Touched By a Whisper

By D.H. REID and Ginger Reid-Parker

In the 16th century, an archeologist discovers an ancient tomb in Damascus. The artifacts are then removed against the wishes of the spirits that were guarding them. As one artifact that can give the owner unusual sight into spiritual things, there is a mystery that unfolds as evil individuals want the artifact for their own benefit. A young couple will be drawn into the scheme that aren't aware that the individual is actually related to them. Nothing is ever as it appears and the couple will be forced to enlist the aid of their friends that aren't immune to the diabolical crimes that will be committed in the name of greed and evil. The group will be thrown into an adventure of a lifetime and it will involve the occult, evil, corruption, and their lives will be in danger around every corner. Their goal is to solve the mystery and restore order again to the universe, so an innocent soul can find peace again inside a tomb in Damascus.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Apr 18, 2015
• ISBN: 9781329075849

Book preview

Touched By a Whisper

TOUCHED

BY A

WHISPER

BY:

D. H. REID

GINGER REID-PARKER

© 2012 by D. H. Reid and Ginger Reid-Parker

All Rights Reserved.  No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publishers or author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a newspaper, magazine, or journal.

This is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, corporations, institutions, organizations, events or locales in this novel are either the product of the author’s imagination or, if real, used fictitiously.  Any resemblance to actual persons, (living or deceased) is purely coincidental.

First Printing in the United States of America

ISBN:   978-1-300-57742-3

Lulu book publishing

**** DEDICATION****

This book is dedicated to my children Brandon, Veronica, Tina, Cori, and Darren.  It is through my love for them, Linda and my wife Ginger, as a part of me, that I have written these stories and compiled them in these books.

I hope everyone reading them can feel the love, compassion, empathy, and knowledge that I have acquired over the years, to become a good husband, father, and citizen in society.

Even though we are often faced with trials and tribulations in life, if we remain true to ourselves, and live each day by example, the sky is the limit.  A special thank you goes out to my parents, Claude and Ruth Reid.  It was through their love for me that helped me become the best person I can be.

Special thanks to my friends, who are my inspiration and strength in life.  Thank you for always being there for me, when I needed someone to lean on the most. Special thanks to the members of United Presbyterian church that is located in Glen Williams, Ontario, for allowing me to use the picture.

It is through the appreciation of the past, when history is cherished and preserved, that future generations can see our lives in the present, and have the knowledge of centuries shared, through love and unselfishness.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1:           A SPECIAL GIFT

CHAPTER 2:……..,FINAL FAREWELLS

CHAPTER 3:………GHOST HUNTERS

CHAPTER 4:           A PRAYER IS ANSWERED

CHAPTER 5:           WHEN THINGS GO MISSING

CHAPTER 6:           MYSTERIOUS BEHAVIOUR

CHAPTER 7:           VISITING THE PAST

CHAPTER 8:           TRAGEDY AT SEA

CHAPTER 9:           THE DREAM

CHAPTER 10:         A NEW FRIENDSHIP

CHAPTER 11:         FORBIDDEN PATHS

CHAPTER 12:         THE WINDFALL

CHAPTER 13:         THE UNEXPECTED

CHAPTER 14:         THE SEEDS OF LOVE

CHAPTER 15:         THE PROPOSAL

CHAPTER 16:         THE MYSTERY WOMAN

CHAPTER 17:         THE WARNING

CHAPTER 18:         THE HOUSE IS FOUND

CHAPTER 19:         AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY

CHAPTER 20:         THE ABDUCTION

CHAPTER 21:         A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE

CHAPTER 22:         WHEN INNOCENCE IS LOST

CHAPTER 23:         A STRANGE REACTION

CHAPTER 24:          INFORMATION GATHERED

CHAPTER 25:         THE CONFRONTATION

CHAPTER 26:         AN UNEXPLAINED DEATH

CHAPTER 27:         THE MIRACLE

CHAPTER 28:         AN ACT OF COMPASSION

CHAPTER 29:         THE PUZZLE

CHAPTER 30:         A STARTLING REVELATION

CHAPTER 31:         THE HIDDEN IDENTITY

CHAPTER 32:         THE MYSTERY UNFOLDS

CHAPTER 33:         ACTIONS WATCHED

CHAPTER 34:         A GRUESOME DISCOVERY

CHAPTER 35:         THE DARING ESCAPE

CHAPTER 36:         FACING TEMPTATION

CHAPTER 37:         THE FUNERAL HOME

CHAPTER 38:         OBTAINING THE PRIZE

CHAPTER 39:         THE WICKED SHALL PERISH

CHAPTER 40:         THE SURPRISE

CHAPTER 41:         FAITH IS RESTORED

Chapter 1 - A SPECIAL GIFT

From the dawn of time itself, there have been certain individuals that would be given special gifts, or talents, to see the things that others aren’t capable of seeing in their lives. They were often called prophets, seers, revelators, or men of amazing vision. Having those psychic gifts that could benefit others wasn’t reserved for just men, but women could also share the unusual or unique talent, to see many things taking place in the past, present, and also the future.

When many of the families were given the responsibility to raise children in righteousness, it was often met by opposition and temptations from an invisible source. The people would be asked to obey their God’s commandments they were given, they would be asked to enter the waters of baptism, and it was done in the name of the Savior of the world. The people then followed his words to the best of their ability through the years.

The citizens understood that it wouldn’t be easy to repent daily, pray often, and gain knowledge, which could prepare them in many ways, to overcome the obstacles in their lives each day. They experienced the bad to know the good or they could repent of things they did wrong to enjoy blessings again. Some could never understand truth from error and they wallowed in their sorrow and hate.

