The Ben Chatham Xmas 2019 Special: ‘The Ghosts of Cragmore Castle’

Part 1

Ben Chatham drove through the narrow, mud strewn lanes at high speed, the wind blowing through his lush hair. The sound of the choir of King’s College Cambridge emanated from the car stereo and the air was cold and damp with the wintery smell of rotting leaves and churned mud. Ben turned to Julian and smiled:
‘Not long now. A few more miles and we’ll be there. Christmas in a castle, rather fitting for us wouldn’t you say?’.
Julian laughed:
‘Oh certainly. Far away from all the chavs crowding the streets with their bags full of Aldi tat and screaming kids. What a great idea to have Christmas away from it all in a castle on Cornwall, turned luxury hotel.’
Ben smiled:
‘And more importantly away from the depressing ritual of family gatherings. My father is away in France spending Christmas with Madame Camboux and I know that mother would be hopelessly clingy as a result. Fortunately I’ve fobbed my nephew Craig and his snowflake girlfriend off onto her so we have time to ourselves’.
Julian laughed and stroked Ben’s leg:
‘So how did you find out about this castle?’
‘Oh a friend from Cambridge, Adam, said he stays here regularly. It’s extremely remote and extremely expensive, which makes it perfect for our needs. Spend and God will send, as King James I used to say.’
They drove on through the lanes until they saw a large pool of filthy brown water covering the lane in front. Ben frowned:
‘Oh for pity’s sake, looks like we’ve hit the floods. Crikey this looks bad, the river must have burst its banks or something.’
‘Can’t we turn around and find another route?’ Julian asked.
Ben consulted his smartphone:
‘Map says no. This is the only route to Cragmore. Oh well we’ll just have to leave the car here and pay someone to move it later.’
Ben parked the car on the damp verge and they got out. Julian scowled:
‘Christ it’s muddy. We can’t walk in this and what about the floodwater?’
Ben consulted his phone:
‘We can bypass it by climbing that ridge over there by the spinney. Cragmore Castle should be just the other side.

Darkness was falling as Ben and Julian climbed the ridge. The Earth was damp and their shoes were covered in thick mud. The wind blew drizzle in their faces.
‘My shoes are ruined. And what is that awful smell, it’s like something has died ?’ Julian complained. Ben gave him a hug:
‘Remember Julian that neshness in the face of country living is a lower-class urban trait. The true gentleman is used to wind, rain and mud. Think of grouse shooting in all weathers and riding through the mud-drenched fields.’
Julian laughed:
‘Ah when you put it like that my whinging seems horribly plebeian’.
They laughed and kissed. As they did so the sound of a man screaming with pain came from the dark spinney. They turned around and Ben shouted:
‘Hello? Who’s that? Are you hurt?’
There was silence. Ben frowned:
‘I’m not going searching through those trees , we’ll report it when we get to the castle. Come on.’
They trudged further on until they reached the top of the ridge and saw the castle ahead of them. It loomed ominously above the fog-drenched moorland, it’s grey walls cold and grim. There were no cars outside’.
Julian frowned:
‘Now that is one creepy looking hotel.’
As he spoke a dark figure dressed in a cloak stepped out of the spinney a good distance to the right of them. Ben happened to glimpse it and turned round:
‘Hello? Are you the guy who cried out? You ok?’
The figure pulled down its hood to reveal the head of a skeleton......

........to be continued.

Ok folks, here is the spooky part 2 of this creepy tale:

