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    Unhallowed Ground
    Unhallowed Ground
    Unhallowed Ground
    Ebook383 pages6 hours

    Unhallowed Ground

    By James Loscombe

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    About this ebook

    When darkness descends, who will survive the unthinkable?

     

    In the brooding shadows of Odamere's vicarage, Peter Gatgewood seeks refuge from the haunting specters of his past. What he and his family discover is a malevolence far beyond the ghosts of memory. As they settle into their new home, they quickly realize that the vicarage holds secrets darker and more sinister than they could have ever imagined.

     

    Innocent fears turn to bone-chilling dread as Zoe, Peter's daughter, begins to exhibit erratic and unsettling behavior. Convinced that something otherworldly lurks within the ancient walls, Peter is thrust into a terrifying race against time. His daughter's revelation defies the laws of reality and forces him to confront the unthinkable: the existence of an abhorrent monster.

     

    As the line between the tangible and the eldritch blurs, Peter Gatgewood must grapple with a choice that will haunt him for eternity. Will he save his cherished family from the encroaching darkness, or will he protect the sanctity of his beloved church?

     

    In a Lovecraftian tale of cosmic horror, Unhallowed Ground, invites readers to venture beyond the realm of reason and into a nightmarish abyss of unspeakable terror.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJames Loscombe
    Release dateSep 17, 2018
    ISBN9781386274759
    Unhallowed Ground
    Author

    James Loscombe

    James Loscombe has been publishing under various pen names for the last five years. He lives in England with his wife Tamzin and their sons Jude and Oscar.

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      Unhallowed Ground - James Loscombe

      1

      The sky was dark and full of stars. Even in the car with the heating turned up, it felt brittle. Peter shivered a little and stretched. He had the radio on low so as not to wake Zoe and Reuben in the back and Ruth in the passenger seat beside him.

      There were no other cars on the unlit road. It twisted and turned so violently that he couldn’t get up much above twenty. According to the Garmin stuck to his window, it would be gone midnight by the time they arrived in Odamere. He did the quick calculation in his head and worked out that he would have been driving for over seven hours by then.

      Ruth mumbled something, and he turned to look at her. She was still asleep, curled up on the seat with the tartan blanket pulled over her legs and up to her chin. He wondered what she was dreaming about and then decided that he didn’t want to know.

      On either side of the road, there were fields of grass or wheat that must have been ten feet tall. This was proper farming country, he realized, almost for the first time. He had known that the village would be isolated, had in fact gone looking for exactly that sort of place, but now it really struck him and he wondered if it had been wise to take the position.

      Ahead, he saw a light bobbing up and down. He switched off the full beams and looked for somewhere to pull over. He tucked the car into a rough lay-by and heard pieces of loose stone fly up and hit the undercarriage. A few moments later, a truck rumbled past, going a little too quickly on the narrow lane, in his opinion.

      What’s going on? Reuben said. Peter turned around to look at his son, but he was just a dark shape beside his sister on the back seat. Are we there?

      Not yet Reuben, Peter said. Go back to sleep.

      Reuben mumbled something unintelligible and then said no more.

      He put the car into gear and pulled out, flicking on the high beams and lighting up the road in front of him. When he saw the dark shape in the middle of the road, his heart leaped into his throat and he slammed on the brakes. They couldn’t have been doing over ten miles an hour, but the sudden movement was enough to wake everyone up.

      Peter looked at the road, but the thing that he had seen was gone. For a dreadful moment, he thought he must have hit it, but he hadn’t felt an impact and it had been far enough away that he would have stopped with plenty of time.

      Are we there? Ruth said.

      Peter didn’t answer her. He considered getting out to check, but he didn’t really want to go out in the cold and it was easy enough to convince himself that he’d imagined whatever it had been.

      Peter? Ruth said. She put a hand on his leg, and he fought the urge to push it away. Is everything okay?

