The haunting of Stillwater Town Part 1

Once upon a time there was a woman who had a interest in writing stories that had mystery themes or even enjoyed writing stories which were about ghosts and haunting. Her name was Christine and she often traveled from place to place anywhere that the train rails could travel collecting people’s stories and turning them into books. She was quite a popular writer at the time with some of the major book stores carrying her amazing stories. Of course even as a writer she had a normal life outside of her mystery and haunting stories. Her father had asked if she would travel to California to visit her aunt who was sick. She tried as best as she could to make up a million and one excuses why she couldn’t but alas her father was the winner at the end of the argument. She went up stairs and started packing her bags very frustrated and huffing about having to even go. There was a knock on the door down stairs and she was so angry she just ignored it even when her father had called her multiple times to come down and get it. Her father gave up and went to the front door to answer it when he opened it he saw it was Karen one of Christine’s friends he apologized for her not answering the door because she’s in a bad mood today. Karen said to him there was no need to apologize because she knows how stubborn I could be I was listening from the upstairs. I heard Karen coming up stairs and when she got near I started to mumble about how frustrated I was about having to go to California. And of course when Karen came in she was like it’s not that bad it might be fun maybe you’ll find some new material for another book she said. I told her I seriously doubt anything will happen and by the time I get to California my aunt will be fine and it will be a boring trip and uneventful. Then Karen said I have a wonderful idea why don’t I go with you on your trip it might be more fun if you have someone to talk to. I thought about it for a few moments and decided it was a good idea so I rushed down the stairs and said to my father that Karen needs tickets to go to or I wouldn’t go my dad put his palm over his face and let out a deep sigh and said okay but you better make sure you make it to your aunts. And Karen chimed in that she would make sure that I got there okay and my father said at least there is one responsible girl going. That night I started to think about the positive being on a train thinking that train robbers could attack the train and there could be a murder mystery or some other kind of event that could happen which would make for a perfect story. I kept myself awake all night thinking about stories I could write about that morning came before I got any sleep. My father knocked on the door telling me I should get ready to go before I end up missing my train. I got washed up and dressed and brought all my bags down to the automobile and then we where off to pick up my friend Karen. Even Karen said she was so excited to be going with me that she didn’t sleep either and my father said both of us would most likely end up sleeping though all of the trip and I knew that couldn’t happen especially because it was going to take two weeks to get to California. My father helped us get seated in the box car that we were staying in and shortly after the conductor warned us that we would get underway soon we said goodbye to my father and he got off the train and headed out of the station both of us were brimming with excitement for the adventure that we were on. We did end up falling asleep and resting not too long after departing and the trip was pretty long we managed to keep ourselves entertained by making up stories and telling them to each other and playing other simple games or just enjoying the scenery of the trip. But unfortunately nothing worth writing happened at all. After about a week and a half of riding on the train even Karen started to agree that the trip was boring and a bother and keeps whining about wanting to be in California already and I agreed with her. Then a day later me and Karen were walking back to are box car and we saw these men in black coats coming towards us. I thought maybe this will be the train robbery that I was hoping for and they got closer me and Karen moved to the side allowing them room to pass. They opened the door to the box car we were in and one of them looked at me and was walking toward me like he wanted something. I blurted out I have nothing you can steal and he gave me an odd look and said all I was going to ask was if you have a light for my pipe. I got angry and embarrassed and said what do I look like some kind of general store that carries’s stuff for your convenience. Everyone stopped what they were doing and was staring at me. Karen then grabbed my arm and pushed me out of the box car onto the next and then apologized for my poor behavior saying I was just grumpy from the long trip. At this point my attitude was pretty sour for the next few days. But I overheard that we were about a day’s trip from our destination I started to lighten up some looking at the positives that I wouldn’t be stuck on this train anymore. During lunch the next day me and Karen were sitting and looking out the window and noticed some old houses and structures which seemed abandoned as we were passing by. One of the train attendants was walking past and I asked what town are these houses apart of and he said “Stillwater Town we will be passing the train station soon”. I said don’t we stop at the train station their? And he said no it’s a haunted town no one has had any want to travel there for many years. I said haunted this really brightened my mood and got my curiosity I asked what happened there and he said he didn’t know anymore then that its haunted but he said that when we hit California the librarian would know more about it. I continued to watch as we past the town and the train station which looked pretty old and run down as I watched from the window I felt like something was calling out to my mind from the location. I asked Karen if she felt anything weird while looking at the town. She said no that maybe the onions on my sandwich were getting to me. I told her we have to go to that town that it was perfect for a story. Karen was unsure about that idea and kept saying we need to go to my aunts. But I was hoping that after we would find a way to go there. Finally during that night we rolled into the California train station and of course no one came to pick us up so we had to take a carriage to my aunt’s residence. It took us a while to get there and it was pretty late by the time we reached and we knocked and I could hear the house maid having a fit about having to get up at such a late hour she was hopping mad about it and when she learned my father had sent me and Karen to come take care of our aunt she was like there is nothing wrong with your aunt now she’s fine you wasted your time coming here but come in and you can stay the night. She brought us upstairs to the guest room with our bags and there was only the one guest room with a bed so we both ended up having to sleep together on this small bed tight and cramped. During the morning which I doubt I slept all that much feeling like a crammed sardine we where friendlily greeted by my aunt who was surprised to see me and Karen she said that she just had a cold and there was no need for us to rush out to check on her. I told her that my father forced us and she said your father can be so stubborn at times. She asked if I had any other plans so I told her I wanted to go to the library and find out about Stillwater Town for a book I plan on writing. This was the first time she had heard about me writing books in which I told her some of