Embedded Files
Horror/paranormal
Date Published: 11-22-2025
Nine Tales. Nine Secrets. All Before Dawn.
In the shadow of Bloomstone Manor, a dilapidated estate hauntingly known as "Lily Lane", the veil between the living and the dead is impossibly thin. This collection of nine paranormal mystery stories explores inheritances, dark family legacies, and spectral demands, all bound by the Manor's enduring, dark influence.
This Halloween, meet the three students who dare to knock on the door of "The 13th House"—a black, unnumbered prison that holds the sinister secrets of the past. Their trick-or-treating leads them to a terrifying collection of artifacts: a bent spoon, a rusted key, and a doll's eye. Every artifact is a clue left by a child who vanished, whispering pleas for help from beyond the grave. The teens must solve the mystery and free the spirits before the night's magic fades, or they might become the next secret the old house keeps.
Every house has a debt. Every ghost has a tether. Uncover the restless spirits and broken promises that demand attention and resolution. When the clock strikes dawn, the secrets settle back into the dust and the lilies—and it may be too late.
Excerpt
Night of the Spirits
Anthony pushed through the thick brush that had swallowed the old path. His friends told him the house was hidden somewhere ahead, rumored to be haunted. When he finally saw it, the place looked half-demolished, with climbing walls that had paint curling and peeling. Yet every window was perfectly intact.
He opened the front door. Stale, cold air rushed out, thick with dust. His footsteps echoed through the empty living room.
As he moved down the hallway, the front door suddenly slammed. He spun around and ran back, and in that moment, he was sure he heard a whisper: Sam.
The door wouldn’t budge. He was trapped. He tried the windows too none of them opened.
Again, the whisper came, louder this time. Sam.
“Who’s Sam? I’m not Sam!” he shouted.
A hiss answered him, followed by footsteps upstairs. Heart pounding, he raced up the stairs. At the top, he stopped and listened. The footsteps were clear, moving steadily into an empty room. He followed them.
Moonlight spilt across the floor through a bare window. The invisible footsteps crossed the room and came to a stop at the closet. Inside, there was only a small box containing a single book. The spirits wanted him to find it; maybe it would explain everything.
He lifted the book. It was an old, battered ledger. Inside, a name was written: Samuel. He began to read.
I made a promise to the spirits trapped here. One of them is buried downstairs. I swore I would help free them with my rituals. I study the occult, and they own a golden statue worth a fortune. It must be used in the ritual. If I hide it now, I can return for it later. No one alive will see me take it.
Anthony reached deeper into the box and pulled out a loose page, a torn sheet from another book. It carried a chant and the instructions for a ritual to free spirits.
A freezing gust swept through the room. Then a booming voice declared:
“Complete the ritual by dawn, or be trapped here forever!”
“What am I supposed to do?” he asked the spirit.
Once again, he heard footsteps descending the stairs and followed them. Near the kitchen, the basement door creaked open. He cautiously stepped down the dark basement steps and saw the cloud-like spirit hovering over a crypt in the floor, where it looked like a ritual had been started over someone’s grave. Candles and matches were scattered nearby.
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Martha Wickham has a knack for finding the ghosts hidden in the dust. A lifelong student of the arcane and the artistic, Martha has an Associate's Degree and professional writing credentials, but she honed her skills in the thrilling shadows of screenwriting and horror. Martha lives for the secrets that only come out "By Dawn". You can discover more of her work, including her newest audiobooks, at your favorite retailer.
Contact Link
Website: http://www.readmarthawickham.com
Purchase Links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dawn-13th-House-Martha-Wickham-ebook/dp/B0G3DZ7C38
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/by-dawn-martha-wickham/1148867452
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1908530
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/by-dawn-the-13th-house/id6755621923
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/dustandlilies
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