The Forgotten Estate

By Marcus Halloway

Dare to step inside "The Forgotten Estate," where shadows whisper and secrets lie buried deep within its crumbling walls. This gripping tale weaves together the threads of mystery, supernatural forces, and an unbreakable human spirit, inviting you on a journey to uncover the dark pact that has ensnared the estate for generations. As a group of unlikely allies bands together, they unearth chilling revelations and face otherworldly entities determined to keep the estate's tragic history hidden. With each turn of the page, you'll navigate through haunted corridors, engage in a tense battle of wills against a malevolent presence, and discover the power of unity in the face of unspeakable darkness. "The Forgotten Estate" is not just a story of ghostly apparitions and ancient curses—it's a testament to the courage found in the heart of those who dare to confront the past. Unlock the secrets of the estate, where every discovery brings you closer to the truth, and every shadow hides a story begging to be told. Are you ready to reveal what lies within?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Happy Time Hours
• Release date: Mar 7, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224541539

Book preview

The Forgotten Estate

Unraveling Shadows of a Haunted Past

Marcus Halloway

Copyright © 2024 by Marcus Halloway

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Contents

1.The Arrival

2.First Encounters

3.The Pact Unveiled

4.The Heir’s Legacy

5.Echoes of the Past

6.The Chapel in the Woods

7.Revelations

8.The Gathering Storm

9.The Ritual

10.The Aftermath

1

The Arrival

Alex's morning routine was interrupted by the soft thud of the mail slot—a sound usually heralding nothing more than bills or local advertisements. Today, however, amidst the mundane, lay an anomaly: a heavy, yellowed envelope, sealed with wax, addressed to Alex Harper in elegant, looping script.

Frowning, Alex turned the envelope over in their hands, the old-fashioned seal catching the light. The seal was intricate, a crest they didn't recognize. With a flick of their wrist, they broke the wax and unfolded the letter within, the paper crackling softly.

Dear Alex Harper, the letter began, its handwriting a stark contrast to the digital age's sterility. You are hereby informed of your entitlement to a property currently in the state of abandonment. The Forgotten Estate, as it is locally known, awaits your inspection. Regards, A. J. R.

The Forgotten Estate? Alex murmured, intrigue piquing their professional curiosity. A quick search yielded little—just vague mentions of local legends and ghost stories, nothing concrete. Yet, the idea of an ancestral connection to a place so shrouded in mystery was irresistible to a journalist with a penchant for the unexplained.

The drive to the estate was long, the roads winding and increasingly overgrown, as if nature itself wished to reclaim the path. As Alex's car crept through the fog, the silhouette of The Forgotten Estate emerged like a specter from the mist. It was a striking, albeit dilapidated, mansion, its grandeur tarnished by time but still imposing.

Looks like something straight out of a gothic novel, Alex muttered, pulling up the driveway, the gravel crunching under the tires—a stark reminder of the intrusion into the silence that enveloped the place.

Stepping out, Alex was immediately enveloped in a cold, damp air that seemed to seep into their bones. The silence was palpable, broken only by the distant caw of a raven. The fog obscured the edges of the property, making the mansion appear as if floating in a void.

Hello? Alex called out, more out of habit than expectation of a reply. Their voice was swallowed by the mist, leaving no echo behind. Shaking off a shiver, they approached the massive front door, noting its intricate carvings, now worn by time.

The door creaked open with a gentle push, revealing a grand entrance hall bathed in the dim light filtering through dusty windows. The air inside was stale and heavy with the scent of decay and old wood. Alex's footsteps echoed on the marble floor, each step stirring whispers from the shadows.

Not Kansas anymore, Alex joked to themselves, trying to lighten the mood as they began their exploration.

The mansion whispered back in creaks and groans, the house seemingly responding to the presence of a visitor after years of solitude. Alex's journalistic instincts kicked in, and they took out their camera, documenting the decayed opulence, the peeling wallpaper, and the portraits of stern individuals watching from the walls.

As Alex ventured deeper into the library, the sense of being watched intensified, a prickle on the back of their neck that felt almost like a whisper against their skin. The shelves around them groaned under the weight of time, their contents a testament to a once vibrant life now succumbed to decay.

Turning a corner within the maze of bookcases, Alex stumbled upon a more intimate section of the library, where a large, mahogany desk sat as if awaiting its master's return. An open journal, its pages yellowed and edges curling, rested atop it, the ink faded but the words were still legible under the beam of Alex's flashlight.

Drawing closer, Alex hovered over the journal, their eyes tracing the lines of despair written by a hand long stilled. The entries spoke of a family caught in the web of a dark curse, their lives consumed