#this was inspired by a local haunted place where such a massacre took place

[elveny]

Fic or Treat 2019

This is my Fic or Treat story for @flipwizardmcgay featuring her Warden Alex Cousland 🎃 I do hope you like it! Have a GREAT Halloween! ♥

“No, stop.”

The group came to a halt, and Alex threw Morrigan a confused look. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary as far as the Warden could see, and judging from the looks the others exchanged, neither could they. The trees stretched on both sides of the small road they had followed for the last three days already, the autumn air crisp and silent leaves falling. It was late afternoon already and the evening stretched foggy fingers through the woods that crawled over the ground towards them. Through the trees, they could see a few rocks covered by moss; all that remained of what looked like a collapsed structure.

Alistair rolled his eyes and scoffed as he saw Morrigan take her staff and look around cautiously.

“What now? Another feeling that you— ouch!” He jerked back as the witch zapped him slightly, her golden eyes throwing daggers at him.

“’Tis not a mere feeling, Alistair,” she said stiffly. “There has been a great evil here, and its echo linger still. Something is out there.”

For a moment, the group fell silent, Alistair rubbing at his elbow with an offended look where her electric spark had hit him. Only the wind could be heard as it picked up, sending a gush of coldness through them. The leaves rustled ominously, and a strange clattering made them look up.

“Wind chimes,” Wynne said softly. A sense of relief spread through them, and Leliana let out an audible breath.

“What’re wind chimes?” Oghren asked, drawing his eyebrows together in confusion.

It was Leliana who answered. “Oh, of course, you wouldn’t have them below,” she smiled. “They’re a sort of musical instrument, in a sense. Hung outside where the wind can play them.”

Oghren grunted and squinted at the chimes hung in the trees above that clattered ominously. “Doesn’t sound like music to me,” he grumbled.

“Hm, yes,” Zevran agreed, tilting his head as he followed the dwarf’s eyes. “But then, they’re not normally made from bones, no?”

Leliana and Wynne both drew in a sharp breath, and even Sten shifted his weight with a look of discomfort as he eyed the thin, bleached bone chimes above. 

Morrigan ignored the chatter and took another few steps away from the group. Alex followed her, one hand on a dagger and looked around. The twilight beneath the trees had deepened, but apart from the falling leaves, nothing moved in the deepening shadows.

“I don’t see anything, Morrigan,” she said after a moment of tense silence, “and I don’t sense any darkspawn either. Are you sure there is—“

She was interrupted by a little squeal as Leliana nearly jumped a step forward. Immediately, the whole group drew their weapons, the shimmer of a barrier springing into life around them at a gesture by Wynne. 

Leliana had a hand on her neck as she swirled around with wide eyes. “Something touched me!” she hissed, reaching for her bow, but before she could string an arrow, Oghren let out a loud laugh.

“You should have seen your face! Got you good, this time.”

A collective groan made its way through them as they put their weapons away. Alistair gave Oghren a cuff on the back of his head as he walked by him to come and stand next to Alex with a shake of his head.

“So, what you say, camp over by the rocks?” he asked, standing just a little bit too close for it to be casual.

Morrigan rolled her eyes at the way Alex’s smile softened slightly, but then a thought came to her, and suddenly, she was tense again.

“I remember now,” she said, looking over to the moss-covered fallen-in cairn. “We can’t stay here.”

“Why, because of the chimes?” Alistair asked, looking up into the trees with a frown. “I admit, they sound creepy, but don’t tell me you’re afraid of them.” A teasing grin came onto his lips. “Don’t worry, Morrigan. I can cut them down for you.” He leaned forward with a conspiratorial look. “I won’t even tell the others, promise.”

Alex elbowed him into the side with a chiding look, but he didn’t seem bothered.

But for once, Morrigan paid him no heed and shook her head. “’Tis not the chimes, Alistair. But my mother told me about this place.” Her voice took on a dark note, and she conjured a flame in her hand against the deepening darkness that had started to fall. “A long time ago, ’tis was a holy place for the Chasind — until the Chantry, in a try to convert them, slaughtered hundreds of shamans and holy women at this place.” She looked at the rocks with a strained expression on her face. “Their spirits still haunt this place, and the wind carries their screams still. We cannot linger here.”

As if to underline her words, the wind picked up, and the clattering of the chimes above intensified. Leliana had come to stand next to Morrigan, and a shiver went over her. “Those poor souls,” she said softly, looking towards the rocks.

Behind her, Wynne let out an annoyed sound. “Oghren, stop it. Once was quite enough!”

They turned to look at her and saw her rub a hand over her neck, just like Leliana had done. Her eyebrows were drawn together as she searched for Oghren.

“I didn’t do nothing,” the dwarf grunted from the other side of their group, and Wynne’s eyes widened. Zevran, who stood next to Wynne, held up both hands.

“Don’t look at me,” he said, shaking his head. “I would never.”

Leliana and Alistair exchanged a look that held more alarm than either of them would admit to, then Alistair straightened. “Right,” he said, nodding vigorously, one hand on his sword as he looked at his Grey Warden companion. “Alex. Shall we move on?”

Morrigan gave him a look, and the corner of her lip curled slightly. “Who’s afraid now, Alistair? Want me to cut those chimes for you?”

Alistair bristled immediately. “Hey, I’m —“

Alex sighed, then she interrupted them before they started to squabble — again. “Let’s move on,” she said in the voice that everybody knew and that didn’t allow for disagreement. “And nobody touches those chimes, alright?”

As the night deepened and the shine of the torches flickered over the trees, the clattering of the chimes disappeared behind them, but the feeling of being watched lingered even as the wind stopped. She did not tell the others about the feeling of a cold hand touching her neck as they went past the rocks.

[myhauntedsalem]

Lake Shawnee Amusement Park

Amusement parks are supposed to be places for fun, where the whole family can enjoy themselves, and while that may certainly be true at the best of times, it certainly seems that these places sure can be some of the creepiest around in death. There just seems to be a certain, palpable sense of dread inspired by abandoned amusement parks. Maybe its the juxtaposition between the once bright smiling faces of the past now faded and contrasting with the feral, overgrown tangles of brush and hulks of long dead, forgotten machinery presently scattered about that strikes a chord of unease in us. Maybe it is our natural aversion to places that have been forsaken and left to rot. Or perhaps it is something more; something even spookier. One abandoned amusement park in West Virginia, in the United States, has such a brutal past and history of misfortune and death that these macabre elements fuse together with its rundown, ragged appearance to make it truly a disturbing place to be. Variously called the “scariest amusement park in the world” and one of America’s most haunted places, the Shawnee Lake amusement park gives us plenty of reasons to continue to fear these ruined sites of long gone happiness.

Located in in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States, just a few miles from Princeton, the area where the abandoned Lake Shawnee amusement park sits has a dark and menacing history. The land was long used by the native Shawnee tribe of the region as a burial ground, which archeologists digging here have estimated holds the bodies of perhaps 3,000 people, but this would not be the extent of the death associated with the place. In 1775, a family of white settlers known as the Clays, consisting of the father Mitchell Clay, his wife Phoebe Belcher Clay, and their three children, Bartley, Tabitha, and Ezekial, moved into the remote area and set up a homestead there right over the burial ground. This perhaps unsurprisingly did not sit well with the local Shawnee people, as it was sacred land, and the Clays, who were among the first white people the tribe had ever come across, had just come in and set up shop right over the buried corpses of their kin.