Part 2

Ben stared at the figure and called out:
‘Seriously unfunny. Just take that stupid mask off and stop being an idiot’.
The figure slowly faded away. Julian grasped Ben’s arm:
‘I think we should run Ben. As much as one craves cynicism at this moment, I cannot get past the fact that the grim reaper thing just faded before our eyes’.
Ben frowned:
‘Come on’.
They ran to the castle drawbridge and ran along it to the entrance doors, one of which was open. In the entrance area was a large reception area and a middle aged woman stood behind it dressed in old fashioned 1930s clothes. She had permed hair and a cold look in her eyes. Ben and Julian approached her:
‘Good evening madam, we’ve come to check in. I’m Ben Chatham and this is my friend Julian. This hotel was recommended to me by my old college friend Adam Willis, who I believe is also spending Christmas here.’
The woman put the signing in book in front of him and Ben was surprised to see that in the column marked ‘Date’ , the last residents had signed in six years ago.
‘I think you’ve given us the old book’ Ben queried. The woman smiled coldly:
‘If you are not satisfied then you can always leave’.
Ben frowned:
‘Is this how you address all your new guests? I am Ben Chatham, archaeologist and head of Operation Delta, a major sub-branch of the civil service. Is the manager here?’
The woman smiled again:
‘He died. Since they built the new bypass near Cranness we’ve become a bit of a backwater I’m afraid. Here are your keys’.
She handed Ben and Julian keys to rooms 10 and 11. Ben was annoyed:
‘Er I specifically booked a double room.’
The woman smiled:
‘These are both double rooms. For your comfort gentlemen’.
Ben was bemused:
‘Come on Julian, we’ll sleep in my room, *emphasising* together.’

After wandering around the dimly lit corridors on the first floor they found room ten and entered it. Ben was shocked to see that rather than the stylish, modern decor he had expected, the room was furnished in a Victorian style with lush red carpets and rugs, old fashioned furniture and gaslights. There was a bottle of red wine unopened next to the bed with glasses and a corkscrew’.
‘Oh for pity’s sake this is just awful. I’m going to ring Adam and give him both barrels. It even smells fusty in here as well and they’re still using wretched gaslights’, Ben exclaimed. Julian gazed around and picked up an old looking black and white photograph from the dressing table of a young man:
‘Oh come on Ben this is deliciously eccentric and exclusive. I like it. And the guy in this old photo is a dish. Rest assured our stay will be chav free here. Let’s drink the wine’.
Ben grinned:
‘You do know how to cheer me up you delightful boy’.
Ben walked over and kissed Julian and they fell onto the bed.

Hours later, the bottle of wine empty, Ben and Julian were asleep in each other’s arms when Ben was drawn out of his slumber by a crying sound
coming from the far corner of the room, which was pitch dark. He shook Julian who mumbled and opened his eyes. The sobbing sound continued and Ben reached for his phone on the side table and switched it on to create light and shone it in the direction of the sound. He sat bolt upright, shocked as he saw a young man in an old fashioned grey suit, who resembled the figure in the photograph. He was crouched in the corner of the room, crying to himself. Suddenly he lifted up his head, then his arm which held a long, vintage razor and slashed his throat open.......’

To be continued

Ok folks, here is the chilling third part of this mystery:

The Ghosts of Cragmore Castle
Part 3

The figure of the young man, blood spurting from his neck, vanished into thin air before their eyes. Julian, who had been woken by the light, held Ben close:
"What the hell was that? I'm not stopping here, this place is haunted."
Ben sat upright and looked around the room:
"I think we should try to keep calm. I'm sceptical about this situation and it could be someone's idea of a joke or tourist draw. Lets have a look for hidden projector devices."
He began searching around the room as Julian quickly pulled on his clothes:
"Well I'm not staying here in this ghastly room one minute longer. I'm going to find that receptionist woman to complain about this awful place. Then I want you to take me somewhere nice Ben."
Ben frowned:
"But we're in the middle of nowhere Julian and this is a castle after all."
"I don't care. This place is horrible and I'm special", Julian retorted, before flouncing out of the room.

Julian strode downstairs and found the reception area, but the woman was nowhere to be found. There was a gold coloured bell on the desk which Julian rang, but no one answered it.
"Look can I have some damn service here?" he shouted. There was no response so he began to ascend the stairs again when a female figure walked across the landing above him and started to descend the stairs. She wore a long flowing dress and old fashioned bonnet and her head was looking down. As the figure neared Julian it lifted its head to reveal a horrifying vision of rotting flesh and empty eye-sockets. Julian gave out a scream and ran downstairs and through a darkened corridor. At the end of the corridor he found a door which when opened revealed a kitchen area which he could just about ascertain in the moonlight. As he searched around for a light-switch, a hand was placed on his shoulder.......

