HorrorAddicts.net Presents:
Manor of Frights
Imagine a Victorian house where every room is cursed with a frightful existence. Are monsters in the halls? Ghosts left to fester in the library? Or are the rooms themselves enchanted with malevolent energy? What was summoned long ago and what doorways were left open? Manor of Frights is a collection of tales all set in different rooms of the same house.
With authors: Judith Pancoast, Daphne Strasert, Loren Rhoads, Mark Orr, Michael Fassbender, R.L. Merrill, Sumiko Saulson, Ollie Fox, Barend Nieuwstraten III, Rosetta Yorke, Amanda Leslie, Lesley Warren, BF Vega, DW Milton, D.J. Pitsiladis, Jason Fischer, and Emerian Rich.
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An excerpt from Manor of Frights
Missing
by R.L. Merrill
Scullery, 1980
Kristy sat fidgeting in the front seat of her sister Tammy’s Pontiac Firebird and dreading her community service outing obligation.
“Don’t wander off inside that house. Remember what happened to Dawn.”
Kristy rolled her eyes and reached for the handle, swinging the heavy door open. Tammy’s best friend Dawn swore she had a run-in with a specter in the manor when she volunteered for the annual festival, and ever since, Dawn refused to even drive by the house.
Nestled in a suburban neighborhood, the Holmes Manor stood tall and proud surrounded by giant pine trees. The grounds had been restored with walking paths, botanical gardens, and displays of the antique farm equipment used when the manor was the center of a large fruit orchard.
“Yeah, whatever. Pick me up at eight? I want to get to the football game by halftime,” Kristy said.
Tammy waved and drove off. Kristy was only two years younger than her sister, but she hadn’t prioritized getting her driver’s license, so she had to rely on Tammy for rides despite the fact she was now a senior and about to turn eighteen.
Kristy climbed the steps to the mansion. She gazed up past the tower to the overcast afternoon sky, shivering as she reached the top step. She winced at the creaking sound the porch made as she stepped across. The ornate door was open and Kristy saw her classmates inside that were also part of the manor’s High School Historical Society. Their task was to perform the roles played by servants and the family members of the Victorian-era mansion for the 100th-anniversary celebration held that afternoon. They’d been practicing for weeks to guide members of the community through the stuffy old house in groups to see what life was like when the Holmes family moved in during the fall of 1880.
Kristy had begged her history teacher to make her a docent, but since she was also in cooking class, Mrs. Hensley had assigned Kristy to the scullery. That meant for the six-hour event, she’d have to be stuck in the creepy room, chopping vegetables, and peeling potatoes. After the cooks prepared the food for the tour groups, she’d have to wash the dishes. And all the chores had to be done in period costume.
“There you are, Kristy.” Mrs. Lam handed her a uniform. “You can change in the room at the back of the stairs and then head straight to your post. Our first tour group will be arriving shortly.”
Kristy knew where to go and how to dress—in theory—but the bulky material in her arms was heavy. Doing any housework dressed like that would be a chore in itself.
She entered the room and her breath caught. Miranda Glenn was fussing with the buttons at the back of her dress. Kristy’s cheeks burned as she watched the pretty girl attempt to fasten them herself. In a huff, Miranda tossed her dark brown curls over her shoulder and her eyes brightened when she saw Kristy.
“Oh! Can you give me a hand? Then I can help you with yours. I can’t believe how heavy these dresses are.”
Kristy never spoke without sounding like a dork in front of Miranda. She was so pretty. Kristy made quick work of fastening the buttons. She wished she could linger, allowing her knuckles to run over the curve of Miranda’s back. Instead, she finished and then turned to toss the dress over her head.
“Whoa,” Miranda chuckled. “I think yours is heavier than mine. Let me help.”
Kristy could barely breathe as Miranda straightened out the layers of fabric and then buttoned up the back. All Kristy could do was smile so wide her cheeks hurt.
“Thanks,” she said. “I, uh, better go.”
“I wish you were working in the kitchen with me,” Miranda pouted. “You’re so much better at cooking than I am.”
Kristy flushed at the compliment. “I got stuck in the scullery.”
Miranda frowned. “That room gives me the creeps.”
“What do you mean?” Kristy asked.
“I don’t know. When they took us in there, it just seemed like my hair stood on end. It was probably nothing. It doesn’t seem so bad now. Anyway, are you going to the football game after? Maybe we could sit together.” Miranda waved as she left the room, leaving Kristy to gawk.
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Posted in Anthologies, Horror Addicts
Tags: Horror Addicts, Manor of Frights, Missing, RL Merrill
Sumiko Saulson 