The tribe, angered by the desecration of their land, repeatedly warned the family to leave, but the Clays defiantly chose to ignore them. In August of 1783, a band of Native tribesmen took matters into their own hands and descended onto the Clay homestead while the father was out hunting. The Natives proceeded to outright slaughter the youngest son, Bartley, as he worked out in the fields and then scalp the corpse. Tabitha was next, as the Shawnee warriors tracked her down and brutally stabbed her to death. The oldest son, Ezekial, was not killed outright, but rather kidnapped, dragged away from his home, and later burned at the stake. When the patriarch of the family returned home to find his children dead, his vengeance was swift, and he gathered together a posse of other settlers to go off to hunt down and murder several of the Shawnee tribes people in bloody retribution. The Clay massacre would hang over the area like an evil cloud for years after that, with most settlers refusing to go anywhere near it.

[vannminner]

A Haunting in Connecticut

I am going to share a story tonight:

When I was 8 and my cousin was 7, we stumbled upon a book in a local gift shop. It was titled ‘In a Dark Place’, written by Lorraine Warren.

This is the year 2000, mind you, and we already know her name. Everyone around here knows who the Warrens are.

At this point in time, Lorraine is a local patron; a mother, a wife. She buys groceries at the Stop and Shop on route 25. She isn’t famous, and more than that, she is primarily feared.

Well known only by locals, and some small parts of New England- my parents called Lorraine and her husband, Ed, kooks. Many thought of them as pot-stirrers, money-grubbers, liars, church-thiefs’... They traveled locally to schools to talk about their experiences, but not many wanted to listen. Not many believed.

Yet, my cousin and I, we were different. We were fascinated by the Warrens. We were terrified, but in the most respectful of ways.

It is 2008 now, and my cousin and I have our licenses. This is the start of our ‘hunt for the occult’. We began traveling around New England, visiting all the locations Ed and Lorraine wrote about in their books, and talked about on their site. This was our pact we made to each other. We wanted to visit these houses, churches, and schools. We wanted to understand what happened to these people, by seeing it up close, first hand.

Unfortunately, my cousin and I are a little behind the times.

Ed was unfortunately deceased. He was buried with the White Lady, and we visited with flowers obsessively often. And during her grieving period, Lorraine had stopped doing her talks. It was devestating too, because we had always been looking forward to the time when we would be old enough to attend one of them.

Then, during my senior year of High School, Lorraine came back to the stage- and in my cousin’s home town, no less.

I was going to have to stay up late and wake up earlier than the sun, to get to class on time the next day, but nothing was going to stop us from attending this event.

And it was brilliant- more than anything I could have imagined.

The stories I had read about, experiences we’d never heard- Lorraine shared hours of videos and tales of her personal encounters with the other side. We talked about Annabelle, the Ragedy Anne Doll my cousin and I had printed articles on. She discussed the Lindley Street Haunting, which took place across from my mother’s childhood home. The Long Island Massacres, The Amityville murders... all my fascinations growing up, and it was my idol, Mrs. Warren, sharing them with us.

At the end of the event, the stage directors allowed Lorraine to leave first. We were explicitly told not to approach, or to touch her. Lorraine’s son in law had said, “If she wants to speak to you, she will.”

And so, here was Lorraine, coming down the aisle right beside my cousin and I. We were both so giddy in our obsession. We wished we could say something. We wanted to tell her how much she meant to us... when, all of a sudden, Lorraine stopped.

She halted right there in the aisle that evening. She turned to me, and she grabbed my hands. I remember blinking a lot; struggling for words because I was so confused.

But she simply smiled.

“Your aura is beautiful.” Lorraine had said, and she dropped my hands before she kept on walking.

I am sharing this story because, tonight I went to see the third Annabelle movie. Annabelle Comes Home.

Annabelle’s enclosure was crafted from the glass, used in the old Trinity Church- located in my home town.

Annabelle came home through Bridgewater, where I spent many of my summer nights, driving across the Lilonona River and blasting my tunes.

Her daughter, Judy, she attended the Catholic school located near the house I purchased, just over one year ago today.

And I wear the bracelets Judy sent me. The ones made from her mother’s old rosary beads. I sent two down to my friends, who she inspired as well.

I am sharing this story because, back in April, Lorraine passed away.

I didn’t expect it to hurt so much, but I found that a part of my childhood ran away with Lorraine’s passing. And I know that she is at peace now, with her husband Ed.

I know that they have done so much for our community, and for the benefit of others.

I am thrilled to have had the opportunities that I did, and I will not take them for granted.

Tonight, I said goodbye for real- to a friend, a mentor, and an idol.

Rest In Peace, Lorraine.

May your stories live on.

You will be fiercely missed.

[everlarkficexchange]

The Price Of One's Soul

Written by: @peetaspikelets

Prompt 65: “You did all this for me?” Submitted by anonymous via @katnissdoesnotfollowback

Betaed by: @sponsormusings

Rating: M, for adult themes and coarse language.

A/N: This is the first part of my new story. There will be one or two more parts to come which will feature the prompt. It’s been awhile since I’ve written anything, especially Everlark and I’m so glad I decided to go for it. I’ve really missed these two beautiful souls. 

This story was heavily inspired by Mockingjay and Brooklyn 99 because I have no idea what it’s like to work as a police detective. 

Summary: 

“I’m proud and relieved to say that due to the FBI’s efforts, and Mellark’s outstanding work, Operation Mockingjay was a success and last night the FBI arrested Snow and 16 of his associates with a number of charges longer than my arm.”

Everyone in the room applauds and shouts out in glee. It’s not the most professional reaction you would see in a police station, but knowing Snow has finally been arrested brings an enormous sense of relief to everybody who’s ever come across his brutal handiwork.

Katniss, however, remains silent, her mouth unable to form words. She feels overwhelmed by the news and what Peeta was a part of. Luckily, Finnick looks over and must be able to read her mind as he’s voicing the only questions she wants to be answered right now.

“Does that mean Peet’s back? It’s over? He’s back at the seven five?”

Katniss eyes Haymitch with a wide, hopeful expression. Beside her, she thinks she feels Gale tense up, but she’s too engrossed in what’s happening right now to linger on it. Finally, Haymitch meets her gaze and his lips curl into a small smile they don’t see very often. “The boy is back.”

Really? Are you sure about that Haymitch? *EVIL CACKLE*

Enjoy! Let me know what you think :)

CHAPTER 1

“Everdeen! Hawthorne! Where the hell have you been? The daily briefing started 10 minutes ago.”

“Sorry, Captain,” Katniss replies, dropping her backpack on the dirty floor of the briefing room and taking a seat at the front. “We thought we could get in some shooting practice before work. Instead, Gale spent most of his time flirting with Recruit Officer Undersee.”

“I was not,” Gale huffs, taking the empty chair beside her. “She didn’t know how to hold her gun properly, so I thought I’d be a nice guy and teach her how to grip it correctly.”

“Yeah right,” Katniss answers dryly. “With all the giggling I heard in her booth I bet that’s not the only thing you helped her with.”

“What, are you jealous Everdeen?” Gale asks, shifting in his chair to face her, his eyes glinting with smugness. “Because really you don’t need to be. I could always take you out the back and show you how to grip my –”

“That’s enough!” Captain Abernathy snaps, his voice booming off the rooms yellow stained walls. He looks around the group in annoyance. “It’s like I’m stuck here on a daily basis babysitting a bunch of kids.”

