When I first wrote this book I did the kid-friendly version as this was a story that I started to write when I was in middle school. As this was a story I used to tell my children I kept many details out of the original book as this story comes from local legend. Now that they are older and I have done a bit more research, I am adding in all the horrid and sometimes scandalous details.
Introduction
Homes are full of history and stories. Homes contain the history of families and the people who passed through the halls and the land. These stories may be a great love story or a tragic death. Some history can be wild and crazy, or some can be full of skeletons and horror. This story is about the families and the many people who had walked through the home and land. The tragic story you are about to hear contains the history and drama that destroyed many lives for over a century at a place known as The Farm.
I have always loved growing up in Florida. For people who grew up here, we have a simple life with a laid-back lifestyle. As a child, I could hop on my bike and head anywhere as long as I was home by dark. As I got older, I could go anywhere with friends, including the beach, rivers, or what held my interest, including many haunted places, as long as I told my parents where I was going. I wasn't alone in my adventures. I had many friends who also liked to explore, and we loved investigating the local area.
Our area is rich with history, some of which include Native American tribes and the Spanish Exploration. We live in Hernando County, Florida, named after the famous explorer Hernando De Soto. So little to nothing happens here in our small town, and if stuff happens, it would happen behind closed doors or be a big news story.
As I got older, I loved to take walking tours to learn about the local history of different areas. My parents loved that I would do this and would sometimes join me. One day at breakfast, Mom told me about a walking tour in downtown Brooksville, Florida. She said the walking tour was led by a local psychic and thought it would be something I would enjoy. As we walked through town, the psychic said that the shadows were watching us and who and what we couldn't see with our eyes. She also made it a point to tell us about our town's rich history. But she also told us about a more paranormal element of our town. She told us that the limestone under our small town has made our area a hot spot for paranormal activity. She explained that limestone helps draw in and keeps ghosts and other entities here, and Brooksville sits on limestone beds. Thinking back on that tour, I should have taken it as an omen for the events of the summer to come. But I am getting ahead of myself, so let's back up to the summer I turned seventeen in 1994. These events happened the summer before my senior year in high school. My parents had given me free rein in my life, and I could go anywhere and do anything I wanted as long as I didn't get arrested. So this was the summer I discovered my family's dirty secrets and ended its grisly legacy.
Chapter 1
One night, a group of us decided we wanted to do some ghost hunting. We headed to the graveyard that sat adjacent to the murder farm. We knew as locals to never step foot on the murder farm property because of the history. But while we investigated the historic graveyard that housed the remains of the poorest of the county and former slaves, you could feel the evil emanating from the old home next door. I kept looking at the farm and felt uneasy. After some time looking around, my friends felt the same way, so we left and went to a nearby all-night diner. While we were there, a table of older residents overheard us, and the oldest in the group told us the story of the home.
He came and sat at our table, and the waitress brought him a coffee. Many other people in the diner turned towards him and pulled their chairs closer so they could also listen to him. He told us he lived a few blocks down from the home, and as he got older, the property changed hands a few times. He continued by telling us his Mom had also grown up where he did, and these are the stories she told him. Then he said, "You know that home was not always an evil place. It was once full of love and happiness."
Someone in the crowd asked, "If it wasn't always an evil place, then what happened?"
With a sad smile, he said, "The same thing that happened to most southern families, The Civil War. The owner of the murder farm was a farmer named Jerimiah, and he and his two older sons, Jackson and Paul, went off to fight in the war in the spring of 1861. During the war, the brothers were in the same unit together, but Jerimiah had transferred to another unit right before the battle of Gettysburg. Jackson and Paul searched for Jerimiah after the war had ended, following up on leads and rumors of where he had gone, but they never found any trace of him. When they spoke to the few survivors of his unit from Gettysburg, no one could recall if he was even there. They went to who was their commander and asked how they should proceed, and he told them to give it time, but for the military, he would be presumed dead.
With a heavy heart, they returned home to their family in November 1866. They gave their Mother the news that their Father had been presumed dead. Their Mother did not give up hope and sent inquiries to locate her husband or to confirm his death. She received the same news that her sons delivered that Jerimiah was presumed dead and would not be returning to his family. Even though the family grieved the loss of Jerimiah, life does move on, and two years after he returned from the war, Jackson and his longtime love Rebecca wed.
A few years after Jackson and Rebecca wed, Elinore had the military draw up death papers and had Jerimiah declared legally deceased. Although she had held onto the hope that he would return to her, she finally started to move on with her life. A few years later, Elinore would meet the new local Pastor, and after a lengthy courtship, they wed on the farm and started a new life together. Shortly after Elinore wed, Paul met a local woman and fell in love, and after a short courtship, Paul and his bride would marry in 1872. The family continued to run the farm happily together, and soon Rebecca and Elinore were both expecting a child. The farm was a place of joy, and the Pastor even would hold church services near the small lake on the property. Everyone was happy and content for a time, not knowing that one fateful night would destroy the entire family and start a chain of mysterious and deadly occurrences in the community.
On that fateful day, a large storm formed right after lunch, and everyone hurried to finish the chores outside. Once everyone finished their work outside, the family settled into a relaxing afternoon while the woman in the home continued to clean and cooked a wonderful dinner. The eldest daughter, Lucy, had just returned from visiting her fiance's family in north Florida and was happily making wedding plans. The remaining three younger children were all thriving in the home with their Mother and the Pastor and were looking forward to their new sibling. The family knew they were blessed, and everyone looked forward to the future.
The storm raged outside the home as the family was kept warm and safe inside. As they sat enjoying dinner, someone started pounding at the door. The Pastor rose from the table, fearing it was a parishioner stuck in the storm. The Pastor rushed to the door to let the poor soul in. His doing this was not unusual as he had done this in the past. Elinore had run to grab a few light blankets so the person could dry off from the rain. As she returned to the front door, she stopped in shock and awe and turned white. Standing in the doorway's entrance was Jerimiah, who had been missing all those years. Wondering what was happening, Jackson and Paul came to see who had knocked and saw their Father standing there looking just as he had when they had seen him last.
Jackson went to embrace his Father, overjoyed that he was alive, and Jerimiah pushed him back, yelling at him, "You left me to die."
Jackson was confused and looked at Jerimiah as he said, "Father, we were stationed apart during the war. By the time the war had ended, we had not seen or heard from you for over two years. We searched for you for years."
The Pastor, trying to diffuse the tension in the room, intervened and said, "Jerimiah, why don't you come by the fire? You must be exhausted from traveling. Let us help you. It has been over ten years since you have been home. After your boys returned from the war, we contacted everyone we knew who had been in the war to see if anyone had seen or heard from you. The last thing I heard was from the General that led your troop, and he said that your last known location was outside of Gettysburg and that you had perished with most of the troops."
Jerimiah looked around at his family and then back to the Pastor and said, "No, I deserted on the way to Gettysburg. We had heard the rumors of the death that had already happened there. The whole troop refused the order, and only a handful went on."
After some conversation, Jerimiah looked up and said, "Pastor, I would like to offer you my couch in the office as I would like time to catch up with my family."
The Pastor looked up and said, "Jerimiah, you have been gone a long time, and many things have changed here. We have a lot to discuss as a family. You were deemed deceased by the military, and I live here."
Jerimiah looked around and finally looked at Elinore as his gaze slowly went down to her belly. The Pastor had stepped back to take Elinore's hand, "We would never have courted if we knew there was a chance that you were ever alive. We contacted people for many years to find you and to find out if you were alive or dead. We looked to bring your body home before we married. The war has been over for many years, and we have been married for four years."
As Jerimiah looked around the home, the whole atmosphere inside the house became charged. Rebecca later said it was as if Jeremiah went from a man happy and finally home with his family to an enraged madman in seconds. Almost as if evil descended on the god-fearing family.
As Jerimiah was next to the fire, he grabbed the ax sitting next to it and stared at the Pastor and Elinore. The Pastor tried to calm Jeremiah, and Elinore pleaded with him to be calm for the children's sake. When he wouldn't calm himself down, she asked everyone to leave the room to give Jerimiah space. The younger children ran upstairs in fear to hide, and the eldest daughter, Lucy, and Paul's wife, Margaret, ran to the pantry to hide.
Jackson ran to Rebecca and moved her next to the window. Rebecca tried to argue with Jackson that she would stay, but he told her to get to safety as Jerimiah brought the axe down on the Pastor. Jackson kissed Rebecca and said he loved her as he lifted Rebecca through the window and told her to run and get help at the neighboring farm. The last thing she saw was Jackson turning to face Jerimiah as he brought the axe down on Elinore.
Rebecca hurried and ran to the neighboring farm as fast as she could in her condition. A farm hand caught her as she almost fell, running up to the porch and carrying her in. The men of the house and the wives tried to calm her down as Rebecca hurriedly explained that Jerimiah was back and alive and was killing the family. She told them Jackson had lifted her out a window to get help. The men grabbed their guns and rode horses to the farm as the wives stayed with Rebecca, as they were afraid the run she made to the farm would harm the baby she carried.
Within a few hours, three of the five men who had left to go stop Jerimiah came back, and they were all pale as ghosts. They said that by the time they arrived at the house, all they found was dead inside, and Jeremiah was hanging from a tree in the front yard. When they searched the property for the farm's hired hands, they found the bodies of 5 workers, two in the barn and three near the fence that lined the property next to the graveyard. Sitting down, they explained to Rebecca that no one had survived and that only she and her unborn child were left.
Later that evening, the local sheriff asked the men who went to help where the bodies were. They explained when they arrived, they found the bodies of the Pastor, Elinore, Jackson, and Paul in the main room, all beheaded, and Elinore had an axe wound to the stomach as well, which was to kill the child she was carrying. They found Lucy and Margaret in the pantry, clutching each other in fear. We then went up the stairs and found the three younger children, Mary, Peter, and Laura, in their room, and all three were deceased.
Out of respect for the dead, they decided to stay outside the home until help arrived. They shut the door to the barn and the house. They had sent one of the party members for the Pastor of another church and another to town to get the sheriff and help so they could start burying the bodies. When help arrived, the Pastor gave last rights to the men whose bodies lay in the graveyard, and then they proceeded to the barn for the other two workers. When they arrived in the barn, you could see where the bodies had fallen as blood was on the ground, but the bodies had vanished. They hurried to the main house, and although there were pools of blood, all the family's bodies were gone.
Poor Rebecca was devastated, and the neighbor's wife stayed by her side, afraid she would lose her baby. After the funeral service without the bodies, Rebecca went back to live with her family in North Florida. When asked if she wanted any of her belongings from the home, she said, "No. Nothing but evil lingers in the home now." A few months after Rebecca returned home to her family, the neighbors who had helped her received a letter. The letter was from Rebecca's Mother, thanking them for helping keep her daughter safe and sharing the news that Rebecca had delivered a healthy baby girl. But then she asked the family to watch the home as she feared Rebecca might return. She wrote that two weeks after Rebecca gave birth, she disappeared. They awoke when one of the staff checking the house heard the baby crying from her crib, and Rebecca was nowhere to be found.
Chapter 2
After we heard the story at the cafe, I started to think about doing my senior project on local legends and lore. The following day, I headed to the local library to do research. My friends laughed when I said local legends and lore would be a great senior project. They called me a nerd, and I laughed, admitting I was the more nerdy one of the group. After looking for information for a while, I started to get frustrated due to the lack of information I was finding and went to talk to one of the volunteers at the library. I met Mrs. Vera that day, sitting at the volunteer desk sipping a mug of tea. She was around 80 years old, but she was sharp and asked me why I was so frustrated when I went to her desk.
Smiling at her, I said, "When we went to the cafe, an older gentleman told us about the old murder farm at the cafe, and I am doing some research on it."
She became upset and said, "I swear I am going to beat old Henry for even suggesting you all get tangled in that home."
Laughing, I said, "Oh no, Mrs. Vera, you don't understand. Although Henry may have told us the story, I have always been fascinated with the paranormal and death. But in all honesty, I was thinking this would be a great senior project for high school. I cannot find any research on the murder or the farm."
Calming down, she said, "Well, I can tell you the information you're trying to find will not be in the library. However, it's in the public archives at the courthouse across the road. If you want help, get a drink and give me about fifteen minutes. When another volunteer comes in, I will bring you over and help you gain an access pass so you can start your senior project."
When Mrs. Vera's coverage came in, we walked over to the courthouse's archive center. She had me fill out paperwork and had the attendant provide me with a guest pass so I could come back in the future for further research. Then she took me to a room and explained that since the information we were looking for was so old, we would have to be careful and always wear gloves. I was grateful for her help on the first day as she helped me locate the information needed. Then she said oh my as she pulled out a wooden crate. The front of the box had a plaque that said, "Farm Massacre 1876."
As we started to look through the box, I made notes in my binder of where to find everything I would need for the project. We pulled out piles of newspaper articles and pictures of the land and blood-filled rooms. Then Mrs. Vera pulled out a stack of old picture stills and started going through them, and let out a gasp as she said, "Amelia, please tell me you are not going to go to that property."
Looking at her, I said, "I was not going to go there if I could, Mrs. Vera. Even when we had been at the cemetery next door, the house and property gave off some evil and creepy vibes. Why do you ask?"
"Because you might be taking on more than you can handle," She started as she slid a picture before me. "You girls could be twins."
I looked down at the picture she had slid over to me and looked at it in shock, not wanting to pick it up, "Mrs. Vera, who is that?"
"That dear Amelia is Rebecca," She said, "She and her baby were the only survivors of the massacre."
I stared at the picture, and it was almost as if I was looking at one of the pictures you could have done at the state fair. She was in a farmer's mourning dress, and just by looking at the picture, you could see she was pregnant. Mrs. Vera was right with the thought Rebecca and I could have been twins. Before I could say anything else, Mrs. Vera said what I was thinking in one word, "Doppelganger."
"Mrs. Vera, could it be that Rebecca and I are related somehow? My parents had adopted me as a baby and knew nothing about my biological family. The most I know is that I appeared at the fire station in a basket, and my Dad found me outside the doors when he went to take out a bag of garbage. Mom and Dad had just married and wanted children, but when my Mom saw me for the first time, she decided I was hers. The Chief of the department made it happen."
"Amelia, I don't know any more history than the story myself and what we may find in all the archived information. After she disappeared from her family's home, there is no more information about her. Some say that her parents had her committed, and they raised the baby for her. Her mental state by the time her child was born was quite unstable. She mourned for her Jackson something fierce, and when people are in that state of mind, you never know what they could do. For all we know, she could have run off and ended her own life."
For another hour, we looked through the pictures and news articles about the murder at the farm and the funeral. I started to think that Rebecca deserved so much more than the fate Jerimiah handed her. I thought about how this project could give Rebecca closure from the grave.
As we left the archive center, Mrs. Vera stopped walking. She put her hand on my arm as she said, "Amelia, if you decide to be foolish enough to go to that dreaded farm, I ask that you please go see the local hoodoo priest and ask for a spell or blessing of protection, I will give him your name, and I will give you his phone number. If Jerimiah's demon still haunts those grounds or the buildings there, you will need a lot of protection. Your resemblance to Rebecca could mark you with Jerimiah, and he might try to come after you and finish the job."
I took the information from Mrs. Vera and promised to visit her at the library soon. I drove to where the farm was and sat on the side of the road, looking at it. Over the years, there had been upkeep on the farm, so it looked like it had been the day of the murders. I decided this senior project would be a big part of my summer.
Chapter 3
After a quick visit to the tax office, I had a list of everyone who had owned the farm since Jerimiah. This information gave me a lead on who to talk to about the farm and the events that followed the murders.
1876-1892 Daniel Worked Land
1899-1919 Township Purchased the Land to use as a school
1919-1926 Sat Empty
1926-1950 Eliza Montgomery
1950-1951 Bank Handles Property
1951-1952 Elly Fred
1952-1956 Mantis Mary
1956 Sat Empty
1957-1965 Brooksville Rehabilitation Home
1965-1971 Home sat empty hospital maintaining
1971- July 1973 Circus (Unnamed)
1973-1982 Citrus County Witch Group LLC
1982- Unlisted owner due to lore around the home.
Later that week, I returned to the archive center and found an interview with Jerimiah's neighbor, Daniel. He gave his account of the time that he maintained the farm after the murders had taken place. After the family had passed, The husband of the family, who had helped Rebecca during and after the murder, had reached out to Rebecca's family and asked if they would mind if they grazed cattle and livestock on the property and planted crops. Rebecca's father permitted Daniel to use the land as long as he maintained it for Rebecca and his Granddaughter. He had explained to Daniel the township had already contacted him regarding the property and stated as Jerimiah had no other family, the home passed to Rebecca and his Granddaughter.
Daniel purchased extra cows and goats to graze the land. He also stored additional horses in the barn and paddock. Daniel also grew crops on the property next to his farm. To help him with the property, he hired three additional farmhands who lived on the property in the barn. For the first few months of the arrangement, things were going great as the animals and crops were thriving.
A week later, a large storm came through, just like the one that happened the night Jerimiah killed his family. Two of the three farmhands showed up at Daniels's front door pale and scared. They told him they were playing some cards in the barn and started hearing screams from the main house. One of the farmhands had opened the window facing the home, and the home had lights on inside, and they saw shadows moving past the windows. The older of the three said he figured squatters knew the house was empty, and he would boot them out and be back to continue playing cards.
The other two watched as the gentleman threw on his coat and walked to the home. They saw the door open as he approached the house. When he went inside, the door slammed shut, and all the lights went out. Then they heard the screams from their co-worker, and the remaining men ran as fast as they could to Daniels's home. Daniel and the other two workers went to the house the following morning, and there were mud prints all over the bottom floor but no sign of the missing worker. They searched the property and never found him. Daniel decided to move the workers into the bunkhouse on his property and have them leave the property at night.
The animals and crops continued to grow and flourish, and he hired more workers. A few were brave enough to stay in the barn, even after what happened to the missing worker. On nights that it was storming, they would hear cries from the main house and see lights go on, but no one ever went to check the house, afraid they would disappear as well. Daniel had said that he and his family stayed away from the home at nightfall and during storms, fearing the ghosts of the dead were haunting the house and land.
The reporter asked, Why did he stop working the land? His reply chilled me. He had said that at the end of the crop harvest in October of 1892, He and his brother were moving the goats to a new pasture, and he heard the screams from the main home. He had heard them before and did his best to ignore them. They finished their job as they checked to make sure the goats settled and the hay was drying in the fields. After checking that the barn was secure and the horses were in stalls for the evening, he and his brother headed to the house. The following morning, they both returned to the fields, planning on moving the hay that day to his barn and the barn on the property.
When they got to the hay, they noticed blood all over it. Daniels's brother and the workers thought a pack of coyotes came through and got some of the goats. Then, everyone realized they could not see or hear the goats. The farmhands split up, and 20 min later, two came riding back. One said half the herd was back in the old field, scared as can be. The other came back and said he found more goats along the fence line to the road hacked up by a blade. Daniel went to the barn and discovered the door open and all the new foals dead in the center of the barn. He pulled all his workers to the barn and had them gather the remaining horses to take to his barns with the remaining goats. Later that day, Daniel moved the cows to his land as well.
That same day, he said he sent a post to Rebecca's father and had said he would no longer be working the land. He explained everything that happened, and he was afraid for his workers and animals' safety. He stated two weeks later, he received a letter from Rebecca's father, saying that his lawyers had contacted the county, letting them know that they were selling the land for his daughter as she was still missing, and he did not want to have that type of legacy for his Granddaughter.
Chapter 4
A few months after Daniel had stopped working the land, the township bought the property to turn it into a school. They left the barn and outhouses as they stood and kept the house the same except for cleaning it thoroughly, painting, removing the home items, and adding chalkboards to the classrooms. Everyone in town received a letter stating this would be a free school, and anyone could attend. Many people were excited as the school had a welcome party a week before the school's grand opening in January of 1900. Daniels's family would not send their children there and stayed away from the celebrations. But many townsfolk decided what was happening on the land was just a coincidence and opened the new school with open arms.
The teachers kept a journal for the school and passed it on to the new teachers every year to let them know what had happened the previous year. These notes gave a clear picture of what happened from the day the school opened until it closed the doors for good.
The welcome party had no odd occurrences, and the school opened the following day. Three teachers ran the school, staying together at a local boarding house, and arrived and left together each day in a wagon provided by the school. They would put the wagon into the barn and let the horses go into the paddock while they taught. Soon, the children in town fell into a new routine, and by the end of the second year, nothing odd happened. Many sighed a breath of relief and decided everything that had occurred while Daniel worked the land was just a coincidence.
In May of 1902, the first of many occurrences would begin to happen at the school. At first, the things that happened were simple enough. The teachers would arrive at the school, and the barn would be open as if someone opened it up for them when they arrived. They would also find the same with the house. One warm morning in May of 1902, the teachers arrived, and once again, the barn was open, even after the teachers had made sure the door had been shut and secured for the night. When they unhooked the wagon and put the horses in the paddock, they walked to the school building and found that the house's front door was open, and all the windows in the school were open to let in the cooler breeze. The teachers thought maybe a neighbor had come to the school early to assure the teachers would not be going into a warm building.
The teachers set up for their day and waited for the children to arrive. While they waited, they sat on the porch and spoke about their plans for the summer. The youngest of the teachers was heading home to North Florida and had plans to marry her childhood sweetheart. She had invited her fellow teachers to the wedding, and both had promised they would make the trip for the wedding. As they continued to discuss her plans for her wedding and what the future would hold, they heard a cry of despair from inside the house. They all stopped talking and went to the door to see what made the noise. As they looked in, they heard the door to an upstairs room slammed shut.
They backed away from the door and looked at each other. The youngest woman said, "It must be the breeze from the open windows."
The others agreed, and soon after, children started to arrive, and the teachers soon forgot about what had happened. The day went on until a storm began to form along the horizon. The teachers decided it would be best to let the children who lived close to the school head home before the rain began, as there was already thunder announcing the storm about to start. As the children began to leave, two teachers went to close down the school and shut the doors to the classrooms. The other sat on the porch with the children and had them take turns reading from a book. An hour later, parents who would bring their children to school in a wagon started to arrive, and soon, only four of the town's children were left.
The teachers decided to meet the parents along the way and would take the road to town so they would not get caught in the storm. They set up the wagon, loaded the children in, and headed to town after locking up the barn and paddock. Arriving at the first home, they found the parents were getting ready to head to the school and thanked the teachers. When they went to drop off the second set of siblings, the mother came out to thank the teachers and said, "I am surprised that you did not see my parents as they were heading to the school as my husband was running behind, and I was busy with the baby."