the book titles I made and she snapped her fingers and said I knew it I saw a book which reminded me of a story you used to tell awhile ago about our home town in New York about a haunted hotel and I said that was my very first book published. She was quite amazed knowing how big of a seller it is in California she said I was pretty famous. She told me where I could find the library and I got a carriage and went to head out Karen said wait I’m coming too and got dressed and joined me. When we got to the library it was a much larger building then the small library’s at home and they had a massive amount of books inside it seemed to be very empty but all the way in the back there was an old man on a ladder placing some books on a top shelf. I asked him if he could help us and he came down from the ladder and asked what we needed. I told him about the train attendant and how he said you would know about Stillwater Town and what happened. He seemed shocked that anyone would want to know about the town. He first warned us that many people who have tried to go there have gone missing before volunteering any information at first. I said I was still very interested in hearing about it and told him that I’m a writer of books. He said in the early 1700’s it was a big and upcoming town because of gold which was found in a local mine area but he said as the town grew so did the crime with it. He said there were a lot of violent people who would rush into town to rob and steal from the town’s people and eventually a stranger rolled in one who said he was going to clean up the town. Everyone was very happy about it and as time went on it seemed like he was a hero who was sent to save the town. Unfortunately that wasn’t going to last some of the local criminals got together and set a trap for the town hero when they captured him they beat him dragging him along by horse back through the desert then before he died they hung him in the town for all the towns people to see. After that they went partying and wreaking the town. During the morning some of the town’s people noticed that the place where the hero was hung his body was missing but the blood which had been all over the rope was still there so they knew it wasn’t a dream and that he got hung. As the day’s went by people were noticing certain people in the town ending up dead but the strange thing was anyone who was walking in the town claimed they saw their friend hanging in the place of the hero just before the person was killed. It seemed as though it was some kind of curse and eventually no one wanted to live there fearing that they would be the next person to be killed. I was amazed at the story the librarian told us and fascinated. I knew this would make a wonderful book but I still wanted to go there and experience it for myself and get a real feel for some of what I planned to write. From the library we went over and had lunch at a small shop we were sitting outside enjoying the fine temperature and I said to Karen we have to go and Karen was like go where? I told her I wanted to go to the Stillwater Town and she was like are you crazy you heard what the librarian said it’s cursed an evil town. I said to Karen the story needs to be written and I wanted to put us in the storyline. A man from another table heard us talking and came over and said I heard something about a book and he asked if I was a writer I told him that I was the new writer who wrote the story about the haunted hotel in New York and his eyes lit up and he said I was just reading that book. He asked if I could sign the cover of his book for him and was amazed that I was so far from my home. He was curious about what I was talking to Karen about so I told him my plans of going to Stillwater Town to write a book. He was like that is a brilliant idea! And asked if he could come along and be a character in my book and I liked that idea I said that was a perfect idea. He said that he could even talk to some friends and get us a group of people to make it interesting. I told him it would be great if he could assist in the project. Karen said you’re all crazy and I said she could stay at my aunts if she wanted and she said I need to be with you to supervise to make sure you don’t do anything stupid. And I said great it’s settled when do we set out and the man said we should go over to his place and gather some people together. So we went with him over to his house it was a glorious Victorian house with a stylish design. He sat us down in the dining area of the house and told us to wait while he gathered everyone. In the mean time I just looked around at the surrounding pointing out interesting artwork and expensive looking sculptures that lined the walls of the Victorian. With a short time people started to pour into the house talking and all excited everyone wanting to shake my hand and girls wanting to hug me and the main came back and stood at the head of the table next to me and said today friends I have a real treat for you we have the famous writer Christine with us and she’s planning on making a new book based off the Stillwater Town to the east of here. And everyone seemed surprised and excited about it. He said that anyone who goes will get the chance to be in my book and then he let me talk. I stood up and introduced myself again saying I’m Christine and I love writing and bringing enjoyment to my readers and I told them about my idea’s for the book and some of the story which I had heard from the librarian in the words of how I planned to make the book and after I was finished everyone started clapping for me saying it was a brilliant book idea and many of them wanted to be a part of it but some were also scared and didn’t want to take the risk. After all was said and done we had about ten people who planned on joining us for this adventure the man who had organized it whose name was Richard, Karen, Billy, Jane, Annie, Timothy, Jon, Kari, Bob, and myself. Richard suggested that we ask the major if he would have the train make a special stop to the town of Stillwater for us and we went over to the major’s office to get permission for it. When we got there the major was giving us a hard time saying he wasn’t going to be responsible about anything that happened to us and he didn’t want to give permission for us to go and I said but my book talks about the kindhearted major whose love for people allows us to take a trip using the train. And after a few moments he was also fine with letting us especially knowing he was going to be mentioned in a famous book. We decided to set out for the next morning we planned and gathered supplies and things we would need to stay there in the town. I started to write the beginning of the book that night giving all the maximum details which I had gathered from the librarian and introductions to each of our fellow adventurers. Then I lay in bed trying to sleep and sleep never came during the morning I was up and ready to go before Karen had even woken up and she said that this trip was going to be a nightmare. I pushed her out of bed and rushed her to get ready and out the door. Richard picked both of us up and brought us to the train station were the rest of the group were waiting excitedly. The train conductor told us that he thought we were out of our minds for wanting to go to Stillwater Town but he could not do anything to stop us but advise us not to go since we were set on wanting to go even Karen tried to talk us out of it but we really wanted to go. The train got underway shortly after we all got on and had our supplies and everything ready. The train attendant told us that they would drop us off at the station and come back within a week to pick us back up if we were still alive he said.