Disclaimer: I do not own Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, or any of the characters asssociated with these books. This is merely for entertainment and something that I enjoy doing in my free time.
A few hours later, they had the mansion cleaned up as much as they wanted. They left the mansion, being careful to lock it up, to keep out any unwanted visitors and vandals. They then headed over to Nancy's house where Hannah had lasagna, breadsticks, and a fresh salad ready for them.
"So, are you excited about the party?" She asked them as the boys sat down at the table. Nancy moved over to get them something to drink.
"About as excited as you can be about a haunted house." Nancy answered.
"Personally, I think Nancy's a little scared." Joe said.
Nancy shot Joe an innocent look. "If I remember correctly, I'm not the one who threw a fit when they saw a harmless baby spider."
"Hey, you don't know if that spider was harmless or not. And besides, it looked big when I glaned at it." Joe said defensively. Nancy rolled her eyes and brought the drinks to the table.
"All right, children." Frank said, smiling. "So what's the story with this old mansion anyway?"
"Well, you would have to ask Hannah. She was here when it happened." Nancy said.
All three pairs of eyes glanced at Hannah. "Oh, some now. You don't want to hear a story from me." she said.
"Sure we do, Hannah." Joe said.
Hannah looked around the table at their expectant faces and sighed. She sat down between Nancy and Joe and took a swallow of her iced tea.
"Well, it happened about twenty-five years ago. A man by the name of Ernest Calloway was a very prominet businessman here in River Heights. He made his money in the construction field. I knew him growing up and he always had this dream to remodel this extravagant home in the middle of River Heights. And that's all we thought it was--a dream.
"But as soon as he established himself as a respectable businessman, he made his dream come true. He bought the old mansion that you kids are having you Halloween party. It was built about one hundred years ago. And the man that originally built it was considered by many to be crazy. His name was Dunca Calloway. He was always keeping to himself, and if anyone did happen to see him, it was only at night. And, he also happened to be a vampire. At that time there were people disappearing left and right, so the finger immediately got pointed at him. So a mob was formed and they imprisoned him in his home for eternity."
Joe was laughing. "Vampires? You have got to be kidding me! I have now officially heard everything there is to be heard."
"No, I'm not kidding. People really believed in that back then. They were extremely superstitious. So, anyway, when Ernest remodeled the manion, they say that he let out Duncan's spirit. Ernest didn't believe it, but he should have. Ernest was found dead a couple of days after completion of the house--and his body was completely drained of blood." Hannah said.
"That could have been easily done by someone who had heard of the story." Joe said.
"You're very right, Joe." Hannah said. "But on the other hand..." She let the sentence dangle.
"Well, I guess we won't have to find a Dracula. We have one of our very own in the mansion." Joe said.
"Now do you believe me when I say the place is haunted?" Nancy asked Joe.
"Don't tell me that you believe in this kind of stuff, Nancy." Joe said, raising his eyebrows at her.
"I believe in anything until I am proven wrong." Nancy said.
Frank smiled at his brother. "I'm with her, Joe. With the work that we do, we have to be open to anything."
"Even the supernatural?" Joe asked.
"Even the supernatural." Frank said.
A few hours later, they had the mansion cleaned up as much as they wanted. They left the mansion, being careful to lock it up, to keep out any unwanted visitors and vandals. They then headed over to Nancy's house where Hannah had lasagna, breadsticks, and a fresh salad ready for them.
"So, are you excited about the party?" She asked them as the boys sat down at the table. Nancy moved over to get them something to drink.
"About as excited as you can be about a haunted house." Nancy answered.
"Personally, I think Nancy's a little scared." Joe said.
Nancy shot Joe an innocent look. "If I remember correctly, I'm not the one who threw a fit when they saw a harmless baby spider."
"Hey, you don't know if that spider was harmless or not. And besides, it looked big when I glaned at it." Joe said defensively. Nancy rolled her eyes and brought the drinks to the table.
"All right, children." Frank said, smiling. "So what's the story with this old mansion anyway?"
"Well, you would have to ask Hannah. She was here when it happened." Nancy said.
All three pairs of eyes glanced at Hannah. "Oh, some now. You don't want to hear a story from me." she said.
"Sure we do, Hannah." Joe said.
Hannah looked around the table at their expectant faces and sighed. She sat down between Nancy and Joe and took a swallow of her iced tea.
"Well, it happened about twenty-five years ago. A man by the name of Ernest Calloway was a very prominet businessman here in River Heights. He made his money in the construction field. I knew him growing up and he always had this dream to remodel this extravagant home in the middle of River Heights. And that's all we thought it was--a dream.
"But as soon as he established himself as a respectable businessman, he made his dream come true. He bought the old mansion that you kids are having you Halloween party. It was built about one hundred years ago. And the man that originally built it was considered by many to be crazy. His name was Dunca Calloway. He was always keeping to himself, and if anyone did happen to see him, it was only at night. And, he also happened to be a vampire. At that time there were people disappearing left and right, so the finger immediately got pointed at him. So a mob was formed and they imprisoned him in his home for eternity."
Joe was laughing. "Vampires? You have got to be kidding me! I have now officially heard everything there is to be heard."
"No, I'm not kidding. People really believed in that back then. They were extremely superstitious. So, anyway, when Ernest remodeled the manion, they say that he let out Duncan's spirit. Ernest didn't believe it, but he should have. Ernest was found dead a couple of days after completion of the house--and his body was completely drained of blood." Hannah said.
"That could have been easily done by someone who had heard of the story." Joe said.
"You're very right, Joe." Hannah said. "But on the other hand..." She let the sentence dangle.
"Well, I guess we won't have to find a Dracula. We have one of our very own in the mansion." Joe said.
"Now do you believe me when I say the place is haunted?" Nancy asked Joe.
"Don't tell me that you believe in this kind of stuff, Nancy." Joe said, raising his eyebrows at her.
"I believe in anything until I am proven wrong." Nancy said.
Frank smiled at his brother. "I'm with her, Joe. With the work that we do, we have to be open to anything."
"Even the supernatural?" Joe asked.
"Even the supernatural." Frank said.