“Aww don’t say that, Dad. You know you love us,” Detective Finnick Odair chimes in from across the room. He starts swinging back on his chair and looks over to Katniss, giving her a cheeky wink.

Katniss rolls her eyes and shrugs her braid off her shoulder. She knows when Finnick gets in this type of mood there’s no point in trying to stop him from riling people up. Even someone as superior as the Captain doesn’t miss out on his juvenile antics. It can be annoying at times, but with the seriousness of the job, she’ll admit there are some days she’s grateful for his jovial character.

 “Finnick, be quiet,” Annie hushes beside him.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Finnick reassures his girlfriend. “We all know deep down the Captain is like a big cuddly teddy bear. He pretends to act all gruff and indifferent when I know for a fact the other week he gave Effie from Human Resources a big –”

“If one more person speaks out of turn again, they’ll be on desk duty for a month,” Captain Abernathy snaps, interjecting into the conversation. A vein pulses in the middle of his wrinkled forehead for emphasis.

Sighing, Finnick falls silent and tilts his chair forward, so all legs are safely back on the ground. He stares at the front of the room with a pout like he’s a child who’s been scolded by his favorite teacher.

“Now children, eyes to the front, and let’s get back to discussing the Coin murder case.”

Everybody straightens in their chairs, giving him their full attention as he turns on a large television. Katniss stares as a number of photographs pop up on display, showing the latest crime scene the precinct is investigating. She hasn’t seen these before, so she leans forward in her seat to examine the images of the body.

After all her years of working as a police officer and then being promoted to detective, most crime scenes don’t faze her anymore. It’s like she’s been immunized to the absolute horror human beings can inflict upon one another and today, this case is no exception. The female victim got repeatedly shot with a crossbow. It isn’t a pretty sight, but her mind has the ability to compartmentalize.

After a few minutes, Katniss feels bored as she isn’t one of the lead detectives on the case. Instead, she turns her head to where Finnick and Annie are sitting across the aisle from her. Both are great detectives and good friends of hers. They’re also known as the precinct’s most nauseating couple. Katniss can count on multiple hands how many times she’s caught them at work in a compromising position. She’s had more views of Finnick’s bare arse than any other guy she’s dated. Not that there’s been many, as she’s too committed to the job and not a big socialiser. After a 12-hour shift investigating murders, assaults and robberies she never feels the need to get dressed up and go out. She much prefers going home to her small but comfortable apartment, sitting around in her pyjamas, drinking hot chocolate and watching Netflix.

She doesn’t have many friends. When she was a teenager, she lost her beloved sister Prim and her parents in a car bombing, and ever since then she’s had difficulties in learning how to trust and be vulnerable around people. Even now years later, the hurt is still raw, but she knows - thanks to years of therapy - that she can’t live as a hermit for the entirety of her life.

So, over time and working in close proximity with Gale, Finnick and Annie she’s slowly taken baby steps and allowed them to worm their way into her heart. Even if she wanted to run and hide, their tenacity and loyalty have made it impossible for her to leave. They have her back and she has theirs.

Even Captain Abernathy plays an important role in her life. When they were growing up, she and her sister used to call him Uncle Haymitch, as he was good friends with their parents. He was always a permanent fixture at family barbeques and any big social occasion. Like her, he didn’t handle the nature of their deaths well. Where she purposely isolated herself from the world and didn’t eat or speak to anyone for months, Haymitch turned to white liquor for comfort. In the end, it got so bad that he could barely function. Now years - and a few stints in rehab later - he’s proudly sober and continues slaying that demon daily.

There is another person in Katniss’ life. Certainly the most important person. But these days she tries not to think about him too much.

From the moment Detective Peeta Mellark started his first day at the 75th precinct in Panem, he made it impossible for anybody to hate him. When he first stepped out of the elevator with his carefully styled blond hair and shining blue eyes, it was like he’d just come from a GQ photo shoot. His friendliness and charisma soon followed and caught the attention of everybody immediately, especially the women. Katniss tried to hold it against him, as she was wary of people who had that kind of influence, but his detective skills were too damn good to ignore. In the first few weeks of his arrival he helped her bring down Seneca Crane, a cybercriminal mastermind she’d been hunting for 2 years. After that, they’d worked multiple cases together and he quickly rose from being her casual drinking buddy and trivia teammate to her best friend and confidante.

On their shared days off they would often have lunch together at his family’s bakery before Katniss took him to the local park to teach him how to use a bow and arrow. He wasn’t very good, but he was always keen to join her every week. He had a habit of trying to make her laugh in order to throw her off, but it never worked and the day always left a big smile on her face.

But while he may not have been good at archery, one of Peeta’s many talents was baking. A taste of one of his flaky cheese buns always had her moaning out in pleasure. It soon became a weekly ritual for him to bring in an assortment of baked goods for the whole squad to massacre.

Those were the good old days filled with wonderful memories.

And then things changed.

The day Peeta told her he had to go away for a case and he wasn’t sure when he would be back had come as a shock to her. He had become such a permanent fixture in her life that she felt a sudden rush of loss and sadness. The rational side of her understood and knew the job came first, but the whole situation sucked. After they finally managed to say their goodbyes, she watched him walk away with nothing but a box of his belongings in his hands. But before he got into his car he’d paused and turned around to face her. She swore she saw intense longing staring back at her, an emotion she’d never seen from him before, and it had caused her to freeze in place.

As weeks flew by, she continued being haunted by that moment and spent most of her days trying to decipher what it meant. But ultimately, cases piled up on her desk and she soon stopped replaying the moment, coming to the conclusion that it meant nothing.

“Now, O’Dair. Cresta,” Haymitch barks, pulling Katniss out of her thoughts. “How’s your investigation going on John Cato and Rebecca Clove?”

“We don’t have anything solid on them yet, Captain,” Annie answers with disappointment.

“It won’t be long though,” Finnick adds. “They may be cunning, but they’re also overly confident. It’s a bad combination. They’ll slip up eventually.”

Haymitch nods, satisfied. “Hopefully it’s sooner rather than later.”

“According to our informant, they’re supposed to be meeting with their supplier in a couple of weeks. This could finally be our opportunity to arrest all their sorry asses,” Finnick tells him.

“Good. Keep on them for the next couple of weeks. If you need back up call Everdeen and Hawthorne.”

“Aye, Aye, Captain,” Finnick says, giving him a mock salute.

Haymitch groans in annoyance and closes his eyes. His mouth starts moving slightly, giving Katniss the impression he’s trying to keep his anger in check by counting to 10.

“Hey, Everdeen,” Gale whispers.

Katniss looks over and notices his chair is too close to her own. His muscular thigh is now touching hers, and she can feel the heat radiating off him like he’s trying to burn a hole through her pants.

“You feel like getting some breakfast at Sae’s after we wrap up here? My treat,” he adds, his gaze penetrating.

She narrows her eyes and wonders what the hell is going on with him lately. She’s not sure why he’s basically sitting right up against her and she can’t crack the ardent look he’s now giving her. Over the last few months, she’s noticed the increase of social invitations from him, all of which seemed to be on the romantic side. Only last week he invited her out to dinner to the swanky Panem Bistro. Luckily she’d been sick with a cold, so it had been easy to get out of it. But it hadn’t prevented him from stopping by her apartment with a container of soup.

