The Haunting of Midway House

By Kendra Ashe

There's a serial killer stalking the children of White Oaks. When a neighbor child goes missing, Diane decides to move to Midway House, an old and isolated house that brings her closer than ever to the nightmare she doesn't want to remember.
In Midway House, the dead don't rest and nightmares come to life.
Soon she discovers that Midway house once belonged to the owner of a traveling carnival, but when the carnival left town, a few phantom clowns might have remained. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lavine
• Release date: Jan 10, 2019
• ISBN: 9781386423850

Book preview

Prologue

August 1972

No one could ask for a more perfect summer night. The soft breeze carried with it the scent of popcorn and hotdogs, along with childish laughter and carnival music.

It was perfect, at least it should have been.

He stood frozen in place, staring at the clown doll. It had been discarded in a trash barrel near the carousel.

Anne would have never left Mr. Smiles behind, not willingly.

Anne! he screamed at the top of his lungs.

But no one was paying attention. The music was too loud. Everyone was too caught up in having a wonderful time.

He’d only left her for a minute. She was going to ride the carrousel while he bought her a hot dog.

Dropping the tray full of food, he started running, and as he ran he screamed her name. Annie!

That’s when he caught a glimpse of her. A clown had her by the hand and was leading her into the funhouse.

By the time he reached the funhouse, there was no sign of his daughter or the clown.

Chapter 1

Diane lifted the cup of cappuccino to her lips but stopped abruptly. Suddenly, she was overwhelmed with the sensation of being watched and it brought on a shiver. Her eyes strayed to the kitchen window and she froze.

A flash of color interrupted the darkness beyond the window.

It was so quick that she wasn’t even sure what she’d seen.

Why hadn’t she remembered to shut the blinds?

She’d been so busy cleaning up after dinner that she’d forgot to shut the blinds when it got dark. Usually, she was extremely vigilant about keeping the blinds closed at night. The thought of someone looking in the windows put her in a panic.

Setting the cup on the kitchen counter, Diane walked to the window and put her eyes up to the glass, shielding the glare from the kitchen light with her hands.

Of course, there was no one in the backyard lurking around, and she’d known there wouldn’t be. She was tired and her eyes were playing tricks on her.

That’s all it was. There were no monsters slinking around her backyard.

One of the swings on Kristy’s jungle gym was moving, but so were the tops of the trees. It was just the wind.

She was just too jumpy at night.

Sighing, she closed the blinds and returned to her French vanilla cappuccino. It had been a good day.

Dinner had gone smoothly, for a change. Kristy hadn’t thrown any fits and was now sound asleep. Although her daughter was disappointed that she wouldn’t be able to go with her father this weekend, she’d get over it and the fits would subside.

Best of all, the nightmares that had recently plagued Diane were fewer and farther between.

It would be a good night; she just had to let it be.

Since she’d started taking synthetic melatonin she actually slept much better at night.

The anxiety always set in when she was overtired and tonight she was beyond exhausted. Still, she double-checked the doors and windows to make sure they were locked before heading for her bedroom.

THROUGH THE MIST, SHE could make out the glow of multi-colored lights and she could hear the distinct sound of carnival music, though it seemed to come from far away, like through some kind of tunnel.

With her heart thumping painfully in her chest, she started moving in that direction, but not because she wanted to. Something or someone was compelling her to come closer. She wanted to run the other way, but her feet kept moving in that direction.

Then the pounding started and as it grew louder, the mist receded.

When Diane opened her eyes, her heart was racing so fast it was actually painful.

Had the pounding been real or just part of the nightmare?

There it was again, but this time, the knocking was so loud she imagined the door would splinter.

She reached for Scott, hoping he’d come to her rescue and answer the door, but his side of the bed was empty.

Harsh reality penetrated her sleep-fogged brain.

Scott couldn’t answer the door because he was gone.

Pushing up on her elbows, she tried to shove the comforter aside but didn’t yet have enough control over her body to actually grasp it in her hand.

Finally, her hand closed around the fluffy lavender comforter and she tossed it away.

When she tried to stand, her legs wobbled. Melatonin wasn’t supposed to make you as groggy as sleeping pills.

So why did she feel so drugged up?

The pounding continued. Whoever was at the door had no intention of going away.

