Introduction:
July 9th, 2022:
Chesapeake, Virginia:
"Ugh," I grumbled as I sat there, listening to the traffic rushing on South Military Highway. "I cannot get the damn story straight."
I looked up when I heard the front door squeak open. Crystal, my friend, had popped her head out. "Everything okay, Becky?" she asked me.
"I'm having difficulties with my new story," I said as she stepped outside.
"You're trying too hard," she looked over at me with a smile.
"Hey!" We looked up and saw Amy walking over to us. "What's up?"
"Becky is having problems with her new story idea," Crystal told her as she unfolded a blue camper chair.
"That sucks," Amy said after she lit a cigarette.
"Yeah, it does especially when the dude in charge is a douchebag," I said with a light laugh.
I pushed back my long, jet-black hair from my face and sighed. In the past, I've never had problems with writing. Now, I don't know what the hell the problem is.
"You need a distraction," Crystal said with a smile. "Any calls?"
"None," I said as I picked up my phone. "It's like the ghosts have gone into hiding."
"Who can blame them?" Amy looked over at me. "Everybody wants proof of the afterlife."
"Even us," I lit a cigarette and sighed. "Well, we're more like there to figure out if it's paranormal or something that can be explained with a rational answer."
Honestly, this pause in ghost hunting has turned out to be a minor blessing. It gave me a chance to work on a new novel but even that is on stand-still. It wasn't my publishing company bothering me for a new novel. Liam, the dude in charge, has been pestering me.
My phone rang and Crystal and Amy looked over with smiles, hoping it was someone calling with a paranormal problem. When I saw it was Dawn, my literary agent, I shook my head no.
"Hey Dawn," I answered and placed the call on speaker. "What's up?"
"I'm calling to see how you are doing."
"I'm doing pretty good. Liam liked the idea of my new novel."
"Is he pestering you about writing it out?"
"He knows that I can't magically whip up one hundred pages plus in a short time."
Dawn let out a laugh because she knew it was true. Liam is a pain in my ass. Before she could respond, I saw that there was an incoming call. "Hey, I gotta call you back." I switched to the incoming call. "Hello, this is Rebecca Blake of Ghost Seekers. How can we help you?"
I saw Amy and Crystal lean in their chairs and I hoped that they wouldn't face-plant on the porch. They were grinning ear-to-ear.
"Hello, my name is Susan Hutchins. I'm an owner of a bed and breakfast here in Gloucester. It once was an asylum. I've been renovating the building over the years."
Crystal got up when I looked up at her and went to get a notebook. Once she was back outside with a notebook, I continued the conversation.
"Ms. Hutchins, how old is the building?"
"The building is at least over one hundred years old. I grew up here and knew of the building. My grandparents would whisper stories of things that would go on here. I don't know exactly what they spoke of because when I would enter, they would change the subject. It has over one hundred rooms."
I mouthed, "Oh shit," to Crystal with wide eyes. We've never had a case with that many rooms. Many of our investigations were private homes.
"Where is your business located?" I asked her.
"I'm located off Haynes Mill Lane by Haynes Pond."
My jaw dropped when I heard where she was located. I grew up a few blocks away from there. My granny still lives in the little subdivision neighborhood off Hickory Fork Road. Maybe she could help us out with the history of the place.
"Can you tell me what kind of activity has been happening that makes you believe that it is paranormal?"
"I've seen full-bodied apparitions. My guests have also seen them too. Items have gone missing and then, reappear in a different area of the bed and breakfast. Some of my guests have reported being touched while sleeping. It's starting to affect my business. No one wants to stay here. Summertime is usually my peak season."
"We can come up there today, Ms. Hutchins," I looked over at Amy and Crystal and they nodded in agreement. "This weekend would be the first investigation. It could take many weekends with that many rooms."
I hated to tell her that but with that many rooms and the three of us, it would be hard to investigate it all in one weekend.
"Anytime you want to come up, I can close the bed and breakfast inn so you don't have any interference."
"Thank you, Ms. Hutchins. We should be up there around one o'clock, depending on the traffic."
"You're quite welcome and thank you."
After the call ended, I grinned at my friends. "I think I can get extra help with this case," I told them.
"Who?" Crystal asked as I went to my messages.
"My aunt Robin and maybe my cousin Alyssa."
Hey auntie! We got a case up in Gloucester. Wanna join us?
