Dark Highways: Tales from the Road.

Tags

afterlife, Afterlife Institutions, death, Fiction, ghosts, horror, Kevin, Knightshade, Louis, Octavius, Raven Knightshade, Simon, spirit, Spirits, supernatural, travel

The bounty hunter Kevin Knightshade accompanied by his brother the afterlife counselor, Louis Knightshade commence this Book by seeking Simon Knightshade’s father Octavius who after centuries of exposure to the insane guests at Knightshade Manor has gone renegade into the world of the living to settle some old scores with the descendants of the people who murdered him and his family.  As well as pick up a few lost souls who are long overdue at the Manor.   While they are seeking Octavius, Simon appears on his motorcycle to lend a hand in the search with disturbing news, his lover and long-time companion Raven has left the Manor with a motive of her own, it seems she has learned of the descendants of her murderers and wishes to bring them to the afterlife institutions with or without their demise.

Here is a brief summary of some of the tales you will find in Dark Highways.

Route 66

Multiple States

Octavius

Simon and Kevin are in the field (the world of the living) tracing Octavius through his various victims.

Hotels

Hotels have a life of their own, along the route 66, due to the number of spirits that have transpired due to accidents, and have rented rooms as they traveled across the country for decades.  The hotels turn on their lights, and signs awaiting weary travelers.  Vacancy flashing in neon, along the barren strips that had closed, the drive-in diners, souvenir shops, gas stations all come to life without a single stroke of a living human hand.

Arizona

Phoenix

Three young college students on a Spring Break road trip drove from San Diego, California through Phoenix, Arizona on their way to the Grand Canyon.  Early in their trip, alcohol was purchased, and while one drove, the other two drank in the back seat.  The couple was named James and Caitlin, and the driver was Susana.  After several hours of driving, they pulled over in Phoenix, Arizona to get a bite to eat.  Then they were a party of two, leaving James to be the lone man, of his own choosing.

California

San Diego

A woman finds herself stranded on the roadside in Chula Vista as her transmission died.  Within the camper shelled area of the bed, are all of her material possessions and her two cats.  She is an absolute state of panic.  After waiting several hours from daylight to deep into the night, a tow truck finally arrives… what she has to do is completely unthinkable.

New Mexico

Albuquerque

The Fourth of July is a holiday celebrated by the American people as the Day of Independence.  A day that many citizens would gather at their family homes, have a barbeque, and an impromptu fireworks display in their yards.  This was not the case for a trio driving from Iowa towards California find themselves driving into the city of Albuquerque.  The truckstop was busy, filled with tourists, locals, truckers, and transients.  All were drawn to the stop as it was a cheap place to eat, rest, shop, and refuel.  As the sunset, the city commenced its annual fireworks display.  Flashes of beautiful intense colors exploded from five different parts of the city.  The truckstop was placed on a high vista on the outskirts of town, enabling a spectacular view.  Many of the patrons stood on the grassy embankment and commenced an informal barbeque.  During the celebration, and the smoke that formed from the volume of fireworks over the city, no one saw the spherical disc in the sky.  It was included in the flash of all else.

Lordsburg

Two young girls on a Spring Break road trip, drove from San Diego, California to Lordsburg enroute to New Orleans, Louisiana.  Fighting fierce desert winds and limited visibility, they detoured off of the freeway into a mini-tourist trap.  A museum, a gas station, a hotel, and a diner were all that stood off of the exit.  As they were parking, a screech and several thuds were heard.  A semi-truck had crashed into a smaller car, with two young girls in it who had slammed on their breaks in reaction to large tumbleweed rolling in front of their car.  The thuds were the 16 other vehicles that collided into the fiery mess.  As the girls in the accident were the same age and driving the same model car as the girls who had parked, they had an empathetic reaction to the plight of the diners who were now mourning their loved ones. Or was it a twinge of guilt?

Santa Rosa

A truck driver picks up a stranded woman walking the edge of the I-40 at 3 a.m.  She arrives at the truck stop to await the decent morning hours to call the tow.  After dozing in the truck stop she gets a ride to the car.  She falls asleep in truck once the car is on the bed.  Tow truck driver takes her to a side road.  After attempting to rape her as she slept, she awakes and grasps a wrench, smashes his skull.  She awakes to find herself in a hotel.

Tucumcari

A tow truck driver takes advantage of stranded motorists.  She had an alliance with the local mechanic shop who would contact her when he had sabotaged the vehicles.  The local hotel owner the Mustang Inn also housed the stranded motorists.  The first vehicle stolen was the inheritance of a woman whose mother had suffered a long and torturous death and still possessed the car.

Ohio

Middletown

An emo-goth family where consistently focused on being depressed.  The family didn’t really fit in with the world, die in a car crash.  Rather enjoy being at the Manor.  Being a tourist family…

Texas

Hunters find themselves camping in a lone uninhabited region of Texas.  Between the wild boars and the dead gunslingers, a restful night was not to be had by these weary travelers.

