It's All Downhill from Here by P.J. Night Read Free Book Online

she needed now was to try and open the passageway only to have the knob not turn yet again.
    â€œJonas did come to be known as Old Man Wharton,” Ms. Walcott continued. “He died about a year ago at age one hundred and two. I don’t think he ever believed he would actually die. While he was alive, Mr. Wharton became more and more reclusive, and by the end of his life I was the only person who ever saw him. And while I worked here, I barely ever went into town.”
    â€œInteresting,” Mr. Kim said. “Nice to know some of the history of this house.”
    â€œThere is one more thing,” Ms. Walcott continued. “Mr. Wharton’s final wish was that his house never get turned into a ski lodge, and that no one ever go skiing here under any circumstances. I know he wrote it into his will, but his cousins must be ignoring it.”
    â€œFat chance of that,” Simon mumbled under his breath.
    â€œDo you know why, Ms. Walcott?” Mrs. Kim asked.
    â€œI don’t know many of the details. I asked Jonas why once, and he got very angry. He refused to answer me and disappeared for a few days. What I do know is that there was some deeply tragic incident that led to Jonas closing down the slopes and vowing that no one would ever ski here again.”
    â€œThis is the first time we’re hearing about such a request,” Mr. Kim explained. “Our understanding from the realtor is that the family is eager to sell, and they don’t really care what becomes of the place.”
    â€œNo, no! Ms. Walcott is right!” Maggie cried. “I told you we shouldn’t buy this house. Old Man Wharton said so.”
    â€œZip it, Maggie,” Mrs. Kim warned.
    â€œI’m just trying to stop us from making a horrible mistake!”
    â€œYour daughter speaks wisely,” Ms. Walcott said. “It would be best to honor Mr. Wharton’s final wish.”
    â€œYeah? And what’s he gonna do if we don’t?” Simon asked. “Come back from the dead and get us, like some ski-hating zombie?”
    â€œSimon, don’t be rude,” Mrs. Kim snapped.
    â€œDo not underestimate Jonas,” Ms. Walcott said.“He was a very powerful and determined man.”
    â€œNot anymore,” Simon muttered under his breath, but loudly enough for everyone to hear.
    â€œIf any dead person can stop the living, I am certain that it is Jonas Wharton.”
    â€œThat’s who I saw!” Maggie exclaimed. “The night we arrived. In the window. It must have been Jonas Wharton watching us arrive.”
    â€œMaggie, that’s enough!” Mr. Kim shouted. “We love this place. The house is perfect, the grounds are beautiful, and the mountain is ideal for skiing. No disrespect intended to you, Ms. Walcott, or to the memory of Mr. Wharton, but tomorrow my wife and I are going to talk to the bank about getting a loan to buy the place.”
    Mr. Kim continued, “The old Wharton Mansion will become the new Piney Hill Ski Resort.”
    A loud boom rocked the house, shaking the chandelier above the dining room table. Maggie felt her balance shift. She almost fell.
    Then every light in the house went out!

Chapter 6
    â€œWhere are those candles?” Mr. Kim shouted.
    â€œRight here in this bag,” his wife replied. “Just a moment.”
    Mrs. Kim fished a handful of candles out of a bag of emergency supplies she had packed, not knowing exactly what they would find when they arrived at the mansion. Once the candles were lit, Maggie looked around.
    â€œHey, where did Ms. Walcott go?” she asked.
    â€œMaybe she had a date with Old Man Wharton’s ghost,” Simon quipped.
    â€œMs. Walcott? Are you all right?” Mrs. Kim called, but received no reply.
    â€œI think turning out the lights is a bad joke, or a cheap scare tactic to try and frighten us so we don’t buythis house,” Mr. Kim said, the annoyance clear in his voice.