Ben, having failed to find a hidden projector, got dressed and began to pack his and Julian's things. He began to google-search for other hotels in the area on his extremely expensive top range android smartphone with untra-mega-pixel camera, however the phone suddenly went blank. Ben was puzzled as he had charged it up before going to bed. Having filled their cases he picked them up and left the room, descending the stairs.
"Hey Julian, are you there? Did you find that sour-faced woman on reception?" he shouted down. As he was about halfway down he felt a hand push him from behind. Ben tumbled head first down the winding stairway and all was darkness....

Meanwhile Julian turned with a start to see a young man standing before him in the moonlight. The figure had dark hair and thin, well groomed dark facial stubble.
"Hi, I'm Adam. Adam Willis. You must be Ben's friend."
The figure reached up and switched on the kitchen light. Julian was shaking:
"This place, its full of spectres and zombie things. There was a woman on the stairs."
Adam smiled:
"You sure you're not sleepwalking?"
Julian was annoyed:
"Look do not smirk at me, I have just been accosted on the stairs by something with no eyes and rotting flesh. Why the hell did you recommend this place to Ben?"
Adam put his hand on Julian's shoulder again:
"Try to calm down. Whatever you saw is not here now. Lets find Ben and have a drink and a chat."
He led Julian out of the kitchen and back to the reception area. There Julian saw to his horror the twisted figure of Ben lying at the bottom of the stairs, blood oozing from his mouth......


............to be continued


Ok here is part 4 folks:

The Ghosts of Cragmore Castle
Part 4

Julian rushed over to Ben and cradled his head in his hands:
"Ben, Ben you ok? Ben......"
Ben opened his eyes and looked around, startled:
"Someone..... someone pushed me. I think I've grazed my lip but I'm ok."
Julian was in tears:
"Oh Ben, I thought I'd lost you. Your beautiful lip is damaged. But at least you're not dead".
Ben sat up:
"No thanks to whoever attacked me. Come on, we're leaving before either of us get really hurt. As yet these entities have not killed anyone, as far as we know, and I do not intend us to be the first."
Julian looked around the room:
"Hey your friend Adam Willis was here a minute ago. But he seems to have gone."
Ben stood up and frowned:
"Right. Before we leave I'm going to find him and give him both barrels about recommending this awful place. Come on."
They headed off towards the kitchen.

Meanwhile outside it was dark as a grey van drew up near to the entrance. Stepping out of the van was Kevin McNally, a scruffy, middle-aged man in jeans and a battered leather jacket along with Craig 'Gobber' Harris, a youth of about twenty with a skinhead haircut, The older man grinned:
"This should be a sinch. Place is hardly staffed as far as I've seen casing the joint. We go up to reception, ask for a room then you whip out the crowbar and threaten the bird on reception to hand over whatever cash they have on site."
The young man eyed the building:
"Ere it looks deserted like. Weird lookin' gaff."
McNally scowled:
"Yeah easy pickings Gobber. Stick with me and I'll make you a proper career criminal not just some cheap occasional mugger. You've got the looks and the aggression to go far. Come on."
They entered the building and strode up to reception. McNally rang the bell on the desk:
"Come on, lets 'ave some service. Let's be 'avin ya".
No one came however there was a strange murmuring sound from behind the desk. Suddenly an image took shape and formed of a young girl, dressed in white with blood on her dress. She grinned and pulled a meat cleaver from behind her back, burying it into McNally's head. Harris let out a yelp of fear and ran from the hideous vision. As he mounted the stairs the ghastly spectral girl ran after him with blood dripping from the cleaver......