The shooting range they attended earlier this morning was his idea, but as it was work-related, she didn’t see any harm in saying yes. But now the whole situation was getting confusing - one moment it seemed he was asking her out on a date, and the next moment she’s witnessing him flirt with Recruit Officer Undersee. She doesn’t get men - or more specifically, she doesn’t get Gale Hawthorne.

“Now, before I dismiss you I have an announcement to make,” Haymitch says, turning off the screen. Both Katniss and Gale straighten up in their chairs, forgetting their conversation for a moment, taking note of their Captain’s serious tone. She swears there’s now a look of pride etched upon his face as he looks around the room. And she must not be the only one who notices the change, as all voices in the room cease, and look up at him with renewed interest.

“Now, what I am about to tell you we’ve never been able to discuss as the details were highly classified. But as you all know, 18 months ago Detective Mellark left us to be part of an undercover operation with the FBI.”

Katniss’ body freezes. The sound of his name hits her hard.

“What you didn’t know was that Detective Mellark agreed to infiltrate the Capitol Mafia.”

There are surprised gasps all around the room, the loudest coming from Katniss. She knew he was going undercover, but she had no idea who or what it was for. Obviously, he couldn’t tell her anything and she understood that. But the Capitol Mafia?! That was huge. They’re the worst of the worst. Their leader Cornelius Snow is a sadistic bastard, who runs a highly dangerous underground gang who engage in money laundering, murder, kidnapping, drugs, and bribery. He’s known as the most notorious criminal in Panem, and he was good at covering his tracks. Whenever the precinct investigated one of his crimes there was barely any evidence to link him and when a witness did come forward they were always found poisoned with Nightlock days before they could testify in court.

“It was called Operation Mockingjay,” Haymitch continues above the hushed whispers. “It was originally supposed to be a 6-month stint. However, there were…complications and Detective Mellark was forced to stay undercover longer than we would have liked.

Katniss grips the table, her knuckles turning white.

“I’m proud and relieved to say that due to the FBI’s efforts, and Mellark’s outstanding work, Operation Mockingjay was a success and last night the FBI arrested Snow and 16 of his associates with a number of charges longer than my arm.”

Everyone in the room applauds and shouts out in glee. It’s not the most professional reaction you would see in a police station, but knowing Snow has finally been arrested brings an enormous sense of relief to everybody who’s ever come across his brutal handiwork.

Katniss, however, remains silent, her mouth unable to form words. She feels overwhelmed by the news and what Peeta was a part of. Luckily, Finnick looks over and must be able to read her mind as he’s voicing the only questions she wants to be answered right now.

“Does that mean Peet’s back? It’s over? He’s back at the seven five?”

Katniss eyes Haymitch with a wide, hopeful expression. Beside her, she thinks she feels Gale tense up, but she’s too engrossed in what’s happening right now to linger on it. Finally, Haymitch meets her gaze and his lips curl into a small smile they don’t see very often. “The boy is back.”

“Yes!” Finnick yells, jumping from his chair and fist bumping the air.

“When can we see him? Where is he?” Katniss bursts out, thankful her mouth is finally cooperating with her brain.

Haymitch pauses for a moment, a flash of hesitation in his eyes before he says. “You’ll find him in my office.”

Before Katniss knows what she’s doing, she’s leaping out of her chair and racing towards Haymitch’s office. She hears Finnick’s loud, hurried feet rushing up behind her.

When Katniss reaches her destination she’s confused for a moment, and wonders if in all the excitement and shock she’s accidentally run into the wrong office. She looks up at the name plaque on the door and knows immediately she’s in the right spot. But sitting on the opposite side of the Captain’s desk with his back to them is a man with broad shoulders and ink black hair. His whole body stiffens at their sudden intrusion before he slowly stands up and turns around to face them.

Katniss’ mouth drops open in shock. After Haymitch’s announcement, she was expecting to find her best friend with his signature grin waiting for her, before running over and wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug. But to her utter disappointment, none of that happens. Instead, the person in front of her looks like a stranger. He has Peeta’s familiar blue eyes, but they’re now etched with harshness and shaded by dark circles. His cheekbones are also sharp and defined like he’s lost some weight and his overall demeanour is wary and guarded.

“You’re back?” Katniss says, her tone coming out more like a question than a statement. 

Peeta takes her in silently for a moment. His eyes narrow in quiet contemplation as they travel down from head to toe, mapping her out, trying to become reacquainted. His shoulders relax slightly and he nods his head in acknowledgement. “Katniss.”

His voice is rough and deep like he’s been smoking a pack a day and he makes no other effort towards her. He’s just standing there, staring at her intently and it makes her feel lost.

“Wow, Peeta,” Finnick says, coming up to stand beside her, and taking in his friend’s new hair and dark leather attire. “You’re a brunette now.”

Peeta smirks and runs a hand through his hair, the action making it scruffier. “Yeah, well I thought if I’m going to join the dark side, I may as well put the effort in and go all out.”

Finnick chuckles nervously and leans against the door frame. It’s clear he’s not sure how to take this new Peeta Mellark as well.

“You didn’t join the dark side,” Katniss blurts out before her brain can catch up with her. She doesn’t like the way he’s talking. “You’re a police detective who went undercover to bring down one of the worst criminals in Panem’s history. What you did in the last year and a half was incredibly brave and the operation was a success because of you.”

Peeta looks over to her and shakes his head.

“Peeta, you’re a great detective –”

“Katniss, stop,” Peeta says, raising his hand suddenly, cutting her off. “I don’t want to talk about this now. So don’t go there.”

“It’s okay Peeta,” she continues, ignoring his wish and taking a tentative step towards him like she’s approaching a baby deer. “You’re home and you’re safe. It might take you awhile to forget about Snow, but –”

Peeta suddenly charges towards her, making Katniss freeze mid-sentence. He’s up in her face, looming down at her with a twisted and grotesque snarl. A rush of fear floods her insides.

“Forget, about Snow? Really, Katniss? You say it like it’s so damn easy, but you have no idea,” he spits out. She hears him take a few deep breaths, his eyes still piercing hers, before he transforms his face into a look of indifference. “Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I don’t want to forget? That I don’t want to forget Snow? That I don’t want to forget my time with him?”

His words scare her and suck the breath out of her lungs. His cold, unfamiliar glare awakens her need to run and lock herself in a cupboard like she used to do when she was younger. No matter what she ever said, the old Peeta would never have treated her like this. He’s not her Peeta anymore. She can’t even see a glimpse of the old him. He’s acting like their friendship never existed.

The atmosphere in the room is left cold and uneasy as Peeta takes a few steps back and looks down at the floor. He rubs a hand roughly across his forehead multiple times like he’s in pain or agitated.

“So, ummm…you’re back for good then?” Finnick asks carefully in the soundless space, hoping to break the discomfort.

“For now,” Peeta replies simply, not caring to extend his answer as he leans back against Haymitch’s desk. “So, enough about me. What have I missed around here?”

“Nothing much,” Finnick shrugs. “We got a new vending machine in the break room and the department finally updated our surveillance equipment. I wanted to take the new body cams home to try on Annie, but she wouldn’t let me.”

The corners of Peeta’s mouth curl up. “I’m glad to hear you’re still together. I would have thought by now you’d have fucked things up.”

