Chapter One - Rose's Bliss

1856 London, the Victorian era in all it's maturity. The roads were muddy, streets were crowded and the air was clouded with filth. The city had become overrun with degradation; its frequent grizzly murders and disappearances were about as common as, its heavy rains and cold temperatures. The days were dull and its nights dark and sinister. There were evils that lived among London and its children that, came and made a home for themselves in their midst. The city was sick and only few knew about it and, even fewer knew how to stop it; the darkness that had seeded itself into the very foundation of Britain and its epicentre, London.

"It happened in the dead of night. At first I wasn't entirely sure as to what it was that I actually heard, I was half asleep at that time mind you but, I was sure I heard pained wails coming from right outside the manor, some ways into the forest. They weren't like anything I'd ever heard before; they sounded very animalistic and yet, some how human."

Rose who sat away from her grandfather on the living room carpet looked to him and said. "Well, what did you do next?"

"Naturally, I got up and sent for my guard and got my rifle, trying my best not to wake up your grandmother. I feared the worst had happened and that, someone may have been caught in one of our hunting traps that we laid out in the woods for game. So, we headed out towards the forest, my guardsmen and I, in the direction I felt I last heard the wails. As we ventured in we came to a cabin; it wasn't a particularly large cabin, it was small, sturdy and very compact. It's door was left wide open and within it was a lantern that gave way to light seeping out into the forest. We approached the cabin with caution, I had my rifle fixed in the firing position, finger laced on the trigger. Edgar, my good guard, entered the cabin first and I behind him. The scenes that followed were as grotesque as can be . Blood smeared across the cabin walls and windows, bits of flesh littered it's wooden floors like cut up paper. The cabin felt much like death and reeked of it too but, that isn't what caught Edgar and I's attention. There was a chair, on it were chains that mounted it to the ground. It seemed as if it were to keep someone in it or something because, the size of the chair and the size of the chains were not befitting of a man. However the chains were broken at the tips where the shackles must have once been. They must have gone with what ever had escaped them. I knew I had to track it down, those wails must have been a victim of what ever was being held here. So I decided that we are to hunt the escapee. I put my finger on the blood and tasted it for it's freshness and- ."

"You tasted the blood? Grandfather I'm getting the strong suspicion you didn't actually taste the blood on the floor, you're oddly squemish as well." A nine-year old Rose interjected.

Willem trying his best to look bewildered at his granddaughter's distrust in him. "What? Of course I did." Rose then fixed her gaze on her grandfather and folded her arms. He then laughed. "Okay, okay maybe I didn't taste it but, Edgar did." He pointed out proudly.

"No, I don't believe you."

"Yes he did, I asked him to do so and he listens to me, I pay him you know."

"Grandfather, you don't pay him. Edgar does a lot of things; chase his tail, lick his privates and bark unnecessarily around the house but, he wouldn't taste blood. I'm sure he sniffed it at most."

"I'm not sure as to why you're being so adament about this," Willem sat up in his chair and crossed his legs. "You weren't even there. What do you know about Edgar? He's a good guardsmen and dear friend."

"He's a dog."

"And good guardsmen."

"Guard dog."

Willem stoood up from his armchair. His six foot-two stature towering over Rose who sat opposite him on the carpet. "Edgar!" He called out. Soon later a small, old Beagle came trotting in. He lifted the dog into his arms and sat back in his chair, with Edgar in his lap. "There, now I assume you'll watch your tongue in the presence of my good guardsmen here."

"Hello there Edgar." Edgar acknowledged Rose with tail wagging and a smile.

Willem scoffs. "I bet he wouldn't be so glad to see you if he had heard the outright blasphemy you said a minute ago." Willem said to Rose, a cheeky smile across his face as he said it. Rose always appreciated her grandfather's sense of humour, she figured she'd entertain it once more again today. She began to speak in the most overbearingly pompous way she knew how.

"My grandfather, seeing Edgar now in all his glory had made me rethink my previous statements. Apologies grandfather, as well as to you Edgar. Now, back to the story please, if it's all the same to the both of you?"

"Well, I suppose all is forgiven. Now as I was saying before. Both Edgar and myself licked and snuiffed the blood."