Multiple States

Raven Knightshade has left  the Manor to seek out the various souls that have somehow evaded her interpretation, it is up to Louis and Kevin to locate her before she starts killing in order to maintain accuracy in her precious archival collection of souls.

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Knightshade Manor The Fifth Floor Chaos Reigns Supreme

Tags

Afterlife Institutions, death, Fiction, ghosts, Kevin, Knightshade Manor, Louis, supernatural

Fifth Floor – Chaos reigns supreme

This Floor is dedicated to the individuals who committed crimes and atrocities against others, and it is in these corridors and meeting halls where the caregivers interact with the sociopaths who are forbidden access to their victims as they are still working through the illusions they held onto after death, and the illusions brought forth by their caregivers to inspire them to move onto the next destination beyond the afterlife institutions. There are more rooms on this floor, that are being held for special guests, one’s who have left such a wide swath of victims in their wake that these residences tend to be filled for extended lengths of time beyond that of the usual guest.

Room 501

Arnold, a serial killer who preyed on young boys and is a favorite of Kevin to interrogate, Louis of course loves to assist. His victims are all housed in Room 301a – af.

Room 509

Eric, a troubled young man who began a short lived career in murder, killing six young college girls, he wasn’t contracted or encouraged to take up this profession, he did it out of morbid curiosity.  It was the only way that he could satisfy his inner desires for the women of whom he made daily contact.  Before the mortal authorities were able to put an end to his exploits; it was the first night that he was incarcerated that the desires within developed their own voice and forced him to kill one more time.  The guard heard him arguing aloud with his mental tormentor and when the young man tied a rope from the cell ceiling, a rope with which to silence the voices within his head, the guard failed to stop him.  As a result of his deeds and premature death, he found himself residing on the fifth floor of Knightshade Manor.

Knightshade Manor The Third Floor Innocence Lost

Tags

afterlife, death, Fiction, goth, horror, Kevin, Knightshade, Louis, Raven Knightshade, spirit, Spirits, supernatural

Third Floor – Innocence Lost

The guests who reside on this floor, have been eternally changed, for better of worse, they have grown.

Room 301 Meeting Hall

The 31 victims of JWG were all young boys who were lured into working for JWG.  He would murder them, one by one, and leave the bodies around the house as a waxworks display.  He was a socialite still even in the afterlife.  This file is covered in Room 509 and Room 301a-ag.

Room 301a: Alex

Room 301b: Allen

Room 301c: Brian

Room 301d: Bobby

Room 301e: Justin

Room 301f: Jason

Room 301g: George

Room 301h: Jefferey

Room 301i: Dustin

Room 301j: Adam

Room 301k: Nick

Room 301l: James

Room 301m: David

Room 301n: Lance

Room 301o: Kevin

Room 301p: Calvin

Room 301q: John

Room 301r: Mick

Room 301s: Ryan

Room 301t: Stephen

Room 301u: Kelvin

Room 301v: Peter

Room 301w: Willy

Room 301x: Raymond

Room 301y: Lonny

Room 301z: Brent

Room 301aa: Charlie

Room 301ab: Tyler

Room 301ac: Chris

Room 301ad: Eddie

Room 301ae: Isaac

Room 301af: Terry

Room 301 ag: Jose

Room 302 Meeting Hall

The seven victims of Eric are encountered by Louis, who travels to each of their chambers to meet each of them.  Dena suggests a group therapy session but Louis preferred to work with each individual on a one-to-one basis.  They all gather and find that they have more in common than just being murdered by the same killer.  Due to the volume of victims that serial killers often incur, the meeting hall is segmented into on main foyer and meeting room with doors labeled by letters to partition of to the guests in this case, the victims occupied rooms 302A-302G.

 

Room 302A: Claire, Eric’s first victim

Room 302B: Lisa, Eric’s second victim

Room 302C: Nina, Eric’s third victim

Room 302D: Megan, Eric’s fourth victim

Room 302E: Shannon, Eric’s fifth victim

Room 302F: Karen, Eric’s sixth victim

Room 302G: Jen, Eric’s final and only surviving victim

Room 308

A man who after losing all that he has finds meaning.  Aaron was the caretaker on this particular case; he was laying on the chaise lounge in his room.  His was set up as a gentleman’s lounge.  Aaron likes to visit with this guest as he could smoke the finest cigars, and admire the various artwork surrounded by fine oak paneling.  It reminded him of the olden libraries where gentlemen of old would gather and have a brandy discussing worldly matters.  All of the comments and notations made by Aaron are italicized so that he can keep track of the interactions with this long-winded guest.

Room 315

A southern boy gets himself into a bit of trouble, as she slides into his car, to take him to the edge, his choices are what may bring him back.  According to the narration of this particular guest, I choose to write it in the format that he presented his tale.  Ms. Trouble had typed in this introduction using text messaging as she straightened her red leather miniskirt, and turned her hip out to revealing light white thigh, virgin flesh.  She finished the text message just in time to wave down yet another unsuspecting lonely young man.  She and her kin had brought us many guests over the centuries, they had started out dressed as young noblewomen or men, waving down horse riders or stagecoaches, and as each generation had changed their style so had these demons, which for lack of a better name were surnamed Trouble.

