It’s astonishing how, with the passing of time, anything could be forgotten. It was just a little over sixty years that the events surrounding the three serial killers and the hills had been forgotten in history. Only the most curious-minded would recall the horrific incidents.
One such individual was Henry Williams. Henry was a merchant specialized in domestic trade who had struck rich after acting as an intermediary between local and overseas merchants. During his travels across the land, he had heard rumors of the hills and something clicked in his mind.
Now, Henry was a pragmatic man and didn’t believe the stories of ghost sightings and demons residing within the hills. He believed that all of these supernatural mumbo jumbos were mere words from cowardly bumpkins who didn’t bother to seek out the truth.
After visiting the hills during the day, despite the constant warnings from the nearby village head, Henry was sure that there was nothing unusual going on. Everything could be explained realistically with science and evidence.
When he first heard about the hills, he ignored the rumors of the supernatural ongoings on the hills and instead, focused on the lack of ownership on such a big piece of land. Since the government had started selling off every piece of land in hopes of expansion and housing the rising number of immigrants, Henry thought that he could buy the hills for a very cheap price.
And he was right. After consulting with a friend in high places, he was able to buy the land at a discount. Maybe in the future, this large plot of land could be rented off to others and provide him and his family a sizable source of income.
Henry spent some of his savings and hired a large construction company to clear away some of the forests and help him build a mansion on the hills. The company quickly got to work. They spent half a month tearing down trees for the construction and the other half shaping them into usable parts. Little did they know, each night a layer of purplish haze would seep into the construction materials corrupting it of its purity.
During the construction process, the company experienced a number of deaths. Some workers fell and broke their necks while climbing up ladders or walking around on the beams. Others had suffered through grievous accidents caused by falling objects.
Now, deaths in a construction company was normal as accidents were bound to happen. However, the sheer number of them in just this one project had spooked the workers and stirred unrest within the them. Usually, the construction foremen would forfeit this project as well, but since they were paid a lot of money, they could only grit their teeth and persuade the workers to continue.
Incited by promises of bonuses and raises, the workers were finally pacified as they continued with their work. Nearly half a year later, the mansion was completed. Of the initial hundred workers, about forty of them perished while finishing this project. They worked as if they were possessed and as soon as they finished, they fell to the ground drained and subsequently fainted. Minutes later, they all woke up simultaneously. Fearing for their lives, the workers quickly packed up and fled from the scene.
A few days later, Henry arrived accompanied by his wife and three kids. It wasn’t that difficult convincing his wife to move as she was a woman typical of the 1700s with long brown hair and a submissive demure. His kids, on the other hand, took some time to persuade.
As kids, stability in life was the most important, especially when they had friends and important memories of their hometown. The youngest, a sweet baby girl, did not have much friends or memories of the place itself. Though the source of her discomfort was the long ride itself. The bumpy and unpaved road as well as a sense of discomfort caused her to cry many a times.
For Henry’s two sons, however, they bawled and rebelled constantly. It took Henry quite a few promises to buy them toys and what not before they conceded. Nevertheless, being adventurous in nature, sitting in a carriage for days on end stressed them out almost to the point of regret. Fortunately, stories of the majestic hills and adventures they could have in the hills managed to quell their unrest for a while.
Soon, the family arrived….
“Dad! Are we really gonna live here? Thi-This place gives me the creeps!” Henry’s youngest son asked as he fidgeted about, his eyes darted everywhere. “It must be haunted!”
“Now, what did I say to you about not believing in those supernatural nonsense?” Henry reprimanded. “You’re just feeling uncomfortable because you’re at a new environment. You’ll get used to it quick. See, your brother doesn’t seem to mind.”
The youngest son turned to look at his older brother who was looking about and trying to take in the sights. It indeed seemed that he was adjusting to the new environment. Shuddering at his brother’s calmness, the youngest son sighed and attempted to adjust as well as he helped his family move some boxes inside.
“Janet, it’s near dinner time. Set Mary down in her crib and go make some food with whatever supplies we have left.” Henry replied as he slowly moved a large table to the dining area while his two sons carried chairs to go with the table.
“You boys done good today. Go play outside for a bit while your mother prepares dinner. And remember, don’t go too far, okay?” Henry smiled as he patted his sons on their shoulders.
“Okay!” The two boys chirped enthusiastically.