      It’s fine, he said. He’d stalled the car and turned the key to restart it. Just a cat on the road.

      Did you hit it? Ruth said.

      No, he said.

      The car started moving again, and after a while, she took her hand away from his leg. He could sense that she wanted him to talk to her, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Peter told himself he needed to concentrate on the road and that was the only reason he was ignoring her.

      After a while, he heard her shift around in her seat and knew that if he looked, he would see her under the blanket again.

      By the time the village emerged from the endless fields, Peter was ready to fall asleep at the wheel. Few of the buildings had lights on but the moon hung low in the sky so that he could see Stokers Hill in the west and the church on top of the other hill in the east.

      He considered waking up his family, but he didn’t think they would get as much out of the arrival as him. Besides, a part of him wanted to enjoy this moment without fielding questions from Zoe and trying to ignore Reuben’s sarcastic quips. This was his home now, these people, his flock. He would have preferred to arrive in the daytime, but failing that, it satisfied him to be witnessing it alone.

      The village green looked ominous in the darkness, but he could imagine children running and playing there during the day. None of the shops on the short high street were open, but he could hear the distant music of a pub. He considered driving past it, but the sat-nav was telling him to go east and he didn’t want to get lost.

      The roads twisted and turned, most of them were narrow and lined with parked cars on both sides. He drove past a row of terrace houses and saw the dull flashing light of televisions. He didn’t see anyone on the street.

      Finally, he saw the church again, and fifty metres away was their home. The vicarage was an old building, probably one of the first to be built in the village, but the previous tenants had looked after it.

      Daddy? Zoe said.

      Peter switched off the engine and turned around in his seat. He hadn’t heard her wake up. She sounded as if she had been awake for a while. What is it, sweetheart?

      She looked at him, but he could barely see her in the dark. She said nothing.

      What do you think? he said. Good enough?

      It’s scary, Zoe said.

      Peter looked back at the building and he could see what she meant. The church itself was old gothic style, about two hundred years older than the last one he’d worked at. Zoe had never lived in an old building, and he supposed it must seem strange. It’s just old, he said.

      Zoe nodded, but he could tell she wasn’t convinced. Well, it wasn’t as if he could do anything about it now. He’d signed the contracts, and they’d shipped all of their belongings. This was home now, whether or not she liked it.

      Is this it? Ruth said.

      Peter turned to look at her. She folded her blanket up and put it on the floor by her feet. He said nothing to her and turned back to Zoe. Do you want to have a look inside?

      She nodded, but he could tell she didn’t mean it.

      He opened the door and the cold air swirled in. Peter grimaced, undid his seat belt, and got out. The stones on the ground crunched beneath his shoes as he walked around the car and opened the door.

      Zoe was eight, but she still liked him to carry her, especially when she was scared. Peter picked her up and his back gave a worrying click that he ignored. He carried her away from the car towards the vicarage. He could hear the other two car doors opening behind him.

      There’s nothing to worry about, he said. He could feel her shivering, but he wasn’t sure whether it was fear or the cold. Most likely it was both. After a minute, he had gotten used to the bitter wind.

      I know, Zoe said, trying to sound brave, but her chattering teeth gave her away.

      The front door was unlocked. The key was on the side table just inside, along with an envelope that he scooped up and tucked in his back pocket.

      The building felt large in the way that some old places do. It was the high ceilings, he thought, and how the cold seemed to live in the walls and make them feel distant, as if they were still outside.

      He switched on a light and saw that they were standing in the living room. There were sofas around the outside walls and a fireplace with pieces of wood already cut and stacked up beside it. There was an axe on the wall in a newly fitted holder that was too high for little hands to reach.

      What do you think? Peter said. It’ll be alright when we get a fire started.

      Zoe nodded, but she had clung more tightly to him. Her head was on his shoulder, looking back towards the front door, and he was glad he couldn’t see her expression.

      Through the living room, they came to the dining room. There was an empty sideboard against one wall and a large wooden table that had been polished to a high shine and surrounded by mismatched chairs.