Room 317

Jean – a guest who during her life was a sadistic woman who worked as a park ranger, who is abandoned by her crew and left to wander the forest.

Room 318 part I

A young male college student whose life was quite uneventful until he entered college, he never got the chance to graduate due to his mistaken eavesdropping on some shady administrators within the university.  He was murdered, for information that he knew regarding scientific testing within the Psychology department, in accordance with the zoology department.

Room 318 part II

Laurie – with her live-in (dead-in) spirit Stephen who was an excellent photographer, This one is for all of those ghost hunters who photograph orbs… perhaps they are taking pictures of you and what the result is a flash from their camera, and not dust particles.

Room 325

Little Girl Lost.  Becca had always been a quiet little girl, but it didn’t matter to her alcoholic father who was convinced she was the product of her mother’s adulterous nature.  He went on a drinking binge one night, and killed them both.  A story of a little girl, whose experience is immortalized in the lyrics of Pandora’s Baux’s Little Girl Lost.

Room 331

A story of two children; falling down the stairs of their family home.  The brother and sister were quite close, and it was one day they were walking to the downstairs.  The boy slipped and fell his sister watched him fall and as he died, she held his hand.

Room 337

The Moche were a prehistoric culture.  Their choice of worship led a few of the sacrificed to the Manor.  One of the priests, finds himself linked to his victims, and is brought to the brink of madness repeatedly.

Knightshade Manor The First Floor

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Aaron, afterlife, Afterlife Institutions, Fiction, goth, horror, Kevin, Knightshade Manor, Louis, Raven Knightshade, Simon, Slurgh, Spirits, supernatural

This dear readers, is a glimpse of the first floor of the Manor, these short paragraphs outline the hospital often referred to as a hotel for the benefit of maintaining the illusion of our guests. Please read my introductory letters for each volume for further information.  Which leads me to the next concern, some of these tales are dispersed in various volumes that were released periodically in 2005.  As a result, I have kept the references to which volumes they can be found, as many of you may already possess copies of the fanzine and not to disappoint, but the tales in the book are richer in detail and more graphic in their portrayals of what transpired within each room.

First Floor

An introduction to the hotel, its staff and tenants; the hotel is quartered into sections and each floor consists of four sections that are portioned off from one another, according to the disorders of the guests.  The only exception to this rule is the first floor where the caretakers and housekeeping staff reside.  There is the entry hall where the reservations desk is located; this is the only portion of the floor that is open to the guests.  Most of the interview sessions that occur between guest and caretaker occur in their room.

Within each of the staff member’s quarters are a sleeping chamber, a private bath, a sitting room, an office and whatever else they may desire.  As each staff member is eclectic in his or her own way, each quarter is completely unique, including the structure and furnishings.  Each chapter that contains a scenario where you the reader are invited to listen in on a conversation deemed appropriate for the public, take notes for you may need to know this staff on a more intimate basis at a future date.

As it is a rare occurrence any of the outbreaks amongst the Staff and the Marians that file is primarily included in the first floor documentation.  However the most recent strike involved releasing the residents of the fifth floor into the rest of the Manor.

Aaron’s quarters

Aaron takes a stroll through the unused corridors of the fourth floor, where he encounters a homeless alcoholic, four made men watching their bank robbery, and takes a stroll into Atrium West to commence interaction with the inhabitants whose tale is continued in the file Fourth Floor Atrium West.

Ariel’s quarters

A Banshee born of the Irish countryside in a time where fairies were alive and active amongst the human residents. Where the residents heeded wee folkes and the voice of the wind that often warned of danger.  Her inability to bear children in life, led her to being a caretaker of animals wild and domestic species and was trained as a schoolteacher.  In her afterlife, she tends to these same beasts or their kin as well as watching the children who may wander into her forest.

Caroline’s quarters

An introduction to the current wife of Simon Knightshade.  She is no longer in love with Simon but as they are bound to one another for spiritual reasons, she still resides within that Manor, for she is the mind and creative force that binds the staff and guests to the Manor.

Clara & Marie  Office Space

The Siamese Twins psychologists have an office within the Manor of which they utilize when children arrive to the Manor to ascertain whether they are to return to life, or continue onto Kerringer Castle. A brief introduction to these amazingly patient staff members.

Dena’s quarters

A brief introduction to the eldest of the current generation of Knightshades.  She is the wisest thus the least tolerant of the indiscretions of her family members nor the guests.  A private person, she often finds that she inadvertently discovers all of the secrets held within the Manor.  Her stoic mannerisms are the only means she can maintain to avoid being assigned family drama which is above and beyond what she desires.  She deals with Marion’s cleaning around the living, and another dissention amongst the demonic staff, as the amount of guests have increased, and they desire to import more cousins, hiring of the damned.

