The haunting of Stillwater Town Part 2

I told him it sounds good it would give me enough time to write a good story and everyone else agreed. About two hours later and mid day we arrived at the train station we got off with the supplies and thanked the train attendant for helping us carry everything off but he refused to help carry anything farther than the train station. I thought that it was silly for him to be so cautious about the town and I said the town is not going to come after you and kill you. And he was like other towns no but this one will.  

The other men in our party helped carry all the supplies off the train and we wondered into the empty town looking for a place to put our bags and stay for the night. As we came into town we saw the rope hanging from the tree exactly like it was told to us from the story. It seemed almost like the town had not changed from the day that the hero was killed.

We went right to the hotel which from the outside seemed to be rundown but when we entered in from the front door everything was clean and pristine as if someone had been taking care of the place all of the years it was empty.  Kari made a comment saying these ghosts do really well housekeeping and how she should hire them to clean her mansion and Karen said to her not to say spooky things like that.  Then we went upstairs to check the rooms they were all in really good condition almost like someone was expecting us and freshened up the place for us. That only added to my excitement and I told everyone how this was going to be the best book anyone will ever read. 

The men went out to gather wood for the fire and the rest of us got set up to make dinner since the sun was starting to set. All the time while we were setting up nothing special at all happened no ghost sounds or encounters nothing out of the ordinary even when the men got back they did not notice anything strange either. But I knew there had to be something to the story we heard.  After dinner we sat up talking for awhile and then we all decided to get some rest.

At first it took me awhile to fall asleep but as soon as I did I started to dream.  In my dream I could see the tree with the hangman’s noose and I turned to look around the town was empty when I turned back I could see a man hanging from it he called out help me as he hung from the tree and the blood was dripping down to the sand. It felt so real and freaked me out that I woke from my dream violently and Karen was hovering over me and it was morning again she asked me what was wrong. And I told her about the dream I had. She did not like the fact I had a dream about someone hanging from the hangman’s rope and said that it might be a bad omen. 

I told the others about it and they said it would be a good fit for the book but none of them were worried about it because it was only a dream. I started to agree with them and brushed it off.  During the day we went exploring the town but we really did not encounter anything which was worth writing about. So I just filled in descriptions about the town and the different buildings in the town.

During that night Jon had gone outside to grab more firewood and came in shortly after saying he heard what sounded like a little girl crying outside. We all went out with flashlights looking to see if we could find anything. We searched for awhile and did not see or hear anything while we were outside. Eventually we all got tired and came in. Billy said that it could have just been a raccoon with its babies since they can make noise like a crying baby. We all decided to turn in for the night and go to sleep. I finished adding what had happened within the book because I still was not convinced that the sound was a raccoon when we did not see one outside.

The next day I decided to go for a walk by myself I told the others so that they knew and Billy said he could go with me but I told him it was alright and went off on my own.  I walked down one of the forest path's and eventually came to an opening where the ruins of an old abandoned house was. The house looked to be an old mansion but was boarded up. I walked around the back of the building and I saw a girl who was playing with the grass. I walked up to her and asked her what she was doing all alone and where her parents are and she said that she didn't know where they are but that she was just playing. 

Then I asked if she was the one crying last night and she said that she was because no one would play with her. Her eyes lit up with excitement and she said "really?" And I told her of course and then she said will you play with me forever? And I told her sure at least until I have to leave.  The girl said okay and grabbed me by the hand and I was walking with her back to the front of the house.  I heard Billy coming towards us and the girl let go of my hand and said I have to leave and I was telling her to wait so I could introduce her to Billy. 

Billy looked at me funny asking me "Why are you talking to yourself?" I told him I wasn't that there was a little girl. And he told me I was standing talking to myself. When I went back I told the others about it and everyone thought that I had too much sun or something.  But Richard sided with me and said that maybe it was an apparition or ghost of some kind. But for the rest of the night we had dinner and went to bed and nothing happened. 