They were tempted often, but through a strong faith in God, it allowed them to overcome each challenge and then grow from it. Everyone understood that it would take them a whole lifetime to succeed and accomplish their goals. It is taught that life isn’t known as a sprint – it was a marathon of hope to the end.

Just like others were given, from the moment of birth, everyone was given their freedom of choice, or free agency to choose good over evil. They could either separate themselves from the world, or they could follow blindly in the footsteps of a world that continuously surrounded everyone. It was their choice in all things and they would be accountable for their own decisions in life.

With those freedoms in place, many would eventually slip into temptation. It would lead to actions following the example of their friends, peers, or those in life that professed that their opinions and ideals were correct for them.

It is always said that blessed are the meek and those that could live separate from the vanities of the world, those that will stand out from the crowd, as a glowing beacon of truth, justice, and honesty. Men are carnal and devilish in nature. They will often mix truth, with a certain degree of lies and error, so they can make things appeal to those that don’t understand what it means to live in fear and trembling before God. That is normally what the young couples would face when raising their children.

Parents would experience moments of joy, but they would also experience an abundance of sadness, when their children displayed disobedience over truth.  Tears would be shed for them, but they understood that if you raise a child in principals of truth, which guide their lives, they wouldn’t depart from a path their parents taught, once they reach adulthood.

There are many forks in the road of life, but it will also contain detours into darkness. That serves a purpose and it allows each individual to make their own decision, when it comes to navigating the journey they want through life. By choosing the right path, they would experience the least amount of resistance.  When they chose the wrong path in life in disobedience, they would experience confusion, pain, anguish, and sorrow for the mistakes they committed.

That is what happened to a young man that had watched events taking place in Jerusalem. He had believed in a young man that always spoke softly and had many followers with him every day. He had seen something that told him this mysterious stranger would be very special in his life. 

The man spoke of eternal principals, not the sins or transgressions of man, and it left a lasting impression on him. The young man would invite his new friend into his home, to meet his family, and to meet his children. He wanted everyone to meet the Son of God that introduced himself as Jesus of Nazareth.

After hearing that evil men would take him to Herod and Pontius Pilate, it was a tale that saddened the young man. Before his new friend left his home, he asked if he could bless everyone that was living under his roof, and Jesus had agreed. Through his blessing on their home, it was said that the man would be blessed with many generations of righteous children. They would wax strong in the activities they enjoyed, but they would honour God and righteousness.

When Jesus was eventually forced to carry a heavy cross to Calvary’s hill, he had his hands and feet nailed to wooden beams, his side pierced by a centurion, the dear friend of Jesus had wept openly at the treatment he received. He always taught a gospel that is based on loving those around him, forgiving others, and living as an example of righteousness.

With the death of his friend, the young man decided that he couldn’t endure the agony he felt any longer. He packed his belongings and asked his family to travel to the ancient city of Damascus.

That is where he would meet a man that had encountered a man named Paul. The apostle of Jesus would admonish him to repent, to shun wickedness, and to give everything he owned to the poor and destitute around them. If he did what Paul asked, he could follow Jesus from that day on in happiness.

His story was fascinating, because the young man was a friend of Jesus, and he asked if he could help him. The rich man agreed and helped them arrive in Damascus safely. It was a village in Syria, but the rich man owned properties there. He owned one area that was located on the hills and the rich man had traded precious stones for an old staff that was rumored to belong to Moses. 

If anything happened, he wanted the man and his family to place the staff in the ground next to his head. He wouldn’t explain why, but if he did that for him, there would be blessings waiting for his family until the end of time. The rich man would die two years later and his final wishes were granted.

Many generations of the man and his family would then make their home in Damascus for the next thousand years. As time then passed, the descendants of the man that vowed to live in righteousness decided that they could travel to an area of the world that was explored by the Normans and the Saxons. It was on the shores of a body of water known as the Black Sea and the members of their families went their separate ways very eagerly.

The history books eventually described this era of time as the ‘Crusades’ and citizens in the islands would often perish at the end of man’s sharpened swords. Many wars were fought over time; many men, women, and children would be put into bondage, or murdered for upholding what they believed is true.

It was truly a barbaric period of history and when the years continued to pass, many truths that were spoken of at the time of Christ were forgotten. Truth was replaced by lies, or deceit and righteousness would be ignored by the people. It would be a time when many ignored that God existed during the ‘dark’ ages.

Things would improve after the ‘Council of Trent’ was signed in 1545, so the ‘bible’ was now available to everyone, regardless where they had chosen to live in Europe. Everyone could again know truth from error, or differences between them. Righteous doctrines were again part of everyone’s lives and they thrived through blessings from God. The simple words of salvation and truth everyone heard in 33AD would again become part of history. Everyone would again have their free agency to accept or reject the truths that were spoken by Jesus.

For the young man that had watched the rich man’s internment in his tomb, a vision of the interior haunted him until the day he died. His unique powers of sight were passed down to each son and they were blessed with the power to see the past, present, and future. That would lead to an experience in history that was a turning point for many. If no sons were born, or they had indulged in the world of evil, their daughters inherited the special gift – not the sons.

It had started when the man that had known Jesus decided to bury the staff he was given with the rich man. He had fulfilled his oath, to have it placed at the head of the slab of concrete that would be his eternal resting place. 

What the man didn’t know at the time; was why he was instructed to do it in the first place. Even with his unique sight, or the special gift he received for his obedience, it wouldn’t allow him to understand the reason behind it. It would be the same for his descendants, for the next two thousand years.