She assured the teachers they would see the school was locked up and would turn around and come home. The teachers bid farewell, then headed to the boarding house and spent the rest of the day reading and working on things they usually only do on the weekend. Shortly after they arrived at the boarding house, a horrible storm hit, and they were thankful they had decided to close the school early and send everyone home.
The following morning, they had headed to breakfast in the dining room when two of the local sheriffs came into the room. They asked if they had closed the school early and if we had passed any wagons on the way to town. The eldest of the three teachers had confirmed they had not seen any other buggies or wagons until they had come to the edge of town. She stated they dropped the children off at their homes, then went to the boarding house, and have not left since. The boarding house owner also confirmed the information, adding that the rain was so bad they all gathered around the fire and kept company till it was time to retire to sleep.
The local sheriff had stated a set of Grandparents who had gone to the school to gather the children but never returned home. The youngest teacher suggested that maybe the Grandparents took shelter in the barn, and their wagon got stuck in the mud. They gathered their belongings, and the sheriff followed the teachers to the school. When they arrived, the wagon that belonged to the Grandparents was next to the house. However, the missing couple and the horses were nowhere to be found. As the teachers went to the barn, they did find the horses inside and okay. Everyone started calling out for the couple. The sheriff brought the horses to the wagon, and as soon as the horses got closer to the schoolhouse, they became skittish and would not move any closer. The youngest teacher went to get some carrots from the kitchen and discovered the door to the school was unlocked and opened. One of the sheriffs had her wait with the others and searched the home. He came out and said, It looks like they may have come in as there are some plates on the table and a wrap on a chair, but there is no one there.
The teachers explained that was impossible because they secured the schoolhouse before they left, and you cannot enter the school unless you have a key. While they discussed how they got in, the father of the last two children arrived to drop them off and to look for his parents. The sheriff showed the father the shawl, and he confirmed that it belonged to his mother. The men looked all over the property, unable to find the older couple.
After the Grandparents disappeared, the teachers decided to speak with the town, and due to the loss of the Grandparents, they decided to close the school a few weeks early. The teachers took a day to clean and pack up their classrooms for the summer. As they left the school for the last time of the year, they pulled their wagon up to the doors for their belongings, and as they left, the younger teacher pointed out a storm was coming. They were halfway up the driveway when the sounds of thunder started, followed by cries and screams from inside the school.
Chapter 5
In the fall of 1902, the school opened for the new school year. None of the original teachers decided to come back after what had occurred, and the new school year brought two male teachers and one female teacher. The week before the school reopened, the new teachers arrived to ready the school for the returning students. All three teachers made the school ready, and on the first day of school, they welcomed all the students back and were eager to have a good year.
The teachers had heard the story of Jerimiah and his family and the strange occurrences on the property. All the teachers were on alert, but the activity in the home seemed to stop, and nothing odd or fearful happened. The same teachers returned each year, and the school continued to flourish. When the school reopened in January 1911, the activity woke up and started again.
The teachers arrived from their respective boarding houses one morning, and the teacher driving the wagon looked towards the school and said, "Who is that?"
The other teachers looked towards the school and saw a man standing on the porch. The teachers pulled partway up the driveway when the horses stopped and would not move. Soon, the horses began to move backward, and the teacher driving the wagon turned the team around and led them into the barn. The older teacher unhooked the horses and put them in a stall that opened into the paddock. Neither of the horses would leave the barn stall to go into the paddock. The teachers put hay in the feeder and headed to the school to see who their visitor was. But when they left the barn, they noticed their visitor was gone.
The teachers thought it was odd but decided to start their day. Soon after, the children began to arrive, and the school day started. There were two classrooms on the main floor and one on the upper floor, and the younger male teacher taught the older children on the upper floor. As the students headed to their classes, next to a table in the lobby, a little girl stood looking around. When the female teacher came in from ringing her bell on the porch, she approached the child and asked if she was alright. The girl turned to the teacher and whispered, "He is waking up and needs to kill. You need to run and hide, or he will get you."
The woman went to get the other teacher and turned towards his classroom. She decided to ask the girl, who was waking up and turned back to the child, and she was gone. The other teachers came out when the final bell did not sound, and she asked them to join her on the porch. She explained what happened, and they decided there would be an outdoor learning day since the weather was nice. So they gathered all the children in the lobby and explained they would have a special back-to-school day. They had everyone put on their outer clothes and headed outside.
They did a lesson the whole school could work on together and paired the older children with the younger ones. All the children were having a great day until it was time for lunch. As the group headed to get their lunch pails from the schoolhouse, they heard screams inside the building. The teachers and children stopped and stared at the schoolhouse. A younger child pointed to a window on the top floor and said, "Teacher, who is that?"
In the window was a man, and it was Jerimiah. At that moment, as if by the grace of God, Daniels's youngest brother Mathew was riding by the fence closest to the property line and saw that the little girl was pointing to the school. He followed her lifted arm and saw that Jerimiah was in the window. Knowing Jerimiah from before the Civil War, he went through the fence and rode to the teachers screaming, "Get them back now."
The teachers moved the children back down the driveway towards the barn. Mathew put himself between the building and the children watching the home. The students sat near the barn near the horse paddock and went to speak with Mathew. Mathew explained who that was and also explained if you see him, he is ready to harm those around him. The young woman explained what had happened that morning, and he said she probably saw one of the daughters he had killed. When they looked back to the window, Jerimiah was gone.
The children started saying they were hungry, and the teachers had to do something. Mathew went with the male teachers and gathered all the children's lunch pails, and they had a picnic near the barn. The kids seemed distracted enough, and some farmhands came by the school to watch over the children. After the last of the children went home for the evening, the teachers went to the head of the school to discuss what had happened that day. Even though the head of the school was concerned, they said that the school must continue. The teachers realized they were alone in this and went home to prepare for the following day.
When the teachers arrived the following day, four farmhands that had been there yesterday said Mathew sent them to watch over the school and the children. They had just rode up when the teachers arrived and would be in the building and on the grounds during the day. The teachers were thankful for the help, and soon after, students started to arrive for the day. The youngest male teacher noticed one family was not in attendance that day and went to the female teacher as the two youngest were in her class. They had decided to check on the family after school and confirm they were alright.
With the farm hands in attendance, the day went without any problems. At the end of the school day, the children who lived within walking distance left, and parents started to arrive to pick up the students who arrived and left by wagon. When the Father of the absent children came to get the children, he said, "I dropped them off before you arrived as my wife was feeling poorly. They should have been on the porch."
One of the farmhands rushed to Mathew's farm to get more men to search for the children as the teachers and the others started to search for the three missing children. Another farmhand rode to town to get more people to aid in the search. By the end of the day, the townspeople had gone over every inch of the property, and the only trace of the children was the lunch pail from one of the children near the lake. The Father was devastated as he was the one who dropped off the children and said, "I should never have left them. The curse of this land has taken my children."
After the children went missing, fewer students started to attend school. The teachers were always vigilant, and the local farmhands and men in the town would arrive to keep watch over the children and the school. Soon, everything went back to a sense of calm and peace. The younger two teachers left the school at the end of the previous year, and the older male teacher stayed. He felt a sense of duty to protect the students, and in January of 1919, the male teacher pulled onto the property with two women teachers who had joined him for the school year. The older of the two females was a woman who was stern but kind to all the students, and the younger was a newer teacher who had just started her first teaching position. They settled the horses and closed the wagon in the barn. However, as they arrived at the schoolhouse door, they found the front door unlocked and open.
As they entered the lobby of the schoolhouse, they saw a mess. Throughout the school, it looked like a fight had occurred. The teachers went to their classrooms and saw that the desks were moved and overturned. The younger teacher ran into the lobby, calling for the other teachers, and said, "You need to see my chalkboard."
Written on the chalkboard in a child's writing were the words that read, "Get out, daddy is waking up again and is angry."
The older male teacher sighed and ushered the ladies to the lobby. They realized he was shocked, and he told the story of what had happened and the three missing children. The older woman asked, "Do you believe in ghosts?"
He straightened himself and said, "I never had until the teacher saw the little girl, and then three of our students disappeared. Honestly, I know what we saw, and it was a man in the window holding an axe. The sounds coming from the building were horrible. Ever since those poor children disappeared and seeing the man, I feel that this land has not been right since the murder here."
The younger teacher asked, "What should we do?"
The older woman's teacher said, "We close the school today and go speak to the head of the school board. We get the wagon to the beginning of the driveway, where the children would come in, and we send them home. I will not put our students in any danger. Right now, we head in and grab our belongings and do this before anyone shows up."
They headed inside and grabbed their bags and baskets. As they went outside, they heard the horses whining. They started to go to the barn as one of the farmhands galloped onto the property and yelled for them to stay away from the barn and get off the property. The teachers took off to the beginning of the driveway as another farmhand came running in after him. He put himself between the teachers and the barn. The male teacher helped the ladies up the driveway and yelled, "What's going on?"
The farmhand jumped down from his horse and said, "We saw Jerimiah walking the property as we repaired the fence line. He headed to the barn, and then the horses started whining. Get off the property now and keep the kids away."
They heard laughing behind them and turned around. There standing between them and the school was Jerimiah.
He called out, "You will not save those children now."
The farm hand grabbed his horse and helped the ladies on as he screamed, "Go now."
The older woman took the reigns and rode fast to the end of the property as the other farm hand burst through the barn doors with the wagon and all the horses following them out. They blocked off the property, and both women called to the farmhand and the last teacher. They waited with the first farmhand, and as students arrived for class, they checked off names from their list and sent them home, telling them not to enter the property. When one Father arrived, he asked, "What is happening?"
The older teacher explained that Jerimiah had appeared, and our other teacher and a farmhand were still on the land. The Father looked at his kids and said, "What about the kids who arrive on foot? Some cut through the property."
The farm hand said, "I will circle the property line. Ladies, I will need a list of the kids who have not shown up to ensure we find them before he does. Sir, if you wouldn't mind, could you go to Mathew's farm and tell him we need to guard the property and could use some more field hands? Tell him they stay off the property unless they see any students on the land."
Wanting to help, he went right to the Mathews farm, and Mathew and the farmhands rode their horses around the property line, careful not to enter the property. They ensured they stopped any student they saw going to the school, took their names, and were sent home with firm instructions to stay away. The teachers sat and waited for more families to come by and kept looking towards the path the other teacher and farmhand should come out of. They received nothing but silence. By the end of the morning, all but one student and the two men were missing. Mathew and two other farmhands rode the property just after noon as another went to the parent's home to check on the child. The mother said her son went to school that morning. When they informed her about what had happened, the mother went to join the teachers. Mathew and the farmhands took the risk and headed onto the property to search for the child. They found the missing farmhand hat next to the teacher's belongings on the ground, and they found the child's school book and lunch pail on the steps to the school. Although they found their belongings, all three remained missing.
The town representative for the school arrived after they found the belongings of the missing people and was informed about what had happened. He asked the women if they had any belongings in the school. The older teacher looked up and said, "No, I have all my belongings."
The younger said, "No, I left a picture of my parents, but I will not go back in there to get it."
He decided that the school would be closed immediately. Then, militia members relieved the farmhands of guarding the property. Signs were posted along the property that no one entered for fear of death. The woman returned to the boarding house, and the town representative offered the local library as a school for the remainder of the year. They accepted, and when the year ended, they held a vigil for the missing teacher who had stayed on for years to protect the students and all those who had disappeared since the school opened.
Chapter 6
After the events that happened at the school, the property remained empty until 1926. I read reports of people going missing while the property sat empty as I read through the archived information. One article was the account of the remaining survivor of an attack on the property.
Three travelers had come upon the property's entrance while walking near the property, and the three men saw the barn from the road. The three men snuck onto the property and into the barn for a place to stay for the night. As they lay down, they began hearing screams from outside the barn. The men looked out the door and saw the lights inside the home were on. They gathered their belongings to leave in fear of being caught. As they left, they heard a voice yell, "Who is on my property?"
A man carrying an axe appeared in the shadow, and all the men ran to the fence line. As they ran, he heard one of the men scream out, and then shortly after, the other man screamed out as well. As he neared the property line, he felt a sharp sting on his back but did not stop until he was off the property and down the road. When he finally stopped running, he reached up to rub his neck and discovered he had blood on him. He started to feel faint and passed out on the road. He woke up at the town's small hospital, and the Doctor asked him what cut him. He was confused, and the Doctor explained he had cut up his back that was deep, explaining that he passed out due to bleeding out. When the traveler asked about the two men he was with, the Doctor told him they only found him.
The traveler told the Doctor what had happened that night and about the man with the axe. The Doctor suggested not returning to the property and tried to explain that his friends may be dead. He explained to the traveler the farm's dark history and that people have disappeared from there since the murders of the original family. In the article, the Doctor felt for the young man and provided train fare a few days later to get the young man out of town. A few members of the local Militia went to the property during the daylight hours but only found two rucksacks and no trace of the missing men.
After the men went missing, the property sat vacant until February 1926. At that time, a widow named Eliza Montgomery purchased the property. There was almost no information about Eliza, but she lived on the property until the 1950s, and there were no active reports or articles about the property while she lived there. I did see an article written after her death, and all it said was that people believed that she was a witch, and she made a deal with Jerimiah's spirit to live in the home and cast her spells. She died in the local hospital, and no one ever went to the property to check on the house or the claims of her being a witch.
After Eliza passed, the bank handled the care of the property from 1950-1951. During the year they maintained the property, there was a notation in the bank file that two grounds workers went missing. However, there was no information in the file if a police report was issued or if a search happened for the two men. However, I located the sales record and the names of the following people who took ownership in October 1951. I made a few calls and spoke with the couple who purchased the property, and when I explained why I was doing the project, they agreed to meet with me.
Chapter 7
A few days after I started my research, I met with Fred and Elly Miller. They moved into the house right after their wedding in October 1951. Fred didn't say much at first about the home, but Elly was very vocal about the home and property.
"Amelia, when I first saw the house, I could not get over how beautiful it was with the tree-lined driveway and the massive oak trees all over the property. But beauty does not hide the fact from us now that that home is cursed," She started. "Especially when we would have newlywed fights, the house seemed to hold onto the anger and feed on it. We were married in October of 1951, and we had decided to go home for our wedding night. We decided not to have a honeymoon because we wanted a nice home, and honeymoons are expensive. The first few weeks, the house was great, and we settled into our married life. We hosted and co-hosted parties at our home because we had a place to live, and many of our married friends lived with their parents."
Holding Fred's hand, she continued, "Around Christmas, Fred's baby sister Connie found out she was expecting a baby of her own, and his parents wanted to send her away. My Fred, who has always been Connie's hero, convinced his Mom and Dad to let us keep her in our home. We didn't want her to go to one of those homes for unwed mothers because we had heard rumors about how bad they were. His parents agreed to the arrangement, and Connie moved in with us. Although Fred's parents were unhappy about the arrangement, we decided to host a party on Christmas Eve with our friends and Christmas Day with our family. The party with our friends was amazing, and we all had a grand time. We were even surprised that night when Connie's boyfriend showed up during the party to look for her."
Fred interrupted, "The boy had not heard from Connie. But a friend of ours told him that she was having a baby. The poor boy went to my parent's home asking for her hand, and my Dad threatened to shoot him. He came to me and said if Connie married him, he would marry her right that second, giving me his promise that the baby and Connie would be very well taken care of and he would spend his life making her happy. He even had a marriage license he and Connie had gotten so they could elope when my parents had said how much they did not like him because he was older than her. They got the license before she was pregnant, and my parents decided to hide her. Little punk, I was taking him to the barn to beat the snot out of him, and he decided to be a man. It just so happened that a friend visiting that night was an ordained minister, and he married the two on the front porch with everyone at the party as witnesses. When I allowed them to marry in the home, it made my baby sister happy, and that made us happy. My Elly even took the cake we were having as dessert and turned it into a wedding cake in ten minutes flat. The party ended up turning into a wedding reception."
"Well," Elly continued. "Fred had told Connie and Mack to stay with us through the holiday, and they could announce they were married and that Connie was having a baby at Christmas dinner. That morning, we exchanged gifts and had a lovely morning eating the leftovers from the night before, and that afternoon, Connie and I cooked Christmas dinner. My parents were the first to arrive, and Fred stopped them on the porch and explained to them what he allowed the night before. Fred's Dad was livid and wanted to leave, but Fred said she was married now, and if Connie had not been hidden away, Mack would have married her the moment he had found out. So my parents entered the house, and Dad went and shook Mack's' hand."
Elly stopped to get a sip of water, then continued, "Fred and Mack were talking about where Connie and he were going to live, and he had explained he owned a small bait and tackle shop on Hernando Beach. He explained where the shop was and that he was even going to rent out canoes and boats to the folk who stayed in the motels in the area. He had a larger apartment above the shop, and Connie could use the truck any time she wanted to see family, as the shop also had a fueling station attached for gas, and they would be getting groceries delivered to the shop as well. Dad made scoffing sounds and eventually slammed the idea by saying no one could make a living there."
"Connie and Mack raised three kids above that shop, and Connie still lives there," Fred said. "Connie will tell you about her story about what happened to her if you go there and talk to her. Later that night, Dad became more belligerent as a storm formed outside. His temper started to rub off on some of the guests, and Elly was so upset that Connie had to calm her down, explaining that the dinner and everything were great and Dad was acting like a grump. By the end of the evening, the tension between Dad and Mack was horrible, and that's when my Dad snapped at everyone."
He took his anger out on everyone but started yelling at Connie first, "That's it, Connie. If you stay married to this man, you are no longer a daughter of mine. I will not have a child married to a fishmonger. It's bad enough that your brother came home from the war and became a damn farmer."
"My Dad," Fred stopped to gain his composure before he started again, "My Dad had been to the home so many times, and he always said he wanted to do a project or two here. But never had he said anything horrible about the farm. Then Dad grabbed Mom's arm and pulled her kicking and screaming into the storm. My Mom was begging him to stop, and he was hurting her. He pushed her into their truck and took off towards the road that met at the graveyard road. We watched my Dad speed away, and then we saw the car veer and crash into the tree line of the graveyard. Connie ran into the house to call emergency services, and Mack, Elly, and I ran to check on my parents. My Dad was unconscious, and my Mom was in the front seat crying."
"Mr. Miller," I said. "We can take a moment if you would like. I know this is hard on you talking about that house."
Taking a deep breath, he clutched Elly's hand and said, "No, I am fine. Thank you for being concerned about me, but you need to know everything that happened in that house. When Mack got the door opened, my Mom looked at Mack and said Dad swerved to miss the man with the rope around his neck. By the time emergency services got there, my Dad had passed away. When they went to retrieve my Dad's body, they discovered his body was gone. The police came and asked my Mom what had happened. My Mom told them we had swerved to miss the man, and they took her to the hospital with Elly watching over her because they were afraid that she had hit her head. Mack and I got flashlights from the house and walked the whole property in the rain, looking for this guy with the noose. When we got to the back end of the property, we found a noose on the ground and looked back towards the graveyard and saw someone walking through the trees with an axe. We went back to the house and called the police. The sheriff came out with a dozen officers and searched everywhere but found nothing. They took the noose with them as evidence of what we saw."
"Connie and Mack decided to stay at the house while I met up with Elly and Mom at Brooksville Clinic, which is now Brooksville Hospital. The staff told us that they sedated Mom and would keep her overnight, and we could come back in the morning to get her. When we got back to the farm, there were a lot of police at the house. We saw Mack and Connie were in Mack's truck, and Connie was a mess. Mack had told us that he went to the barn to check on the animals and close the doors because he wasn't sure how long it would be and wanted to get the chores done for me and feed the chickens. Connie had gone up to bed and rested after everything that had happened. When he had finished feeding the chickens, he heard screams from the house. Mack had run through the house and up to Connie's room. He wouldn't tell me what he saw that night until later, but after Mack got to the room, Connie was hiding under the blankets, and he carried her in his arms out of the house and put her into the truck. The screams seemed to be coming from everywhere, and it was so loud the neighbors across the road called the police and saw Connie and Mack safe in the truck. The neighbors described the screams, saying it seemed like the gates of hell opened up. The police heard the screams as they pulled onto the property, and the noises stopped when the cops opened the door to the house. When the police entered the home, there was a mess, as if there was a fight. Mack and Connie had cleaned everything up before Connie went upstairs to go to bed, and he went to the barn. Mack and I sent the ladies upstairs and cleaned up the mess. The police kept two officers there overnight, and the officers later reported that they saw someone in the woods near the graveyard, but when they checked it out, the person was gone."
"Is that night the reason you moved out of the house?" I asked.
"Well, dear," Elly said. "Connie and Mack moved all of Connie's and the baby's items to their new home the next day. After what happened, Connie was afraid of the house, and who could blame her? She and I would talk on the phone two or three times a day. She was nervous, and knowing I was still a new bride, I think it helped us both to talk about what happened. At the end of January, Fred and I discovered we were expecting a baby of our own, our daughter Donna. Fred was out in the barn, and I had just returned from the doctor and went to find him. Well, he was elated to find out about the baby. He went out when he found out, bought a tree, and planted it right outside the nursery window, which was Connie's old room. So it could grow alongside the baby in my belly, then with the baby as it grew up."
Elly stopped and took a deep breath, "We had gone to give his Mom the good news about her second grand baby. We found the tree Mack had planted all morning chopped up when we arrived home that afternoon. What we found next was worse. After going into the house, we found the nursery destroyed. Mack and I were devastated. We were scared and knew something, or someone wanted us out of this house. We went to bed after we reported it to the police, and they again stayed the night in the driveway watching. I was awoken that night by a whispering in my ear, and the voice said, 'Leave before he harms you and your baby. Jerimiah will not stop.' After that, I could not sleep, and the following morning, Mack went down to make some coffee."
Mack continued and said, "Poor Elly kept me up all night. She later told me about the voice whispering to her. I went downstairs that morning to make some coffee. When I went to the kitchen, it was horrible and looked like a massacre occurred, with blood everywhere. I yelled up to Elly to stay up there and lock the door. I ran out to the porch and yelled to the police. They came in, and the officers were as shocked as I was. One of the officers muttered about how they patrolled all night. They told me to get Elly out of the house now. I ran upstairs, grabbed a suitcase, and had Elly pack some things. I left the room to tell the police officers we would be down shortly. The one officer had attempted to cover the door to the kitchen, and I went to get Elly to get her out of there. As we left the room, blood seemed to appear everywhere."
Elly took over and said, "Fred came in as I packed a second bag with his clothes, and he guided me out of the house. What he didn't realize was that there was blood everywhere. Blood on the walls, and when I looked into the nursery, there was blood all over the room. There were trails of blood all over the house. The officer gave up holding the blanket and came over and took the bags so Fred could help ensure I didn't slip on the puddles or touch anything. The last thing I saw when I went to leave the house was the words YOUR NEXT written in blood."