I wrote part of my book and added about the girl and what I experienced and how Billy could not see her.  Then I went to bed. But I was suddenly awoken by the sound of a scream  I jumped out of my bed and was met at my door by Richard and the others who all heard the same thing. We heard what sounded like horses outside and the yelling and screaming of someone we got lanterns and grabbed guns from the stuff we brought and noticed Billy was not with us so me and Richard went to his room to wake him. Both of us could not imagine how anyone could sleep though all the noise when we got up to his room it was a mess the bed was torn apart the window was open but Billy was missing. The room was on a second floor we looked out the window and there was no sign of him falling out the window. 

We rushed down the stairs and told the others then went outside and looked around there was no horses or screams coming from anywhere we searched the town for Billy but could not find out what happened to him the town was empty and no Billy. After awhile Richard suggested we go to sleep and search for him in the daylight so we could see without lanterns we decided to do just that.

Before going back to sleep I continued to write the story just because it was a part of it  and I figured that we would find out it was nothing just the wind and that Billy might have been sleep walking or something silly like that. And I went to sleep. 

The next morning I woke to  Karen shaking me violently saying Billy's dead being half asleep I called her daddy and told her to let me sleep and then she dragged me out of bed and made me get dressed.  When we got outside she dragged me over to the spot with the hangman's noose and everyone was standing around it I looked up and there was Billy's beaten corpse hanging from the rope covered in blood there were marks across his face arms and body that looked like he had been dragged across the ground but the marks around his neck proved that he had also been hung.

Jon climbed up the tree and cut the rope and slowly lowered Billy's body to the ground so we could bury him. We all felt horrible for what happened to Billy and after he was buried we had a long discussion over dinner saying how this was getting serious none of us thought it was ghosts we said that maybe there are bandits living here in the town which know we are here.  At this point I could not do anything but agree. 

That night Richard decided we should have a night watch to make sure that nothing else happens while we are sleeping. So he decided to appoint himself as the first watch Bob said he would take the second and then Jon allowing shifts so that each of them could get rest. So the rest of us went to bed.

Suddenly I was awoken to the sound of a horrifying screaming noise that sounded like Annie. I rushed out of bed and ran into the hallway where I ran into the others we all went over to her room and tried to open the door it was locked shut. We called out to her telling her to open the door but there was no answer from her.  We tried to force the door opened but it would not open. Then Richard went outside to look from the window and looked up at the window he did not see anything and came back up with a steel bar to force open the door. I went down stairs and looked up just to make sure nothing was happening while they opened the door. Then shortly after I saw Richard at the window and he called down to me saying she was gone.  I told him I would look around the town for her.

I started to walk though the town calling out to Annie trying to find her. There was no sign of her I turned a corner and got a weird feeling like something cold was touching my shoulder I turned around quickly and the girl I had saw the one day was behind me. I asked her if she saw my friend Annie and the girl smiled and said maybe she went to play. I heard Richard calling for me and I turned around to see what he wanted.  But when I turned back around the girl was gone. 

Richard told me they found Annie but she was dead. I asked how she died and Richard said that there were no marks on her at all but her face looked like she was scared to death. I said that something must have scared her so bad she had a heart attack then. I started to get really worried and suggested that we should try to get to the train station and find a way to leave early. Richard agreed with me and went back to tell the others. 

I looked around for the girl and did not see her so I went to walk back and she was in front of me when I turned to walk back.  She was pouting and said that I cannot leave because I promised to stay and play forever. I told her that the town was dangerous and that she should leave. She giggled and said you will be staying here. I went to walk past her to leave and she grabbed me by the arm and said we will be together forever now. And before I could say no she was gone again. 

I walked back and told the others about what the little girl said and they all stressed about leaving. We packed up our stuff and walked out to the train station. When we got there Richard and the others looked for a way to contact the mayor or the train conductor but the telegraph system was not working we decided to wait for a train to pass I continued to write the story while we were waiting for a train to pass. 

A train never did pass by as it got late Richard said it would be wise to go back to the town and stay in the hotel rather than staying at the train station. We left our bags at the station with a note in case one of trains passed by and headed back to the hotel. 

We decided it was a better idea to stay down stairs in the same room so nothing could happen to anyone. We were all frightened not knowing what was happening. I continued to keep records of what happened and writing the story.  The others asked me how I could continue to write with two of our friends dead and I said it keeps my mind off my fears. 