In the history of every family that has walked the planet; they had children that walked in obedience to God, and those that tried to take the easy path to riches and fame. It was no different and the man’s descendants would embark on paths that would lead to both righteousness and the dark side of evil. 

It was obvious; when in the sixteen hundreds, one of his descendants moved to Britain. It is there that events would unfold that would impact the future. He decided to settle in a small settlement of Glencoe, Scotland. His siblings settled in Damascus, London, and his sisters would settle in Paris, France. They didn’t really know why they were led to those locations, but a chain-of-events over the next four-hundred years would be revealing for everyone involved.

In any timeline of events, there is always a point that started events unfolding in order, and this would be no exception. It started with the son that eventually moved to the small hamlet of Glencoe and the clock was started on destiny. 

Unfortunately, innocent men and women would always become pawns in the destiny of others. The man created a large family and they would benefit for the next two hundred years, through the good fortune of the community.

By using his unique sight that was given through each generation, it enabled his great-grandson to build a large mansion. It was built next to mountain peaks that would be known as the three sisters. They were Aonach Dubh, the center peak – Beinn Fhada, and the third peak named Gearr Aonach. They are located close to an old castle that was deserted earlier, as a result of tragedy.

It was at this castle that a strange series of events would be seen through the eyes of those that were given the unique gift of sight from God. It was believed that the events unfolded to prove that God works miracles in mysterious ways.

It started when the darkness of the night surrounded everything in the remote area of Scotland. A young couple was riding in their open carriage towards their destination. There were the sights and sounds of springtime in full blossom and the scent of heather, or the sweet essence of lilac appealed to their senses.

The couple was traveling from their home in Inverness, but sadness had also accompanied them. The bride’s mother had passed away and it would only take a few hours to reach their destination. Their friends would put them up for the night, because they would be married the next day, inside an ancient church that was built near the turn of the seventeenth century. 

Unfortunately, the couple wasn’t aware of any of the strange events that had taken place over a century earlier in the city of Damascus. That is when the rich man’s tomb was discovered accidentally by the man that was connected to the ambitious relative of the family that previously lived inside the deserted castle. It was through that unique discovery that the family was allowed to build their separate mansion for his family.

Everyone’s attention was now focused on a special day to unite two souls in matrimony. The family lived on the outskirts of the area of the country that was known for moors, peat bogs, and other strange attractions. Authors and writers often traveled to the town, so it would enable them to write stories of mystery and intrigue for the vast population of the world, to study, read, or contemplate the mysteries of God and nature in silence.

For the couple inside the carriage, hearing the sound of the horse’s hooves on the cobblestone roads that led to the small town kept them alert. The echo of the metal horseshoes on the small stones was very intense. Trees lined the roadway and different species of birds and wildlife were often heard in the brush, as their voices echoed through the stillness of the damp, cold air that surrounded them.

The couple’s destination that day would be a historic Stonehaven Manor and it would welcome other guests over the years. Their friends had arranged for the ceremony and a large reception afterwards for the happy couple. After hearing the vows spoken inside the old church, everyone would then walk to the manor, for a dance, or a get together with the local civilians in the area. 

That was the goal of everyone involved and after the carriage approached the front gates of the manor, where they would spend the evening, it was noticed that storm clouds were now gathering over the moors. They were found next to the mansion, but the storms were nothing new for the citizens in the area. Many understood that the cold rain would often descend quickly.

Noticing that the front gates were standing open for their arrival, the couple could see the reflection of a candle in the window that was probably lighting the front hall. It would probably be one of many that were burning on the walls, or in elaborate candelabras throughout the mansion. The candles would be found in the crystal chandeliers that glistened within the flickering light.

As the coachman slowed the carriage and let the horses trot towards the front entrance, there was activity inside the main hall. Before they stopped, a young man emerged from the large home, with a woman that appeared to be a few years older than he was. They had big smiles on their face and they were eager to welcome the young couple to their home.

After the coachman climbed out of his seat in the front of the carriage, it only took him a moment to put the step that would assist the young couple in place.  Helping them step down from the small carriage, the coachman then removed their bags from the luggage area, so he could place them on the cobblestones. 

The couple they met was eager to welcome their new friends to the home and their welcome was accompanied by a handshake and many hugs from men and women they had never met before. As the servants grabbed their bags, everyone walked into the manor to socialize with each other. They would be welcomed and the servants prepared separate rooms for them to occupy during the night.

After they gathered in the manor’s sitting room, the happy couple would hear what was planned for the next day. The activities were accounted for to the last minute. No one really wanted to be surprised by last-minute problems, or by the disruptions that weren’t anticipated in advance. 

Knowing that their new guests would welcome refreshments, due to their trip from Inverness, they were asked to walk to the parlour for some cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. After sharing stories about how they met, one of the servants announced that dinner was ready an hour later. The dining room was ready. 

The young couple was hesitant to leave the parlour, because it was a quaint room that had a stone fireplace built into the far wall. The flames of their fire were providing warmth through a grate, and the burning embers filled the room with the sweet scent of hickory.

The sofas, chairs, lounges, and tables in the room were constructed from oak, cedar, and other forms of wood. There were red-satin cushions on the chairs and sofa, which provided comfort for everyone visiting the home of their hosts.

When it came to fireplaces in the mansions, or castles, they had to be large enough to heat an entire floor that could have twenty or more rooms inside their residences. Evenings could become rather chilly very quickly, when it came to the highlands of Scotland. The weather was known to change on a moment’s notice, which was one of the disadvantages of living in the British Isles.  

