DISCLAIMER: I don't own the show or the characters... although I could deal with owning Patrick Levis, Erik von Detton, and Eric Lively! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jack looked at Annie and frowned. The last thing he wanted to hear out of her right now was ghost stuff. The light continued to shine from the other side of the door.
"Annie, come on," he groaned. "You know I can usually deal with you, but don't start this again." Sticking her tongue out, the girl began to cautiously climb the creaky staircase. Jack had no choice but to follow her. When they reached the top of the narrow stairs, there was an old door. Annie reached for the rusted handle, but found it locked. There was no key in site.
"Ugh!" she sighed. "This *always* happens!" Jack smiled to himself.
"She's so cute when she's mad," he thought. Realizing what had just gone through his head, he smacked himself. Annie gave him a confused look.
"I just remembered where I put the sandwiches," he cried. Torn between crying and laughing, Annie started back down the steps. When she reached the bottom, she saw yet another picture with a man and a young girl. The girl was smiling up at the man, whom Annie presumed to be her father. The two were dressed up in their Sunday-best and the girl held a rose. Unfortunately, Annie couldn't make out anything else in the old black and white photo.
"Who's that man, Jack?" she asked. He shrugged.
"Like I know? Who cares?" he replied sharply. Frustrated, Annie took off down the hallway and outside, into the woods. When she had finally lost Jack, Annie paused to take a breath. She didn't recognize her surroundings and definitely couldn't see the house through the thick trees. A fog was beginning to roll across the wooded area, making everything difficult to see. Due to the thick woods, it was fairly dark in the clearing anyways. Suddenly, a flash of light caught Annie's eye and she got goosebumps everywhere. She turned to see a break in the trees that hadn't been there before. Looking around, she decided to go and explore what was beyond those trees. As she stepped forward, Annie faintly heard Jack hollering her name.
"Maybe I should wait," she thought. "I mean, I don't wanna make him mad." Both choices ran through her head, and she finally decided to go ahead and explore the woods. As she walked through the darkened woods, the faint light stayed a good distance ahead. She was able to follow it for almost an eighth of a mile before it disappeared. Trying to figure out what the light was and why it was giving her this *weird* feeling, Annie walked to the clearing where the light had disappeared. There was nothing there in the clearing, or so she thought. When Annie turned to retrace her steps, she tripped over a rock. Yelping in pain, the teen moved the surrounding leaves to see what the rock really was. She gasped to discover a small, oddly shaped gravestone and the goosebumps got worse. She bent down to read what it said.
"Alexandra Patte... ugh!" Annie cried in frustration. "The rest of it is buried in the mud!" As she tried to dig part of the gravestone out of the thick mud, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Screaming, she stood up. Jack stood behind her.
"What the heck are you doing, Annie?! Molly saw you go running off and almost killed me! I know you hate me and all, but don't get me killed." Annie sighed and began to follow Jack back toward the house.
"I don't hate you," she said indignantly. "I just saw this light and I followed it. Then, it disappeared and I found this grave stone. Who would Alexandra Patte be, Jack?" He gave her a weird look.
"I don't know! Pluse, do you think I really care who Alexandra Patte was?" When he saw the disappointed look on Annie's face, Jack laid his arm around her shoulders. "Sorry, kiddo. I just was worried when you disappeared like that." She smiled.
"You mean, you were worried about me?" Annie asked mockingly. Jack mentally kicked himself for being so outright and pulled his hand back by his side.
"I just wouldn't want Mom to kill me. By the way, you dropped this back by that gravestone. It's a key, I think." Annie took the object from Jack and studied it. It was some kind of old key, probably from the Victorian age, or maybe earlier. There was a slight rust on some of the silver.
"I didn't drop this," she stated. "This is definitely not mine. It's too old." Jack shrugged his shoulders and they kept on walking toward the house. It was only a few minutes before they reached the mansion again. As they walked back into the huge house, a thought hit Annie so hard, she was surprised she hadn't thought of it before. What about that keyhole in the door?! Before she could say anything, Molly came rushing out of the house.
"Annie!" she yelled. "Where did you go? Are you okay?" The girl nodded. Jack stood surprisingly and protectively close to Annie. Annie noticed Jack's close presence but didn't make a move to step away. It was strangely comforting after being frightened.
"I'm fine. I have to go do some research on my laptop, but I have a quick question." Molly nodded.
"Go ahead, sweetie." Annie shuddered for some reason. It was as if this place looked strangely familiar, but she couldn't place it.
"Do you know who originally owned this house? I mean, before the park authority bought it." Molly's eyebrows furrowed as she fought to remember.
"I don't know, baby. You go ahead and look up whatever that was that you were going to go find out about, and I will let you know when I remember."
"Thanks, Molly," Annie replied. Molly nodded and let Annie walk off toward the bus. Smiling, Molly noticed that Jack was right by Annie's side.
"Wait!" Molly called. Annie turned around and practically tripped over Jack. She cast him a "look" before facing Molly. "The girl's name was Alexandra Patterson!" Annie's eyes grew wide. She almost fell over backwards as she looked back up at the old Patterson house, only to see a ghostly white figure in an elegant, white, wedding dress *floating* across an the attic window of the mansion.