Glancing at the digital clock on the nightstand, she saw it was barely 5:00. No one would be at her door this early, at least not without a good reason. Anyone who knew her also knew she wasn’t a morning person. Nothing quite put her in a bad mood like getting up in the wee ours of the morning, except for maybe getting blasted out of a deep sleep. That could do it.

Without bothering with her slippers and robe, she forced one foot in front of the other. Stumbling down the hall, she felt along the wall for the light switch. After living in the house for so long, she should have been able to find her way in the dark. Maybe she could have if she wasn’t still half asleep.

At last, her hand came in contact with the switch and the hall flooded with light. Thankfully, enough light spilled into the living room that she could get to the door without tripping over one of Kristy’s toys. With a four-year-old in the house, there were always toys exactly where they shouldn’t be, like in the middle of the floor.

It didn’t seem to matter how many times Diane cleaned up, she was always stepping on toys.

Who is it? she called, in a scratchy voice that revealed just how dry her throat was.

It’s Tina! Hurry, open up!

As soon as she heard the fear and desperation in Tina’s muffled voice, she was completely alert.

When Diane opened the door, Tina pushed her way inside. Have you seen Susan? Is she here?

Diane took an abrupt step back, not sure what to make of her wild-eyed neighbor. Although Tina had always been a little pale, now she was as white as a ghost. Usually, Tina wore her blond hair in stylish spikes, but at the moment her hair was soaked with perspiration and plastered to her skull. She hadn’t even bothered to dress. Tina was probably still wearing the oversized white t-shirt that she’d worn to bed.

Tina! It’s 5:00 in the morning. What would Susan be doing here?

She’s gone. I can’t find her anywhere! Tears welled up in Tina’s large, gray eyes.

Diane’s heart lurched into her throat as it dawned on her what was happening. Have you called the police? she asked, her eyes scanning the room for the phone, just in case Tina hadn’t already reported the girl missing.

Tina nodded. They’re on their way, but I just thought maybe ... Her voice trailed off.

Kristy and Susan were the same age and being next-door neighbors, they were constantly playing together. If one of them disappeared, it was a sure bet they’d be found next door.

What happened? How long has she been gone? Diane asked, trying to control the trembling in her voice. Tina was already scared enough, she didn’t want to add her own fear to the mix.

Tina opened her mouth but at first couldn’t say anything. When her words finally came, they were mixed with sobs. Eddie got up to go to work and checked on her like he always does. She was gone!

Later, on the rare occasion Diane would allow the memory of those moments to intrude into her consciousness, she would recall some of the most insignificant things, like the scent of wet grass that drifted in through the open door, and the way the sky was turning purple - the same color of purple that tinted the flesh around the lips of someone deprived of oxygen for too long.

What was not so insignificant was the look on Tina’s face or the terror in her eyes. Tina had already slipped into a place of dark despair.

Do you think she could have wandered off? Diane asked. It was a stupid question and later she would wonder why she’d even asked.

As far as she knew, Susan wasn’t in the habit of going off on her own and then there was that little girl across town. It had been less than a month since she’d disappeared from her bed.

No way would she take off on her own, Tina shook her head.

Diane draped an arm around her friend’s shoulders.

Oh God! What am I going to do? She was on the verge of hysterics. Not that Diane could blame her.

If Kristy was missing, she’d be so crazy with panic that she’d probably be certifiable!

With a gentle nudge, Diane turned Tina toward the door. You need to get back to your house and wait for the police. I’ll be right over, she promised.

Nodding, Tina disappeared down the porch stairs.

As soon as Tina was gone, Diane sprinted toward Kristy’s room. She could barely control the trembling in her hands enough to grasp the doorknob. Holding her breath, she pushed the door open. Relief flooded through her when she saw that her daughter was exactly where she should be.

Tiptoeing across the room, Diane stared down at her baby girl. Her tiny form was buried beneath the thick Teddy Bear quilt that her Grandma Swanson sent her last Christmas. With her golden blond hair spread across the pillow, she reminded Diane of a sleeping angel.

Reassured that her child was safe, Diane slipped out of Kristy’s room and headed for her own. She thought about calling Scott but decided against it. That would take too much time and she wanted to get next door as soon as possible. Tina would need all the support she could get. Besides, Scott would probably be on the scene before too long, especially if they decided there was foul play involved. Scott was one of the detectives that had been working the case of the other missing child.