"Grandpa Willem you are so foul, stop it." Rose whined

He laughed and continued, "Oh yes and dare I say the blood was about as delicious as it smelt. Moving on, yes. Well as Edgar and I decided that we should further investigate the situation, there was a sound outside the cabin. We left the cabin for a better look and almost immediately Edgar became spooked, he bared his teeth and growled in the direction of an area covered in bush. I held my gun up towards the bushes and strafed towards it. Edgar became more uneasy the closer we got to it, his growls became louder. When I came to within five metres of the bushes, a large black beast emerged! It was hairy, eyes yellow, twice the size of me and stood on it's two hind legs. It looked like a wolf but, poised itself as a man, almost anyway. It ran right past me, knocking me down on it's way, I could smell the blood on him. Edgar had done a far better job of getting out of it's way than I did. It wasn't interested in us at all, it was heading towards the cabin. Instinctively I readjusted myself, aimed my gun at the beast, whilst still on the ground and fired at it. I caught it right in the shoulder."

"You managed a shot into the shoulder whilst on the ground? I'll say, I'm impressed grandfather." As Rose tried her best to believe her grandfather's words. She's never known him to be a great shot.

"Naturally, you may not know it Rose but, you are in the presence of a top tier rifleman." Rose laughed and Willem continued, "The shot to the shoulder didn't seem to stop it for even a second, it charged on into the cabin. I had lost sight of it but I heard it inside. It was tearing the place apart as if it were looking for something, I managed to get to my feet and Edgar ran to stand beside me and, moments later. The animal was out and stood at the front door and let out a deafening howl. It climbed the front of the cabin and became a silhouette as, the moonlight blasted it's shape above us giving us a dark figure. This time I got a very good lok at him and, believe me when I say, he was massive. He fixiated his eyes on mine, they were filled with rage. I anchored my feet into the ground and got back into a firing position. I had him in my sights and fired the shot. The beast dodged it barely and launched itself towards Edgar and I. We were a good twenty metres out and it cleared that distance to us easily. I was trying to reload another round but it was already on us. It pushed me to the ground and got ontop of me; its weight was crushing. It attempted to bite me, going for my face but, I stretched out my gun horizontally and caught it by the neck. It continued to chomp and snap it's teeth at me, mere inches from my face. Edgar; being the great guardsmen that he is, came to my aid by sinking his teeth into the animal's ear. I heard it whine in pain and, for a moment turn it's focus on getting Edgar off of him by shaking it's head, by then its weight on me became lighter and, it both backed off and lifted its gaze away from me for an instant. In those few soconds, I freed my right hand, I reached into the inner layer of my coat, where I kept a particularly large combat knife from my years in the service."

"Exactly how large?"

"I'd like to think it was significantly large my dear. I plunged the blade into it's neck and the beast roared. It completely backed off of me now and, continued to cry with sounds as if it were a common house dog. There was a sizzling noise and a burning smell, I could see smoke soming from the point where I stuck the knife. It dropped to all four legs and started stumbling back to the cabin. It was clearly struggling to kep it's balance but, nontheless solidiered on. I got to my feet once more; courtesy of the beast again. Against my better judgement, I followed the crying animal into the cabin. It left a blood trail behind it. When we got there it was covered in smoke. All over it's body it was smoking but, that's not all."

"What?"

"It began shrinking as well, taking on a more human form; it's fur was shedding, claws disappearing and before long. We were looking at a man."

"So you killed a man?"

"What? No. No one died. Please allow me to finish, questions later. So he was on the ground, on his side, in a pool of his own blood. The man looked middle aged. I rolled him onto his back; his skin felt unbelievably hot. He looked at me with his eyes and said very faintly, "The silver. Please, the silver it hurts". I looked at where the knife was and it was as I thought. It was in the side of his neck just above his shoulder. The was a hole in the side of his neck, it ws as if the knife had continued to burrow into his flesh after I stuck it in. I grabbed the handle of the blade and removed it, it came out as clean as ever and, there was about a third left of it. It had dissolved into his skin; the silver that is . The blade's handle was damaged as well, like it was reacting to the blood of the man. He asked me to help him up. So I put the knife aside and sat him up against me and supported him so he wouln't topple over. He tilted his head, exposing the wound towards the ground and the silver began to pour out of him. His blood was mixed with it and almost looked black. Once he had flushed enough out, he looked back at me whilst I was still supporting him and said, "Thank you and I'm sorry". He then fell unconscious in my arms."

