn’t known any better, she would have believed the forest was trying to stop her. She stumbled several times and stopped once to help Erin regain her feet. It appeared she too was having difficulty. Despite all of the trouble she was having, her eyes never once strayed from the bouncing light her sister held before them all. Dimly, she realized the screams had stopped. The light bobbed onward casting strange shadows against the trees before it too disappeared.

As they neared the mansion Jan caught a glimpse of light as Lisa slipped around the corner of the building. As the three of them rounded the left side of the house, they noticed two boards lying on the ground by a shattered window. Lisa and Laura were nowhere to be found. Taking a deep breath, Jan crawled through the window, entering a strange and forbidden darkness. Impatiently she helped Karianne and Erin through the window. With the help of Erin’s lighter, they found their way to the first floor. The basement stairs had led them into the kitchen. The room was cloaked in dust and darkness.

I don’t like this at all you guys. Maybe it’s a joke, a sick joke, but a joke all the same. I mean, why not? After all we did leave them here. Erin stopped and looked at the other two girls. The flickering light washed over them reflecting their fear within their eyes.

I hope you’re right Erin. I really do. Karianne put her hand on Erin’s shoulder trying to calm her. In fact, they’re probably up there laughing at Laura right now while she’s beating the crap out of her brother! She smiled yet something in her voice sounded harsh almost metallic, contradicting her cheerful demeanor.

As if on cue, they heard laughter filtering through the empty hallway followed by a sharp smacking noise. Erin started to laugh though it sounded too shrill to Jan.

See? I told you! Erin turned from the other two girls and quickly moved toward the sound. Karianne and Jan hastily followed unwilling to be left in darkness. Soon they found themselves in what had once been the foyer. Erin clicked her lighter shut.

Jan looked around the room waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dark. The moon shone through a small opening in a window directly behind them casting eerie shadows against the walls. She noticed they were standing at the base of a giant staircase, the risers separating near the top twisting to run in opposite directions. Behind them two massive oak doors stood guarding the entrance. Jan knew from their initial trip to the house earlier in the evening that these doors were also firmly boarded shut barring any escape through them.

They must have gone upstairs. I can just barely hear them. Karianne whispered in her ear. Jan jumped; she hadn’t realized the other girl had stood so close. The acoustics in here are amazing! I would love to come up here in the daytime and check it out. The architecture must be fabulous!

Karianne wandered to the front doors her eyes scanning every visible feature. She was studying to be an architect. Even though she was only in high school she strived to learn everything possible. Jan smiled as she thought about the many conversations the two of them had shared over everything from classical Greek temples to modern skyscrapers.

Jan walked to the lower riser on the staircase and lowered herself to them. She knew from experience that Laura would be a while. Sitting there she could feel a cold breeze crawl over her legs and up the stairs. So much for Karianne’s magnificent architecture, she thought with a smile rubbing her arms to dismiss the chill.

Hey! Where’s Erin?

I thought she was with you? Maybe she went upstairs. Karianne peered up the staircase trying to distinguish between shadows. A door to their left was partially open; a strange flickering light seeped from within.

There she is. This place is starting to give me the creeps. I hope they hurry up so we can leave.

Yeah, me too. It’s too dark! I wish we had Lisa’s flashlight. Maybe we should yell at them or something..? Karianne wandered over to Jan and sat beside her on the stairs.

Laura’s in one of her tirades. It might be a better idea to just wait it out.

The two girls sat in silence each wrapped within their own thoughts. Bobby was Laura’s brother and was dating Lisa, Jan’s sister. They had been dating off and on for years. They knew it was only a matter of time before they married.

Bobby?! Laura’s voice shot through the darkness echoing against the walls. It was soon followed by a terrifying moan that made the hair on Jan’s neck stand on end.

Karianne and Jan froze where they sat each wanting to race up the stairs yet both unable to break their paralysis. Erin charged through the open doorway and stopped before them.

What’s going on? Did you hear that? Where are they! WHAT’S HAPPENING!!! Erin stood in front of Jan shaking her by the shoulders; tears began to run down her face. Above them they began to hear muffled screams silenced prematurely. Glass shattered and the hallway vibrated as something struck the floor hard. There was a gushing noise as of running water followed in sequence by lesser thumps. Then, as suddenly as it began, there was silence.

