Disclaimer: I disclaim

Summary/Spoilers: See prologue

New Notes: All notes from previous chapters apply.. Sorry for the delay in updating!

Thank you: To the reviewers! You guys are the best!

-x-x-x-

In almost tense silence, the students followed Shane to the main parlor.. Trish, Amy and Lisa keeping near Shane while Randy, John and Chris were behind them. They were all holding flashlights, Shane also toting the hand drawn map. And while the girls had been quite talkative earlier.. Well now, they were glancing over their shoulders; Trish and Amy wincing slightly at the looks on John and Randy's faces. Perhaps they had let out too much information…but the girls had figured, it wouldn't hurt and really all they had been doing was reminiscing. It was apparent, however, that something was wrong…and that it did hurt. To what extent, they weren't quite sure.. Nor could they really figure it out. Trish and Randy hadn't been together since high school, while in Amy's case.. She and John had never dated…though if you had asked Trish, technically yes…the redhead and the dark haired male had dated. How Trish had come to that conclusion, Amy had never asked. But, that was then…a time when they had been teenagers and in high school.. This was now… a time when they were in their early twenties and in college. Things changed and people changed, that much was apparent. Whatever the case, the two remained silent while Lisa had struck up a conversation with Chris and Shane…the group nearing Mr. McMahon's office by that point.. Though, they still had no idea as to where they would be going after that nor did they have any clue as to how long it would take. True enough, they had all eaten and they were all well rested but… if they were going to be exploring secret passages all day…there was a good chance that they could get very lost. Not that any of them had thought of that yet.. Each of them figuring that as long as they remembered where they started…they'd have no problems finding their way back to the main floor of the manor. Somehow along the way, Trish and Amy had managed to fall to the back of the group… causing them to run into the two bodies in front of them when Shane came to a sudden stop in his father's office. Both women started uttering apologies under their breath when Shane cleared his throat, indicating for them all to stay quiet for the moment.

Shane gave a glance to the bookshelves to the right, "I am uncertain if Father is still within the office… if that is the case, we will need to take extra precaution when walking around." He smiled a touch, "he does not appreciate it when there are people in his office unannounced."

Lisa raised an eyebrow, "so are you sure we should be in here? I mean, if your dad doesn't want people in the office, why can't we start somewhere else?"

The younger McMahon smiled nervously, "I am unsure as to where any of these passages start… I was going on the presumption that one of them would start somewhere within this office." His smile widened as he continued: "you see, this was the first room that my sister and I were banished from…after father discovered that we knew about the passages."

Chris gave a slight nod, "then I guess it would make sense to start here…but where do we start? This office isn't exactly small and… well, right now we seem to be in the middle of it."

Shane's forehead etched in thought, "I am unsure as to where we should begin looking.. If you all were more acquainted with the layout of this office, I would suggest we split up but…there is only one other person, aside from my father of course, who is familiar with where everything is in this office."

Trish cleared her throat, "then maybe we should start somewhere else? I mean, I'm not doubting that you know what you're doing here, but uh.. If your dad is going to get mad at us? Or if we don't even know where to start.. I--"

"I understand," Shane interrupted her, a small smile sent to the blonde woman. "Perhaps, we should start in the library, the main drawing room or the music chamber.. I am inclined to believe that the passages would start in original rooms of the manor.."

Amy tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear, "I'd say.. Let's start with whatever is closest to us. ..and let's get out of here quick, just to make sure we don't get caught."

"Quite right," Shane rolled up the map once more, leading the way out of his father's office…assuring that the door was left in the exact same position as they had found it before they trekked down the hallway. "The main drawing room.. As I'm sure you all remember, the fireplace there…perhaps we should it check first."

The redhead quirked an eyebrow, "you mean like the movies or something? Does it have a hidden contraption to make it move?"

A tiny grin crept onto Shane's face, "we shall find out whence we arrive, Amy."

Lisa sent a look back to her friend, "well.. This has got to be right up your alley, huh? If I know you, which I do…you're loving every minute of this."

"Well ya know, Lise.. It's not often that we get the chance to explore an old manor." Amy shrugged, jamming her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, "so yeah.. I'm excited.. I just hope we don't get lost or see any…"

"I know," the dark haired woman shook her head, "I don't want to see anything that's not human."

Trish rolled her eyes at the two, the three women at the back of the group. "I seriously think you two have issues.. Ames…Lise, get over it.. There is no such thing as ghosts…" A pointed look was sent to the redhead, "I bet you were just hallucinating or something because you didn't eat enough and you let your blood sugar get low."

Amy arched an eyebrow, "for your information … I didn't see anything last night, it was the night before. And I wasn't the only one who saw something.. Lise did too."

