Before you start reading this post, I suggest you read “Testament” by Jack Tyler at this link [https://threadsthatbind.net/2025/01/30/testament/] first. Jack posted this story here on the blog and I loved it. However, the story ends on a huge cliffhanger—and immediately a continuation/conclusion came to my mind. I asked Jack if he would mind me writing a sequel, and he loved the idea.

After being called to investigate a crime scene, Lieutenant Joann Walker comes across the most bizarre case she has ever experienced. Four young journalism students, after spending the night in a supposedly haunted mansion, are found with their bodies brutally mutilated and unrecognizable. The last victim, Marie Schmidt, managed to leave a recording, where she narrated everything that happened from the beginning—including a disturbing record of her own death.

---

“Look, I might not make it here, so if it gets me and somebody finds this tape, burn this place. Burn it to the ground. This isn’t some ‘Blair Witch Project’ Halloween prank. There’s something evil in here that’s hunting us. It isn’t human, and it isn’t of this world. Burn this house to ashes, and get a priest to sanctify the ground. There’s something unspeakably evil in here, and if it isn’t stopped, it will kill again and again and again.”

There was a long pause as the sheriff’s deputies stood staring at the silent recorder before Corey broke the silence.

“Jesus Christ almighty! I’ve always been aware that heinous crimes like this are committed, but to hear it in progress…”

“Yeah,” the sergeant said. “This is… Well, I don’t have words.”

“She did,” Walker said, only half in jest. “Anyone have a match?”

---

Deputy Joshua Corey and Sergeant Michael Allen were stunned by Walker’s grim joke.

“Of course we’re not going to burn it to the ground! That was just a tasteless joke, okay?”

The two men felt a mix of relief and unease.

“Marie described the killer of the first victim in a very specific way,” Walker said. “‘A shape materialized under him, a gray blob, shimmering like a mirage.’ Completely disconnected from reality, is what I think.”

“Maybe it was the shock of seeing her friend get murdered,” Allen replied. “Or maybe Marie was right and the killer isn’t human, isn’t from this world, and is a truly evil being.”

“Before we start making assumptions, let’s break this down. Corey, you said the security system was upgraded. But nothing on the security cameras?” Walker asked.

“Nothing. The strangest part is that all the cameras are working perfectly, but every single one that could’ve recorded any of the murders went offline seconds before and came back on right after, showing only the bodies—or what was left of them.”

“Well, that’s not enough to make me believe that the spirit of a nineteenth-century serial killer has returned to claim more victims,” Walker concluded.

“Yeah, but… I can’t say I believe in ghosts, vengeful spirits, or the supernatural,” Allen said, “but the story of Felix Setliff and that mansion is, well… Let’s just say strange.”

“What do you mean, Allen?”

“The Setliffs were an old-money family, their wealth was immeasurable, and they weren’t exactly known for being kind. It’s a fact that they treated others—not just their slaves, but anyone outside the family—as inferior. People didn’t like them. Supposedly, they were despicable human beings.”

Walker and Corey listened closely.

“Then, when Felix was about twelve or thirteen, strange things started happening. At first no one noticed because it was just animals and slaves disappearing without a trace. It’s said that the Setliff slaves practiced Santería—rituals, offerings, even sacrifices to commune with the Orishas. Usually, they were animals. But there were rumors that some groups also performed human sacrifices.”

Allen went on. “When Felix turned fifteen, things really got bizarre. Slaves began disappearing, and days later their bodies were found mauled and murdered. The Setliffs weren’t happy—after all, slaves were part of their assets. Occasionally, visitors to the mansion area also vanished and were later found dismembered. When Felix turned sixteen, his own father was found dead, and the boy inherited the entire estate. The killings continued for years… Until one day when Felix was caught red-handed murdering his own mother. He was arrested and sentenced to death by hanging. His body was buried in an unmarked shallow grave near town, and the mansion was shut down—until Setliff Manor became protected as a State Historical Site, at least partly due to a legend that the ghost of Felix Setliff still roams the halls in search of more victims.”

“So it was basically a scheme to make money off a vengeful ghost story,” Walker concluded.

