A/N: I hope you enjoyed the last chapter because this chapter is going to be pretty much the same, basically setting up the action. But don't worry! This is the end of the boring chapters because after this one they're inside the mansion and…I should stop before I tell you the whole plot. As you probably know, I don't own clue (Hasbro does), but I do own the six main characters and the creepy gardener guy. Read and review!
I sighed, rolling over in my bed and snapping my desk lamp on. The crickets outside were dying down, losing their volume because of the cold. I glanced at my alarm clock and saw that it was close to two in the morning. Exhaling slowly, I eyed my phone.
Finally, I picked it up and dialed Peter's number. He picked up within the first ring.
"Hello?" he answered, not sounding the least bit like he had been asleep.
"Hey Peter," I greeted him.
"Madison? What are you doing up?" he asked. I could tell that he had been thinking about something and my voice had woken him out of his train of thought.
"The same thing as you…thinking about the house." I told him, sitting up.
"Alright, you caught me. It's just…ever since I saw it, I can't stop thinking about it."
"Me too, and I was talking to Heather and she said that it's been the same with her and David. We have to go back." I told him.
"I know, I was just trying to figure something out when you called me." He sighed.
"Got anything?" I asked him.
"Yeah, I think I do." He replied distractedly.
We were all crowded in Alex's bedroom, leaning in towards the middle of our circle to see the piece of paper she had brought in.
"Alright, here's what Peter and I came up with." She told us, unrolling the paper out on the floor. I tried to get a glimpse of it over Heather's head, but she was taller than me.
"Tomorrow night, Friday, we'll meet in front of the mansion on Troy Road around six. Upon inspection, we'll find a way inside the gate. David-bring your dad's toolbox." She explained as she pointed on the paper, which turned out to be an old map or blueprint of the house.
"Hey… where'd you get the map?" I asked.
"I found it in my attic, Jackson." Peter answered. I nodded, feeling Alex stare at me. I knew better than to interrupt Alex in the middle of her explaining something.
"Anyway…" She continued, returning to the map, "Once we get inside the gate, we'll explore the grounds to make sure that that freaky gardener isn't there again."
"Um…" Madison raised her hand. "What do we do if he is there?" she asked.
"We'll just act like we got lost or something." She told her. "If all else fails, run. Now, once we're sure that it's safe we'll make our way inside the house. Depending on how dark it is, we'll need to find flashlights and candles before we explore the mansion." She moved her finger to the interior of the house on the map.
"Sorry but, why are we going to explore this scary and potentially dangerous house at night?" I asked. Alex turned to me again. I faltered. "M-ma'am."
"Because it's on all of our minds! We don't know why, but none of us can forget it. That's why we're going there to figure out what it is that this mansion has to do with us. Besides, it'll be more fun to explore it at night. Any more questions?" she asked me. I shook my head.
"We need to get ready for tomorrow night." Peter pointed out. "Everyone will need to bring something for light, either matches or a flashlight. Also, we'll need to bring stuff to eat. We're going to have to tell our parents that we're going to a party or something." He explained, starting to stand up.
"You mean-lie?" I asked. Everyone turned to me, staring.
"Yes Jackson, we're going to have to lie. What, have you never lied to your parents before?" Heather rolled her eyes.
"No-I mean, I have, just…not like this. This, this just doesn't feel right. It feels like this is wrong, like something bad is going to happen." I explained, looking towards the ground.
"Look, we have to do this; otherwise it'll bother us forever!" Alex said, standing up. Everyone started to leave, but I still couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.
The young lady glanced out the window of her father's Model T, staring at the lights of the unbelievably huge mansion in front of her. There was a dry breeze that blew through the trees, making a ghastly sound. She shivered despite the warm weather. Something to her felt out of place.
But the thought was forgotten as the car stopped and the driver helped her out, handing her clutch to her. She smiled at the old man before being greeted by a jovial man at the door.
"Ah! Miss Scarlet, so nice of you to come! I suppose you don't remember me…" He reached out for her hand as she approached him in the doorway.
"Mr. Boddy!" she cried, rushing over and throwing herself on him in a hug. He paused, surprised, but then laughed as she got back on her feet. "Oh Mr. Boddy, it has been too long. You do not think that just because of my father's recent death that I would forget one of his favorite business partners?"
"No, no of course not! Well then, come inside and join us, for Mrs. Peacock and Mr. Green are already inside in the lounge." He led her inside. A cloud passed over her happy face at the mention of Mr. Green, but it was unseen by her cheerful host.