A look of hurt flashes across Finnick’s face before he puts his signature smile back on. “Nah, man. Annie’s my reason for living. She’s my everything.”

Peeta’s eyes soften slightly at the sentiment and he nods his head. He briefly looks over to Katniss, but before she can meet his eyes, he’s turning back around and giving his attention to the new face standing at the door.

“Hey, Mellark. Good to see you, man,” the familiar voice of Gale rings out as he saunters into the office and stands beside Katniss.

“Gale. Nice to see you,” Peeta replies curtly, his eyes narrowing at his old colleague.

Although back in the day the two never fought and worked well together when they had to, there always seemed to be an underlying tension between them which Katniss never understood. She found it difficult sometimes as they were both her friends, yet if she wanted to hang out with them, she usually had to do it separately.

“I like the look you’ve got going on at the moment. It suits you.”

Katniss and Finnick turn and give each other perplexed looks.

“Thanks,” Peeta answers tightly, his jaw tense and eyes cold.

“Yeah, so you’ll notice some changes around here,” Gale continues, swinging his arm around Katniss’ shoulders, and bringing her in closer to his body.

She grows rigid on the spot, too surprised by the public display of affection to push him away.

“We moved some people around in the bullpen after you left on your…mafia holiday. Katniss is now at your desk next to me, but there’s an empty one near the kitchen you can have –”

“No!” Katniss cuts in and wriggles herself free of Gale’s grasp. “Peeta can have his desk back. It’s fine. I’ll take the spare one.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Peeta replies back gruffly. “I’ve already spoken to the Captain and I’ll be moving a desk down to the records room.”

“The creepy basement where no one ever goes?” Finnick asks surprised.

“Yeah, it’s perfect. Besides, open spaces don’t agree with me anymore.”

As he says this Katniss looks down and notices his left hand is shaking like it’s in spasm.

That’s new.

She watches the action sadly, feeling a sudden rush of warmth towards him, which is unexpected after their disastrous reunion. It’s a vulnerable moment (which the others choose to ignore) and it reminds her of the old Peeta. Yes, their first meeting has gone horribly, but once he gets back into his old routine he will remember who he is again and will be back to the Peeta Mellark they all know and love.

She’s pulled out of her reverie by Peeta who’s picking up a ratty box from the floor. She’s curious to know what’s inside, but he quickly balances the weight against his muscular chest before she can sneak a peek. As he heads towards the door, he stops calmly in front of Katniss and Gale.

“So, I’m assuming you two are together now,” he states evenly, his expression giving nothing away.

Katniss’ eyes widen at his assumption but before she can correct him, he’s already walking past them and calling out unkindly over his shoulder. “Sending you my condolences.”

The words sting and Katniss feels tears start to well in her eyes.

They watch him walk down the stairs to the basement, without even a backwards glance. Finnick turns to her in disbelief, while Gale mutters out, “I always knew he was an asshole,” before stomping out of the office.

Katniss wants to run after both of them. She wants to yell at Gale to find out what’s going on with him. And she wants to shake Peeta so hard that he comes back to himself, but her body won’t move. Instead, she feels exhaustion set in and it keeps her rooted to the spot.

“It will be alright, Kat,” Finnick tells her kindly, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “We all know you and Gale aren’t a couple and never will be. And even if it was true it’s none of Peeta’s business anyway. What he said was really uncalled for.”

Katniss nods her head, refusing to show any emotion. Instead, she says, “Thanks Finnick,” and heads towards the bullpen in a daze.

“He’ll come around,” he calls out behind her. “Just give him some time.”

Quietly, she sits down at her desk, ignoring the worried looks being sent her way and opens her top drawer, pulling out a handful of colored photographs. For years the squad used to display pictures of themselves all around the precinct. Some were from Christmas parties, training days, or simply goofing around with each other in between cases. When Peeta went undercover, Haymitch made her take down all the photos that featured him, in order to protect his cover. And they’ve laid in her drawer safe and sound ever since.

She stares sadly at the bundle in front of her, each colored memory seeming like a lifetime ago. In every photo, Peeta is either making a funny face or staring at the camera with an easy-going smile. She wonders when she’ll see it again and then a painful thought occurs to her.

What if they’re wrong? What if he never comes around?

A single tear falls quietly down her cheek. What if Peeta Mellark is lost to her forever?

[paranormalhappenings]

Scariest Haunted Places

Disclaimer: This is mostly by opinion and research

1. Myrtles Plantation

The Myrtles Plantation was built in 1796 by General David Bradford, the home is said to be haunted by several restless spirits. It is good to take note that research has said that upwards of 10 murders took place there, but others say that only one murder can be confirmed. Some of the spirits that haunt the home have their own notable personalities as they’ve been seen by visitors who have stayed at the now bed and breakfast. Disturbances are most noticeable during the night. One guest, Stacy Jones, founder of Central New York Ghost Hunters, said that while she was taking a tour she saw a heavy-set African-American woman wearing what appeared to be an apron walk by, on the porch of the home. If you’re someone who doesn’t particularly believe in paranormal activity, you may think it was just a worker in period clothing, but Stacy looked out to see where the person or spirit went, and nobody was there. As they stayed overnight, Stacy’s bet friend experienced most of the paranormal phenomena, she was held down and poked all night, unable to cry out for help. 

Now to name some of the notable happenings and spirits who haunt the home, other guests have experienced: 

A spirit named Chloe who was a former slave on the premises was allegedly hung for killing two girls, however the murders and the existence of Chloe are still in question.

The spirit of the two girls who were murdered are often seen playing on the veranda.

An attorney by the name of William Drew Winter lived at Myrtles from 1860 to 1871. William was shot by a stranger on the porch, as he was slowly losing life he managed to make it into the home and climb the stairs to try to make it to the second floor, however he didn’t make it up. He died on the 17th step. It is said that his last dying footsteps can be heard on the staircase. His murder is the only one that has been verified. 

Spirits of slaves have been known to appear and ask if they can do any chores. 

The grand piano is often heard being played by itself, repeating one haunting chord. 

2. Eastern State Penitentiary 

A favorite destination for many ghost hunters and open for public tours, the penitentiary as a spine chilling backstory. 

Built in 1829, the Gothic Structure was originally designed to hold only 250 inmates in solitary confinement. However, as many as 1,700 inmates were crammed into the cells. Al Capone was incarcerated to the penitentiary for an illegal weapons possession in 1929. It is said that during his stay, Capone was tormented by the ghost of James Clark, a man who was murdered by Capone himself during the infamous St. Valentines Day Massacre. Hauntings in the prison date as far back as 1940s, two guards and individuals were said to have experienced visions and many unexplained and unusual experiences. The Eastern State Penitentiary was abandoned sometime in 1971, this is when the activity spiked dramatically. Since the prisoners were so isolated and when being moved from one location to the other they had to wear a black hood to block there vision, there is no surprise that is commonly named one of the most haunted places in America. The famous TV show Ghost Hunters, caught one of the most famous and popular moments on camera in the Penitentiary. A shadow figure was caught on video in the catwalk section of the prison. 

Other guest encounters: 

Shadow-like figure that scoots away when you approach it. 

A figure that commonly stands in the guard tower is seen from time to time. 

In cellblock 12, an evil laugh or cackle is commonly heard.

A shadow-like figure has been spotted sliding down the wall in cellblock 6. 

Ghostly faces are said to appear in cellblock 4. 