“Not entirely. It’s true that few deaths occurred inside the mansion back then. But after it was sealed off, some curious folks broke in and never came back out. Their bodies were found just like those four kids—mutilated beyond recognition. And the other murders that happened after the mansion reopened? They were covered up to avoid scaring off tourists.”

“And how did they manage to cover something like that up?” Corey asked.

“That was before they upgraded the security system, and the victims were intruders. Their disappearances couldn’t be linked to the house. Since the reopening, this is the first time a group was officially authorized to spend the night.”

“This is all very interesting,” Walker said, “but it doesn’t bring us any closer to solving this barbaric crime.”

“Well, true—that is, if you don’t believe the killer is Felix’s ghost,” Corey replied.

“Of course I don’t. We need to deal with facts. That vengeful ghost story is just a gimmick to draw in tourists and make someone some money.”

“But,” Corey interrupted, “what do you think about Marie’s description of the killer, and the fact that the cameras went offline at the exact moments of the murders and came back on right after?”

“Marie’s description sounds exactly like someone under extreme stress and shock after witnessing her friend’s brutal death.”

“Okay, but the cameras? How do you explain that?”

“I can’t. Not yet. But I’m sure we’ll find reasonable explanations for everything that happened here—as soon as we find the killer or killers.”

“I also think there may be more than one,” Allen agreed.

“Before we tear this place down, let’s gather a team and come back tonight using body cams to rule out any nonhuman interference, and close this case,” Walker declared.

“I know it’s not my case anymore,” Allen said, “but I’d like to be part of that team.”

---

The site was sealed off by police, and that night a team composed of Walker, Allen, and a SWAT unit returned, equipped with body cams with night vision and high-caliber weapons. The SWAT officers entered first and thoroughly searched the mansion. Once they confirmed it was empty, the investigation began.

They pretended the search was over, and then most of the SWAT team positioned themselves strategically around the property outside the mansion while four of the SWAT officers joined Walker and Allen to spend the night inside.

“I thought you didn’t believe the killer was a ghost. Do you think all this police presence will make it appear or scare it off?” Allen asked.

“I still don’t believe in vengeful spirits,” Walker said, “but there might be a hidden passage or something else we missed. Also, if the killer or killers are still here, our stealthy return in the dark might make them feel safe enough to show themselves. Then we catch them. And by the way, under no circumstances are we splitting up.”

---

Inside the mansion, they resumed their investigation. Walker and Allen were in the middle of the group, with two officers in front and two behind. They moved room by room, always alert. But after an hour, they’d seen nothing. The place was clean and eerily silent.

“Don’t you think this silence is strange? You can’t even hear outside noises, or the usual creaks of an old house like this,” Allen said.

Everyone agreed, and Walker added, “It’s true. I was just thinking that. Something’s not right here.”

At that moment, they heard a sharp noise behind them. Then they noticed that one of the SWAT officers had vanished.

“Davis? Davis…” they called. But no one answered.

SWAT leader Stevens then ordered, “Roberts, stay with Walker and Allen. Pierce and I will look for Davis.”

“Negative,” said Walker. “We’re not splitting up.”

“I won’t leave one of my men behind,” Stevens replied.

“We won’t. But we’ll stay together. One of your men disappeared practically in front of our eyes. Whoever is behind this wants to separate us.”

Stevens was about to argue, but a desperate scream and then a monstrous, terrifying noise echoed through the house. They all ran toward it, fearing that something awful was happening to Davis. Then they found what remained of Davis’s mangled body.

“How is this much destruction possible in just a few minutes?” Allen asked. “This killer can’t be human.”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Walker said.

“I’m not someone who believes in the supernatural,” Stevens countered, “but come on. How did Davis vanish without a sound and end up like this in under five minutes—without any of us seeing it?”

“What are you suggesting? That we burn this place to the ground until only ashes remain, like Marie recommended?”

“I don’t know what to think. I believe we should—”

But before Stevens could finish, another scream—followed by the same grotesque sounds of flesh being torn—rang out from the next room, and they realized Pierce was missing. They rushed in and found the same horror scene.

“I think we’d better get out of here before it’s too late,” Roberts said, terrified.

“Get a grip, Roberts,” Stevens remonstrated. “What I was about to suggest before Pierce screamed was that we keep our eyes on each other. Let’s move as one unit, back to back, so we’re not caught off guard.”

