The Dark Realm

                                          Chapter One

Brinley paced her room. Her mind flooded with ways to complete her thesis, but with Gamma throwing a big campus party, she was torn. Her eyes went to the desk full of crumpled papers and half-chewed pencils. “How am I supposed to work?”

Brinley tore her eyes away from her non-existent project to look out the window. Her project was due soon, and she had barely started. “I work better under pressure.” She reminded herself, rubbing her hands up and down on her forearms.

Joy bounced into Brinley’s bedroom. Joy was the happiest person on the face of the planet. No matter what, Joy always had a friendly smile on her face. “Why are you talking to yourself? I bet you want to go over to the Gamma party.”

Brinley stuck out her tongue. “I’m good. I don’t need half-naked drunk men and big-breasted chicks spilling drinks on me to have a good time.”

“Yea, but it sure helps a lot.” Joy laughed, jostling her big breasts.

Brinley glanced out the window again. Her brown eyes focused on the grand English manor on top of the hill overlooking the town of Pleasant Peaks.

“Checking out Armstrong Manor again?” Joy asked, stepping into the room.

“Yeah. I’m doing on thesis on the paranormal, and I have a paragraph.”

“Why don’t you have a study session with that cutie Mike Jones?”

Brinley tried to hide the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

“I appreciate your work ethic, I really do, but you need to have some time for yourself.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Brinley pulled her attention away from the manor. “So, what would you suggest, huh?”

“I suggest you get really cute and invite Mike over for a little study session.”

“Let’s hope it’s not that little.” Brinley’s sexual statement had both women erupting in a fit of giggles.

Joy ran her fingers through her long blonde hair. “I mean, think about it, once we’re out of college, we must behave, but since we’re still in college, we need to have as much sex as possible. And why not get some with Mike? He’s a cutie. I mean, he can be annoying. I see the way you eye him, so go for it. Maybe after some relief, you can start your paper.” Joy nudged Brinley. “It’s not like you have to marry him.”

Mike was very handsome, a bit of a twit, but she spent much of her class imagining him between her chocolate thighs. It was true Mike Jones thought he was God’s gift to women. With his thick sandy blonde hair and stunning blue eyes, Mike was the total package, except he has the brain of a circus flea.

“You’re thinking about him right now, huh?” Joy stuck out her tongue.

Brinley exhaled.

Joy looked over Brinley’s shoulder to glance out the window at the manor. “It’s spooky.” Joy shivered. “Do you really think it’s really haunted?”

Brinley shrugged. “If spirits were to exist, I expect it would be in a creepy manor like that. Mike thinks once you’re dead, you’re dead, and I don’t see how that is acceptable.”

Joy shivered. “It looks haunted for sure. I heard about the light some people see on the second floor.”

“And don’t forget about the haunting piano music that rises from the mist.”

“Is it true that the Armstrong’s were a part of the first major settlers from England to come to this town?”

“As far of the research I’ve uncovered says the rumor is true. Lord William and Lady Maggie Armstrong migrated from Yorkshire, England, and built their old Tudor house on the hill with rolling greens as far as the eye could see.”

“You ever wonder why they built it up there on the hill. It’s so lonely and creepy.” Joy turned from the window.

“I wish I could’ve been there?”

“For what? To witness that man, kill his wife.”

“No, to find out the truth about what happened that night. I don’t think he did it.”

“Oh yeah, right if you were there, he’d chop you up too. Didn’t they find his wife’s intestines on the ceiling fan?”

Brinley remembered reading the article about the couple’s weird dealings in town. “Yes, they found someone guts, but how do we know it is his wife. There was no DNA back then they don’t know for sure.”

“Sounds spooky to me. I think I would die if I ever saw a ghost.”

“I would love to know if there is something living among us. Wouldn’t you want to know?”

Joy wrapped her arms around her bent knees and waited. “Tell me the entire story.”

Brinley relished in telling this old tale. She smacked her lips, then climbed on the bed across from her friend. “The townspeople said the couple was quite odd, even from the beginning. They never appeared in town and had all their food and supplies delivered to the front of their giant iron gates.

“Why do you think they did that?”

“Hush. I thought you wanted to hear this story.” Brinley scoffed.

“Okay, okay, good ahead.”

“The townspeople said the Armstrong’s manor loomed over the town. Rumors were the couple would stare down at the town in the valley below. The couple were only present for a year when the strange noises echoed through the night. Then women started to disappear. It didn’t take the townspeople long to suspect the Armstrong’s, but no one confronted them.”

“Why?”

Brinley shrugged. “Fear kept people away. Even when screams of torture and death drifted on the hill. News spread quickly about the couple and the manor.”

Joy shivered. “Even talking about it gives me the willies.”

“It must have been scary for the women in town. Trying to stay alive over a hundred years ago, women were never safe.”