"Annie, come on," he groaned. "You know I can usually deal with you, but don't start this again." Sticking her tongue out, the girl began to cautiously climb the creaky staircase. Jack had no choice but to follow her. When they reached the top of the narrow stairs, there was an old door. Annie reached for the rusted handle, but found it locked. There was no key in site.
"Ugh!" she sighed. "This *always* happens!" Jack smiled to himself.
"She's so cute when she's mad," he thought. Realizing what had just gone through his head, he smacked himself. Annie gave him a confused look.
"I just remembered where I put the sandwiches," he cried. Torn between crying and laughing, Annie started back down the steps. When she reached the bottom, she saw yet another picture with a man and a young girl. The girl was smiling up at the man, whom Annie presumed to be her father. The two were dressed up in their Sunday-best and the girl held a rose. Unfortunately, Annie couldn't make out anything else in the old black and white photo.
"Who's that man, Jack?" she asked. He shrugged.
"Like I know? Who cares?" he replied sharply. Frustrated, Annie took off down the hallway and outside, into the woods. When she had finally lost Jack, Annie paused to take a breath. She didn't recognize her surroundings and definitely couldn't see the house through the thick trees. A fog was beginning to roll across the wooded area, making everything difficult to see. Due to the thick woods, it was fairly dark in the clearing anyways. Suddenly, a flash of light caught Annie's eye and she got goosebumps everywhere. She turned to see a break in the trees that hadn't been there before. Looking around, she decided to go and explore what was beyond those trees. As she stepped forward, Annie faintly heard Jack hollering her name.
"Maybe I should wait," she thought. "I mean, I don't wanna make him mad." Both choices ran through her head, and she finally decided to go ahead and explore the woods. As she walked through the darkened woods, the faint light stayed a good distance ahead. She was able to follow it for almost an eighth of a mile before it disappeared. Trying to figure out what the light was and why it was giving her this *weird* feeling, Annie walked to the clearing where the light had disappeared. There was nothing there in the clearing, or so she thought. When Annie turned to retrace her steps, she tripped over a rock. Yelping in pain, the teen moved the surrounding leaves to see what the rock really was. She gasped to discover a small, oddly shaped gravestone and the goosebumps got worse. She bent down to read what it said.
"Alexandra Patte... ugh!" Annie cried in frustration. "The rest of it is buried in the mud!" As she tried to dig part of the gravestone out of the thick mud, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Screaming, she stood up. Jack stood behind her.
"What the heck are you doing, Annie?! Molly saw you go running off and almost killed me! I know you hate me and all, but don't get me killed." Annie sighed and began to follow Jack back toward the house.
"I don't hate you," she said indignantly. "I just saw this light and I followed it. Then, it disappeared and I found this grave stone. Who would Alexandra Patte be, Jack?" He gave her a weird look.
"I don't know! Pluse, do you think I really care who Alexandra Patte was?" When he saw the disappointed look on Annie's face, Jack laid his arm around her shoulders. "Sorry, kiddo. I just was worried when you disappeared like that." She smiled.
"You mean, you were worried about me?" Annie asked mockingly. Jack mentally kicked himself for being so outright and pulled his hand back by his side.
"I just wouldn't want Mom to kill me. By the way, you dropped this back by that gravestone. It's a key, I think." Annie took the object from Jack and studied it. It was some kind of old key, probably from the Victorian age, or maybe earlier. There was a slight rust on some of the silver.
"I didn't drop this," she stated. "This is definitely not mine. It's too old." Jack shrugged his shoulders and they kept on walking toward the house. It was only a few minutes before they reached the mansion again. As they walked back into the huge house, a thought hit Annie so hard, she was surprised she hadn't thought of it before. What about that keyhole in the door?! Before she could say anything, Molly came rushing out of the house.
"Annie!" she yelled. "Where did you go? Are you okay?" The girl nodded. Jack stood surprisingly and protectively close to Annie. Annie noticed Jack's close presence but didn't make a move to step away. It was strangely comforting after being frightened.
"I'm fine. I have to go do some research on my laptop, but I have a quick question." Molly nodded.
"Go ahead, sweetie." Annie shuddered for some reason. It was as if this place looked strangely familiar, but she couldn't place it.
"Do you know who originally owned this house? I mean, before the park authority bought it." Molly's eyebrows furrowed as she fought to remember.
"I don't know, baby. You go ahead and look up whatever that was that you were going to go find out about, and I will let you know when I remember."
"Thanks, Molly," Annie replied. Molly nodded and let Annie walk off toward the bus. Smiling, Molly noticed that Jack was right by Annie's side.
"Wait!" Molly called. Annie turned around and practically tripped over Jack. She cast him a "look" before facing Molly. "The girl's name was Alexandra Patterson!" Annie's eyes grew wide. She almost fell over backwards as she looked back up at the old Patterson house, only to see a ghostly white figure in an elegant, white, wedding dress *floating* across an the attic window of the mansion.