Diane threw on her robe and slippers. She almost started out the door, figuring she’d just be next door, but thought better of it. Returning to Kristy’s room, she gathered the sleeping child in her arms and carried her to Mrs. Crabtree’s house. The old lady lived on the other side of her and had always been wonderful about keeping an eye on Kristy when needed.

Fortunately, Mrs. Crabtree was already awake and was glad to sit with Kristy while Diane helped Tina.

The Owens moved in shortly after Diane. With Tina and her being so close in age, they’d become friends in no time.

Although they were friends, they couldn’t have been less alike. Diane admired her neighbor’s bubbly personality, which was so different than her own.

Red and blue lights flashed eerily against the predawn sky. The few neighbors that happened to be up early, were already gathering in the street.

Though it was only the middle of September, there was a noticeable chill in the air. It seemed they were in for a cold fall this year.

At a time like this, why do I even care about the weather?

She really wanted to be thinking of just about anything, other than what was happening right then and there.

Tina’s eyes held that dazed look you might see reflected in the eyes of someone who had just been in a terrible accident. She still hadn’t come to terms with what was happening. Tina was oblivious to the crowd of people only a few feet away. Her attention was solely on the police officer standing near her.

Eddie was still in the house. Diane could hear him screaming profanities at the officers inside, insisting they were wasting time by searching the house. The explosive anger in his voice was a common male reaction to fear. Eddie was terrified for his little girl.

Tearing her gaze away from Tina, Diane noticed an officer stringing yellow crime scene tape around the parameter of the house and her heart sank. That probably meant they already suspected foul play. Maybe they’d found a point of entry or perhaps blood.

A strange feeling settled over her and in that instant, Diane knew that poor little Susan was gone. Though Tina would need a friend now more than ever, Diane wasn’t sure she could face the coming hours and days ahead.

This was every mother’s nightmare and she didn’t deal well with nightmares.

Chapter 2

The gray, overcast sky fit the occasion. Even if the sun were shining, it couldn’t have penetrated the gloom that had settled over those gathered at the White Oaks Cemetery to pay their respects to Susan Owens.

The sound of the wind rustling through the leaves of a nearby oak all but drowned out the minister. He was forced to raise his voice so the mourners could hear the words he spoke over little Susan’s coffin.

And though Susan was with us but a few short years, through her innocence she carried with her the glorious light of God. That light was a beacon to all whose lives she touched. It is a comfort to her parents, and to all of us, to know that this child’s light is eternal.

Diane knew she should let the words of the minister touch her heart, but she couldn’t. Her devastation was too great. Reverend Hansen’s words faded as her own thoughts crowded in on her.

How could God let this happen to such an innocent child?

This was a question everyone asked when something tragic happened to a young one, but she just couldn’t make sense of it. Evil people roamed the streets while innocent people died horrible deaths.

There was no rhyme or reason to any of it.

Diane focused her eyes on a nearby grave. Sitting on top of the white headstone was a baby angel playing with a lamb. She could only hope it was a true depiction of the heaven Susan was experiencing.

Less than twenty-four hours after she’d been reported missing, Susan’s lifeless body was discovered in the nearby Oaks River. The details of her murder were not being released to the public, but Diane knew they would be much the same as the last victim.

Just like Susan, Tiffany White Oaks was taken from her bed in the middle of the night. In both cases, the killer managed to get in through a window, in spite of the fact the families swore their house had been locked up tight before they’d gone to bed.

After days of searching, Tiffany’s body was discovered in an abandoned house. The little girl had endured unspeakable acts of horror.

A shiver made its way down Diane’s spine.

The monster was still out there somewhere.

The police were trying to calm the public by assuring them that an arrest was imminent.

Not likely.

If they really had the slightest idea who was committing these murders, they wouldn’t be cautioning residents to be vigilant and keep their homes secure. Instead, they’d be on the guy’s tail every minute of every day until they brought him in.

They probably didn’t have a clue and until they did, every child in White Oaks was in danger, including Kristy.

It wasn’t until Boyd squeezed her hand that she became aware the service had concluded. People were lining up to offer condolences to Tina