"So, the silver is what changed him back?"

"Not entirely sure but, it did stop him."

"Did he die?"

"Again, no. No one dies."

"So where is he now, what happened to him?"

"Well you'll have to find him in the woods and ask him, my memory has gone all foggy. Maybe I'll remember tomorrow."

"Grandfather", Rose whined as he chuckled. "That's cheeky. You just want me to come back and keep you company again don't you?"

Willem laughed once more, "My Rose, nothing gets past you does it?"

"Except her bedtime that is." A voice familiar to the both of them called out. They turned their heads to see an old woman leaning against the doorway that lead into the living room".

"Ezra my lovely wife," Willem said to her. "It was out of my hands, the dear girl held me aginst my will and demanded I finish my story."

Rose's face turned to digust, "grandfather you liar, grandmother do not believe." Both Willem and Ezra looked at Rose and then at eachother, and laughed.

"I know Rose, your grandfather got tired of me as an audience for his stories. Dare I say you've taken my place. Come along now, it's time you had your sleep." Rose got to her feet and gave Willem a kiss on the cheek, Edgar a pet on the head and hugged her grandmother on the way out, leaving the couple together alone in the living room.

Rose's grandfather Willem had bought a manor in the countryside. It was abandoned due to the damages it had sustained over the years. The dukes who lived there before moved elsewhere. The manor oversaw the small rural town of Silverlake which, was just an hour or so carriage ride from London. Willem had the manor since eighteen forty-six, about thirteen years now and, he and her grandmother Ezra had been fixing it with the help of the few volunteers of Silverlake. Thirteen years in and the manor was starting to take shape, it looked good. Also, it was huge.

Rose made her way through the long corridors of the manor, passing many of the house staff that her grandparents had under their employ, maids, butlers and the occasional groundsmen; they were always nice to her and she considerd them to be friends. She took a turn and went up some stairs to the second floor, thats where her room was when she came to visit her grandparents away from London. Her grandparents room was also located on the second floor, the third floor was still being renovated till this day; fixing up the manor definitely was not cheap. No one and nothing was on the third floor, at least to Rose's knowledge.

Rose's room was next to the music room and one of the butler's quarters. Her parents room was further down next to her grandparents. It was a shame they were always busy with work. Her father James and mother Claire were both doctors. Her dad was a surgeon like Willem and her mother was a psychiatrist. Rose is a Leighton. The Leighton family were a household name of doctors in London, they were more so private doctors as they did house calls exclusively. Only the wealthiest of patrons could acquire the services of the Leightons. Her father was a doctor, her mother and her grandfather. She knew that deep down inside as the only child between James and Claire Leighton that, her future to be a doctor as well, was not only destined but, to be expected of her.

She opened the door to her room. It was neat thanks to the house help, in it was a large double bed. Even though Rose had well off parents, they still gave her a single bed as she was only nine, also her room back at home was bigger anyways. She climbed on top and got into the covers, they felt cold against her skin; the good kind of cold. She laid flat on her back and stared up at the white ceiling above her. She began to allow her mind to wonder as she lay there. Rose was simple but, brilliant. Being home schooled by the most well endorsed tutors that her parents had provided her with gave her a booming intellect academically. However, She's sat through Willem's countless tales of adventure enough to develope a deep curiosity as to, whether her grandfather was telling the truth or not. Willem in her eyes always came off bizarre and extreme with his stories, even plain ridiculous at times but, in his eyes, as much as Willem may or may not have consciously tried to hide it with, his smile, playful attitude or completely absurd remarks during his recollections of his alleged experiences, Rose saw truth in his eyes when he spoke. She always saw something that gave her the sense that her grandfather's words were true. Rose knows that Willem, just like about anyone else in her family that he's very intelligent. She doubts that he's the type of person to be creative enough to come up with new stories all the time though, she believes it has to be coming from a place of truth.