Dr. Geoffrey Shaw M.D. Pediatrics’ Office

As with the other Staff Members who work at the Manor and reside elsewhere, he has an office set up with the variant tools, supplies and machines that span the centuries and adapt to the needs and illusions of the current guest.

Jessica’s quarters

A brief introduction to Jessica, a new arrival to the Manor.  Her recent death allows for her to still look like one of the living and as a result she is one of the first staff members most guests interact with upon reaching the Manor. A meeting with her cousins, and her first impressions of the Manor are shared in this short description.
Jessica’s Chamber and Lobby

As the sun set Jessica is summoned to assist with the guests that just crashed into the afterlife and realm of Knightshade Manor.  After receiving orders from Dena, and is informed that she is to welcome new staff as well as several new cases; she is properly introduced, as she invites in new staff members, to assist with the temporary overload of cases, along with her Siamese twin.  Two other male Knightshades also arrive, with the intention of a temporary visit, of course it develops into an extended stay for all concerned.

Kevin’s quarters

A brief introduction into the chambers of preferences of Kevin Knightshade a cousin of the siblings that reside within the Manor. His afterlife is spent mostly on the roads seeking renegade spirits who are avoiding their final destination.  Many of his tales can be found in the upcoming book Dark Highways.

Louis’ quarters

A brief introduction into the life and chambers of newly arrived Louis, whose focus is working with guests who were the victims of the renegade spirits who afterlife cause further destruction once they are no longer trapped in a physical body.  However, they reek havoc on the lives of those who they harmed in life, until they are caught by the trio of Bounty Hunters.  Like his brother, Kevin, many of his tales also can be found in the upcoming book Dark Highways.

Marion or Mary quarters

This is an area in the Manor that houses the housekeeping demons and porters found throughout the afterlife institutions. A short story concerning the daily lives of a few members of this elite housekeeping service.

Raven’s Quarters

Having recently returned to the Manor after several months in the field; she has interacted with several patrons and donors of the Manor.  Her primary goal was to steer the living away from the Manor, and even visited other sites that would provide better accommodations for some of the living who have chosen to leave their lives at an inopportune time.  She has returned to the files, and as before, is clearing out the patients and their misfortunes as quickly as possible, for more guests are arriving each night.  My primary goal was to interact and interview potential guests as a means of convincing our patrons that the Manor provided specific services and that their financial contributions were indeed utilized to their fullest potential.  My personal primary goal was to seek out the competition and determine if perhaps our guests would be provided better accommodations for some of the living who might be erroneously placed in our care.

Simon’s Quarters Volume 1

This is an introduction to Simon, the current owner of the Manor and his son Aaron, a typical evening for the undead caregivers housed within a psychiatric hospital.

Simon’s Quarters Volume 3

This is the beginning of a tale of a meeting between Simon and Dena, and the delegation of responsibilities.  The main characters are Dena and Simon.  She has asked him to check in on one of their oldest inhabitants, someone he is familiar with due to his personal experience with the Moche.  Their choice of worship led a few of the sacrificed to the Manor.  One of the priests, finds himself linked to his victims, and is brought to the brink of madness each night.  This tale is continued as Room 337.

Simon’s Chambers Volume 6

This is an introduction to Kevin Knightshade who meets with Simon; Simon has a vision, with the following symbols.  Castle, guard forced to watch a young Simon, high-pitched tones a staircase, rusted chains, torture chamber
Slurgh’s domain

The Head Demon who oversees all of the Marions and Marians that work within all of the afterlife institutions. He acts as a liasion between the staff and the demons.

Banquet room

Dena meets with Louis, discusses his responsibilities.

Kitchen/Dining Hall

The demons revolt, causing the usual uproar.  This sets the staff on edge, Dena handles and after awhile, so does Simon.

Dining Hall

Slurgh offers new twist about the demonic investigation on meat market.

Lobby, First Floor Halls, Gardens

A plane crashes, bringing several guests to the manor. Volume 3 is where a majority of these tales can be found.

 

Knightshade Manor Volume 8 Letter of Introduction

Tags

Aaron, Caroline, demon, Dena, Fiction, goth, horror, Kevin, Knightshade, Louis, Raven, Sallyn, Slurgh, spirit, supernatural, time, travel

Greetings to the living,

It is I, Raven Knightshade; within these pages are summations of the psychiatric files within the Manor’s vaults that pertain to the lives of individual souls who due to inattention of their own mortality find themselves guests within the Manor.  In response to the chaotic atmosphere that surrounds the guests and grounds of the Manor, once again various changes have occurred.  For a description of the Manor, its purpose and residents/employees please see any of the previous volumes of this journal, due to events that transpire continually at Knightshade Manor, the ectoplasm that surrounds the Manor and grounds, creates several additions to the Manor.