Slowly, Jan turned her head and began to stand, her eyes never leaving the top of the staircase and the balcony above. Instinctively she began to back away, her muscles obeying the fear that seemed to have taken control. Karianne remained seated, paralyzed from fear. Erin was weeping, her hands clenching and unclenching as she stared at the wall.

Jan backed into the double doors her hands searching for the handles to try and escape yet found nothing. She was prepared to run for the kitchen when she felt something drip onto her head. Turning her face upward she felt another drop on her cheek.

It must be raining, she thought, slowly coming out of her daze. She could feel a few more drops splash on her face. She brought her hand up to shield her eyes and felt even more. She was mystified.

How can it be raining inside? Where’s it coming from? she whispered turning to look at the window above the doors. When she shifted, her hand fell into the stream of filtering moonlight causing her to scream.

Karianne was instantly broken from her trance and ran the short distance to where Jan stood with her hand held away from her as if it were the culprit. Even in the faint light Karianne could tell what it was.

Jan it’s blood. You’re bleeding. What’d you do? Her questions were rapid as she tried to calm the frightened girl. Taking a tissue from her purse she began to wipe Jan’s hand and face. It’s ok, it’s gone, see? When she held Jan’s hand up she too felt a drop on her finger. Swallowing hard she looked upward and noticed a dark stain forming on the wall and ceiling.

Jan looked at Karianne and noticed the terror etched into her features. Erin still knelt at the base of the stairs, her arms wrapped protectively around herself. She was rocking slowly back and forth, her expression childlike. Jan felt her stomach churn as more blood dripped onto her from above yet she seemed unable to move. Suddenly, she began to laugh. The sound was cold and brittle.

It’s a joke! It’s gotta be a joke just like before! All set up. Right? She turned her gaze on Karianne who cringed as though struck. A sick perverted joke. Ha! Jan stepped toward the staircase her face twisted into a smile. Her eyes were haunted. Karianne began to cry. Come. See. You’ll see. A joke!

Karianne stared in horror as Jan began to climb the stairs a smile stretched across her face. Erin jerked and stood awkwardly, swinging her head to stare at Jan then Karianne and back again. Cursing herself, Karianne followed up the staircase. Erin, too afraid to stay behind, followed in turn.

Jan continued to place one foot above the other as she mounted the giant staircase. Her heart pounded frantically within her ears. She no longer believed the screaming was a joke. Even as she knew and understood this, she also knew she would never be able to leave until she had seen what had happened for herself. Terror overrode her sense of logic.

Maybe there was an accident? Maybe someone’s hurt and needs help? Maybe...Jan shook her head violently, unwilling to allow her mind to complete its thought. Too many people she cared about and loved were upstairs; too many to let go on speculation alone.

She had to know.

The stairway opened into what appeared to be a long hallway. A single stripe of light broke the darkness at the end turning part of the hall into a cone of gray. Nothing moved. The house was silent.

Oh please God please let them be alive let it be a joke let it be anything but this awful silence!

Jan stepped forward and winced when the floorboards creaked under her weight. Edging over to the wall she kept her eyes focused on the light until it became her only source of hope. As she drew nearer she noticed a crumpled figure by the doorway of a room, one hand bathed in the flashlight’s glow.

Lisa? Is that you? she whispered. The figure jumped as if struck and turned toward Jan. The girl’s hands flew to her face as fresh sobs began. Jan’s terror was replaced by hope. If Lisa’s alive, maybe the others are as well...

J-J-Jan..?

Shh...it’s okay, I’m here now. she bent over and embraced her sister crooning words of encouragement into her ear. It was then that she noticed the smell. Looking over Lisa’s shoulder into the room she stifled the urge to vomit. What had once been a bedroom now looked like a slaughterhouse. Blood covered the walls and ceiling creating a puddle on the floor. One dresser was overturned draped by a strange dark form. The bed was pushed at an awkward angle and was littered with glittering fragments. The window on the west wall was shattered; something that looked suspiciously human hung limp over the sill.

Dead. They’re all dead. I saw it. S-S-Saw it all. Lisa began rocking back and forth, staring into the room. We...we were laughing. L-Laura was yelling...laughing. She smiled, remembering. It came then, her voice was no more than a whisper and Jan pressed forward trying to hear. Bobby...he was first...split...Laura, she, she screamed. So loud. All of it. I didn’t understand.