I started to fall asleep and I caught myself and rubbed my eyes when I looked up the girl was standing near the front entrance and I told everyone the girl is here. Richard and the rest of them saw and asked the girl what she's doing here and I said to them you can see her now? And they said yes they could. 

The girl said all of you are going to die except for you as she pointed at me she said I was going to be her friend forever. Richard said she was a evil little girl and the girl giggled then started laughing evilly and disappeared. It really freaked all of us out and we knew we had to get out of the town as fast as possible. We realized we could not just wait until the appointed time and planned on starting to walk along the train tracks and leave the town the next morning. We all decided to get some sleep we locked the door and closed the blinds and went to sleep in the same room. 

While I was sleeping I went into a deep dream in my dream I was at the tree which I first had met the girl she was there with a man the same one who I saw originally hanging from the tree the same hero that tried to save the town. The girl turned and saw me and said that the hero was her friend but he left her. I told her he did not leave that he was killed and she grinned and said that she killed him for leaving. The I closed my eyes and looked again and the hero was headless and the girl said you will not leave me anymore. I told her I have to leave so I can finish my story and the girl asked what it was about. And I told her it was a horror story the girl started giggling and said its unfinished. I asked her what she meant by that and she said horror stories never have happy endings silly. 

I woke up and found myself outside in the barn were Annie had died. I could hear someone calling me in the distance I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around and saw a headless corpse and screamed and ran and tripped over a some tool's on the ground. I picked up the pitch fork and without looking I stabbed the corpse. I pushed so hard till I could feel the pitch fork inside of the body. When I looked up Timothy was in front of me blood pouring out of his mouth. He asked me why Christine as he fell to the floor bleeding to death. I thought it was a dream I closed my eyes and opened them again my hands were covered in his blood. 

The others came in as I started screaming and crying and saw Timothy dead on the floor with the pitch fork in his stomach and the blood all over my hands. Richard and the others were shocked and angry I tried to explain what happened and they wouldn't believe me they took me to the hotel and locked me up and treated me like a prisoner. Then they left to bury Timothy. I continued to scream and cry saying that I did not do anything wrong but no one would listen. 

I sat down and waited for them to come back and the girl came to me and she said even your best friends have left you but I am still your friend.  She continued to say they abandoned me. I felt sad and alone. She said that my friends are most likely thinking of leaving without me and I got more sad.

Hours later they came to the door but would not open it Richard said that they were going to leave and that because I'm a murderer I had to stay here in the town. I tried screamed and cried out that it was not my fault it was the girl and Karen said to me you were the one with the weapon in your hand you probably killed everyone and blamed it on the girl. It was like none of them would listen to me and then  they said they hoped I die in the town and Richard throw my book on the ground in the room with me and locked the door then he said that I was never a writer I was just a mental case.

I started to cry and the little girl appeared and patted me on the head and said it's okay Christine I'm still here for you we will always be friends. I thanked her and said how I was so angry at all of them. The little girl picked up my book and gave me it and she said you have to finish it still. I told her she was right. I told her that I wish they were not going to get to leave and she said you could fix that and I said how I'm locked in here? And the door opened on its own and she said you better stop them before they leave. 

I picked up an axe in a nearby barn after I left my prison and gave the little girl my book to hold and went in the direction toward the train station ready to take my vengeance.  As I got closer to the train station I could hear Richard tell Bob to get the carriage from the stable near the train station so they could use it to carry their stuff. 

I went into the stable from a side door and came up behind Bob with the axe in my hand he turned around and terror was written all over his face he was like how did you get out we locked you up. He backed up and tried to get away. I hit him in the back with the axe and he started to yell I kept chopping at his body while he tried to escape and I was laughing and enjoying killing him I could hear the others coming but I did not care as he was dying he dragged his body away with his intestines coming out bleeding to death I hide behind one of the carriages and Jon came in to his rescue but it was too late. 

