Free The Paupers' Crypt by Ron Ripley Page B

and rational community who believe if it cannot be seen, it cannot exist.
“ This faulty logic is what kept the world in darkness and believing it was flat, as well.
“We believe in a Heaven and a Hell, and the Catholics believe in a Purgatory. Could there not be another world, perhaps even multiple worlds, which exist in the shadows of ours?
“We cannot deny the existence of ghosts, although the naysayers howl out their disagreement. They declare the idea of spirits is both primitive and barbaric. Yet the evidence, although it cannot be repeated upon demand, is there. Recordings of hauntings have been made for as long as there have been people to jot them down, and it continues.
“ This small book is not a defense of the supernatural. You, the reader, must accept the supernatural as an undeniable truth or else you shall gain no benefit from this work. My goal here is to examine the evidence of a world behind ours, one which is in its shadow. This shadow world is ever-present, and sometimes we interact with it, although we are usually unaware.
“Occasionally, however, stories arise of the shadow world breaking into ours. They are often fearful tales of being trapped, unable to return to our own place and our own time. There are many tales of such occurrences, perhaps the most famous one being that of Rip Van Winkle. We must ask ourselves was this really a story, or perhaps some bit of history Washington Irving was privy to.
“A telltale sign of this hidden world slipping into ours is the unexplained arrival of large swaths of fog …”
 
    Jenny stopped, reread the line several times and felt her heartbeat quicken.
    Fog, she thought. The fog.
    With shaking hands, Jenny read on.
     

Chapter 27: Shane Gets Information, 4:00 PM, May 2 nd , 2016
     
    “It is not good news, I am afraid, my young friend,” Carl said.
    Shane poured himself a whiskey and looked at Carl. “Tell me.”
    “This fog,” Carl said, “it is a gate, a door, if you will, from one part of the world into another. Much like the upper levels of your home, yes?”
    “Yes,”Shane said. He brought the tumbler and the whiskey to the table and sat down.
    “This house,” Carl said, drifting over to the table and standing across from Shane, “the barrier between the shadow world and this one is thin here. Partly, it is because of the number of deaths. And partly, because of the dark ones being imprisoned here. So many little factors which, when combined, create what we have here. The fog, though, it is disturbing.”
    “Why?”Shane asked.
    “Because if what your friend’s wife says is true, then it means you are dealing with a spirit who has the power to open a passage between the shadow world and yours, at will. This spirit has the strength to pull people into the shadow world, and to actually deny entrance back into the real, physical world.” Carl shook his head. “This is an incredible power. It is not to be approached lightly.”
    “Can we do something to help my friend?” Shane asked.
    “Yes, but you must approach it with care,” Carl said. “First, you must find a way into the shadow world. Here, you are well familiar with Berkley Street. You know what doors to open, what paths to take. In this cemetery, well, you will need to discover it. You must find the door, and you must go in armed.”
    “With what?” Shane said, taking a drink. “What can I fight the dead with, other than iron?”
    “I do not know,” Carl said, “but you must find out before you go. Your life, and your friend’s life, both will depend on it.”
     

Chapter 28: Moving On
     
    It took Brian a moment to realize his hand had left the stone of the wall and felt wood.
    He stopped, his throat convulsing. He forced all other thoughts from his mind, including the voices. They had plumbed the depths of his memories, sought out horrors from his childhood. Base fears had been dragged up and presented with all of their original terror.
    Brian brought his left hand