Chapter 1. Voice from the past
Ireland, October 31, 2024
I was standing close to O'Carroll Castle and trying to get a signal on my phone.
Should I move further away maybe? At the same time, the picture would be better with ancient beauty behind me.
Finally, the phone showed a good signal. Looking at my reflection in the screen, I adjusted my unruly long black hair, and I started a live broadcast.
"Hi guys! Kat is back again! Bridie and I continue to travel around the mysterious places of Ireland, and today we are broadcasting from County Donegal and its coastal town of Ardara. Behind me, you can see the reason we are here", – I raised the tripod up a little so that the entire castle could be captured by the phone camera. – "We are in O'Carroll Castle! Well, more precisely, Bridie is already there, preparing everything necessary for the investigation. In the meantime, I decided to show you the castle and its territory while it is still not dark and tell you a little of its history.
O'Carroll Castle got its name from the clan that built it around the 1400s – 1500s. During the English attempt to rule Ireland, the castle came into the possession of an English lord who did not rule for long because he was killed by the natives in an uprising for independence. After that, the castle came into the possession of one of the leaders of the uprising, whose descendants own the castle to this day. However, they do not live there, and the castle is now used as a museum where many strange things happen.
That's it! I won't bore you with the history any longer. Let's go inside and talk to the castle manager, who has kindly agreed to spend the night with us".
I walked slowly towards the castle, trying to film this dark two-story building in all its glory, gloomily towering on the hill. Two floors of an ancient castle are not like the two floors of a modern residential building. Back then, floors were just gigantic! One such floor would do for three of ours!
I noticed that the connection on my phone began to disappear as I got closer to the castle.
"Guys, the connection is getting lost. And in the castle it is even worse. Most likely, we will be able to go online only at the top, in the Bloody Chapel, where, oh, how many interesting things await you! So, stay tuned! And of course, as usual, we will post the episode with the most striking moments on our website! So, I'm disconnecting for now – see you at the castle!" – I turned off the online broadcast but continued to film the video on the camera. Approaching the massive door, which was twice as tall as me, I knocked on it with a ring with a hammer, which replaced the bell in the past.
A minute later, a handsome young man with brown eyes, about thirty years old, with long black hair, opened the door for me.
"And here is the manager of the castle I told you about", – I continued my reportage. – "Our knight, who could not leave us, two young ladies, alone at night in this haunted place. This castle is considered one of the most haunted castles in Ireland. Isn't that right, Mr. O'Connell?"
"Certainly, Miss Katherine. I am sure that tonight you and your viewers will see that your visit here was not in vain", – the manager smiled. It seemed like there was a note of sadness in his voice… Did I imagine it?..
He closed the huge door and we walked into the main hall with a large fireplace, next to which stood a huge wooden dining table. We sat down near it, closer to the crackling fire, and continued our conversation.
"Tell me, how long have you been working here?" – I began a short interview, while Bridie was upstairs setting up equipment in the chapel, from which we decided to start right away.
"Almost eight years already", – the manager answered. – "At first we thought about making a hotel here, but in the end, we agreed on a museum, because these walls have a lot to tell. The renovation took us over a year, and we constantly continue to do something here, as funding comes in from the owner. Three years ago, we decided to go paranormal and open the castle to ghost hunters".
"And, in fact, that's why we are here, guys! We heard that many mysterious phenomena occur within the walls of this castle. Mr. O'Connell, please tell us about the most common ones. And about those that you have encountered personally".
"Well, for example, here, where you and I are now, footsteps and knocks are often heard. Other groups of paranormal investigators have caught strange sounds and even voices on their recorders that were not heard on the camera", – I looked around nervously… Of course, it was not completely dark yet, but the twilight was already creepy.
"And one of the groups", – O'Connell continued, ignoring my nervous look. – "Claims that they saw a black shadow behind this window".
He pointed with his hand at a small window behind my left shoulder. Naturally, after that I slowly turned in its direction, expecting to see a shadow looking at me there.
"But personally, I have never seen anyone there", – the manager continued. And to my relief, neither have I.
"And what is the most haunted place in the castle?"– I asked.
