Scary Stories from Riverbrook Inn: Short Stories of Hailgalad and other kingdoms

Edwin sat in his bed shaking. He held his blanket tightly around him as he leaned up against the wall. The child’s eyes darted back and forth in his room. Sweat fell from his brow and he could not steady his breath.

“Eedwinn,” a wispy voice called out to him.

The voice almost seemed to beckon him to come forward.

“G-go away,” the child yelled.

“Eedwinn,” the voice repeated.

What sounded like fingernails ran across his desk, but no one was standing there to be revealed by the full moon light.

Anxiety built up in him until it was all too much for Edwin to bear. The young prince got up and ran out of the room. He scurried down the corridor and into the great hall.

His mind was immediately eased by the sight of his mother and father. A warm glow came from the roaring fireplace as they went over letters and maps on a large table. That was when the queen spotted her son.

“Edwin,” she said in a voice so light and calming. “What, by Areandel, is the matter?”

“The ghost,” he said as his voice quivered. “It's back.”

The king looked over to his son as advisors tried to get his attention.

“Edwin, are you alright?” he called out as he put a hand up to the others.

Melanie turned to her husband, “He is fine. Just a bad dream.”

“It was not a dream!” Edwin called back firmly. “The ghost is real.”

Melanie smiled at her son and stroked his hair.

“Why don’t you lay down by the fire? You can sleep on the big couch while we finish things up here,” she said.

Edwin was relieved to not have to return to his room. The young boy gladly sauntered over to the soft couch and fell into it. His mother wrapped him in a blanket and the prince immediately went to sleep.

***

Edwin awoke to find himself in his bed. Morning had come to show its shining face through his window. The birds chirped outside and he felt well rested.

“Morning Prince Edwin,” a voice came from the doorway.

It was Belinda, Edwin’s nanny. Although Edwin had informed his parents that ten was much too old for a nanny, she stayed to tend to her duties of watching the young prince and making sure he stayed out of trouble.

“Morning Belinda,” Edwin yawned.

“More bad dreams, or have they found another head to pester?”

“They are not dreams. It is real. The ghost was here last night.”

“Fair enough,” she shrugged. “Breakfast is in the hall for you. Then there are morning studies. After, it is off to play with your friends.”

Edwin ate with Belinda at the same table his parents were pouring over documents the night before. Pork, with eggs, and bread. It was the same meal every morning. Edwin dared not complain since he did not want another lecture about what the other boys and girls around the kingdom were being served.

Not every belly is as lucky as yours, my prince, she would say.

***

After a filling meal and a tedious session of history lessons, it was off to the Fields of Aeros. There, little Edwin met up with Charles and Johanna, two children whose parents were on the royal court. There, they ran around and played all sorts of games until it was time for lunch.

“Ghosts?” Johanna scoffed. “They aren’t even real, Ed.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Charles said as he munch on some heinbrood. “Many books of lore talk about the undead returning in both physical and spirit form.”

Johanna rolled her eyes, “Alright, in your books, but when in real life.”

“Right now, with me,” Edwin countered.

“I just do not believe it,” Johanna crossed her arms and shook her head.

Edwin thought about how to convince them. He would need to show them.

Well, then show them! He thought

“You both will spend the night in the castle,” he proposed. “There, I will prove to you that it is real.”

Charles shrugged, “Any chance to see something new.”

Johanna?” Edwin asked. “I am sure your parents would not oppose to you spending a night at the castle.”

Johanna paused and narrowed her gaze at Edwin. After a moment, she smiled.

“Alright, I will go if only to prove the both of you wrong,” she said as she punched Edwin's arm.

***

Everything was quickly squared away with Charles and Johanna's parents, and the three children were eating dinner in the castle hall.

"Where are your parents?" Charles asked as he took another bite of the meal of roasted meat, corn, and potatoes.

Edwin shrugged, "Busy. Sometimes this happens. They get a lot of advisors around and talk for hours. Sometimes it goes on for days."

"I wonder if there is going to be a battle," Johanna said excitedly.

"Doubt it," Charles countered. "Maybe they are building a new city."

