A Haunting in Shiloh

By Luke Kramer

Moving into a larger house should be a memorable event for the Parks family. The teenagers will each have a bedroom, and the parents will have more space for entertaining and hobbies. However, the family was not counting on sharing their home with intruders of mysterious origin. Alex with help from his brother and sister has to solve the meaning of the strange happenings and restore stability to the family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 9, 2014
• ISBN: 9781493197453

Luke Kramer

Gerald Kramer is a retired college professor who has held a variety of jobs in his work life including factory worker, men’s clothing store salesperson, census taker, and human resources and payroll manager. Film noir films from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s such as Double Indemnity and Sunset Boulevard are popular with him. The Dean’s List is his second book and reflects his knowledge of working on college campuses for almost thirty years. His email address is [e-mail].

Book preview

Chapter 1

Josh and Susannah Parks were extremely pleased they could move their family into a large fixer upper two story house on the outskirts of town. The new residence was almost twice the size of their previous one story house near the downtown of Shiloh, Kansas. Each of their three teen-age children would now have a bedroom on the second floor, and the couple would have a large bedroom with a full bath at the back of the first floor.

Liza was happy her bedroom in her new house was next to the bathroom on the second floor. A seventeen year old girl needs this kind of arrangement to get ready for school each day at Tonka County High School less than a quarter mile from the new Parks home. To call this house new was really inaccurate, since the house was built almost ninety years ago in 1924.

Matt, a fourteen year old eighth grader to be, and Alex, a thirteen year old who would be a seventh grader in the fall, would ride their bicycles or walk to the middle school that was a block east of TCHS and only five blocks from their house. Both boys felt the pressure of following a straight A sibling who impressed every teacher who ever knew Liza, a twelfth grader this fall.

Josh was counting on the boys to help him renovate the house and turn it into the showpiece of Jefferson Street. The main factor that could stall Josh’s vision was the pressure of available money. Josh had recently accepted a position with a radio station in the area as an early morning personality and sometimes station salesperson. He supplemented his income playing with a band that performed at weddings, Oktoberfest specials, high school dances, and occasional backup gigs for some of the casinos in nearby Oklahoma. Susannah had taught science classes at a nearby community college for sixteen years. During the summers she did some work for a Kansas business that specialized in environmental problems. Her role was to serve as a consultant on water distribution systems and wastewater management. Kansas citizens needed clean water, and cities and small towns utilized this business for expert advice and monitoring.

Liza worked as a babysitter and caretaker part-time during the school year and full-time during the summer. Matt and Alex had assigned duties from their parents but were free to do what they wanted (within reason) after they had completed their tasks. Only storms and tornado warnings kept the boys inside. This late Saturday afternoon was such a time as the winds whipped through the town at twenty-five to thirty miles per hour. This Saturday afternoon torrential downpours made it impossible to enjoy the great outdoors. Television reception had disappeared an hour ago when conditions outside worsened, and the boys were bored.

Josh and Susannah were at a wedding in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and weren’t expected home until eight or nine o’clock tonight. Liza believed the electricity would go off anytime and had flashlights, candles, a first aid tin, and a weather radio on the kitchen counter.

Look, guys, we probably should head down to the basement just in case, she warned.

If the sirens go off, we’ll do it, but there is absolutely nothing to do down there, Matt retorted.

After Liza left the room, he turned to his younger brother and suggested they explore the attic. The family had lived in the house for only eight days, and the boys had never been in the area above their bedrooms. The grabbed flashlights from the kitchen counter and scooted up the stairs to the second floor. At the end of the hall was a stairwell housing a decrepit staircase to the attic.

Do you think these steps will hold us? Alex questioned suspiciously.

Don’t be such a woos! Come on, let’s go. Matt fearlessly climbed the eight steps and disappeared into the attic. Alex struggled on the feeble contraption and soon joined his brother.

The two shined their flashlights around the room trying to get their bearings. The window at one end was covered by a tarp that blocked all light from the outside. A tall hutch at the other end of the room blocked the outside light.

It smells like somebody died up here, Alex observed.