Well, that was a stupid question to ask my aunt. I had always told her if we were to get a case up in Gloucester, I would call her. Just as I was about to set my phone down, Metallica's "Enter Sandman" rang out.
Hell yeah! Becky, that was a stupid question to ask me. Lmao! Where in Gloucester? Maybe Alyssa can join us too.
Alyssa is like me; spirits are drawn to her. Yet, I wonder if this would be safe for her and me since the bed and breakfast inn was once an asylum. Before answering her, I realized I had forgotten to get a piece of key information...the name of the inn.
Shit, I forgot to get the name of the bed and breakfast, auntie. It's located on Haynes Mill Lane, though.
"What did you forget?" Amy asked me when she saw me shaking my head.
"I forgot to get the name of the inn."
"Maybe we can Google it and get the name," Crystal suggested and I nodded as she took out her phone. "Where exactly is the inn located?"
"White Marsh."
My aunt's ringtone rang out again.
Lmao, really, Becky? How could you forget to get the name?
There were a bunch of laughing emojis with her message. I guess in my defense, I was excited about us getting another case since it's been months since we had a paranormal case.
I was excited, auntie. That's how I forgot to get the name. It's in White Marsh off Hickory Fork Road. I know where it is, sort of.
"The bed and breakfast is called The Pinetree Inn. It got its name from the pine trees that surround it. And Google does mention that it was once an asylum for many years until the state shut it down." Crystal told me as she wrote down what she had found.
"Does it say why the state shut it down?" I asked her and she shook her head no. "Damn. That leaves many unanswered questions."
My aunt messaged me back.
What do you mean sort of know where it is? How old is the building? Maybe your granny could help out with the history.
I had thought of my granny but I also remembered she's not from here originally. But just maybe, she could have some information.
I had thought of my granny for information but she's not originally from here. The inn is called The Pinetree Inn. I had thought of nana, too.
"Are we taking all the equipment this trip?" Amy asked me.
"Let's take some of the equipment. Mainly, we'll use our phones for EVPs and such. If there is something there, then the next weekend or so, we'll bring more equipment with us."
As I sat there, I realized another blunder I made. I forgot to ask if there were other buildings on the property. Maybe there was housing for the doctors and nurses.
"Did you forget something else?" Crystal asked me.
"Yeah, if there were any other buildings on the property."
I got up and felt a trickle of sweat sliding down my stomach. The humidity here sucks. As I was entering my home, I heard a low rumble of thunder. At least the weatherman got something right. Maybe this storm could amp up the paranormal activity. That is if it is storming up in Gloucester as well.
As I was packing my travel bag, I looked up the hourly weather for Gloucester. It was supposed to rain the rest of the day there. I guess the storm had already passed through.
I decided to let Dawn know that I was going on an investigation.
Hey, we got a case up in Gloucester for the weekend. Maybe that will help with my writer's block.
Ever since I had gotten this idea, I had been sitting at my desk, writing out the outline. But when I flipped open my laptop to start typing, my brain went blank. I don't know how many times I had written the opening scene of the story. If you don't have a good hook, no one will read the book. It's like fishing. You gotta set the hook just right to reel in your fish. If you don't, you lose the fish.
The hoot of an owl let me know that Dawn had messaged.
How long have you been trying to write the novel?
I had to open Microsoft Word to see when I started the first draft.
It's been around a week. The damn opening is getting to me.
My problem is the details of the story. You give too much and you could lose the reader. Yet, if you give too little, you could lose them, too. It's damned if you do and damned if you don't.
Dawn's ringtone came through as I was going up to my office.
Maybe this trip could break your writer's block. I know writing ain't an easy task. And Liam probably doesn't help either.
She was right about Liam. Ever since I told him my idea, I get either a text or email from him asking how many pages I have written up so he can look at them.
"You ready?" I heard Crystal call up to me.
"Yeah, let me grab my laptop and we'll hit the road."
I stuffed my phone into my back pocket and packed up my laptop for the weekend. Before heading back downstairs, I looked around to make sure I had grabbed what was needed.
Even though I was eager for this case, I had a nagging feeling. Was it safe for me to open myself up? I knew asylums were dangerous places for people like me who are sensitive to the other side. We could get an attachment to us. A hitchhiker. We barely knew the history of The Pinetree Inn.
Is this investigation safe for me? For Alyssa? We shall find out.