Fred continued, "I took Elly to my Mom's house and called Mack. He and his brothers came and helped me get everything from the house. We took the items not soaked in blood. Mack was shocked when he saw our nursery and the same room where Connie had stayed. All he could think about was Connie could have been here when this happened. He asked what I was going to do. I told him I was going to sell. The neighboring farmer came over and offered to take the animals, and I realized we had not heard the chicken or pigs for a while. I didn't have many animals, but it solved a problem, so we went to the barn to get the animals moved. That's when we found out why they were so quiet. There was blood everywhere. The animals were in their pens slaughtered. We thought all the blood in the house was from the pigs, chickens, and sheep. The farmer went white, and at that moment, the sheriff arrived and said Elly had called them and said they needed to get to the house quickly. I explained Elly was with my Mom and showed him what we found. We went to shut the barn doors, planning to return to bury the animals the following day, and heard a guttural yell from inside the house. We never set foot back inside the house."
"So, what did you do with the house?" I asked.
Fred continued, "We were lucky a young man bought the house a few months later, and we got our money back. We explained what happened, and he said it was okay as he didn't plan on living in the home, just using the barn and maybe planting some fruit trees. That was it for us at the house. Mom never recovered fully from the night Dad passed away, and we ended up taking over her home's payments and staying in my Mom's home to raise our family. It did Mom good to have us there, and when our daughter Donna and Connie's baby Grace was born, it brought joy back to her life. I ended up working for Mack till I retired five years ago. Remember, when you do talk to Connie, be gentle with her. We did not know about the stuff that happened to her until sometime later. We also gave her a call, and she said for you to come out and see her. She wants to talk to you."
I thanked Fred and Elly for their time and went to the coffee shop to write out my notes. I called the phone number that Elly had given me and spoke with Connie. Connie said she was free and would be waiting for me to arrive, and she was excited to meet me as I wanted to learn the truth about what happened at the farm.
Chapter 8
As I drove out to the beach, I thought about Fred and Elly's story and what they went through. From everything I have researched, it seems like Jerimiah and his family are the most active spirits in the home. However, it also seems like Jerimiah is the spirit harming everyone and causing the chaos. I pulled up to the front of the store and saw who I thought was Connie in the main sales room. I thought about the information Fred had given me as he walked me to my car earlier. Fred had said that Mack has Alzheimer's, and there have been times when he is still stuck remembering getting Connie out of that house. I walked to the door and saw the closed sign. I knocked, and Connie looked up from her phone call and said, "I will be right there."
I nodded and waited. After a few moments, I saw Connie hang up the phone and walk to the door. As she opened it, she said, "You must be Amelia. I am sorry Fred had called me and was telling me about your visit. I had told him you were on your way to see me."
She stepped away from the door and laughed, "I hope you're in for a talk, Amelia, because you're barking up a tree that is not for the faint of heart."
"Well, ma'am, to be honest, I am trying to piece together everything I have been told, researched, and heard. I will decide how I will continue once I have more information. Besides, it's a long summer break, and this is my scavenger hunt."
Connie laughed and waved me through a door to the back of the shop. "I wish you could have talked to Mack as well because he had a tale for you, but he doesn't remember much these days."
"Fred told me Mack is in a home for Alzheimer's patients now?" I asked her.
"Yes, My boys and grandson run the shop for the most part nowadays, but I won't leave here. I have been here since I was married to Mack, and I will stay here till the day I die. My brother filled you in on the day I left that awful house, correct?"
"Yes, ma'am, about how there was screaming and yelling and how Mack had to run in through it all and rescue you," I said.
"Did my brother happen to tell you what Mack saw when he was running through the house?" She asked.
"No, he didn't," I said. "Wait, Mack saw something that night?"
"We both saw something, Amelia," She said, sighing, "Well, let me get us some sweet tea, and we will talk about everything."
The door to the apartment opened, and in walked an old friend I knew from school. Well, not only did I know him, but I also had a crush on him during school until we had a big fight. He looked at me and said, "Amelia?"
"Hey, Mason, how are you?" I said. "Long time no see."
"Yeah, long time no see...What are you doing in my Grams place? Last I heard, you were doing research for some project. Is the shop part of the research?" He asked as he sat down.
Connie walked in at that moment with a tray of tea and a couple of glasses. "No, the shop is not part of the research, but I am. Mason, every family has secrets, and this delightful girl happened to stumble upon ours. Well, it is more like a secret we were involved in. I hope you will stay and listen to what happened to our family, as I love an audience."
Mason laughed, then looked at Connie and said, "Grandma, I feel like I am out of the loop with what is happening."
Connie laughed, stood up, and said over her shoulder, "That's because you are my sweet boy. However, with what happened to our family, including Uncle Fred and Aunt Elly, we did not want any of you to know about what happened to us."
Connie went over, picked up a few pictures off the wall, headed back to the couch, and sat. "Well, if you talked to Fred and Elly, you know how I came to be at that house, we can skip that part of the story. A few days before Christmas, Elly was busy preparing for the Christmas Eve and Day parties she and Fred were hosting. I was helping her as best I could, but during that stage of my pregnancy, I was starting to tire out faster and faster. Two days before Christmas, I was helping Elly make wreaths, and I started to get a little dizzy, so she helped me up to my room and told me to rest. She had left a glass of water on my side table and a peanut butter sandwich as I could not eat all morning from feeling sick. Elly knew how I craved those peanut butter sandwiches, and since Elly made her homemade peanut butter, I always craved those sandwiches all the time. She had tucked me in and told me to get some sleep. I felt so bad because we had just started making those decorations when Elly sent me to the room to rest. I remember hearing Fred come in and Elly saying she was worried about me because of how much I had been through. She had asked Fred if Mack even knew I was pregnant."
"Wait," Mason interrupted. "You were married. How would Grandpa not have known you were pregnant with Aunt Grace?"
Connie chuckled, "Mason, Listen to the story. There is a lot about the beginning of my marriage to Grandpa that you do not know about, but you will understand. I hear Fred call our friend Jeff on the phone and ask him for a favor. I must have dozed off because, at some point, I had dreamt that Elly had come into the room with her robe on and laid her hand on my belly. She would check on me sometimes if I slept during the day and always touch my belly, so I didn't think anything of it. I heard Elly whisper, 'You poor sweet girl.' Then she walked out. Hearing a truck coming down the driveway, I stood up from the bed to look out the window. That's when Elly and Fred were getting home. That was not Elly that had touched my belly. I stiffened up and walked to my door to look down the hall. There was no one but me in the house. I walked downstairs, and Elly and Fred said they went to the market while I was sleeping and got us stuff for dinner. I smiled and sat down, deciding not to say anything about this to them."
I went into my bag and handed her a picture. "Is this the woman you saw when you were lying down?"
She looked at the picture and then at me, "That's her, who is she?"
I took the picture back and put it in my bag. "That was Elinore, Jeremiah's wife. She was about six months pregnant when Jerimiah killed her and the family. I think she saw you and wanted to protect you from Jerimiah."
Mason looked at me and said, "Amelia, what did you get yourself into?"
"Nothing, just researching a story I heard about. Your Grandma just so happens to be part of the story and research," I said.
Connie looked up and continued, "Well, later that night, after I had showered and said goodnight to Elly and Fred, I laid down trying to get a comfortable position. That's when the whispering started. At first, it started very soft, then it grew louder, and I could make out children's voices. As I sat and listened, I would hear them say we can't let anyone hurt the baby. Papa will get back in and hurt everyone if we don't keep everyone safe. Mama is trying to protect them all. Paul is trying to protect them all. Jackson is trying to protect them all, but he is getting tired. I guess part of me thought it was a dream because the next day, I woke up, and it was Christmas Eve."
She stopped and sighed before continuing. "Most of that day was a big blur with helping Elly prepare the food and snacks as I sat on a chair at the kitchen table. After the party started, I mingled with our friends at the house. That was until Mack came in and asked to talk to Fred. I remember Fred walking out to the barn with Mack, and about ten minutes later, Mack asked me to join them outside. He explained he had been looking for me since he got the note saying my parents sent me away. Mack said that the bait and boat store was up and running. He asked me to marry him at that moment. I was so happy because I had been trying to find him also. I was so happy we would not have to run away. Fred brought over his friend Collin, who was at the party. Collin was a minister, and he married us right then. We had already gotten a license before my parents hid me with Fred and Elly and before I knew I was pregnant. I had it in my room upstairs."
She handed me a picture. "That picture was taken on the porch just after we were married. Look closely in the window behind us."
I looked at the picture to where she was pointing and realized there were two little girls with braids in their hair, looking out the window at the happy couple smiling. "Those were two of Jerimiah's daughters."
I pulled out two more pictures and handed them to Connie, " The smaller of the two is Laura, and the taller one is Mary. They were quite young when Jerimiah went to war."
Connie looked at the picture again, "Those poor babies were so young and to have perished in such a horrible manner. Well, you know what happened to our family on Christmas Day, with my Dad and Mom. I believe that my Dad had been influenced by whatever evil was in that house, and the night he died, he was swerving to avoid Jeremiah when they crashed. My Dad was, unfortunately, a casualty of that farm. My Mom was so happy when my Grace was born. I have always believed that if my Dad were still alive, he would have loved Grace and wanted to be in her life."
Connie stopped and took a deep breath to continue, "After Fred went to get Elly from the hospital that night, Mack and I cleaned up the house, and then he told me to go ahead and wash up and settle into bed. He just wanted to feed the animals and get the barn locked up so Fred wouldn't have to deal with it later on when he got home. That was before cell phones, and depending on how long it took him to finish things at the hospital, we knew he would be exhausted. I felt so drained after losing Dad and was happy to listen. I had just put on my bedclothes when I heard the first scream. I leaned against the outer wall when I heard what sounded like a body falling to the floor downstairs. I heard Mack yell for me, and then I heard a noise on the stairs and saw three children run into the room and hide under the bed. Mack ran into the room right after them, and as the yelling was going on, we ran down the stairs. I remember looking toward the back window and seeing a young man who looked a lot like Mason help a young woman who looked like you through the window. He kissed her forehead and told her to run. As she turned to run, he yelled run again as he faced a shadow moving towards him. We saw him struggle with the axe as Mack guided me to the door. We heard a body fall to the ground as we were left the house,"
Connie stopped because she was shaking and said, "Later that night, Mack told me he heard the young man say, 'She is safe now along with my child. You can kill me, but you will never get to them.' The yelling had been so loud that Mr. Nichols, the neighbor, called the police. My dear, the young couple, who were they?"
"They were Jerimiah's son Jackson and his wife Rebecca," I said. "Jackson died by Jerimiah's hand, as did his brother Paul. Paul's wife Margaret and their sister Lucy had hidden in the pantry when Jerimiah found them. Jeremiah killed Mary, Peter, and Laura in what was your room. He pulled them out from under the bed, then killed them all. Rebecca was cared for by the neighboring farmer until after the wake and funeral. Her Father and Mother arrived to take her back to St. Augustine to live with them. Shortly after arriving at St. Augustine, Rebecca delivered a baby girl. A few weeks later, she disappeared, and no one knows what happened to her. There were rumors that she may have been committed to an asylum. As for the baby, the family moved north shortly after Rebecca disappeared, and the trail stops there."
"That poor girl," Connie said. "We witnessed the murder of the family that night, I am sure of it. I believe I saw the kids hiding from Jerimiah, and if Mack had not raced in and saved me, I could have died. We watched the shadows in the house for a long time. Mack was ready to start the truck, and he almost did as we saw a shadow emerge onto the porch. After a few seconds, it rose a bit and then started to sway as it disappeared."
I sighed, "That would be Jerimiah hanging himself."
"I believe Jerimiah is who destroyed the tree and massacred those animals. That poor house has a dark cloud over it. I am glad Fred found that horrible sight first instead of Elly the day they left. The day they moved out, Mack had me tell everyone that they could buy what was in the store only and no boat rentals or gas. He went and helped Fred and Elly move out, and when he got home, he said it was a horrible sight to see. He also hired Fred on the spot, and Elly spent a lot of time with our babies on the porch next to the dock, living a good life out here while the guys worked inside and on the dock."
She stood up, looked thoughtful, and said, "Listen, do me a favor when you speak to Mantis Markham. Please be kind when you speak with Mantis. He suffered a huge loss from Jerimiah while staying in the barn and living on the land. My brother didn't know this, but Mantis came to Mack and me after about six months of living there on and off and told us about how bad it had gotten on some nights. Kid gloves, Amelia."
I stood up and extended my hand to Connie, "I know reliving what had happened could not be easy, but I appreciate it."
She took my hand as she pulled me to give me a hug, "Amelia, please be careful and don't go looking for trouble. Jerimiah is dangerous, and his family has been trapped there for over a century. You do not know what kind of trouble you are getting yourself into. On that note, Mason, be a good boy and walk Amelia out to her jeep."
Chapter 9
Mason held the door open for me as we walked outside and down the stairs. When we got to my jeep, he looked at me and asked, "Why didn't we keep in touch when I switched schools?"
I laughed and said, "Do you remember the last thing you said to me, Mason? You are a pushy, snobby person who thinks they know everything and loves to cause trouble."
Mason groaned loudly, "I guess I was wrong about you and what was happening with Caroline. After you drove away that night, I heard from Ben that you and he did all of the sophomore projects over the summer and didn't even talk to Caroline until the project was due, and she had tried passing it off as her work. Ben and you had to fight with the teacher as she had tried to copy it and submit it as her own. I'm sorry, Amelia. I should have come and apologized sooner."
"It's okay, Mason. I understand you and Caroline had just started dating, and you didn't want to get on her bad side-"
"I broke up with her that night!" He said, "I had chosen the wrong girl then. I should have come to you and told you I wanted to date you, but in my defense, you are rather intimidating."
I was stumped. Mason had a crush on me, and I was speechless and didn't know how to handle this. "Mason, I don't know what to say."
Mason looked at me and said, "It's easy, Amelia, let's get some dinner, you and I, my treat, and have a date. It's much too late to go to the next owner's home. You can also explain everything you have learned and only vaguely said by my Grandma."
I looked at Mason and smiled, "Okay, let's go."
We started getting into my car when Connie yelled from the porch, "Mason, Do not stay out too late, and I will see you soon, Amelia."
Mason and I got to the old diner on the beach and ordered some food. I explained to him the story of Jerimiah's family and how he had killed them all and then explained I had a list of names of all the remaining people who had owned the home and was trying to interview them. I vaguely added to the conversation about the number of people who had died on the property. He looked at me, then laughed and said, "So, I am going to guess this is your senior history project?"
Starting to laugh, I said, "I have a meeting tomorrow with Mr. Sikes about my project, and if he allows it, then it will be my project. But Mason, this is different as well. Rebecca looks so much like me, and being adopted, I started to think that maybe she was a relative. Look at this picture here. Connie was not joking when she said we looked like them."
I slid the picture across the table, and he looked at it and then back at me before saying, "This is a bit creepy, Amelia, even for you."
I took the picture back and put it back in the folder. "When I first saw the picture, I about freaked. I mean, I haven't seen you in two years, and we look like we were in one of those vintage pictures from the fair."
"Do you think it has to do with your adopted family?" He asked.
I chuckled and looked up, "I showed my mom and dad the picture the other night and asked them if they knew anything about my family's history from when they adopted me. My mom got quiet, and my dad cleared his throat and said 'NO' quickly. I think they are lying to me. You have met my mom, Mason. She is far from quiet, and my dad is lying, but I don't know about what."
"Have you thought about looking into adoption records? You are almost eighteen and have the right to know where you come from." Mason said as they brought our food to our table.
I started to eat, "To be honest, Mason, I am not sure if I want to know. I mean, think about it. If it's true, and by some weird coincidence, I am a descendant of Rebecca and Jackson, that means that Jerimiah would be my great so many times Grandfather. The thought of that scares me."
Mason looked up and smiled at me, "So, is this normal first date conversation? Shouldn't I ask you what your favorite color or song is? Instead of, Do you think a mass murderer is your Great Granddad?"
After Mason said that, the mood shifted as we ate and talked about anything but my project. It still lingered in the back of my mind. I decided when my parents go away, I might have to search the house for my adoption papers. Mason also made me promise as I was dropping him off back at his Grandma's place that I could wait for him, and he would go with me to see Mantis tomorrow afternoon. It felt good that he wanted to be there with me since I was worried about what I would find out.
The following morning, I went to my AP history teacher, Mr. Sikes's classroom, and presented the findings I had so far, and requested I be able to follow through on Jerimiah's and the Farm's history and lore as my senior project. He was very receptive to the whole idea and said as long as I follow through with each family and tie it all in, he would have no problem with the Farm being my project. As I drove out to get Mason from Connie's house, I was excited to learn more about the Farm. When I got to Connie's shop, Connie was waiting with Mason.
"Amelia, you wouldn't mind that I go with you and Mason on this trip to see Mantis? She asked.
"Not at all, Connie. As long as you are not too afraid of my driving or riding in my jeep," I said.
Mason went to help Connie in, but she surprisingly climbed up just fine. He climbed in and sat in the back as Connie had claimed the front seat. As we drove to the nursing home Mantis lived in, I explained to them that I had received permission to use all this research as my senior project.
To which Connie smiled, then looked at Mason and asked, "Well, Mason, what is your senior project going to be then?"
Mason cleared his throat and said, "I was going to surprise Amelia, but thanks, Grams. Amelia, my Mom, and Dad just told me this morning that our home zoned, and I am back at Springstead with you this year."
I smiled as this news made my day even better! We drove in comfortable silence the rest of the way to the nursing home Mantis was at, which was almost in Citrus County. As we pulled in, it was as if the weather decided to do its typical Florida thing and gave us such a boom of thunder we jumped, then looked at each other and started to laugh. We all climbed down and headed inside. Mason pulled me back and whispered, "My Grandpa is here also, so I think that's why Grams wanted to come."
I spun around, "Mantis and Mack are in the same home? Please tell me that's a coincidence!"
"Afraid not," Connie said. "Amelia, you must understand that house connects everyone more than you know. I only ask if something is said and it hits too close to home, be a good girl, and let it be till we leave. Mantis is a great man, and he will talk to you. I talked to him on the phone earlier and told him we were coming to see him."
I nodded, "Okay. Connie."
She stuck a visitor's sticker on Mason and me and directed us to follow her. We followed her to a section of the building that was older but very well-kept, and it looked like it was for unique cases. We walked into what looked like a sitting room, and Connie walked over to a man with long black hair. His warm voice floated over to us as he greeted Connie, and then he looked past her and stared at Mason and me and said, "If Connie had not warned me about how much you both looked like Rebecca and Jackson, I would have sworn I was seeing the dead again."
I stepped forward and put out my hand, "Sir, my name is Amelia, and this is Connie's Grandson Mason. I am thankful that you are taking the time to meet with me. Not only for my curiosity but for my senior project and possibly my family history."
Mantis gestured towards the seats, and we sat down, "Well, if this is for a school project, Amelia, I would be happy to help you. How far back were you able to find information on the house?"
I took out my notebook and looked at my date log, "After the Massacre in 1876, Jerimiah's neighbor Daniel worked the property, and he and his brothers cleaned and kept up the home until 1892 when he suffered a massive stroke and died. During that time, he worked the land and kept up the home and property. Daniel kept a journal that stated that there was always a heavy presence on the property. Daniel passed away shortly after he gave up the property. Around 1899, the town purchased the land and started classes in the home, running it as a school. The head of the school board and the teachers lived in the town, and the property remained a school until 1919. However, according to letters the head of the school board wrote to his sister, who lived in Saint Petersburg, The school had a hard time keeping teachers because of everything that happened. He went into detail about what the teachers had told him, detailing the people, students, and one of the teachers who disappeared. Then the property stayed empty until a woman named Eliza Montgomery purchased the property and lived on the land--"
Mantis held up his hand to stop me. Smiling, he looked like he held a long-awaited secret he wanted to tell.
Chapter 10
"That, my dear, is where the story gets good," Mantis said, excitement in his eyes. "Here is some information about Eliza you will never learn through the county records."
I took out my notebook to take all the new information down. When I was ready, Mantis started telling the tale of Eliza Montgomery. "Eliza was a Voodoo Priestess and quite a powerful one at that. Some say she studied her craft under some of the famed Marie Laveau's last students. Eliza came to the area as her father lived north of here, and she wanted to be near him. Some say Eliza was intrigued by the farm's history and energy. But what many people say is that she was quite strong. That's why she was the longest-running resident of the farm since Jerimiah killed his family."
He looked up and said, "I see you have a question?"
"If Eliza was such a strong Voodoo Priestess, I need to ask if she followed the light or the dark?" I asked.
"What a great question," He chuckled. "I would have loved to have taught you. You think outside the box."
"Also, I did see there were missing person reports from the area during the time she was in the home," Taking a breath, I said, "Could she be the cause of some of these disappearances?"
"I love how your mind thinks," He said. "From what I have heard from Eliza's daughter Sharon and others, Yes, she could have been a catalyst but not the reason they disappeared. You cannot take this as fact, but her daughter Sharon told me that Eliza would allow homeless and travelers to stay in the barn, and during certain times of the year or during storms like the night Jerimiah killed his family, the next day, the people would be gone. Sharon knew of at least 10 cases of missing people she had seen near the home personally that vanished before the real reason she left. Sharon explained that she questioned her mother, and Eliza's answer was, to be left alone and in peace, we have to provide a tribute."
Mason jumped in, "A tribute as in a human sacrifice?"
Mantis nodded and said, "Yes. When I asked Sharon if she had seen anything personally, she told me this story. Five travelers came to the home the winter before she had moved out. The oldest of the group asked Eliza if she would mind if they took shelter in the barn for the night, and they would clean the barn as payment. Her mother had agreed. Eliza and Sharon ate dinner, and as the storm outside got worse, Eliza suggested they retire for the night. Sharon went to her room and got ready for bed. She said she heard her mother speaking to someone, and she had assumed one of the travelers had come to the home as her mother had taken the office downstairs as her room. Sharon looked out the window over the property and saw a man head towards the barn. Minutes later, as the storm was reaching its peak, Sharon started to hear what she thought were screams through the storm. Sharon soon discovered she had been locked in her room when she tried to leave.
"Mantis," I said. "Are you telling us that Eliza arranged the deaths of people on the property to keep Jerimiah away from her and her daughter?"
