The Haunting of Hillhurst Manor

[Badger]

Anne was quite surprised to see a man in a black three piece suit sitting on her stoop waiting for her when she got home. Even more shocking was the Rolls-royce limousine parked on the street.

"whatever your selling Mister, I aint interested!" she said passing him by. "I am not selling anything Ms. Glass, my name is Oswald Finch esquire." he said with an odd nasaly cadence. "I am the executor of your Great Aunt Sandra Grey's will." he added. "She's dead?" Anne asked. "Yes I'm afraid so...did you know her well?" he asked. Sandra's gaze fell upon the grey concrete of the stoop. "I met her only once when I was eight, my mother didn't want anything to do with her or her money." she said. "I see, well I guess you made an impression on your Great Aunt because she named you in her will." Anne's eyes widened at the unexpected news. "She did what?" Anne asked. "She left you $300,000 and her home in Westchester Massachusetts, The Hillhurst Manor." He handed Anne a blue folder containing a check and the deeds to the house and grounds as well as photos and keys.

"This isn't some rundown place that I'll have to spend all of this money repairing is it?" she asked. "Certainly not Ms. Grey, your Great Aunt took very good care of the place." Finch said. "Can I sell it?" Anne asked. "It's yours to do with as you wish, however there was a stipulation, your Aunt made it clear that you live in the Manor for one month before putting it up for sale. Anne looked at the crumbling facade of her slum apartment then to the brightly lit color photo of Hillhurst. "I'll do it!" she said triumphantly. "It's fully furnished right?" she added. "Of course, all but a TV she didn't believe in them." "Oh I'll buy one."

Anne grinned as the cab pulled up to the large Iron gate, the intricate ironwork gleamed in the light of the setting Indian Summer sun, a stylised H and M face eachother from either side of the gate. "You want I should ring the Bell?" the Cabbie asked. "Oh yes please." Anne said. After a seemingly long two minutes a voice answered back. "Yes?" "My name is Anne Glass, Mr. Finch sent me." after another two minutes the voice came back yet again. "OK drive up." he said as the gate opened.

The Cab drove slowly up the vast cobblestone driveway past a large thicket of Apple Trees and up to the massive entrance to Hillhurst Manor. "Here you go Hon, Hillhurst Manor." he said. "That'll be $560."he added. "Yeah sorry about that Milo." she said. "Naw it's not first New York to Massachusetts fare I've driven. Tell ya what you ever need a ride give old Milo a call." he said handing her his card. "You need help with your stuff?" he added. "Oh No thanks Milo, it's just two suitcases...and a flatscreen."

As Milo drove away the large main door opened and out stepped a rather large gentleman in a red flannel shirt and denim overalls. "You Ms. Anne?" he asked. "Yes and you are?" she asked. "I'm Charles King but everyone but everyone calls me Red so you can call me Red. I'm the caretaker of The Manor." "It's...it's quite big!" Anne said grabbing her things. "The photos don't do it justice. How big is it?" she asked. "600,000 square feet. Four floors with six rooms on each floor. fully stocked kitchen, dining hall and ballroom." "Did you say Ballroom?" Anne asked. "Yes your Aunt liked to entertain in her younger days... but as she got older she stopped that. Instead she donated the space free of charge to the local Highschool for the Prom." Anne stopped in her tracks. "She did that?" Anne asked. "Yes." Red said. Anne was confused, every time her Mother had mentioned her Aunt she always made her out to be a mean and spiteful own woman, not the charitable woman she seemed to be.

"This is gonna take some work to maintain!" Anne said. "Nonsense Ms. Anne your Great Aunt hired me to work these grounds and that'll continue to be the case." he said true to his convictions. "But I can't pay you." she said. "No need, Sandra..Mrs. Grey left me $300,000 in her will. That plus my Army pension is all the money I'll ever need." he said. "You live close by?" Anne asked. "I own a house in Town. This is my cell number you can reach me on it 24/7 plus my home phone is speed dial #2 on bthe Manor phone. Now I'll get outta your hair and let you get settled."

Anne made her way into the large foyer, a large crystal chandelier dangled overhead the hanging bobbles tinkled as they gently collided. "This looks more like a Hotel than a house!" she shouted, her voice echoing in the cavernous halls. Anne stood at the bottom of the large staircase, her bags in her hands as she slowly ascended the stairs her phone rang, unknown caller on the screen. "Hello?" she said questioningly. "The Master Bedroom is in the East wing on the 4th floor." the caller said. "Red is that you?" Anne asked. "Yep I forgot to tell you where the Master Bedroom was." he said. "I was just gonna call you." Anne said. "Huh...lucky accident." Red said. "You have a good night ya here...stay safe."

Anne closed the phone and made her way up to the 4th floor landing. "Stay safe...what does that mean?" she asked herself.

Unknown to Anne, she was being watched by an unseen figure.

[Otis McNutt 395]

This is good, at first I thought it was the sicko Banjo guy but it's not. Or maybe it is...who can tell.

[Chase 390]

He is. It's undoubtably someone who

a) owns/runs the site

or

a hacker.

Most likely option a.

[Otis McNutt 395]

Aside from some typos (is the main characters name Anne Glass or Anne Grey?) this story has potential. If "Badger" fails to return I shall claim this story as my own. I have a good idea where to go next.

Screw it, I'm taking over!

Anne gently nudged the bedroom door open and stepped inside. "It's bigger than my whole apartment!" she said in sheer disbelief. The room was very large, a massive four post bed with curtains was situated directly in the middle bordered by antique side tables. On the far end was a huge wardrobe and vanity stocked with all kinds of creams cosmetics and ointments. A private bathroom jutted out from the back next to a private staircase that led to the kitchen. "Well that would've been helpful!" Anne said rubbing her sore palms with her thumb.

Anne looked at the flatscreen and at the walls which were thirty feet from the bed in all directions. "Well that's not good!" she said. Never one to back down from a challenge, Anne smiled as her gaze fell upon an old brass stanchion gathering dust in a far corner. She hurried over and grabbed the relic. The thing was very weighty but with a little elbow grease Anne manoeuvred it near the foot of the bed. As she unpacked the Television she found to her good fortune that it came with a brackate for wall mounting and one for mounting on a table. The tabletop bracket was a frame of sorts that the set would be slid into and locked in place at the top. Anne smiled as she twisted the large brass topper of the Stanchion revealing a threaded stump. As luck would have it, the frame had corresponding threading at it's base. A few quick turns and Hillhurst finally entered the digital age. As Anne drifted off to sleep, watching "Leno" she smiled, knowing that adventure lay ahead for her.