Ben and Julian were searching the kitchen when they heard the yelp coming from the reception area:
"What the hell was that?" Julian asked, startled. Ben was concerned:
"I really don't want to find out but I suppose we should. Come on."
They headed back to the reception area and say the corpse of McNally lying in front of the desk. His head was split and the blood had shot out in a fountain all over the reception desk and then across the floor. Julian felt sick:
"Oh Christ, that's disgusting. What the hell is going on here?"
Ben held him for a moment:
"It seems that these things have now killed. I spoke too soon. Julian we are leaving."
As they went towards the door, Ben felt in his pocket:
"Oh hell, I've gone and left my phone upstairs in our room. Wait here and I'll go and get it."
Julian scowled:
"I'm not staying down here alone. I'm young attractive and far too rich to neglect."
Ben smiled:
"You make me laugh at the worst of times. Come on."

They went upstairs and as they approached the closed door of their room they heard a shuffling sound.
"Hey there's something in there. Stay here Julian, I must retrieve my phone. It cost an awful lot of money."
Ben opened the door slowly and saw only darkness and vague shapes. He walked slowly in and switched on the light but as he did so something grabbed him by the throat from behind......

..... to be continued.

Ok, here is part 5 of this creepy winter tale:

The Ghosts of Cragmore Castle : Part 5

Ben struggled with the assailant who had his hands gripped around Ben's throat. He managed to shove the attacker off him and onto the bed and saw it was a young skinhead in a green 'bomber' jacket and dock martin boots.
"Ere let me outta here or I'll slash ya!" the assailant shouted. He desperately fumbled in his pockets trying to find his knife. Julian grinned:
"Are you looking for this *holding up flick knife then slipping it elegantly into his pocket* ? I found it on the stairs, looks like you dropped it chavboy."
"Ere gimme that."
"No. And I'd like to know what you are doing here and why you murdered that man downstairs", Ben said sternly.
"Ere I ain't murdered him. 'Es my mate. I'm Craig 'arris, 'Gobber' to me mates. Ok I'll fess up, we came 'ere to burgle the gaff. Then this psycho girl wacked 'im wiv a cleaver she did."
Ben frowned:
"I'm not convinced by your story. However you do seem too thick and lowlife to be behind the weird happenings here. I have a nephew called Craig, I always thought it was an inappropriate name. "
Julian glared at Craig:
"Pray elucidate to us any other strange or unnatural things you have witnessed in this place since your arrival."
Craig looked puzzled:
"Dunno what you mean pal. Ere you mean them lights?"
"What lights?"
"Them weird lights in the sky above the castle. Kev didn't notice 'em but I did. Orange they were an circling the gaff."
Ben looked thoughtful:
"Hmm. This is starting to make sense. Clearly there are alien forces at work here. I wonder if this place has a cellar or a crypt?
Craig scowled:
"Ere I ain't stayin' to find out. You tossers can keep me knife, I'm leggin'it."
Ben gave him a firm stare:
"No you are not. We may need some muscle and in the absence of Kyle, you fit the bill. You will work with us and we'll pay you , the alternative is we give your name *grabbing phone and taking Craig's picture* and picture to the police.

A short time later, Ben, Julian and Craig were descanting a flight of cold, damp stone stairs found under a trapdoor in the kitchen.
"Ere why don't ya just phone the old bill after leggin' it?" Craig whined. Ben frowned:
"We are Operation Delta and I am Ben Chatham. We will see this through. Here, try one of these."
Ben offered Craig a Fox's glacier mint. Craig scowled aggressively then popped the mint into his mouth. He felt strangely becalmed as if he was floating on pink clouds above a purple sea with cascading colours all around him.
They reached the bottom of the stairs and found a padlocked door.
"Get that open", Ben instructed. Craig pulled a skeleton key from his jacket pocked and fumbled for a time before picking the lock.
"Well done. One can always rely on a skinhead criminal for jobs like this", Ben said with a grin.
They opened the door and found themselves in a long corridor with strangely modern lighting and grey walls which seemed to be lagged with some kind of plastic.
"Hardly medieval. We are now getting somewhere", Ben announced.
They walked along the corridor and heard a strange pulsing sound coming from way in front of them. Suddenly they saw a light and two figures standing in front of it, holding what seemed to be guns.
"You will remain still", a cold voice stated...............