Trish shook her head, "I think you're both just being paranoid.. I mean, honestly.. Who else has seen these supposed ghosts and how often have you seen them?"

"Jason said that some of the house staff has seen them." Lisa shrugged, "and it was just the other night that we saw them…but that doesn't mean anything. I'm pretty convinced they exist."

The blonde woman rolled her eyes, emitting a soft sigh as they entered the main drawing room. "Like I said, I think you two are just being paranoid about the paranormal.. There's no way to prove they exist, so…drop it."

Lisa and Amy rolled their eyes in response, their conversation seemingly at an end since they had reached their intended destination…the pair starting slightly when their respective shoulders were tapped.

Amy sent an annoyed look over her shoulder, "would you please not do that?"

John rolled his eyes, Chris standing next to him while Randy had drifted towards the front with Shane and Trish.. "I was just gonna ask you… and well, we were both wondering.. what's all this about ghosts?"

The two women exchanged a look, Lisa shifting her weight back before she replied: "Well, we both saw a ghost in our quarters the other night.. Trish thinks we're being paranoid, but Jason has said…the house staff has also seen ghosts." An eyebrow arched, "why do you two ask?"

Chris cleared his throat, "because.. We saw ghosts in our quarters the other night and I saw one in the hallway last night."

Amy wrinkled her nose, "there you have it.. We aren't the only one's who have seen ghosts so.. They must exist in this manor."

John shrugged a bit, "or ghosts could just follow you wherever you go.." He smirked slightly when she rolled her eyes, "or are you forgetting.. First, there's your grandmother's house, the camping trips, the ski trip…and--"

"Oh sure.. That's really making me feel better John.." Amy's lips pressed into a thin line, a thoughtful look on her face. "Though now I do wonder… has anyone else seen these ghosts?"

-x-x-x-

Before Lisa, Chris or John could reply to that.. Shane spoke up from his spot at the front of the group…informing them all that he had found the entrance to one of the secret passages in the walls. That resulted in all students clustering a bit closer to the fireplace, Shane able to stand within the fireplace as he pointed out a candle holder mounted to the wall. Of course, the students did wonder why there would even be a candle holder inside of the fireplace but… well, know they at least knew one reason. As such, they waited until Shane had pulled the candle holder down.. The back of the fireplace swinging open to reveal one of the many secret passages in the manor. And after they had all turned their flashlights on, they filed in one by one.. Shane ensuring that the fireplace wall had closed…and that they had left some sort of mark to find their way back. The dark haired man, of course, was holding the map and one flashlight…the students lined up in groups of two behind him. And at first, things were slow going since they had to get used to the new light.. Or lack of light in the beginning and then the brightness provided by the flashlights they were all toting with them. None the less, the trip through the passages started rather uneventfully, Shane informing them that he thought they were still above ground…just that he wasn't sure where they were in relation to the rest of the manor or the rest of the passages. They continued to walk until they reached a junction of sorts, one fork splitting off to the left and seemingly staying level with their current path…while the other fork split right and seemed to go down further.

Shane sent a questioning look between the students, "I leave this choice up to you… it would appear that if we take the left passage, we'll stay above ground and trek further through those passages…perhaps find ourselves at another area in the manor whence we find an exit." Gesturing to the right he continued: "whilst if we take the passage to the right…we may find the connecting point for all of the underground passages."

The three females exchanged a look, Amy asking first: "And if we split up? Or is that not such a good idea.."

Shane frowned slightly, "I would advise against splitting up…as I am the only one with a map. I would not want any of you to become lost within these passages."

"Point taken," Trish spoke up before Amy could argue further. "So…now I guess we just figure out where we're going.."

"Quite right, Trish.." Shane clasped his hands behind his back, his flashlight having been turned off. "Should we put this to a vote then?"

"I'll be outnumbered anyway so.. Just put my vote with the majority." Amy set down her flashlight for a moment, reaching back to pull her hair into a quick ponytail. "I can't say that I don't mind going in a group, but… I understand that we could get lost if we split up. On the other hand, it helps us learn where more of these passages lead, right?"

Trish shook her head, "or it could get us extremely lost, with no way of knowing where we are or where to go.. Ames, use your brain. If we knew where we were going or at least had more then one map, I'd say fine.. Let's split up but--"

Chris coughed, gesturing between the two passages. "Well, here's how I see it.. Yeah, we could get lost but that also makes it fun, right? So why don't we do this.. We obviously know where we are right now…we just make note of this spot and leave little trail markers or something along the way….so if we do get lost, we can find our way back to this point here."

Lisa nodded, "yeah.. So that way, whomever isn't going with Shane can get back here easily.. And I could be wrong, but I'm thinking the left passage is probably safer in terms of having no map." She turned an expectant gaze to Shane, "unless you think that's a bad idea.."

