The group of Bladers' arrived at an old mansion on a not so perfect Sunday afternoon. The sky was heavy with dark clouds that predicted a fierce storm. Tyson, Max, Rei, Kenny, Kai, Jen, and Mariah all stood on the front steps of the huge mansion. They were going to stay there for the next few weeks, though none were thrilled by the looks of the place.
The point of the trip wasn't just for vacation but to get away from civilization and practice bladeing in peace. Another wild idea from Mr. Dickenson. Mariah had been invited so that Jennifer wouldn't be the only girl. Plus she was Rei's girlfriend.
A cold wind blew past the group and they shivered. "Are you sure this is the place?" Kenny asked in a fearful tone.
"Yeah this is it all right." Rei told him.
"Then let's go inside." Kai said in his usual serious tone.
Tyson picked up his bag and went to the door. Surprisingly enough it was open so everyone filed into the large hall. Straight ahead was a grand staircase. To the left was an over sized fire place with a few couches that looked comfy and inviting. To the right was huge iron doors, that went up to the ceiling almost, with creepy carvings on them. "Hello! Anybody here?" Tyson called out, his voice echoing off the dusty corners of the large room. Within seconds the iron doors answered with a low eerie creak. A middle aged woman entered. She had long dark brown hair and emerald green eyes. She had a pretty face, but years of hard times shown under her eyes. "Hello, my name is Ann. I am a caretaker here along with my husband, Richard. I will show the girls to their rooms. My husband will be down in a moment to get you boys settled in. Dinner is at seven sharp and breakfast is from eight to nine. Oh and someone's grandfather called. He has informed me that he will be here by eight, and that Tyson should not eat all the food before he arrives." She told them and everyone, except Tyson, chuckled. Ann turned and started for the staircase. "This way ladies." She said cheerfully and a crack of thunder rumbled through the house. "Hmm I better get the candles. It's going to be a long night." Ann mumbled. Jen and Mariah looked at each other and then followed Ann as she continued up the stairs.
The girl's rooms were all the way at one end of the house so it took a while to get there. Jen and Mariah enjoyed looking at the magnificent carvings and paintings and also talking to Ann.
"Do you and your husband live here?" Jen asked.
"No, my husband and I live in town. We never stay after dark." Ann said in a strange tone. "No one lives any closer than the town. So there won't be anyone to help you if something happens, but nothing has ever happened so you have nothing to worry about." Ann reassured them, but Jen and Mariah didn't feel reassured. Though, they quickly forgot their worries when they finally arrived at their rooms. Ann opened the door to Jen's room and showed the two girls in. The room was amazing. Jen dropped her bag where she stood and spun around gawking at the huge room. Mariah's room was just as spectacular. The two rooms were adjoined. In between them was their bathroom, which shared the two room's beauty. Ann had left them to settle in. Mariah and Jen took the opportunity to act like children and jump on the beds.
"I wonder if the boys have rooms like this." Mariah wondered.
"Let's go see. It'll give us a chance to explore this awesome house." Jen said.
"All right." Mariah replied and they left the room.
Mariah and Jennifer roamed the entire upper floor of their wing. Admiring the beautiful architecture of every room and hallway. One hall lead to a strange part of the house. It was exactly like a fun house.
"Hey Jen, why do you think this guy built all this stuff?" Mariah asked as she jumped across a water filled section of floor that had fake books as stepping stones.
"I'm not sure. Maybe he had a lot of kids… come to think of it I've noticed a lot of carvings and paintings of young children around our age." Jen said. Mariah stopped walking.
"Yeah I've noticed that too. Hey didn't Ann say the guy who built this place had a lot of wives over the years?" Mariah asked.
"Yeah I think that's what she said. So I guess all the rooms are for them since this place is in the middle of no where so he built this wing as a fun house for them." Jen replied.
"I guess so. Hey, let's see what's over there." Mariah said as she pointed through a hall of windows that had unfinished places throughout.
"Wait." Jen said and tugged at Mariah's shirt before she could step through the seemingly glassless window.
"I think that one is filled in." Jen said. Mariah reached out her hand and slowly moved it toward the window. When she found that the window was not there she and Jen stepped through the window frame.
"Come on I think that one is the next one open." Mariah said and shortly the girls reached the door they wished to go through. As soon as they opened the door lights went on inside the room, and the two girls entered. The room looked exactly like a mirror house at a carnival.