      They returned to the hallway and found cases on the floor. He glanced outside and saw Ruth and Reuben unloading the car together. They hadn’t been able to carry much stuff with them. The bulk would arrive the next day with the removal company, but they had enough to make the beds and put on clean clothes in the morning.

      A corridor led further into the house. Peter had seen the floor plan, but he hadn’t fully appreciated how big the place was until now. The previous vicar had been unmarried and had lived here by himself. He must have been lonely.

      I don’t think much of this wallpaper, Peter said, trying to take Zoe’s mind off the fear. What do you think, Zo?

      She mumbled something into his shoulder and he got the impression that she hadn’t seen it at all. She probably had her eyes screwed closed. Peter sighed and guessed that it was going to be a long night. He doubted she would go to sleep in her own bed.

      At the end of the hall, there was a study. It had been cleaned and tidied so that the only things that remained were the full bookcases and the large desk and chairs. Peter walked around the room, but there was nothing that caught his eye.

      They returned to the hallway. According to the plans that he had seen, there were still more than half a dozen rooms to look at downstairs and the whole of the upstairs to explore. There was even a basement. But when they got back to the front door, he found that Ruth and Reuben were standing there.

      That’s the last of them, Ruth said.

      Peter put Zoe back down on the floor. She tried to cling to his leg, and he took her hand.

      I don’t like it here, Zoe said.

      Reuben grunted.

      Come here honey, Ruth said.

      Peter pushed her towards her mother. She walked towards her and he thought she was reluctant to go. He was momentarily pleased, and then he caught himself and shook the thought away.

      I’m going to the church, he said.

      Why? Ruth said. It’s the middle of the night.

      He opened his mouth, about to snap at her, and stopped himself, took a deep breath and thought about the children. He didn’t want to argue at all, but least of all in front of them. I just need to make sure everything is okay. Why don’t you find the kettle and make a cup of tea? I’ll be back soon.

      Peter walked past her without waiting for a response.

      Outside it was dark, but he could see the church in front of him. Not quite glowing, but drawing him towards it by some invisible light. The further he got from the vicarage, the better he felt. By the time he reached the stone wall that surrounded the old building, he was practically serene.

      The gate wasn’t locked. It squeaked when he pushed it open and he made a mental note to oil it in the morning. He closed it behind him. The grass around the graveyard was neatly trimmed. The council hadn’t told him the name of the caretaker, but he assumed he would learn it in due course. Whoever the man was, he had done a good job, despite there being no permanent vicar for over three months.

      He stopped at the door and dug the keys out of his pocket. This was only his second church and the first that had been built earlier than the twentieth century. According to what he had read, it was two-hundred years old, possibly even older. The high arched door was made of thick wood. He found the key and heard heavy tumblers moving as he turned it in the lock.

      The sound of the door closing echoed. Peter found a light switch and the floodlights that had been attached to the sides of the wall flickered to life. At the end of the central passage there was a stained glass window that might as well have been another wall for the moment, but when the morning light shone through it, Peter knew it would look spectacular. He couldn’t see what it depicted, but he could wait until the morning to find out.

      He walked along the central passage. The floor was wood and had recently been polished. The pews on either side of him looked narrow and uncomfortable, the end of each had been decorated with a simple crucifix. He wondered how many of them would be full come Sunday. Probably the first week there would be plenty of people who came along just to see who he was and there would be fewer the next week and the next week fewer still.

      He stopped in front of the apse. The altar was set up to one side and there was a simple wooden lecturn from which he would give his first service in three days’ time. Peter got down on his knees.

      It was uncomfortable, but perhaps that was as it should be. After everything that had happened, he wasn’t sure that there was any more comfort left in his life. Why should the church be any different? He stopped himself from thinking more about the subject - he sounded like a Catholic - and bowed his head.