"From what Sharon told me, Eliza was doing just that," Mantis said. "Sharon was upset and went to sleep, and the next morning, Sharon found her mother coming back from the barn. Sharon confronted her mother, and Eliza said things like this needed to happen to keep the peace. Sharon noticed that her mother had the scarf of one of the female travelers in her hand, and her mother added it to a box in her room. Later that week, Sharon left the farm and went to live with friends in the Orlando area and did not return to the farm for long periods."
"What caused Eliza to lose the farm?" I asked.
"Well, Amelia," Mantis continued. "Sharon later revealed that Eliza couldn't afford to buy the home and later discovered Eliza was having an affair with a local bank manager. The bank Manager had promised that he would leave his wife and join Eliza on the farm. But in 1950, Eliza discovered while in town that the horrible relationship the Manager told Eliza he had with his wife was a lie. She had gone on to make a payment on the farm and saw the Manager and his wife in his office, and when the wife stood up, she was with child. She knew the Manager had lied to her, and she had left a note for him to meet her at the farm that night. Days later, the police showed up at the farm and questioned Eliza about his disappearance, and Eliza feigned ignorance. When they asked about the note she had left the Manager, she laughed and said the Manager and her were friends, and Eliza had invited him to take his wife to a picnic near the lake as a mini getaway before his wife was to deliver the child she was carrying. Eliza said she knew that the Manager's wife probably couldn't travel very far being pregnant and offered a relaxing place for her to go with her husband."
"That doesn't explain how she lost the farm?" Mason said. "You said she was in the bank making payments?"
Mantis chuckled, "Well, Mason, back then, payments went through his office daily. The money that she would pay at a teller would then go to him for him to record and document. That day, he recorded the payment and added a few extra payments to his books, so it looked like she paid ahead. The day she had made her payment was the night he disappeared. He told his wife he would return later as he had some business to attend and never returned home. The Manager's car was found in trees near the local mines a week later. A few months after he disappeared, Eliza could no longer afford the farm, and the bank foreclosed. Eliza had moved in with her father and had snuck out to the property a few times to cast protection spells. The last time she snuck back was two months after Fred and Elly had moved to the farm and were living there. A few days later, Eliza was in town visiting a friend and became very ill. Eliza died a short time later at the local hospital. Some believe someone poisoned her due to what she allowed at the farm. Her official cause of death was an unknown illness."
"After Eliza passed, her daughter found a box of mementos from the people who disappeared on the property, including the items from the people that caused Sharon to move out. There were dates and the number of people listed on the box. Sharon said the five she knew about. After those five, which Sharon had told me about, there was one last notation for one, which I am assuming was the banker himself and fifteen others before that group of the missing travelers. So I am guessing those additional five people never had people looking for them or were not from the area."
"How did she get away with this?" I asked. "Did no one suspect what she was doing?"
Mantis shrugged and said, "No, everyone who came by the farm believed she was a woman who bought the property and sold the produce from the garden. There used to be a small produce stand near the barn on the property. Eliza would sell produce grown on the land, and everyone assumed that's how she lived. She never acted like she was a Voodoo priestess or anything related to that. I believe that when Eliza passed away, whatever evil Eliza was fighting against was finally free to do as it wished."
Chapter 11
We sat there for a few minutes when one of the workers came in with a picture of lemonade and a plate of cookies. We all took a moment to reflect on what Mantis had told us about Eliza. When we relaxed for a few minutes, Mantis said, "Now that you know about Eliza's story, how about I tell you about Mary and I."
Looking at him, I said, "Mantis, are you sure you want to relive this?"
Nodding, he started, "I know you interviewed Fred and Elly. Then you spoke to Connie, and now you're up to me. I want to help you with your project and possibly your family history. When I purchased the home from Fred and Elly in 1952, I had planned to make the land and home into a retreat. I had heard the stories about the home and decided to tempt fate as I never believed in ghosts or the paranormal much. However, when I took ownership of the property, many of Fred and Elly's belongings were still inside the home. When I entered the home for the first time, it was still painted top to bottom inside with animal blood, and I knew it would be a while before I could handle the mess."
He stopped and smiled, "Sorry, I was reliving a memory. You see, I was a professor at Saint Leo's University. I wanted a place to escape to on the weekends. Truthfully, I was also involved with a student at the college, and she was a bit younger than me. We were exclusive, and I knew she was not some passing fancy. But the college had a rule if this was to happen, and the college frowned upon teachers dating students even if she was not in any of my classes."
Connie laughed and took his hand as she said, "What do schools know when it comes to love Mantis?"
He squeezed her hand, then continued, "So I planned to convert the barn into a living space, especially since Fred had already converted a lot of the loft in the barn. The barn was very snug and secure, so I purchased a bed. I also remodeled the bathroom in the loft so we could start living there on the weekends. At the end of the first month of owning the farm, Mary came with me to spend the weekend there. She knew the main house was not habitable and liked the idea of converting the barn as much as I did. We arrived at the property as a huge storm descended on us, and the first raindrops hit us as we parked the car and ran inside carrying groceries and our bags. We climbed the stairs to the loft area and started to settle in. The weekend before, I had set up a mini kitchen with a single burner stove and small toaster oven as well as a new miniature refrigerator, very modern for that time."
"We changed out of our traveling clothes and settled in for the night," He said. "Mary and I soon ate dinner and headed to bed when we heard a loud thump against the side of the barn. The storm was pretty strong, so we assumed that a branch had fallen from one of the nearby trees. It had been a long day for both of us as Mary works in the student union between classes, and on Fridays, I teach three classes back to back with one fifteen-minute break. We both fell asleep quite fast that night."
"Later that night, Mary woke up after hearing noises from the barn's lower level. She later told me she tried to wake me, but she was unable to wake up, and I don't remember her trying to. Mary grabbed a lantern off a table and headed to the barn's lower level. When she got to the last step, the barn felt crowded, like animals were roaming around, and she could hear the sound of people outside. She hurried back upstairs and climbed into bed to try and wake me. As she started shaking me to wake me up, she said she felt a wave of exhaustion overcome her and fell right to sleep."
Mason looked up and asked, "So the activity started right away then, and did you ever find out what made the noise on the side of the barn?"
"Yes, I did," he sighed. "The next morning, we were making breakfast, discussing the events from the night before, when the neighbor Max knocked on the barn door. He told us he was sorry to bother us, but Max thinks that a few of his cows got loose during the storm as they had found a few wandering in the graveyard and asked if we would mind if he searched the property. I told Max to search away and let us know if he finds any loose cows here."
"I remember the cows being on the run gave Mary a laugh," He said. "As we were eating, Max came to the door and asked me to come outside with him, but please have Mary stay inside as he did not want her to see what he found. I asked Mary to stay inside and followed Max outside. I asked if he had located the missing cows, and he said he did. However, he asked if I could take Mary out so he could retrieve it because he didn't want her to see it. He led me to the side of the barn where we had heard the thump the night before."
"As we walked to the area where we heard the bang," He said. "I expected to see a cow hit by a fallen tree branch. Instead, I saw a dent on the barn wall, where it looked like the cow hit it, and the poor cow lay butchered on the ground. It was such a gruesome sight that I grabbed Mary, sat her in the truck, and took her out for the day with the promise from Max that he would clean the cow parts up within the hour. I should have taken that as my warning from the property. However, that was just the beginning."
"Connie said that you came to see her and Mack after a few weeks of living there on and off?" I asked.
"I knew Mack and Connie through Connie's dad," Mantis began, "When I had found out what had happened to the family and the farm went up for sale, I was foolish and thought, I am a scholar, and I would not let my head get clouded. I bought the farm thinking if I ignored whatever it is, I could get it to leave or at least leave us alone."
"Then why did you go to see Mack and Connie?" I asked.
"I went to see them after the first incident when I started to remodel the house. The barn apartment was coming along great. However, things were progressing quite well with Mary and me, even if she was younger than me. I was starting to think about marriage. Even though we loved our little apartment in the barn, Mary was graduating St Leos's the following year, and I wanted to propose and make our relationship official to the world. I had hired a man who said he could get the blood out of the house and remove all the old items." He sighed, "I never realized it, and I do not think Fred and Elly knew either, but there was an attic and a crawl space under the kitchen for storage."
Connie looked up and said, "Fred knew about the crawl space, but he thought it was to access plumbing for the kitchen and the bathroom."
"Well, the guy I hired found the spaces and told me that they were full of items, and he asked me if I knew someone who could come out and look at the items," Mantis sighed. "My co-worker Simon was a history professor and worked with museums in north Florida that dealt with historical items. Simon was a friend who knew about Mary, and he hated the school policy and agreed to come out and look over the items we had. I told him we could split any profits if they bought items and take the credit if they wouldn't."
"So the following weekend, Mary visited her family, and Simon and I went to the farm," He said. "He started with the attic and said there were many historical items, and he was loading up his truck to take up to the Jacksonville area that afternoon. I brought him a drink, and he told me I must have been very angry with Mary because I was yelling at her on the phone."
"I gave him a look and said that I had been in the barn the whole time fixing up the bottom floor of the barn. I had been converting the stalls into guest rooms with straw beds," He said. "I thought it would be a good way to earn money if people wanted a peaceful sanctuary. But each stall needed to be fixed up and cleaned very well, and I just finished getting the first stall cleaned out and was getting ready to lay flooring in the stall after leveling the ground."
"When I told him this, we heard the front door slam open." He said. We went to the railing upstairs and looked over the living room. "The front door was closed, but I could have sworn I saw a shadow on the porch. We ran down the stairs, but no one was there. Later that day, when Simon went to bring the items, I went to the house and locked up. When Simon returned to get more items the next day, the door, which was left locked, was now unlocked and opened. The next evening, I went to see Connie and Mack to find out what happened to them."
"I realized after speaking with them that the things happening with Mary and I were not as bad as they had experienced. So I decided to have a plan of action," He said. "I had Eliza's daughter come by and do a protection spell and a cleansing chant. It also helped that Mary was so busy in her last year of college that we usually snuck into my apartment on campus or took drives to a further away restaurant. In June of 1953, Mary graduated with her teacher's degree. Mary's first job was to teach at the original Brooksville elementary school. The day she got hired, I took her to the farm and up to the house, got on one knee, and proposed. She gave an enthusiastic yes, and I handed her the key to the house. Inside, the home looked brand new. I had it completely redone, and I had only ordered some basic furniture so Mary could decorate it to her style. She was so overcome with joy, knowing this was the start of our future. We planned a huge wedding, to take place on the grounds with a lavish reception after. Eliza's daughter Sharon came with another priestess and blessed the home once a month, and things seemed to settle down. When Sharon decided to move back to Louisiana, she introduced me to Tabby and her brother to continue with the blessings. After the wedding, we moved into the home but kept our barn home for guests."
"Things seem like they were going perfectly," I said.
Mantis smiled, "They were going amazingly well. Mary and I would have people in and out of the home, and we had friends and colleagues stay and visit. Then, another incident occurred close to Halloween. I was late coming home one evening from college, and when I got there, I saw Mary in the bedroom window putting the light out. I figured it had been a long day for her and walked into the house. I heard Mary upstairs moaning, and I ran up the stairs, afraid she was hurt. I looked through the crack in the door, and it looked as if Mary was in bed with someone else. There was a definite large male form in the bed with her. I pushed the door open and threw the light on, ready to fight for my wife, and all I did was wake her up."
"Mary looked startled. She was also flushed, just like she would have been if we had made love. She asked me what was wrong, and I told her I thought I saw someone in there with her. I felt like an idiot." He said, "The next day, she left to teach, and I had no classes, and I called Tabby and asked if she and her brother could come over. They came to the house fifteen minutes later, and I explained what had happened. Tabby was concerned that Jerimiah, Paul, or Jackson were sexually targeting Mary. As much as I knew of the occult and the paranormal, I never would have thought they would target a live person for something sexual. Tabby and her brother cast protection spells and placed pouches of protection around the home, and nothing happened for a few more months."
"Then came our first Christmas and New Year in the home. Mary was a big fan of the Christmas season. She had decorated the home for the holiday. I kept my guard up during the celebrations after what had happened with Fred and Connie's Dad. But the day went surprisingly well," He said, "We had Mary's family over for Christmas day, and she was so happy."
"Since Christmas went so well, we decided to have a New Year's Eve party," He said, "The home and porch was full. Earlier in the day, Mary and a few friends spent the morning cooking, cleaning, and getting the house ready for the party. I readied the barn for guests who wanted to drink and not drive home that night. I finally finished converting all the old horse stalls into bedrooms to rent out to anyone who wanted to visit and stay on the grounds outside our parties. So anyone who wanted to stay after the party had private spots to sleep, and I had remodeled the bathroom and added a second bathroom downstairs."
"The party went well, and we all celebrated and feasted on the food Mary and her friends had made. After we rang in the new year, the woman quickly cleaned up the home, and around 2 a.m. that morning, Mary and I finally headed to our master suite," He said. "The house and the barn were full of people sleeping off the celebrations. We also had friends staying in their vans to sleep everything off. As we settled in for a long-awaited sleep, we heard a storm start. The storm was loud and violent. Mary commented that she hoped everyone in the vans and barn was alright. The storm brought a troubled sleep as the wind howled and ravaged the property. Just as the storm peaked, it was as if the earth shuttered a frightened sigh, and the whole property shook."
Mantis shook a little as he continued, "Everyone in the house woke up to screams for help. I ran downstairs with Mary beside me to the front door, where we watched the barn sway back and forth in the wind and heard the frightened cries coming from everyone inside. I looked up toward the side of the barn near where he had found the cow, and there stood a man holding an axe. Something in me snapped, and I realized Jerimiah was here trying to take more lives."
"I grabbed the phone near the office door to call the sheriff station," He said, "I explained the storm was whipping our barn back and forth, and I was afraid the people who were staying in the barn would be injured and explained we needed help in case people got hurt and begged the police to send help. During this time, everyone in the house woke up, and we stared in horror as the home swayed and moaned. The officer who picked up the phone said, Sir, are you sure this is not just a delusion bought on my celebrating too much tonight? Then he heard the screams of the guests in the house watching the barn."
He shook his head at the memory and said, "I took a breath and screamed. I live at the old murder farm. Please send help. I am afraid people could be hurt if this storm does not stop. When I said that, the sound of thunder and cracks of lightning were audible overhead. The officer realized I was not pulling a prank and said, We are sending help now. I dropped the phone, and along with my teacher's assistant Daniel, we ran to the barn, trying to get the door open and to get people out."
"Mantis, would you like to take a break," I said. "I know this is hard."
"No," He said with a look of determination. "As we got closer to the barn, a bolt of lightning hit the top of the barn and caused the roof to burst into flames. The screams from the scared guests inside got louder. Daniel and I struggled with the doors, and finally, he jumped the fence, went to the paddock enclosure, and screamed, I have it. As Daniel opened his door, my door opened too, and our guests rushed out. As they rushed out, the flames quickly spread, and the fire department arrived. They quickly got the fire out. When we were doing a head count, we discovered Simon and his partner Sarah, who was staying with us in the upstairs loft, were missing. As the guests left that morning, we also noticed Simon's brother Ben and his girlfriend Emily were missing. The fire department searched the top floor of the barn, fearing they had perished in the initial fire, but they did not find any remains. As the police searched Ben's van, there was no sign of a struggle. They had just disappeared. The van was unlocked and parked next to the barn, and due to the rain, there were no signs of footsteps or a struggle."
"Could Ben and Emily left the van during the commotion with the barn and run to the house?" Connie asked.
"No," Mantis said. "If you knew Ben, you would know the van was his baby. Ben rebuilt it with his Dad before his Dad passed away. He would have moved it before letting the fire get to it."
I looked up, "Was this the same Simon who had cleaned the attic and the crawl space out?"
He nodded, "I believe that Jerimiah was angry that we took things that may have belonged to him and his family. Everything that happened in the barn, starting with the storm, was his way of revenge on Simon for taking the items."
"After everything that happened on New Year's Day, Mary refused to stay on the property and told me it was either her or the house." taking a breath, "I went the following day to the college and got us housing on campus. Three days later, we were living back in the professor housing."
"Why did you move back then?" Mason asked.
Mantis gave a big smile, "Well, six months later, we discovered Mary was pregnant with our baby girl. I told Mary we could stay at the college, but she was determined. Mary told me there would be no way we could raise a baby on campus. She asked me why nothing happened until New Year's, and I told her about Tabby and her brother doing blessings and protection spells. She insisted that I contact Tabby and have her do something strong on the property after she had a priest come out and bless the home. We did have a priest come out and bless the home and the property. Then Tabby and coven members came out, did protection and blessing spells, and placed protection sigils throughout the property."
"After the blessings, we moved back in, and during the entire pregnancy, everything was amazing. Not once did we have a problem with the house or property. I became hopeful that all the bad was over," He said. "Then, on April 4th, Mary gave birth to our beautiful baby girl, Lily. Lily was an amazing baby, and she barely cried or fussed. We felt that we were truly blessed. However, I noticed that Mary started to grow restless, being at home with the baby at the time. I had suggested that since the baby was on formula and I only had meetings that day, I could take Lily with me so Mary could rest and do what she wanted. Mary was unusually quiet when we went to leave that morning. When I suggested I stay home and care for Lily while Mary went out. Mary laughed at me and said, Go and take Lily, saying she knew my fellow teachers would love to see her."
"I went to the meeting, and Mary had been right," He said. "The teacher's spirits lifted when I walked in with Lily, and even with an infant with me, we finished the meeting with Lily sleeping on a blanket for most of it. When we returned home later that evening, Lily had just dozed off in the truck beside me, and I noticed a lot of police near the entrance to our neighbor Max's farm and by my home. Max's wife Helen made them stop the truck, and she was crying and said let her have Lily while I went with the police. As soon as she took Lily, I knew, in my heart, I knew something happened to Mary. Helen and Mary had become fast friends when Max and Helen got married, and Helen moved to their farm. I gave her Lily and parked at the end of their driveway. The officer who had stopped me escorted me to where Max and the other officers were. Max was as white as a sheet, and he grasped my shoulder and said I tried to stop her, then the police led me to the small lake on our property. I ran to the lake and saw Mary's body hanging from the tree over the water. She had tied bricks to her ankles and jumped from the dock into the lake. The angle of her neck was not normal. I knew my sweet angel was gone."
"Oh, Mantis, I am so sorry," I said, taking his hand.
"I knew that the house had taken Mary as its next victim. The police cut Mary's body from the branch, and at the same time, the boat rocked, and her body fell into the deepest part of the lake," Mantis continued, "The police searched for hours, and I knew they would not find her. When someone dies on this property, the bodies go missing. I do not know where Jerimiah hides them, but he takes them as a trophy. I could not go into the house that night, so after we got back to Helen and Lily, Helen offered to go to the home with an officer to get things for Lily and me so we would not have to go back that night. Max had arranged for us to stay with them that night. When they returned with bags, the officer handed me a letter in Mary's writing."
My Dearest Husband,
Get Lily out of this house as soon as you can!
I am sorry I wasn't strong enough to make it.
All My Love,
Mary
"The police ruled her death as a suicide. That did not mean anything to me as I had lost Mary, and Lily had lost her mom," He said, "The next day, I contacted the board of governors and got housing at the college again and stayed there until my tenure was complete. Lily grew up with me as her only parent, but I was lucky as she had a bunch of professors and students who helped raise her."
"Mantis, I am so sorry," I said with tears. "Thank you for telling me your story."
As I went to stand up, Mantis leaned over and took my hand. "Rebecca's body was found in the cemetery next to the property a few weeks after her baby was born. They did not report finding her body because the local authorities did not want a spectacle made after the mass murder. But if you go to the cemetery, you will see her gravestone at the back of the slave cemetery as it lines up with the property."
"Rebecca's daughter was named Caroline, and to protect her from Jerimiah, Caroline's last name was that of her Grandfather. After Rebecca disappeared, Caroline was moved to North Carolina and lived with her Grandparents in a new town where no one knew her mother and the story of what happened with the farm." He said, "That was until she wed, and then her husband and she moved to Jacksonville. The name you need to look for when doing research is Keulung."
"Caroline was married quite young, and her family was wealthy as her husband was an accountant." Stopping a moment, Mantis looked like he was trying to get something important together in his head. "Listen to me, Amelia. You need to understand the evil Jerimiah had is not hereditary. The evil that exists in him now was made by his decisions. If you are a descendant of Jerimiah, you are still a good person unless your actions speak otherwise."
"I called Lily and told her to send all the research I had done over the years about the farm," He said. "I had her overnight it to Connie's place for you. Lily never wanted to go to the farm growing up. But she wants to know the stories about the place that took her mother as she studies history. When you have finished the project, meet with Lily in Saint Augustine and tell her about your project and findings. Please give my baby girl some closure."
"Mantis, I promise you, when this is over, I will contact Lily and tell her everything," I said. "You have my word."
He kissed my hand and let it go. When he shook Mason's hand, he said, "You protect her son. If she is Jerimiah's Granddaughter and he figures it out, she could be in danger."
Mason nodded and guided me from the room.
Chapter 12
After we left Mantis, Connie led us to another set of stairs, and we walked into Mack's room. When we walked in, Mack was sitting in a chair, and when he saw Connie, he had a huge smile light up his face. "My sweet bird, I wondered when I would see you again."
He then looked at Mason, "Are you too much of a man to hug your Grandpa, Mason."
Mason smiled and replied, "No, Sir."
Mack looked at me and said, "So I was talking to Mantis earlier, and you must be the one trying to kick ole Jerimiah's ass. If you do, please give him a few well-aimed shots for me."
I offered my hand and said, "I am Amelia, Sir. It is wonderful to meet you. I heard a lot about you."
Mack looked at Mason, "I like this one, Mason. You best keep her."
I don't know who was more red by the end of the visit, Mason or I. Connie was so happy when we left the nursing home with Mack having a good day. When we stopped at the little seafood restaurant for dinner on the way home, she was about dancing at the table, listening to the live band playing. Mason was playing around on his phone and handed it to me as he said he found something. There was an online article about a Painting of Caroline. The article mentioned this was Caroline in her older years, and the woman standing in front of the painting was said to be her daughter, Tilly. Tilly was also quite pregnant from the looks of it, and the article read that Tilly's husband was in the war and that she was donating the picture to the museum in honor of our service people. I wrote down the information, and Mason went to look up more information, but our food came, and Connie asked us to put our phones away and enjoy a nice dinner.
Connie was strangely pensive as we headed back to her shop. When we pulled into the shop's parking lot, she looked at me and took my hand. "Amelia, I know your intent on finding out if you could be Jerimiah's Granddaughter, but please promise me that you will be safe about it. But after doing all the research you have been doing, you know he attacked at random and even caused Mary so many problems that she killed herself. Knowing Mason, he will follow you anywhere, and I do not want you to go anywhere without people with you. Is that clear?"