“Sorry, but I agree with the sergeant. This isn’t human. I’m getting out while I still can,” Roberts said.

“If we stick together until we’re out of this house, nothing can take us by surprise,” Stevens said, turning to Walker. “Let’s get out of the house. We’ll come back in the morning with an army and search everything—or burn it down. Let the higher-ups decide, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Right then. I’ll inform Command about the deaths and our decision to leave the house.”

“Ask them to turn the lights back on too,” Allen said.

But Stevens’s radio produced only static. Everyone else then tried theirs as well, to no avail.

“Something’s very wrong here. We need to leave now!” Roberts said.

Before anyone could respond to Roberts, his body was suddenly pulled upward and dragged through the air right in front of their eyes. They all gave chase. When they entered the next room, Roberts was screaming in terror as a figure materialized over him and began tearing him apart—just as Marie had described. Moments later, the figure vanished, and only Roberts’s ruined body remained.

A few seconds passed before Walker asked, “Was it just me, or was that…”

“Felix Setliff,” the remaining officers said at once.

“How is this possible?” asked Allen.

“There must be a logical explanation,” Walker said.

“And what would that be?” Stevens asked.

“Look, I…”

“No. Let’s stick to the original plan and get the hell out. We can’t fight whatever that thing is.”

“No, we can’t,” Allen said. “Did you see how Felix just lifted Roberts into the air? And the other two—we didn’t even see it happen. I think we should just run to the nearest exit and get out while we still can.”

“I agree with Allen, Stevens. Let’s stick together, but run as fast as we can. If one of us gets caught, the others keep running and warn the world that this place must be destroyed.”

They all started running for their lives. Stevens was the next to be snatched and dragged into another room. Walker and Allen didn’t even look back. Minutes later, Allen was taken too. Walker kept running, Allen’s screams echoing behind her.

Walker reached the exit door and ran into the other officer she’d been with that morning.

“Corey? What are you doing here? Never mind—listen, we have to get out of here now! Then we have to burn this place down and destroy everything. There’s something really evil inside. Let’s go!” But the young man didn’t move. “Corey, come on! We need to leave now!”

He smiled at her, and Walker felt bone-chilling fear. She turned to leave, but the door slammed shut in her face. She desperately tried to open it, but it was sealed like concrete. She ran to the nearest window and tried to break the glass. Nothing. She tried the radio—only static again.

“Corey, what’s going on?” she demanded.

“I guess it doesn’t hurt for you to know—since you’re not leaving here alive,” he said.

Walker stared at him in horror. While he spoke, she looked around for another escape route.

“Felix Setliff was indeed a serial killer, but he was also a student of the occult. He discovered the secret to eternal life. But he needs to perform a ritual to stay alive. Every so often, Felix begins to fade—and that’s when he knows it’s time to return here and kill again. The more human sacrifices, the longer he lives.”

“I don’t understand. How come no one knew this before? And what do you have to do with it?”

“Many did know—you’re one of them. But no one ever lived to tell the tale.”

“Well, this time, the team outside will investigate our deaths.”

“What team outside? They were dismissed after you found nothing. Why do you think the radios don’t work?”

Walker tried to stay calm but couldn’t think of a way out.

Corey continued. “Our group has protected Felix since the day he staged his execution. He went to live in another city, and we, his followers, have always watched for when he needs to recharge.”

“You mean… You help him kill people so he can live forever?”

“In a way, yes. Felix is a superior being, but he can’t lure people here on his own. So we take care of that for him.”

“We? How many of you are there? And how do you expect to keep this going now that those four kids were savagely murdered? There’s no way you’re getting away with this!”

“There are many of us, and we have people in the right places to make it all disappear. The next time Felix needs to return, even if I and those helping him now are gone, others will come—and others after them—just like it’s always been and always will be.”

“And what do you get out of it? You don’t become immortal like Felix, do you?”

“No, but we gain eternal life. Not the life we know—but life on the other side.”

“If the other side is so great, why doesn’t Felix want to go there?”

Corey was surprised by the question—but before he could answer, Felix burst into the room and attacked Walker, leaving her body in pieces. Felix turned to Corey—now in the youthful human form of a strong young man—and said, “Well done, my boy.”