Buried by Sian Claven - Book Tour + Giveaway
Buried
by Sian B. Claven
Genre:
Horror
Horror
Home is where the heart is ... or the hatred.
You can feel the love and care someone puts into their home just by
walking into it. Equally, you can feel the hatred and malice when you
step into a home where dark deeds have been done.
walking into it. Equally, you can feel the hatred and malice when you
step into a home where dark deeds have been done.
Alex and his team of so-called paranormal investigators are given the
opportunity of a lifetime when they are able to film inside one of
the most haunted, and cursed, locations in their area.
opportunity of a lifetime when they are able to film inside one of
the most haunted, and cursed, locations in their area.
The Jackson Mansion.
The thing that makes this mansion truly unique is that it
is built completely underground. Determined to uncover the dark
secrets of the mansion's past, and prove himself a notable
investigator, Alex doesn't care what it takes. The mansion, however,
has other ideas, as well as some rather restless occupants.
is built completely underground. Determined to uncover the dark
secrets of the mansion's past, and prove himself a notable
investigator, Alex doesn't care what it takes. The mansion, however,
has other ideas, as well as some rather restless occupants.
Taken from Chapter Five
Teddy Jackson loved to
swim from a young age. His father always said it was because his mother, who
was not mentally well, tried to drown him in the bathtub when he was barely a
year old in order to ‘break the Jackson curse’. Teddy didn’t care what the reason
was, he simply loved the water.
He
convinced his father to build a huge swimming pool in every corner of the house
so that, no matter which way he went in the mansion, he would have somewhere to
swim.
His
birthday parties were the best and his friends loved to come over and swim in
one of the many pools. Their parents were loath to let them come to the
mansion, but there hadn’t been any nasty rumors circulating about the Jackson
family for some time, and people had all but forgotten the cruelty the Jackson
family was famous for.
On his
tenth birthday, Teddy asked his father to allow him to host a sleepover. His
father refused at first, but Teddy played the ‘I doesn’t have a mother’ card
and his father reluctantly agreed, on condition that when it was time to go
sleep they all stayed in Teddy’s room and didn’t wander around the mansion.
The
day of Teddy’s birthday dawned and it was a beautiful day. Teddy’s had selected
a heated indoor pool for his party and by ten in the morning his friends from
school started to arrive. They were escorted to where Teddy was by one of the
many servants that still served the family after all those years.
The
party was a huge hit and all twenty children spent the entire day gorging
themselves on sweets and cakes and pizza while playing games and hopping in and
out of the warm water.
At
five, Teddy’s father came to escort them to Teddy’s play room for the remainder
of the day, where they could play with his various toys, his video games, and
enjoy the evening together. Some, whose parents weren’t keen to let them spend
the night, had to go home at eight while seven of the boys remained to spend
their first, and last, sleepover with Teddy.
Teddy’s
father made sure the boys were tucked safely in their beds at ten that night before
closing the door and locking it for good measure.
“Why’s
he locking us in?” Brian asked Teddy.
“Because
he’s worried we won’t sleep, that we’ll go play in the pool.”
“What’s
wrong with that?” Jerry asked.
“Oh,
he’s just strict,” Teddy said, “but I have a key.”
He had
an evil glint in his eye as he went to his sock drawer and retrieved the key to
his bedroom door. He crossed the room and unlocked the door, swinging it open.
“Let’s
go have some fun,” Teddy declared.
“Won’t
your dad be cross?” Jerry questioned him.
“He
won’t know,” Teddy confirmed. “We’ll go to the pool on the other side of the
house away from his bedroom.”
Brian
got out of bed. “I’m in,” he said before following Teddy out.
The
rest of the boys stayed behind.
After
about half an hour Teddy came back and said he and Brian were having a blast,
but he wanted to check if anyone else wanted to come. “We have to go one at a
time or we’ll make a noise and my father will hear,” Teddy explained.
Jerry
got out of bed excitedly. “Me next,” he whispered, and followed Teddy.
Over
the course of the next two hours Teddy retrieved all the boys until it was only
the youngest, Ricky, left.
Ricky
waited eagerly for Teddy to fetch him and when Teddy arrived, he motioned for
Ricky to follow him. They walked through the mansion silently.
When
they reached the swimming pool, it was dark and Ricky said, “Can we turn the
light on?”
“No,”
Teddy said, “or my dad will know we’re here.”
“Where
is everyone else?”
“In
the water.”
“Why
are they so quiet?”
“Because
they’re dead.”
“What?”
Ricky asked before Teddy grabbed him and threw him into the swimming pool,
jumping in after him.
Teddy
swam over to Ricky and grabbed him, holding him under the water with all his
strength until the young boy stopped moving altogether. Even then, Teddy didn’t
let him go for a long while, ensuring the boy was dead.
He
then played in the water, swimming around and enjoying himself until the room
was suddenly flooded with lights.
“Teddy,”
his father chided. “What have you done?”
“I
just wanted to play,” Teddy whined, looking at the various bodies floating in
the pool.
“How
will I explain this to their parents?” his father asked, sighing and running a
hand through his hair. “I locked your door; how did you get out?”
“I
have a key,” Teddy said, staring into the water. “I just wanted to play.”
“Well,
playtime is over. Come to the edge of the pool.”
Teddy
swam towards the edge and stayed there, waiting for his father to get his
towel. His father didn’t; instead he knelt beside Teddy and grabbed a fistful
of his hair and dunked his head into the pool. He held it there until the last
air bubbles left his nose and then he let Teddy’s body float away in the water.
He
stood up and went to the door, switching the light off and leaving the boys in
the pool.
The
next day he sent a servant to find them and the poor traumatized girl came
screaming through the mansion about dead boys in the swimming pool.
Teddy’s
father, Clarence, nearly got away with it as well. At first it was ruled as
accidental deaths, unexplainable deaths. Then further testing was conducted and
it was found that each boy had been forcibly drowned, Teddy included, and
fingers were immediately pointed at Clarence, who was sentenced to death by the
electric chair at his trial.
Born in South Africa, in the heart of Johannesburg, Sian Claven grew up
with a vivid imagination. When she wasn't immersing herself in books,
she was actively creating her owns tories.
with a vivid imagination. When she wasn't immersing herself in books,
she was actively creating her owns tories.
At 29 years old, left to her own devices after her sister immigrated, Sian, wrote her
first horror book Ensnared and dared to publish it under the guidance
of indie authors Toni Cox and Ashleigh Giannaccaro.
first horror book Ensnared and dared to publish it under the guidance
of indie authors Toni Cox and Ashleigh Giannaccaro.
Now she has released more than ten books including a thriller and sci-fi fantasy.
In 2019, Sian took up the challenge of publishing 11 books in 11 months.
Sian came second place in the First Annual Indie Awards for Favourite African Author.
Sian's book, Sylvana, the final book in her Butcher series, made the Amazon top
100 best sellers list in several categories across three countries.
100 best sellers list in several categories across three countries.
In her spare time, Sian is an avid Harry Potter
fan, pop collector and Bingo addict. She resides in Johannesburg with
her 2 best friends, their daughter, their 6 dogs and 2 cats.
fan, pop collector and Bingo addict. She resides in Johannesburg with
her 2 best friends, their daughter, their 6 dogs and 2 cats.
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