If they didn’t take any precautions in advance, many people could eventually perish from exposure to the elements. Many would bask in the warmth of their fireplace, regardless of the season. When the cold rain fell around them, the icy pellets were capable of creating hypothermia, which could lead to death.

For everyone in the mansion that night, the next day created images that were filled with moments of excitement, intrigue, and happiness. Many of the guests that were invited to participate in the festivities were from the community and it was welcomed. Weddings were often met with excitement and anticipation by the citizens that lived in the area.

The people didn’t really see many reasons to celebrate in the highlands, so an opportunity for them to celebrate would be welcomed. The traditions created in the fourteenth century by the citizens were cherished and upheld by everyone, regardless if they moved to the region during the last century.

The ‘Bubonic’ plague had ravaged Europe during the thirteen hundreds and the people didn’t feel safe that were living in the larger cities any longer. In that period of history, many clans were fighting each other, and the English wanted to conquer the country for their own gains and expanding borders.

Scotland wanted to retain their independence from England and they would often engage English armies on Scottish soil. The battle of ‘Culloden’ would be the last battle that took place in 1746 and many of the clans were devastated by the armies of the English monarchy. The clans had actually united in the area of Culloden, to defeat the English, and proclaim their liberty.

That battle was still fresh in the minds of many of the citizens that lived in the area, before the young couple would arrive that day. Bonnie Prince Charles Stuart was defeated and he lost his ambitions of reuniting the country, with him proclaimed as king. Events would unfold that made their continuous battle with the English devastating for the men that fought for Scottish independence.

The ‘Jacobites’ were pushing their own agenda for freedom and it would be the first time that the clans were actually united with one purpose in mind. The highlanders were brave and they were known for charging their enemies, which often led to victory. They would throw caution to the wind, with bagpipes in the distance, announcing their arrival to enter the battle.

Knowing what the highlanders were capable of and having suffered defeat at the hands of the Highlanders in Falkirk, Bannockburn, and also at Stirling, the English Duke of Cumberland ordered that they would engage the troops in an area that made walking difficult. It would also make their courageous charge by the men impossible. He chose the moors of Culloden, which was a marshy area, or peat bog, where the men had to trudge through mud and water to attack.

The area is located east of Inverness and Loch Ness. It would become known as the last battle that would be fought on British soil. When it became obvious that the English would emerge victorious, the Duke of Cumberland would issue one final order. All the men that were wounded on the field of battle were to be killed without mercy. It would prevent the English army from having to worry about prisoners and it would send a message that Scotland had fallen.

It became a dark day in the history of the Scottish people, because atrocities enacted at Culloden would spread to neighbouring towns and villages. Many of the men, women, and their children would be taken prisoner, where they would be forced to suffer from malnutrition and starvation.

The English were ordered to show no compassion or empathy towards any of the men or women they captured. Their absence of humanity led to the deaths of many that were forced to endure the horrendous living conditions that would be placed on them. Their voices would be heard crying from their prisons every century that passed after that. Tunnels and dungeons were haunted by memory.

The English were diabolical and conniving individuals. They would often use men from Scotland as spies, so they could obtain anything they wanted. It was the same story that had taken place in the small town where the young couple was to walk down the aisle in 1792. Only a hundred years had now passed, but the legends surrounding Glencoe were never forgotten, or ignored by anyone that continued to live there.

The village of Glencoe was a local community in the Scottish highlands and the events that transpired on February 13th 1692 were forever burned into the memory of every citizen. The massacre would transpire during the night and it would fuel a hatred that would continue to thrive into the present day. 

It was on that date in 1692 that women, men, and children would be savagely murdered in the middle of winter. The legend surrounding Glencoe would be created and the allegiance of various men to England was at fault.

Unfortunately, the ‘Jacobite’ uprising and their revolution against the English throne were occurring at the same time. The night of February twelfth would begin innocently enough for the citizens. That is when men arrived in the small hamlet that represented the ‘Campbell’ clan. They asked for lodging against the hostilities of the elements earlier that evening. 

They had arrived in the small community on the pretense that the MacDonald clan was slow in pledging allegiance to the new king, William of Orange. After the men enjoyed a night of song, laughter, and alcohol, everyone retired to their rooms inside the Inn for the night, so they could then continue their journey in the morning. They would have what they came for in hand.

That wouldn’t happen, because the person they wanted to see wasn’t there at the time. The ‘Campbell’ clan seat was located south of Stirling at the time. It was hidden in the ‘Trossach’ mountains that overlooked the area known as the Forth valley. Everyone that lived in the valley knew that ‘Castle Campbell’ was fortified with strong walls and it was hidden in the mountain peaks. 

Since it was hidden by trees, streams, and large rocks, armies would have to know where it is located, before approaching the area. No one could approach the castle without their sentries seeing them, as they patrolled upper walkways on the walls of the castle. The castles were always built high in the mountains, or on the jagged and rocky crags, where they could withstand attack.

When the chimes at the Inn signaled that midnight had passed, everyone had fallen asleep in the small hamlet. A peaceful splendor of the night would come to an abrupt halt early that morning. It was February the thirteenth. With many cries and screams echoing in the area and through the Inn, the invited guests of the previous night unleashed the total fury of their wrath against their hosts.

When the area was surrounded in silence again, the men noticed that thirty-seven men were slaughtered without mercy. Forty women and children would brave the elements of winter and they would perish, as a result of exposure to the harsh winter of the highlands.

