Authors: Ron Ripley
The First Church
The First Church
Written by Ron Ripley
Edited by Emma Salam
Copyright © 2016 by ScareStreet.com
All rights reserved.
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Keeping it spooky,
Ron Ripley
Table of Contents
Chapter 2: A Meeting with the Reverend
Chapter 3: Jim Gets Ready for Dinner
Chapter 4: The First Congregationalist Church
Chapter 5: Reviewing the Footage
Chapter 8: Luke Allen, August 15, 1955
Chapter 10: The Rev and his Office
Chapter 11: Detective Dan Brown Times it Right
Chapter 12: Jim at the Burial Ground
Chapter 14: Brian Does some Research
Chapter 15: Luke, Mr. Boyd and Saké, August 15, 1962
Chapter 16: A Conversation at Mrs. Staples’ House
Chapter 19: Officer Raelynn French Investigates
Chapter 20: Looking for Mr. Boyd
Chapter 22: In The Riverwalk Café
Chapter 26: Searching for Answers
Chapter 29: A Curious Surprise
Chapter 30: Meeting Shane Ryan
Chapter 32: A Ridiculous Discussion
Chapter 33: Jim Makes a Friend
Chapter 35: Life Gets Difficult
Chapter 37: Awakened in the Morning
Chapter 38: Detective Brown Does Some Digging
Chapter 43: Dan Goes to City Hall
Chapter 44: Sato Sees and Knows
Chapter 47: Alex Charles Goes for a Drive
Chapter 48: Dan Brown has a Revelation
Chapter 49: Brian and Shane try to Plan
Chapter 52: The Hurlington House gets Loud
Chapter 53: Miles Cunningham thinks about the Future
Chapter 54: Meeting with the Gottesmans
Chapter 55: Luke, Mr. Boyd, August 15, 1967
Chapter 57: Ten Indian Rock Road
Chapter 58: The Contest Begins
Bonus Scene Chapter 1: January 5th, 1968
Bonus Scene Chapter 2: Hiding them away
Bonus Scene Chapter 3: A Morning Pick-Me-Up
Bonus Scene Chapter 4: After Work
Bonus Scene Chapter 5: Nowhere to Run
Bonus Scene Chapter 6: Time Passes
Chapter 1: Doubting Thomases
“Are you sure you heard him say ‘ghost’?” Matt asked.
Carlton nodded. “I know I heard him say ghost.”
They stood in the alley to the left of Sam’s Smoke Shop. The two boys, in spite of only being fourteen, had managed to get Matt’s sister to sell them a
six pack of Budweiser, but the plan to drink it had been put on hold.
Reverend Joe, it turned out, had to leave the office earlier than usual.
Mrs. Staples, who was supposed to clean the Church, had gotten an emergency call from her pet sitter. One of her cats was stuck in a wall again.
The Church would be empty.
“How did you hear him?” Matt asked, keeping an eye on the Church office. The
Rever
end’s car idled in its parking spot. Their religious leader would leave at any moment.
“It was last night,” Carlton said. “I was helping my mom clean up after youth group. She was pretty upset about something and was talking to Dan’s mom. When I passed by the Rev’s
office, I heard him on the phone.”
“What did he say exactly?” Matt asked, looking away from the Church, for a moment, and at his friend.
Carlton brushed a stray lock of blonde hair out of his eyes and said, “The Rev said, ‘I’ve got a headless ghost running around the Church.’”
“Who was he talking to?” Matt said, glancing back at the car. It remained where it was. Exhaust slipped out steadily from the tailpipe and into the cold afternoon March air.
“Don’t know,” Carlton answered. “He said
‘thank you’
and I had to make like I was texting when he came out. He went right over to
talk to my mom and Dave’s mom
. It was weird. All of them were acting
strange.”
“Hell,” Matt said, “if I’d seen a headless ghost, I’d be pumped up.”
“Right,” Carlton said with a grin.
“Reminds me of the movie Sleepy Hollow, you know, the one with Johnny Depp,” Matt said. He smiled. “Maybe he’s looking for his head.”
Carlton laughed. “Think he’ll try to take ours?”
Matt scoffed and shook his head. “Na
h, ghosts can’t hurt anybody.”
“True,” Carlton said.
“Oh snap, the Rev’s leaving,” Matt said. H
e and Carlton turned their attention to the man’s little black Prius. They watched
it back out of the parking space, go in reverse, and head down Main Street.
“So,” Carlton said, looking at his friend. “You
still have the key?”
Matt grinned. “
Yes,
I do. Mrs. Staples still thinks Jim lost it
after he fixed the broken window in the kitchen for her.”
Carlton rolled his eyes. “Kid annoys me.”
“Kid annoys everyone,” Matt replied. He slapped his friend’s thick shoulder. “Come
on, we’ll cut around behind the Hurlington House.”
The two teenage boys moved quickly out of the alley. Matt broke out the
beer from his back pack, took a pair and passed one to Carlton. As soon as they crossed the street and made it to the safety of the old, run down Hurlington building, they paused so they could open them.
Each of them winced at the first few gulps, but then, excited smiles all over their faces, they made their way to the back of the Church.
With quick steps, they slipped into the Old Burial Ground, settled down behind the Hanover monument and carefully
watched the Church’s back door. They waited until the
y were finished, quickly drank another pair and then left the empty cans in the dirt.
No one came out of the office. The lights remained off.
Matt fished the key out of his pocket and nodded to Carlton.
Together,
they stood and walked leisurely to the exit. One last glance around showed they were unobserved
.
Matt unlocked the door. They
slipped inside and locked out the rest of Rye, New Hampshire.
The air smelled
heavily of the Rev’s spiced tea, and the cleaning supplies Mrs. Staples constantly scoured the whole Church with. There was enough light from the afternoon sun to fill the office.
Matt looked around. “So, do you think we’ll be able to see a ghost, even though it’s
daytime?”
“Don’t know,” Carlton said, shrugging. “Maybe we’ll have to wait?”
“Maybe,” Matt said. He went and sat in the Rev’s seat and put his feet up on the desk. “Carlton, we should totally
drink the last ones in here.”
Carlton laughed and shook his head.
“Nah.
I’m pretty sure Mrs. Staples would figure it
out, she’d smell the beer and then she’d hang us from the rafters.”
“True,” Matt said, grinning. “Anyway, did the Rev say where he saw the ghost?”
“No,” Carlton answered. “I mean, maybe he did, but it w
ould have been before I heard him.”
“It’s just weird,” Matt said after a minute. “No one’s ever talked about seeing any ghosts before.”
