Whispers of Serpent's Manor

Echoes of the Haunted Hall

With Gracie and Ewan out, Coby embraced the opportunity that lay before him. Everywhere he went, the steady ticking of clocks served as a constant reminder of the impending winter deadline. The crisp air carried a sense of urgency, mingling with the scent of pine trees and distant wood smoke. Time seemed to slip through his fingers, especially with Gracie’s pregnancy adding to the sense of urgency. A smile played on his lips as he fondly recalled their passionate moments together, their bodies entwined in a symphony of desire. The thought of the glimmering engagement ring consumed his mind, filling him with anticipation for the perfect moment.

But amidst these thoughts, a resolute expression quickly replaced his smile. Coby pushed aside the tantalising and intimate thoughts that threatened to invade his mind, redirecting his attention to the task at hand.

He initially approached Lady Grimloch with a proposal to purchase the Serpent’s Manor, its name whispered in the wind like a haunting melody. However, as a respected businesswoman, she casually dismissed his offer and instead presented him with an irresistible counterproposal.

Sitting across from Coby during their first meeting, Lady Grimloch delicately sipped her tea, the warm liquid swirling within the delicate china cup. Her words echoed in his mind, mingling with the soft clinking of the tea set. “My daughter’s restless spirit keeps me awake at night,” she confided, her voice tinged with a mix of sorrow and desperation. She spoke of a tragic accident, leaving Coby yearning to uncover the untold details. Lady Grimloch believed that her daughter’s spirit remained trapped within the manor, unable to cross over to the other side.

Coby, ever the rationalist, attempted to reassure her, explaining that spirits sometimes chose to linger in the earthly realm. Yet Lady Grimloch remained resolute, convinced that a darker secret lay hidden within the manor’s walls. Intrigued and driven by the promise of an exclusive book deal and a substantial sum of money, Coby reluctantly agreed to her proposition, under the condition that they occupy the manor while she found another residence.

In a swift and unexpected turn of events, Lady Grimloch accepted his terms, sealing their agreement with a retainer payment. And now, here he stood, wandering the dimly lit hallways, his footsteps echoing softly against the aged wooden floors.

The chill in the air seemed to intensify as he embraced his new role as a hunter of the dearly departed, searching for the answers that would finally grant peace to Lady Grimloch’s restless daughter.

Last night’s events caught him off guard, like a sudden detour from the expected. The unforeseen twist of events in the young girl’s chant to Daisy caught Coby completely off guard. He made it his primary mission, completely enchanted by the words of the song that echoed in his mind. He retraced his steps back to the library, and soon found himself back in the long, dimly lit corridor with the ornate wallpaper.

As Coby cautiously walked down the dimly lit corridor, his heart pounded in his chest, a rhythmic thump that reverberated in his ears. Shadows danced along the peeling wallpaper, their flickering movements whispering secrets in his ear. The air grew thick with a musty scent, a tangible reminder of the supernatural forces at play.

Suddenly, a bone-chilling gust of wind blew through the hallway, extinguishing the flickering candle flames. Darkness enveloped him, swallowing his every step, leaving him in a state of unsettling uncertainty. But Coby pressed on, his determination unwavering, his hands tingling with a mixture of fear and adrenaline.

The grandfather clock in the room’s corner chimed ominously, its deep dongs echoing through the darkness, intensifying his unease. The wallpaper’s intricate patterns seemed to come alive, shimmering with an ethereal glow that created haunting images—skulls with empty eye sockets and skeletal hands with long, contorted fingers, emerging from the depths of darkness.

The whispers that had once tickled his ears now morphed into grotesque groans and wails of anguish, pleading for relief from an unseen but audible ordeal. Coby’s hands shot up to his ears as he tried to block out the haunting cries of agony. But the tormenting voices seemed to defy his desperate gestures, growing louder and more insistent with each step he took.

Finally, he reached the end of the corridor, where the wall used to be, and rapped his knuckles against the rough texture of the drywall. Amidst the cacophony of eerie voices, he could hear the faint chants of a young girl emanating from a hidden room on the other side. The chants were barely audible, drowned out by the eerie chorus of groans and moans that seemed to seep from the haunted wallpaper.

Straining his ears, Coby continued to rap his knuckles against the wall, hoping to catch snippets of the girl’s desperate plea. Her chants grew louder, and amidst the dissonance, he could make out the name Daisy and something about being late. The louder she chanted, the more ominous the cries of the doomed became.

Driven by a desperate need to understand, Coby pressed his ear against the cold, rough surface of the drywall, ignoring the haunting shapes that seemed to writhe along its surface. His fingers curled around the wall, absorbing the vibrations of his drumbeat, as if the sound sought refuge in his touch.

But her voice, so soft and delicate, barely reached in his ears. Coby’s brow furrowed in confusion, his mind consumed by a mixture of curiosity and anticipation, as he strained to decipher the girl’s cryptic words.

Just as he was lost in his thoughts, a deep voice with a heavy Scottish accent called out to him, the words echoing through the corridor. Startled, Coby’s body jolted in surprise, his eyebrows furrowing with annoyance.

“Up here!” Coby exclaimed, his voice laced with frustration. He listened as the heavy footsteps approached, the thumping sound growing louder with each step, resonating through the corridor.

Just as the spectral chorus overwhelmed Coby’s senses, the arrival of the intruders pierced the supernatural veil. In an instant, the oppressive air lightened, the haunting cries silenced, and the wallpaper stilled, its menacing figures fading into mere ornate designs once more. In the absence of its ghostly occupants, the corridor felt eerily quiet, with only the faint sound of footsteps echoing in the distance.