3. The Queen Mary

This famous ship is known to be quite haunted, according to many people who have visited it or have worked on the ship or still do work there. The Queen Mary was once a luxury ocean liner, ending its days in 1967 to be purchased by the city of Long beach, California and transformed into a hotel. Said to be the most haunted part of the ship is the engine room, s 18-year-old sailor was attempting to escape a fire when he was crushed to death here. Knocking and banging on the pipes have been heard by many people. Frequently guests have witnessed the ghost of “lady in white.” It is thought that 150 ghosts haunt the ship, however the site has at least 49 known deaths, and has gone through the terrors of war. 

In the engine room where the 18-year-old was crushed to death, is Door 13, where another man was crushed to death in 1966 during a watertight door drill. The most popular areas for guests are the first and second class pools, they are no longer used for that purpose, but the ghosts still haunt the area. The first class swimming pool that has been closed for more than three decades, women are often spotted in 1930′s style swim suits wandering the decks near the pool. Some have said they heard the sound of splashing and have seen wet footprints near the pool leading to the changing rooms. A young girl has also been spotted with her teddy bear. In the second class pool, the ghost of a girl named Jackie is seen and heard quite often, she drowned in the pool back in the sailing days and refuses to move on, her voice and the sounds of laughter are often heard. 

4. Waverly Hills Sanatorium 

Originally a two-story wooden structure opened in 1910,  now a larger brick and concrete structure still standing today was completed in 1926. This hospital was dedicated to the treatment of tuberculosis patients. The treatments that patients underwent could be considered bizarre to most people. Medical authorities felt that fresh air, lots of fresh air, was the best medicine, so patients were rolled out onto porches and patios, no matter the weather or temperature, this happened year-round, during rain storms, sunny days or snowy days. Other “ therapy” included surgically removing several ribs and muscles from the person, this was in hopes that their lungs would expand further, potentially curing them. Balloons were inserted into lungs in the hopes of the same effect. Many patients died due to these attempted “cures.” The treatments were failures, up until the 1040′s when medications were being discovered and were successful, tens of thousands died at Waverly Hills, the deaths started to cause problems for the staff, they feared that living patients would give up hope seeing so many hearses come to the building, so they decided to add on a tunnel that was rigged to take corpses from an entrance on the ground floor to the far side of the nearby hill, this kept the corpses out of sight. 

Once the number of tuberculosis cases astonishingly plummeted, the sanatorium was closed in 1961 only to be reopened and converted to a care facility for the elderly. Rumors quickly spread that abuse was taking place in the facility, this included strange experiments on unwilling victims and electro-shock treatments done to patients that had non-existent conditions. The elderly who went into the facility who were sound of mind didn’t remain there for long, eventually the facility was closed down in 1982.

Paranormal phenomena has been reported by ghost investigators, this includes voices, cold spots and unexplained shadows. Screams have also been heard in the abandoned hallways, and apparitions have been encountered. 

5. Rolling Hills Asylum 

This 53,000+ square foot building sits in New York, and is a popular destination for ghost hunters. Opened in 1827 and originally The Genesse County Poor Farm, it was created to house eligible for assistance, this included paupers, alcoholics, lunatics, the blind, lame, or handicapped, orphans, widows, vagrants, and a couple murders. In the 1950s it became the Old County Home and Infirmary, and initially in the 90s it was made into shops and an antiques mall. 

Back when it was the Genesse County Poor Farm, the cost to care for each person was low, only $1.08 back in 1871. The residents in their care were referred to as inmates, no matter what there were housed for and those who were physically able to work, were put to work on the farm and many actually build and made wares to sell to help with the cost of living expenses. They raised pigs, horses, chickens and ducks, grew vegetable and fruit crops, canned jams, jellies and meats as part of their chores, there was also a bakery and even a wood shop where they crafted coffins were made to sell to local mortuaries and used when needed. They would bury those who had no family, and the records indicated that they was once a cemetery on the property. In 1886 the burying ground was improved by building a fence in front and was graded and leveled. The cemetery is now faded away, the stones crumped, grass has grown and the forest was replanted. No one was around to keep up the cemetery for the ones who were buried there and long forgotten. 

There has been reports of voices, doors being mysteriously held shut, screams at night, and shadows. Rolling Hills Case Manager, Suzie Yencer, experienced something herself in September 2007. During a public hunt, a man who was filming a document took the group and hey sat in a circle, only a pink glow stick for a light source in the middle, they also placed a ball and a rocking horse in the middle. She was conducted to be the only on to talk and try to make contact, the more she talked the more things began to happen. The glow stick moved back and forth, the rocking horse rocked and an arm came out of nowhere to grab the ball and shortly vanish. 

6. Stanley Hotel

This hotel was completed in 1909 by Freelan Oscar Stanley, the inventor of the Stanley steamer automobile, it is a 138-room hotel in Colorado. It is famous for being the inspiration for Stephan King’s book The Shining, which he wrote after staying at the hotel in room 217, however he didn’t write the book there, nor was the film filmed there, but the TV movie version the hotel was used as the location.  

The story of the hotel started back in 1903 when Stanley arrived in Colorado, he was weak and underweight, but staying in Colorado for a season restored his health, this caused him to return for each summer until he passed away. His wife Flora however was used to the East Coast society, the little community of Estes Park offered little to nothing for her to stimulate and challenge her genius mind. So, together they decided to build a hotel, once opened, the guests were amazed of the beauty. 

There are reports of several apparitions and other phenomena:

The ghosts of Freelan and Flora haven been spotted dressed formally on the main staircase and in other areas, like the lobby and billiard room. Freelan has also been seen in offices as if he was watching over the books and Flora’ s piano playing occasionally echoes throughout the ballroom. 

Voices are heard and footsteps without owners are heard in the hallways and rooms. Staff and guests have said that their clothing gets yanked by unseen people and more than one guest has reported to have their blankets taken from beds and neatly folded. 

The Earl of Dunraven, the original owner of the land before the Stanleys, is said to haunt room 407, the smell of his cherry pipe tobacco still lingers. A face has also been spotted peering out of the room while it is not occupied. 

In room 217, the room Stephen King stayed in, there was a tragic accident in 1911, a housekeeper by the name of Elizabeth Wilson was nearly killed by a gas leak explosion. After her death in the 1950s, there has been strange, unexplained activity has been reported in room 217, doors open and closing by themselves, and lights switching on and off.

Room 418 is considered to be the most haunted room by hotel staff, it is apparently haunted by ghosts of children. Guests who have stayed in the room have said that they can hear children playing in the hallways at night. A couple complained to staff of the noisy children, but there was no children staying at the hotel at that time. There has also been impressions in the bed when nobody was in the room. 

A ghost of a child has been spotted on the second floor, including by Stephen King, the child calls out for his nanny. 

7. Sallie House

A simple brick house in Atchison, Kansas, gained national reputation as one of the most haunted places in the U.S. And also the most haunted in the state. It sits at 508 N. Second St, it doesn’t give off a spooky vibe from the outside. It was built between 1867 and 1871. 

It was first brought to national attention when Debra and Tony Pickman owned it, they lived there from 1992 to 1994, they had many disturbing encounters, this included physical attacks on Tony, these were documented  by the Sightings TV show. The name Sallie come from the daughter of previous tenants who had an imaginary friend named Sallie, she is believed to be one of the ghosts who haunts the home. When Tony drew a picture of the ghost Sallie he had seen, the daughter immediately identified her has her friend. In the 1940′s, by coincident or not, a family who lived there had a daughter named Sallie, however she did not die in the house or at a young age. 

