The Haunting of Annabelle

The Haunting of
Annabelle

Published by Carl
East

At Smashwords

Copyright 2012- Carl
East

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Edited by
Bev Harrison

www.bevharrosproofreading.weebly.com.au

Chapter 1

Annabelle returned the cordless phone to its
charger on the office desk. Gazing at the framed magazine covers
that lined the walls of the room, she slowly headed for the door,
pausing only to turn off the desk lamp. Wandering into the kitchen
still dressed in workout clothes she headed directly to the
refrigerator. There was a bottle of white wine in there and she was
pouring a glass even if it was only 11:30 in the morning. She
needed it after the telephone call she just had with her agent. Her
mind was racing even though she knew this day had been coming.

The requests from designers that simply had
to have her face and body gracing their haute couture had been
steadily declining in the past couple of years. Instead of being
the pivotal model in a photo shoot or on the designer’s runway, the
offers were dwindling down to being an extra, or perhaps the
finishing touch to the group that were being used for the major
promotions. It hadn’t been a surprise when her agent called with
the latest news that there were still no requests for the upcoming
Fashion Week in New York. They discussed a few options, one being
for them to contact some of the more loyal designers who were still
using her on a sporadic basis even after twenty years had
passed.

She couldn’t seem to put her head around the
thought of her agent calling them. She advised him to hold off
until she had time to review their discussion. It wasn’t as if she
was unaware of the passing of time. Taking a turn around the
kitchen while sipping wine didn’t help to calm down the agitation,
so she kept moving to the patio doors and out onto the small
terrace that graced her condominium. Watching as the city air
streamed over her tiny garden of roses, she reasoned that even
though a person kept in shape, kept current with the new designers
and still had plenty of contacts in the industry it didn’t stop
time. When twenty years go by you had to face facts. Time doesn’t
stop just because you want it to. It was time to move on to the
plans she’d been putting into place these past five years.

Money wasn’t going to be a problem. She’d had a
level head from the start and began investing and saving during her
years of modeling. Perhaps it was time to start a business, an
investment that she had total control over. Through the years,
carefully selected opportunities, along with investments in land
and property, added to her wealth and on most projects, she had
turned over a nice profit. Maybe it was time to expand from doing
it on a part-time basis to a full-time one.

Pinching off a dead rose, she walked back in
and went through the kitchen for a refill and a salad, and then
back to the office where the computer sat silent. Flipping the
switch and rolling up her sleeves to the elbows, the review of
emails came first. Junk mail had now graduated to spam, and one by
one she deleted them off until she caught sight of an email alert
from a property broker she’d dealt with on a sporadic basis in the
past.

The e-mail was about a property in upstate
New York that would be coming on to the market. The attached
pictures showed a handsome estate surrounded by woodland with
forests and a mountain in the distance. The agency was suggesting
the possibility of it being utilized as a country home or perhaps a
bed-and-breakfast if one had the inclination. Pondering on the
other details listed, it definitely seemed like an opportune time
to set up an appointment for a walk-through.

Calling her former contact, they spent
several minutes catching up and then arranged for a viewing of the
property. The appointment was scheduled for the following weekend
and arrangements were made to have her met at the railroad station.
This was definitely turning out to be an improvement over the
morning phone call. The idea of a bed-and-breakfast appealed to
Annabelle. It was definitely something she could invest in, and the
complexity of having to make improvements to the property was
something she needed right now.

The days passed so quickly, that when an
offer for a spot on the runway came from a new designer, she
graciously declined. Perhaps if she wasn’t so available it would
increase her appearance value. Playing a little hard to get never
hurt anyone and besides, what did she have to lose? Shrugging her
shoulders, she switched gears to concentrate on packing a suitcase
for the weekend real estate trip. She needed to include her workout
clothes, a pair of good walking shoes and a few mix-and-match
pieces that would go from day to night. Might as well check to see
what the area had to offer if she was going to purchase real estate
there. Years of heading out to last minute shoots made the packing
a snap, the only thing left was her cosmetic and toiletries
case.

Chapter 2

The train platforms were crowded with people
heading out of the city to homes or vacation spots. Her destination
was announced, and she noticed while boarding that there appeared
to be a fair amount of people with carry-on bags heading out for
the weekend. Heading to her reserved seat, she spent the time
reviewing her notes on what she had found out about the town so
far. Several banks, restaurants, small theater groups and a lake
nearby were obvious pluses. The town already had riding stables and
sailing docks on the lake. She reviewed the information on a small
resort that offered skiing in the winter. What they didn’t have was
an upscale bed-and-breakfast for the young trendsetters that loved
to be catered for. The time passed quickly and when she checked her
watch, she realized the distance they’d travelled from the city.
Probably the main reason why the town still had opportunities
available—the train arrived just as the evening lights were coming
on in the quaint streets.