“We’re barely safe now over a hundred years later.” Joy rubbed her hands up and down her arms.

“Back in the day, they had big iron gates with initials W.G.A. craved on the front. The gates surrounded the house like a prison. One blistering winter night in October, William G. Armstrong showed up in town covered in blood. When Sheriff Rickman calmed him down and took him back up to the manor, the only words William uttered were, “There’s so much blood.”

Brinley closed her eyes, visualizing the manor in its entire splendor. They littered the luscious grounds with blooming fruit trees. Her mouth watered over the delicious meals prepared in an enormous kitchen. She shook the delusions from her head.

“Yeah, Brinley, it sounds very haunted. We should drive up there one night to see the lights for ourselves.” Joy joked, leaving her friend’s room.

Brinley’s eyes cascaded down to her desk. Newspaper clippings littered the desk and floor. “What a prominent topic to write about, Brinley.” She mocked herself. “I have nothing but a scribbled paragraph.”

Again, her eyes glanced out the window. “Stop it, Brinley,” she whispered. Brinley picked up a yellow faded newspaper clipping and read it aloud. “They arrested William Armstrong for the brutal murder of his wife Maggie May Armstrong. William has denied killing his wife. Upon entering the manor, Sheriff, Rickman reported blood covered the walls. Sheriff had to photograph the dripping remains from the ceiling fan, which he did after rushing out the front door to vomit.”

Brinley pulled a jet-black tendril away from her face to stare at the old police picture. Nothing in her worse visions of horror could prepare her stomach for the gruesome photo. Red blood coated the white walls. Crimson droplets ran down the walls as if in a race to see which one could hit the ground first. From the ceiling fan hung was what looked like Maggie’s intestines.

Brinley pushed the photo away. She pressed the back of her hand against her mouth hoping to keep her snack down.

Her ringing phone made her jump back in her chair so hard, it tipped backward. Brinley hit her head on the floor with a thud. “Ouch,” she rubbed the back of her head and rolled on her right side to grab the phone. “Hello?”

“Are you sleeping already? It’s not even midnight yet.” Mike said.

Brinley licked her lips, thinking about Mike lying naked next to her.

“You know I’ve been thinking maybe you should come over.” She slapped the top of her head. “We can chill.”

“I guess I could come over. Where’s Joy?”

“Don’t worry, Mike. I’m alone.”

“Not for long, baby. I’ll see you in a few.”

“Okay, great. See you soon.” Brinley hung up the phone. Brinley hurried through the house, picking things as she went through.

“What to wear?” Brinley shuffled through her drawer to pull out a sexy over-sized shirt and a pair of tight shorts. She fluffed out her hair with her fingers. With a final spritz of perfume, Brinley was ready.

Brinley turned on the television and waited for the knock on the door. It didn’t take Mike too long to walk up the steps toward Brinley’s apartment. After the second knock, Brinley unlocked the door to allow Mike to walk in.

“Would you like something to drink?” Brinley bent to open the refrigerator door, giving Mike a quick glance at her lacy underwear.

“Damn girl,” Mike walked up behind her to rub his dick against her tight ass.

“Here you go,” Brinley giggled, standing up to hand Mike a cold beer. She walked into her bedroom to sit on the side of the bed. She watched Mike as he stared at the notes on her desk.

“How’s your paper going?” Mike asked, flipping through her notebook.

“Eh,” Brinley sipped her beer. “How about you?”

Mike turned around to shrug. “Eh,” he kicked off his shoes to crawl into the bed next to Brinley.

Brinley inhaled. Damn, he smells good. She picked up the remote, clicking through the wide array of movies on Netflix. Brinley tilted her head from side to side.

“Come here,” Mike placed his beer on the nightstand. He sat up to open his legs and pulled Brinley close to him. When he rubbed her tense shoulders, Brinley melted.

She moaned when Mike kissed the back of her neck. She leaned her back against his chest. Mike leaned her back as he slid his warm hands underneath her shirt to rub her nipples between his fingers. Brinley turned her head to the crook of his neck, kissing him until she felt his dick harden. With one hand, Mike slid in his fingers inside her underwear to stroke her clit.

“You’re so wet,” Mike nibbled on her ear.

Brinley grabbed Mike by the wrist and guided his fingers inside of her.

“Damn,” Mike opened her thighs with his free hand. Brinley arched her back as her legs quivered. “Oh baby, you’re about to come, aren’t you?” Mike pushed his fingers in harder, then bit the side of her neck.

The bite was not tender, but Brinley loved the tingle from the slight pain Mike caused. On the verge of reaching climax, Mike withdrew his fingers.

“No, No,” Brinley squeezed his wrist. “Please,” she begged.

“No,” Mike rubbed Brinley’s lips with his finger. “Taste it,” he slipped his finger inside Brinley’s warm mouth.

Brinley closed her eyes as she sucked her juices from his fingers.