"Of course, the Bloody Chapel".
"Somehow these two words don't go together… Where did such a creepy name come from?"
"At first it was an ordinary chapel. In the O'Carroll clan, the first owners of this castle, there were two brothers, one of whom was a priest. And he held his masses in this chapel. But during the time of the English ownership of this castle, something went wrong… The chronicles mention several deaths that occurred in this chapel, after which it was nicknamed Bloody. Residents say that some rituals were even held there…".
"Yeah… Now I absolutely understand where such a name comes from. And what unusual phenomena were most often noticed there?"
"Usually, footsteps and various kinds of knocks. But later they were debunked mainly by the behavior of the birds that nest in this chapel. The windows there have no glass, and they can fly there freely. Surprisingly, for many years now only black ravens have been nesting there. We take this as some kind of special sign and do not drive them away. And they do not bother us much, and even exterminate local mice".
"Or maybe these are fairies in the guise of ravens?"
"I doubt it… More likely their familiars. The fairies might live in our backyard, where the ancient trees grow. Just in case, we don't cut them down, so as not to anger the representatives of the magic folk".
The Irish are truly amazing people! They passionately believe that their lands are inhabited by fairies. And they can even change the trajectory of the construction of a highway if a lone hawthorn tree stands in its way. Because under no circumstances should you cut it down! Otherwise, you will incur the wrath of these magical creatures, who were deprived of their portal to the world of humans.
"It was also in the Chapel that the largest number of our visitors heard voices", – the manager continued. – "Mostly it was the voice of a young woman. I didn't hear it myself, but it was very clear on their recorders".
"I'm afraid to ask what that voice said…" – goosebumps ran down my spine.
"Some individual words. Only "blood" and "soul" were clearly audible".
"Oh, I feel like we're in for an interesting night!"
"I have no doubt. Especially today, right on Samhain…"
"Wait a minute… Is it Halloween or something?! Oh, my… Maybe we shouldn't conduct the investigation tonight…" – I jumped up from my chair, ready to run up to Bridie and shout to her that we were packing up.
"Don't be afraid, these nights are generally no different from others, believe me", – O'Connell hastened to reassure me.
"It's hard to believe… The atmosphere of the castle has such an effect on me, I guess…" – I said uncertainly and sat back down. I had already warmed myself up so well here by the fireplace. And the company was so pleasant. It was so easy to talk to him, as if we had known each other for a long time. And I really didn't want to climb into the Chapel, blown by the chilly autumn wind. Not to mention a bloody one…
What the hell do I need all this for? It would be better if I went to work in some office… But no, I'm drawn to everything supernatural! I even opened my own company.
Footsteps came from the stairs. I turned my head there to ask Bridie if everything was ready, because I expected to see her coming down the steps. Well, there was no one else in the castle anyway…
I waited a couple of minutes, but no one came down. A chill ran down the back of my neck…
"Did you hear the footsteps too?" – O'Connell asked calmly.
"Y-yes…" – I answered in a trembling voice. – "I thought it was Bridie…"
"Maybe we should go up to her, if we're already done here".
"Yes, let's go. We shouldn't leave her alone for so long".
O'Connell took an old oil lamp (which added to the creepy atmosphere) and walked ahead of me, showing the way. I lighted up my way with the flashlight on the camera.
By the way, the connection in the castle was completely lost.
"Guys, there is no connection at all", – I said, switching the camera to myself. – "Please leave comments later, whether you heard the steps on the video. And now we are climbing a narrow spiral staircase that leads to the Bloody Chapel. The staircase, by the way, is quite well preserved. As is the entire castle".
I stepped very carefully, afraid of falling on these narrow ancient steps…
"Tell me, why did they build such huge rooms with ceilings several stories high in all the castles, but not normal stairs?!" – I complained to our subscribers. – "Well, they obviously figured it out later, of course, because the estates of a later period that Bridie and I had already visited had gorgeous grand staircases".
We finally reached the highest point, where I spent a couple of minutes catching my breath, bent over. And O'Connell looked like he hadn't walked up the stairs at all… Had he gotten used to it over the years of excursions?
