Stars

By K.T. McQueen

Wannabe famous ghosthunter Joss pours all of her savings into a ghost hunting tour of Romania. Planning meticulously she's soon on her way, with her co-host and camera operator friends. Intent on posting regular updates to their social media so their small group of fans can keep up with everything that happens.
Entering a little-used Castle, on the outskirts of a small town, they awaken something old and hungry. Ready to pack up and run, Joss' friends convince her monster hunting will make them even more famous. If they can just capture the evidence before the monsters capture them.

A quick suspenseful read which builds to a horrifying conclusion.

Entering the universe of Noctisbellum Inc. is stepping into a world where monsters are real and living among us. Stars is simply the doorway you enter through with Joss.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kate Trinity
• Release date: Apr 9, 2018
• ISBN: 9781370484225

K.T. McQueen

Horror Author of The Soul Game, Skin Side Out, & Whispers on the Hill K.T.McQueen is an extension of Kate Trinity as suggested by my Indie Publisher for writing horror novels. I'm currently engrossed in creating a universe of monsters both as novels and movie scripts. Stars is the first story in the series and a kind of introduction. The second book (you can read the first three chapters of at the end of Stars) has taken me a while and is in fact the first book of the Noctisbellum Inc. series I wrote.

Book preview

Stars

The Noctisbellum Inc. Series

By K.T. McQueen

Published by Pentickle

Stars © 2018 by K.T. McQueen

Smashwords Edition

All Rights Reserved

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment and may not be resold or given away. If you’d like to share this book, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Note from the Author

Get in touch at [e-mail]

Nothing in this written work is meant to represent any place, building or person. It’s all the work of the author's overactive imagination and any resemblance is pure coincidence.

If you’d like more from K.T. Horror, please visit http://katetrinity.co

Chapter One

Late afternoon sun forced brightness into the room. It's warmth gently caressing the young man on the bed. His hands firmly holding his most recent acquisition. Dracula - the graphic novel. He was too engrossed in the story to involve himself in the discussion happening by the computer.

'Well, our subscriber count has gone up. And people seem really into that series we did on types of ghosts.' Kyle said. The mouse clicked on this tab or that whilst he demonstrated their new found popularity.

'It's gone up by ten. Ten more people somehow found us. That's ten more people in two months.' Joss sounded exasperated. She loved the website and the ghost hunting stuff, hell it had been her idea to put it online in the first place, but the lack of interest was really starting to get to her. 'What do you think Rob?'

'Huh?' Rob said, not lifting his eyes from the scenes before him.

'It's not enough is it...do you think you could put that down for a minute or two, pay attention to our failing endeavour.'

'It's not failing, it's just slow to launch.' Kyle muttered.

'Maybe there are too many ghost hunting vids.' Rob shrugged, resting his book on his lap but not taking his finger from between the pages. 'Or maybe ours are less ghost hunting and more informational videos about ghosts. Might not be what people want to see us do.'

'What are you saying?' Joss frowned.

'Maybe we need more equipment, or better equipment anyway. And actually, do a ghost hunt in the dark in somewhere people know is haunted. With a history that makes us look like we're being super brave.' He shrugged and went back to his graphic novel.

'It's just for fun anyway.' Kyle said. 'Does it really matter how many people are watching?'

'I thought you wanted to do this professionally?' Joss asked.

'Sure, if it took off and looked like it was going to actually make us some money. Like Ghost Adventures or T.A.P.S. or something. And doesn't T.A.P.S. still do regular jobs around it? Doesn't seem like it makes anyone a lot of money.'

'Then how come Zak is able to buy all those buildings, that place he made into a museum and the demon house that he demolished? It's not like he can build anything on the plot now, the demons will still be there.' Joss was getting intense. This had always been something she really fancied doing. Loving the idea of presenting to camera whilst ghosts were hurling things through the air at them. Going into buildings they shouldn't be in to find out what spirits still resided there. Or find haunted locations in the world and travel to each to check them out for some channel or other that would fund their adventures. She just wanted an interesting job.

'Maybe he's rich anyway?' Rob said from behind his book.

'So, are you saying you guys don't want to do this anymore?' Joss asked.

Rob finally put his book down, his finger slipping from the pages, and looked straight at Joss.

'Of course, that's not what we're saying.'

