Blackwood Manor

By Sandra Madera

After the death of her parents, Meliah is shipped off to live with her astranged grandfather, Alric Blackwood, in the family homestead of Blackwood Manor. Knowing nothing of the history of the house, she encounters supernatural events that make her believe that there is more to the manor than meets the eye. Locals tell of a spirit that haunts the long corridors, a spirit that kills young girls. Is Meliah its next victim?

Check out Sandra Madera's other free short stories, novellas, and novelettes on her Smashwords Author Page!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sandra Madera
• Release date: Jun 9, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370780723

Sandra Madera

Sandra Madera currently resides in New York and is a college graduate, obtaining her bachelor's degree in science. However, her true passion has always been reading and writing. She has been writing short stories since she was a child. Upon publishing a number of free short works, she published full-length YA works; the Restraint Trilogy and the Wicked Willow Series. She is currently working on her next novel. For free YA short story downloads and for information on upcoming novels visit www.sandramadera.com and http://sandra-madera.blogspot.com.

Book preview

BLACKWOOD MANOR

by

Sandra Madera

SMASHWORDS EDITION

* * * * *

PUBLISHED BY

SandraMadera.com

Blackwood Manor

Copyright © 2017 by Sandra Madera

Ebook Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be altered, re-sold, or given away to other people. This story is FREE and does not require payment. If you’re reading this book and did not download it from SandraMadera.com or other legitimate online bookstore, please download a legitimate copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

* * * * *

Standing at the foot of the front steps, I stared up at Blackwood Manor as a cold wind brushed dry leaves across the stone treads, suitcase in hand. This was the home of my ancestors, the house my father left for unknown reasons many years before he met and married my mother. Now, I was returning back to the place of my forefathers as an orphan.

Forced to leave home, I traveled across the pond to live at Blackwood Manor with, my grandfather, Alric Blackwood. I didn’t even know that he was still alive as my father never spoke of him, but after the death of my parents, social services located him.

Before I knew it, every possession I had was packed up, and the house was sold, the money from the sale placed into a trust. There was no time to say goodbye to my friends, not that I was able to speak after such a tragedy, but still, it would’ve been a proper farewell. After the funeral, I was told to pack a bag, and a court-appointed guardian drove me to the airport, handing me off to the staff of a private jet, eager to be rid of me.

Now, I was standing in front of Blackwood, shivering and staring up at the structure against the backdrop of an overcast sky. Blackwood was a daunting place, an onyx fortress nestled in the middle of the woods, far from the probing eyes of the townsfolk. It was a huge, three-story Gothic manor house with numerous arched windows and doors that held decorative stained-glass inserts. The glint of light on the jewel-toned panels made the building look as if it had eyes that were moved by emotion. These were the many orifices from which the house could see and speak. In my mind, it was as if the house was alive, having much to tell since its construction hundreds of years before.

Granite ledges crumbled like sand after many years of neglect. The stone facade was stained and cracked, collecting moss in-between the gaps. With its sharp angles,