Disclaimer: Rachel Robert's owns Avalon. I in NO WAY am trying to claim Avalon, just writing a story about it.
Writer's Note: This chapter also has been updated and improved. 6/17/10 G.S.F.
Chapter Three: The Mystery Begins
Corvina paused before continuing on in the cabin. She was a great lover of mystery books, being the curious type that always got into trouble. (Something Grandma Lyn said she inherited from her mother.) Witch meant that she was interested in the Ravenswood mystery. 'The waiter said they had disappeared, giving the Preserve to some cousins (her uncle Jack) and all the animals seemed to have vanished with them. Why? What could drive out the owner's AND animals? Is this place really...haunted?' Vina laughed at her thoughts and shook her head,
"Now I know I'm nuts. A little folk lore and a small cabin scare's me." She gently entered the living room, looking cautiously at the sloping ceiling then, sure of her safety, went to the fire place and took down a framed photo. Blowing off the cobwebs she used her sleeve to wipe away the grime. A half Native-American girl about her age stood next to an old, wise looking woman. By the girls feet was a huge black wolf with white paws and a star on his chest.
"Wow, talk about tame, the wolf looks happy," taking a closure look she almost dropped the photo. Next to the black wolf was a normal mist but for a moment Vina thought she saw a silver-gold wolf in it!
"Heh, heh, yeah ghost wolves, suuuuure Vina." she giggled putting the photo back nervously. Suddenly she felt a shadow behind her and turned her head, but nothing was there. The wind picked up...'wait that couldn't be the wind, no window was opened'...and suddenly a door was blown open. She gulped and peaked in, then realized, it was just a normal teenage girls room.
Posters of different sports, bands and even some Ravenswood concerts were pasted along all the walls. She couldn't tell but the faded blanket might have been black at one point but now faded almost purple. The ceiling was covered with glow in the dark stars and yellow lines connected them all, each leading to a few white orbs. Above the bed was a few dream catchers and beside it a red Fender Start guitar with an amp. It was covered with old webs, the paint dull and the strings were probably out of tune.
"She had some nice stuff...I should give her a name until I find out who she was!" she said with a stroke of brilliance. Now she could think of...Guitar Girl! ('Yes that will do nicely') as a real person, not just a photo or rumors. Gingerly Vina picked up the guitar and awkwardly tried to strum; only a clunking noise came out. "What?" Vina shook the guitar and a key plopped out onto the floor. Placing the guitar on the bed she knelt down and picked it up. It was about the size of her pinkie finger, silver and shaped like a tree whose roots had grown into the key's teeth. A rush of excitement flooded her blood at the thought of find what this key could open. She loved solving puzzles. Perhaps it led to a secret door? Opened a jewelry box with priceless necklaces? Unlocked a desk that secret love letters? Vina instantly started to poke around, trying to find anything the key fit. She even tapped on the walls and floor, listening intently.
Once Guitar Girl's room was delicately messy she headed toward the other room. Just as she got into the hall Guitar Girl's door slammed behind her. She jumped and instantly swung around on her heels opening the door with wide hazel-amber flecked eyes. Corvina's mouth opened in a silent scream, the room was in order! The desk closed, the postures back on the wall, even the guitar was back in its place! She turned and ran, out the room, out the cabin and around the house, to the Manor. She didn't stop running till she felt sun light on the ground and heard birds singing in the trees.
"W-what happened in there?" she demanded of herself. Of course she had no answer to give.
Corvina's mother, Damia, worked hard on the laptop searching the old Ravenswood site. It seemed that three girls and the owner Nakoda Char'day had given tours of the grounds and animals. But mostly the girls did the tours while Nakoda kept care of the rest with their help, she assumed. 'What a wonderful idea!' thought Damia, if only her dear daughter would make friends. When school started she was sure Corvina would find friends, she usually did. Still Damia worried. Corvina was very close to her, though that wasn't a bad thing. She was a strong believer in good mother/daughter relationships but sometimes Vina hanged on to her too close.
"That's what I get for being so wild as a child. My daughter becomes just like me," she laughed lightly. She turned back to her work noticed something odd. The number of animals counted in the log were many. Though they hadn't seen the whole grounds yet neither of them had caught any animals. Leopard's and wolves didn't just disappear, did they? She was coming to believe that the Preserve had sold all its animals. 'Then I'll just give tours of the grounds.' She closed the lap top and looked at her watch,
"Where do you think Vina's gotten to Maxine? Probably poking around the woods, looking for adventure." When her daughter had returned to her room, she had properly cleaned the windows, dusted the remaining furniture and vacuumed the floor, all the while considering what to make for dinner.
"What's the matter dear? Have you been running?" she asked stopping the vacuum.
"I'm fine. Can I use the lap top?"
"Sure but what do you-"
"Thanks mom!" she grabbed the laptop and took off.
"We're cleaning the kitchen tonight!" she called after her, while shaking her head. 'Teenager's. How did mom ever put up with me?' she thought with amusement.
Corvina's only thought was that she get some answers. Weird keys, shadow creatures, ghosts who cleaned up empty rooms? There had to be a reasonable explanation. But surfing on-line is only helpful when you know what you're looking for. She didn't. Suddenly she heard a soft clunk in the hallway over the vacuum, two doors down. Placing the lap top on the bed she got up and looked up and down the hallway. The wood floor was covered by an old carpet runner and at the left was the door leading down stairs. To the right was her mother's door and in between the doors a small table with dragon claw carved feet. Here Vina saw the problem and sighed with relive. Maxine must have knocked the gold and white vase from the table to the carpet. 'Good thing it didn't break.' Putting the vase back in its place she returned to her room and the lap top. A chill went down her spine as she saw that the computer had changed from the page she was looking at, to a whole new site! Then curiously but cautiously she looked at the site. It's title was,
The Mystery of Ravenswood
After reading the opening Corvina gathered it was a conspiracy site made by a young teen in New Mexico. According to the stories her great-grandmother Sierra had past on in the family. The stories were about unicorns and wolves and ferrets. Since then the girl had been searching for facts about Ravenswood only to find little info on it. According to her message board's last log she had long ago given up her search and few members posted. She was probably grown up by now.
Still she thought she might give it a try.
'Dear reader's,' she began, 'I am just moving into Ravenswood Manor that my mother inherited recently. Strange things have been happening. If you have any information on the Preserve or anything else connected to it please contact me at this e-mail adress...
Corvina sat back and posted, sighing. Trying to assure herself that the site was like a pop-up and that nothing had changed.
"Vina! Come on lunch breaks over and we need to work on that kitchen," called her mother. She trudged down the stairs thinking, 'The only information I have is that the last owner was Nakoda Char 'day and ran the Preserve with her grand-daughter Adriane Char'day and her two friends Emily Fletcher and Kara Davies.'
Writer's note: Sierra, being one of my favorite side characters, I had to put her descendant in their somehow. Oh and does anyone remember Marcus from the second chapter? He was in the books too.