It was a cold, dark December day in 2011. I had awoken on this day feeling refreshed, ready to take on anything. Though, if I had known what I would be facing, I would have never woken up.
The 21th of December had started out normal. I got dressed and went to work. When I got there, my good friend, Felix Carroll, was standing by the door. He looked up and waved in greeting.
“Good Morning, Alex!” he called cheerily.
“Good Morning, Felix.” I said. I shook his hand then walked into the building.
I worked for the PGA, otherwise known as the Philadelphia Ghost Agency. We specialized in discovering the haunting of houses, then trying to prove that they don’t exist. I was one of the best agents they had. My friends called me “Ghost buster Grimm” because of it. Today, I found my boss, William Daniels, in my office.
“Today is your lucky day, Grimm.” He said to me. “You’ve been called to investigate Chesterfield hall.”
I gasped in surprise, I mean, who wouldn’t? Chesterfield Hall was the one haunted place none of us could figure out. The ones, who might have, never came back.
“Why…me?” I stammered. My boss looked me in the eyes and smiled.
“You’re the best on the force, aren’t you?” he asked. That was how I found myself sitting in the driver’s seat of my truck, heading towards Chesterfield.
When I got in the house, I set up my things in the commons area and waited. It was 12 o’clock, noon, when something finally occurred.
I was sitting at the dining table, eating my lunch, when suddenly the candle started rattling. I jumped up and looked around, scared out of my mind.
“Who’s there?” I called, hoping no one would answer. A chill went up my spine as I heard a voice right next to me.
“Sir Viktor Chesterfield the Second.” It answered. I turned around to see a pale figure standing there. He looked like a steward, wearing a long, frocked coat and a pair of fine breaches. He looked to be about 40, with hair reaching to his chin.
“You have come this far, my dear ghost hunter.” He said to me. “But be warned, since you have seen me, you must pass my tests.” Without warning, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into the next room. His hands felt cold and eerie to the touch, like the ice in my fridge, only colder.
As we entered, I saw seven boxes, all arranged in a “U” around a small glass pyramid.
“For your first task,” said Viktor. “You must find the box that has the key to the pyramid in it.”
“That sounds simple.” I said as I gave a sigh of relief.
“But it is not.” replied Viktor. “You only have one guess, and if you do not choose the right one, you die.”
I gasped, and then went back to looking at the boxes again. The answer came 20 minutes later.
“I have my answer.” I said. “The key is not in any of the boxes; it’s in your pocket.” Viktor looked at me again, and then soundlessly pulled the key out of his shirt pocket.
“Correct, onto the next task.” He muttered. He walked across the room and motioned me to follow him.
The next room was even weirder then the last. This one was filled with the most gruesome animals I had ever seen. They were stationed in a pit as long as the room itself. There were spiders, scorpions, snakes, and pretty much any animal that could harm me in a painful way. Viktor saw my scared face and snickered.
“Your next task is a dangerous one.” He said to me. “You must cross the room without being bitten or stung in any way.”
I gulped, and then stood my ground.
“Why am I doing these test anyway!” I yelled at him. “I can just walk out the door. I started walking out, when suddenly a thick brick wall rose up in my path.
“No one leaves till they finish the tests.” said Viktor grimly.
I wearily walked back over and looked for a way over the pit. I finally saw a dark, thick rope hanging directly in the middle of the pit. I gulped again, and then readied to jump.
As my feet left the ground, I felt a sudden surge of adrenaline. I grabbed the rope and swung over to the other side of the pit.
Viktor sighed, then walked over and pressed a button on the wall. Instantly, a part of the wall slid down, revealing a new room.
“You have passed, now on to the third, and final, test.” He said wearily. I cautiously followed him, not wanting to know what the third test would be.
I entered the room, only to find that it was empty, except for a small axe hung up on the wall. Viktor ran over and took the axe off its hook.
“This is your final challenge, young ghost hunter.” he said to me. “You may tell me a statement. If it’s true, you will be beheaded. If it’s false, I will strangle you. You have a minute to decide.”
I thought for about 45 seconds, and then came up with my answer.
“You will strangle me.” I told him. Viktor thought for a moment, then for the first time, I saw him smile.
“You have solved the riddle.” he said softly. “Thank you.” And with that, Sir Viktor Chesterfield the Second disappeared in a flash of bright light. Then, I blacked out.
I was shaken awake by Felix, who had come to check on me. He told me I had fallen asleep. I told Felix of my encounter with Viktor, and was surprised when he stared at me blankly.
“Maybe you hit your head Alex.” he said. “Viktor Chesterfield the Second has been dead for 100 years.” This was when I knew what had happened. I had seen the ghost of Chesterfield Hall.

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 11.02.2012

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