"Whatever it is, they are too busy to help me with this ghost," Edwin said disappointedly. "But we will sort this out. I know we can."

After dinner, the three children sat around a fire as Belinda told a story. The tale was about an old king of Hailgalad and a troll. It was not new to Edwin and he quickly found his mind on the ghost.

Fear and excitement bubbled up in him as he thought about the night ahead. Would it be the night he finally got rid of it for good? Finally, the story was over.

"Alright you three, time for bed," Belinda said as she closed her old book.

Finally, it is time, the young prince thought.

***

The three children sat in their beds in Edwin's room. Belinda had informed the prince that it would be proper for guests of the castle to have their own bedroom, but Edwin insisted their beds be moved to his room.

"Can I wait a few more years before my life is filled with being proper?" Edwin pleaded.

Belinda rolled her eyes, "So long as you keep it down and do not bother the king and queen, you may all stay in the prince's room."

***

"Well?" Johanna hissed impatiently. "Where is it?"

"Shh," Edwin replied. "It will come."

Silence gripped the room for some time. Only the sounds of a soft wind and crickets chirping could be hear. Then, a strange hum came from the far side of the room.

"Eedwinn," a wispy voice called out.

Suddenly, the room went cold. An icy feeling crawled up Edwin's back. After a few more moments of silence, the three could hear fingernails run against the desk that was across the room.

"W-what was that?" Charles stuttered.

"What kind of trick is this?" Johanna said shakily. "Did you get one of the castle mages to cast a spell and scare us?"

"Eedwinn," the wispy voice called out again.

The eerie voice seemed to surround them in a strange, fleeting call. The room seemed to close in around them as the cold feeling intensified.

"I told you," Edwin said as he shook in his bed.

"Let's see what this really is," Johanna said, trying to be confident.

With this, the children each lit their bedside lanterns. The new light threw shadows across the room in all directions. Their heads frightfully scanned the area, half expecting to find a shadowy man standing among them.

There was, however, no one in the room with them. It was as if the warm light expelled the cold feeling and voice were gone.

"The sounds seemed to first come from the vent over there," Charles pointed to the far side of the room.

"I still think it is some trick," Johanna said, now sounding more unsure of herself.

"That was no trick," Edwin retorted. "Charles, you said you heard the sounds come from somewhere?"

"Yes, here," Charles walked over to a vent at the base of the wall.

The three huddled around the area. To Edwin's surprise, there was ice forming on the metal opening. He reached out and touched it. The metal and air coming out of it was icy cold.

"You're right," Edwin said.

"Where does this lead?" Johanna asked as her eyes narrowed.

"The furnace room in the basement."

***

The three crept through the castle corridors, each holding a small, oil lantern to light the way. Unlike the night before, no one was in the hall, and everything was silent and dark.

"This way," Edwin whispered as they moved across the great room.

Each step, each breath seemed to echo through the area. The lanterns threw shadows on far off walls and ceilings. The three each had their head on a swivel as it felt like a thousand creatures slunk in the darkness, waiting to jump out and strike. Then, another light grew in the distance.

"A guard," Edwin hissed. "Get down."

The children quickly blew out their lanterns and ran against the wall.

Soon after they had done this, two sets of heavy footsteps echoed through the hall. Their armor lightly clanged as they walked. One of the soldiers carried a large lantern.

"What was that? I thought I heard something," one said as she held up her light.

The three could hear a strange whistling. Johanna and Edwin looked over to see it was Charles' nose. Johanna reached out and pinched it.

The guard held up her lantern and peered into the darkness around them. After some investigation, the two gave up and continued on.

"Must have been the wind. You know this old castle," the other guard said.

After their footsteps were long gone, Edwin stood up.

"That was close," he said.

"Charles, your nose almost gave us away," Johanna said with a chuckle.

"Sorry," Charles said bashfully as he went to relight his lantern.

"We should only take one of those from this point. Less light means less of a chance we get caught. Leave the other two here," Edwin said. "Come on, the stairs are close."

After a time, the three came to a set of stone stairs that seemed to extend downward forever, plunging into the darkness. They stood there in silence, each nervous to take the first step.