"Jan, we have to go. Now!" It was Karianne; she was looking into the bedroom with wide, disbelieving eyes. Erin cowered behind her, eyes focused on her feet.

Nick, he...he tried to stop it, tried to help...he—

Lisa we have to go. Jan pulled on her arm trying to bring her sister to her feet. Lisa continued to babble, her stare vacant. Jan started to drag her.

It’s still here. It’s waiting for us. I can feel it watching... Lisa whispered, looking around them, her eyes darting from one shadow to the next. She stopped finally, her gaze resting somewhere behind them near the stairs. Jan shivered violently.

Erin began to whimper softly as she shifted from one foot to the next. Jan braced her feet against Lisa’s and pulled, using her weight to counterbalance her sister’s. Lisa stood, the crooked smile still resting on her lips. Karianne stood indecisive, staring at Jan for an answer.

Run! Go straight to the police. I’ll meet you there! Jan screamed wrapping her arm around Lisa’s waist.

Erin immediately turned and fled down the stairs. Karianne hesitated, staring at the end of the hall. Finally she too ran from the house leaving Jan alone with her twin sister.

Jan tugged on Lisa’s waist and started to drag her toward the top of the stairs as quickly as she could. Lisa started to whimper, shaking her head from side to side, her feet moving methodically. Jan started to walk faster urging Lisa to do the same. She felt as though she were wading through water.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Lisa stopped abruptly, nearly knocking Jan over. Jan turned and looked at her sister who stood with her head tilted to one side as if listening to someone whispering in her ear. Jan paused, straining her ears to hear whatever noise there may be. Something cold and moist brushed against her leg causing her to shriek. Lisa twisted free from her grasp and ran down the stairs. Jan followed without hesitation and soon the two of them were fleeing through the woods toward the town waiting beyond.

Chapter Two

The day had looked promising when police Chief John Winters had awakened at sunrise. He had not awakened to the throbbing hangover he had anticipated the night before when he staggered into his three room apartment at two in the morning. It had been another rough night packed with too many memories that should have stayed dead. It had started with the phone call from his ex-wife and was topped by the photograph of his dead son, a death that she had blamed on him. He had tried to drown his problems in a bottle of tequila, yet nothing seemed to work; the guilt was too severe.

The day had remained good even when the domestic squabble (his deputy always called them squabbles) between the Fergusons had almost proven deadly. Jack Ferguson had held his wife and three daughters’ prisoner in their home for several hours before the police were called. Neighbors claimed they had been fighting for hours, as usual, and no on thought anything about it; until the gunshots were fired.

As it turned out, Jack had returned home drunk and started beating the kids. When he ordered Peggy to get him a beer she refused. He eventually pulled a gun on her and fired, shooting her in the leg. When John was called, it only took an hour of persuasion to calm him down. A good day’s work. That is until Samualson had called him down at the local pub to baby-sit a couple of scared kids.

So tell me again what it was you saw that ‘murdered’ your friend? John leaned back in his swivel chair, propping his feet on the corner of his desk. Through the curling smoke of his cigar he studied the two girls who sat opposite him.

The two were as different as night and day. The one, Karianne Jefferson, was tall and wiry, her body not quite keeping up with her age. She had a cute face, heart shaped with wide spread eyes that was framed by mouse brown hair. Yet despite all of her homely attributes, John thought she would be quite stunning when she reached her twenties. Her friend on the other hand was quite the opposite.

Her name was Erin Potts and had the typical prom queen appearance. Her face was generally square shaped, her strong jaw line sweeping upward into her high cheekbones. Her eyes were oval shaped framed by dark, curling lashes that off set her hazel eyes. Thick, dark tresses fell in soft curls, contrasting her white porcelain skin.

We’ve already told you, we didn’t’ see wha-who it was. We only saw the room they had been in. We... Karianne choked back tears. She was furious with this man seated before them. Why didn’t he believe them? Why didn’t he at least see for himself? But more importantly, where were Jan and Lisa? It had been almost an hour since they had left the house, they should have been there by now! Unless...She swallowed hard trying to block out the endless possibilities that were maliciously creeping into her thoughts.