The two entered the lounge to find Mrs. White serving iced tea to the two guests that Mr. Boddy had already mentioned. His face brightened when he saw her.
"Oh Mrs. White! I didn't know that you had come downstairs yet. I'm so glad that you've joined our early guests." He greeted her as he took up his own glass. She smiled tightly at him, turning her back as she handed Mrs. Peacock her drink.
Mrs. Peacock was a pompous woman who always criticized others for their atrocious behavior or etiquette, yet still enjoyed flirting shamelessly with all sorts of eligible men. Some say that she would never marry again after her husband's death, but then there were those who kept their fingers crossed.
"Really Mr. Boddy, you have outdone yourself with this wonderful party. I mean, I'm having a keen time and it hasn't really started yet." She told her host dramatically, waving her glass around as she laughed. Scarlet took a seat on the couch, avoiding Mr. Green's glance.
"Don't you agree with me Jonathan?" Mrs. Peacock asked, for she always called men by their first name (even if she didn't know their first name).
"Yes, the cat's meow." Mr. Green replied, staring at Scarlet through his glass. The tension got heavier as the room grew silent.
"Evelyne, have you met Mr. Jonathan Green? He's younger than me but, I must admit, well on his way in the business world." Mr. Boddy asked, hoping to start a conversation. The young lady looked up, glancing quickly at the man wearing a pinstripe suit and staring at her.
"Yes, we met at my father's funeral." The lady answered shortly.
Fortunately, at that moment Col. Mustard burst through the door with a mighty yell that frightened all the guests except Mrs. White. She merely handed him his drink (The col. was a usual at the mansion).
"Colonel Mustard, always fun to have you drop by." Mr. Boddy greeted his life-long friend with a clap on the back once he had calmed down.
"Always fun to drop by, Reginald." Col. Mustard replied in his booming voice that filled the room. "And I do believe that our last guest was arriving just behind me in hisjalopy."
Indeed, at that very moment Prof. Plum dashed into the room, out of breath and with his unkempt brown hair falling down into his eyes. His eyes themselves, though beautiful and dark, were hidden behind his glasses (which he usually lost).
Only one person in the room seemed grateful that he was there. Miss Scarlet sighed as she gazed at Plum, imagining that he would notice her tonight. She and Plum had grown up together, yet he still seemed clueless whenever she tried to make her feelings known. She had tried to make him jealous before by flirting with any and all men in front of him, yet he didn't ever seem to get mad.
"Plum! You made it, and almost on time too." Mr. Boddy greeted the slightly confused man as he entered.
The young man gazed around the room, his heart skipping a beat as his eyes passed over Scarlet.
"Well, I figured it appropriate to be on time to such an important event such as the opening of Raven Brook's new museum." He spoke without thinking. He received blank stares.
"This is my dinner party, Peter." Mr. Boddy whispered to the man.
"Oh applesauce!" he cried, stamping his foot on the ground, frightening Mrs. Peacock. "I knew I forgot something last week!"
Everyone shook their heads or rolled their eyes, but Scarlet just smiled. Peter was always so fuddled, it was just like him to mix up the dates of two parties, yet she was glad that this was the one he remembered, even if it wasn't because of her.
For better or for worse, Mr. Boddy's party had begun.
I pedaled my bike down the old cracked road, staring up at the warm setting sun that shone through the cloud of orange leaves in the trees above me. Breathing in the crisp air, the open end of my oversized coat trailed behind me.
My backpack was full of snacks and flashlights, extra batteries, and a book of ghost stories (just in case). I didn't feel any fear, only excitement, as I neared the front of the old gate. I saw that Peter, David, and Heather were already there and waiting outside the gate. I knew that Heather had probably walked, along with David, but Peter's bike was resting on the ground outside the cold metal bars of the fence. I coasted towards them, hopping off and walking my bike the rest of the way.
"Hey Madison," Heather waved to me, "Right on time." She smiled.
"Alex isn't here yet?" I asked, looking around.
"No, and neither is Jackson, although I'm not surprised about him." David told us, kicking a rock around in the pile of leaves.
Just then, a car pulled over to us and I could see Alex and Jackson inside. As they got out, Mrs. Clemmons waved to our group. Mrs. Clemmons was Jackson's neighbor. She was about 60, with white hair and grey eyes (she also made the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies ever!).