They tried to escape through a trio of mountains that were known as the three sisters, but the winter defeated them. To add insult to injury, men that arrived to represent the ‘Campbell’ clan would burn their homes to the ground and pursue the women into the snow-laden mountains that surrounded the community.

When they were eventually found inside snow drifts, the women and children had frozen to death, since they didn’t have time to grab boots, winter apparel, and blankets for their children. The cold snow on bare feet ensured death, but fear often forces individuals into choosing survival over the perils of death. A fleeting moment of compassion overtook the men and the women were returned to the Inn, so they would be reunited with their slain husbands and families.

The events of that night would then spark hatred and animosity towards the two clans of Campbell and MacDonald. From that moment forth, the castle that occupied the clan seat of the Campbell’s was given a new name by everyone in Glencoe. It would now be known as ‘Castle Gloom’ for the rest of eternity.

Visitors to the area would be told when they arrived that they are forbidden to obtain lodging, eating at the restaurant, or visiting the community, if their last name is Campbell, even in the present day. The feud has lasted for 315 years, and no one has forgotten the fateful night, when the clan was almost destroyed through the betrayal of the Campbell’s. The events of that night are still burning strongly in the minds of their descendants that still live there.

For the young couple that was getting married at the church the next day, the air was filled with excitement. Everyone was looking forward to the ceremony that would bond them as one for the rest of their lives. They had understood that their hosts had gone out of their way to provide everything they would need, so everyone could enjoy a day that would be filled with celebration, jubilation, and happiness.

Unfortunately, events would take place after they retired to their bedrooms and it would be talked about for many years afterwards. After kissing his bride goodnight in front of her bedroom door, since they would now sleep in separate rooms that night, the groom had no idea that it would be the last time he would see his beloved alive in this lifetime.

The owner of the mansion was blessed with a unique gift of sight, but he had ignored the strange sounds that were echoing through the mansion on many nights. He would become accustomed to the high-pitched screams, the shrieks of terror, or the banging on the walls during the night, because he could see the strange apparitions in his thoughts. They were harmless spirits living there.

It was unfortunate however that the groom had never heard anything like that in his life and his beloved fiancé’ would always be his main or top priority.  Neither of them had visited that area before, so it was possible that they could get lost in their new surroundings. They would hear the noises and panic.

After sitting on his bed for a few minutes, to pinpoint the origin of strange sounds that were now echoing around him, everything suddenly went quiet. He could only imagine what was happening around him now and his friends didn’t mention anything about the manor being haunted. 

This strange event was still sending shivers up and down his spine and he had to make a decision on his own. It was obvious that no one inside the manor was paying attention to the strange sounds of the supernatural that were emulating from the corridor outside his door. Perhaps it was really nothing for them to worry about, because they were only visiting an area where the spirits of the dead weren’t at peace. 

It could be possible that they were still trapped inside the mansion, because the young man would hear about the legends surrounding the old homes earlier that evening. He had heard about Culloden, the legend of the MacDonald clan, and how the forces of evil, or the Campbell’s, had murdered many people.

The love he felt for his young bride made his decision easy. He knew that she might become frightened by the strange noises that are surrounding him. There was no hesitation displayed, because the young man walked eagerly to her door. After he knocked in earnest for a minute and heard no response, he took a deep breath and opened the door. 

The sight in front of his eyes would send shivers racing through every fibre of his being and it was the first moment in his life where he was frightened. His beautiful bride wasn’t resting in her bed and the window was open. The cold air surrounding him was below zero and he could see his breath in front of his face. Just walking through the room to the window had numbed his fingers.

After summoning all the courage he could find within his body, the man then stood at the ledge of the window, took a deep breath, and he looked down at the gardens he could see below him. A sense of relief was felt; when he noticed that she wasn’t lying on the rocks that were at the base of the mansion wall. 

It didn’t make sense, because the couple was happy in the company of others, only an hour before his bride disappeared from her room. At least she hadn’t fallen to her death through the open window, which gave him hope. His heart in his chest would have failed him instantly, if that had happened.

There was only one thing to do and he had to alert the rest of the men inside the mansion that the woman he loved was missing. That would create panic for everyone involved, but it wasn’t long before everyone was scurrying around the halls in the mansion, eagerly searching for their guest.

No stone would be left unturned and everyone had searched in depth for the young lady. There would be only one question asked that night and where had she gone in the middle of a storm? Their guests didn’t disappear on the eve of their wedding, especially when they were eager to walk down the aisle of the church the next day. It was a mystery they had to solve, before it was too late.

Fearing that his true love was no longer in the land of the living, since his friend would sense the worst, the young man eventually broke down in tears. He was forced to decide if he would return to his home, or if would continue to search for his bride in the small hamlet. Their love for each other was nurtured for many years and he had to search for her. His bride had lost her mother and it was now his turn to feel the anguish, sorrow, and loneliness without her.

His friends promised that they would continue their search, but they wanted the young man to retire to his room with a bottle of brandy. It would help calm his nerves, but it would also warm his body, since he was now shivering from the cold that was surrounding them outside. It was a gesture he appreciated, but if he didn’t search for the woman he loved, he would see himself as a failure.

After he entered his room very reluctantly, the answer for his dilemma was to make itself known inside his room. It was there that he had mourned her loss and he didn’t know how to handle it. Sitting near the window and staring out at the grounds in the darkness of the night, he decided that he would pray about the situation. It would be at this time that his mind was opened to revelation and he put his life in God’s hands.

With his eyes closed to everything that is surrounding him, he heard a voice that related a story he couldn’t believe. The voice inside his thoughts would say that everyone inside the mansion that night had all witnessed the same thing in previous years. It took him by surprise, but he chose to listen to the whisper. 

