Hauntings by Lewis Stanek Read Free Book Online Page A

opening to a sitting room, to the left was an ornately carved door leading to the library, to the right a matching door opening to a lounge for more intimate entertaining and relaxation. Heinrich continued his tour as one lost in time, he described each and every room as it was before the Nazi's arrived as if he was unaware of the ruin and decay that had befallen the castle has since it was abandoned. He may just be a bit mad, Randal thought.
                  We went to the left to into the library. If someone asked me to describe the library where would I begin? The musty scent of decaying books wafting across the room upon a sea of dust hanging still in the stale air. Or would I tell of the walls of books surrounding us, the darkness so deep one could feel it rather than see it, darkness that seemed to be everywhere, darkness that even overpowered the sunlight coming from the paned windows in protest to the gloom of the long abandoned room. The library is dark and intimidating. It is as if the darkness thickly flowing from the ornately carved mahogany shelves like puss from a gangrenous sore. The theme of the carvings along the shelves worked to draw one's eyes to the tin tile ceiling that long ago lost its luster and gleam, but the interlocking floral pattern could still be discerned and barely beneath that pattern seemed to hide grotesque faces suffering in unnameable torment, all staring down from above at us intruders below. Something evil lay only slightly hidden from view in this room. Randal felt the urge to leave, then and there, but something, some quality in the tone of Heinrich's voice restrained him.
                  “The baron and baroness were quite the scholars specializing in the occult and esoteric arts, this library easily contains thousands of books focusing on ancient mysticism and the religious practices of little known sects past and present from around the world.” Heinrich continued. It appeared that studied his subject well over the years since the end of the war.
                  “I think this may be the place where we should center our investigation. The baroness Theadora would host séances in this room from time to time, after her husband's untimely death, even though she closed the castle to outsiders she would come here almost every night to commune with the baron. She had a passageway constructed from the old guest-house to the castle so she could come and go unhindered by prying eyes.”
                  Heinrich pointed to a table off to one side of the room. “If you look closely you can still see the finely hand etched letters and words on the tabletop and there is the planchette right where she left it the last time she was here.”  Theadora would spend hours with her planchette communing with her husband and then with the other spirits as the mood would strike her” Heinrich changed topic to get back to explaining the necessities for their stay.
                  “ The bedrooms are upstairs I took the liberty to have the four bedrooms closest to the head of the stairs cleaned, dusted and aired out as much as possible as can be done in a day. There may still be some lingering odors, I haven't had a chance to check. There should be fresh bedding placed on the beds for our visit as well. There are adjoining bathrooms between the bedrooms. So you see we will have all the comforts of home at our disposal. Perhaps most importantly I have had the kitchen cleaned and stocked for our little stay. The water and power is turned on, but if it should become unseasonably cold we will need to start a fire in one or two of the fireplaces.”
                  Bridget appeared fascinated by the planchette, she walked over to the table and sat in the single chair and reached out her fingertips extended to the little heart shaped board.
                  “Are you sure you want to do that, Bridget?” Ozzie called from