The Dark Victorian

It was a beautiful summer day in 1995 and the Bells, a newlywed couple, just moved into their dream home. It was a Victorian built in the 1870s. They had plans to fix up the old abandon family property before having children, but all their plans changed on their 1st night there.

After unpacking into the night, they decided to head to bed. As they laid down to sleep, they hear a scratching in the walls. Thinking it was an animal David, decided to punch a hole in the wall that they already had planned on tearing down to find a little black book. It was about five by eight inches and about an inch thick. The typical diary-sized notebook, but this wasn't your typical notebook. There was extremely negative energy coming from the book, and it made them feel uneasy. Even though they had these feelings, they still wanted to know what was inside. Emily reaches in, picking up the book, and immediately a cold gust of wind rushes over her body. They sit on the bed and open the notebook. The first page is a map, but it doesn't say where. It's old, dingy, and badly faded. They think it's the back half of their property, but with just moving in they didn't know their property well. Emily turns the page, and it reads, "If you have found this notebook, I am gone, and I need your help. My soul was never put to rest because my story was never told". Emily tells David, "This is really scaring me." As David stands up to investigate the wall to see if there was anything else, he freezes. Emily stares at him and says, "David, are you ok? Is there something else in there"? David pulls back on the wall, breaking a large piece off, and slowly turns around. With his eyes wide he points to scratches and a fingernail stuck in the wall saying, "Do you think it was an animal that did this and left that behind?" With another gust of wind busting their windows and turning their room into ice, they ran down the stairs and out the front door.

They were getting into their truck when they freeze as a lady appeared. She was translucent and floating off the ground. She pointed at the book in Emily's hand, "follow the map to riches and lay me to rest." then she disappeared into the darkness. David insisted on them leaving and turned to Emily saying "Come on. We'll figure this out tomorrow, but that creepy little black book has to stay." Emily looking down at the book and says, "I can't. I can feel her, and she will not hurt us. She needs help, and we must help her. Something sinister happened here, and if we don't help her, who knows what will happen to us". David asks, "How do you know she's not going to hurt us? What is even in the book? Whose book was it"? So, they start going through it. "I don't know how to tell my story, but here's how it all started. My name is Maryann, and when I was six years old, I was adopted. She is an evil woman name Kathline in 1878. The first night with Kathline, she claims we needed to do a cleansing of my soul. It's something I will never forget. She brought me outside into the backyard. There was a table with a bowl, a few different things on the table that I have never been able to remember, and a pig. She put a bunch of stuff into a bowl and set it on fire. She started chanting something in another language. As she was chanting, she then killed the pig. I remember being terrified and wanting to go back to the orphanage, but that wasn't even the worst part. We both had to inhale the smoke coming out of the bowl and drink the blood of the pig. That's the last thing I remember. The next day she acted as if nothing happened, and we never spoke about it. Now, at age 24, I realize that's was not what really happened".

Emily and David were creeped out but, they know they had to keep going. As they continue reading, things got creepier. They discover that Maryann and Emily's adopted moms were similar in many ways, especially in their abuse. For instance, several beatings sometimes with no meaning, not allowed to talk to others or have friends, made to be socially awkward, taught things wrong and then talked down to for doing it wrong, never allowed to even look at boys, starved for breaking a rule, and so much more. It's was horrible to read about for both of them. For Emily, it was making her relive her childhood. For David, it was hard knowing Emily or anyone else went through this. On another page, she wrote something that was far too familiar for Emily "I am waiting on the day I get married and leave this dark place. I know I don't get to leave the house often but, she cannot keep me here forever. Her spirits are strong, but I'm no longer a child. I will no longer be abused by this childless demon! I have seen evil things by the hands of this woman I should love, and I call mother". Emily and David weren't sure what she meant by that, but they couldn't stop reading.