Rose pulled a hand over her mouth to cover a sudden gaping yawn. She closed her eyes and thought of the cabin Willem spoke of, imagined as if she was in the woods herself. Rose released her mind to wonder, ever since she was younger she's been able to perfectly simulate herself moving around her surroundings when she was resting or trying to sleep, leaving her physical body behind, as if she was lucid dreaming. The thing was, she was always awake.

There was a time Rose spoke to her mother about this phenomenon and, somewhere along that conversation she told her mother how it felt. That, it brought her joy and she felt at extreme ease. She remembered that her mother laughed and called it bliss, more ever she began to call it "Rose's Bliss". Ever since then, she's never thought twice about her ability. She doubts her mother believed her, she was 6 at the time and the secret has since stayed between them. When Rose didn't feel like sleeping or would rather snoop around, she'd lay down, focus and use her bliss and do some exploring around the house or, the streets of London, all from the comfort and safety of her bed. The great thing was, no one could see her, it was like she was a ghost.

Rose entered her bliss state and, sent her mind outside of the window from her room that looked over the courtyard of the manor, her mind passed the horse stables and manor grounds heading for the forest, she was moving so swiftly and freely as if she were flying. She wasn't sure where she was going but felt as if the cabin she longed to see was close in the direction she was heading, it had to be, It was the direction of forest she's never explored on the grounds. Passing several tall trees and green bush, she came to a clearing, her excitement rose, It was the cabin. It was small, dirty, dark and looked abandoned. She floated over to the door and saw how damaged it was, she then moved through the door like a ghost and was inside the cabin. It was clean, no blood on the floor or flesh but, catching her gaze dead in the centre of the room was a chair, the chair. It was wide and looked worn down, it had chains tucked underneath it and had a very rugged look to it. The room in the cabin itself was well kept, it hard nice wooden floors and wooden walls. There was a fireplace against the wall and two chairs pressed at either side of it. Something was off about the cabin as well, there was only one window to the right of the fireplace and, it let in a wide beam of sunlight that, lit up the where the chair was set. It was something that Rose was only realizing now. She hovered over to the chair and imitated as if she was sitting in it, she was bending over it as; in her bliss state she can't interact with physical objects. Surely enough, the moonlight was directly on her. What ever was in this chair was being exposed to either sunlight or moonlight, or both. She instantly remembered her grandfather's story and, decided to go see if there were signs if a beast had been on the roof. She floated up and cleared the roof, she looked down at it. There were marks, very subtle damages. The attack Willem spoke of happened years ago when they first claimed ownership to the manor. It was becoming a lot clearer that Willem's story had some meat to it after all. Even more so, there was a split wooden roof plate showing a small hole. It had to be the bullet hole from when Willem missed the shot at the beast once it was on the roof. Rose felt weak, she became flooded with the notion that there may have been a monster here.

She dropped down in the cabin and wanted to get a closer look at the chains under the chair, to understand or see if there was a correlation. She stuck her head under the chair and saw no shackles on them then, Rose froze, the moonlight that was hitting the chair became dim as if something was obstructing the light, something actually physically present at the cabin. She had her back to the window and mustered the courage to take a look at the window and, her eyes were met with the gaze of what seemed to be a woman. She was looking directly at Rose with the most dead facial expression. Her skin was almost transparent and colourless. She had thin black hair and bulging eyes.

Rose's heart sank to her stomach, the woman pressed her hand against the window, it was bony and had long fingers. She showed a smile that went as far as her ears, opened her mouth and pointy teeth stretched forward and she let out the most deafening scream. It was so loud that the window shattered, in a moments notice the woman was in the cabin. Rose's instincts kicked in and she was turning to leave the cabin in the opposite direction but felt a hand on her ankle, she looked back and saw the woman. Her grip was strong and Rose couldn't move. She felt a pull and was yanked upside down and came face to face with a woman who was holding her by the ankle. She was tall, her arms long and lanky, there's no mistaking it, she wasn't human. Her yellows eyes gazed into Rose's and opened her mouth wide, inside was a black tongue that wormed out as it were a snake. Rose screamed, the door burst open.

