Hardin Inn: A Legends of Hainted Ditch Story

The Haunted Hardin Inn

based on the screenplay
Legends of Hainted Ditch © 12/26/2017
by Lance J. Gosnell and Grant J. Mullins

Adapted into a short story on 8/12/23 by Lance J. Gosnell.

Laura drove along the interstate, irritated by the reckless truck drivers around her. Her brother Alex rode shotgun, nose buried in his notebook. “Researching local history again?” Laura asked. “Actually, I’ve been looking into our family’s past. Did you know our ancestor, Jonathan Hardin, owned an inn here in the 1800s? The stories say he might have been involved in some dark events,” replied Alex. Laura felt a shiver down her spine. She hoped that Alex’s research was purely for curiosity’s sake.

They pulled into a truck stop to eat. A man named Moses Hudson approached them. He was a paranormal investigator and shared chilling tales about the Hardin family. He offered to take them to the old Hardin Inn, claiming there were unexplained phenomena there. Laura wanted to dismiss it as nonsense, but Alex’s adventurous spirit led him to accept the offer.

Against her better judgment, Laura joined Alex and Moses at the eerie Hardin Inn, now operating as a bed and breakfast. The owner, Elizabeth, seemed hospitable at first.

That night, Laura witnessed a ghostly figure in the cemetery – a woman with a haunting presence. “We need to leave this place!” she pleaded with Alex. He was determined to gather more evidence, and Moses supported his decision. With reluctance, Laura agreed to stay for one more night.

The following day, they stumbled upon an old ledger that provided evidence of Jonathan Hardin’s involvement in mysterious deaths at the inn. Laura thought they had unraveled the truth, but the paranormal activity intensified that night. A whispering apparition seized her arm, and in her terror, she screamed and was consumed by darkness.

In the basement, Alex discovered Laura’s lifeless body, a bloody gash on her head. He carried her upstairs, consumed by guilt for leading them into this nightmare.

The next morning, Alex was determined to confront the malevolent spirit. A fierce battle ensued between him and the ghost of Jonathan Hardin. As dawn approached, Alex shattered the tombstone, causing the ghost to fade away. Yet, Laura’s essence remained lost.

Weeks later, in a hospital near the truck stop, Laura awoke with her head bandaged. She had suffered amnesia. She insisted on seeing her brother, believing him to be alive despite the doctor’s claims that he had died in a tragic incident at the truck stop. The doctor tried to convince her that her memories were distorted, but Laura couldn’t shake the feeling that something supernatural had occurred.

As she grappled with her sanity, Laura’s mind was haunted by the spectral events at the Hardin Inn. The doctor’s explanations left her even more bewildered, and she found herself questioning reality. The chilling uncertainty of her experience left her deeply unsettled.