On the first floor, in a conference room; Aaron, Dena, Louis, and Caroline decided to have a meeting regarding my impatience to remove those from the Manor to the facilities that would better suit the patients needs, I sent my messenger Sallyn to listen at this meeting, as I am too busy working on this archives to eavesdrop, besides when you know a sylph, it is easier to use their vaporous forms to blend into the wall and literally become the “ear” in the wall. Aaron knows about Sallyn, and can smell the moist moss smell of her hair, he guards his speech well as he intends to side with me on all issues against Caroline, I do admire his ethics.  An extended conversation is held in the kitchen between Caroline, Dena and Slurgh whose staff is completely out of control, as the Marions once again cause a revolt just to cause chaos as they literally live for this sort of thing.

On the Third Floor – Innocence lost, is the location of a majority of the townspeople from Maysville, which in essence was an American frontier town, frozen in time.  The quaint architecture of the 1800’s with the pastel shades of yellow, pink, violet, blue, and green all trimmed with white boards, the streets paved with smooth red brick, with grout smoothed out of sight due to centuries of travelers.  The annual festivals that marked the melt-off of winter, the advancement of spring, the celebration of the day independence was declared, and various other seasonally marked holidays.  As the years wore on, and the young people moved to the city to earn their living, the town began to die a little bit each year.  By the time the developers had arrived, there was little left of the quaint little town that served home-style hospitality to all who ventured near.  The vacant lots and vacant stares of the townspeople should have warned the city-folk to stay alert.  The city needed new life, and new life was what wandered in the day the developers set a plan of action to desecrate the land and remove the last innocent American town.

Camille, is an author who lived in the end of the nineteenth century, she was the wife of a diplomat from Eastern Europe.  She enjoyed the luxuries due to her husband’s station however with ample time on her hands, she became a writer, releasing books on poetry and handwritten notes on etiquette.  It was during an invention seminar that her husband requested that she attend, that she was left to her own devices and walked amongst that various booths of technological advances.  She passed a booth with a glass box, standing upright, and just large enough to fit a person.  She gazed at wide wonder, and asked the inventor what it did.  He assumed she was unintelligent and expressed this opinion that it would be too difficult for her to comprehend.  She touched the surface of the glass as he turned away to speak to another customer, the booth next door had a young man working with electricity, and as he cranked to wheel to generate a current, Camille’s hairpin touched the connecting canopy between the two booths, a jolt flashed through her body and she fell into darkness.  The man turned in response to the half uttered scream and watched in horror as the woman vanished from site.

She awoke to a woman standing above her and hearing a beeping sound coming from a box with colored lights and lines flashing.

She looked around and uttered, “Where am I?  Where is my husband?”

The woman placed a hand on her harm to calm her and turned to the assistant next to her.

“What is she saying?”

“I don’t know.  We need an interpreter.”

Camille was speaking an extinct language as the country that she and her husband had resided in had been annexed with another and another country.

She exists in the future, and has no idea where she was, how to speak the language, or how to return to her own time.

The above transcription is in the beginning of the file as notated by Dena, the rest of her file can be found in the actual Knightshade Manor Volume 8 publication.

Contained within this volume, is a summation of files maintained within the basement of the Manor.  As stated in all previous volumes, the intent of the staff is to facilitate the speedy recovery of all guests who find themselves within our domain, for, as always there is never a limitation to the influx of premature dead.

Sincerely,

Raven Knightshade

 

Knightshade Manor Volume 7 Letter of Introduction

Tags

afterlife, demon, Fiction, ghosts, goth, horror, Jessica, Kevin, Knightshade Depot, Louis, Marian, Marion, Sallyn, Simon, Slurgh, spirit, supernatural

Greetings to the living,

It is I, Raven Knightshade; within these pages are summations of the psychiatric files within the Manor’s vaults that pertain to the lives of individual souls who due to inattention of their own mortality find themselves guests within the Manor.  In response to the chaotic atmosphere that surrounds the guests and grounds of the Manor, once again various changes have occurred.  For a description of the Manor, its purpose and residents/employees please see any of the previous volumes of this journal, due to events that transpire continually at Knightshade Manor, the ectoplasm that surrounds the Manor and grounds, creates several additions to the Manor.

In this volume one hazy spring morning in 1946 the depot once again appeared on the grounds.  Several members of the staff observe its arrival, and Jessica is rudely awakened to find herself standing behind the reservation counter.  Her uniform was navy blue with pinstriped white and gold buttons.  In front of her was the teller window of an antiquated train station that appeared as the result of a phenomenal train wreck which involved an automobile and a locomotive on it’s daily route between Los Angeles, California and San Diego, California.  As with all major disasters, the less morose and lively looking staff members are pulled to the front to handle the newly arrived guests.  Caroline Knightshade has arrived to the Manor, she has taken over as the administration at the Manor due to Simon’s departure to locate his father Octavius, and this is her first day on the job.  She having seen the appearance of the depot had immediately astral-projected behind the ticket window to assist Jessica with the arriving guests.  The train brings several guests, Harding is a conductor, Cheryl and Madge are waitresses at the café, Cheryl and Harding are crushing on one another, while Madge is dating Clyde, who is the driver of the car who caused the train wreck.  On board, is Buster a ticket collector, Janelle, Pierre, Clarence and Carson are passengers.