................to be continued.

Ok people: here is the much anticipated sixth part of this tale:

Part Six

Ben stared at the dark shadows in the distance:
‘Who are you and what exactly has been going on here?’, he asked, a thin strand of fear in his voice. The figures stepped forward into the light and Ben saw that they were humanoid, yet their skin was green and they had eyes like those of a cat. They wore grey uniform-like suits.
‘You will come with us. You have made most interesting study specimens.’
Craig grimaced:
‘Ere I ain’t goin’ wiv then things , I’m leggin’ it.’
He started to run but one of the creatures fired a laser like beam into him and he collapsed. The alien stared at Ben:
‘Do not look concerned. He is stunned only. We need him for further tests.’
Ben held Julian’s hand as they were led by the aliens down the long passageway and into a series of white-panelled rooms.

A short time later they were sat in a strange office with tables laden with dead creatures that looked like prawns crossed with lugworms and cups of strange green liquid. One of the humanoids was sat behind a metal desk sipping the liquid. He smiled icily:
‘I am Commander Syron. Relax, you have all been most interesting to study, *lifting a bowl of the prawn-like things*, would you like a creton?’
Ben lifted one, sniffed it and winced, then threw it back down:
‘I don’t want your disgusting food, I want an explanation. Who are you and why have you been killing people in the castle?’
Syron laughed:
‘We are the Kar People from Karthanon. But that will not mean anything to you. We are getting to know the people of this world, gathering data if you like. This is a fear-station. We are very interested in the extent to which your minds can rationalise or tolerate fear. It is an experiment shall we say. Part of a spectrum of emotion research. We find your emotions most strange and need as much data as possible if we are to exploit your weaknesses later’.
As he spoke the door flew open and Craig Harris was thrown in onto a white couch.
‘Aw I feel rank’ he moaned. Ben frowned:
‘What have you been doing to this youth?’
Syron grinned:
‘Reviving him. I must say that he is a rather violent example of your species, he bit several of my function team.’
‘¤¤¤* off’ Craig’s spat out.
Ben frowned:
‘Forgive his use of foul language, however I am not happy about any of this. We are not your specimens to experiment on. And we are not going to just sit here and let you gather ‘data’ on humanity so that you can exploit our fears in some future conquest operation’.
Syron frowned:
‘But that is exactly what you are for. This is to be our new colony. You have amused me for five minutes but now we will continue to gather data on you’.

A short time late, Ben, Julian and Craig were chained by their hands and wrists to a wall while one of the aliens was heating up what looked like metal pincers in a fire. Syron held a pair of what looked like pliers:
‘Your culture and history has a long tradition of torture but we need to know how much the average human can withstand’.
Ben glared at him:
‘How dare you refer to me as an average human. I am Ben Chatham’.
Syron moved closer to Ben and held up the pliers:
‘I am aware that human beings fear dentistry however I’m wondering how many teeth it is possible to extract without crushing the spirit of resistance.’
He nodded and another alien grabbed Ben’s jaw and held it open. Syron moves in with the pliers....