'We just need more interesting videos.' Kyle said.

'And more visibility. We need to get more people to share it. Or advertise it or something.' Rob continued.

'I'll talk to my friend at work. He built up his Instagram stupid fast, maybe he'll have some ideas about how to get more eyes on our videos.' Kyle was picking up his things from around his feet. The room wasn't really suited to three full grown adults. But until she got her own place this was what they were stuck with. And it was much better than either of their rooms.

'And maybe we need to come up with a plan for better locations.' Rob suggested.

'Locations that don't require much travel or money to get to. I can't believe some of these places won't let you in for free in exchange for exposure.' Kyle added, hunting for his car keys in his coat pocket.

'Are you guys leaving?' Joss asked as they both stood up.

'Gotta put the stuff in the van.' Kyle said, planting a friendly kiss on the top of her head. 'Don't worry we'll figure it out. World famous ghost hunters in no time.'

'That's what you said six months ago.' Joss laughed.

'These things take time.'

'We could always switch our focus a little. Hunt things other than ghosts.' Rob wafted his book in her face.

'Like monsters you mean?' Joss laughed, batting the book away.

'Yeah, that could be fun.'

'Monsters aren't real, dummy. Nothing to catch, no evidence to collect.' Joss said.

'Of course, monsters are real.' Rob looked offended. 'These stories had to come from somewhere.'

'Real monsters are people.' Kyle said with an air of oldest in the group knowledge. 'Monsters in books reflect the things about human nature we are uncomfortable with.'

'Like murderers?' Joss sighed. 'We're not a crime show, we aren't going to retell all the old murder stories. I want to do new stuff, find the things no one else has yet. Ghost hunting is like an exciting race to be the first to find the evidence that will force scientists to believe what we already know is true.'

'Oh, is that why we do it?' Kyle laughed.

'Why are you leaving?' Joss asked Rob as he pulled on his jacket.

'Stop worrying, I'm just going to nip home and change. I'll be back before you leave.' he shrugged and followed Kyle to the door.

'Right.' Joss shrugged. 'I should probably get ready.'

'Plenty of time, but put the batteries on to charge yeah?' Kyle said.

'I'll do that now.' Joss said flipping the cover back on the duvet to retrieve the extension cable from under the bed.

'Back in a bit.' she heard Rob say as they went out the front door.

Chapter Two

'The last train went through an hour ago, there isn't another one until 7.05 am.' Kyle said pulling a Nikon strap over his head and clipping recorders to his belt.

'Should we start with a long shot and the station in the distance?' Rob suggested, pointing to an area further down the track where a little concrete section and a hut stood.

'That could work. We'd get the lights in the distance to show how far away from civilisation it is.' Joss said.

Laden with the equipment they began to walk towards the hut. Lights on their hats, cameras around their necks and over shoulders, recording devices on belts and in pockets with spare batteries.

'It's so cold.' Joss said as they reached their destination.

Kyle set up the tripod and Joss peered at her notes by the light of her head torch. Rob sat the equipment down by the hut and began taking stills. His camera would pick up any heat sources or cold spots that could indicate a ghostly presence. Then they would cut it in with the other footage when they put it together for the website.

'Put one of those on Instagram when we leave, with ghost hunting hashtags, like a teaser for the video going up later.' Kyle suggested as Rob took a couple more.

'Is that a tip from your friend?' Joss asked trying to get her hair to stop blowing into her face. 'We might need to change the angle.'

'We can't change it much or we'll get the houses in shot, then it won't look so remote.' Kyle said.

They adjusted until her hair wasn't distracting and the camera wasn't catching the outline and lights of the nearest houses. Then she stamped her feet a bit to get warm before nodding to Kyle. 'Ready.'

'Three, Two...' Kyle said.

'Tonight we've ventured into an abandoned train station. Once a thriving stop for local commuters its been replaced by the more upmarket version further along the line.' Joss began. 'Over the years there have been sightings of ghosts said to walk the platform and the line. Tonight we hope to find evidence of these ghostly spirits.'

She waited a moment.

'Was that okay?'

'Perfect.' Kyle said. 'You want to do the next bit here or in the shelter of the station?'

'Here is fine.' she smiled and faced the camera again. They always did it like this. Rather than having her try to remember the whole piece in one go they'd