Meanwhile, on the real original route 66 two members of our staff are motoring their bikes through the other world, Simon and Kevin are in the field tracing Octavius by locating and interrogating his various accomplices and victims.

I have returned to the Manor after several months in the field.  My primary goal was to interact and interview potential guests as a means of convincing our patrons that the Manor provided specific services and that their financial contributions were indeed utilized to their fullest potential.  My personal primary goal was to seek out the competition and determine if perhaps our guests would be provided better accommodations for some of the living who might be erroneously placed in our care.  I have once again returned to the files, and as before, I am organizing the data in a readable format for the living to interpret the afterlife, and the various phases encountered when leaving one’s mortal existence prematurely.  It is necessary to clear out the files of patients and their misfortunes as quickly as possible, for more guests are arriving each night.  Once they resided in the Manor a significant amount of time, they have gotten over their lives, and are ready to return, or move to another Manor.  I will include the details of the other institutions within Volume 15.

Included in this current volume is a continuation of Dena’s dealings with the Marion’s cleaning around the living, and dissentions that have arisen amongst the demonic staff.  Due to the fact, that quantity of guests has increased the Marian’s desire to import more demons, and added incentive to continue working for the Manor.

On the second floor aptly named the heartbreak corridor in room 229, resides a young woman named Rene, who I am not allowed to further interact with per Aaron’s orders as I caused her to leave her material existence early.  The incident occurred during my time in the field.  I implanted a memory loss so that she can’t recall all the details that brought her to the Manor.  She finds herself in a mirrored room, with no recollection of how she got there.

On the third floor entitled innocence lost reside the guests that have been eternally changed, for better of worse, they have grown.  In room 317 resides a guest named Jean who during her life was a sadistic woman who worked as a park ranger, who is abandoned by her crew and left to wander the forest.  In room 318 resides a young woman named Laurie who has a live-in (dead-in?) spirit named Stephen (his file is reviewed in another volume) in his life he was a photographer.  During my time in the field, I encountered several ghost hunters (as opposed to spirit hunters like Kevin and Simon) who photograph orb.  I learned from Stephen that he loves to take pictures of the living, and his flash sends a round circle into the ethersphere. So when the so-called orbs appear in photographs it’s a reflection from a spiritual camera not dust particles.

Contained within this volume 7, is a summation of files maintained within the basement of the Manor.  As stated in all previous volumes, the intent of the staff is to facilitate the speedy recovery of all guests who find themselves within our domain, for, as always there is never a limitation to the influx of premature dead.

Sincerely,Raven Knightshade

Knightshade Manor Volume 6 Letter of Introduction

Tags

Fiction, goth, horror, Kevin, Louis, murder, Serial Killers, victims

Greetings to the living,

It is I, Raven Knightshade; within these pages are summations of the psychiatric files within the Manor’s vaults that pertain to the lives of individual souls who due to inattention of their own mortality find themselves guests within the Manor.  In response to the chaotic atmosphere that surrounds the guests and grounds of the Manor, once again various changes have occurred.  For a description of the Manor, its purpose and residents/employees please see any of the previous volumes of this journal, due to events that transpire continually at Knightshade Manor, the ectoplasm that surrounds the Manor and grounds, creates several additions to the Manor, structurally as well as personnel; two of which are experts in the field of necromantic analysis.  Two of the four that arrived after the double plane wreckage (for more information, see volume 3) are experts in the field of seeking criminals of the utmost status, and Necromantic analysis.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term is a psychiatric method, which involves communicating and working with the deceased while analyzing the means by which the decedent could avoid future death.  The first to be introduced will be Kevin Knightshade, then his younger cousin Louis Knightshade; their individual expertise complements one another.  As a result, both are often found working together on the same case.

Kevin’s expertise lies within the realm of dangerous minds; he counsels murderers, serial killers, and perpetuators of heinous crimes against humanity.  He, in my eyes, is the epitome of masculinity his body exhibits complete strength; every muscle defined within his deeply tanned skin.  His thick beard and handlebar mustache peppered with gray.  His biceps are adorned with black ink tattoos and designs that change to his moods.  It was the night of the most recent plane crash (see volume 3) that I heard the growl of his favorite motorcycle roadster that he rides throughout the ethersphere.  A necromantic analyst, and an effective spirit hunter for the last several centuries, he seeks those souls that have created havoc and mass destruction within their lives.  These lost souls exist on the fringes of the mortal world to torment those who wander too close to the barrier that leads to the living world.  His rough exterior is a necessity due to his line of work.  His aroma is one of oil, wax, beer, and cologne that are intoxicating, as with all the men who bear the Knightshade name, his presence dominates his environment.  In this issue, Simon’s reflections are brought forth with a chat with Kevin, who reminds him that his personal tormentor his guardian was brought to justice.  The “inquisitor” was his parent, his guardian, Simon as a child, witnessed the heinous crimes perpetuated by ignorant zealots who chose to hide their true emotions behind the mask of religious dogma.  The rest of this tale is continued in the file listed under the first floor.

