''Is this the place?''Horatio asked.
''I'm afraid it is,''Calleigh answered,staring up at the old mansion.
The only building in Miami that was five times the size of the police department was Lunar Manor. The outside of the victorian mansion had fallen into disrepair;the once white paint had peeled off long ago,and the constant years of rain had turned the exterior to a deep shade of gray. The mansion was surrounded by a ten foot steel fence that,despite the level of rust,refused to budge from the ground. The garden and grass were both long dead,almost looking as if they had been burned.
The mansion had once been made of stone,but over the years,the people that cared for it replaced the crumbling stones with wood and brick.
The windows were strangely without cracks and still made of the original glass. The stairs leading to the main entrance had not yet been overgrown by plants. But,the ground didn't look at all fertile enough to support life. The trees were dead and black. Yes,there was a fire at one point. But the mansion showed no signs of fire damage. Lining the stairs to the main entrance were eight knights carved out of stone;each shield had one of the eight phases of the moon.
''This is where the victim was located?''Eric asked uncomfortably.
''Not here;in the main hall...in the mansion,''Horatio answered.
''In there?!''the Cuban questioned panicking.
''Come on,''Horatio called.
Waiting for the team in front of the main doors was an old woman. She was wearing a black dress and purple shawl. She held a skeleton key in her hands for the lock.
''Martha,''Horatio greeted.
''I wondered when I'd be seein' you again,Horatio. I'm gonna warn ya...I haven't been in here in seventy years. But if I had to guess what killed that poor girl,I'd say it was Madame Báthory herself. This house was built for her and her family,after all.''
''This house can't possibly be that old,''Eric commented.
''Aye,but it is. It was built in 1590. I found the plans for it in the library. Now don't make too much noise while yer in there. You'll wake the spirits.''
Martha slipped the key into the rusted lock and opened the doors.
''And stay away from the third floor master bedroom and the basement. Those are favorite spots for her spirit,''she looked at Eric and pointed a bony finger at him,''You're faith is strong. But if you wake Madame Báthory,You'd better hope it's strong enough to protect your companions.''
Horatio nodded for his team to proceed into the great hall.
''You had better be extra careful yourself,Horatio. You have no faith,and as such,no protection. You are in the most danger.''
She placed the key in Horatio's hand and left.
''Is she serious? Was this place built for the Blood Countess?''Ryan squeaked.
Horatio nodded. ''I was in here once when I was a child. You best heed her warnings. Touch nothing but the victim.''
''H? You might want to see this,''Frank called. Horatio looked away from his team and towards Frank. The Texan was standing in front of a large wall.
''I didn't think the paint would last this long,''Horatio whispered.
''What?''
''Martha used to live here. While she lived here,she collected family trees. She would meet people on the street and become close friends with them. When they trusted her enough,they would share their family trees with her,and she would paint them on this wall.''
''Oh look. Here's yours,''Frank said,pointing to another tree.
''Yes. Martha felt it was her duty to warn as many children as she could about this place. A form of guardian,if you will. I spent a few years here myself after my parents' death. I loved to explore the various rooms and always managed to get lost.''
''That's just weird,''Eric added.
''What?''
''You? Getting lost? I didn't think it was possible!''Eric said chuckling.
Horatio rolled his eyes and scanned the wall as best as he could with the light provided by the open door.
''Can we close that door and turn on the lights?''Calleigh asked.
''No! Leave it open!''Horatio practically screamed at her when she went to close it.
''Jesus,H! What is your problem?!''Frank asked.
''That was the victim's mistake,Frank. You never close that door when you come to visit,''he motioned towards the body,''she closed it. As soon as you close that door,part of you becomes at one with this house and you can't leave unless you leave something of yourself here. She tried to leave without giving anything. You notice that none of her blood touches the carpet,and turning on the lights will wake whatever's trapped in here.''
''Well then what killed her? Because I can't find anything in these wounds,''Alexx called,''Can we take the body with us?''
Horatio bent down and took a knife from Alexx's kit. He cut a piece away from the bloody dress the girl was wearing and placed it in the center of the table near the door.
The team just stared.
''It's not the cloth,but the blood that counts. It stays here.''
''But Horatio,what if there's trace on that?''Ryan asked.
''Even Rick will back me up on this one. The cloth stays here. You won't find any trace on the body anyway. The wounds weren't caused by any form of weapon.''
''Well,then you get to help me examine it,''Alexx quipped.
''One question,H.'' Horatio turned to Frank.
''Why is this place called Lunar Manor?''
''Even I am not entirely sure,other than construction was completed on the night of a full moon.''
Please review! I'm hoping to post chapter 2 soon.