Chapter Text
Poppy's POV:
"I am going to kill him!" I growled to myself as I very nearly broke the speed limit towards the Gracey Manor. Turning from the main motor way into the misted road almost hidden from view I barely took note of the hundreds of dead trees creeping around the woods that surrounded the house, graveyard and acted as a repellent for anyone sane to buy the long abandoned property.
The large iron gate was open with the wrought iron twisted around with a large E and G entwined at the middle highest point looking every bit as much from the late 1800's. The dirt road originally laid with a stone road long since covered with dirt and weeds twisted around the woods until it came to a small wooden bridge over a small river.
"Im going to throw him in the river." I said continuing my threats.
"Maybe he will be of use to the fishes." I growled as I pulled up to the large, decrepit house.
Looming ahead was a large gothic revival-styled home with french twists here and there, four large white pillars supporting the wrap-around porch, balcony and roofing. The faded green metal fencing wrapped around all the balcony, porch and the same metal was used to decorate the friezes and other roof accents all twisting together in elegant swirls.
"Great. I'm going to die... then kill him." I muttered one last time.
Pulling up next to another car I barely noticed due to my seeing red I stormed out my car slamming the door before stomping towards the large wooden door surrounded with panel windows all around and chipping white paint.
Banging on the door I waited for whoever the unlucky soul was to answer till I saw that pain in the ass.
"Can I help-" A pretty woman with caramel toned skin answered with her hair in a practical updo while dressed in brown and yellow striped top and floral patterned skirt in matching colours.
"Where is he?!" I snarled, pushing past her towards the room with a light glowing the corridor ignoring her horrified protests.
I didn't notice the sudden chill nor a yankee candle on the end table to the left of the front door suddenly extinguishing itself as the smoke followed me.
"Oh no!" the low gravelly voice I was in search of uttered as he fled from the living room into the adjoining study by the looks of it as I hotly followed him.
"What the actual HELL do you think you're doing here?!" I asked loudly, ignoring the others in the room following a very troubled Mr Bruce Davis.
"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?" He shouted back, finally stopping after reaching a dead end and being out of breath while I finally got a good look at him in his PJ's.
"Your staying here? You have no idea how pissed I am at you! FIRST I get a call from hospital saying your there under supervision and had more tests running on your heart and were needing mental health checks as you were running in the street. THEN I get another call from a random ass police officer about the incident and them wanting your details. THEN I get to the hospital to find you disappeared. You were brought in with two people and then when the nurse returned to check on you she found an empty bed!" I snarled getting closer to his face as he looked almost ashamed.
"How did you know I was here?" He meekly asked.
"Seriously? I had the POLICE call me and give me the information and then you disappear again I look into the address and what do I find oh wait... it's the Manor you never stopped raving about so where else do you think I would look?" I asked as angry tears rolled down my face.
"Look ... Im sorry but... you gotta leave" He finally says after seeing the genuine concern in my face, he actually looks guilty.
"All I needed was a lousy phone call... you couldn't even give me that, did you think I wouldn't worry? I don't care? What? What is it?" I ask after a shaking breath.
"Look I .. I really am sorry. But this wasn't planned, you need to leave." He said firmly.
"Bruce. You know she can't now..." A soft voice spoke from behind me, turning I saw the woman from the door and immediately felt shame at my actions.
"Well she can try, I don't need or want her here!" He replied as I felt my heart crack.
"Oh go to hell." I murmured before walking out the way I came.
The woman and he started arguing, I made it to the door but it wouldn't budge.
Sniffing I turned ready to return and ask the woman I assume owner if she could unlock it. I froze in fear at the lanky form in front of me. Its see-through appearance made me look up and down. He was tall, well dressed and had his left hand holding a lantern? while his right reached out and wrapped around my throat pushing me into the door before roaming up my face and collecting some of my fallen tears wiping them away.
Within a flash, he was gone instead a darker man with a lean form approached head down looking at a camera. He was wearing a teal top with some stripes on, brown dress pants with some beaded decorations looping from the front to the back belt loop. He had a little scruff around his face and long shoulder length dreads that currently hung loosely around his neck.
"What ... " I started before shaking my head and giving up not wanting to know before trying to open the door but it held strong.
"Look I know that it's hard to believe, but this place is haunted and it attaches to you, you will be forced to come back.." The man said, looking away from his camera in confusion while looking at me.
"No I know that it's haunted, everyone knows it's haunted, there are ghosts. I know my dad is always researching ghosts and haunted properties" I said as he sighed.
"If you leave, they will drive you back." He said trying again.
"Wanna bet?" I snarked, regaining my anger as I heard the living room go quiet.
"Look it's har-" I cut him off. "No, just open the door." I sighed, moving as he held up his hands in a surrender motion while he leaned around me and opened the door.
"Thank you" I sighed.
I went to walk out but couldn't. Literally. It was like walking into glass and turning back.
"What the hell?" I asked.
The bloke frowned before reaching around to touch the glass time barrier before his hand went through it, he proceeded to walk and go through it while I leant against it in disbelief.
"Gabby!" He shouted while grasping my hand and trying to pull me out.
"What?" The woman who answered the door now named Gabby replied before turning the corner and seeing the most likely ridiculous sight before her as a kid about 10 followed her looking scared while holding his action figures.
"She can't leave.. " Ben said in shock.