Chapter Nine: Victoria Manor:

Before I go further with my story, I have to talk about my house. Like I said before, I lived on the edge of the swamp in a house called Victoria Manor. I believe it was first built in the early 1800’s. There have always been rumors about it being haunted. I haven’t seen a single ghost since I have lived there. But, others have said that they heard strange noises at night sometimes. Grandma kept an open mind about the rumors.

“I’m not going to comment on things like that,” she told me as she was brushing my hair one evening. “But I will keep an eye on anything I find out of place.” Grandma did light sage around the house. I just loved the way the house smelled when I opened the door. Mama, on the other hand, didn’t like it.

“That shit makes my nose burn,” she complained.

“Watch your mouth!” grandma would snap at her. I didn’t mind it too much. It made me feel like I was in the woods.

The house itself was a mixture of time periods. The living room looked like something out of the 70’s. The dining room looked like it was in the Civil War era. The same went for the kitchen. The only modern looking room at the time was mine. Grandma’s room looked like the Civil War era too. Mama’s room looked like it was out of the 60’s. You didn’t know what you would walk into when you opened the doors.

I don’t remember the house ever being empty. People always came and went. Sometimes, they would stay for long periods of time. Other times, it’s just for a visit. Grandma even held parties in the house. I can’t keep track of everyone who came into Victoria Manor. Despite this, I still feel lonely. I could walk around that big house all day and still feel alone. Even Miranda didn’t change that feeling when she appeared in my life. Grandma did try to take away the loneliness. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn’t.

Why am I telling you this? Well, it will all play into my story. And I have plenty of stories surrounding Victoria Manor. Some of them involve Miranda. The main ones I can remember are the ones involving death and bodies hidden in the woods. A couple of curses here and there. There was an old lady was rumored to be a witch too. My list goes on.

I haven’t even gotten to the worst ones that involve Miranda. I’m still afraid to tell those. But, I was told this was the only way that this would help me. Maybe, I should start with something light. Yes, maybe an incident from my childhood that I didn’t think much of. Yeah, that sounds like a good place to start. I am going to do it.

Wish me luck on this—again.