To my right, I heard a rustling sound, like a whisper. I immediately forgot about the lack of oxygen, straightened up and looked in the direction from which I had heard the strange sounds. Birds maybe? The manager had said something about ravens…
But to my right, there was only a blank wall with a window without glass. The wind maybe?
"Do you need any help from me now?" – O'Connell asked, interrupting my inner thoughts.
"I guess not", – Bridie replied, switching on the infrared camera. – "Thank you, Mr. O'Connell. You've already helped us a lot by allowing us to conduct investigation here, and by staying with us".
"You're welcome", – the manager bowed slightly. – "I'd be happy to join you. I find these investigations quite interesting. I wonder what they're like. Those who live on the other side…"
After these words, I got the impression that he was hiding something… Who lives on the other side? Had he someone specific in mind maybe?
Usually, the employees and owners of castles and estates are very skeptical about supernatural phenomena and always try to find a rational explanation for them right away. But this manager… It was as if this was his world. Nothing out of the ordinary… Big deal, footsteps and voices…
I wonder if the camera caught that whisper. I'll watch the footage later.
"So, Bridie, shall we get started?" – I asked my partner.
"Yeah, let's do it. It's already dark".
"I'll film from this angle near the entrance. Your camera is pointed at the three of us, so the viewers will see that we're not doing anything to fake any kind of supernatural phenomena. Bridie, tell our friends on the other side of the screens what other equipment we have here, and what they are used for".
"Yes, of course. In the center of the room, on the floor, in a circle we placed a chain of special lights that react to electromagnetic radiation. In fact, most of our equipment works this way. For example, that music box that stands by the window, and the rampod on this stone pedestal, which is closer to the second window. By the way, Mr. O'Connell, can you tell me what this pedestal was used for? While I was setting everything up, the rampod went crazy here several times… "
"This is an altar. They say that some kind of rituals with sacrifices were held here", – the manager said in an absolutely calm voice.
Lucky for him… He tells everyone about it almost every day. I guess he's used to it by now. And my throat suddenly went dry from what I heard…
"Ah, well then, let's leave the rampod there for now. Maybe we'll be able to talk to one of the victims", – unlike me, Bridie was not a timid person, so without her I never visited places with such a terrible history.
A little to the right of the altar I noticed a bright green light.
"Bridie! Flux!" – I pointed my hand at a small triangle on the floor.
"Oh! Do you agree with me? Will you talk to us today?" – Bridie exclaimed excitedly.
"Guys, Flux is a motion sensor. On one side it lights up green, which we usually interpret as "Yes", and on the other side it lights up red, which we understand as "No", – I explained to the camera.
"Kat, EDI", – Bridie pointed to the window that was closer to me. On its windowsill there was a small device with several types of multi-colored lights. I turned the camera there.
"Blue. Air pressure. Guys, this device records changes in various atmospheric parameters: pressure, humidity, temperature. Oh! And red too. The temperature has dropped. Listen", – I turned the camera to Bridie. – "Maybe I should move it from the window? After all, it has no glass, and the air temperature drops at night".
"Yes, you're right. Let me move it closer to you".
"No, there might be cool air coming from the door. Let me put it closer to the lights. See, guys? A lot can be explained by the wind, or the natural sounds of the building, for example. Well, we have ancient stones here, which means we can’t explain the strange sounds by the settling of the building. By the way, Bridie, did you come down the stairs about twenty minutes ago?"
"No, I was here the whole time. Why?"
"I heard someone’s footsteps coming from the stairs when we were sitting in the living room. I thought maybe it was you…"
"No, it definitely wasn’t me".
"I see…" – I said quietly and went to move the EDI.
When I approached the window, music started playing.
"Oops! Guys, it’s me. Don’t be scared!" – I smiled and moved away from the window. – "As you can see, the music box reacted to my phone. Now, most likely, the lights will go crazy too".
I placed the device in the center of the circle of lights, which, as I expected, all began to flicker at once.
"Look, huh? You've got all the devices going crazy! Look at the EDI – it's twinkling like a Christmas tree!" – Bridie scolded me jokingly.
"Uh… I didn't do that… EDI doesn't respond to radiation. But let me step back just in case".