      There was nothing at the front of the church for him to pray to, but he closed his eyes and put his hands together. Our father, who art in heaven… Peter used the lord’s prayer as if it was a phone number for the big man. When he had finished it, he got down to business. Hi God, it’s me, Peter. He sighed. He had prayed at least once a day for his entire life, but he still felt awkward speaking aloud in a room or a church where he was alone. Of course he wasn’t alone, not really, but sometimes he felt as if he was. We made it to Odamere. It was a long drive, but we made it, no arguments in front of Zoe and Reuben, so that’s good.

      He paused, waiting for an answer that never came. God was with him. He knew that and could feel it in the same way that he knew there was air, but it would be nice to hear an answer sometimes.

      I need guidance, Lord, he said. Am I doing the right thing?

      Again, no answer, but a swelling in his chest told him that God was listening.

      I want to forgive her, I really do, but every time I look at her, I see him.

      Peter shook his head. The only person he had spoken to about Ruth’s affair was God, praying for guidance but never getting a response.

      I know I’m supposed to love her. I think that, in my own way, I still do. But how are you supposed to forgive someone for that? I can’t forget it. Am I a bad man if I can’t?

      The Lord God said nothing. Peter waited for an answer to come to him, but he didn’t think one would come. In many ways, God was like a cosmic psychologist: he wasn’t there to give out answers, he was there to support you while you worked them out for yourself.

      I’m not going to leave her or anything, he said. I couldn’t do that. It’s my duty to lead the community by example. But sometimes it’s difficult. This is supposed to be a fresh start.

      His voice echoed around the old building. His mind wandered back to the house. What were they doing there without him? They could survive just fine on their own, but they shouldn’t have to. He wasn’t just named after the rock of the church; he was the rock of his family, always had been and always would be.

      So I guess I’ll see how it goes, Peter said, beginning his sign off as if it was a diary entry and all of his words would be recorded for him to look back on once his time on earth had ended. She’s not a wicked woman. She made a mistake. I think she knows that. She wanted this as much as I did. It will be easier being somewhere new.

      Peter continued to kneel for a moment longer, waiting to see if anything else would emerge from the bottomless pit of his mind. Nothing came to him, but he felt better for getting out what he had. He signed off with the Lord’s Prayer again. Amen.

      He stood up. He felt old and tired and desperate to get into a nice warm bed, although the one that he shared with Ruth had been anything but warm for some time now. He turned around and, for a moment, he expected someone to be standing at the back of the church watching him. So strong was this conviction that, for a brief moment, he actually thought that he saw someone there. But when he took a step towards it, the shape disappeared and he saw it was just the shadow of a table.

      Peter locked the church behind him. The path back to the vicarage took him downhill and then up. It couldn’t have been more than five hundred metres from one building to the other, but the slope made it feel longer. As he climbed the hill, he saw that there were lights on at the top of the vicarage and that seemed like a good sign. If they could all get a good night’s sleep, things would seem better in the morning.

      He stopped at the front door and wondered whether he really wanted to go back inside. He didn’t know if he wanted to see her. In Camford, they had done a good job of avoiding one another, despite both of them proclaiming their wishes to make their relationship work. But they weren’t in Camford anymore and there would be no avoiding one another for the next few days while they settled in.

      With a sigh, Peter unlocked the door and went into the vicarage. He could hear voices upstairs. Zoe was laughing, and he smiled. At least she seemed to have gotten over her misgivings about the place. Perhaps it would be best if he could at least appear to do the same.

      2

      It was the summer holidays, so Zoe and Reuben didn’t have school for another two weeks. Peter was glad of their help when the moving van arrived early the next day. He hadn’t slept well. Visions of demons had disturbed his dreams, which he would have thought he would have grown used to. It was hardly the first time it had happened. But, although he couldn’t put his finger on how, these demons differed from the usual bunch and they felt more dangerous. He woke up three or four times during the night in a cold sweat.

