a

t your mind entire

rder, looks up at me with a pinched expression. "I don't believe so,

an from my perch on the back porch. The overcast day is a welcome relief from the heat, and the c

gaze back to his face. "You look like you've been dragged

said to me," I tease, rolling my eyes. "Y

portly, but his strength is truly incredible. His stained white shirt is coated in s

comforting in a w

. big animal

do you

es as I look past him toward the trees in the distanc

the chainsaw for the moment. "Why

imple. I'm having a hard time deciding what was real, and what I made up in my fear fueled mind, in all hones

y up to the fourth floor, where a decaying ladder dropped from the darkened entrance to the attic. I hadn't gone up there, of course. Who would? Most of the doors in the up

ee line for hours looking for something, anything, to prove t

there was evidence to be found, i

nife on m

with marked disdain. "They get into the house from time to time a

ately lurching toward the memory of the musky, leathery s

ash, Mis

myself, closing my

again, Curtis i

." I give him a soft

eans on the railing, looking me in the eyes. "The old night nurse didn't sleep for weeks on

ind of

es, Miss Layla. The

ade her

self and stayed in the house like you, but one day she was just gone. She left e

's aw

d what the lack of it can do to someone's mind." He let out a sigh, furrowing his brows at me. "You s

much I need

Hell, come to church with Bailey on Sunday

' girl," I say, mimick

hes Sunday School. There's plenty of young men looking for a wife there too

s. Curtis glances up, squinting into the sun now peekin

y fingertips as I look up at the ceilin

e dropped some

eally bel

in' sinister about this place. In fact–" he leans forward, crossing his arms, "I believe the only ghost

have somewhat of a

his eyes at me. "Yo

out this place. Please?"

ps, cocking his

decades from what Bailey sai

a few

't you t

in fact, miss. I don't

again, with more

w it. He just sighs, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "I d

derst

first in this area to free their slaves, and that was years before the Civil War. They were hated for it, and it got violent." He sighs, shaking his head.

rd piques m

ll of this is availabl

amed Georgina Gregory, the young wife of Randolph Gregory, who owned the place in the early 1900s, was said to have been a witch with certain... tastes." He grimaces. "Randolph Gregory was a very old man, hav

hat's becoming some incredibly juicy

ld War I while his mother and two younger brothers remained here. However, when he was of

y came back to the states but didn't marry until

ng to link my family lines back to him. He must b

. The rest of the Gregory children spread out. There were three girls b

m, and he nods, like he knows this.

ma'

a distant look in his eyes. "Ms. Penny was his only child for a long time. He and his wife desperatel

ll

shut himself and his family up in this house for years. Mrs. Gregory was a frail little thing, much like Ms. Penny is now, and shouldn't have been trying to have any more babies. Ms. Penn

errupt, starting to lose patience as the hair on the back of my neck starts to stan

Gregory went insane a

es

es there wasn't much that could be done for an early baby like that. All the stories I was told, however, were real awful, miss. I have a hard time even saying it out loud, but...." He sucks in a breath, fixing me with a look that makes the gooseflesh ripple over my arms. "They say Mr. Gregory wasn

hard to

ory had her psychotic break. Poor Ms. Penny was only sixteen when her mother died, and she lef

t haunted," I choke out. "How

nd I ain't never once seen a ghost. Never felt like there was one around, neither. And I'll tell ya, I've been t

el

ly look of disapproval. "I told you what I know, a

nsaw while I seemingly float through the house, so tired I barely regis

, knowing what I know about th

still high in the sky, but the clock on the wall reads 4:44. My alarm goes off like clo

but...." She steps forward as I reach the foyer. "Look, my cousin is taking me to New Orleans two weeks from now for a weekend trip in the big c

l her, still

, then. I made some fresh coffee

ks, B

r rusted car bounce out of the driveway before turning to

r the kitchen,

, as the stranger turns aroun