"Rose!" Willem was at the door with a rifle at his side, he propped it up, took aim at the woman. There was a bang and the shot caught the woman right in the head. Rose was released from it's grip and the woman howled in pain.

"Grandfather, she's a monster." Rose called out to Willem.

"Rose, get back to your body, stay in the old wine cellar no matter what, no matter what."

She looked at the figure of the woman rose behind Willem. Rose called out to him but it was too late, a long black tongue pierced through Willem's head and, the woman came up behind him and with her open mouth clamped her jaws around half his head and began to suck. Willem dropped his gun and, his body when motionless. Without hesitating Rose flew out of the cabin, the fastest she's ever moved in bliss before.

She located her body in the manor and flew toward it, her body had been moved from her room she sensed it in the corridor. Her grandmother was holding her and moving with her in her arms. She got close and entered her body, she jerked as she got back in and took her grandmother by surprise. They both fell and immediately Rose was overcome with uncontrollable tears. She lifted her head towards her grandmother and said, "Grandfather is dead, a woman in the cabin killed him." Rose saw the look of pain in her grandmother's eyes and she said to her.

"Rose, we need to get you to the cellar, it's what your grandfather wants us to do right now. Get up Rose we need to hurry." Rose could hear the trembling in her voice, she was holding in her pain. Rose was helped to her feet and her grandmother and her moved towards the old wing of the house where the cellar was.

They passed many corridors and doors on their way there, in the background Rose could here the house staff shouting and distraught. Rose looked at her grandmother as they continued down to the halls.

"Grandmother what's happening?"

Her grandmother looked down at her and said, "We all heard the Banshee's scream Rose, more creatures will be coming."

A banshee, that's what it was, that's what her grandmother referred to the woman as. Well it was clear to her now that, it was a monster. Rose felt sick, she couldn't believe what was happening; how sudden it was and how real it was. Tears had not stop running down her face since she got back in her body.

They approached what Rose believed was the old wing of the house now, the wall's paint were faded and wallpaper was tearing off of some and hanging. They were also riddled with cracks. Cobwebs camped the corner spaces and the floorboards creaked. It looked a lot older than other parts of the house, this must have been another part that still needed renovation from the first owners of the manor.

Rose and her grandmother soon came upon a door, it was an odd door. Symbols and signs and carved into the wood of it. There were metal borders and hinges on it. The door looked very out of place in the manor and was well hidden from the other parts of it. Rose's grandmother pulled a large key from her night robe and, unlocked the door. She then with both hands pulled the door and grunted as she pulled it back, the door scraped against the wood floors, as she pulled it back, Rose saw that the thickness of the door was a lot, no wonder her grandmother needed both hands, it must have been heavy. She only opened it a bit and looked at Rose.

"Right, Rose. In you go."

Rose was taken aback, "Are you not coming with me?"

"No my dear, I have to go back and help. You need to get in."

"Well then I can come back and help you as well." Rose protested.

"No." Her grandmother spoke more sternly with a seriousness in her voice. "It's time you head in now dear, please." Rose dreaded going into the dark cellar alone.

"Am I going in without a light grandmother? It is dark in there."

"It would be best if you didn't have a light in there Rose. Stay at the foot of the steps when you get down there, don't go in any further". Her grandmother put her hand on Rose's back ushering her forward past the door. "It'll be okay. I love you Rose, we all do."

"I love you too. I'm so sorry."

Her grandmother's tears finally began to show as she looked at her, "I know you are Rose." She began to close the door behind Rose and moments later Rose was left alone, submerged in darkness.

Rose was never afraid of the dark because she never truly believed in monsters, till today of course, she learnt that the hard way. Her carefree attitude, curiosity and sense of adventure had taken her to this point. She can't help but feel that everything happening is her fault. Right now, she doesn't need to be left alone in a dark room, right now she wants the biggest, tightest and most warm hug ever from her parents.

She began her way down some stone steps and ventured deeper into the cellar. She was in her night dress, so she was barefoot and the stone steps felt cold against her feet; not the good kind. She felt the floor after another step and sat on the last step looking into the darkness ahead. She hated the cellar. It was dark, quiet and the air was stale making it hard to breathe. It was extremely stuffy. Despite it being dark and Rose not being able to see, she knew the cellar was reasonably large, also again despite her not having any vision, she could tell she was not alone in this dark cellar.