To be continued
Ok people, here is the classic final part of this story:
[b]"The Ghosts of Cragmore Castle" Part 7[/b]
Commander Syron of the Kar people moved towards Ben with the pliers. Rapidly Ben lifted both of his legs and gripped Syron by the neck between his muscular inner thighs. He twisted his legs and Syron groaned and dropped the pliers. Ben shouted at the other Kar in the room:
"Ok release us from these chains or I'll snap his neck".
Julian smiled at Ben:
"Your inner thighs are both alluring and highly practical". Ben blushed.
The Kar moved menacingly towards them and so Ben twisted his legs again causing Syron to groan with pain. The Kar reluctantly freed Ben, Julian and Craig's hands from the chains. Craig punched one of the Kar hard so that it fell backwards and cracked its head on the wall. He grabbed a knife from a pile of Kar torture implements and held it to Syron's throat.
"Shall I do 'im?, he shouted. Ben frowned:
"No, we are not in East London now Craig. *To Syron* We are going back to the hotel and then we are leaving. You will show us the way out of here. Any attempt to stop us from your people and I'll let Craig here slash you with the knife. He's an experienced young criminal with presumably no moral compass and a penchant for ultra-violence, fed by an addiction to violent films. I suggest you comply".
Commander Syron scowled:
"You will pay for this. I am a senior commander with research division 251." Craig moved the knife closer:
"An' I'm Gobber 'Arris of McNally an 'Arris breakin' an enterin' division one. Now do as 'e says cuntface".
Syron led Ben and the others out of the underground complex and back up the stairs to the hotel kitchen. The walked into the foyer area where McNally's corpse still lay by the blood-spattered reception desk. Craig twisted Syron's arm tight behind his back so that he gasped with pain:
"'E were my mate. 'E were a right cunt sometimes but the best Irish safebreaker in the business. Like a dad to me 'e were. We worked on the fairgrounds we did and burgled every town we passed through. I should do you now."
Ben put his hand firmly on Craig's shoulder:
"No. He is needed for questioning and as leverage to get his people to leave. Remember Craig that it is up to me whether you go to prison or not. Let's just leave."
"Shouldn't we look for Adam Willis first?" Julian asked.
"Oh I'd forgotten him. I suppose we should since we are friends", Ben responded. They left Craig guarding Syron and searched through the hotel but found no trace of Adam in any of the rooms. Returning, Ben sighed nonchalantly:
"Oh well he must have run off to get help. I presume everyone else we encountered, the strange receptionist lady, the young guy with the razor, the skeleton in the cloak, the girl with the cleaver and the ghoul on the stairs were all your creations?", Ben stated, staring at Syron. Syron looked puzzled and bemused:
"I know nothing of any receptionist or young guy. The others yes, we have studied your horror entertainment genre and use ideas inspired by that for our experiments."
Later, Ben and Julian were discussing the case with the rest of the team in the Mermaid Wine Bar:
".... and so Syron is now safely locked up in our holding facility until we can be sure that his people have gone. The government has that hotel surrounded with troops and it will be pounded with bombs unless they go. But the Kar people are clearly a new threat that we will need to keep vigilant about. I wish we still had UNIT and Torchwood to help, but in their current absence the responsibility all falls on us."
Corinne sipped her Martini:
"One thing puzzles me Ben. I don't know how to tell you this but during our follow up investigations we discovered that the Adam Willis that you knew at Cambridge died two years ago in a car accident on the A12. I've been nervous about telling you."
Julian went cold and felt a chill run through him:
"But then who was the guy I spoke to at the hotel?"
Corinne said nothing, just sipped her Martini again. Ben frowned:
"But he can't have, it must be another Adam Willis".
Corinne took a photocopied newspaper report from her leather case and put it in front of Ben. The face on the article was that of Adam. Ben went cold:
"Well it must have been the Kar people's work." Paul Farraday interjected:
"There is something else Ben. Apparently the house has been empty for years and there have been successive owners who have complained about ghosts. It hasn't been used as a hotel since the 1930s, when the son of the lady who ran it slit his throat in one of the rooms."
Ben went cold:
"Well, look the Kar must have been based there for some time. Surely?"
Kyle interjected:
"'Ere what 'appened to the lad like who 'elped with all this?"
Ben frowned:
"You mean the skinhead criminal Craig Harris.  He reminded me of you a few years back, same social milieu. Don't worry Kyle, I haven't reported him to the police. I've offered him a break in life by getting him a job behind the bar at the Blue Angel Jazz Café. I'm not some completely heartless snob, although I know some people think that of me."
They laughed and Corinne proposed a toast to Ben for saving the day once again.
The End
[b][b]Ben Chatham will return soon in "The Armageddon Children".[/b][/b]