The Haunting in Winter Creek
Return to Winter Creek
A peculiar stillness blanketed Winter Creek as Jen entered through the guarded gate, flashing her WCHA identification at the same sentry she had encountered days before. The silence held no menace for her; some might call it the hush of the dead, but nothing in the air or on Main Street suggested the presence of restlaess spirits.
The Saloon Encounter
Inside the saloon, Jen made her way to the center. No voices whispered, no eerie scents lingered—only the usual sigh of the October wind outside. “Grace, are you here?” she called, moving through the bar to the cluttered back room. There, she paused. “Grandpa Adam, what about you? I know the truth now. Adam and I saw your photo at the ranch. We even found your things in the attic. You look so much like him.”
She focused, opening her senses to the heavy air. “If you need help, or if the town is in danger, I can feel it. I need your guidance too.”
A Chilling Presence
Suddenly, a coldness swept through her, and an icy grip settled on her shoulders. “Grace, is that you?” Jen asked softly, surrendering her mind to the presence. The chill seeped from her shoulders down to her legs, a sure sign that Grace was near. Jen’s consciousness faded.
Emptiness filled her. Time slipped by—perhaps a moment, perhaps an hour—before she awoke in front of a mirror, unnerved. A delicate, frigid touch skimmed her cheek before disappearing. “Grace?” she whispered.
The Message
“Mirror,” came Grace’s faint command. Jen obeyed, her finger tracing the word “Help” on the glass. One word caught her eye—MURDER—followed by the haunting question, WHO KILLED US?
“Grace, are you saying you and Adam were murdered?” Jen asked. The wind delivered a single word in reply: “Yes.”
“You want us to find out who did it?” Silence answered her.
“I want to help, Grace, but I don’t know how to solve a murder that happened over a century ago,” Jen confessed. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
“Danger,” the wind hissed. “Winter Creek.”
Jen glanced at the Chinese wall, troubled. “What does your death have to do with Winter Creek’s troubles now? If you’re trapped here, let me help free you, but I’ll need your help too.”
A spectral touch tilted her face to the mirror again, where the longest sentence read: Someone who should love you wants to hurt you.
“Is that what you want me to focus on, Grace?” Jen asked. “Do you know who wants to harm me?”
Gradually, the chill receded, restoring warmth to the room. Grace’s presence vanished, leaving Jen with more questions than answers.
Get it here
https://books2read.com/u/m2AJxd
