Trials
Chapter Three
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Spooksville, and I'm not making any money from this fic
"So... Where do you live?" Rachel asked Risa at lunchtime as they say on the ground eating their food.
Risa was surprised at that question, though she knew that she shouldn't be. It was going to come up sooner or later. But she was taking a drink at that particular moment, and immediately started coughing as the liquid went down the wrong way.
Rachel instantly thumped Risa on the back until she stopped choking. "Are you all right?" Rachel asked, concerned.
Risa nodded. "Sorry," she replied. "You just took me by surprise. I live in the Raven House with my... guardian."
"The Raven House?" Rachel frowned. "That's haunted, isn't it?"
"I haven't seen any ghosts," Risa said truthfully.
"I'd love to be able to see the Raven House," Rachel commented in a slightly wistful tone, staring off into the distance.
"You can come round any time if you want," Risa replied. "You're welcome to."
"Thank you." Rachel smiled, and then asked, "What about your parents? What do they do?"
Risa hesitated for a long moment, and then lowered her head. "I had to leave my family," she whispered, blinking several times in an attempt to stop the tears that she knew were going to fall.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Rachel reached out to gently place a hand on Risa's shoulder. "Can you tell me why you had to leave?" she asked in a gentle tone.
Risa slowly shook her head. "No," she answered. "I... can't. Not yet at least." At least, not until I'm sure that you won't get freaked out or anything if I do tell you, she added silently.
"It's all right, Risa," Rachel said, lightly squeezing Risa's shoulder. "You don't have to tell me if you'd rather not."
Risa raised her head, and gave Rachel a grateful look. "Thanks."
"No problem." Rachel hesitated, then said, "You know that Spooksville is... well... spooky, right?"
Risa nodded, not quite sure what Rachel was getting at.
"Well... I was wondering if you'd like to go through the Secret Path with me?" Rachel suggested. "I've always wanted to try it, but I've been too scared to go it on my own."
"Well, it would certainly be interesting," Risa replied. "And I've always been curious about the Secret Path... But do you know how to open the portal?"
Rachel nodded. "We have to trek around the town following the highlights of the life of Madeline Templeton, the witch who founded this town," she explained. "I know where we have to go. Adam told me."
It'll be interesting to see some of the things that lie on the other side of the Secret Path, Risa thought to herself. And it might offer me some extra training with my powers. After all, I have got my trials coming up. Then, she frowned. "Who is Adam?" she asked.
Adam Freeman," Rachel replied. "He has three friends – Watch, Sally Wilcox, and Cindy Makey. There are also a couple of other kids who hang around with them who I don't know so well."
Cindy Makey? Risa thought, hiding the feelings that name stirred in her. Nightshade had said that her sister was in Spooksville... But Risa felt relieved to have his words confirmed.
Rachel suddenly got to her feet. "Why don't I introduce you to them?" she suggested.
Read and review, please!
Chapter Three
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Spooksville, and I'm not making any money from this fic
"So... Where do you live?" Rachel asked Risa at lunchtime as they say on the ground eating their food.
Risa was surprised at that question, though she knew that she shouldn't be. It was going to come up sooner or later. But she was taking a drink at that particular moment, and immediately started coughing as the liquid went down the wrong way.
Rachel instantly thumped Risa on the back until she stopped choking. "Are you all right?" Rachel asked, concerned.
Risa nodded. "Sorry," she replied. "You just took me by surprise. I live in the Raven House with my... guardian."
"The Raven House?" Rachel frowned. "That's haunted, isn't it?"
"I haven't seen any ghosts," Risa said truthfully.
"I'd love to be able to see the Raven House," Rachel commented in a slightly wistful tone, staring off into the distance.
"You can come round any time if you want," Risa replied. "You're welcome to."
"Thank you." Rachel smiled, and then asked, "What about your parents? What do they do?"
Risa hesitated for a long moment, and then lowered her head. "I had to leave my family," she whispered, blinking several times in an attempt to stop the tears that she knew were going to fall.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Rachel reached out to gently place a hand on Risa's shoulder. "Can you tell me why you had to leave?" she asked in a gentle tone.
Risa slowly shook her head. "No," she answered. "I... can't. Not yet at least." At least, not until I'm sure that you won't get freaked out or anything if I do tell you, she added silently.
"It's all right, Risa," Rachel said, lightly squeezing Risa's shoulder. "You don't have to tell me if you'd rather not."
Risa raised her head, and gave Rachel a grateful look. "Thanks."
"No problem." Rachel hesitated, then said, "You know that Spooksville is... well... spooky, right?"
Risa nodded, not quite sure what Rachel was getting at.
"Well... I was wondering if you'd like to go through the Secret Path with me?" Rachel suggested. "I've always wanted to try it, but I've been too scared to go it on my own."
"Well, it would certainly be interesting," Risa replied. "And I've always been curious about the Secret Path... But do you know how to open the portal?"
Rachel nodded. "We have to trek around the town following the highlights of the life of Madeline Templeton, the witch who founded this town," she explained. "I know where we have to go. Adam told me."
It'll be interesting to see some of the things that lie on the other side of the Secret Path, Risa thought to herself. And it might offer me some extra training with my powers. After all, I have got my trials coming up. Then, she frowned. "Who is Adam?" she asked.
Adam Freeman," Rachel replied. "He has three friends – Watch, Sally Wilcox, and Cindy Makey. There are also a couple of other kids who hang around with them who I don't know so well."
Cindy Makey? Risa thought, hiding the feelings that name stirred in her. Nightshade had said that her sister was in Spooksville... But Risa felt relieved to have his words confirmed.
Rachel suddenly got to her feet. "Why don't I introduce you to them?" she suggested.
Read and review, please!