Another change that has occurred is an addition of another floor, the fifth floor.  For a further description of this addition to the Manor please read the files pertaining to the Fifth Floor.

Though I digress, I will now return the topic to the other new personnel; Louis Knightshade, who on the other hand, is olive-skinned and has green piercing eyes, keeps a tightly trimmed goatee, a minimal mustache, and has a leaner and sculpted physique.  His relatedness to Aaron is more prominent then to Kevin, as they tend to shares many common features; I do believe that they truly were cousins during their lives.  Louis is gentle, amorous, and desirous of Dena, of whom he is frequently found soliciting her for her attentions.  His amicable nature enables him to work with the victims of Kevin’s clientele.  His soft manner is crucial to the healing and speedy recovery of the victims that if left to their own devices would never evolve past the Manor.  Thus remain tenants for an indefinite amount of time, which as mentioned in previous installments of this monthly journal is the least desired approach to residency within the Manor.  This is not the intention of the keepers of the Manor, we are already filled to capacity and if the Manor keeps building additions to itself, we will never be able to control the influx of guests, of course I could be wrong in this theory.  Even Simon who owns this establishment doesn’t know the capacity of the Manor.  However, it is the best interest of those guests to move onto the next plateau.  This brings us to the purpose of this journal, trying to explain what happens to those who die before they are destined to transpire.  Victims of heinous crimes, tend to remain tenants for an indefinite amount of time, which as mentioned in previous installments of this monthly journal is the least desired approach to residency within the Manor.  Louis’s tale is continued further in this journal. To insure accuracy of rumors regarding the affair between Dena and him, I sent my room demon to spy on his ‘private’ meeting with Dena.

Contained within this volume 6, is a summation of files maintained within the basement of the Manor.  As stated in all previous volumes, the intent of the staff is to facilitate the speedy recovery of all guests who find themselves within our domain, for, as always there is never a limitation to the influx of premature dead.

Sincerely,Raven Knightshade

 

Knightshade Manor Volume 5 Letter of Introduction

Tags

Ariel, Clara & Marie, Dr. Geoffrey Shaw, fantasy, ghosts, horror, Knightshade, Louis, spirit, supernatural

Hello, I am Raven Knightshade,

Welcome to the Manor.  This volume as with the previous installments, is an invitation to peruse the psychiatric files of the dead.  To thoroughly introduce oneself to Knightshade Manor, please read the previous volumes.  Perhaps it would assist in defining the Mission Statement of the Hospital.  We of the staff are pleased to welcome you, there are always vacancies, although once you’ve checked in, it’s very difficult to check out.  For you see, Knightshade Manor houses the dead, not just your everyday average ghost, the ones that would be considered a threat to others or themselves.  All spirits may find themselves at Knightshade Manor, a psychiatric hospital for spirits.  Especially if they have failed to accomplish what they were living to experience.  They are expected to learn from their experience, and prove that they are no longer a threat to others or themselves.  Consider the situation they are in, they are dead!  Because of their negligence, they were unable to keep alive, it is a basic instinct that every human is born with, so to die before biological aging indicates negligence on the part of the individual at some specific point in their lives, they could made a different choice or action that would lead to a different series of events and perhaps avoided the death that they experienced.

The mission statement of the Knightshade Manor is that each individual is allowed to live, in no matter what form, design, or function.  It is within their rights as souls to live, it is the actions and decisions that one makes at various junctures in their lives and deaths that determine their results.  It is the responsibility of the Manor and its staff to assess the endangerment of the soul and through various methods encourages individuality and responsibility on the individual’s part as to what effects they are forced to deal with as a result of their decisions and actions.  Once they have learned what they need to learn, or have figured how to change that action, they are then released back to their lives to either change things or move onto a different life or to Heaven or Hell.  It is entirely up to the individual.

The manor is set up as a chateau with the imagery of a grand hotel.  This is all part of the therapeutic process.  There are various levels, each pertaining to the various lessons that the guests (we don’t like to use the term patient, it is also a method to ensure that they will vacate, as soon as they determine they are ready, rather than the term patient which would indicate that they would need some else’s permission to leave the Manor.)  Simon, has asked me to create this monthly journal, in which, I will present three tales involving the guests of the various spirits within the house.  I think it is in the hopes that it will be read by some of the living, and perhaps save us the chance to have to enroll more spirits as the living world because more populous.  And in reading this, perhaps it will assist you in either comprehending death, understanding life, or at least learn from the mistakes that others have made and look where they ended up.