      Ruth was up before him, and she had been to the local shop to buy some food. He found her in the kitchen and the smell of frying bacon filled the entire house. Reuben and Zoe were already sitting at the table eating. He didn’t look up when Peter came into the room, but Zoe looked at him and smiled. At least she looked like she’d slept.

      Smells good, Peter said, trying to sound like he appreciated it. Only a small voice whispered in his ear that it was the least she could do for him after what she’d done.

      Ruth turned her head and looked at him. She smiled, but he could tell she had picked up on the mean little voice that spoke in his head. Sit down, she said. I’ll bring you over a plate.

      Peter sat down opposite Zoe. How did you sleep? he said.

      Okay, she said. I had to move some things around to keep the monsters out, but then it was fine.

      He smiled at her and wondered if that was something he needed to look out for. He didn’t want her getting obsessed with monsters and things. But then again, she was eight. He was sure he had been the same when he’d been her age.

      How about you Reuben? he said. What do you think of your new room?

      His son looked up at him like a rabbit caught in the headlights. He wondered if Reuben had been doing something that he didn’t want him to know about. The boy was a teenager, after all. It was natural for him to have secrets. After a moment, he shrugged. It’s alright, he said.

      Bigger than your old room?

      Reuben nodded.

      He was saved from having to make further conversation with his awkward eldest by a plate filled with bacon, eggs, sausages, beans and mushrooms. There was toast on the table. Not bad, considering most of their stuff had yet to arrive.

      He ate with the fervor of a man who didn’t want to talk. The plate was empty in less than five minutes and he was drinking coffee when the doorbell rang.

      Grateful for the excuse to get up, Peter jumped to his feet. He took a final swig from his coffee mug and walked to the door. I’ll get it, he said.

      The removal van was parked in front of the house on the road. Peter shook hands with the driver and walked out to make sure it would not block traffic. Once upon a time, people had been respectful towards men of the church, but those times had gone before he’d joined its hallowed ranks. Now people just seemed to be looking for an excuse to attack them.

      It looks fine, Peter said to the removal man. There was enough space for a single line of traffic to get past, but really there was no need, he saw. The only building that anyone would visit along the road was the church, and he didn’t intend to open it this morning. If you want to bring everything in, there’s plenty of space in the living room.

      He went back to the house and found them all still in the kitchen. Our stuffs here, he said.

      They looked up at him and nodded. For a moment, they didn’t look like his family at all, and he felt like a stranger among them. He wondered if he had walked into somebody else’s life, like that old television show ‘Quantum Leap’. Then the illusion vanished, and he picked up his coffee cup and swigged the dregs.

      Come on, there’s plenty to do, he said.

      I’ll just finish the washing up and then I’ll be right there, Ruth said.

      He glared at her, but she had her back to him. What did he expect? She couldn’t turn into Super Woman just because he needed her to, and he wasn’t even sure he did want that. An affair wasn’t something that she could fix with a few good deeds.

      Come on, you two, he said, clapping his hands like he was trying to get a dour choir to show some enthusiasm. Up and at ‘em, let’s go.

      Zoe pushed her chair back from the table and jumped to her feet. Reuben reluctantly did his best to remain seated while standing. His shoulders were low, and he stared at the ground.

      You’ll need to put some better shoes on, Peter said, nodding at Zoe’s fluffy pink bunny slippers. She nodded and ran out of the room. Come on, buddy, he said, slapping Reuben on the shoulder. Let’s show them how it’s done.

      Reuben rolled his eyes but said nothing. They walked out of the kitchen towards the front door where there was already a line of removal men passing things down from the back of the truck and into the house.

      By the time Zoe joined them in the living room, there were boxes piled everywhere. They had all been neatly labeled with the room they belonged to. Predictably, Reuben was looking for the ones that belonged to him and carrying them out to the stairs as if he didn’t care what happened to the rest of the stuff in the house.

      This one’s for the kitchen, Zoe said.