Jon was trying to ask him what happened and tried to stop the bleeding and I came out behind Jon and said I'll show you what happened and tried to hit him and he grabbed my hands stopping me from using the axe on him. He tried to call out for help and I kicked him in the testicles making him fall to his knees then hit him in the face with the axe and kept hitting him till he was dead. I was covered in blood but all I could do was laugh I laughed so hard it made the others come and I left out the door before they caught me. 

Richard in the others came in to Jon and Bob's battered bodies and realized they needed to escape they decided to only take what was really needed which was food.  Jane said that she it was a good idea to make sure they had water too since they did not know if there would be water on the way.  Richard did not like the idea of Jane going alone so he told Kari to go with her to get the water. They found a canteen in the general store and went to the well in the center of the town to get water.

The little girl started crying and told them she was scared because I was around and Kari came over to her telling her not to cry Jane yelled at her not to get close because of the other day but it was too late I came up behind of Jane and Kari saw me as she turned and could not say anything in time to save her I chopped at her neck with my axe and she fell to the ground still squirming and crying bleeding to death on the ground. Kari screamed in horror and started to run away tripping and falling over her own feet. 

I could hear Richard calling out to her and I kept calling her name and saying it was too late for her to. She was crying and told me that she was sorry that she did not want to leave me and I was like is that true? And she was like yes begging for her life. I told her to show her affection by kissing my hand and telling me that I was the best writer and she said it and kissed my hand and I hit her in the head with the back of the axe handle and left her there and hide when Richard came. 

He came alone and I waited for him to come to her rescue before hitting him in the back of the head. The little girl asked what I was doing by not killing them and I told her the story would not be complete unless more people died by hanging and I started laughing. I dragged their bodies over near the hangman's tree and the little girl brought a horse so we could hang Richard. After I had him tied up and the noose around his neck I splashed him with water to wake him up.  He was dazed and confused and did not know what was going on he saw that I had Kari and he started to struggle and I told him he should be more careful since he's in danger too. The little girl giggled and said to him that if he did not calm down he might lose his head. 

Richard told me to let Kari go and he would die in her place and I said isn't that nice of him I told him I wished I had friends like that and I started laughing and he was like what about Karen and I said all of you left me behind what makes you think I plan on leaving any of you alive. Karen woke up to the conversation and started screaming and crying telling me to kill Richard and let her go and I said look how quickly she is ready to abandon her group leader and I started laughing more and told her to leave. 

The little girl was shocked telling me why would I let her leave but before she could finish her sentence I throw the axe at her back and it embedded into her back causing her to fall to the ground bleeding to death and the girl was pretty impressed saying that she did not think I was so heartless. Richard yelled at me for hitting her which only caused the noose to tighten around his neck more which made him choke.

I picked up Kari and pulled the axe out of her back which only caused her to bleed faster she was losing consciousness slowly  so before I let her die I kicked the horse which caused Richard to get hung snapping his neck and killing him instantly. She mumbled that we were her friends and I said only the little girl is my friend. I dropped her body to the floor and left her bleeding and picked up the axe and started walking away. 

The Little girl was worried and said you are not leaving me now are you? And I told her I don't leave friends but I have one more person before the story is done. I followed the train tracks seeing Karen's foot prints as I went along until they stopped at a point and there was a small abandoned station. I called out to Karen telling her I was afraid that the real killer was going to kill me too. She answered saying you're the killer and that she would kill me if I came to her. 

I swung the door opened and she swung a pipe at the direction of the door which just missed me I was standing there crying and saying you would kill your best friend? And she let her guard down and I swung sideways with the axe which was behind my back and hit her in the chest killing her close to instantly. I dragged her body back and piled all of the bodies in the same barn were Annie was killed. 

Then the girl gave me my book and I continued to write the story until it was finished and left the story at the train station along with the other items.  And went back to the town with the little girl.

A day later the train stopped into the station but none of the people who were dropped off could be found. The conductor took the items which had been sitting at the station but refused to search the town. One of the passengers noticed  a book fall from the items and she was bored and decided to read the book only to find out it was written by the famous author Christine. The last few pages of the book was written in red ink. 

The book was later called Haunting Of Stillwater and published it was the final book written by the Author Christine and it was found later that the last few pages were written in the author's own blood.