"I'll go first," Johanna finally said as she drew in a breath and grabbed the lantern from Charles.

***

The corridors of the basement were considerably smaller than the upper halls of the castle. The floor and walls were made of cold, grey stone that echoed loudly as they walked on.

As they made their way deeper into the basement, the strange hum returned. Each of them felt it as they looked at one another with knowing glances. It seemed to come from their left.

"What room is that?" Johanna asked as they peered through the open doorway.

Each of the children could see their breath as an icy air cut through their clothes, biting their skin.

"I think it is a storage room or extra armory," Edwin said as he shivered.

"Eedwinn," a wispy voice called out again.

Then, the lantern went out.

***

Darkness embraced the room with a tight grip. Their breaths echoed as each of the children were terrified. Then, through the silence, steps echoed through the halls.

"H-hello, is anyone there?" Edwin shouted.

"Eedwinn."

Fear held onto Edwin and his friends as they ran into the room. They scrambled in the dark as they each found a place to hide.

Edwin tried to slow his breath as he heard the steps get closer and closer. Then, it felt like something grabbed Edwin and pulled him to the ground.

He swung in the dark, but there was nothing there. He could feel the hum so close now as his shivered from both fear and the cold. It was at that point that he saw a soft glowing coming from one of the trunks in the room.

Something called him to the glow and he almost forgot about the approaching footsteps. He crawled closer and closer until he was at the box.

"What are you doing?" Johanna whispered.

Edwin did not answer, he only opened the lid with a creak.

As he lifted the lid, it revealed a glowing amulet. Edwin could not know for sure, but the hum seemed to be coming from the object.

"Edwin," the wispy voice called softly from the object.

Johanna and Charles gathered around Edwin. The footsteps and all other sounds were gone. Everything was still and silent. As if he was being controlled, Edwin reached out and grabbed the amulet. Everything faded to black.

***

"Here they are!" a frazzled voice called out.

Edwin shook awake. He was leaning up against Charles and Johanna. Each of them were covered in dust and dirt.

"What, by Areandel are you doing down here?" Queen Melanie asked as she grabbed Edwin.

"We went looking for where the ghost was coming from," Edwin said sleepily as he rubbed his eyes.

"Come on, let us get you three upstairs so you can get cleaned up," Edwin's father said as he shook his head with disappointment.

As they got up, Queen Melanie's eyes narrowed at her son, "What is that in your hand, Edwin?"

***

"Ah yes," an old man said as he held the amulet. "I have seen things like this before."

The man's hands shook as he held the object up to the light.

"What is it George?" King Edward asked anxiously.

The three children sat on a soft couch in front of the fireplace in the hall. A warm fire crackled away as they each sipped on a calming tea. Melanie and Edward sat nearby at the table with one of their chief advisors and mage, George.

"Our prince and his friends seemed to have stumbled upon a possessed item," Jorge said confidently. "Very peculiar."

"How did something like that come into the castle or even come into being?" Edward asked.

The old man shrugged, "It's owner most likely passed away. It must have been an unexpected death for their spirit to possess the item."

"Last month, we received a shipment from the border wars. Old gear and possessions to be given to next of kin," Melanie explained.

George nodded, "That must be it. War is a nasty business. Too many lost before their time. This can have unintended consequences that show their face in many strange ways."

"What should we do with it?" Edward asked as he started at the amulet.

"I would recommend you give it to the next of kin. Should the spirit remain, we can have our people take a look at it," the old man said as he put it down. "In the future, I would also advise you to give these items back as soon as you can. Possessions of the dead are an uncertain thing."

"Why was it calling my name?" Edwin asked as he turned to his parents and George.

George sat and thought for a moment as he stroked his beard.

He finally said, "Well, it is possible that the spirit was looking for help to get back to its family. It might have called on you for this reason."

Queen Melanie turned to Edwin, Charles, and Johanna.

"Whoever this spirit is, I suppose they have you three to thank for helping them find their way home," she said with a smile.

"Next time, will you believe me?" Edwin said as they all laughed.