The strange voice told him that the owners of the mansion weren’t worried when one of their guests had vanished in the same manner fifty years earlier. It was rumoured that she had appeared in one of the houses at the far end of town, when the clock reached the stroke of midnight.

No one had known about the circumstances surrounding her appearance, but everyone loved to gossip about things that they didn’t have answers for. Word in the small hamlet quickly spread that she had been smitten with a servant that cared for the grounds around the mansion. The man’s daughter had decided that she should sneak away during the silence of the night to meet him.

Knowing that her parents would never agree to their union, the couple had made their pact in blood. If anything happened to separate them, they would kill themselves, in order to seal their love and a special bond between them. The couple understood the works of ‘Shakespeare’, where couples would plan their demise and nothing would keep them apart.

After the young woman had confronted her father and she asked him to give her fiancé an opportunity to prove that he was worthy of her, the father agreed. Unfortunately, he then humiliated the young man in front of the owner’s guests, and it turned into a shouting match for everyone. 

The scenario had unfolded the way that the couple pictured ahead of time and that was the last straw for them both. The couple walked to the top of the tower, which was located in the old wing of the mansion, a tender embrace led to their final kiss, and then they leapt to their deaths together.

For the past fifty years, it would be rumoured that the couple perished on the rocks during a major storm that had ravaged the area. They would always make their presence known to everyone on the nights that resembled the night they had died. The woman’s father was going to be reminded of his selfishness many times, because everyone believed that the shrieks, screams, and wailing were coming from his daughter on stormy nights.

If that was true, the past couldn’t be altered now, but the young man is still heartbroken. His true love wasn’t found on the premises of the mansion and that caused him concern. He was aware that it was their first visit to Glencoe and his bride wouldn’t know about the myths, or urban legends that were surrounding the village and the people. At least the weather warmed and rain fell on them. 

When the men returned and advised that they would resume the search early in the morning, it was enough to force the young groom into action. He knew that the storms in the region would subside rapidly, because they were living in the British Isles. If he wanted to find her, he would brave the weather, because he didn’t care about his own safety or his health any longer. 

He would walk through the woods, follow the trails through the mountains, and if he found her deceased and lifeless body, he would carry her remains back to the mansion. The possibility existed that she might be injured and the noises they heard frightened her. He didn’t want to accept that she might be deceased, because that would destroy his faith and motivation to search for her.

Now that he was determined to brave the weather, everyone in the mansion felt the need to persuade him to change his mind. The mountains are dangerous and they would help him search in the daylight. Their words fell on deaf ears, because it was obvious that he could picture the young woman in his mind.

She would wear her hat that matched her gown, with the bustle, corset, and small umbrella enhancing her eyes and gentle smile. He didn’t want to hear that the woods were dangerous, or even if they were haunted. He didn’t want to hear that his journey through the darkened trails at night could lead to possibilities in life that he wouldn’t return alive. Only one problem existed now.

When the men decided to block the entrance, the young man didn’t really see a choice. He was going to agree to wait until the rain subsided. He had one goal in mind and he would have to find his soul mate in life, before he could lose her forever. He didn’t believe in the strange telepathic gift that his friend told him about, because she wouldn’t leave him alone for any reason.

Knowing that their request was going to be ignored, regardless what they are telling him, the men understood that he was still adamant to search for her. The men were losing the battle and they would agree to help him in his search. 

The small posse would go with him, so they could prove that his efforts were in vain. The hills surrounding the mansion had a reputation for not relinquishing the dead and that night would be no different, or so they believed. The events of the next few hours would take them into areas that many feared.

They decided that they would search in the area of her bedroom window first, since it was the only way she could have left her bedroom, without being seen. With torches in their hands, everyone walked slowly through the trees, where they could call her name every few minutes, and then wait for a response. 

When the group eventually arrived at the gazebo that was next to the stables, the clouds unleashed an onslaught of rain on the area again. Bright flashes of lightning were seen above them in the heavens and loud, sonic, earth-shattering booms of thunder would accompany it.

With a blinding rain around them, keeping the torches burning would now be a challenge. The moisture in the air could easily extinguish their torches, which would make it impossible to continue. No one wanted to walk in the darkness of the storm, without a torch to guide their steps on the trails surrounding them.  

They could only hope that the rain would subside, allowing them to find the young lady that vanished from her room earlier. There were dangers, because if they became trapped on the slopes of the cliffs, torches could be extinguished by the heavy downfall of ice-cold rain that would fall around them.

Fortunately, once the rain turned into small drops of moisture again, it was time to continue their search. The stables yielded no sign of her and other areas were considered. The young man would throw caution to the wind, regardless if it put his life in danger.

The main courtyard, the rocky crags that surrounded the mansion, the garden near the gazebo, and the rock gardens below her window were searched in vain. If the young woman was wandering in the darkness, during the raging storm, it was obvious that she had ventured into areas that were dangerous.

If that was the case now, the group was forced to press forward into the dense foliage that surrounded them. After calling her name constantly, checking areas of shrubs, trees, and the marshy areas, it wasn’t long before they arrived at an old footbridge. It was used previously by the clans during the ‘Jacobite’ claims to the throne of Scotland.

Chapter 2 - FINAL FAREWELLS

The bridge would make it possible for them to cross the small stream rushing past them. They would have to cross the bridge, if the young man wanted to continue his search that night. Getting the men that believed in superstition to continue their search on the other side of the stream wouldn’t be easy, because the bridge was known to be haunted too.

