The Haunting Of Hastings House

Chapter 29

By
Brynn Morgan

Copyright © 2023 by – Brynn Morgan – All Rights Reserved.
It is not legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited.

Chapter 29

Luna sent the address to Willow through chat, and Willow and Clarrisa drove across the Wappoo Creek Bridge, connected to James Island, to meet her Aunt Vivian.

The GPS led them down a country road covered in a canopy of Oak trees. The extensive branches spread out like outstretched arms over the pavement. They turned onto a side road that was dirt and gravel, and the GPS announced that they had reached their destination. They did not see a house. They only saw a large parking area with a long dock and a couple of small boats tied to it. They caught a glimpse of Wappoo Creek through the thick foliage of trees.

"This is it for sure," Clarrisa said, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Summer was brutal in the low country. There was no sign of a breeze, and it was stifling and even difficult to breathe at times for Clarrisa. It was that damn asthma, and she always had to carry an inhaler around in case of an attack.

She pointed at Luna's fire engine red Camaro that she had just bought a few weeks ago, and that was parked sideways close to the dock. Willow chuckled, "She does not want anyone parking close to that car, does she?"

Clarrisa shook her head. "Nope, we need to find this place, or we will be late for sure," Clarrisa was cranky with irritation, fanning herself with her hand. It was a weak attempt to generate some air. She needed to find a place with some air conditioning soon. Her and her mom needed some relief from the sweltering heat, or she felt like she would faint.

They stepped up onto the dock and started walking down the wooden planks. Their feet made a plunking sound against the boards, and then they heard Luna calling to them from a distance and gesturing for them to follow her further down the dock.

They came to a side path that was grassy and mixed with white sand, and Luna pointed at a strange-looking structure built near the water with a scape of Palmetto trees. It looked like a tent but was much bigger than a tent. It reminded Clarrisa of a circus tent, but the structure was more circular. It was made of poly nylon, bright white with a red stripe around it, and it had a roof crown to protect it from the low country heat and storms. The front door was wood and painted a brilliant shade of turquoise with intricate details in the woodwork. "This is a Yurt, which is surprising once you are inside." Luna explained.

Luna did not knock; she turned the knob and opened the door, holding it open for Willow and Clarrisa to enter. It was incredibly cool in the interior, which surprised Clarrisa, and all sorts of dried flowers in varying colors, palmetto leaves, and clumps of sweet grass hung in upside-down bouquets tied with purple ribbon suspended from the low ceiling. The place smelled of vanilla, which wafted from the sweet grass that carried the scent, and Palo Alto burned in incense bowls. The floors were highly polished wood and covered with bright Turkish carpets in shades of blue, yellow, and red with black fringe around the borders. Cozy pieces of shabby chic furniture beckoned you to sit down and relax or read a good book. There were triple-paned windows allowing sunlight to filter through and cast the inside of the living room in shades of peach and rose afternoon light. More beautiful light shone down through the stained glass roof crown.

"Come this way," Luna told them and led them out of a side door onto a porch overlooking the creek; a breeze blew in from the water and stirred the leaves on the trees. Clarrisa breathed a sigh of relief. The patio was wide planked and had a covered metal roof built onto the Yurt as an extension. Baskets of sweet grass littered the floor area, and large plants in colorful ceramic pots of Split Leaf Philodendron, Majesty Palms, Mandevelia, and White Bird of Paradise.