Hello, author here. I have a little request for this tale; throughout this story, I will leave this (Play) above a paragraph or above a chapter. This is an instruction to open a tab on Youtube and search for the music that goes with and inspired this story. The title of the story matches the album to look for and the name of the chapter matches the track to listen to. The music is, hopefully, going to add to the atmosphere of the story as well as spark off your imagination and give you a good idea of what is happening. Please read and give some constructive criticism and I hope you enjoy.


Prologue – The Will and The Quest

The Bennett family were gathered in their living room, listening to a suited (and boring) solicitor as he read the Last Will and Testament of Lenora Bennett. The youngest members of the family, Jamie and Sophie, were more focused on the fact that their beloved grandmother had passed. No more stories of magic and fantasy and no more hushed whispers of haunted mansions and a family curse. According to their slightly batty grandmother, the family were descended from one of the founding families of their home town Burgess. The Overlands had been among the first to move here and some of their traits could still be seen in the Bennetts; mostly brunette hair and a mischievous attitude. This curse apparently began with the Overlands and still continued today with the Bennetts; a curse to bring nothing but misfortune and woe upon the Overlands and their descendants. The stories frightened and thrilled the two children but they didn't really believe them... until the solicitor mentioned their names and a male brunette head and a female blonde head both jerked up, fixing brown and green eyes on the suited man.
"To my darling grandchildren, James and Sophia Bennett-" The siblings cringed slightly as their full names were used in the boring man's monotonous voice. Only their grandmother had used them. And their mother but only when she was mad. "I leave the stories I told, a letter which shall be given to them by my solicitor and the deed to the Overland mansion on the outskirts of Burgess." This put the entire family in shock. Jamie was only twelve while Sophie had just turned seven. They were far too young to own a house, especially a mansion!
"Did she really write that?" Jamie asked and approached to see for himself. The solicitor was proved right as Jamie read his grandmother's words for himself. "Looks like we have a house, Sophie." He told his younger sister with a slightly shakey voice. "And it happens to be the only haunted house in Burgess."

They could discuss the myths and rumours of the ancient mansion on the outskirts of town all they liked later. For now, Jamie wanted the letter his grandmother had written to him and his sister. He held out his hand, waiting for it. He got an unimpressed look from his parents and the solicitor but the letter was placed in his slightly pudgy hand anyway. Jamie then grabbed his sister's hand and they both tore upstairs, plonked themselves on Jamie's bed and opened the letter.
"To my darling grandchildren." Jamie read aloud. "If you are reading this, it means I am no longer here and it is your turn to carry on my life's work. Your mother never understood, never listened to my stories. She did not try to discover the cause of the family curse nor find out why our ancestors disappeared. And if our ancestors did disappear, how do we exist? We are descended from them, Overland blood is within us. This is a hard task for two children but your mother never had the drive and I am no longer here. It is your turn now. I need you to start at the old circus ground. Travel there the night you get this letter and explore. What you will find... I do not know, I could never gain entrance. It seems to repel adults but children manage to get in all the time. I will understand if you choose not to do this. You can grow up and tell the same stories to your own children and grandchildren and, perhaps, they will find the answers. If you do choose to take up my task, then good luck to you both. I love you, Grandma Lenora." The last words were read with a choked up voice and Sophie's eyes were brimming with tears and fear.
"Grandma wants us to go to the old circus ground?" She asked in a trembling voice. "But everyone knows it's haunted! What are we going to do Jamie?"
Jamie sat still, rereading the letter again and again as his mind listed the pros and cons of following their Grandmother's instructions. He finally looked up at his sister and made his decision.