"Connie, I promise you that I do not even want to step foot on that property right now." I continued, "But I promise you, I will do all my research and legwork before I go to the farm. Besides, I think Mason will not let me do anything stupid."
Connie looked at both of us as she climbed from the jeep and snorted a bit, "Like I said, Don't do anything stupid, please."
Mason and I drove to Jenkins Creek after dropping Connie off and sat on the dock. He held my hand and asked, "What will you do about your parents?"
Sighing, I said, "I don't know. Anytime I ask about my birth parents, they both get sad. I think they know more than they are telling me. I don't want to hurt them, but honestly, after everything I learned, if Jerimiah is my Grandpa, I deserve to know the truth."
Mason pulled me closer and kissed my head, "I think you may have to be honest with them about everything you learned this week, Amelia."
"I am going to give my parents a chance to tell me what they know," I said. "Not little bits and pieces but the whole truth. I will explain to them that I will follow the family line and research Tilly. If there are family members left, I will try to meet with the descendants if they will meet with me. She is my last lead to Rebecca and Caroline. It is no longer about my grade, Mason, but my possible family. It's about knowing about my past and where I come from."
Sighing, I continued, "I love my parents. They are the most supportive and loving people I know. I am so grateful for my life with them. But if Jerimiah is my great-grandfather. Besides, I want to know why. Why did my mom not want me, or was she forced to give me up? Where do I come from? I have many unanswered questions."
"Well," Mason started. "I guess we will be researching this weekend or doing interviews. Let me know where we are going, and I am with you one hundred percent. I want to help you find the answers you need."
We sat quietly watching the water when Mason spoke up again, "It bothers me a bit that I look so much like Jackson. That might sound harsh because I looked like him, and you are a double for Rebecca. But it makes me wonder why. If we go to the farm or the graveyard, we need to have a plan for what we find."
"We will cross that path when we come to it, okay," I said, lifting my head. "Also, just to make this clear, I am with you because of you, no other reason."
I put my head back on his shoulder, and he kissed the top of my head and pulled me closer. I didn't know about the future, but I was ready to protect Mason at all costs.
Chapter 13
The following morning, my parents woke me and announced we were going to breakfast to have a family meeting. My parents only did family meetings when they wanted to seem like the bigger person, so I was a bit worried. When we got to a very public Cracker Barrel, my thoughts were in overdrive. By the time we were seated, I was on pins and needles. As soon as the waitress walked away after taking our order, my Dad and Mom looked at each other, and my Dad cleared his throat.
"Amelia, how is the school project working out for you?" My Dad started, then stopped trying to figure out what to say. That was not like my Dad at all.
"It's going good, Dad," I started, "You know I have interviewed a few families that have lived there, and I have a few more lined up later this week. The history and experiences of this place are just short of terrifying but very consistent. The biggest help so far is a few of the old owners knew each other. One of the old owners was a professor who lived there, and he did a lot of research and is having his daughter Lily send me the research he did so I can apply it to my project as well."
My Mom looked at me and asked, "Amelia, why do you want to know about your birth family?"
I looked at my Mom and decided to lay the cards on the table by taking out the picture of Jackson and Rebecca from my bag, and then I took the picture Connie had taken of us with her Polaroid camera and placed them side by side. My Mom picked up the photo of Mason and me and smiled. Then she looked at the photo of Jackson and Rebecca, looking up at me and then back down at the pictures. She slid the pictures to my Dad, and he looked at both of them and frowned.
"It has nothing to do with who my family is," I started. "It has everything to do with my family history. You and Dad are my family. You both chose me to be your kid. You are my parents. I want to know where I came from. I want to know my history. What happens if I find out that I am related to them? I want to know why my parents gave me up and why either of you will not talk about it. I want to know where I began!"
The waitress came with our food. She looked at the picture of Rebecca and Jackson and smiled, saying, "Oh, that is such a cute picture of May and Conner. They must have gone to one of those fairs and had their picture done."
I looked up and said, "I'm sorry, who?"
She smiled as she placed the food down, took my hand, and showed me a picture hanging on the wall, "That's May and Conner Wright. They lived on a small farm south of Brooksville. In the 1980's, my parents used to get all their produce from their roadside stand. The picture on the wall was when they were in their twenties. May was pregnant with her daughter Clara in this picture, such a sweet couple, it was such a tragedy what happened to the family."
I looked at the picture, then back to my parents, sat down, and said in a not-so-nice manner, "There was a reason you wanted to come to this restaurant today, wasn't there? Spill it!."
My Mom looked at me with tears and said, "Amelia, sweetie, this is not easy for us. I was best friends with Clara for years. Since we were in pre-school actually and what happened to her, then her family was horrible."
Dad took a bite of his food, took a drink, and started talking, "Amelia, Clara was your Mom, and you need to understand what we are going to tell you is painful for us as they were our friends. We wish we could spare you the pain of what we went through. But you should know the truth since you are doing this school project. Rebecca and Jackson were your many times over Great Grandparents, and Conner and May were your Grandparents. Your Grandparents were the most amazing people, and the farm they ran was just short of perfect."
Smiling, Dad continued, "It backed up to a hill, and your Grandparents had hired a few workers and did well for themselves. Clara was the sweetest, and she and Michael, your Dad, were high school sweethearts, just like your Mom and I. In the middle of your Mom's senior year, she became pregnant with you. Your Dad went to Conner and told him everything. He asked for Clara's hand immediately, and Conner said yes. Michael went to school, found Clara in the library, and proposed. The Librarian didn't even yell at him for the noise, and the rest of the year, she let your Dad and Mom have lunches in her office so Clara would be comfortable."
"Your Mom's graduated that June and Clara was about eight months pregnant. The next day, we went with Clara and Michael to the courthouse, and your parents were married." He said.
Mom continues, "Clara was so happy, and now that she and Michael were married, Clara was ready for you to join the world. A month later, Michael was at work at the mines, and your Mom went into labor while we were visiting her. I called the mine office, and they sent him to the hospital."
Mom started to cry, and Dad continued as he took her hand, "Your Dad was on the road that goes past the murder farm, and his bike crashed. He crashed and landed on that damned property. The car that was behind him said it looked like a man with an axe had jumped out at Mike and caused him to have the accident. The car stopped when they got to the crash site, and the man stayed with Mike while the wife ran to a nearby house to get help. The husband went to his car trunk to get a blanket to keep Mike warm. When he came back, your Dad was gone. There was blood in the grass, and his bike was there, but his body was gone."
I looked up and said, "Jerimiah killed my Dad?"
"Your Mom went into labor with you, as your Dad's bike crashed and he passed away." Dad said, "Conner and May were with Clara and us. I kept going to the hospital parking lot looking for your Dad."
He stopped for a minute to drink some water, then continued, "While Clara was in labor, the police came to the hospital to notify Clara, and the nurse at the desk asked Conner and me to come out to the desk. We went out to talk to them, and it broke our hearts. During her entire labor, Clara was begging for Mike."
Mom sighed, "Clara wanted Mike by her side so much. May and I got Clara through the delivery, and afterward, Conner came and met you and then handed you to me. He told Clara about the accident, and she was devastated."
Mom had tears streaming down her face as she continued, "Your Mom held you all night, telling you how much your Daddy loved you and her and how much he wanted to be your Dad. I finally convinced her to sleep, and I took you down to the nursery and went to get some coffee. When I returned to the room, the Doctor and Nurses were working on Clara. I asked what had happened, and they said she had coded after I brought you to the nursery. The nursery attendant brought you back to the room for feeding, not realizing what was happening. I picked you up and held you as the Doctor turned off Clara's heart monitor."
"Conner, May, and Dad came back about ten minutes later," she said. "Poor May. She was devastated, and Conner was just as bad. The Doctor came in and talked to us. He could not give a reason why Clara died. However, May said it was from a broken heart. After the Doctor left the room to give us some time, Dad asked, What about Amelia? May snapped back to reality and looked at Dad and me since I was holding you and said, I know you two are getting married soon, but how would you like to have a baby as well? Amelia needs young parents, not a bunch of elderly folk raising her. We will help you with expenses and babysitting when you need us to. Don't get us wrong, we love our Granddaughter. We will always be there for her, but we know she needs parents like you."
Dad took my hand and said, "We said yes immediately. Never for a moment think you were not wanted and loved. We took you as ours because it was the best possible solution to a horrible situation. Instead of being your Aunt and Uncle, we became your Mom and Dad. Besides, I knew Mom wanted to be a writer, and being home and raising you gave her plenty of time to do that, and her first children's book she had published was all about you."
"That morning, Conner brought a lawyer in with adoption papers, and Dad and I took you as our own," Mom said, "The following day, we sure confused the neighbors as Conner and your Dad went to Clara and Mike's house and brought your entire nursery and set it up in my office. Our neighbors made comments about not even knowing I was pregnant. We never said anything about how you came to be ours. That was private, but we made it clear you were ours."
Dad laughed, "Your Mom was just as obsessed with you as Clara would have been. The amount of pictures she took was crazy. We would have dinner every week with Conner and May, and your Grandparents had boxes of pictures of you because Mom took so many. I was thankful for when the digital camera and video camera came out."
"Conner and May would babysit and come over for all the holidays to be with you, and they became a second set of parents to us. Our parents included Conner and May in everything with us so they could be with you." Dad said, "Then one night, right after you turned six, Marco, the foreman of May and Conner's farm, called us and said something had happened to Conner and May. He begged us to come out to Conner and May's farm, and we dropped you off to Grandma and went there immediately. By the time we arrived, police officers were all over the property, and Marco had them let us through."
Mom became sad again as she continued, "Conner and May were on the floor of the dining room, and they had both shot and killed. Marco was beside himself as he loved Conner and May as they were like his parents. The detectives did an investigation and found out later that week that a new worker named Sam Milkers had broken in and tried robbing the place as they were getting dinner ready."
"They found Sam in the bunkhouse a few days later, hiding some of May's jewelry in his trunk." Dad said, "He had told the police that he had heard stories that May comes from a family that owned the murder farm. When he went to the murder farm to check it out, the guy who was staying there told him how May and Conner had so much money they hid it all over the house. The police questioned Sam. They asked what the name of the man who lived there was. Sam said his name was Jerry. The police went to the house, and it was empty, and no one was on the property."
"Sam died last year in prison," Dad said. "Marco has been tending the land for years, but the farm is yours, Amelia." Dad said, " We told Marco to move into the house when he married and had kids. But he told Mom and me that if you ever decided you wanted to move there, they would gladly move his family to the worker's housing. Also, you have an account your grandparents set up when you were a baby. The profits from the farm get split between you and the workers and the farm every year."
"Wait, you mean 'Uncle Marco' lives on Conner's and May's farm?" I said. I have known Marco since I was a baby, and he is one of my Dad's best friends, and no one said anything.
Mom and Dad looked at me, and I looked up at them and said quietly, "Oh my god, Jerimiah is my not-so-many great-grandfather."
Chapter 14
After breakfast with my parents, I called Mason and told him I would meet him at Connie's shop. When I arrived, I saw he and Connie were working with customers, and I sat on the back dock, lost in my world. That was until he came outside and sat beside me. He took my hand and said, "So, should I ask how things went with your parents this morning?"
I closed my eyes as the breeze went over my face, and when I opened them, I said, "They told me everything. Jerimiah is my great many times over Grandfather. Jerimiah killed my Dad on the road near the farm when my Dad was on his way to the hospital because my Mom was in labor having me. My Mom died a few hours after having me when she learned about my Dad's death. My Grandparents told my Mom and Dad the history of our family before they were both killed on their farm. From the police reports, Jerimiah was also a factor in their death as well. Oh, and by the way, I own a farm."
Mason laughed at that and stood up and pulled me to stand up, "Come on."
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"Let's get out of here for a while, come on." He led me over to his truck and opened the door. We started to drive south, and I just stared out the window, lost in my thoughts. I didn't think everything I learned would affect me so much. I had known from a very young age I was adopted, and my Mom always told me that my biological parents loved me so much that they wanted me to go to people who loved me just as much.
My parents didn't have to start their marriage with a child already in the mix. But they did. They took me from day one, and my Mom was there the day I was born. I will always be grateful I have a connection to my real family. But still, my parent's history bothers me more now. Was Mantis right? Was evil made and not born? Or was the curse on my family line so strong that everyone we love would suffer because Jackson saved Rebecca and Charlotte?
We drove for a long time, and at some point, I guess the stress of the news I had learned exhausted me, and I dozed off. I woke up to Mason nudging my arm from the open truck window. "Hey, sleeping beauty, wake up and enjoy life."
I opened my eyes to Mason's warm brown eyes, covered by his hair, "I can't believe I fell asleep!"
"I can," He said, "Since you started this insane project, you have been running on coffee and fumes of exhaustion. Amelia, you have been chasing the dead. Why don't you enjoy life a bit."
I looked behind him and realized he had taken me to Sunken Gardens, one of my favorite places. I looked at Mason, and he had a lopsided grin, "Well, I know you love this place, so I figured we should have an enjoyable day and then some awesome food."
For the next few hours, we just walked around Sunken Gardens and enjoyed the peace, taking pictures and being teens. When we got to the wishing well in the center of the gardens, Mason hugged and said, "You being Jerimiah's descendant means nothing. My Grandmother has an insane theory that you and I are the reincarnations of Jackson and Rebecca, meant to find each other all these years later. If that's the case, I will protect you just like Jackson protected Rebecca all those years ago. Amelia, you are safe, so please don't worry. I will not let anything happen to you."
As the sun set, I looked up at Mason and kissed him in the garden. For the first time since I started all this insanity, I felt everything would be okay. I took a coin out of my pocket and flipped it into the wishing well, wishing if I went to the farm for my project, I would not have to meet with Jerimiah.
Chapter 15
The following morning, I was back at the public library in Brooksville, looking up records of who owned or used the property after Mantis. After Mantis and Lily returned to living at the college, the farm went back on the market. Although the home sat empty for a year, only one report of a missing person showed in the archive, and that was of a local man who had a drinking problem. At one of the local bars, he bragged he was staying on this big empty farm but would never tell anyone where it was. Per the missing person report that a few fellow bar patrons filed, he came into the bar one night spooked and said someone was trying to scare him off the property with an axe, but he had stayed hidden locked in the barn bathroom the previous night. He had joked he may have drunk too much and spent some time at the bar, then went home. As the man was a regular and did not come in for a few nights, the bar owner filed the police report as well, concerned something had happened to the man. One of the officers had guessed it was the old murder farm and decided to check out the barn. They did find the man's belongings, but after a search of the property, they could not locate the man.
Sifting through more information about the property, I made a startling discovery. The records show that an investment firm purchased the property in 1957, and they spent the next three years restoring the home and the barn. Then, the company added a small office building next to the barn. In the fall of 1960, the property opened as a home to heal after surgeries and procedures since the property was close to Brooksville Regional Hospital.
I found an article that shows the property on the day of the grand opening. The pictures show the newly restored home with wheelchair ramps and covered chairs on the porch. Then, the article had pictures inside the refurbished barn that was now a recreation center. There was new landscaping with pathways all over the property. It showed a picture of the docks with chairs and gardens for flowers and food. It looked like the property had the start of something good, just like every time a new resident moved in.
The following article starts to paint a very different picture as the reporter interviewed patients about their experience at the rehabilitation center. One former patient, a gentleman who was recovering from surgery at the recovery home, stated that there were times when no one wanted to be left alone because a feeling of fear and dread would come over them. After speaking with other patients, he said they all felt the same way. He stated he would stay outside on the covered chairs with a few other patients and a nurse as long as they could. If they had to go inside, they tried to stay in the kitchen, chatting over tea because the feeling was less scary. He was thankful when he was able to go home to his family.
Another patient who was there for a long-term recovery when he shattered his leg had reported that in the men's shared rooms, one could have sworn there were children in the building running around at night. He questioned it multiple times and found out while he was there that the youngest patient in the home was seventeen, and there was no way that that patient was doing it because she was there due to a car accident and she could barely walk. There had been times when he said a preacher would come in and pray over people as they slept and would vanish after he did the prayers. When the reporter questioned the staff about the mysterious Pastor, they said that unless a patient requested a clergy member, there was none on the property.
The final story the reporter added in his article was one from a nurse who was having her last shift at the hospital. She had confirmed hearing the sounds of children in the main building and the uneasy feeling people would have. She also said she had seen her fair share of weird things around the home. The one instance that bothered her the most was a woman who would be on the dock when she would go out there to take her breaks. The home would let people come and use the seating and patio next to the lake to sit and relax. However, there are signs posted for the safety of the guests. These signs said no one could enter the water. She thought it was someone who lived nearby and wanted to swim in the lake, regardless of the posted signs. The nurse said the woman looked sad and stared regretfully at the house. The article followed with a promise for future tales from the town.
I thought about the articles I was reading and realized the children could be Jerimiah's children or the students who had vanished. The Pastor could be Elinore's husband continuing his ministry in the afterlife. It would be easy to understand the uneasy feeling. If someone researched the property, they would discover its history. What bothered me was the woman near the lake. Sighing, I guessed it was Mary, and that information broke me. There was no way I could tell Mantis his beloved wife's spirit could still be on the grounds. Reading that article again, I decided it would be best to leave it alone and not say anything.
Chapter 16
After I decided about Mary, I sat there, closing my eyes for a moment, realizing the pattern was starting again with just those stories the patients had told the reporter. When I opened my eyes, I looked at the following article, Devastation At The Rehabilitation Home. As I read the article, it stated that residents at the rehabilitation home started to call emergency services, surrounding neighbors then heard screams and cries coming from the rehabilitation home and started calling for help. Five minutes after the calls started, the emergency alarm went off for the rehabilitation home at the police station. It took fifteen minutes from the first call for help until the officers arrived. By the time the officers arrived, they found fifteen people were dead, ten more were missing, five were fighting for their lives from wounds, three were in shock, and five more residents and staff who locked and barricaded their doors were safe and unharmed. Another ten patients and two more orderlies had helped each other to safety, and the police found them on the main road.
The death and destruction found by the emergency respondents were not for the faint of heart. Police stated that one of the surviving nurses, Nancy O'Brian, told them the first of corresponding interviews with the survivors. She said she was on the balcony when a man rushed into the kitchen of the home wielding an axe and screaming that this was his house and everyone needed to leave. While residents either fled or stood in shock, the man went after two people and killed them. She saw two orderlies try to confront and restrain the man but were killed by the man almost immediately. The staff started to go to the patient's rooms who could not flee, locked the doors, and hid with them. Those who could run tried escaping out windows and doors.
Nancy had run to help 19-year-old Nelly Shield as she could not walk. Nancy stated that she and another nurse, Brenda Wagner, had run into Nelly's room, barricaded the door with a dresser, and hid in the closet. All three women heard screams everywhere in the house and banging started on Nelly's door. Nancy stated there were screams, and then everything went quiet. Brenda snuck out of the closet and flagged the police in front of the center from the window. Officer Marshal McGowan noticed Brenda, rushed upstairs, and carried Nelly out of the home into an awaiting ambulance. Nancy and Brenda started helping the officers name the missing, and they were the ones who discovered ten people were missing. The missing included seven patients and three staff. Out of the five people who were in critical condition, only one survived. The survivor, Marcus Miller, stated that evil resides in that home and the city should destroy it before anyone else gets hurt or killed.
The following and last article on the hospital center stated nine people were still missing. The bodies of two of the hospital patients who looked like they ran out of the mine were found at a nearby mine entrance a quarter of a mile from the tragic massacre. Police are asking residents to be more vigilant and watch for the missing people. Officer McGowan stated he holds hope that the people missing are still alive and that he is hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.
I sat there looking at the article when Harry, one of the archive volunteers, looked at what I was reading. He pulled a chair up to me and said, "You know McGowan is still around at the local nursing home by the courthouse."
"Harry, do you remember when this happened?" I asked.
"You bet I do! My Dad was an officer, and he got called to the scene. He said he always thought that those missing people were gone because of the legend attached to that property. He thought ole Jerimiah was the one who killed all those people on the property. Do you know about that legend?"
"Yes, sir, I am doing a project on that farm for my senior project," I said.
"Well, girlie, do yourself a favor and please be careful. If you are doing the project, you might want to talk to Officer McGowan." He said, getting up, "Visitor's hours go till seven tonight."
I took the hint from Harry and went to the nursing home and requested to see Officer McGowan. The nurse headed to his room to get permission for me to meet him. When I walked in the door, Officer McGowan let out a whistle and said, "Well, I am going to say it's safe to assume that you are Rebecca's and Jackson's grandchild."
"Well, not that I want to brag about that, but I just discovered I was," I stated.
"Well, child, I will keep it our secret. After the Rehabilitation massacre, I did research on the property and the mystery surrounding Rebecca. Would you do me a favor? Could you tell me what happened to her?" He asked.
"She had her child, and two weeks later, she disappeared, leaving Caroline with her grandparents. The neighbor to Jerimiah's farm found her body a few weeks later while going after a cow that had wandered off. They found her on the property line on the side of the graveyard. They buried Rebecca at the far corner of the graveyard, and only her parents and the city know what happened. Rebecca's parents stated to bury her near her husband. Unfortunately, the grave was the closest they could get as the grave for Jackson held no corpse. After his funeral, nobody thought she would come back here."
"Well, child, thank you for clearing that up for me. Now, what can I help you with?" He asked.
"Well, Officer McGowan-" I started
"Marshal!" He said.
"Well, Marshal, it was suggested by Harry at the archive center that I come speak with you. I am doing my senior project on the farm's history and what happened there," I said. "Did you ever find out what happened to those missing people?"
"To be honest, I think Jerimiah took them to torture and kill," He said. "I held out hope after they found the bodies near the mine. I had hoped that they had escaped and the others could as well. But as time went on, I don't know."
"Marshal, since the incident at the farm, have you ever been out there again?" I asked.
"The important question, huh?" He chuckled as he continued. "Well, I would be lying if I said no. The people who own the farm across the street from it had called a few times for lights on in front of the farmhouse and barn. We would have to go check it out. We always went in teams of four after the massacre. The weirdest instance I can tell you about was when we got the call, and when we got there, we pulled our cars right up to the gate and started walking up towards the house. We first go check out the barn, and it's empty. We head up to the farmhouse, and as we go inside, we could have sworn we heard children running upstairs. We went up, and there was no one around. As we were leaving, we walked by the dock and then headed towards the gate so we circled the property, and we could have sworn that a woman was standing behind the tree."
"That would have been Mary you seen," I said. "She hung herself in that tree in 1956. You are not the first person who has seen her. Her husband, Mantis, thought she was still on the property. He feels anyone who dies on the property by Jerimiah's hand does not leave."