Rose felt a presence deeper into the darkness she sat across from, it was alive but at the same time it wasn't, she felt consciousness but not life. The presence she felt was not threatening in any way. She was staring into a dark space of the room but, knew she her gaze was on the eyes of another. However oddly enough, she didn't feel the eyes look back at her. If she were to guess she'd think whatever it was, was not paying her any mind whatsoever. She knew that it knew she was there and had the feeling that, it knew that she was knew it was there as well. She remembered her grandmother telling her to stay at the foot of the steps and not go further, that's exactly what she was going to do, no more snooping, she was staying at the foot of the step. The presence at the back was not acknowledging her arrival and she wanted to keep it that way, she assumes that her grandparents must have known what was in here, it had to be another monster. Rose's mouth became dry as she decided not to make a single sound that would warrant any interest in her for the presence.

She balled herself on the ground and tried her best to calm down, she couldn't stop thinking of what happened to her grandfather and what might happen to her grandmother or, how her grandfather could see her in bliss sates whereas no other person ever could. She had to know, she needed to bliss and see what was happening outside. She focused, mustered strength and... nothing. She couldn't bliss. This has never happened to her before. Something was preventing her from doing it. Was it the presence at the back, or was it the cellar itself that was keeping her from using her gift. She wondered that, it may be the same thing containing her new roommate here as well, the lack of the ability to use her gift in the cellar must be connected to why this presence is stuck down here as well.

Feeling hopeless and tired, as time passed in the cellar, Rose drifted in sleep.

Grunting and wood scraping against wood woke Rose up. Rose looked up the stairway to the door and saw her father James at the top, there was a bit of light that shined behind him, it was already morning.

"Rose!" He called out.

"Father?" She bounced to her feet and ran up the stairs to him. Her father lowered himself to his haunches and opened his arms to receive his daughter's embrace. Her father held her tight and pulled back looking at her.

"Oh Rosie, my brave girl. I'm sorry I wasn't here." There was a deep sadness on his face as he said those words. "I'm sorry we weren't here to help. We need to take you home now Rose, we can't be here at the moment." Rose looked up behind her father and noticed two policemen with him.

Rose turned to her father, "Grandfather is dead".

"I know Rosie, something terrible happened. Right now the policemen are going to take you home okay?"

"Yes," she replied. Rose took one of the officers by the hand as they were about to leave the old wing to go outside. She noticed her father and the other police man take a peek inside the cellar and, she stopped.

"You need to close the door." She was met by the looks of both the policeman and her father and she continued, "They're rats in there. Big ones. They'll get out if you leave the door open." The officer chuckled and replied.

"Well we wouldn't want that now Miss Leighton," as the officer smiled at her.

She turned and walked off with the officer and looked back to see her father and the other policeman both shut the door. The four of them proceeded to the main wing of the house and there were police everywhere as well as, torn up furniture and small areas that had blood puddles. There was no mistaking it, people were being killed in the house, possibly by the banshee. Her father looked at her, "Stay strong for me Rose." They approached her room along the hallway, "Right Rose, go get your things and the policemen will take you home." One of the officers then interjected.

"Sorry Mr. Leighton but detective Maddox and Swan would want to question your daughter about the events last night."

"They'll do no such thing!" James snapped. "My daughter has spent the entire night in a cold cellar alone, she goes home to her mother, now."

"Apologies Mr. Leighton." The officers turn and continued down the hallway. James looked at Rose and said, "I'm going to talk to the detectives downstairs. Get your things and we'll arrange for you to go home okay?"

"Yes father," James gave her a kiss on the forehead, "I'll be waiting downstairs, hurry love." James turned and followed the officers to the entrance of the manner. As soon as James and the officers took a corner and were out of site, Rose darted back to the cellar.