"Whoa… this guy really went all out." Jen said.
"You said it." Mariah replied, "Come one lets go check it out."
The girls continued on their way through the mirror maze with some difficulty and after about forty-five minutes of walking and bumping into plastic walls and they were getting rather annoyed. "Argh! I feel like we've been going in circles!" Mariah exclaimed as she plopped down on the ground to rest. Jen joined her for a rest.
"Its past seven. The boys are probably eating without us." Jen said.
"Yeah and Tyson will eat everything, while Rei and Kai come looking for us!" Mariah said.
"Well, we shouldn't let that happen! Come on lets get going." Jen said as she smacked the ground. But before they could get up the floor dropped out from under them and opened into a slippery tunnel slide. The girls shrieked as they whizzed through sharp turns and hills. After about a three minute long ride they tumbled through a passage way that entered into a hall, right in front of the boys' feet, surprisingly.
"What do you say we not do that again huh Jen?" Mariah said as she lifted herself to a sitting position. Jen groaned and slowly sad up as well.
"No objections there." Jen replied. One of the boys cleared their throat from behind them. The girls turned to face them smiling sheepishly, but the boys weren't smiling back.
"Are you two all right? We could hear you screaming through the entire house." Rei said as he helped Mariah up.
"Yeah we're fine. We just went exploring and found an old wing that was made into a fun house. We thought we were lost but then that slide appeared. Why, did we worry you?" Mariah asked.
"Well, it sounded like you were being murdered." Tyson said in a less than thrilled manner. The girls looked at each other.
"We weren't exactly screaming bloody murder." Jen said.
"It's a big old house. Their voices were echoed that's all." Kai said. Jen could tell he had been agitated too by their screams.
"We're sorry we worried you." Mariah said.
"Apology accepted now lets eat!" Tyson exclaimed in annoyance.
As the team ate Jen meant to ask Kai what it sounded like to him, but she never got the chance. She had never seen him so agitated. He wouldn't even look her in the eye for more that a second and every time he did Kai looked at Jen as though she were a ghost.
Tyson's grandfather arrived later than planned, Ann and her husband had left and the storm had moved in. When Tyson's grandfather arrived Tyson had been telling a scary story that was scaring Kenny to death and making Jen and Mariah antsy. When Grandpa decided to jump out and scare everyone to death Kenny went screaming up to his room, and Jen and Mariah were hugging each other. After that they decided to go to bed. But they wouldn't be getting any sleep that night.
Jen and Mariah kept hearing strange noises. Jen couldn't take it anymore.
"Mariah are you awake?" Jen asked in a weary voice.
"Yes, I can't sleep. This room is so huge." Mariah said. Jen got out of bed and went into Mariah's room. She came and sat down at the end of Mariah's bed, and she sat up.
"I can not sleep at all. I'm just not used to sleeping in such a big room alone."
"Yeah same here. I've been living with Ami and her daughter for so long I'm not used to my own room anymore." Jen said.
"How long has it been? A year right?" Mariah asked.
"Yeah. Funny to think its only been that long." Jen replied.
"Yeah. Hey what do you say we share my bed? I mean its certainly big enough for both of us." Mariah suggested.
"Sounds great." Jen said and she ran to get her pillow. She returned and got under the covers. Soon she and Mariah were sound asleep.
Unfortunately at the boys' wing things weren't going as good. Kai was awake and walking the halls of the wing. When he heard noises coming room Rei's room Kai walked in and saw him tossing and turning in his sleep. Tears were falling from his eyes. Kai went to him and shook him awake. Rei opened his eyes and sat up. When he realized he had been crying in his sleep he turned away from Kai.
"What are you doing up?" Rei asked, trying to change the topic of the situation.
"Couldn't sleep." Kai replied.
"Heh. Yeah I would prefer some of that. It seems I was more agitated than I thought. We all were." Rei said giving Kai a look.
"I'm going for a walk." Kai said and turned to leave.
"Kai…" Rei started to say but was interrupted by the second set of screams for that day. Rei and Kai exchanged a look and Rei jumped out of bed. They ran to the source of the screams. When they realized it was coming from Mariah's and Jen's wing they ran to their rooms. In no time they made it to Mariah's room. Rei tried the door but it was locked so he started banging on the door, but it was unusually quiet on the other side. Mariah and Jen were sound asleep and Rei's yelling and banging woke them from a peaceful sleep. Mariah moaned and climbed out of bed, Jen sat up and blinked sleepily.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Mariah said irritated. As she went to the door Jen joined her side a moment later. Mariah unlocked the door and barely had time to move. Rei rushed in followed by Kai.