Marshal and I talked about a few more calls he did, but one stood out more than anything. "I was working the desk in 1985, right before I had retired. The owners of the property across from the farm claimed that they had heard a motorcycle crash onto the property and even saw the light of the motorcycle. They called it in and ran across the street to help whoever the victim was. They saw the guy stand up and take off his helmet. As he turned around, he disappeared. As long as I have been alive, there has only been one accident there that involved a motorcycle-"
"That was my Dad in 1978. But they said Dad's body was half on and off the property, and like all the others, it disappeared when the gentleman who was helping him went to get a blanket." I said. "Why would he be stuck reliving his accident on that property?"
"I don't know sweets." He said, "I wish I could give you an answer for that one. After the incident with the rehabilitation center, the building stayed under hospital care until 1971. But after that, I cannot tell you any more information. The only reason I knew that was because we had to alert the owner every time we went out there, and the hospital made it a point to let us know not to contact them anymore after the sale."
We chatted for a bit longer, and then it was my time to leave due to visiting hours ending. I promised Marshal that if I came across any new information, I would come back and see him to fill him in!
Chapter 17
After speaking with Marshal, I decided to call Mason and let him know what I had learned. Then I dropped the bombshell that my Dad's spirit was still stuck on the property. I honestly thought we had lost connection for a second. That was until Mason finally said, "Amelia, you know you can't go there even to see if your Dad's ghost is there. Is it too dangerous?"
"I know Mason, but all these years, if he is still there," I said.
"Hey, Amelia, have you ever checked out your Grandparent's farm?" He asked.
"No, not yet. I decided I wanted to wait a while. I have known everyone there all these years, but going there right now is a little too close to home, especially knowing what I know. I need time before I go back knowing what I know now." I decided to change the subject. "So Mason, do you want to know who the next family that lived there was."
"Really," Mason said, "Please share."
"A circus group!" I said.
"Oh, come on, Amelia. You have got to be kidding me!" Mason started, "Right?"
"Sorry, Mason, you're going to have to get over your fear of clowns because this Circus group stayed there on and off for close to five years." Then I added, "I made an appointment to meet with Clara, the owner's Granddaughter, down in Tampa on Saturday."
"Oh, sorry, Amelia, I have to work at the shop with Grams most of the day," He said. "I can meet up with you later after you talk with her."
"You better believe it." I said, "What are your plans for tonight?"
"I was going to meet up with this incredibly crazy girlfriend of mine. What do you think about meeting up at the diner by my Gram's place," He asked.
"Sure," I said, "But be a good guy and invite your Grandma to dinner. I would love to see her reaction to what I learned about."
I met up with Connie and Mason at the diner near their place. When I sat down, Connie was very excited to hear what I had found out. As I told them about the rehabilitation home, Connie was in shock because Elly and Fred lived in Brooksville, and the hospital kept the massacre very quiet. She even called Elly and asked if they knew about it, and she confirmed they never heard anything about it in town. I followed up with how there were still people unaccounted for from the massacre. After I gave them a bit of time to think about what I had said, I followed up with how my Dad's motorcycle crash is still happening every year around my birthday.
Connie became quiet and said, "Amelia, I know you might take this as a way to see your Dad, and I understand you want to. But sweetie, please do not go there to try to see him. If Jerimiah sees you, it could be dangerous."
Connie's concern for me made me happy, and I changed the subject. Happily, I said, " I am going to meet a member of the next family who was on the farm this weekend, and I am going to the Circus."
Mason shuttered as I explained the next on the list of owners of the farm was a circus and that during the times they did not have shows, they would use the property as a base camp. Telling Connie I was going to Saint Petersburg to interview the owner's Granddaughter, who lived on the property, made her forget about the actual farm itself. Then Connie laughed and said, "Well, thank goodness Mason is not going. As long as I could remember, he has always hated clowns and most things circus-related."
We ate and talked about meeting Clara and the Circus this weekend, and before I knew it, I headed home. As I pulled onto my road, my blood ran cold as there was an ambulance and police cars at my house. Pulling my car into my neighbor's yard, I got out of the car and started to run towards my house. An officer grabbed me to stop me, and I yelled, "That is my house."
He let me go as my Mom called for me. Meeting her in the front yard, I said, "Mom, what is going on, and where is Dad?"
My Mom hugged me, and we turned towards the house to see Dad wheeled out on a stretcher. He looked horrible, and you could see how hurt he was with his eyes closed. Mom dragged me to my jeep and put me in the passenger seat, taking my keys from my hands. As we followed the ambulance to the hospital, she explained what had happened to Dad. "Your Dad got off work early and called me to see if we wanted to go out for dinner. I told him I had got the text from you that you were meeting Mason for dinner, so we had made plans to go out on a date. He interrupted a burglary when he walked into the house, and the guy started beating him up. Tom and Max had just returned home from work and heard the yelling. They rushed over to see what was wrong as they had noticed our cars were not there. Max pulled the guy off your Dad, and Tom called 911 right away. The guy took off, but the police found him a few blocks away, and he admitted to what he did. Your Dad was in rough shape when they came in. Thank heavens Tom and Max heard him. I am so happy you went out with Mason tonight."
We got to the emergency room and parked the car. Going to the front desk, they told us only one person could go in to see Dad. Mom went in, and I sat and texted Mason to let him know what happened. He asked if we needed him and Connie to come out to help keep Mom calm. I told him no and explained Mom was in with Dad now to see what was happening with his injuries. Mason said to call him once we know what is happening, and they could be there if we needed them.
My Mom came out an hour later and said, "Thank god your Dad knows how to fight. He does not like to, but he can. The Doctor said your Dad would make a full recovery, but for safety's sake, they are keeping him overnight to keep an eye on him. Let's go home and clean up the mess and eat some ice cream."
When we got home, Tom and Max had already cleaned up the mess, and they were checking all the windows and doors were closed and locked when we got home. They came over and hugged us both. Mom made some coffee, and we sat in the living room as Tom said, "I will never be more thankful than I am now that we had to share the car today. The timing of coming home was perfect to help your Dad."
My Mom shuttered a bit, and I said, "I wonder why the guy targeted our house. We do not have flashy cars and live a modest lifestyle."
Max said, "When we ran in the door, and Tom rushed the guy to get him off your Dad, the guy kept yelling he knew that you had money hidden and we were rich people."
Looking at them, I asked, "Are you sure that is what the burglar said?"
He looked puzzled and said, "Yes, I am."
Tom and Max told us to call if we needed anything. They left, and when Mom came back into the room to find me pacing the floor. Looking at her, I said, "It is starting all over again, Mom. It's the same thing that happened to Grandma and Grandpa. He sent another one, and this time to our house."
My Mom looked at me and said, "Sweetie, we don't know that for sure."
I looked at her and said, "Jerimiah is targeting us. He has not killed in a long time, and he is sending people to do his dirty work."
She came over and hugged me as she said, "Amelia, Jerimiah is a legend. Why don't we order a pizza and watch some TV."
I said, "Okay, I will be down in a few. I am going to get washed up and changed." Looking at the business card the officer in charge handed me, I called him.
"This is Detective Kryer," He answered.
"Good evening, Detective Kryer. We met this evening, and you gave me your card. My name is Amelia," I said.
"Amelia," He said. "How is your Dad?"
"He is banged up pretty bad but will be okay," I said. "They kept him tonight to watch over him at the hospital. I'm sorry to call you so late, but did you speak to the guy that broke in?"
"I sure did," He said. "May I ask why?"
"My neighbors who broke up the fight told us he was screaming about money and us being rich," I said. "I was curious why he would think that. My parents have money, but it's in the bank, and we live modestly. So why would he think we had money around the house?"
"Amelia," He said. "The man was crazy. He said he had been staying at the barn at the old murder farm. Another man on the property, named Jerry, said he knew your family and you were quite wealthy. We went to the property to find Jerry, but no one was there."
"Thank you, Detective," I said. "You put my mind at ease."
After I hung up with the Detective, I changed and went downstairs. Connie had texted me to see if we needed anything and told me to give my Mom her phone number. The pizza came, and we sat on the couch watching eating challenges on YouTube, joking about how we would never be able to do that. We both fell asleep on the couch that night and as I drifted off to sleep, I knew I had to get to the bottom of this before something else happened to my family.
Chapter 18
After Jerimiah sent someone after us on Thursday and everything that happened to my Dad, I decided Friday would be a personal day and relax at home. Mason came over with takeout, and we relaxed by watching movies in my room. On Saturday, I left a sore Dad with my over-nurturing Mom and met Mrs. Clara about what happened with the Circus.
I pulled to the gate and told them I was there to see Clara. They let me in, and I pulled up to the front of the house, and a woman walked out the door to meet me. I walked up and outstretched my hand, "Hello. I'm Amelia. We spoke on the phone. You must be Clara?"
Clara smiled and replied, "I sure am. You must be the brave young lady looking into that dreadful house?"
I smiled and said, "That would be me."
"Well, Amelia," Clara started, "I have a nice tea and brunch set up for us in the garden. I will tell you about our time in that horrible place."
After we sat down, Clara asked, "So before we start, can you tell me why you are so interested in the Farm? Also, why are you doing this project?
I drank some tea and said, "You may not want to talk to me when I tell you."
She smiled at me and said, "There are no secrets, dear."
I took a breath and took the pictures of Rebecca and Jackson out of my bag, saying, "Mrs. Clara, that Farm is my legacy. During my research, I discovered that I am a descendant of the original family."
Putting the pictures on the table, I first showed her the one of Rebecca and Jackson, "Those are my Grandparents, Rebecca and Jackson. Jackson died fighting his father, giving Rebecca time to escape."
"Oh my," she said.
"This is a picture of my boyfriend Mason and I at the dock of his grandmother's store," I said as I slid over the pictures. I took out my binder with all my evidence and handed it to her. "That is everyone's stories I gathered before our visit about the Farm."
She looked over all the information, and when she got to the last page, she said, "He attacked your family?"
"Yes," I said. "Jerimiah convinced a drifter, staying in the barn, that we were rich and had money hidden around our home. My Mom is a writer and makes good money. But she invests and has a lot put away for when they eventually retire. I know Mom will never stop writing. My Dad is a Law Researcher, and my biological Grandparents helped him through college so my parents would not have to struggle after they adopted me."
"Adopted you?" She asked.
I pointed to the book and said, "The green tab."
Clara flipped to the page and read the story of my birth. She read over what happened to my Parents and then my Grandparents. She leaned forward, took my hands, and said, "You poor sweet girl. I understand why you want to know. How would you like to do this?"
"Why don't we start at the beginning, Clara," I said. "Tell me everything from your view about what had happened."
"Even though I was a child?" She said.
"Sometimes a childhood memory can be clearer than an adult memory," I said. "Just tell me in your words what you remember."
"Well, let us start at the beginning," She said. "In June 1971, my Grandpa decided we needed a place to stay when we did not have shows. He wanted a home where the workers who had no place to go could have a place to live and a place to store the equipment. He was told about the land by a contact who lived in Brooksville. When it went up for sale, Grandpa went to look at it. The contact told Grandpa about the massacre of the patients by a madman but did not disclose any more of the history of the Farm. He did tell my Grandpa the hospital wanted to get rid of the land fast, and he could get a great deal on the home and land."
I remember the night my Grandpa returned to the location where we were performing and listening to him and my Mother discuss the property. He told her it was a beautiful property with enough room for everyone. Then she asked about what had happened there, and he said, A madman did that, but his people could push the sadness of the property away. Then he said, "It would be nice to have some roots for his Circus, and it would be a great opportunity for them."
Looking back, I remember the look on Mother's face and realized she had her doubts. But she told my Grandpa the troupe would follow him wherever he decided to go. The day Grandpa purchased the Farm, he took my Mother, me, and two Circus elders to look at the property. Looking at Mother, I asked, "Are we going to live here?"
Grandpa scooped me up from the car and said, "Yes, my sweet Clara. We are going to be more than a traveling Circus now."
"As we walked around the property, I felt like someone was watching us from the house and the trees. That feeling was not something I liked. In the car on the way back to where we were performing, Marty, the cook, and my Grandpa's assistant asked me what I thought about the house," She said. "I remember telling him I did not like it. When he asked me why? I said it gave me a bad feeling."
Marty hugged me tight and said, "Sir, before we move in, we should have a blessing done on the house. Let's go in with peace and the power of God around us."
My Grandpa agreed and had Marty arrange it. Marty looked at me and said, "Now you see, Clara, there are no more bad feelings."
"Marty not only arranged for a priest to bless the buildings and the property. But he knew a local coven leader, and he had her come out and bless and ward the property along with a voodoo priestess from the area." She said. "Bless him, he wanted to make sure he covered everything. Two weeks later, we moved in."
Chapter 19
The first few weeks after everyone arrived there, everything was normal. Sometimes, we would hear footsteps in the middle of the night, or things would not be where we left them, but we never really thought anything of it. After we went on a week-long engagement and returned to the Farm, the feeling around it started to change.
For the first few days, we were back, everyone got settled in. Then Mother sent me to bring some items to our Circus mystic, Madam Kareen. I had not been to her camper since we moved to the Farm, and I found it stationed far away from the house. It was so far back on the property that it almost bordered the graveyard. When I knocked on her door, when she opened it her door, she pulled me into a hug, saying she had something for me. She put a bracelet on my wrist and said it would protect me from the evil on this land. I remember her saying that she did not like the Farm, but it was where we needed to be for the time being. Even though I was small, I remember asking her what she meant, and she said, "The dead are plenty on this land, and they are trying to protect us from the danger of the madman."
"So Madam Kareen felt Jerimiah's presence?" I asked.
"Yes," She said. "I believe she may have had a run-in with Jerimiah. The bracelet she gave me and all the other children was to ward us from him. Not one of us took them off, not even the teenagers."
"We had a school teacher on our payroll that traveled with us year-round," Clara said. "She was a sweet and kind woman who had gone through a bad divorce and found us one day. Outside of teaching, Mrs. Shelly would help in the ticket booth when we did not have classes. Over the summer, she took four weeks off and went to help her sister in Georgia, who had just had a baby. When Mrs. Shelly returned, the crew helped her set up her camper and the tent that was her makeshift schoolhouse. I remember when she arrived, Madam Kareen and Mrs. Shelly met up and talked as Mrs. Shelly set up the learning area, which consisted of tables, chalkboards, and boxes of her home school books she used. After their conversation, Madam Kareen helped her out in the school tent. Mrs. Shelly seemed relieved someone was there with her during the day. Madam Kareen and Mrs. Shelly were quite close, and most of us believed they had a hidden romance during their time with us. Madam Kareen was very protective of her and all the children at the Farm."
"Did something happen to Mrs. Shelly?" I asked.
"Yes," She said. "Mrs. Shelly would have terrible nightmares while living on the Farm. When we were out on tour, she was fine, but whenever she returned, the nightmares returned. She never told anyone but Madam Kareen what she dreamt about. She finally had her camper moved to form a corner next to Madam Kareen's trailer, and they left the school tent where it was."
"Why did they move her camper?" I asked.
"When Mrs. Shelly's camper was next to the tent, she said she heard children late at night outside her camper. While school was in session, Mrs. Shelly would set up the next morning's lesson before she retired from the tent. In the morning, she would open the tent to let in fresh air before we arrived, and the tent would be a mess inside. It was like a child playing inside of it during the night. She finally stopped setting up the night before since she did not want to do the work twice. She was quite relieved when we went on a two-week tour to Saint Augustine."
She stopped and gave a frown, "When we got back to the Farm, things were calm during the holiday season, and the next real incident didn't happen until March of 1973. We had just returned home from a six-week tour, and Henry, our lead clown, and a circus elder, had been having a rough time. Henry's brother had passed away the year before, and he missed him so much. Then Henry had started seeing a woman locally, who Henry was quite serious about. However, when we returned, she decided she did not want to be traveling with the Circus. Henry was born into the circus life and didn't want to do anything else. He had planned to speak to his love when we returned from the last show. Henry had found his love, moved on, and married someone earlier in the week. Henry was devastated. All of his Circus family tried keeping him company and cheering him up, but he just sunk into a depression. Henry would be grumpy with the adults and barely tolerated being around us kids. He used to play games with us kids and be the one helping others in the Circus, but now he avoided everyone he could, and we all became worried. We left to do a few fall shows. While we were away from the Farm, Henry started to get better. He was more talkative with everyone and started playing games with us kids again. Henry was happy all through the holidays and Christmas. he even played his fiddle during our New Year's Eve party," she said as she smiled at the memory.
Then she frowned and said, "Then things started to change. You see, on the road or at the Farm, the Circus was closed on Sundays. Grandpa believed it was God's day, and it was for worship and rest."
"But something happened?" I asked.
"Yes," She said. "Mt Grandpa was a good man. He believed we were so successful because of God's grace. Every Sunday, we would have a large family dinner with all the workers, starting with a prayer service. We had all religions in our Circus, and we celebrated every religion. The Circus cooks and all the workers would join together to make a feast to share after service. Growing up, I was blessed to know so many cuisines and cultures. The kitchen and all meals were prepared and planned by Marty, one of the Circus elders who learned to cook from his Mother and Grandmother. Both women worked with our Circus before they retired. That morning, Henry came into the kitchen with eggs from the chicken coup for the cooks, and Marty said Henry looked a bit rough. Why don't we make an egg sandwich for Henry to eat? Before he went to set up for the prayer service, I agreed, and Henry sat down with a cup of coffee next to me. I was sitting at the counter making pies for dessert, and Henry looked at me and said, "Clara, sweetie, you have the bracelet Madam Kareen gave you on, right?"
I looked up, raised my arm, and answered, "Yes, Sir!"
"You keep that on, Clara. It will keep you safe," Henry said as Marty handed Henry an egg sandwich. Henry leaned over and kissed my cheek, and he walked out saying to us, "See you both at service."
Marty laughed after Henry walked out, "I guess he forgot that I already went to service."
"I thought everyone went to the Church service you had," I asked.
"Marty did come sometimes," Clara said. "However, Marty had a Great Aunt who lived in town, so he would go to service with her either late on Saturday nights or sunrise service on Sundays to see his family. Grandpa did not mind as long as Marty knew God and was a faithful servant. There were times when Marty's Aunt would come to our service and loved all of her Circus family."
"I continued to work on the pies I was helping with, and when I finished preparing my pies, Marty shooed me out the door to go to where our prayer service was by the barn." She smiled and said, "I got to the area for prayer service. Henry was sitting toward the back, taking my hand as I walked in. He held my hand, took a handkerchief, and wiped the flour off my face. He said, All better, join your Mama and Grandpa. I will see you after service."
"I sat down next to Mother and Grandpa. The remaining stragglers came in, and Grandpa started the prayer service." Sighing, she continued, "He first called out for any prayer requests, then he gave blessings to God for all of our good fortune and had a few speakers come up from other religions to give their small sermons. Grandpa would always end it with a small scripture reading and a light lesson on what the scripture meant to him. The whole service did not take long, maybe an hour, and then he asked God and other powers to watch over our Circus and the Circus Family. I still preferred his services over a regular church service until he passed. As we left the prayer area, we noticed a group of roadies by the barn that started to get into an argument. Henry walked over to Grandpa and whispered something to him. I caught some of it, and it was about the next show being over a month away. Grandpa walked over to them to try to diffuse the situation."
Grandpa walked over to speak with the group and said, "Gentleman, what is going on? We don't need hot heads on the Lord's Day. While you're here, you know your needs of food, board, and necessities are covered. Now Marty has been working all morning with help from others, preparing tasty food. Let us calm ourselves and enjoy fellowship."
One of the newer roadies walked up to Grandpa and went to swing a punch. My Grandpa was fast and ducked. He grabbed the guy's fist and looked him in the face, "Son, you're drunk on the Lord's Day. You have two choices, the first being to go wash up and cool off. Then get food, or you can gather your belongings from the barn loft and leave. It is your choice, but understand you will not be allowed back."
Another roadie went face to face with my Grandpa, and a few of our older workers went to back him up as the roadie said, "Old man, you need to back off. We own this Circus now, and you owe us for sitting here."
Clara stopped for a moment to take a sip of tea before continuing. "My Mom had the ladies and children head towards the house when a full-out brawl started in front of the barn. I ran ahead of everyone, yelling for Marty. He sat me on a stool and grabbed the phone to call the sheriff's station. As he explained what was happening, Mom walked out of the house with a shotgun and headed towards where the men were fighting. Mom called out a few times for the men to stop, and when they would not listen, she let off a shot into the air. The fight stopped cold in its tracks. Mom aimed the gun at the men who were hitting Henry, who had jumped in to protect my Grandpa, and as Henry crumbled to the ground, Mom aimed the gun at the guys, telling them it was time to get their stuff and leave."
"Your Mom was a tough woman, wasn't she?" I asked.
Clara smiled and said, "Mother was one of the most kind and generous women I know. But she did not tolerate anything from anyone. When Grandpa passed, she became the heart of this Circus until she passed away."
Chapter 20
"So after your mom broke up the fight, they just left?" I asked.
Clara became serious and said, "No. The police showed up after Mother shot the gun and got the rest of the situation under control. Grandpa was embarrassed and explained to the officers that he appreciated them coming out, explaining the guys were mad that they were not getting paid because the Circus was on a break. He went over how the Circus provided clothes, food, and necessities while we were here on break, and that is how all Circus handle off time. But he also said that while we were here, any workers could work in town to earn extra money if they wished, and quite a few of the workers had arrangements with businesses in town to do just that. The officers said they would wait for the men to get off the property so there would be no further issues."
She smiled and said, "Grandpa offered the officers some food to take with them for coming out. The officers were thankful for the meal and went to the house with Grandpa and Henry. Grandpa said grace over the food, and then Marty handed the officers some containers we use for the Circus and told them to help themselves. The officers filled their containers with food, thanking my Grandpa and everyone at the house for their hospitality. As they were leaving the house, one of the officers stopped and called back to call the fire department. We looked out of the windows and saw the barn was on fire. All the men ran out and started grabbing hoses and buckets. Some men ran to the animal cages, moving them out of harm's way along with the campers close to the barn."
She stopped, and I asked, "Do you want to take a break?"
"No," Clara said, "This is a memory I will keep until my last day. Everyone stopped in their tracks for a moment when we heard the screaming. The roadie who had started the brawl was inside the barn loft, and he was on fire. It almost looked like he was dancing in the loft through the window. The fire department got there and was able to save the barn. However, the guy who started the brawl was dead. The fire department said it wasn't the fire that got him but the smoke. That was the first death since we moved into the Farm."