Sending a quick look between the two silent students, Shane could only offer a small shrug. "As I have stated, this is up to you all.. Should you wish to split up or stay together…either way, I must accompany one group to ensure that at least someone has a map."

Trish shook her head, tossing her blonde locks over her shoulder. "Well, I'm taking the left passage… map or no map, I'll leave a piece of paper or something so I can figure out how to get back to this spot…or I might end up finding a way out."

"And I'm going to the right," Amy sent a pointed look to said passage, "map or no map…I'm going that way."

Lisa grinned, linking arms with the redhead. "I'm coming with you… sure, the above ground passages could be cool, but.. I really want to see what else is down here."

Shane sent a questioning look between the three males, "gentlemen? With no offense meant to Ms. Stratus, I am inclined to believe that I will be needed more on the expedition to the left passage."

"I'll go with Trish.." Randy spoke up first, the dark haired man soon standing next to the blonde woman. "I really don't think it's a good idea for all of us to split up like this--"

"Thank you for using some common sense.."

John rolled his eyes, joining the two standing near the entrance of the left passage. "Pansy.. That's half the fun of it.. If we get lost, big deal…we get lost."

Shane's forehead etched momentarily, a thoughtful frown touching his face as he handed the map over to Trish. "Perhaps this would be put to better use with yourselves…though I do not have exact recollection of where these passages lead, I am inclined to believe that this is just like riding a bicycle…it should come back to me in time."

Trish let out an almost defeated sigh, slipping the backpack from her shoulders. "Alright well.. I brought this along for Amy so.." Frowning slightly, she brought the item over to her friend. "There are some snacks, bottled water…glucose tablets just in case.. I have this feeling that you'll never carry your own emergency kit around so.."

Amy rolled her eyes as she took the item, shouldering it quickly before giving her friend a hug. "I know you're worried…but I think we'll be alright." Quirking a smile, the redhead set a foot in the left passage.. "See you at the top."

Shane made a gesture to the left passage as Randy and Trish set off, "perhaps we should start? Preferably before Ms. Dumas gets too far out of reach.."

Lisa shook her head, calling for Amy to wait up so she could catch up with her…the two tentatively leading the way down the left passage.

John raised an eyebrow as he, Chris and Shane followed behind them. "So…tell me honestly here, do you really know where you're going and where this goes to?"

Shane smiled sheepishly, "quite honestly? No, I do not know where this particular passage leads to…nor do I know where I am going. At the moment, I am content to just let this road lead me where it may lead."

At that, Chris and John exchanged a look but refrained from commenting as Amy and Lisa came to a dead stop in front of them.

Lisa sent a look back over her shoulder, "well…here's an issue. We have another fork in the road or whatever.." She gestured to the right, which lead into darkness….and to the left which lead into more darkness. "Take your pick…dark…or dark."

-x-x-x-

While Amy, Lisa, John, Chris and Shane were debating about which direction to go in.. Randy and Trish were faring much better in their trek of the above ground passage way. Perhaps that was because they had the map, or perhaps it was because the passage they were in…only went up. Since leaving the one area, they had come across a wooden pathway.. The two presuming that this part of the secret passages had seen more use, but it wasn't like they could ask questions so instead…they kept on walking. At one point they passed by a doorway, which lead to a staircase.. The two opting to keep on walking instead of taking the stairs. On the other hand, they hadn't seen any way leading out of the passage…but the passage was getting narrower with each step they took. Eventually, they decided to head up one of the stair cases.. Trish squinting slightly to read over the map in her possession.. The blonde woman sighing softly when that lead to no further information of their location within the manor. Whatever the case, the two decided to keep on heading up the stairs until it stopped…a new passage awaiting them when they opened the door. Idly, Trish mentioned that there was no indication of this particular part of the passage ways on the map.. Randy deciding they'd just see what was what…and if it all came down to it, they could just go back the way they had come. Meanwhile, those in the underground passages had decided to take the left fork.. And while the above ground passages at least had a pathway…the underground passages were covered in dirt and they got wider instead of narrower. All the same, they walked in silence…broken by the occasional sneeze from one of the students or Shane.. Lisa and Amy once again coming to a dead stop.

Chris made a face, the blonde man nearly blinded when the two women turned around….inadvertently shining their flashlights in his eyes. "Don't tell me there's another fork.."

Lisa shook her head, "no.. this one just keeps going straight from what I can see… we stopped because someone's stomach was starting to growl."

"More like you made me stop," Amy muttered good naturedly, the redhead already setting the backpack on the ground. "But.. Yeah., what she said…this one keeps going from what we can tell…not that we can really see anything."

