Chapter 2

It was a mild spring that year, filled with alternating sunshine and rain. The countryside bloomed, and both Amos and Luke looked out with envy at the farmers plowing their fields. While they knew that in a short time the leased land, which was theirs, would soon revert to them, farming was in their blood and they wanted nothing more than to be out tilling and planting the soil.

They tried to take their minds off of farming, by working around the house and the barn by working, on various projects. One of the first of those projects was construction of a henhouse at the side of the barn. Sarah said that she wanted some chickens to tend and wanted eggs, which were fresher than the store bought kind. Before they knew it Luke, Amos and Jose found themselves building a fully enclose chicken coop. The efforts of the three men soon saw the building and fenced yard completed and a dozen hens taking up residence.

Around the same time Jose began to fix up a room inside the barn as his living quarters. He had been living in the downstairs bedroom of the house, but he insisted that now that the family had arrived he would like his own space. Both Amos and Luke offered to help with the work, but Jose told them that he would rather do it on his own and surprise everyone when it was done.

"It will be a little bit of Mexico," Jose told the family. "I can finally have a place of my own, if you don't mind."

"Well, Jose you know you are welcome to stay in the house," Luke told him, "but if that is how you want it, then it is fine with me."

"The house will always be open to you," Sarah added, "don't you dare bother with knocking. You can consider this house yours to come or go as you please, we consider you one of the family."

"Mucho gracias Senora Clayton," the man replied, "that means a lot to me. I have never had a really family before, my parents died when I was a baby, and I was raised by people that felt I was a burden. I made my way up North when I was very young, working wherever I could. Senor Luke has been more of a friend to me than just someone who pays me for my work, and I consider him to be my friend. I would be honored to have you wonderful people as my new family."

"Then it is settled," Amos spoke out, "you can consider yourself to be one of the kinfolk. I am a sure judge of character and as sure as the sun rises, you are a good man. We will be here for you, as I am sure you will be here for us if we ever need you."

"I had better get back to fixing up my room," Jose said with his voice filled with emotion, "you people can always count on Jose."

Jose worked hard on fixing up his apartment, and in addition he added a small lavatory insede the barn just behind his room, so that anyone working in the barn could make use of the facilities without having to run up to the main house. When he finally showed them his apartment they were amazed at Jose's tasteful decoration of the room. He had several sombreros, two tapestries, and a guitar hanging on his walls. Jose had been right; it did look like a bit of Mexico. Everyone was in agreement that Jose's work was first rate.

A week before Jose finished the work on his room Sarah began to notice that some of the hens were missing from the coop. The area was carefully inspected for any means by which the chicken could have escaped, but as Sarah pointed out, the hens did not have anywhere to run off to and that they should have returned for their feeding in any event. They finally decided that some animal was taking their birds.

"Here Jose take this," Amos said, giving the man a shotgun. "When you move into your room you can be the official guard."

"Senor," Jose answered, "I don't know much about guns."

"Don't worry, son," Amos replied, "I'll teach you everything you need to know about handling this thing safely. I bet that with you livin' out there will be enough to scare off any varmint. Besides if you blast this here scatter gun off once or twice, any critter will turn tail and won't becoming back."

"Ok, I'll do it to protect my family's chickens."

The nearest town was Potterville, which was a typical rural town with little more than a store, gas station, and a couple of churches. The store was a combination grocery, seed, feed, and hardware store, which was designed for the needs of the local farmers. The biggest city near the house was Sacramento, which was almost 100 miles away. While the family visited both Potterville and Sacramento, they did most of their business in their local town.

The Clayton's also joined one of the local churches and they found themselves gladly welcomed into the congregation. The church was similar to the one they had belonged to in West Virginia. Each Sunday the family, with the exception of Jose, who was Catholic, would faithfully go to services and afterward would return home where Sarah and Rachel would fix a large dinner.

Rachel enrolled for the summer semester in the junior college in Beaverton, which was around twenty-five miles beyond Potterville. She would leave in the family car early in the morning and would return late in the afternoon. Rachel had the complete support of all the family, all of whom looked forward to her being the first in the clan to earn a college degree.