It was unknown to the young man at the time, but the citizens in the area avoided the bridge like the plague. They were hesitant to step onto the bridge under any circumstances, especially late in the evening. Stories had risen about strange spectres of the night, headless ghosts, banshees, and the myths that were spread throughout the small hamlet over the years. 

The citizens of the community believed that most of the myths were passed down by previous generations and that prevented them from continuing. It was a superstition that whoever crossed the bridge during a raging storm would be killed, feeling pain and torment shortly afterwards. The spirits of the dead were known to be restless in that area of the woods.

The superstitions meant nothing now though and the young man knew that he had to cross the bridge, press forward, and nothing anyone said would prevent him from accomplishing his goals. If they declined, he had to cross the bridge on his own, to search the far side of the stream. He knew that he would do it without hesitation, and nothing in the world could stop him on his journey.

It would be easier said than done though. Before anyone could take a step onto the bridge, everyone shrieked in terror, when a black shadow passed over the bridge in front of their eyes. Every member of the group knew that it wasn’t the type of shadow that was created from lightning, or the moon for that matter.  The strange apparition was definitely in human form and they all heard thunder rumbling over their heads at the time.

After summoning every ounce of courage in his athletic body, the young man threw caution to the wind and he stepped cautiously onto the bridge. The spirits of the dead were no longer relevant that night, since he wanted to continue his search for his true love. He was blunt in his demands, with or without help.

He would continue on his own, or the others in the group could swallow their foolish superstitions. They would have to follow his lead across the bridge, or he would leave them behind, to tremble in fear on their own. The choice would be theirs, but his decision was already made to travel with or without them.

The members of the group knew that they couldn’t allow the young man to walk through the dark woods alone. There are dangers in the dense underbrush. They wouldn’t be able to live with themselves if he injured himself, called out for help, or they couldn’t hear his cries, due to the storm above them.

If they were going to continue, they would ignore the strange apparitions that were still flying around the bridge. After taking a deep breath, everyone knew they had to step onto the bridge, if they wanted to cross to the other side. The decision was no longer in their hands and the young man was going to continue without them accompanying him. 

Now that they were on the bridge, they didn’t know what to do, when it was starting to vibrate violently under their feet. They could only press forward and hope that the bridge didn’t collapse into the muddy waters with them on it. The stream flowed into the loch. 

Crossing the bridge wouldn’t be easy and the men almost fell into the cold, chilling water below them on many occasions now. Old-fashioned ingenuity prevailed, when they formed a line with their hand. Their combined strength is enough to get them to the other side of the stream safely. 

Now that they had overcome the enchanted obstacles in their path, everything they heard or they had seen earlier had mysteriously vanished without a trace, leaving a serene atmosphere around them. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief that their lives didn’t end in the rushing waters of the stream that night.

Their adventures weren’t ending, because something had appeared in front of them that sent shivers through their bones. Before they could take even one step into the woods, everyone became startled, because a strange light was moving towards them from the forest. 

It was definitely another torch, but the question they were asking was who is carrying the torch? The skies were starting to clear above their heads and that was a good sign. Unfortunately, the chilly dampness was still felt in the air. It would continue to surround them until the warmth of the sun appeared the next day. That is why they loved the warmth from the hearth and a roaring fireplace. 

After watching the strange light in silence, it wasn’t long before they heard a familiar voice breaking the stillness of the night. It was Shamus McGowan and he was the proprietor of the local tavern in the small town. He decided to take his dogs for their walk, before the clouds unleashed their fury again. When the dogs wanted to go for a walk, he didn’t argue with their instincts.

He was surprised to see the group of men standing in front of him and they were soaking wet. That area of the moors was usually deserted during the day, let alone at night. No one dared to explore the region during nature’s storms. If they became lost or disoriented, it was proven that they could wander through the mountains and perish from the elements very easily. 

When they explained why they were in the area that night, he had to confess that he hadn’t heard or seen anything on his journey through the brush, but he had heard the screams of a woman an hour earlier. The strange screams in the darkness had appeared to be originating from the ruins of the old castle that was in the vicinity of the manor. 

He had previously lived in Ireland, where the wails of the banshee and ghosts are common in the hills. The winds could play havoc with the imagination, but if a woman really was in danger, he had to explore that possibility. That was the reason he decided to take his dogs for a walk in the direction of the castle.

Castle Donegal is the castle in question and it was deserted under mysterious circumstances a few years after the battle of Culloden was fought. The owner had crossed the Black Sea from the old world around Damascus and he built the castle for his future generations to enjoy.

No one really understood what had taken place in the darkness of the night, because the bodies of the owner and his wife were found by their chambermaid. For unknown reasons to the men in the community, the couple would be found dead the next morning in their bed. It was upsetting for the young woman and their deaths were surrounded in mystery. Things like that just didn’t happen and it was unexpected. 

The deaths would never be solved, because there wasn’t a known cause for it. The descendant from the man that had helped the rich man in Damascus was in his early forties and his wife was in her late twenties. No marks were found on their bodies, which had indicated foul play. They didn’t display a fever, illness, or even a headache. They were both happy and the picture of health.

Rumours will always have a way of appearing, especially when things can’t be explained through logic. One tale of intrigue made the rounds inside a pub that quickly spread through the whole community. It would involve a young man that arrived at the castle only a few days earlier from Paris, France.

He was apparently trying to peddle some old artifacts that were uncovered in Damascus in the late sixteen-hundreds. The items were supposedly taken from a chamber that an archeologist uncovered in Damascus. The man in the tomb had lived and died around the same period that the crucifixion took place.  