I returned to my original position near the entrance, where O'Connell was standing quietly, leaning against the door with his arms crossed over his chest. He was watching us with a very serious face, as if he was waiting for something to happen.
I shook my head. Okay, I need to push these thoughts away.
"Kat, should we try the recorder?" – Bridie asked.
"Yeah, go ahead. Maybe we can catch something. When I came in here, I thought I heard something, like a whisper".
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the manager turn his head sharply in my direction.
"Did you hear it too?" – I asked him.
"No… I didn't hear anything…" – he answered with genuine surprise in his voice.
Does he always hear what others hear? And did I hear what others didn't?..
"Maybe it was just a rustling sound, not a whisper", – I tried to calm him down (or myself?). – "Or the sound of the wind, or mice… Or a bird. Downstairs you said something about ravens".
"Yes, you may be right", – he said calmly. – "And the ravens’ nest in that wall over there on the left. There are several steps down leading to a small observation room".
Bridie and I looked towards that wall. There was indeed a rustling sound coming from there, and a moment later a huge black raven flew out. It flew across the room and landed in the window opening. It sat there for a few seconds, looking at us with an inquisitive gaze, and then suddenly took off and flew straight towards me, landing on my right shoulder.
I almost dropped the camera in surprise! But I quickly came to my senses and turned my head towards the bird.
"Hey! Hi, buddy! How are you? Want to join us?" – I said, patting his feathered chest, which he didn't mind at all.
I don't know if O'Connell minded, but he looked at me strangely.
"What are you, a raven whisperer?" – he asked me, smiling. – "I've never seen the local ravens behave like that. They're pretty wild here. We feed them, so they're not afraid of people, of course. But to sit on someone’s shoulder like that – that's the first time!"
"He must have liked me", – I smiled back. – "I love birds. I've always gotten along with them. I've never had any ravens, though… Only parrots".
At that moment, the raven apparently decided that it had paid us enough attention and, with a loud flutter, flew back to its nest.
"Oh… He made me bleeding…" – I rubbed my shoulder where the raven had just been sitting. – "Such a beautiful bird, but those claws… It hurts, damn it!"
"It's okay, we have a first aid kit. Let's finish here and I'll give you some antiseptic", – Bridie waved her hand.
"Yeah, go ahead, it's getting close to midnight. I wouldn't want to spend All Saints' Day in this chapel!"
"Well, dear inhabitants of this castle, good night to you! Forgive us for this uninvited visit. We are not here to harm you or offend you in any way. We simply want to talk with you", – Bridie finally began the conversation.
"Bridie, we have already offended them by not introducing ourselves…" – I noted.
"Ah! Please forgive us! Yes, it was very disrespectful of us to barge into your home without even introducing ourselves. That brown-eyed brunette shaking with fear is called Katherine, or simply Kat," – Bridie took revenge on me for my comment.
"And that red-haired witch is called Bridie", – I responded in kind.
Bridie and I had known each other since high school and were very close friends. When the paranormal investigations became popular, I decided to start my own company that would organize such activities in the haunted locations. In Ireland, I was one of the first, so the business quickly took off. We have lots of such mysterious places in our country, so there is plenty of work.
"I have a small box with an orange light on it", – Bridie continued, raising her hand with a recorder. – "Please talk into this light, if you don't mind. We would be very grateful. I will put it here".
Bridie put the tape recorder on the floor near the altar and took a couple of steps back.
"Tell me, did you live in this castle?" – she paused, giving the ghost time to answer. – "Perhaps you were the owner of this castle or one of the employees?"
Pause. Then Bridie nodded her head at me, as if to say, go ahead and ask something too.
"Tell me, do you know what happened in this room?" – I asked.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door behind me. I immediately jumped away from it with a squeal.
Jesus! It was right behind me!
I pointed the camera at the door, praying that no ghost would fall out on me from there…
"Let me check, maybe one of the staff suddenly came", – our knight suggested to us. He slowly opened the massive door, behind which… there was no one…
"Guys, as you can see, there is no one behind the door", – I said to the camera in a trembling voice. – "Bridie, let's listen to the recording. I hope it managed to catch that sound. Although I’m sure it will be on the video too. I almost went deaf from that knock… Not even a knock! A strong blow even!"