"What's going on? Is every thing alright?" Rei asked as he held on to Mariah. Mariah was wide eyed. Kai walked up to Jen but remained calm when he saw there was no real danger.
"What's going on is that you woke us up from the sleep of our lives acting crazy." Mariah said.
Rei blinked, "But we heard you scream." Rei said.
"We were sound asleep, Rei. I don't recall having a nightmare, unless you Jen?" Mariah asked and Jen shook her head.
"Maybe you imagined it." Jen said. Rei looked at her.
"No, we both heard it. Right Kai?" Kai nodded.
"Rei, it was probably the pluming making strange noises." Kai said.
"Yeah maybe you're right." Rei said and slowly walked out of the room.
"Rei?" Mariah said.
"He had a night mare. He'll be all right." Kai said and left.
After the nights escapade they did not sleep well the rest of the night. Come the following morning the Bladers felt uncertain of Mr. Dickenson's idea of a vacation. It was turning out to be more like a nightmare. Hardly anyone spoke all day, and that night it was early to bed for everyone. Kenny had to sleep in Tyson's room because he was convinced there was something about the house that wasn't right. He thought it was odd that the man who owned the house had pictures of young ladies every where, but Tyson thought other wise. "Kenny, Kenny, Kenny. He was a billionaire and built the house for all his girlfriends, who were obviously after his money." Was what Tyson had told Kenny at dinner that night. But Kenny wasn't convinced. During the night the Bladers were awakened once again.
Mariah ran to Jen's bed and shook her awake.
"Wha…what's going on?" Jen asked sleepily as she sat up.
"I'm sorry to wake you but I keep hearing strange noises again. I think the boys' are trying to scare us." She said, and there was a loud banging from above that made them jump, and suddenly it got very cold. Mariah breathed deeply and saw her breath.
"I don't think the boys' are doing this." Jen said as she shivered.
"Why did it get so cold?" Mariah asked.
"I don't know. A draft maybe. Let's go get something warm to drink down stairs." Jen suggested.
"Okay." Mariah said and they both went to the door, but before they could open it there was a knock which made them jump. They could hear Tyson's voice on the other side.
"Is everything alright?" He asked. Jen opened the door and he and Kenny came in.
"Are you guys okay?" He asked again. The girls gave him a strange look.
"What are you talking about?" Mariah asked.
"We…we heard you calling for help." Kenny said fearfully clutching his laptop.
"We didn't call for help. I heard a strange noise and woke Jen up. We were just about to go down to the kitchen." Mariah said. At the sound of kitchen Tyson forgot all about the yelling and started dreaming about food, but the room caught his eye also.
"Food sounds good right now, but man did we get gypped on the rooms eh Kenny?" He said walking to the center of the room.
"Would you get your heads out of the clouds Tyson! I told you it wasn't Jen and Mariah yelling." Kenny said.
"Then who was it?" Tyson asked.
"The girls in the pictures." He whispered and the lights went out, the door slammed and a figure ran around them which made them huddle together. Kenny screamed and the figure stopped. It loomed over them as a hooded figure shrouded in shadow. For a breath it did not move and then it leapt at them throwing the hood away and yelled.
"No boys in the girls' rooms!" It yelled in a shrilling voice. The group relaxed when they saw it was Grandpa standing before them with a flashlight and a blanket. Mariah scowled and turned on the lights again.
"Tyson, what did I tell you about the girls rooms?" Grandpa asked.
"Come on Grandpa I heard a strange noise." Tyson said.
"Yeah I heard it. It was the plumbing creaking. Come on." Grandpa said.
"But Grandpa…"
"No butts. Let's go."
Tyson reluctantly followed Grandpa out of the room Kenny trailed not long after. Followed by Jen and Mariah.
"Grandpa Kenny and I heard strange voices." Tyson said.
"Those voices were the Majestics' arriving. Mr. D. thought it would be nice to invite them. They got lost and finally made it not too long ago."
"No, we heard girls shrieking." Tyson said.
"That's because it was the two girls the Italian brought along." He said and laughed, "I scared those young ladies good."
"I wish people would stop jumping out of dark places in such an old creepy mansion!" Kenny said.
"Relax my man. It's all in fun." Grandpa said.