As promised, a cab was standing by with the
local driver holding up a homemade sign with her name on it. He
hurried to take her piece of luggage, and said arrangements had
been made for her to stay at a local hotel, which turned out to be
a quaint mom and pop organization. The old Victorian House had
flowers on the path leading up to a wide classic front porch with
assorted rocking chairs, seats and tables that invited guests to
relax. The couple that greeted her at the front desk still used the
classic sign-in book, but the operation was updated to handle
several credit cards. A room off the entrance had been converted to
a seating area and was prepared for cool nights with a fireplace
ready to be lit. Comfortable chairs were scattered around and
several bookcases lined the far wall.

Her bag was promptly carried up to a room
that faced out to the front of the home, and looking down, she saw
people strolling the storefronts under the old style streetlights.
The room was more than comfortable, if a little small, and it had a
bathroom with shower stall. Everything was as neat as a pin. She
was grateful for the offer of a light meal when she finished
unpacking. The couple offered country breakfasts and family style
meals, which were included in the room’s price. If enough notice
was given, they even packed picnic lunches for those hiking or
going to the lake.

Settling down later that night, she was
eager to walk through the property she was considering. Her last
thought as she drifted off to sleep was the softness of the pillow
she was resting on and she dreamed of color swatches and bedding
accessories.

Chapter 3

The singing of birds woke
her up earlier than usual. The absence of city sounds like the
familiar taxicab horns blaring made the sounds of birds almost
surrealistic. Her eyelids were coaxed open by the light streaming
through the front windows, and suddenly an aroma reached her nose,
and her brain kicked in.
I definitely
smell coffee
, was her next thought as she
pushed her feet into her slippers and headed for the
bathroom.

She tidied the room and headed down the
stairs to the smells of bacon cooking and bread toasting, and as
she rounded the corner past the front desk, she heard the clink of
silverware on plates. The oak dining room table was set for twelve
and had a vase of cheery flowers placed in the center. Along the
wall stood a sideboard loaded with covered platters, and lifting
the lids was like Christmas morning. Crisp bacon, savory sausage,
and fluffy pancakes had been prepared and toast stands were at the
ready. Jars of homemade preserves were lined up in a row along with
pitchers of orange juice and milk, and a basket of fresh assorted
fruit sat nearby. She heard steps coming from a connecting room and
the owners smiled when they saw her surprised expression. Mary
asked how she wanted her eggs cooked and Annabelle could only
respond “eggs too?” They laughed when she told them her customary
breakfast was a protein shake and a fresh orange.

“
Well, it’s never too late
to start living,” Mary replied.

Not taking no for an answer, and with a
shake of her head, she headed back to make Annabelle one scrambled
egg ,and passed her husband bringing out the fresh brewed coffee
and assorted toast for the stands.

Footsteps could be heard coming down the
stairs and soon they were joined by the other visitors staying at
the hotel. Annabelle realized that the major draw of the
establishment was the couples’ outgoing friendliness and delight in
providing for their guests, and she made a mental note to remember
that customers came in all shapes and sizes and that she’d have to
be on her toes to meet their expectations too.

Breakfast was wonderful, she’d have to watch
or she’d put on weight staying here, she thought as she went up to
her room. Checking the notes, she verified that the cab would be
arriving in a few minutes to take her out to the property. She was
looking forward to seeing the building and assessing its potential
as she stepped out onto the porch to wait.

Chapter 4

She sighted the cab coming down the street,
and made a note to herself that having a car to pick up the guests
at the train station could be part of the upscale atmosphere she
intended to create, if the property met her expectations. Sliding
into the rear seat, she mused that if this opportunity proved
lucrative, she might eventually expand her ideas to another
property.

The ride to the estate took about fifteen
minutes and as they passed out of town and into the nearby
countryside, she enjoyed the multitude of trees lining the road and
the open spaces that surrounded the homes they passed. She noticed
from a sign on the road that they appeared to be heading to the ski
resort in the distance. The cab began to slow down as it approached
a freshly paved road that was offset by low stone walls. Attached
to the stone pillars at the entrance was a large black wrought iron
gate, which opened to the sides. The driveway stretched through a
shaded wooded acreage, until the trees parted to reveal a broad
expanse of lawn that framed the house on the sloped hill.

Her breath caught at the sight of burgundy
bricks highlighted by stunning white pillars at the front of the
home, which appeared to be four stories in height. A multitude of
chimneys on the massive roof gave the appearance of sentries, while
the white-trimmed windows reflected the morning light. The
landscaped areas around the front of the house were adorned with
blooming pink and white azaleas that sat in beds of deep brown
mulch. The occasional red bud trees with their airy limbs contained
purple pink blossoms, and carefully placed white dogwoods were
planted in front to offset their partners. The cab stopped at the
bottom steps that lead to the wide double doors adorned with brass
knockers, and while she sat there taking it all in, the doors
opened to two gentlemen.

The gray haired older man remained at the
top as a slightly younger man came down the steps.