"Clara," I said. "He was not the first death in that loft. When Mantis owned the property, he had a New Year's Eve Party, and two of his guests were missing after the roof to the barn caught fire."
"That is very interesting," She said. "The officers cleared people around the barn so the coroner could get to the body, but when the coroner ran out white as a sheet and said, the body is gone. The officers ran in and came out a few minutes later, and although they searched the property, they could not find the man."
"Well," I said. "That does track as none of the bodies, which includes the bodies of Jerimiah's family, were ever found. If you die on that property, the body disappears."
"Do you think Jerimiah hides the bodies after he takes the life of the person?" She asked.
"Yes, I do," I said. "At least that is the theory we formed from it."
"After the fire, the mood around the property seemed to shift." She said. "The crew had their meal on and off during the day, and Marty kept everything in the kitchen going. At one point, I lost count of the pots of coffee he made that day. Later in the afternoon, the fire crew permitted the men to enter the barn to get their belongings and salvage what they could from the fire. Grandpa had a tent set up so the workers could have a place to stay in."
Looking at me, Clara said, "After that, the whole mood of the camp changed. More people started finding side jobs away from the Farm so they didn't need to stay on the property when we were between shows. Grandpa started looking for land to build a massive compound and home. When he finally found a property in Saint Petersburg, he hired a company to start the construction immediately. I remember Mom and him talking one night, and I overheard their conversation."
"Dad, how long do you think it will take for the buildings to be move-in ready?" She asked.
"Sweetie." Grandpa said, "I had the building crew hire extra people. I explained our situation to the contractor. He is trying to build it as fast as possible as he is from this area and knows the history of this land. We can't leave anyone behind when we leave. When we leave, we all go together for everyone's safety."
"So they won't say how long?" She asked. "Dad, I am worried about Clara. What if whatever is causing this goes after her or any of the kids?"
"We will protect them," He said. "If it makes you feel better, I can go to the witch's camp and ask them to come to bless and ward the property."
My mom gave him a look and rolled her eyes. She went to her room, and she said, "Would that even make a difference?"
"Grandpa went into work mode and booked us a few extra shows, and about two weeks later, we left to go to Georgia for a two-week run," Clara said. "Everyone was happy to be getting away from the Farm. We were always the last car when we left to perform a show or to leave the location. As our group left the gate of the Farm, I turned around to look at the house, and I could have sworn that I saw a man standing on the front porch holding an axe. I turned around real fast and ducked under the seat."
Chuckling, she said, "What was supposed to be two weeks turned into three months, and when we came back, Grandpa called everyone to meet next to the barn. We were all curious about what he had to say because we had just returned from our three months away. We gathered around, and Grandpa had a sly grin on his face."
He started his speech, "My family, I know things have been a bit busy the last few months, and after the tragedy at the beginning of the year, many of you did not want to stay around the Farm. I understand, and I am responsible. I did not understand what we got into when we purchased the land. You all have been amazing, and we have made it through. I have some amazing news. The new compound in St Petersburg is now in the final stages. It will be complete within a few months. When we leave for our next tour, we will be bringing all of our belongings with us. If you have a camper or RV that will not come with us on tour, we will be moving to your new lot at the compound. If you have belongings in storage, we will have them leave the property a few days before we go on the final tour and put them in your new apartment before we leave. In August, when we leave, we will not be coming back here."
Chapter 21
"Cheers erupted through the crowd when Grandpa announced this," Clara continued. "As everyone started to head to their perspective lodgings, a storm began to announce itself. Mama rushed me inside as the first drops fell to the ground. Little did we know we were about to come face to face with the past horrors that had happened in the home."
Shivering, Clara continued, "Once the rain started, it did not stop for three days. On the third day, an unholy mist seemed to settle on the property, and everyone started to spend more and more time at the main house as a group. The whole atmosphere changed, and the mist seemed to take a life of its own. A few times while the men were on the porch, they commented that they saw shapes in the distance and it must be a cow. Well, they hoped it was a cow. All the animals were in cages or the barn, and when the handlers went to care for them, they went in groups, and no one ever went out alone."
"As everyone was settling into making dinner in the main house that first night after the rain," She said. "The men folk decided to bed down the animals early as they wanted to return to the main house by nightfall. That was when the commotion started. They came upon one of the tigers, Kinney, who was in his cage. Kinney was chewing on something. Bran, his trainer, called to him, and Kinney would not stop chewing on what he had. It looked like whatever Kinney was chewing on was attached to the ground. So the guys lifted the cage to move it and stopped Kinney from gnawing at what he had. That was when the ground broke apart under the cage, and a body came partially out of the ground. There was yelling and screaming. The guys moved Kinney to a packed part of the ground, and a few returned to the house to call the local Sheriff. But when they went to the hole in the ground, the body was not found."
"When the local Sheriff's came out, one of the officers went to Grandpa and said they were checking the property. As they walked the property, they found a few more holes in the ground that seemed to have come from the rain. Once the Sheriff's started poking into the ground, they discovered the bodies of some of the people who were missing from the rehabilitation home. They located one of the staff by her badge still on the corpse and two more of the patients. But as it happened with Jerimiah's family, when they went to get bags and stretchers, the bodies once again disappeared. Some workers thought Jerimiah was trying to show us what would happen to us." Clara said.
Sighing, she said, "All the wholes on the property filled up and disappeared. The Sheriff was at a loss and said they would return if we found anything. Everyone stayed near the house, and when Marty served dinner that night, everyone seemed to snack instead of eat. That night, families could be seen all over the house making make-shift beds, settling in the house, not wanting to be alone on the property. Families huddled together, and the men seemed to have made a silent pack to watch over everyone as others slept in shifts. You could hear the sounds of muffled talking all night and the smell of coffee to keep everyone awake."
"The next morning, the fog seemed to have lifted, and the sun was shining," Clara continued, "Grandpa asked everyone to please keep near the main house for the time being, and all the kids needed to stay within sight of the adults. He was in his office most of the morning trying to get the show a few more engagements so we could leave sooner. I also remember hearing him on the phone with the construction crew owner, telling the owner to have the crew work faster, even if it cost Grandpa more by bringing in extra workers. I could tell my Grandpa was scared for the first time in my life ."
I took her hand and said, "Clara, your Grandpa being scared would be understandable."
Clara sat for a moment, lost in her memories. Then she continued, "After Jerimiah showed us the bodies of his victims, the entire group was more subdued. The woman and children stayed near the house during the day. The men started patrolling the grounds in shifts day and night to keep an eye out for any trouble."
"Then what happened?" I asked.
"Nothing," She said. "Things were relatively calm until our Fourth of July celebration. We still saw shadows and heard noises at night. But that was it. Thinking back on it, I believe the other spirits on the property were keeping Jerimiah at bay."
"What changed?" I asked.
"Everyone seemed to be on edge," She said. "Grandpa did not like how stressed everyone seemed to be. He knew the new compound was almost complete, and Grandpa wanted everyone to relax. Grandpa decided we would end our stay here with a party on July 4th. On the morning of July 4th, we all helped prepare for a grand BBQ and fireworks display. The men were down by the lake, building a platform to shoot off the fireworks from the water so it would be safe for everyone involved. Grandpa had fresh hay bales bought in, so we would have comfortable seats during the show and BBQ, and then we would reuse them later for the animals that required hay. Mom covered the hay bales with Fourth of July-themed blankets to make the seating more festive. Everyone was in an amazing mood."
Clara laughed at her memories and continued, "Henry was excited and tasked himself as the master of happiness and fun. Besides walking around and making people laugh, he had pulled out the Circus's ice cream machine from the snack shack and started making our kids homemade treats. Mrs. Penny, our lead animal keeper's wife, sat with Henry and helped him make sure the kids got all the ice cream goodness he was creating."
"You see," She said. "Henry had three older sisters. He wanted to ensure Mrs. Penny did not miss out, even in her condition. Henry had been watching Mrs. Penny all morning, and around noon, he asked her if she was alright as she was due to have a baby any time. She said she was becoming uncomfortable, but she is sure it's just the baby settling in. Henry signaled Mama and Madam Kareem, and they started watching over her because when babies are to be born, you can never plan when or where. Right after we had put out the BBQ feast so we could have a blessing and start eating, Mama and Madam Kareem huddled around Mrs. Penny, and she was in tears. Mrs. Shelly went to find Mrs. Penny's husband. He rushed over and spoke with Mama, then he ran and grabbed a bag out of their trailer, and Mama ran to the car we had. Mama helped Mrs. Penny into the car, and she and her husband left the grounds for the local hospital."
Grandpa said, "Well, looks like our family is going to grow by one today!"
"We gathered around the food tables before we ate, and Grandpa had Henry offer the blessing. Henry was so sweet and thanked the lord for the new baby coming and our family all being together," Clara laughed as she continued, "Then he ended his prayer in true Henry style by saying, Good Lord, if it's okay with you we have some hungry tykes, and we would like to eat! Everyone chuckled as we all headed to the tables to start eating. Mama took some of the takeout containers and packed up a few meals for Mrs. Penny and her husband, then for some of our crew who had taken some extra work outside the Circus. One of the circus hands, Frank, and his wife, Maple, came over to Mama and said they would take the food to Mrs. Penny and her husband. Mama gave him the food and told them thank you. Mama then continued to pack a few more meals so there would be food for anyone not here in case the food ran out!
"It was," She said. "That was until that evening. As the sun began to set, some of the men led by Henry started to prepare for the fireworks. They paddled out to the barge they had built on the lake. When they were ready on the barge, Henry called Grandpa on the walkie-talkie to tell him they were ready to start. As everyone settled on the benches, the show began. Everyone on the shore of the lake was so impressed with the fireworks and cheering. Then everything changed."
"What happened," I asked.
"I was sitting next to Grandpa, and Henry yelled into the walkie, "Who are the kids and lady swimming in the water?" Clara started. "We all knew that swimming in the lake was forbidden. Grandpa and Marty ran to the water's edge to see who was swimming in the pond. When they got to the area, Henry pointed to where they were, and Grandpa radioed back that no one was there."
"So even though Henry could see the woman and children, no one else could?" I asked.
"No, and believe me, Grandpa was looking," She said. "We saw Henry on the barge staring at a spot in the water. Then he turned to the guys and told them to get off the barge now. They all got into the rowboat and started paddling away as a huge flame shot out of the middle of the crate of fireworks. Then everything sunk into chaos with yelling and screaming. Everyone started running and hiding behind the hay bales, and the fireworks were shooting everywhere. I saw Mama run to the house, and as I followed after her, I saw her grab the phone and call the Sheriff's office, telling them that we had an emergency. She grabbed three big first aid kits we keep on hand and ran out the door. We heard the animals in their cages becoming spooked and saw the benches we had sat on a few minutes before on fire. Mama yelled to bring the injured to the house. The Sheriff's office is sending help. Then we saw the boat dock, and Henry slumped over with the guys trying to get him to the safety of shore."
"What happened to Henry?" I asked
"The fire department pulled up and started putting out the fire with the hay bales. "Clara continued. "The ambulance workers did all they could to stabilize poor Henry. He had a huge gash from his stomach up to his rib like he had a cut with a sharp object. I heard Henry tell Grandpa, "Call Shawn Magennis. He might allow a few shows before the big one in August. Let's get these people out of here."
"Do you think Jerimiah took a shot at Henry?" I asked.
"I believe he did, and the spirits were puppets," She said. "Later that night, Grandpa was in his office with Mama and Marty. They were talking, and I listened in on the conversation. Marty went to check on Henry at the hospital, and he told Marty everything that happened. Henry had looked out by the shore and saw three children and a woman splashing in the water next to the oak tree that hung over the water. When he called Grandpa, he said the lady and kids looked at him with black eyes and felt a chill go up his spine. Henry heard a hissing sound and made everyone get off the barge. He is glad he did this because as they loaded into the boat, the fireworks started going crazy. Henry had blocked two of the younger guys from getting hit, and then it looked like a firework came at them. Henry said it looked like an axe blade. Because Henry lifted the paddle, that's what saved him."
"Did Henry recover?" I asked.
"He sure did," She laughed. "Henry died of old age five years ago. He was still performing with the Circus until then. He passed peacefully. His wife found him in his recliner in their quarters with a photo album of pictures in his lap. He passed with a smile on his face."
Patting her hand, I said, "He passed, remembering the ones he loved. There is no better way to go, but that is my opinion."
"I agree, dear," She said, gripping my hand. "Now, Jerimiah, I hope you give him the pain he deserves. Where were we?"
"Marty had just told your Grandpa and Mom Henry's account of what happened," I said.
"Yes," She said. "Well, I was spying on them still, and I saw Mama lean over the desk saying to Grandpa, We have children as young as infants on this property. Find the witch group and get them here to do something. I am not risking any more lives. We start looking for a place to do a few shows. We start getting everyone out. Penny is still in the hospital for a few more days. I am not letting them come back here. Get them to finish at least Penny's apartment so we can move them there. Is that clear? They do not come back here with the baby."
My grandfather looked at her and said, "I will get them moving on the apartment as a priority. I will also make calls in the morning and find some shows."
Clara sipped her tea, "My dear, you seem a bit shocked about what I am telling you."
I smiled, "No, after everything I have been learning the last few days, the information does not surprise me. So, did your Grandpa find more shows to get everyone and everything off of the property?"
Clara smiled, "Yes, he did, and three days later, we had the caravan loaded up to leave. The first part was everything going up to the new estate. The second part was the group heading to St Augustine for a two-week show. When we left the property on July 7th, we never went back. Something odd did happen when we went to leave. We were always the last car, and I turned around and looked back at the house. In the top window stood a woman and three young children. As our car left the property, I looked towards the barn, standing there a man with an axe."
"You saw him?" I asked.
"I think I might have," Clara said. "Here is something that a lot of people do not know. The public record states that the house sat empty until now. That's not entirely true. My Grandpa met with the witch group based in northern Citrus County after we settled here in the new compound. He had a group of witches come to stay on the property doing banishing and protection spells to get rid of that monster. They lived on this property until 1981."
Chapter 22
When I left Mrs. Clara at the estate and returned home, I thought about everything she told me. Learning more about Jerimiah and how he had been taunting his victims brings me closer to hopefully finding a way to get rid of him forever. Knowing I needed to speak with the Witches group made me worry as the local Sheriff had given his viewpoints of magic and the mystical arts. I was hoping I could find someone willing to speak with me.
As I got closer to home, I stopped and called Mason. I told him I needed to talk to him and his Grandma when I arrived. I also hoped that Mantis might have information on the witch's enclave and that they might be able to help. Or at least give me information on what happened at the Farm while they were on the property.
When I pulled up to the front of Connie's shop, I saw her and Mason helping customers, so I made my way up to the family quarters and waited. After a while, Connie came up and looked at me and said, "My dear girl, you look like you have a secret."
"Not exactly, Connie," I said. "I think I might have an idea, and that can be even worse than having a secret. What if there was a way that we could stop all of this once and for all? Finish my family legacy."
"How do you think you are going to do that?" Mason asked as he walked into the room.
"Well, the last time I did research, the records showed that after the Circus, the property sat empty until 1982," I said. " What if I told you that wasn't true? Mrs. Clara told me her Grandpa had witches from around Citrus County stay on the property for nine years. During their time there, and they did their thing, that demonic asshole did not kill anybody. I checked before I came over here. Mantis told me that if I needed more information to come by or call, he would answer any questions he could. What if the witches are the key to stopping Jerimiah?"
Connie looked at me and said, "That would be good. Why don't you call Mantis to see if he has any contact information?"
Stepping outside, I called Mantis and told him about my visit with Mrs. Clara. I told him my theory about the witches, and he gave me a list of phone numbers of people to call. After an hour of calling, I finally found one willing to talk to me. Her name was Kylie Pruitt, and her family has been in Brooksville, Florida, for decades. She offered to meet up with me the following morning.
"Well, when did you want to go out there?" Mason asked. "If Grams can spare me, I can go with you."
"I can spare you," Connie said. "Amelia, are you sure you want to dive into this? What if they were doing things that were not such a good thing?"
"Connie, my great great grandfather's demon spirit is killing off a lot of people. He killed my dad and caused my mom to die. I think we are way past that," I said.
Later that evening, Kylie called me and told me that she had spoken to some of the coven elders, and many of them were part of the group that stayed on the Farm. She assured me her coven and many more were willing to help rid the world of Jerimiah. When the call ended, I lay down and thought about what would happen the next day.
Chapter 23
We met Kylie at a small cottage up in Crystal River. When we got to her home, one of the first things we noticed was the herb garden that took over the front yard. She met us on her front stoop and gasped when she saw Mason and me. She said, "Well, you said you were a descendent. However, you didn't say exactly how much you looked like Jackson and Rebecca."
We walked up to her, and I offered her my hand, "Hi, Kylie, we spoke on the phone. I am Amelia, and this is my boyfriend Mason."
"Well, Amelia," She said. "Let's see if we can find a way to send Jerimiah back to hell forever. I found my mother's journals when she and the coven were on the grounds. I should warn you I read ahead to save us some time, and honestly, the main spirit there was not very nice."
Mason grunted, " Yeah, we are aware of that. Because of him, Amelia's parents are not with us. That and he tortured my Grams when she lived on the property as well."
Kylie looked thoughtful and said, "Well, then I think you should know that during the '70s and the '80s, the witches living there lived in a commune-type setting where they all lived inside the main house or in the barn. My Mom had just joined the coven and stayed in the room above the kitchen."
I said, "That was the room Mason's Grandma lived the room and the room the younger children had lived in before being killed."
"That right," Kylie said, looking up, "In my Mom's journal, she wrote that they often heard the sounds of children in the room and along the upper floor. She even thought she would feel the children climb up at night and lay on the bed with her. Those poor little souls."
"Has anyone ever tried crossing over the spirits of the trapped children?" Mason asked, "If they are truly innocent children, couldn't they cross over if helped?"
"It's funny you should ask that, "Kylie started, "Because they did try. It would be best I read the excerpt from Mom's journal."
Kylie picked up a brown journal off the table and turned to the page she had set with the bookmark. She started to read, "February 2nd, 1977. The sounds of the innocent have become more and more predominant at night as we try to sleep. I asked our High Priestess if there was a way to cross over the children. She said she had been thinking about that same problem, and if we were to try, it would have to be on the full moon tomorrow night. Earlier, she had explained to the members of the coven that there are no spells to use to help move the dead to the afterlife, but as the moon plays a part in the moon release, we could try to channel the energy to help release the poor souls that were trapped here. She changed the words to the full moon release for us to try to free the souls.
We ask that the innocent spirits of the home be released, as they do not belong here.
We ask that their path be clear. To be free from their torment.
We ask that god and the goddess please help them on their journey.
We ask that the fear which keeps them here be gone.
We ask that they be able to go to the heavens and that no evil or other spirits trap them here.
We ask that they find rest in the hand of God and the Goddess
We ask that the evil here no longer torment them
We ask the God and the Goddess to please ease their pain and suffering.
We ask that they be free from the pain and torture and be released back to the heavens.
Once we started chanting around the fire outside, that seemed to have angered whatever evil was in the home. The ground shook, and the flames from the nearby fires shot into the air like evil itself was coming to life. The members who were in the circle started to hear low growls. Almost as if the beasts from hell were trying to stalk them. Then, we hear the sounds of crying from inside the house. The ghosts of the children seemed to be scared of something. My High Priestess grabbed a torch and started walking towards the house. She approached the house and was lifted and thrown into the circle. We rushed to help her, and she looked past us, and there standing on the porch was Jerimiah himself. The High Priestess stood before all her coven and said, "Jerimiah, it's over. You will not win this."
Then, everyone heard his words, "It will be over when the last of my descendants are gone."
Mason took my hand and said, "Well, that will not happen."
"He knew," I said. "He knew if he killed my Dad, my Mom would die of a broken heart. Then he sent that guy who went to the farm to kill Grams and Gramps. I am the last in the line of decedents."
Kylie looked at me with sad eyes as she said, "You come from him, Amelia."
"There has to be a way to stop him," I said. "I am not dying. One day, I want to have kids. To hell if I am going to saddle one of my kids with this shit."
"There might be a way," Kylie said, "Since he is already dead, we can't kill him again, but his true descendant might be able to lock his ass in an eternal hell. Then we burn him to the ground, which includes the house. We need to send him to hell from the home and property. Doing this means that we sigil and seal that house. Then we run like hell, slamming the door behind us as we run, and bring that house to the ground. We can use you as a beacon and perform a lantern spell to take the home out from the inside."
Lifted my head, I said, “That goes for you as well.”
We headed out to the graveyard and noticed a large amount of cars waiting. When we got out of the car, a sight met our eyes. Amongst all the graves were witches from all the local covens who could make it, and then there were ethereal spirits walking around with them.
A spirit walked up to me and said, “You look like Mrs. Rebecca, but these witches say your name is Amelia. You look like Jackson, young man, but they say your name is Mason. I was one of the land workers who Jeremiah killed after he killed the family. Please, both of you, be careful.”
“You were one of the hired hands?” I asked.
“We were fixing the fence line because the bull got out. Dying was a blur, to be honest with you. But when he killed us, two of us fell onto the graveyard side of the fence and he couldn’t touch us,” He said. “My name is Mike.”
“Its nice to meet you Mike.” I said. Looking past him, I saw Kylie was coming towards us with a few of the covens elders. Mason took my hand and Mike went to speak with other spirits in the area.
Kylie pulled me into a hug. Then she said, "We have the spell ready to go. Once we start chanting, you walk down the driveway towards the house. Do not be surprised if he tries to scare you off by manipulating the weather or property. Once you get to the house, you go inside with Mason. Once you're in, you place the lantern on the second-floor balcony. Both of you will say the spell in unison. Then, both of you leave the house once it starts to glow as fast as possible. Jerimiah is not able to touch the lantern as the elders warded it. But you both need to place the lantern together. Once you leave the house, get back up the driveway and to the main road as fast as possible. We will have witches ready in case he comes after you."
"What happens if the driveway is blocked," Mason asked.
"You run for the road or the graveyard, just stay out of the water. We saw shimmers under the water, so we think Jerimiah has corpses hidden there. If there are bones, he has power, or that's what we think."
Nodding, I said, "Well, I am glad I am on track then."
An elderly man walked up and took mine, and Masons joined hands and said, "We will do everything in our power to protect you. But first, we will ask for a blessing and pray to the goddess and god. They will guard you this evening."
The ghosts in the graveyard stood back, and all the witches joined a circle around us. They started to chant, and you could feel the power in the air. Their chant seemed to be answered by thunder and lightning in the sky. As they finished, Kylie looked up and said, "There is one more thing. We promised you could speak to them before you went."
