First Draft, Target Audience 12+
INTRODUCTION:
The ghost in Tana’s pub was a town legend.
The wooden, Victorian style building stood tall and proud amongst the streets of Burnham, a sleepy country town. It was a centerpoint. The families flocked to the restaurant on special occasions. The workmen drowned their daily troubles in the tavern. The travellers booked rooms on the second story.
The one thing that linked them all was the proprietor, Mr Tana. A perfectly round man with a bushy white moustache and rosy cheeks and a voice that could be heard for miles. Mr. Tana took it as a great responsibility to ensure that every person that entered his doors would not exit without hearing the strange story.
Australia does not have a great history of the supernatural. Its towns are not commonly known as being haunted. Those who believed in ghosts and spirits are usually laughed at. But nobody could deny that a presence, one that was not of our world, resided in that Pub.
“The tale of Mr. Keilor!” announced Mr Tana, looking down at the two pairs of bright eyes shining up at him. “Haven’t you heard that story enough young Alex and Cassie? It’s also late… I’m quite sure your Mother doesn’t want to be woken up at a god awful hours because of your nightmares.”
Mary flashed a smile to the loud man. “But Mr. Tana, if you don’t tell the story, I’m afraid my children will wake me up at a god awful hour and make me tell it to them. And I could never do it justice.”
He pulled out a chair and joined the family, his belly hit the table as he sat, causing an miniature earthquake that threatened to topple over all the cups and water jugs.
Alex and Cassie waited in anticipation for the story. Their journey to Tana’s Pub was never complete without it. Most people would chuckle after hearing the tale, it was entertainment to them, nothing more. But these twins lived by it, believed in it, and never tired of it.
“Aren’t you both a little old for this, you’re twelve years old for goodness sake.”
“Quiet Grandma,” Alex snapped at the non-believer.
Grandma rolled her eyes and returned to picking away at her dessert. “Oh don’t mind me, it’s just my birthday…”
“Shhh!” Cassie interrupted, holding a finger up to silence the old woman.
“Well,” Mr Tana began, delivering the story with absolute perfection. Playing up his thick Scottish accent and over performing with unique facial expressions and hand movements in all the right places. “It began a long, long time ago… before the two of you were even born.” The classic first line. “In this very town, lived a man named James R. Keiler, who was executed just outside the doors of my pub. And not only was he executed, but he was burnt for witchcraft…”
“And witches weren’t common in Australia were they!” Alex jumped in.
This interruption caused Cassie to give her brother a nice whack over the head. “Let him tell the story.”
“That’s right master Alex,” continued Mr. Tana. “From what I know he was the only Australian on record to be found guilty. You see, leading up to his death, Mr. Keiler had been acting very strange. His son was very ill and the town doctor could not cure him. Unable to accept the imminent death of his son, Mr. Keiler decided to take matters into his own hands. In the days that followed, homes were being broken into, farm stock was mutilated and a man was even killed, and though his body was discovered, his eyes were not.
“Once the townspeople had cottoned on to Mr. Keilor’s evil ways, a search was conducted of his house. Bottles were found, filled with animal blood, dead insects and many other disgusting bits and bobs. They came to the conclusion that he was practising witch-craft, trying to brew a poisonous potion that he could use to take the ultimate revenge on this town. His attempt of black magic was enough to have him put on trial. But that wasn’t all… you see evil can act like a virus, a virus that the townsfolk believed had also infected his wife and child. The three of them were all convicted and found guilty. Their punishment, being burnt at the stake.
“And now, even to this day, Mr. Keilor’s legend lives on. People say, that in the dead of night, he can be heard stalking the halls of this pub, looking for things to steal to brew his potions. Some think he’s searching for a remedy to cure death, and return to our world once again…”
As always, the Twins were left speechless. Clapping their hands at the story they knew so well.
The night ended with Alex and Cassie tired and sleepy. Eyes sore from scanning the room for any sign of the paranormal, but like always they saw nothing. Right before they were dragged out by their Mother, the Twins spent an extra long amount of time firing questions at Mr. Tana, searching for every detail within the story.
Perhaps if the twins had not followed this man around all night, they would have noticed a sharp burst of light shoot up the stairs of the pub.
TWIN SPIRITS
This is the introduction to a series of short stories I'm considering publishing online. It began almost two years ago, were I wrote this as a 3 season TV (comprised of 8 episodes each), which is not un-common in Australia, but the budget to do it justice in this country just isn't realistic. It's cross between Supernatural and Goosebumps, and is the first story I've written where I have really taken marketing into consideration. I'm sick of seeing Harry Potter and High School musical products flooding our shelves, let's create an Australian story of Australian kids!
Please let me know your thoughts and if it appeals to you.
Any feedback would be much appreciated.
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