      Peter bent down and picked up the box. Judging by the weight, it was the cups. He carried it out into the hallway and into the kitchen.

      He stopped at the door. Ruth was sitting at the table with her back to him and her head down. For a moment, he thought she was praying. Then he heard gentle sobs and saw that her body was moving back and forth as if she was, no, she actually was crying.

      For a moment, he couldn’t move. He stood at the door and felt like an intruder. The box was heavy, but he didn’t put it down. In all the time since it had happened, he had never seen Ruth cry. He wasn’t sure that he had seen her cry at all since her mother had passed. His feelings towards her softened, and he considered comforting her. But then the wicked little voice told him that this was less than she deserved. Most men would have thrown her out of their house for doing what she’d done.

      Peter turned away and carried the box of cups back into the living room.

      They’re for the kitchen, Zoe said.

      Peter nodded and put the box back down on the floor. I know honey, he said. We’ll just leave them here for a minute though, okay?

      Why? Zoe said. The kitchen’s just through there.

      Peter put a hand on her little head and drew her towards him. It wasn’t fair that she was making him feel like this. He had done nothing wrong. The feelings of tenderness that he had felt in the kitchen turned to anger. She had no right to cry like that somewhere where she knew he would find her. She shouldn’t have done it.

      He held Zoe tightly for a moment and then Reuben came back into the room.

      What happened? Reuben said, looking at them. Did she hurt herself again?

      Peter let Zoe go. He wiped his eyes, although he hadn’t been crying. She’s fine, he said. Go and see if your mothers ready to help yet.

      Reuben looked at them suspiciously, but then he nodded and left the room. A moment later, he returned with Ruth and they all got to work.

      It took the better part of three hours for the removal men to empty their truck. They weren’t able to put the boxes in the correct room as quickly so, by the time they were done, they couldn’t even get into the front room. Ruth rushed back and forth making them cups of coffee and, despite himself, the bad voice in Peter’s head told him to watch her. He no longer knew exactly what she was capable of.

      He saw them off from the door and then closed it when the truck had finished the tricky job of reversing back down the narrow road. Then he turned around and leaned against it. The thought of carrying boxes up and down stairs all day was exhausting.

      So far, he had seen none of his neighbors. Peter remembered a time when a new vicar arriving somewhere would mean that everyone came to visit him. He told himself that they were just giving him some time to get adjusted and that they would come soon enough. But times had changed and people were no longer as interested in the church. It was something that he sought desperately to change and thought that he would do a good job of it once they were settled in.

      In the living room, Ruth was sitting down fanning herself with her hand. Reuben was nowhere to be seen, and Zoe was trying valiantly to lift a box that was much too big for her. He watched for a moment and then went and stopped her before she hurt herself.

      Do you want to come with me for a drive, sweetheart? he said.

      Zoe looked at him suspiciously. Where?

      Starburger? Peter said.

      She looked around at her mother, who was now sitting forward. Ruth looked as if she was going to say something, but then she didn’t.

      Peter needed to get out of the house for a while and they could all use the treat. Zoe followed him out to the car.

      Can I sit in the front? she said.

      Peter glanced back at the house. He knew Ruth didn’t like her sitting in the front, but they were only going around the corner. Sure, he said, and his bad angel told him he could do what he wanted. He didn’t need her permission anymore.

      He opened the doors, and they got in. It was a wintry morning and an old car, so it took a couple of goes turning the key to get it started. At least it was new enough not to need him to fiddle with the choke. He was glad that modern cars didn’t require that little dance.

      The village looked different in the daylight. He retraced the route that they had arrived on the night before. Now the shops were open and he could see across the green. A group of boys who weren’t much older than Zoe were running around with cricket bats. He smiled to himself. There were no adults in sight, which suggested this was a good place. A safe place.

      Starburger wasn’t far from the village. He had seen it the night before, but hadn’t mentioned it to his sleeping family. It had been in his mind then to offer it as

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