She took the corridors that she saw on the way back with the officers and her father. After many turns, she found it and, just her luck, the key was still there. She turned the key locking the door and put the key in her pocket. Whatever was in there, was in there for a reason. It didn't attack her but she wasn't going to give it a chance to attack someone else, it had to stay there, she knew no one was going to open the door without the key, the door was impregnable. She turned to head back but then felt a piercing stare from beyond the cellar door. It was the presence, it was looking at her. Even worse, she could feel it directly on the top step behind the door, surely if she opened it she would have seen it. Not a chance, she turned and ran back to her room, got her things and met her father downstairs.

They went outside and, Rose saw many body bags spread across the front yard. Probably the bodies of the staff members that must have fallen ill to the banshee, they were being loaded onto a large carriage. Many townsfolk from Silverlake; the town that the manor looked over and news press were outside. This was a high profile crime scene.

"Okay Rose, you can get in the carriage with these men, I'll see at home when I get back, your mother will be waiting for you."

"And grandmother?"

James managed a weak smile, "No Rose, your grandmother is with your grandfather now, she won't be coming back do you understand?" Rose nodded. "Good." James gave her one more kiss on the forehead and escorted her to the carriage where she got in with her things. She waved at her father and her waved back as the carriage took off and gained more and more distance from the manner, where Rose last saw both her grandparents alive.

She sat at the back of the four man carriage alone with two gentlemen at the front, they both wore hats. One of the gentlemen swung his head behind him looking at Rose.

"Hello."

Rose looked at the man, he was young, he had an American accent, his eyes were brown and so was his hair. "Hello." She replied.

"You seem to be having a rough day. I'm detective Maddox and this here next to me is senior detective Swan." The other man turned and tilted his hat as a greeting to Rose. Detective Swan was a much older gentlemen and met Rose with a smile.

"Miss Leighton, there was no getting through to your father about the importance that we speak, I hope you forgive Detective Maddox and I's unconventional methods to see you but, you're the only person who may be of help to us as to what happened yesterday. May we ask you a few questions?" Detective Swan was definitely English, so was the accent and his overall demeanor.

"Yes, I need to explain everything."

Maddox leaned over with a notebook in hand, "We're all ears."

"There's this thing I do". Rose began, "It makes it so I can move around without moving my body". Detective Maddox started smiling as if he already didn't feel that Rose would be of any help but, Swan kept his eyes on Rose and his facial expression did not change. "When I'm like that, no one can see me. It's like I become a ghost."

"So we put it on record that you're a ghost?" Maddox asked.

"You can do as you like, I want to tell you what happened. As a ghost I went to a cabin in which I encountered a woman; who was really a monster, that killed my grandfather and must have killed the other staff."

"There were other marks that of an animal that killed several; well all staff members. Was this woman who really was a monster capable of such?"

"Yes, she's a monster and she can do anything."

"Miss Leighton, the marks on your grandfather were not identical to the ones on your father, it can't have been the same monster."

Rose went quiet and then said, "When I was with my grandmother that night she told me that, "More creatures will be coming."

"Your grandmother said this?"

"Yes detective Maddox, she referred to the woman as a banshee, she was unbelievably tall, she had thin black hair and her skin was so pale."

Maddox rolled his eyes in disbelief and laughed to himself. Rose looked at Swan who didn't keep his eyes off of her, "You believe me don't you detective Swan?"

"Well, I don't believe you but, I don't think you're lying miss Leighton". He turned his head away from Rose to the front, "Maddox continue questioning her, take it seriously or I'll send you on a boat back to Boston."

"As if you would, you love me too much". He leaned in to whisper at Rose. "He's soft." He then straightened up. "Continue little miss."

Rose became annoyed, "Why should I? You don't believe me. You're laughing at me."

Maddox laughed even louder now, "I'm not laughing because I don't believe you miss. I'm laughing because I really don't believe you but, So far your story makes a lot of sense, which makes this even more crazy, the bodies of the victims in your manor are not the work of any man, nor is the death of Willem Leightons'. So as outlandish as I and my partner may find this, it makes a bit of sense. Now, the officers who found you, they managed to tell us exactly where, why were you in that basement miss Leighton and, why only you?"

"My grandmother left me there to have safety away from the banshee, she left me to go and help the house staff."

