Sarah caught her breath as the dilapidated manor door swung open, allowing sunlight to filter in as the real estate agent stepped inside. She followed close behind, taking a moment as she stepped into her soon to be new home to allow her eyes to adjust to the gloominess of the interior.
"It's still as wonderful as I remember."
The real estate agent, a woman in her mid forties, turned back to Sarah from where she stood at the bottom of the large staircase which led up to the second story, and from there up to the attic.
"Sarah, are you still positive that this house won't be too much for you?"
Sarah smiled at the concern in the other woman's voice, and shook her head.
"I'm positive. I know it needs a lot of work, and I'll have to sink a lot of money into the restoration, but it's perfect. I know it sounds strange, but from the moment I saw it, I knew this was… Home."
"Well, then, if you're sure, let's do another quick walkthrough and then you can sign the papers."
Sarah followed obligingly through the downstairs, imagining the furniture she'd purchase for the formal sitting and dining rooms, the colors of paint she'd use on the walls in the living room and kitchen, and what the amazing hardwood floors would look like once they were cleaned and refinished.
After the quick run through on the ground floor, they headed upstairs to do a quick peek into the bedrooms. All five were spacious, and each had its own adjoining bathroom. As they passed the first bedroom, Sarah sighed. From what she'd seen of the room through the keyhole, it was perfect for her room, and just a bit bigger than the others. Unfortunately, the door was locked and there was no key to be had. As she passed it, however, it seemed like she caught the faint sound of music coming from the room. Pausing, she turned to the door and reached for the doorknob. It turned easily in her hand and she gasped as the door opened.
The room was fully decorated, complete with furniture. And Sarah was sure it hadn't been that way when she'd peeked through the keyhole a few days before.
A huge king-sized bed stood in the middle of the room, a huge canopy hanging over it, with yards of green and gold satin curtains making it into an oasis. A large stone fireplace took up the left wall, with two green and gold upholstered chairs flanking it, and a cherry armoire stood against the right wall. Sarah took it in for a moment, then she noticed two things simultaneously. The first was that her agent was standing in the door, talking to her, but she wasn't listening to the words. Her attention had been drawn to the wall behind the bed, where a large portrait hung. It depicted a man in eighteenth century clothing, as close as she could tell, with a long black cloak hanging down over the rump of the huge white stallion he sat astride. His long blonde hair was blown back from his face, and his eyes seemed to stare intently down at Sarah. She was so caught up in the portrait that when a hand laid gently on her arm, she jumped.
"Sarah, this room is amazing! How did you get the door open?"
Sarah glanced back at the picture and shrugged.
"I don't know. Maybe it wasn't locked, only stuck. But it opened anyway."
Now it was the agent's turn to look up at the picture. She did so admiringly, and whistled slightly under her breath.
"My, but he's a stunning specimen, isn't he? Funny though, it seems that his eyes are different colors…"
As the words dissolved into the rooms musty air, Sarah had a moment of dizziness. For a moment, it seemed she knew the man in the painting, and that everything that was happening around her had happened before…
She shook her head and turned to the door, suddenly eager to get not only out of the room, but out of the house as well.
"Let's got sign those papers, shall we?"
She felt only a little better when the door closed firmly behind her.