Grandpa would call this ‘musty’, but you’re right. This attic has been closed up a long time.

I wonder why the people who sold us the house left this junk? Alex inquired.

The attic has junk from more than the last owners. Look at that shelf of hats. Men haven’t worn those antiques, since Grandpa was our age.

Other treasures such as a stack of movie magazines from the 1940s and 1950s, movie posters from the same period, a three foot high pile of National Geographic magazines, and old hardback books in stacks were just some of the items taking up space. Man, we’re going to clean up on eBay, Matt said confidently.

Who does all of the stuff belong to? Alex wondered aloud.

To us, genius, Matt answered with impatience.

What do you suppose is in that trunk? Alex inquired.

There’s only one way to find out. With this Matt focused his flashlight on the old cedar chest and pulled with all his might. After resisting his first efforts, the trunk popped open. The boys quickly began to examine the content that included some old quilts, a Seth Thomas clock that must have been seventy-five years old, two old photograph albums with black and white snapshots, four books, and a diary from 1952. A brittle sheet of paper with fountain pen writing fell from the diary.

What does it say? Matt anxiously asked.

It says that there is something evil about this house. It’s some kind of warning.

Chapter 2

The two boys exchanged nervous glances prompting Matt to say, This attic is starting to creep me out. Let’s take some of this stuff down to my room where we can look it over more closely. Alex gathered up the letter, the diary, and the photograph albums, and the brothers wasted no time in scurrying downstairs.

Matt smoothed the wrinkled bedspread with his hand as Alex carefully placed each item on the bed. Shut the door so we won’t be interrupted, Matt commanded.

Shouldn’t we say something to Liza? Alex questioned.

Let’s find out what we have first. Start with the letter. Read it out loud, Matt barked excitedly.

There are only three sentences, and it looks like the writer never finished what he wanted to say, Alex replied. It says, ‘Be aware that this is a house of evil spirits. It is a dangerous place to live. Anyone living here can expect….’

Is that all? Matt asked.

The writer must have been interrupted, Alex commented. That might be the reason for the letter being in the diary. He probably wanted to finish it later.

It’s really not a letter, Matt observed. It’s not addressed to anyone and where would you send something like this?

Alex speculated, I don’t think the writer meant for this to be mailed. He probably wanted to put it somewhere in the house for visitors or maybe a new owner to read.

Let’s see if the diary tells us something, Matt recommended.

When Alex opened the diary, he found a label on the inside front cover with the following words, This journal is the property of John Blair.

Well that answers one question. Alex noted. The two young investigators compared the warning note handwriting with the handwriting of the entries in the diary. Alex blurted out, It looks like this John Blair also wrote the letter or whatever it is.

I agree, Matt chimed in.

This writer must have just started the diary since there are only six days of notes. Alex explained.

Matt began to examine what John Blair had to say about his life. The first entry is from Saturday, June 7, 1952, and John says it’s his twelfth birthday. This means that he was born in 1940, the same year as Grandpa Parks. This next week he’ll be seventy-three years old. I wonder if he’s still in the area.

What else did he say? Alex asked.

On his birthday he and his friend Larry went to the movies to see a double feature at the Strand Theater. Afterwards they went to the Blue Dragon for pizza. The next entry is from Tuesday, June 10. It’s really strange! He says, ‘It started again last night. I’d been in bed about an hour when the room became very cold. I put a sweater over my pajamas. When my teeth began to chatter, I yelled out, and Dad came running. He thought that there was something wrong in the vent system just like last time. My window was closed, and it was summertime. I could hear Mother and Dad talking after they had me go downstairs to sleep on the sofa. This has happened too many times to be nothing according to Mother. At least there were no noises last night.’

What do you suppose he meant by that? Alex questioned mildly.

Maybe he had an overactive imagination! Matt said.

Matt’s flashlight flickered and the startled boys almost leaped off the bed. Let’s go downstairs and see what Liza is doing, Alex suggested.

Sounds like a good idea, Matt chimed in.

The boys found Liza in the family room lying on the sofa reading an e book on her Kindle. "What are you