Henry grinned as he looked at his two sons. He was truly blessed, especially for someone of his profession. The man stood up and patted some dust off of him. He glanced around the living room and shivered slightly.
“Whew! It’s gotten a bit cold around here.” Rubbing his arms, the man muttered as he turned his sights on the empty fireplace. “Time to get the firewood out and warm up the place.”
Meanwhile….
“No, seriously John, this place gives me the creeps.” The younger boy glanced furtively at his big brother only to see no reaction from him. “Do you not feel it too?”
“Save your lunacy to yourself, Paul. What did father teach us? There’s no such thing as ghosts and boogiemen.” The older boy sized up his little brother with slight disdain. “What you’re feeling is probably like father said before. You’re just not used to the new environment yet.”
“B-But….” Paul began but immediately shut his mouth as his brother cast an angry look in his direction.
This was the first time John looked angry at him. Paul could have sworn that there was a swirl of purple, but when he rubbed his eyes and looked again, there was nothing of the sort. The two boys played and explored near the borders of the forest when their mother came outside to call them in for dinner.
Under the warmth of the fully lit fireplace, the Williams family enjoyed their first meal together in their new house. After the meal, while Janet washed the dishes, the boys helped their father unpack. Suddenly, they heard a sharp knock on the front door.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
“Who is it, dear?” Janet asked as she wiped her hands against her apron.
Henry looked at the silhouettes through the window curtains and recognized who they were immediately. “It’s the Harris couple. I hired them yesterday to clean and maintain the place. John, go open the door for them.”
“Yes father.” The older boy nodded as he opened the door for the groundskeeper and his wife.
The groundskeeper, Abel Harris, was a stout man with calloused hands and muscular arms. His wife of two years, Madeline Harris, was a petite woman with wild red hair and brown freckles dotted across her peachy face. Both husband and wife excelled in manual labor. Abel was good at repairing things and maintaining landscapes. As for Madeline, she enjoyed tending to gardens and can keep up with her fair share of the household chores.
When the door opened, the Harris couple greeted Henry and his family. As a housewarming gift, Madeline brought over some fresh oranges and strawberries. Abel gave each of the two boys a puppet soldier that he had handcrafted as well as a cloth doll for the baby. After the initial greetings were done, Henry and Abel sat down to discuss what needed to be done while Madeline chatted with Janet and the kids played with their new toys.
“Henry, what do you need to be done about the land around your mansion? I heard that there’s a popular method in the East that promotes good luck. Do you want to me to arrange your yards according to that method?” Abel asked his employer about what he should do about the vegetation surrounding the mansion.
“Nah, I don’t believe in those superstitious nonsense. Just make it pretty and symmetrical.” Henry shook his head with a smile.
“You sure?” Abel asked once more.
“I’m sure.” Henry resolutely confirmed.
“Okay, then let’s go with that.” Abel nodded. “Oh, by the way, there’s something you should know. As I walked here, I noticed that there were a purplish haze or fog of some sorts meandering about in some areas of the forests. Do you know what causes that?”
“Purplish haze?” Henry raised an eyebrow as he mused over the matter. “I recall hearing about a similar phenomenon during my travels. Apparently, when some natural opiates were burned to ash, the components mixed with the fog would give off a purplish hue when exposed to the sunlight. There must have been some forest fires here in the past right? That might be the cause of the so-called purplish haze.”
“I see. Okay, we may need to clear the forest of those opiates. They might be dangerous to your kids.” Abel reasoned.
“That’s true. Thanks for bringing it up.” Henry smiled in agreement. “Anyways, it’s getting dark. You should head home. The hills are quite treacherous at night, or so I heard.”
“Okay. Send word if you need anything.” Abel nodded as he called out to his wife who was happily chatting away with Janet.
Soon, the Harris couple left. Janet carried the baby in her arms while Henry moved the crib upstairs. Once the baby was situated, Henry spent the next three hours setting up their beds. By the time he finished, it was nearing midnight. The boys were tired from their playing and were already snoring on the wooden floor.
Henry and Janet gently carried the boys to their rooms before settling down in the master bedroom. As the night passed, the husband and wife quickly fell asleep. After a long day of work, it was a well-deserved rest.
The Z’s filled the mansion while the moon strolled across the night skies and waded through the dark clouds. All was quiet until suddenly….
AAHHHH!!!