"Who?" I asked.
"Your Mom and Dad. Somehow, your Dad can cross the line, and we do not understand how," She said. That's when the crowd parted. On a bench at the beginning of the graveyard were my parents. I let go of Mason's hand and walked over to them. They stood up when I got to them, and I felt their arms reach around and hug me. Tears came down my cheeks as I asked, "How can I feel you?"
Mom pushed back my hair and said, "We waited your whole life to see you. Being able to see you was a favor given to us. I am not going to question how. We will be here until Jerimiah is gone for good to see you one last time. My sweet girl, we are so sorry we could not be there for you, but we are glad our dearest friends raised you. We have always watched over you and are so proud of the woman you become."
"Amelia, you need to listen to me," Dad said. "You need to be fast on your feet and trust Mason. You both will make it through this. Do not underestimate Jerimiah. He will do whatever it takes to get you."
Mason came up behind me and said, "I promise you both I will do everything in my power to protect her."
"We know you will, son," Dad said.
Kylie came up and said, "It's time."
Turning back to my parents, I hugged them again and said, "I love you."
My Mom, who was now a flood of tears, said, "We love you as well, sweet girl. That has and never will change, do you hear me? From the day we found out about you, we loved you."
I couldn't speak and nodded my head. Kylie gave us the lantern already lit, and we headed to the entrance to the graveyard. Looking back, I saw my Dad holding my Mom as she cried. I silently said a thank you to whoever or whatever allowed me my moment with them. Mason took my hand, and we stopped at the end of the driveway. Witches from all walks of life lined up around the property, and as they started chanting, the lights in the home sprang to life. Mason and I shared a kiss and joined hands. We took a deep breath as we stepped onto the property.
Mason looked angry, "You are saying we need to use her as live bait after you get the seals and sigils painted?"
Kylie looked at us and said, "Not just her but you as well. Everything would have ended if Jackson had not saved Rebecca. So you both would have to place the lantern and say the spell. Once the lantern starts to glow, you run like hell."
I looked up and said, "Okay."
Lifted my head, I said, “That goes for you as well.”
We headed out to the graveyard and noticed a large amount of cars waiting. When we got out of the car, a sight met our eyes. Amongst all the graves were witches from all the local covens who could make it, and then there were ethereal spirits walking around with them.
A spirit walked up to me and said, “You look like Mrs. Rebecca, but these witches say your name is Amelia. You look like Jackson, young man, but they say your name is Mason. I was one of the land workers who Jeremiah killed after he killed the family. Please, both of you, be careful.”
“You were one of the hired hands?” I asked.
“We were fixing the fence line because the bull got out. Dying was a blur, to be honest with you. But when he killed us, two of us fell onto the graveyard side of the fence and he couldn’t touch us,” He said. “My name is Mike.”
“Its nice to meet you Mike.” I said. Looking past him, I saw Kylie was coming towards us with a few of the covens elders. Mason took my hand and Mike went to speak with other spirits in the area.
Kylie pulled me into a hug. Then she said, "We have the spell ready to go. Once we start chanting, you walk down the driveway towards the house. Do not be surprised if he tries to scare you off by manipulating the weather or property. Once you get to the house, you go inside with Mason. Once you're in, you place the lantern on the second-floor balcony. Both of you will say the spell in unison. Then, both of you leave the house once it starts to glow as fast as possible. Jerimiah is not able to touch the lantern as the elders warded it. But you both need to place the lantern together. Once you leave the house, get back up the driveway and to the main road as fast as possible. We will have witches ready in case he comes after you."
"What happens if the driveway is blocked," Mason asked.
"You run for the road or the graveyard, just stay out of the water. We saw shimmers under the water, so we think Jerimiah has corpses hidden there. If there are bones, he has power, or that's what we think."
Nodding, I said, "Well, I am glad I am on track then."
An elderly man walked up and took mine, and Masons joined hands and said, "We will do everything in our power to protect you. But first, we will ask for a blessing and pray to the goddess and god. They will guard you this evening."
The ghosts in the graveyard stood back, and all the witches joined a circle around us. They started to chant, and you could feel the power in the air. Their chant seemed to be answered by thunder and lightning in the sky. As they finished, Kylie looked up and said, "There is one more thing. We promised you could speak to them before you went."
"Who?" I asked.
"Your Mom and Dad. Somehow, your Dad can cross the line, and we do not understand how," She said. That's when the crowd parted. On a bench at the beginning of the graveyard were my parents. I let go of Mason's hand and walked over to them. They stood up when I got to them, and I felt their arms reach around and hug me. Tears came down my cheeks as I asked, "How can I feel you?"
Mom pushed back my hair and said, "We waited your whole life to see you. Being able to see you was a favor given to us. I am not going to question how. We will be here until Jerimiah is gone for good to see you one last time. My sweet girl, we are so sorry we could not be there for you, but we are glad our dearest friends raised you. We have always watched over you and are so proud of the woman you become."
"Amelia, you need to listen to me," Dad said. "You need to be fast on your feet and trust Mason. You both will make it through this. Do not underestimate Jerimiah. He will do whatever it takes to get you."
Mason came up behind me and said, "I promise you both I will do everything in my power to protect her."
"We know you will, son," Dad said.
Kylie came up and said, "It's time."
Turning back to my parents, I hugged them again and said, "I love you."
My Mom, who was now a flood of tears, said, "We love you as well, sweet girl. That has and never will change, do you hear me? From the day we found out about you, we loved you."
I couldn't speak and nodded my head. Kylie gave us the lantern already lit, and we headed to the entrance to the graveyard. Looking back, I saw my Dad holding my Mom as she cried. I silently said a thank you to whoever or whatever allowed me my moment with them. Mason took my hand, and we stopped at the end of the driveway. Witches from all walks of life lined up around the property, and as they started chanting, the lights in the home sprang to life. Mason and I shared a kiss and joined hands. We took a deep breath as we stepped onto the property.
I felt the heat from hell itself coming off of Jerimiah. I grabbed the railing and pulled myself over. As I jumped over the rail, I received a kick in the stomach. I went flying through the front windows of the house. I landed in the bushes outside. That was when I heard Mason yell, "Run Amelia, he is coming for you. Go, the family is surrounding me to keep me safe."
Pulling myself out of the bushes, I took off towards the road. I heard Mason leave the house. I yelled, "Mason, run. I got this."
Changing directions, I headed toward the barn and the graveyard and ran as fast as possible. I needed to give Mason time to get off the property. As I rounded the barn, I saw three spirits running towards me. It was Mike and the other workers whom Jerimiah had killed. As they passed me, Mike yelled, "Go, we will slow him down."
As I ran, I heard Jerimiah yelling, "No, you're the last."
I ran as fast as I could as I neared the fence line. I saw Mason and Kylie. They were yelling at me to run faster as the other witches held Mason on the safe side of the fence. I heard all the chanting still going on.
I heard Jerimiah yelling, "No, you are mine."
When I got close to the fence, I treated it like a hurdle, launching myself over the fence line and landing hard on the graveyard ground. Mason lifted me and pulled me further back. Jerimiah couldn't get through the barrier of the fence to get me. All the witches continued to chant, and then we saw the light glow brighter in the house. Kylie and the elders moved us back as they continued chanting.
I looked at Jerimiah and said, "It's over, Jerimiah. The spirits will be free, and you're going back to hell."
The light inside the house grew even brighter, and we moved to the entrance of the property. As the light grew, it enveloped the house. We started hearing the spirits trapped on the property cry out in joy that they were becoming free of the land. The chanting became louder as the light engulfed the property, and as it peaked, the chanting stopped, and the home was rubble and smoke. From the beginning of the driveway, I watched as Jerimiah cried out in fury and howled like a beast as a fiery inferno appeared around him. Jerimiah fought as the ground erupted in flames as he returned to hell.
Looking at Kylie, I asked, "Is it over?"
She looked at the elder to ask. The ground started to shake. All the trees lining the driveway were cracking in half, and holes appeared around the property. We heard the lake bubble, and all the water drained out. The elder looked at me and said, "It's finally over. Jerimiah is no more."
Mason wrapped his arms around me and hugged me. Looking at the rubble, I said, "Finally."
The elder looked around and called to a man, "Max, get over here. Get over here. Give us about two hours to get out, and then call Amelia. You know the story."
Max nodded and said, "Amelia, be ready to give the best acting performance you ever gave. Remember to act surprised and horrified. Especially when you come back, we need to sell this."
Mason chuckled and said, "How come I feel like you have done this before?"
Max laughed and said, "Because I am a trained demonologist, and I have had a few cases end like this. The key is to sell it to the police and authorities."
Chapter 28
As coven members congratulated us, we returned to the graveyard and found my parents waiting on the bench. When they saw Mason and me, my Mom jumped up and said, "My sweet girl, you did it."
My Dad shook Mason's hand and said, "If you ever want to marry our daughter, know that you have our blessing."
Mason said, "Thank you, sir."
Dad turned us to the jeep and said, "We want us to spend time with you, but you need to get all the souls accounted for. There is still work to do."
They hugged us, and Mason opened the door to my jeep. Mom said, "Tell your parents we said thank you. We love and miss them as much as we love and miss you. I can't say if we will ever see you again, but we have loved you since we found out I was having you. We will always be with you."
I climbed into the jeep, and Mason joined me. We drove off and headed towards his Grandma's home. When we were far enough away that no one would stop and check on us, I pulled over and cried. Mason held me until I stopped, and then we continued to Connie's shop. While on the way, I joked I was starving. He laughed and agreed with me, so we pulled into Wendy's and got everyone food. As we drove to Connie's shop, I looked at the clock. I said, "Mason, look at the time."
He looked at me and said, "That can't be right."
He called Kylie, putting her on speaker, and said, "Kylie, the clock on the jeep says 1 am."
She said, "We noticed that after you left. All our cars and phones say the same thing. It seems time slowed and stopped while we were fighting Jerimiah. The elders say they have heard rumors that when things like this could happen, it's almost as if God himself slows time in some cases, stops time so no one else can be trapped."
Mason asked, "Should we be worried."
"Not at all. We will meet up soon." She said. "Amelia, be ready for Max's call."
When we arrived at Connie's house, Connie and my parents ran out of the shop to hug us. While looking us over to ensure we were okay. After we went inside, we sat down and started to eat as we explained what had happened. My mom started to cry when we told them about meeting my parents and passing along the messages.
My phone rang from an unknown number, and I answered, "Hello."
"Amelia, This is Kylie's friend Max. I am the guy who was going to do the tree work tomorrow. Kylie said you permitted us to camp out here. When we got here, we found the property destroyed, and the main house had burned down." He said.
Feigning innocence, I said, "Max, what do you mean burned down?"
"I think you need to call the police. I called the police right before I called you. The police are heading out to the farm," Max said. "The house is a smoldering pile of rubble, and the lake is empty. All the trees you wanted me to cut back have split in half. There are also big holes all over the property. Can you come out here? I am sure the police will want to speak with you and your parents."
"Yes," I said. "My parents and I can be out there soon."
Taking a deep breath, I called 911 and said, "Hello, my name is Amelia Green, and I own the old murder farm in Brooksville. I had hired a friend to do land maintenance for me and permitted him to camp on the property the next few nights. He arrived at the property and called me to say the property was in ruins. He told me he called 911 before he called me. I am heading out there now, but we need the police. When I drove past earlier today, the house was fine, and now he is stating the house is rubble, and the property had holes all over it."
"Amelia, we have police en route with retired officer Marshal." She said. "Shall I advise them that your parents and you are on your way?"
"Yes, please," I said. "We are going to turn the property into a wedding venue. Why would someone do this?"
After getting off the phone with emergency services, we headed to the Farm with my parents and Connie. When I pulled in, we saw many police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances. I saw that Max was speaking to an officer, and when he saw me, he said, "Wait, there's the owner. Amelia over here."
We headed over to Max and the police. I saw that Marshall was talking with the lead officer. Marshall looked at me and said, "Amelia, it's a pleasure to meet you. I wish it were not under these circumstances. Our preliminary investigation shows there was a gas leak in the house that sparked and created an explosion. The explosion seems to have created such a blast the trees split and holes formed in the ground. The strangest thing, the explosion caused the water to drain out of the lake."
"Oh no," I said. "Max, are you and your crew okay? Were you here when the explosion happened?"
Max looked at me and said, "No, we arrived late. We got held up on a job in Tampa."
"Oh, I am glad you got held up," I said. "The thought of you here when the destruction happened. I guess I will need you to remove the tree stumps instead and plant new ones. It's a shame. I loved the driveway lined with the older trees."
Walking over to a tree, I touched the trunk and said, "They were such beautiful trees."
Looking down, I saw the first body and let out a scream that would rival that of any horror movie actress. The group of officers and Mason ran over to me. "Amelia, What's wrong?"
"There is a child in the tree," I cried, clutching Mason. "This is not right. The child looks frozen."
The police officer moved us away from the tree, and the officer asked Max if he had a saw. Max nodded and came back with a chainsaw. He was careful as he cut the tree more open. The officer looked up and said, "Amelia, I would hate to ask, but can you identify the body."
Walking over, I heard a whisper say, "Thank you, my niece. That's me, your Great Aunt Mary."
The officers laid a tarp and gently laid the body of a child on it. I gasped and said, "It can't be."
Everyone listened as I explained I was the last living descendent of Jerimiah. Then I explained that the child in the tree was that of his child Mary, which he killed. I explained after the massacre, the bodies of the family disappeared. Marshall came up behind me and said, "She is right. Whenever someone was killed or went missing on this property, the bodies disappeared. When I was investigating the rehabilitation home massacre, we never found any."
Looking at the child, I said, "This was my Great Aunt Mary."
The officer helped me up, and I looked into the tree and said, "There is someone else in here."
Walking over to the tree across the lane and looked in. I gasped again and said, "There are more in here."
Marshall walked over to the closest hole and said, "We have bodies in the ground as well."
We heard over the radio called out, "Boss, we have bodies in the lake."
Mason and I looked at each other, and I said, "Even though you do not need permission, I give you all permission to dig anywhere you want and find the bodies. These must be all the missing people related to the property, and I am thankful the house exploded."
After the officers left, Marshall looked at Mason and me and said, "Should I even ask? No, don't answer that I already know. I am proud of you kids, Especially you, Amelia. You would make a good detective."
The officer approached me and said, "Amelia, it's late. Why don't you and your family head home and return in the morning?"
Nodding, I said, "I am exhausted. I appreciate it, and if you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out."
My Parents and I loaded into my jeep. Mason gave me a quick kiss and loaded into Connie's car. When we got home, we said, "Good night."
I climbed into bed and fell into a night of heavy sleep with no dreams. I woke up the following day and saw it was already noon. After showering, I went downstairs to the kitchen to find my parents eating lunch with Mason and Marshall. "Good afternoon, everyone. I was so tired after last night."
Mason got up and hugged me. My mom brought me a plate of food. As I sat down, Marshal started to give me an update. He said, "Well, Amelia, so far, we recovered seventeen bodies, and we still have more trees to open and many holes to dig up. They recovered five bodies from the lake and did a GPR sweep to make sure there were no more. They pulled who we believe are more of Jerimiah's family, including his wife and her new husband. The oddest thing about all this is the bodies all look like they would have at their time of death."
"Marshall," I asked. "Do you need me today?"
"May I ask why?" He asked.
"I have a few places I need to go. Both to St Pete as well as Crystal River." I said. "I need to give some people closure."
I finished my food and said, "Come on, Mason, we have some people to see."
Chapter 29
We had a quiet drive out to Saint Petersburg and drove straight to the Circus compound. When I pulled to the gate, the guard said I could not enter due to not having an appointment. I begged him to call Mrs. Clara and tell her I was here with important news. He got on the phone and asked my name again. I looked at him and said, "Tell Mrs. Clara it's Amelia, and it's about the farm."
He spoke on the phone and said, "Mrs. Clara said to come to the main house immediately."
We drove to the main house, and a young man was waiting at the doors for us. He greeted us and said, "Hi Amelia, I am Mike, Clara's Grandson. She asked me to come and meet you."
We followed Mike in and entered a room where a group of retired performers were waiting with Mrs. Clara. She walked over to me and hugged me, saying, "Amelia, my guard said you might crash through the gate if we didn't let you in. These are people who were at the Farm with me. Why are you here?"
Taking her hand, I said, "Mrs. Clara, I have some news for you. It's over, Jerimiah is no more."
"Did you find any bodies?" An older man asked.
Looking at him, I said, "Sir-"
"Marty, sweetie, just Marty," He said.
"Marty," I said. "So far, they have recovered seventeen bodies, and all the bodies look frozen in time from the moment of their death. They are still working on finding all the bodies."
Clara sighed as she sat down and said, "Amelia, being a Circus, we had people come and go. We believe now that there could be more victims from the Circus."
Nodding, I said, "I will let the police know to reach out if we need the Circus's help with identification. I know two missing person cases have already been closed with the discovery of the bodies."
Mike said, "We would be glad to meet with the police and try to identify anyone that could not be."
"If you can send me a list of possible names, I will pass it to the police," I said. "I just want everyone to have peace from Jerimiah's torture."
"Amelia," Clara said as she stood up. She took my hand and said, "You have done more than anyone against that monster, Jerimiah. I am thankful that his reign of terror is finally over."
We visited with Clara and the circus workers for a while longer, and as we went to leave, Clara's Grandson Mike met us at the door, "Amelia and Mason, Thank you for bringing us closure, especially for my Grandmother. It has haunted her all these years that no one believed anyone from the circus group about what happened at the farm. Please keep me updated. Here is my card."
I took his card, and we said our goodbyes. As we drove north to Crystal River to see Mantis and Mack, we stopped to grab some fast food as it was almost dinner time. When we pulled into the nursing home, we saw Connie had driven up to join us, and Connie and Mack met us at the door, "Thank God you're here. Mantis is going downhill. Lilly is in with him, but he has been asking for you both."
We rushed down the hall to Mantis's room, and Lily looked up when we walked in and said, "Thank God. Dad woke up at one this morning and has been asking for you both since then."
Rushing to his side, I took his hand and said, "Hey, Mantis. I have good news for you. It's finally over. Jerimiah is no more."
"Have you found my Mary?" He asked.
Mason excused himself as his phone rang, and I said, "Mantis, they are still recovering bodies."
"Mantis, they found her," Mason said from the doorway. "I just spoke with Marshall. Mary's body was discovered less than an hour ago. If you want, we can take you to her."
The nurse said, "His health is not the best. We would suggest he does not leave."
"I am going to my Mary," He said.
As Lily helped Mantis into his coat and shoes, Connie and Mack explained the situation, and the nurse said, "He might not make it back here."
Lily said, "This is something he has to do."
The nurse nodded and said, "Okay, we need you to sign a form."
Connie said, "I will stay here until you all return."
Mack looked at her and said, "What do you mean wait here? We are going to."
After we signed out Mantis and Mack, we headed to the property. Mason had called Marshall, and they were holding Mary's body at the property. When we pulled into the Farm, the sun had begun setting, and we led Mantis over to the gurney they had laid Mary on. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, and spoke softly to her. We stood back and heard a voice call out, "We found more."
Mack and Connie walked over to where the officers were removing more bodies from a hole in the ground. When they lifted one of the bodies out of the ground, Connie let out a gasp and cried, "Daddy."
Mason ran over to her and caught her as she collapsed to the ground. Mason and Mack comforted her as they loaded him onto a stretcher. Mason turned to the officer and said, "We will be handling the burial of this body."
Mantis had looked up and said, "I need to head back home." Lilly told the officer that he could call her when they could claim the body for burial."
Mason looked at me and said, "I will call you later."
He helped Connie to the car and drove Mack back to the nursing home. I decided to stay and watch over the recovery effort. My parents showed up at about ten that night to keep me company as I watched the police recover the bodies and identify the bodies when I could. The police opened another tree, and they pulled another body out. My Dad had been watching with me and tried to block my view of this body, but I already knew It was the body of my Dad, and in his hand was a small pink teddy bear. I told the officer I would be handling the funeral for this body. The officer nodded and took my name and phone number. My Mom said, "Amelia, sweetheart, let's go home. There is nothing more you can do."
I nodded and then stopped and walked over to my Dad's body. I leaned down over my Dad. I said, "Thank you. I hope you and Mom are together now. I love you."
Chapter 30
In the weeks following the end of Jerimiah, the police scanned the grounds and recovered a total of 82 bodies. All the bodies were in perfect condition, and we could identify most of them. Some of the bodies were from missing person cases, some were transients reported missing by fellow homeless, and some were people directly related to the property. We held a funeral for my Dad, and we buried him next to my Mom at my grandparent's farm. I assured Marco that things would remain the same. The Circus group identified four more of the bodies and claimed them to arrange burial. For all the people not claimed, I dug into my savings with a few generous community members, and we buried them all.
Mason and I did what any seniors would do the rest of the summer. Then, a few days before the start of our senior year of high school, I received a call that Mantis had passed away. At the funeral, Lilly told us that we gave him the closure he needed after all the sadness he had in his life. He was buried right next to Mary at the local cemetery. I was so happy to see so many of his students come out to remember the professor and man he was.
The first event that happened at my new home was my graduation party. During the year, the lake slowly filled, and we built a new dock and bridge over the water. Next to it, we built a wedding pavilion. My Mom and I had a few greenhouses built and had a few greenhouses built and had massive flower and gardening beds added all over the property. We also added walking paths all over the property so people could explore. I installed a plaque at the start of the walking path that held the names of everyone who had passed on the property or passed due to the horrible history. When placing the plaque, I decided to keep Jerimiah's name off of it. I do not know what caused him to go crazy like he did, but I would never honor him.
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The property became one of life and love. A few years later, it was my turn to add to the family history of the land. One night while we were walking on the new bridge on the lake. Under the spot that Mary had been taken from the world, Mason got on one knee and said, "Amelia, after everything we have been through will you marry me?"
With tears in my eyes as he slid the ring on my finger I said, "Yes."
Hearing quiet cheers behind us, we turned to see Rebecca, Jackson, Mary, and Mantis along the edge of the lake hugging each other and beaming with pride. When they saw us looking at them they faded into the darkness. A year to the day, at the end of the driveway on the porch of our home we were married in the same spot that Jackson had wed Rebecca, and Mary had wed Mantis before us.
After our wedding, we never looked back. I worked hard and turned the property into a wedding and event center. The property has become so popular that we consistently host weddings or parties. A large part of the property also has paths and gardens for everyone to look at and enjoy.
You may ask, did all the souls, who were set free, finally go to the other side? Well, I wish I could say yes they did. However, that is a story for another time.
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