When Sarah was not busy around the house, she was involved with church work. While she rapidly made friends, she was often asked if living in the terrible house didn't frighten her. In that manner she first found out about the events, which had taken place at the Winslow farm so many years ago. When she learned the history of her home, she became angry that Luke had neglected to tell her anything about it.

"Well," Luke said when Sarah confronted him about the farm's reputation, "I never thought it was all that important. It is just a bunch of wild ghost stories about something that happened long ago. Some people did get murdered here, but we have had murders and feuds back home. This here is our new home and we got it a bargain price. If we had to pay what this lands is really worth we couldn't have afforded it. If a few ghost stories helped us buy this place, then so much the better."

"And you didn't think I might want to know about these murders?" Sarah challenged him. "I live here too, and I think it is important to know about all of this."

"I'm sorry," Luke apologized. "I really didn't think it was important. If I thought for an instant that it was, I would have said something. Heck, I haven't even told grandpa."

"Well, we had better get everything out in the open, Luke. I don't want grandpa, Rachel and Luke Jr. to find out about all this from other people."

"Okay," Luke agreed, "we will gather everyone together tonight and tell them the whole thing."

"Well, you had better do it in a way that won't get everyone afraid."

"Trust me, honey we'll get things settled nice and proper without any problems at all."

"I hope so, Luke. I really hope so for everyone's sake."

That evening the family, including Jose, gathered in the living room for a special family meeting. After the family was led in prayer by Amos, Luke stood up and addressed the family. He knew that he had to be careful in the manner in which he addressed his subject.

"Well, Sarah and I wanted you all here to hear something from us, before you hear it from someone else. Around thirty years ago something not very nice happen at this place that got all the countryside in an uproar, which is still going on today; seems, that there were some killings here. The word is that the people who lived here were involved in black magic or some such nonsense. Anyhow, the law figured out that some other folks had a struggle with them and everyone was killed.

"I never gave those stories any mind. Heck, the hills back home are filled with ghost stories. There ain't no spooks around here, but that is what some folk believe. I wanted you to hear this from me and not from outsiders. Take my word for it there ain't nothing that is wrong with this place."

"Wow," Rachel exclaimed, "we live in a witch house where people were really killed! That's great! I can't wait to tell my friends at college."

"Senor Luke," said Jose, "I knew about all these things before I came to work for you. Back home in Mexico, my land is filled with many ghost stories, but those are like the wind, little poofs of air. I do not fear little poofs of wind."

"I don't believe in ghosts either," Luke Jr. said. "This is a nice place and doesn't bother me any what people say."

"Boy," Amos said to Luke, "this ain't something we can let slide. While I'm all with Jose and Luke Jr. on not believing in ghosts, but I know people, and if we are going to put down roots and live here we have to do something to lay to rest this wild talk. Folk hand their stories down from generation to generation, and more times than not those stories get wilder as time passes.

"I think it would be right and proper to have the pastor come out here and give this place a blessing. That way folks will know that past is buried and all the ghost stories will die down."

"Si, Senor Amos," Jose spoke out, "and I could ask Father Wilson to do the same."

"That's not a bad idea, Jose," Amos answered. "While I don't usually hold with the Church of Rome, it will be good if folks knew that the place is getting a lot of blessing put on it."

"Well, I didn't quite expect all this," Sarah sighed. "I was more afraid you'd be afraid of ghosts or something. Still and all, if getting the placed blessed will cut down on the wild talk of the girls at church it will be well worth it."

"Well then," Luke spoke out, "it is settled. We'll get the pastor and the Padre to do a blessing, but if the talk don't die down, don't give it a never mind. We know this place is our home now and there ain't spooks running around haunting things."

"Yeah," Rachel said, "that's too bad. I wouldn't mind a ghost or two to keep things interesting; however, having an exorcism right here at our place is really good."

"Rachel," Sarah rebuked her sister, "I'm surprised at you. We don't hold with no spirits other than the Holy Ghost of the Lord, and we ain't having no exorcism, we are having a blessing."

"I was just kidding," Rachel smiled.