As night turned into day and the sun began to rise, they turned back to the map. "How hard can following a map be"? Asked Emily, and David replied with "Well, which way is up and where does it start"? As they looked at the map, they realized it starts at the back porch on the left side. Overly excited, Emily jumps up and says, "come on, let's go. We have to help her." and an incredibly nervous David agrees. They keep referring to the little black books map, but unfortunately, it's not making much sense. There was stuff in the backyard that was not on the map and stuff on the maps that was no longer there. They figured they needed an overhead look at the property, so they decided to look from the roof. Then they headed back to the house. Emily, reassuring David says, "She's not going to harm us, but she wants to be set free. I feel so connected to her, and we need to help her". They went to the barn in the backyard to look for a ladder, but there wasn't one. They needed to go to the local hardware store. It was about a 20 min drive into town, so they left. Since it seemed trying to bring the book with them bothered Maryann, they left it behind.

On their way into town, they got something to eat. They just sat in the truck for a while, trying to digest everything. "How are we going to set her soul free?" asked David. Emily unsure looks and says, "Honestly, I have no clue, but maybe the book will tell us that." David, still not wanting to do this, questions "Are you sure you want to do this? You know this could be dangerous"? Emily replies, "I don't want to. I don't know how to explain it, but I know we're safe. I know she doesn't want to hurt us. I also feel close to her and like I know her. It might be the trauma we both endured as children, but she's not angry with us, but Katherine. Yes, Katherine is dead by now, but Maryann's soul is trapped here. Also, she mentioned something about riches, so maybe we should find out what she meant by that". David, who's weary, says, "If this is something you want to do, I will do it with you, but I don't want to. I am doing this for you because I love you". Thankful, Emily kisses David, and they leave the fast-food restaurant and make their way to the hardware store. After finding a ladder high enough to fit on a two-story house, they head home. They get home and set up the ladder. Then they head in to get the little black book. As they start up the stairs to the front door it opened but in a nonthreatening, more welcoming way. David calls out to Maryann, "Maryann, I understand your pain, and I'm sorry, but we are here to help you. Please help us on this journey so we can set you free and you can finally rest in peace." Emily looked at him and smiled. Then the book slid across the floor and stopped at the front door. "Thank you." They say together. They quickly went up to the top of the house and opened the book looking at this dingy map. Emily pulls out a similar little black book. David asks, "What's that?" Emily looks at him and says, "It's my diary. I've had it for about a year now. I got it right after you proposed. Not because I was scared, but because I never want to forget. Us getting this house as a wedding gift was a new, unexpected journey. I'm so excited to be doing this with you." While blushing David asks, "Why did you bring it up here?" Emily replies, "I was going to sketch out the old map while looking at the backyard, and hopefully, we can figure this out." David smiles, and they get started.

After about two hours of sketching Emily, says, "It's so beautiful here. I can us raising a family". While smiling David says, "Yeah, I can picture a backyard kitchen here, a swing set there, a pool over there, and a beautiful big garden in the far-right corner." and that's when they looked at the map and realized that's where it was leading too. They climb down and run straight to the back right corner. There is one oddly shaped rock and nothing else. "This is where it must be. We need shovels. Let's go to the barn. I saw two in there". Emily says with excitement in her voice, and David follows. On their way back to the garden David says, "We might not find anything, and I don't want you disappointed. Please remember to expect the worse and hope for the best". "I know, I know," Emily says while she takes off running. Emily grabs the rock, moves it to the side, and starts digging. A few feet down and they find a chest. They pull it out and break it open. "Wow!" they say together. The inside is full of gold and jewelry but on top of the pile of riches is an envelope. "Open it," says David. Emily grabs the envelope and pulls out two folded-up pieces of paper. The first letter reads, "Katherine or whatever name she goes by now is an evil woman. She adopts a little girl and, at age, twenty-five sucks out the souls to stay young-looking forever. If you're finding this and you're one of her victims, please take these riches and run. Don't ever let her find you and on your 25th birthday she will perish without your soul". A scared David says, "That's creepy but, what's on the second one"? A nervous Emily slowly opens the paper and they both freeze in shock. "TTTThat's my mother."

Maryann appears, "I know you are one of her victims. Please sell off these riches and runaway. Do not ever speak to her again. She must do it on your 25th birthday. You need to leave now". David asks, "Wait, what about you. We need to set you free". "I will be set free when she dies. Go now and never look back". Without question, David and Emily pack up their truck and leave. Never to be heard from again.