This volume is concerned with the premature deaths of children, it is agreed upon by the staff, that the prevention of mortal youth death is of the utmost priority.  It is in the reading of the following files that I hope to convey that the children who arrive are allowed their illusions and this is not a fearful place.  But it is entirely up to the souls as to whether they wish to stay and await their killers, or move onto the next incarnation.  It must be stated that skilled Banshees, as well as medical personnel care for the children.  The caretakers consist of guests who owe a debt and are repaying every child that crosses their paths for their own indiscretions.

Some of the files within this volume are linked to the spirits who reside in Kerringer’s Castle another afterlife institution that is set up very similar to a fantasy castle with plenty of grounds and chamber within which children are allowed to play, imagine and prepare for return to life.

The caretakers who serve double duty at Knightshade Manor and Kerringer Castle are Dr. Geoffrey Shaw, Ariel, Clara & Marie, and Louis Knightshade.  All of whom have their personal tales interwoven with the tales of the guests.

 Sincerely,

Raven Knightshade

Knightshade Manor Volume 4 Letter of Introduction

Tags

afterlife, death, Fiction, ghosts, heartbreak, horror, Jessica, Kevin, Knightshade, Louis, Psychology, spirit, supernatural, thriller

Greetings to the living,

As I have promised this is the fourth volume of the Knightshade Manor publication.  Contained within the halls of my home are the souls of those who have passed from the world of the living with a severe attachment to the life of which they had left, including those events and actions that led to their early demise.  As the archivist of the files for the Afterlife Institution, I have been asked by my mentor and lover Simon Knightshade to develop a monthly publication outlining the files of our guests.

We are joined in this volume by my much younger cousin Jessica.  She is the child of Simon’s brother who had chosen to return to live in the world of the living within the past century.  His child Jessica had encountered a swift ending to her life as she had been bitten by a mojave desert rattle snake and had died before receiving treatment.  More details regarding her past will be presented in future volumes.  An brief abstract of her tale is as follows:

Jessica’s Chamber and Lobby – As the sun set – Jessica is summoned to assist with the guests that just crashed into the afterlife and realm of Knightshade Manor.  After receiving orders from Dena, and is informed that she is to welcome new staff as well as several new cases; she is properly introduced, as she invites in new staff members, to assist with the temporary overload of cases, along with her Siamese twin.  Two other male Knightshades also arrive (Kevin and Louis), with the intention of a temporary visit, of course it develops into an extended stay for all concerned. 

As we leave Jessica at the reception desk in the Manor, we shall once again climb the grand staircase to the second level lovingly referred to as the Heartbreak Corridor, it houses those spirits of which suffer heartbreak in life, and continue to do so in the afterlife. As we progress past the second landing sitting area, we walk down the narrow corridors towards room 201.  Of which the guests the following is an abstract of their tale.

Room 201

The story of two people falling in love, different lifestyles, and same genders… two lesbian lovers who through public pressure decide to marry men and realize that it was a serious mistake, jealousy surfaces, Andy kills Sophie’s husband.  This leads to some problems.  Settling in the Mediterranean, they move to a chateau in the South of France, away from the village where no one realizes them or their past, they cultivate a vegetable garden, and they are happy until the guilt of the murder resurfaces, as the spirits of their husbands begin to haunt them.  This is an introduction of the first murder they committed which drove them from their American hometown.  A continuation on this file may be included in a later volume, for they have yet to complete the cycle of death.

 After we have visited with Andy and Sophie it is time to proceed back to the sitting area and lobby of the second floor to once again climb another set of stairs to the third floor – which is aptly named Innocence Lost.  We walk to room 318 passing several closed doors, a scream here, mad laughter behind another, blaring televisions from yet another.  Come now, don’t dawdle or spend too much time wondering about what is behind each door, you might find yourself playing a part in another spirit’s drama.   Ah, and when we finally do arrive in front of room 318, we find that is slightly ajar, as this spirit likes to interact with the caretakers.

A young male college student whose life was quite uneventful until he entered college, he never got the chance to graduate due to his mistaken eavesdropping on some shady administrators within the university.  He was murdered, for information that he knew regarding scientific testing within the Psychology department, in accordance with the zoology department.  Tragic really, he is continuously haunted by the spirits of his tormentors who he borrows any passing spirit to take on the guise of them as well as the animals of which he was unable to save.

 

After viewing and experiencing the corridor of Innocence Loss, it is time to climb the staircase to the Fourth Floor – Illusions Dance within the frame of my mind.  We will meet with a calmer spirit, one of the victims of the plane crash described in Volume 3 of Knightshade Manor.

A bored working class woman, unhappily married, mother of two sons, frustration at not getting what she wanted to out of life, she creates a new life for herself within the Manor after dying in the plane crash.  It is up to her caregiver to remind her that she lived the life she truly did.  She is the first guest to be placed on the newly built fourth floor of the Manor.  Debbie desires a new life, and through death, gets it.

Well my dear readers, I realize that this letter is less formal than the previous letter.  If you feel the need to reread the mission statement or definitions of the purpose of Knightshade Manor feel free to read volume 3 letter of introduction as that is the most concise and technical of all the letters I have written.

Sincerely,

Raven Knightshade