"Okay," Luke interrupted, "that's that. Let's get things moving."

Within a week both Bob Pastor Howard and Father Wilson had agreed to perform a blessing of the land. One Saturday, Father Wilson arrived and blessed the house and the land. The next Sunday after church Pastor Howard and his wife arrived and another blessing was done, after which everyone sat down to a big dinner.

"I have heard all these rumors about your place since Ellen and I moved here," The pastor told the family as they sat in the living room after dinner. "I think a blessing here was needed. You are good people, strong in your faith, and if we can do a bit to set things right, then we are doing the Lord's work."

"Well, Pastor Bob we give you great thanks and praise to the Lord for your work, "Amos spoke out. "We don't hold with those rumors and believe only in the power of our Savior."

"Amen, brother Amos," The Pastor replied, "well spoken. We wish you only the best and may these tall tales die away into the past, where they deserve to be"

The tall tales did die down as people heard about the blessings that had taken place at the old Winslow farm. It was as if all the ghosts of the past were laid to rest. The members of the Clayton's church looked upon the family with new respect; in addition, the family joined the local grange without a word ever being said about the strange history, which surrounded the Clayton land. It was as if by the simple acts of the blessings all previous things were buried and forgotten.

In the fall the leased land reverted to the Claytons and Luke and Amos. Using some of their reserve funds they brought a couple of rebuilt tractors and equipment to begin getting things ready to plant a fall crop. All the while Sarah was busy around the house and with her church work. Rachel enrolled in the fall semester at the Jr. College and was engrossed in her studies, while Luke Jr. began school and began making friends. All and all, the fall seemed to hold great promise for the family. Things seemed even brighter because, since Jose had moved into his apartment in the barn, none of the hens had gone missing.

It was nearing the end of October when Rachel began to beg the family to let her have a Halloween party in the barn. She wanted to invite twelve of her girlfriends, no boys included, to a special party to poke fun at the evil that once had been associated with the place. With some reservations everyone finally agreed to the party, with firm the firm provision that no drinking would be allowed.

"Oh," Rachel exclaimed after had Amos laid out the rules for the party, "I don't hang out with drinkers. My friends are good God fearing girls."

"In that case," Amos told her, "have a good party and don't let the boogieman get you."

"Grandpa Amos," the girl said as she threw her arms around his neck, "you are the very most of all time!"

The week before the party the family jumped in to help Rachel decorate the barn. They climbed up ladders and strung black and orange streamers from ones side of the barn to the other, which were followed by colorful balloons. Two tables where set up in the center of the barn to hold refreshments. Upon the tables were set a series of black and orange candles, which were to be lit when the electric lights were put out for the telling of ghost stories. In addition, a record player was hooked up to one of the barns electric outlets to supply music for the event.

"Now don't go blasting the music until midnight and keep Jose up," Sarah cautioned her sister. "You don't want him missing out on sleep because of your party."

"No, no," Jose called down from the ladder where he was busy hanging up balloons, "Senora Clayton, it is no problem. Let the girls have their fun, they will not disturb me. When I decide to sleep nothing can wake me."

"Well, no matter Jose," Rachel smiled as she handed up to him more balloons, "we will keep down the noise, and if you find it is too loud, you just tell us, and we will turn it down."

Rachel gave out her invitations and was filled with enthusiasm when everyone replied that they would come to the party. Her friends thought there was something spooky and exciting about attending a Halloween party in a place where people had been horribly murdered, and more than one young man at the college said that he would like to attend. However, Rachel made it clear that this was to be a girls only happening, but held out the hope that other parties would take place where both girls and boys would be welcome, provided suitable chaperones could be found.

The day of the party finally arrived, the party started at seven o'clock and was scheduled to end a little after the witching hour of midnight. Sarah made one last visit to the barn to ensure that the tables were well supplied with snacks enough for all the girls, before leaving them alone to have their fun. For the first couple of hours music blared and the girls talked about their boyfriends and their hopes for the future. Once that was done the lighting was dimmed, except for the candles, and the girls began to tell ghost stories. Each girl seemed to want to outdo the previous storyteller with a tale filled with horror and gruesomeness.