Why don’t you just check it out? Erin snapped, wiping fresh tears from the corners of her eyes.

Why don’t you check it out? John thought to himself. Because I’m tired and irritated and want to finish watching the game, he returned. Or maybe, just maybe, he was afraid to find out these two high school kids were telling the truth and he would have to face the death that never seemed to die, the fear of not being able to stop it, the agony written across the faces of the parents who lost a child.

Like the face of Charlienne’s.

Sighing heavily he kicked his feet off of the desk and turned his chair so that he was staring directly at the two girls.

Do you girls realize how many false alarms this office has had to deal with in the past week due to Halloween? From what you have told me, there is no reasonable explanation as to how someone murdered six of your friends in five, ten minutes tops, while you were waiting downstairs. And say it was possible, why didn’t you see anyone? Or hear them escape? Why didn’t he, or they, kill the four of you, witnesses to their crime? He paused, fixing each of them with a stern glare. Neither one would meet his gaze, each of them finding something of interest in their shoes. Grief twisted their expressions and John wondered if maybe they were telling the truth. God how he could use another drink.

Listen. There’s nothing I can do tonight, but if your friends haven’t shown up by tomorrow night come back down here and I’ll have a missing person’s form filled out. OK? Now, I think you two should go home and—

Chief! We got ourselves a problem! Two girls just come in and there’s blood everywhere! Samualson shrieked as he burst into the office startling all three of them. Karianne and Erin were out the door before Winters could even react.

Cursing, he stubbed his cigar in the ashtray and headed toward the commotion in the outer office. There was a small crowd huddled on the floor, three chairs and a desk had already been moved to accommodate more space. Samualson had followed Winters out of the office and stood a few paces behind him, his hand to his mouth. On the floor, he saw Patty, his dispatcher, taking off her blouse; her hands were covered in blood. The two girls from in the office were comforting a third girl who was on her knees, rocking back and forth, weeping. A fourth girl was sprawled on her back in the center of it all, repeating something over and over, her arms flailing weakly as if she were trying to ward something off. Blood was gushing from an open wound in her chest. As he watched Patty was trying to hold the wound shut, using her shirt in an attempt to staunch the flow. Blood instantly saturated the blue uniform.

All of this, he saw in slow motion, memories returning of his son lying in a pool of blood, Charlienne weeping, holding his head in her hands. She stood, holding blood covered hands out to him, accusation written in every curve of her body, every line in her face. Her lips curled back in rage as she spit vile curses at him, blaming him for the death.

Please, you have to help her. You have to help us!

Charlienne’s face melted away into a younger one. Her blue eyes, bloodshot from crying, were framed by dark circles. Mud, caked with blood, streaked her cheeks and forehead matting her long blond hair.

It was the strange girl, one of the twins he presumed, and she was not angry, only sorrowful. He clenched his fists and turned his head to notice Samualson returning from the bathroom with some clean towels. Taking them from him, he brushed past the girl and knelt opposite Patty on the floor. Seeing the softer, more absorbent towels, she removed her blood soaked shirt and threw it into a corner. As the two of them applied pressure, John noticed the girl had stopped struggling, yet she continued to reiterate the same phrase, her voice low and thick with blood. Long gouges traced her lower left jaw and neck, suggesting an animal had attacked her. Beneath his hands he could feel her heartbeat. Looking into her feverish eyes he knew there were losing her. In the distance, he could hear the sirens approaching of an ambulance.

What’s taking them so long! he hissed through clenched teeth.

She’s losing too much blood. I can’t stop it! Patty replied.

Already the towels were saturated. John noticed the exhaustion etched into her features. Gritting his teeth John silently cursed his luck. He was not going to lose another one, not like Tommy. Patty watched helplessly as John struggled to save the girl. Exhaustion prevented her from continuing. The muscles in her arms and hands twitched from the pressure she had been exerting. The girl was silent, her crystal blue eyes focused on the ceiling. Patty wasn’t sure when her ranting had ceased; only that she was relieved. She wasn’t sure what the girl had been saying only that her words had disturbed her, raising the short hairs at the nape of her neck. Brushing a lock of hair from the girl’s eyes with on hand, she felt for her pulse with the other.