Member-only story
The Haunting of Guilt
Undiscovered Murderers Do Not Go Free
Author’s Note: A gothic story in the style of Poe. I hope you like it.
In the quiet town of Willow Creek, nestled amidst ancient, whispering pines, the air was thick with the scent of pine and the unspoken secrets of its inhabitants. Among them was a man named James Hartley, whose life had taken a dark turn one fateful night.
It was a crisp autumn evening when James, driven by a cocktail of desperation and greed, committed an act that would bind him to the ethereal forever.
His victim, Thomas Alden, was a recluse known for his eccentricities and rumored wealth. James, under the guise of friendship, had invited Thomas for a drink, only to end the night with a blunt object and a theft.
Thomas’s body was found the next morning, his blood staining the floor of his study, his eyes wide open as if in perpetual surprise at his own mortality. The police concluded it was a robbery gone wrong, and without concrete evidence, James walked free, his pockets heavier but his conscience unbearably light.
However, Thomas did not rest in peace. His spirit, tethered to the earth by the violent wrenching of his life, sought justice. He began his haunting subtly at first.