The Pickmans experienced many different encounters of paranormal phenomena, this included their pictures hung on the walls being turned upside-down, candles melted in a strange away along with burnt finger marks, multiple phots anomalies, Tony’s spotting of Sallie on Halloween morning in ‘93, Tony heard a voice of a woman said “Here’s your remote,” as the remote itself was placed on his chest by an unseen person, during the Sightings taping, Tony got three bloody scratches on his arm, and one night Tony dreamt that he was being pulled out of bed by a girl, when he woke up he found burn marks on his wrist, the fingerprints were the size of a small child. 

The home has been investigated by the Kansas Paranormal Group, they have done extensive research, they even labeled the home as being possible haunted by a demonic force, this is because of the many violent incidents. 

8. Ohio State Reformatory

Considered one of Ohio’s greatest buildings still stand today, it sits right outside of Mansfield. It has a gothic and dark look, which has caused it to be a set for multiple movies, such as The Shawshank Redeption, also it’s a pretty haunting place because of it's history.

The history of the Ohio State Reformatory started out in 1861, the field where it would be built was a training camp for Civil War soldiers, the name was Camp Mordecai Bartley, this was to honor a Mansfield man who served as the Ohio governor in the 1840s. Mansfield was promoted as a possible candidate for the placement of a penitentiary, an Intermediate Penitentiary, it was indented to be a halfway point between Boys Industrial School in Lancaster and the State Penitentiary located in Columbus. It was meant to house mostly young offenders who were first-timers who might of been still reformed.  

Mansfield was officially selected in 1885 as the site for the Reformatory ,construction began with Levi T. Scofield as the head architect. the design was meant to replicate that of Cathedral style buildings, this was mainly in hopes that the inmates would be inspired to be better people. Even with that inspiration it still ended up with a gothic style, somewhat like if Dracula decided to build a castle in Ohio. In September 1896 the building was opened and the first 150 prisoners were brought to the Reformatory by train from Columbus, once there they were immediately put to work, they worked on the prison sewer system and the 25-foot wall that surrounded the 15-acre complex. It took until 1910 to officially finish the building. It houses the world’s largest free-standing cell block, that is six tiers high. 

There was a few famous prisoners that were in the prison, Henry Baker went on to achieve notoriety as a member of the Brinks Gang in the 50s. Gates Brown served a year from ‘58 to ‘59, he played baseball for the Detroit Tigers. And in ‘89 Kevin Mack was a star running back for the Cleveland Browns, he did a month for drug charges. 

The Reformatory is known to have accumulated horror stories over the years, two corrections officers died here, one in 1926, he was shot to death by a former inmate attempting to spring his friend, and another in 1932, he was beaten to death with a iron rod in solitary confinement

Several ghosts haunt the reformatory, including Warren and Helen Glatkee, who once worked there. Helen died from an accidental gunshot, some suspect her husband shot her. Warren died sometime later, after he died the haunting began.

[travelsbeyondbehind]

Sarajevo is a rich mix of faiths and cultures with its citizens at the heart of so much of 20th century history including  the events which to World War 1, the fall of communism, the 1984 Olympics and the wars of the 1990s.  Because of this, I’ve been planning a trip to Sarajevo for about 6 years.  So, as a reward for finishing my PhD, my partner and I embarked on a road trip through Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro and Croatia.  As with many holidays nowadays, the starting point for planning was the internet and researching other people’s experiences.  Google didn’t produce many guides for a road trip so here’s our itinerary.

Oysters & Chardonnay in Istanbul

Day 1: To Sarajevo: Manchester to Sarajevo: 2 Flights, airport to city centre 10km/30min drive.  Highlight: Oysters at Istanbul Airport

One of the first decisions UK travellers have to take is how to get to Sarajevo from the UK.  With no direct flights to Sarajevo, the options are routing via Vienna or, as we did, via Istanbul.  We broke the 12 hour journey with Oysters and Turkish Chardonnay at Istanbul airport which brought a tad of class to an otherwise uneventful journey.

The road in to central Sarajevo from the airport takes you down sniper alley where bullets came down on locals from the mountains during the city’s siege in the 1990s.  You also pass high rise blocks built for the 1984 Olympics, the Bosnia & Herzegovina parliament and then the Miljacka river with its famous bridges.

That evening, we walked around the centre encountering for the first time its mosques, coffee shops and the odd hipster bar – the rich mix of culture and history was evident from the outset.

Day 2: Sarajevo: City of Contrasts:  Sarajevo: No travel.  Highlight: Gallery 11/07/95

I opened the curtains to find a view that summarised much of what I had read about Sarajevo: a Mosque & church, mountains & water, ruins & men repairing a river bank. This is a city being (re)built around its multiple faiths, rich & beautiful natural resources and its industrious people.

Mountains &; River, Mosque & Church in Sarajevo

Sarajevo from Yellow Bastion

The day was spent exploring the city:

The East side with its lower wooden buildings, bazaars and mosques.  The West side with its stone, larger, almost Austrian buildings and churches.  Throughout, bullet marks and Sarajevo roses where mortar craters have been filled with red resin.

Gallery 11/07/95 which tells the story of Srebrenica massacre through photographs and a powerful audio tour (extra but well worth it).  At the end there was also a moving film about the Sarajevo siege which depicted children of all backgrounds playing together in a burnt out car even as bombs fell.  We both teared up.

Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque with its calm courtyard, simply decorated building and welcoming people.

The Yellow Bastion with its dramatic view over the city.  It’s reached by walking through Muslim Graveyards from the siege years when any parkland had to be taken over in order to bury the dead.

That evening, we discovered some of the local haunts: on the eastern side we enjoyed skater shop cum craft ale bar Board Room (1 Đulagina čikma) whilst in the west, the bar with the balloons (Ort at Sime Milutinovića Sarajlije 15) was a buzzing place to spend a couple of hours.

Day 3: Into the Mountains:  Sarajevo to Šćepan Polje (Montenegro border) via Olympic Bobsleigh & Tjentište, 157km/3hr30min drive.  Highlight: Mountain Roads / Beers overlooking Tara Canyon

Sarajevo Olympic Bobsleigh Track

Communist war memorial at Tjentiste

We left the city today and headed for the mountains on roads which seemed almost vertical for the first few miles.  We visited two concrete ruins: firstly the remains of the Olympic Bobsleigh track outside Sarajevo.  Then, after a windy drive in to the mountains the memorial at Tjentiste which remembers a military success by Tito in World War II.

Tara Canyon

The drive then became rougher with the road in pretty poor condition and (occasionally) filled with animals.  Eventually, we reached the border and crossed in to Montenegro.  A few metres later was our accommodation; sat on the banks of the upper Tara Canyon we fed on the views – as well as the local beers and food.

  Day 4: Canyons & Mountains: Šćepan Poljeto to Žabljak via Piva Canyon, Durmitor national park, Tara Gorge & Black Lake, 150km/3hr30min drive.  Highlight: Drive through Piva Canyon & Durmitor national park

Within minutes of leaving our accommodation we found ourselves in a spectacular canyon with cliffs, tunnels and running water.  We then headed in to the mountains and the Durmitor national park: beautiful valleys and awe-inspiring rock formations.  This two hour drive remains one of the highlights of the trip.

