Chapter 25 - Dean

Lockwood Estates

Blackridge, New Hampshire

Tuesday 11 March 2008

We park, I mean, Nancy parks my Baby in front of the mansion. That fucking mansion. We are back. Again. Dark storm clouds block out the sun, and wind visibly shakes the surrounding trees. A storm is blowing in. And a big one by the look of how dark the clouds are.

I glare at the mansion before I pull my flask out from my inside coat pocket and take a long drink. The liquid feels warm and inviting as I feel it pass down my throat. The warmth spreads out to the rest of my body. I take another drink. I know I need to stop being so obvious with the drinking or else Sam is going to lecture me, but fuck it. I barely have any time left before I am literally dragged into Hell. Why can't I drink a bit to feel temporarily better?

I open the car door and step outside. It's freezing. Why am I surprised? The sky gives a low rumble, and we all look up at it.

"Looks like a storm is coming," Sam comments. He opens the trunk and grabs some flashlights. He holds them out to us, and I take one. I hurriedly walk to the mansion, inwardly cursing the cold. I hear Sam and Nancy's footsteps behind me.

The darkened sky casts the mansion in a dreary light, and I have to use my flashlight to even see in the main room.

"It'll be most effective if we split up," Sam says.

I nod and am about to agree when I see Nancy standing next to him. She looks so small next to my brother's hulking form. She has her coat zipped up and her arms crossed for warmth. Her eyes are quickly moving around the room as if something is going to jump out of nowhere (which I guess is possible). She bites her lip and turns on her flashlight, pointing at something across the room.

She's scared, and I know she won't admit it. Nancy has faced a lot in her time, this much I know. She isn't about to admit to being spooked by an empty room. But this whole ghost thing is new to her, and I can't help but feel a surge of protectiveness shoot through me, looking at her staring wide-eyed and small next to Sam.

"For you maybe," I answer Sam. "I'm taking Nancy with me." I shoot him a look: I need to stay with her.

Nancy's face immediately relaxes at my words.

He understands and nods. "I'll take the basement."

"We got upstairs," I answer. "Meet back on this level when we're done?"

"Works for me," Sam says. "See you guys then." He walks off towards the basement.

"You're really letting your brother go into the basement of a haunted mansion. Alone?" Nancy teases, but I can tell it's nervous energy.

I shrug. "He's faced worse." I head towards the stairs, and Nancy follows close behind.

We creak upstairs, and I stare at the long hallway. I have no idea where to start, but Nancy immediately enters the room across from us. Maybe it was a good plan for me to tag along with her regardless of ghosts. We might even find something before Sam. I grin at the idea.

We search every room upstairs. Then we do it again, because Nancy insists. And I know Sam is done at this point, probably wondering where the heck we are. We're taking a long time, and we have nothing to show for it. After finding absolutely nothing, we make our way downstairs, Nancy leading us this time.

Sam is looking at a painting above the fireplace. He turns when he hears us coming. "Please tell me you guys found something," Sam says.

I shake my head. "Nope. Nothing upstairs. Why? Was the basement empty?"

"Not completely," Sam says. He takes a small box out from his coat pocket.

Nancy and I step closer to inspect it. It's a small wooden box. There are some square knob things on the front, and a colorful grid pattern on the top.

"It's a jewelry box," Nancy states and grabs it from Sam.

"Yeah," Sam says. "I can't open it. There isn't a lock on it. It looks like you have to open it by matching those little buttons to the colors on the top." He points to the top of the box.

I frown, trying to figure out what it means and if I should care.

"Oh," Nancy says. "A puzzle." She abruptly sits down, placing the box in her lap while fiddling with the buttons.

Sam sighs. "I tried that. It won't be easy to open."

"Really?" I say skeptically. "It's a wooden box, Sammy. We can just shoot it."

Nancy's head whips up. "And risk breaking what's inside?"

I shrug.

She scoffs and shakes her head. "Unbelievable. I'll figure it out."

I share a doubtful look with Sam.

"Guess Sammy and I will look around for clues on this level all by ourselves then?" I say pointedly to Nancy.

Nancy nods. "Mmmm," she affirms absent-mindedly as she continues messing with the box.

I roll my eyes. Our best person is now distracted. Awesome. I walk over to the other side of the room, trying to see if there is any sort of hidden...anything in the room. After looking and re-looking for any speck of DNA, I turn back to Sam. He shakes his head. He hasn't found anything either. Awesome.

"Got it!" Nancy suddenly exclaims.

Sam and I rush over.

"How did you do that?" Sam asks, the awe evident in his voice. He has the excitement of a child. I roll my eyes.

"It's a puzzle, and I solved it," Nancy explains unhelpfully. She eagerly opens the box.

It's filled to the brim with shiny jewelry.

"Oooh!" I exclaim. This could fetch us a pretty penny.

Nancy makes a pile on the floor as she digs through the box. I quickly grab the jewelry and start stuffing the shiny metal into my pockets.

Sam glares at me.

"What?" I ask innocently. "We need the money."

"It's just jewelry?" Nancy says in disappointment, flipping the empty box upside down.

"Just jewelry?" I reply. "This stuff is the real deal. We can get some good money from this!"

She finally looks up at me as I grab the last bit of the pile and put it into my jacket pocket. "Really?" she asks me in disbelief.

I grin back at her.

She rolls her eyes, but I can see a faint smile on her lips. It makes me feel better. She's been through a lot. Getting her to smile is something at least.

"So," Sam begins, "we don't have anything substantial, do we?"

Nancy sighs. "No. I'll try and call Edward to see if he knows anything more about the mansion, or Caroline, or anything, really." She pulls out her phone.

"And I'll call the sheriff," Sam says stepping towards the staircase.

"You guys are so boring," I comment.

It's Nancy's turn to grin at me.

I roll my eyes and follow Sam to the stairs. He goes up a few steps before sitting. I sit down a few steps below him. He takes out his cell phone and dials the Sheriff's Station.

"Hello? It's Agent McKellen. Can I speak to Sheriff Reeves, please?" he asks. There's a pause as Sam is transferred to the sheriff. "Hello, Sheriff Reeves. It's Agent McKellen. I just have a few questions for you."

And I'm already bored. I stand back up and head down to Nancy. She's still talking on the phone, and I groan. We get a new friend, and she's just as nerdy as Sam. Just my luck.

I sit down next to her on the floor and pull out my flask, taking a generous sip before slipping it back into my coat pocket.

"-again, uh, it's Nancy. Please call me back on this number. I could really, really use your help. Bye." Nancy clicks a button on her phone and looks up at me. She bites her lip thoughtfully.

"He still hasn't answered?" I ask. This isn't a good sign.

She shakes her head.

The silence settles uncomfortably in between us.

The stairs creak, and Sam walks back over. "Any word from Edward?" he asks Nancy.

"No," she replies, her tone is strained with worry.

Sam sighs. "I thought you'd say that, so I asked Sheriff Reeves where he's staying. Lakeside Hotel & Suites. Maybe we should check it out," Sam suggests.

Nancy quickly gets to her feet. "Let's go."