"Hello, I was just giving these two a ride. Have fun tonight!" she called to us as she started to drive away. We all turned to the two who had just arrived.
"Alex stopped by my house to make sure that I was coming, and Mrs. Clemmons noticed us, so we told her that we were going on a night hike, starting at the Boddy Mansion. She gave us a ride." Jackson told us, lugging his knapsack as he approached. Alex rolled her eyes, joining the group with her own messenger bag.
For a moment we all turned to the gate, staring at the imposing wrought-iron B that was formed in the middle of the front entrance. The gate was closed with a thick chain and padlock. Inside, the house was barely visible.
"Well, I guess that we should go inside now." Alex told us, starting to crawl through a hole in the gate between the iron bars and the large B. She was able to fit because of her petite form. I followed, but everyone else hung back.
"There is no way I can fit through there." David pointed out. Alex stuck her head back through.
"That's why you brought the toolbox. Is there a wrench in there, or some pliers?" she asked. David rummaged around in his backpack, and came up with a heavy wrench. "Now, just use it to break the chain off." Alex came back through the fence, standing next to me.
David broke through the chain easily, wrenching the gate open with a squeak. We all covered our ears, grimacing at the noise. David winced as the gate creaked open wider. Then, it was quiet. We all looked around, hearing only the cawing of a crow from far away.
"Well, I guess that either that creepy gardener isn't here, or he's deaf." Alex sighed, straitening back up. She grabbed her bag, starting to head off towards the far end of the grounds.
We all followed, glancing around nervously. I saw an old fountain, cracked from age, standing broken and dry in a patch of weeds. The angel standing in the middle of it was pointing his finger at us accusingly. I turned quickly, catching back up with the group.
Jackson was following Peter and Alex closely, wringing his hands as he stared nervously around us. Heather found an old greenhouse as we neared the back of the property and glanced inside cautiously, jumping back with a screech when a cat shot out. David was trying to part some thick branches that were concealing an old building in the far corner of the yard that looked as if it housed various cages and cement pits.
"What is it?" I asked, coming up behind him. He glanced back at me as the group gathered around him.
"It looks like he had some animals back here, or something." He told us as he pried the archaic wooden door open. It creaked inwards, throwing a small amount of light inside. Everyone went inside, except Jackson and Heather who hung back in fear.
The building smelt like a barn, and was covered in cobwebs that we tried to avoid. I peered in one of the cages and saw a small skeleton bent over in a corner. I stepped back quickly, running into Peter. He grabbed my arm, smiling weakly down at me.
David brought out a flashlight he had brought and shone it in one of the cement pits that still held some swampy water at the bottom of it. We all stared down, then gasped when something moved. Everyone abandoned the small zoo fast enough, heading on to what looked like a garden.
There was what appeared to be an old shrub maze, long since dead and overgrown, but interesting nonetheless, near the middle of the gardens. I walked through it with Heather and Peter as Jackson stuck with Alex and David.
"Guys! Look what we found!" Alex called over to us. We picked our way through the shrubs to join them at an old shack that looked like it was in better shape than the rest of the property. We tried to open the door but found it locked.
David shone his light through a small window, and we saw a bed and little kitchen inside. Someone was living here. Jackson started to walk away quickly.
"Alright, I've seen enough, I'm out of here!" he told us. "I'll walk if I have to- but there is NO way I'm going to stay here overnight!"
"Come on Jackson! The gardener isn't here! We're fine!" Alex tried to reassure him. He kept heading for the gate.
"What, do you think that the house is haunted?" David asked. Jackson stopped, his foot hovering before he put it down and turned back to us.
"No, it just…doesn't feel right." He shrugged. He turned back, heading for the gate. We all looked at each other before running after him.
"Jackson, you can't just leave us! Aren't you curious?" Heather asked him.
"Yes, but not curious enough to spend the night here!" he replied, not stopping.
"Come on, just this once do something crazy!" Peter tried. Jackson paused, and Peter smiled, thinking that he had stopped him from leaving.
"The gate…" Jackson stuttered, pointing as he turned pale, "It's…someone locked it!"
We all turned quickly and, seeing the gate shut, rushed towards it. No matter how hard we shook it, it didn't come open. Finally, I turned away.
"Well, I guess we'll just have to stay here." Alex sighed happily, walking towards the mansion. The rest of us followed, unsure. Only David kept up with her, heading straight towards the house that, like it or not, we were staying at tonight.