Shane rubbed the back of his neck in thought, "I am inclined to believe that…if this passage were to take a sudden upslope…perhaps we would find a stair case of some manner. That stair case would lead to several above ground passages hidden behind the walls of various rooms within the manor."

John raised an eyebrow, "and you're sure about that? I mean, if we keep on walking down this passage way.. We might find a way out or we'll just be walking in the dark?"

"I am fairly certain.." Shane clasped his hands behind his back, "whilst it has been quite some time since I have ventured into these passage ways.. My memory is serving to be a good tool."

Amy sent him a quizzical look, the redhead currently taking a sip of water. "So.. Why did you and your sister explore these things? I mean, aside from the obvious, because I know if I grew up in a house like this…you wouldn't be able to keep me away."

Shane sent her a small smile, the dark haired man currently leaning against one of the wooden pillars. "For the very reason you have just mentioned.. My sister was the more curious and I often found myself accompanying her on her adventures…to ensure her safety. But, there was another reason.."

John had just caught the water bottle that had been tossed at him, an eyebrow raising while he spoke: "Other reason? And just what was that other reason?"

"Many of the house staff were inclined to believe the manor was haunted. My sister and I, will we meant no harmful intent, only played upon this inclination." Threading a hand through his hair, he continued: "I am unsure as to if the manor is truly haunted…but many a current staff member seems to believe it is."

The students exchanged a look at that, each taking their time to take another sip of water or to finish up the snacks in their hands.

Shane sent a puzzled look between them, "did I say something that was out of line?"

Quickly, Amy shook her head. "No.. it's just…well, I told Jason the other night….both Lisa and I saw ghosts in our rooms. Trish thinks it's just our minds playing tricks on us but.. I've seen ghosts before and well.. With what you just said, I--"

"Understood," Shane sent her a re-assuring smile, "my sister was also inclined to believe in ghosts…though, I am unsure as to where she had her encounters.. I've often overheard the house staff mentioning a ghost sighting near the stables, the music chamber or the library. At one point in time, the chambermaids of the family wing…claimed to have seen ghostly apparitions in my parent's bedroom."

Lisa's forehead furrowed slightly, "I have a question…the rooms we're in…up in the West Wing. Were they always guest quarters?"

Shane shook his head, "the West Wing, at one point in time, housed the playrooms for myself and my sister.. On occasion, my cousins, including Paul…would visit for weeks at a time. The West Wing also housed their rooms." His gaze settled specifically on Amy for a moment, "your quarters, in fact, once held the primary area for my sisters doll house.." Sliding a glance to John and Chris, he continued: "the East Wing once housed the schooling area for myself and my sister… we did not attend private school, nor did we attend a boarding school.. Father and mother brought in tutors."

At that, the students nodded.. Amy and Lisa exchanging a look before the redhead shouldered the backpack again. "Well.. I guess we should see what else is down here…like if we can find a stair case or something." A small smile adorned her features: "maybe we can draw a new map.. Now that we know what's down here."

Shane nodded his agreement, gesturing for the two women to lead the way. "That sounds like a capital idea, Amy.. Should you all wish to explore the passages again, this way you will have another map to accompany you."

Lisa waited until they were a little bit ahead, touching Amy's arm before she spoke: "So.. Now that we know what the rooms were used for.."

Amy bit her lower lip, "are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Sparing a quick glance over her shoulder, the redhead sighed. "I'd say …we're haunted. Maybe by his sister.."

Lisa nodded, "or by his cousins…which I can't say that helps me too much, ya know? It just confirms the fact that there really are ghosts.. But at least now, we know…or might know…who they are."

The redhead nodded, opening her mouth as if to say more when the passage started to slope upwards…the two informing the guys that they were starting to head uphill. It was at that point, that Shane took over the lead.. Amy and Lisa falling into step quite easily with Chris and John for the duration of the trek.. Eventually, the group came upon a doorway.. Shane opening it to reveal a staircase. And since they were all starting to get hungry, they went up the stairs…in hopes of finding one of the above ground passages or an exit. To their surprise, the door at the top of the stairs revealed the back part of the library.. The students and Shane making note of their exact exit before the concealed door was shut behind them. Of course, their sudden entry into the library was a bit of a surprise to Paul, Jason, Scott and Adam.. Shane hurriedly making an excuse before they all exited the library to acquire lunch. It was in the dining hall that they met up with Randy and Trish.. Lisa and Amy deciding to question the blonde woman later about what she had discovered…and to inform her that there really were ghosts in the manor. And after lunch had been consumed, the faculty advisors excused themselves back to the library while Shane excused himself to his quarters… leaving the students to their own means until dinner. At first, they were going to split up to their separate quarters.. Until Amy and Lisa announced that they were going to head over to the recreational center.. Trish following shortly behind them, with the guys not far behind her.