Before he could be questioned in connection with the deaths, the man would mysteriously disappear on the same night that a young chambermaid discovered the bodies of the couple in their chamber. Nothing was missing, but it didn’t mean that the strange forces weren’t at work inside the castle. A strange cloud appeared over the castle and it returned every year on the same date. 

For the men and women that lived in the community, no one could explain the strange sounds or the events that many would witness on the anniversary of their deaths each year. Were the voices of the deceased trying to speak to the citizens, so the mystery could be solved? No one knew and answers couldn’t be found that addressed the questions surrounding the castle. 

After the sands of time started to pass, the stories surrounding the castle were eventually accepted as mere folklore and myth. No one was brave enough to step inside the castle any longer and it fell into disrepair. The descendants of the original townspeople would then create their own tales surrounding the castle, or what had taken place during the previous centuries. 

One tale that was passed around concerned a man that inherited the castle in the early seventeenth century, after the original couple was found dead. During his routine excavation of the gardens, he discovered a hidden staircase that was previously sealed by a past owner, or resident of the castle. No one remembered when it was sealed, so some of the local teenagers were hired to dig around the stones. Their goal was to uncover the staircase that led into the ground.

According to their urban legends that circulated through the region, once the staircase was uncovered and the new owner walks down to the hidden chamber, he had immediately suffered a heart attack and died. After his body was placed in the family crypt, some strange apparitions haunted the dreams of the lads that exposed it. Their dreams appeared real and they panicked.

They rushed as a group to the local parish, to receive counsel from their local pastor. After hearing what they had seen in their dreams, the pastor couldn’t be a part of it. When they were standing inside the chamber, they saw the mark of a pentagram on the floor, which indicated satanic rituals. 

That night, the lads would all share the same dream, where they visualized a large party at the castle. A man from France gave them some seafood’s for their party in the form of oceanic shellfish. The owner and his wife loved it and they ate many of them. After retiring to their bedroom that night, they weren’t aware that the shellfish contained ‘saxitotoxin’, which is a deadly poison.

Earlier that night, the couple had talked endlessly about the new chamber that they created in the gardens. It was going to be used as a storage room for fruits, vegetables, and many of the other items that could benefit their guests when the couples arrived at their home. Now that the couple was deceased, the man was terrified that they would blame him for their deaths.

He found them an hour before the chambermaid entered their room and it had given him time to sneak down the stairs to the underground chamber. Once they were found, he knew that he had to try to restore their lives. Using chalk, he had drawn a large pentagram on the floor. He would use the powers of Satan for his attempt to restore life to the deceased couple, before it was too late.

As he chanted and begged for help from the prince of darkness, a thought had entered his mind, and he would have to offer a human sacrifice to prove that he is worthy of his demands. That is when he abducted a small girl from the manor and placed her on an altar he created. Before he could kill her, some men would enter the chamber that heard her screams for help.

They rescued the young girl, but they beat the man senseless. To end his life, they locked him inside the chamber and filled in the staircase forever. He would perish inside the chamber and the children would be safe. The story of the man in the hidden chamber would never be discussed ever again.

When the chamber was discovered, the lads recounted the tale to the pastor in the church that they had seen the remains of the man and when the skeleton had moved in front of them on its own; the man had a heart attack and died. That is enough for the pastor and he recommended that they should seal the chamber in the garden again for all eternity, due to superstition. If the chamber was cursed, which explained why the man perished; no one would be affected by the strange spirits that resided there ever again.  

It would become anyone’s guess, if the legends were truth or fiction. No one had the courage to spend the night in the ruins after everyone left, and no one wanted to take the chance, knowing that a curse surrounded the hidden chamber and the staircase. Many of the citizens were superstitious and when something couldn’t be explained through logic or common sense, demons were at work. 

It had only taken one death through evil circumstances and no one was going to risk their lives there in the future. The castle would be taken off the market, and avoided from that date forward like the plague. Since no one had interest in the old structure any longer, it explained why the fortress was left to deteriorate over the years.

The legends surrounding the castle didn’t mean anything to the young groom and after explaining why they were walking through the hills during a storm, it was agreed that Shamus would lead them to the ancient castle. His fiancé may have been injured and they couldn’t waste any more of their time. It had already been over an hour, since the scream was heard echoing through the area.

When they finally arrived in front of the stone entrance, they were welcomed by a flash of lightning that had revealed the large, stone gargoyles sitting on the walls. They weren’t alive and they were placed on the walls for a reason, but no one took them lightly. When a crash of thunder that accompanied the lightning broke the silence surrounding them, the castle had appeared to take on a sinister appearance, which sent shivers racing through their veins.

The castle may have been deserted earlier, due to one man’s participation in the occult, but the stone walls in front of them remained intact. The iron grate was menacing to everyone in the group and they knew that they would have to search the interior, before moving on to their next location. Fortunately the iron grate was in an upright position, allowing entrance to the ancient fortress. 

After Shamus led the small group through the gate, he realized that he hadn’t visited the old structure in over twenty years. Now that they were standing in the middle of the courtyard, the young man noticed a large well in the center of the gardens area of the castle. A large rock garden was lying next to it and many of the stones were placed in a way that encouraged flowers to grow easily.

It was covered by the metal bars of a grate and it would prevent everyone from falling to their deaths that way. The well had a small roof built above it, a pulley that still had the remnants of a fraying rope, and a bucket that could be used by the servants to withdraw water easily from the structure.

Knowing that it would be impossible for her to fall through the metal bars on the well, the group entered the grand ballroom that was built at