"I see, brave woman. My condolences on the passing of both your grandparents by the way. That's just about all we needed miss Leighton, May we go and take a look in the cellar you were hidden in?"

"I'm afraid you'll have to ask my parents for that."

"No, I think that you can help us miss, I want to know if you'd let us."

"Why me? I'm not an adult. You should really ask my parents."

"No it's okay, you should just go ahead and tell us we can. You can come with us if you'd like, we can go together or we can just have you sign this piece of paper and we can go have a look on our own. What do you think?"

The horses at the front neighed and came to a stop, so did the carriage. The driver of the carriage at the front hopped down and, came towards the doors that opened into the carriage. The door opened to reveal a woman, she had blonde hair, green eyes and a pretty face.

"Hello boys, I know my husband wasn't enough to keep you dogs out, you can't go into the house through James so now you come to my daughter?"

"Mother!" Rose jumped out her seat and into her mother's arms.

"Hello sweets." She said as she rubbed Rose's face. "Come now, back in your seat." She got into the carriage with Rose and they took their seats at the back.

Detective Swan, looked back. "Mrs. Leighton our condolences."

Rose's mother completely ignoring Swan went on to look at Maddox, "You, go usher the horses, take us home."

"I both don't know how to operate the carriage ma'am or where you live." Maddox said coyly

"Well learn, and learn fast and, don't think my guardsmen have not seen you and detective Swan outside our house trying to come up with any filth on my family. You're a swine, get out and take this carriage to London."

Maddox looked at Swan, to which he said. "Maddox get out and take the carriage to the Leighton's, just do it." An annoyed Maddox then, stormed out of the carriage and within a few seconds the carriage was moving again.

Detective Swan looked at Rose's mother, "Claire, I'm sorry but we need to get into that house. We aren't sure what Willem was doing but it was enough to warrant a whole massacre in that house. We need to know the full story, without it who ever did this will get away with it."

"This is a new low for you detective, it really is. You and your Scotland Yard pansies will not be allowed anywhere near my family, so that you can smear our name. Pull anything like this again and I will personally have words with some high people in high places. You know my family so you know what I'm capable of."

"I've heard you Claire, I was just trying to do my job. There's a lot of foul play here, someone's responsible for this. I need to know who killed Willem, Tracy and all the other staff there. I need you to understand, both you and James."

"Then you should come to us and come clean, no more staking out our home and no misfit business; this stunt with Rose must be the worst yet, this is my child, my only child and I may have lost her last night. If there was ever a time we'd ever work with you it would be now but, again, you've all proven yourselves untrustworthy."

Swan looked at Claire with a defeated face, "You're right. I'm sorry."

Claire looked at Rose, "Do you know why these men asked for your permission to enter your grandfather's manor?"

"I assumed because they're bad men?" Rose replied.

"Yes, yes they are but not the reason. These detectives have had it in for our family for about over a year now, they believe our family is treacherous and conspires against Britain and, have secret meetings with our more wealthy foreign patients as well as, run a masked society of wealthy elites trying to take over London. Rose, detective Swan and his pet American, assumed your grandfather was signing illegal documents for the use and exploitation of drugs to foreign nationals and, later got a grant to supposedly prove his treason against the country by ceasing that document. Do you know what they found instead sweets?"

"What did they find?"

"They found your grandfather's will, he named you to inherit his legacy; his manor, Silverlake and all the assets he has under him and, thanks to these idiots, your grandfather is now dead. They probably think we had something to do with it. Not only do they know of you're inheritance, so does just about everybody in London. They ruined your grandfather's privacy once, I'm not going to let them do it again."

Swan butted in, "We didn't know it was a will Claire. You're all so secretive in this family and you do too much behind closed doors business with all these corrupt politicians, it arouses suspicion."

"They are patients, only patients."

"You will not". Rose said, "You will have no entry into my grandfather's house. I forbid it as it's legal owner. I'm sorry detective Swan."

Swan chuckled, "No worries miss. Again, my condolences Claire."

Rose excitedly looked at her mother, "So when do I get to move into the manor mom?" Claire laughed.

"When you're an adult sweets, for now your father will tend to that manor till you turn eighteen."

"Well, That's unfortunate."