Welcome Home Joe

“Don't go into the house. Once you're in there, it's impossible to get out alive,” the old man's words filled Joe's head.

It had hardly been an hour or so since he arrived in Salem but he was already questioning his sanity. Oh, what if the device leads me to the manner? What if everything about Sabrina is true? Joe couldn't hold us thoughts from going in that direction.

With every step they took, Joe felt like his fears were getting closer to reality. There they were right at the spot where the device started beeping right where they were expecting trouble to be. Fortunately, or unfortunately, it wasn't at the manor. This secluded harbor in the middle of nowhere, was the most unusual place to be led to, but that's the thing about paranormal activity. You don't find it in bustling streets and sprawling cities.

Adam and his crew started unpacking more equipment to detect any possible activity, but only to be disappointed. It was almost like this ghostly town was playing mind games with the lot. How could you not find something in a town that thrives on darkness, blood and murder? How could the devices not detect anything at all? Or all these signals a hoax?

Adam was clearly frustrated after years of struggling to make a career out of something he was truly passionate about, he was almost on the brink of giving up. Sabrina's wrath, the house help’s murder Peter Welch's murder; that had to mean something. There's a reason that town appeared the way it did. Like it was street out of a horror movie. There's a reason you would avoid crossing paths with Blenheim Manor. There's a reason you would get killed as viciously as Peter Welch.

Shortly after failing in their attempts to catch any activity, Adam Joe and the crew made their way out of the woods. Right before Joe had agreed to do this, Adam promised to help him settle down, which meant they were now headed towards the infamous manor. It was a 10 to 15 minute walk from there to the next spot. But it may have been the hardest journey Joe had ever made. A few hours being of this troubled about finally going to own house, the same house he saw his father die in, the same house that gave him bittersweet memories to live with for the rest of his life.

Thirteen years ago. Despite not being close to his father, Joe knew something was up. He'd seen his parents fight the most the last few weeks. Something seemed off about the whole situation. What was it that they were fighting about? Why did Joe's mother Charlene keep talking about going back to her mother's. There was only so much a 15-year-old could make sense of, hence, Joe would spend most of his time after school at Adams, after all, there was no other way to escape this screaming and shouting.

“So what's your dad up to these days?” enquired Adam.

“Oh, the usual. Writing a new book about some witch,” replied Joe.

“You kidding me? It's about Sabrina?” said Adam.

“Oh please, don't tell me you believe all that nonsense,” responded Joe dismissively as they got back to completing the crossword puzzle.

It took Joe longer than usual to return home that day. For some reason. The family had accepted living the way it did. With Joe returning late, to Charlene taking more trips out of town, the house hardly had a permanent resident, except Peter. It was a matter of routine for Joe to take almost a 20-minute walk home every day. Even though the road that led to the Blenheim Manor was always quiet. It seemed to be ringing with chaos, more than usual. However, it didn't bother Joe until he spotted policemen taking rounds in the area. The ‘do not cross’ sign right outside the main door, gave it away.

Something terrible had happened inside. Paralyzed with shock and fear, he could not command his legs to run any faster. He was finally there, standing right in front of the sight that changed his life forever. His father's lifeless body and a head that was no longer a part of it was a spine-chilling sight to say the least. This was the last time Joe had stepped foot into Blenheim Manor.

Back to the present day.

“Are you okay?” said Adam, as he saw Joe's rather lost expression.

This may not have been the best time to relive a memory that dark but what else could be expected on the way to the house that changed Joe's life for the worst. As they got closer to the manor, the streets and alleys started getting more familiar. Seemed just like yesterday that Joe took the same route to come home from Adam’s. A few minutes later, there it was, standing in glory and the same gloomy aura and towering tall trees in the surroundings. The Blenheim manor may not have had many visitors in the last 13 years, but somehow, it managed to keep its run-down appearance intact.

Now was the time to unlock the door and head inside, but the key Joe had kept saved all these years wasn't doing the job. Some part of Joe hoped for the door to never open but the other part wanted to get inside faces fears and debunk the myths about Sabrina and her wrath. After making several attempts, Joe finally gave up and so did the key. It had broken and was no longer in shape to fit into the lock. This was when he took the opportunity to go round to the backyard and survey it. It was welcomed by the sight of a dead garden, trees that were no longer in shape to produce fruit and the rusty swings that reminded him of the days he would hop on them with Charlene. Ironically, most of Joe's best memories were associated with a garden more than the house itself. This is where he would spend most of his time with Charlene, who loved gardening. He vividly remembers the fragrance that gently drifted from the garden through the windows and doors to create a rather flowery scent. Quite unlike the vibe the house gave off.

He remembers how the smell of honey suckle used to rule most of the time. It's heavy, overpowering fragrance conquered all other scents in the garden except the old fashion mock orange, whose citrus notes competed and at times, overpowered or combined so well with the honeysuckle that it was hard to tell which was which. Most of Joe's knowledge about organic vegetation and rooting the seeds right came from his mother. However, seeing it all burned out, broke his heart. Maybe a part of the reason his heart longed to be home was to be in the garden his mother spent her days growing. Maybe all he wanted was to see it flourishing, just the way it did 13 years ago. It was certainly not something he hoped to see. But who would have taken care of a garden in an abandoned property? Who would have dared come close to Sabrina's Locus of Power?

A few moments later, Adam arrived at the same site and proposed an idea.

“How about we break the door open? That's really no way in. Let's face it, no locksmith would want to come here.”

The pair and the crew proceeded to find the right sized rock on the property and headed towards the door again. This time it worked and the door flung open with a sound that Joe wasn't expecting to be terrorized by. It was his if he had opened the door to a long-locked prisoner. The moment it unlocked, Joe was discovered by a piercing scream, so loud, prolonged and ear splitting that echoed over the house. He knew the sound was unusual and he knew that it was coming from far deep inside from a corner he was dreading going towards. As his body went still in the process of recovering from the screech, there stood Adam and his crew, unaffected by the entire incident. As it turns out, they had heard nothing. How could it be? The sound that had shaken Joe to his core was inaudible to the rest.

Feeling lightheaded, Joe made sure to ask them once again if there was any sound they heard, or if their devices detected anything at all. But there was nothing.

“Am I hallucinating? Are Adam and his crew lying is in an attempt to fool me into running away from the property? Is it the rumors playing with my head? I definitely heard something. Or is it Sabrina?” Questions ran through his head as Joe stood clueless at Blenheim manor’s entrance.