Bridie took the recorder and came over to us so that the recording could be heard on the camera microphone. She rewound the recording, and we began to listen intently. After the second question, I thought I heard something.
"Stop! Rewind a couple of seconds… Right here. Some kind of whisper? It sounds like someone says "No"…
All three of us put our ears over the recorder and listened to that part several times.
"I don’t hear anything", – said Bridie.
"Neither do I", – agreed O’Connell.
"Okay… Let’s listen further. I must have imagined it", – I lied, because I clearly heard that "No" every time we listened. We leaned over the recorder again and continued listening. After my question, a sharp hum was heard on the recording, followed by that loud knock on the door.
"And there was no hum then", – said Bridie.
Finally! She heard what I heard. I was starting to attribute paranoia to myself…
"Well, it’s not much", – said Bridie in a calm, professional tone. – "But that knock on the door was definitely interesting!"
Oh yeah! Interesting enough to make your hair gray…
Bridie returned to the center of the room and, putting away the recorder, took out the headphones with the radio.
"Yes, guys, we know that this is just a broken radio that picks up words and phrases from different radio stations. But ghosts can manipulate it and try to communicate with us in this way", – Bridie explained and looked at me. – "Kat, you or me?"
"Please, you do it first, and then I'll try".
Somehow, I didn't really want to listen to ghosts right now… Especially near the altar, where Bridie was standing, putting on her headphones and turning her back to us.
"Okay, guys. Bridie can't hear us, so we can ask questions. Hello again, inhabitants of this castle. My name is Katherine. What is your name?"
"Blood!" – Bridie's loud voice rang out, making me jump.
Goosebumps ran all over my body…
"Whose blood?" – I started asking leading questions. – "Yours? Did something happen to you here?"
"Call!.. Gates!.."
"Were you called here? Were you the one knocking on the door just now?"
After this question, there was silence for a few minutes. Bridie took off her headphones and turned to us.
"Nothing", – she said disappointedly. – "At first, a couple of words were really clear. A loud female voice. And then everything turned off… Here, maybe you should try?"
Bridie came to me. I reluctantly took the headphones with the radio from her and gave her the camera.
"Just please, don't ask the ghosts to pull my hair, like you usually do. I swear, if I feel anything, I will disappear from here the same moment, and you'll go home by yourself!" – I immediately warned her menacingly, to which she only smirked slyly.
Yeah, like hell she'll listen to me… I'll see how you'll smirk when I cut your salary!
I went to the middle of the room and stood in the circle of lights. At least a little further away from this creepy altar.
Bridie was standing by the door with a camera pointed at me. O'Connell was still standing quietly by the wall, but his face seemed very tense. Or maybe I just didn't see him well in the semi-darkness.
The lights around me began to blink chaotically one by one.
"Clearly from the radio", – I said, putting on my headphones and closing my eyes.
I didn't immediately understand what had happened… A female voice was loudly shouting a lot of words in my ears. My head started to hurt. Little by little, I concentrated and began shouting out words that I could clearly hear.
"World!.. Dead!… The call again!.. Gates!.. Blood!.."
After the last word my shoulder suddenly began to hurt unbearably. Maybe I should have treated it with antiseptic right away after all? Who knows what kind of infection this raven carries… It eats mice…
Sweat appeared on my forehead. It was getting harder to breathe.
And suddenly I clearly heard a whole phrase and, of course, immediately shouted it out to record everything on camera.
"Blood of descendants, hear my call! Open wide the gates of the world of the living to the restless soul!"
My head began to spin, and I fell to my knees, supporting myself with my hands. I couldn’t open my eyes; my eyelids were terribly heavy. I felt blood flowing from my shoulder down my arm, making its way to the floor.
"It's hot… I can't breathe… Help…", – I wanted to say, but my mouth would not obey me. I continued to shout the same words, repeating them after the woman in my ears. After the third time, the woman said the last phrase.
"So be it!" – I repeated after her before losing consciousness.