Piva River

Durmitor national park

Black Lake

The afternoon was filled with a zip line across the Tara Canyon (impressive if not that much of an adrenaline rush), a pleasant walk around the beautiful Black Lake and a visit to some stecci (ancient tomb stones).  The day ended in a remote cottage with a log fire, local wine and a view out across the valley.

Kotor Bay from Mausoleum of Petar II

Day 5: To the Coast:  Žabljak to Kotor via Locven Park, 203km/3hr30min drive.  Highlight: Mausoleum.  

We spent the day driving from North to South Montenegro, enjoying the autumnal colours, particularly in Lovcen National Park.  We stopped at the Mausoleum of Petar II Petrovic-Njegos which offered our first views of Kotor bay below.  We then took the Kotor Serpentine in to the town (ignore Googlemaps which tries to route you via Budvar!) which provided more views of the mountains and sea below.

Kotor was a little disappointing during the daylight hours but in the evening when the cruise ship crowds had left and the light made the unkempt parts seem a little romantic, we warmed to the place.  And the fine local wines helped a little, too.

Day 6: Mountains & Lakes:  Kotor to Dubrovnik via Herceg Novi & Perast, 92km/2hr drive.  Highlight: Perast / wine & cheese in Dubrovnik.  

Kotor Bay at Perast

Dubrovnik from above

Another day, another set of astonishing views.  Today we circled the lakes near Kotor and stopped to admire the views.  Perast is a lovely little town and worth some time; Herceg Novi is less so and could have been skipped.  We then crossed the border and headed to Dubrovnik; the coastal border between Montenegro and Croatia is one of the busier crossings so took a little time.  Very pretty but now very discovered with cruise ships & coaches filling the town as well as increasing the prices.  But we had two very pleasant moments: drinking Croatian fizz high above the city near the cable car station.  And sampling local wines and meets/cheeses in a little bar in town (Wine bar razonoda, Ul. od Puča 1).  Classy ways to pass time in a classy city.

Day 7: Beauty & Hurt:  Dubrovnik to Mostar via Kravica waterfalls &  Blagaj, 212km/3hr45min drive.  Highlights: Waterfalls / Bosniak side of Mostar.  

We headed north along the coast from Dubrovnik, picking up the A1 motorway to head in to Bosnia.  First stop, Kravica waterfalls which are spectacular and tranquil.  We crossed over to the other bank which was nearly deserted and offered us some time to read and relax.  From here we headed to tranquil Blagaj with its Tekija (monestry) and glowing water.

Kravica waterfalls

Mostar at sunset

We ended the day in Mostar: a fine example of Ottoman architecture.  The very centre has been rebuilt sensitively and is particularly good in evening when crowds left. The suburbs are growing and seemingly wealthier than when I visited 5 years ago.  But 25 years after war, destruction from bombing and snipers is still clear on Bosniak side just a road away from the famous bridge; possibly for legal reasons, certainly financial ones, the rebuilding has not started here.  And yet the church can afford to build a huge tower to show their presence and wealth. Reconciliation is clearly still ongoing.

Day 8: 1984 Revisited: Sarajevo via Konjic, Olympic Sky Jumps, Hotel Igman & Tunnel Museum, 165km/3hr drive.  Highlights: Ski Jumps & Hotel Igman.  

Konjic

We travelled deeper in to Bosnia, heading back to Sarajevo.  We stopped in the town of Konjic to admire another fine Ottoman bridge (rebuilt with funds from Turkey) but also spotted the remains of bombed mosques.  We then headed to the mountains behind Sarajevo to visit two 1984 Olympic sites which were then damaged 8 years later in the war. First, sky jumps and the medallists’ podium along with a chair lift, painted in Olympic colours, which happened to be working that day.  It felt a little unsteady but offered brilliant views of the country side.  There were still UN labels on some of the buildings from when they had been used in the war.   A mile or so down the road is the former Hotel Igman: a luxury Olympic hotel turned military HQ in under 10 years. Now a heartbreaking ruin.

Mount Igman: Ski Jumps & Lifts

Mount Igman: Hotel/Military HQ

We drove in to Sarajevo conscious of the pains which had been inflicted on the city.  We stopped at the Tunnel Museum which shows how the city tried to survive (and has a good audio guide using your own mobile – take your headphone).  We ended the day with drinks in the centre of this pretty city where the new businesses are an indication it is moving forward whilst remembering its past.

Day 9: Istanbul – Eventually: Sarajevo to Istanbul, city centre to airport 10km/30min drive, 1 flight.  Highlight: Discovering bars in streets around Mumhane Cd.  

Gelata

Today was meant to be a simple two hour flight and in central Sarajevo it was beautifully sunny.  But by the time we reached the airport, fog had set in and the flight was delayed by 3 hours.  On arrival in to Istanbul, we took a taxi in to the centre and explored on foot: firstly crossing the Golden Horn, the streets around Gelata and ending by discovering some trendy, hipster bars on Mumhane Cd.  It may have been a Tuesday night but it was buzzing like a Friday night in London.

Day 10: Mosques & Islam:  Istanbul: no travel.  Highlight: Watching worship at Blue & Suleymaniye Mosques.  

Day 10 was spent vising three impressive Mosques: firstly the huge Aya Sofia with its history as church, Mosque and national museum; watching people pray beneath the Blue Mosque’s colourful tiles; being welcomed in the peaceful Suleymaniye Mosque.  We briefly visited the Basilica Cistern which is an intriguing site.  We ended the day shopping in the Grand Bazaar before exploring the back streets of Istanbul: full of atmosphere with people talking, shopping, working & praying.

Aya Sofia

Blue Mosque

Hamami

Day 11: Happy Ending?  Istanbul: no travel.  Highlight: Hamami.  

An easy day with a trip on the Bosphorus using the local ferry for a 90 minute cruise followed by Mackerel sandwiches on the quay front.  And then a relaxing scrub in a Hamami with tea and soap leaving me clean for a final night in Istanbul.  We ate at Neolokal, in the SALT Galata building, with modern takes on traditional Turkish dishes and a good wine list topped off with a great view over the Golden Horn.

Day 12: Home Time:  Istanbul to Manchester: 1 flight. Highlight: making the plane! 

We took the tram out to the airport to see a little of the city.  It’s worth noting that the Istanbul tram and metro system has a similar system to London’s Oyster Card but that you can scan it multiple times so you only need one for a couple, passing the card back for the next person to use.  The metro was not a fast journey and security is tight to get in to the airport with baggage searched before being allowed to check-in and passports being checked 7 times before boarding the plane.  We made it with a few minutes to spare and home in a matter of ours.

Final Thoughts:  It was an excellent trip with natural beauty, cultural diversity and undiscovered gems.    The highlights remain as Sarajevo with its history and the stunning Piva Canyon & Durmitor national park.

12 days, 4 countries, 13 border posts, over 1000km driven, 4 flights, 1000 photos, 1 excellent travel companion: 1 brilliant road trip.

Map: https://goo.gl/maps/x9upKBnAAd12

  A 12 day itinerary from Sarajevo taking you to the best of the Balkans plus time in Istanbul. Sarajevo is a rich mix of faiths and cultures with its citizens at the heart of so much of 20th century history including  the events which to World War 1, the fall of communism, the 1984 Olympics and the wars of the 1990s.