The Creeping Fog Chapter 1, a hardy boys/nancy drew fanfic

Rochelle and Marie note: Yay! Our first Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys fan fiction! We're so happy! Okay, well this town in this story is totally fictional, just letting you know. So don't ever try to visit Shoalwood because…yeah…it's not real. Also the Colonel in the story is fictional along with most of the events mentioned so don't try to look it up on Google. It isn't there…trust us.

Disclaimer: We do not own Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, or any other things mentioned that we can't think of at this precise moment. We do, however, own Shoalwood (cuz it's not real! Haha!) and the plot and the OTHER characters (excluding the ones mentioned above) and…yeah…you get the picture. Enjoy!

P.S. PLEASE REVIEW!

The Creeping Fog

Dear Ned,

Guess what! Frank, Joe, and I just won a free trip to visit the quaint little town of Shoalwood, located on the coast of South Carolina. Very few people have heard of it. However, those who have know the stories that revolve around its history.

It seems that during the Civil War, Colonel Gerard LeRue had a secret base in their old lighthouse on Shoalwood Cove where they made Confederate money! After the war the lighthouse was closed and no one has seen the Confederate money since. Spookily enough, they say that the ghost of Gerard LeRue and his men still haunt the lighthouse and his old home, LeRue Plantation which is now a bed and breakfast where we are staying.

Upon our arrival, however, we found out that the lighthouse is going to be torn down! The owner of LeRue Plantation, Molli Ackerman, is upset because she believes it is a historical landmark from the War and goes along with the LeRue Plantation.

Molli's niece, Annabelle Harris, is staying here for the summer. She's 17 and is very good friends with the cook at the plantation, Odessa Price, a comical woman who is quite the character.

This will hopefully be a relaxing vacation but I, for some reason, have a creepy feeling about the place. It's as if we're not alone…

Talk to you soon,

Nancy

P.S. I'm glad we decided to just be friends!



Looking for Nancy Drew and Frank and Joe Hardy

Nancy, upon seeing the rather obvious sign held by a short brunette, figured that it was most likely meant for them.

"Come on, guys!" she called to her companions who were struggling under the weight of the many bags. She rushed up to the woman, smiling.

"Are ya'll Nancy, Frank, and Joe?" the woman asked, her thick Southern accent obvious.

Nancy shook her hand warmly, telling her yes, and then smacked the boys when they sniggered at the woman's accent. Joe grimaced at her harsh treatment of him (he had been closer to her at the time so there was more force…).

"Oh, I'm so glad to see ya'll! Ya'll can just call me Aunt Molli, alright?" She smiled and then said, "Well, then, why don't we pile into my car?"

Joe smirked and mumbled, "They have cars out here?" which was received by Nancy whacking him again.

"Ow! You hit me!" he exclaimed, hurt again. What was with the abuse?

Nancy rolled her eyes and hurried after Aunt Molli, anxious to see the Plantation and do some exploring.

Frank chuckled and patted his brother on the back. "She must like you, bro."

Joe brightened. "Really?" Then he frowned. "Wait, not that I want her to…"

As the old beat up mini van pulled up the dirt road the house came into view, making the passengers gasp. Standing dignified among the large live oak trees was LeRue Plantation, a Southern mansion with over 20 rooms, most of which were reserved for a good part of the year.

Nancy continued to stare at it in awe as Frank and Joe continued their previous conversation.

"Oh, come on Frank! Stop hounding on me! I'll bet that once you're down here for a few hours you'll have already found some Southern belle to fall in love with!"

Joe's older brother just laughed at his antics. "Yeah right, Joe!"

They stopped in front of a group of smaller houses, which Nancy guessed were once the slave quarters.

"These cabins here were where the servants and slaves stayed when the Plantation was still runnin'," said Molli.

"Joe, that's where you'll be staying," said Frank, motioning toward the smallest one.

"Hey!"

The group entered through the front door, their footsteps immediately muffled on the plush carpeting. Molli showed them their rooms and let them get settled before dinner, which was supposed to be the big traditional five course meal served in the main dining room.

Nancy's room was the ground floor, with a back door opening up into the courtyard. It was decorated with yellow Jessamine flowers, the state flower of South Carolina. Her four poster bed looked old and Molli commented that it was one of the few that were original with house and intact enough to still use.

Delighted to have his room right above Nancy's, Joe was on the second floor with a small balcony that gave him a good view of the grounds. I can't say he was too happy that the décor was purple lilacs but he couldn't complain about the fluffy couch that was included in the room.

The group decided to meet at the entrance for the last tour before dinner. Joe immediately started to pester Frank about his location.

"Hey, Frank! I have a balcony! How 'bout that? Where are you? The stables?"

"Actually, I have the bedroom that used to be occupied by Colonel Gerard LeRue himself." Frank watched his younger brother's reaction with amusement.

Joe grumbled and said indignantly, "I'm ignoring you now, brother…I mean…ex brother!" He went to stand next to Nancy, ignoring his two companions' laughter.

Nancy explained to the two boys that their tour guide was Aunt Molli's niece, 17 year old Annabelle Harris. The blonde amateur sleuth was also excited that the tours were apparently conducted with the guide in authentic Southern garb.

Joe suddenly grinned and said, "Hey, Frank, I told you that you'd find someone to fall in love with! Here's your chance!"

Frank sighed. "Yeah ri…" He broke off, his eyes widening at the sight before them.

The woman that glided down the main staircase to meet them looked like she had just stepped out of an old Southern portrait, dressed in a large skirt, her auburn curls piled on her head. She smiled pleasantly at them and came directly to Nancy, obviously knowing who she was.

"Nancy Drew! It's so nice to meet you! Aunt Molli told me you were comin'. She was real excited to have a real life female detective in her house. Your fame and reputation precede you."

She then turned to the Hardy Boys, shaking each of their hands. Joe smiled and quickly glanced at his brother, obviously pleased his predictions had been correct- Frank was so obviously blushing.

"That's a lovely shade of red you're turning," he whispered to Frank, trying to embarrass him further.

Frank replied by…not replying and following after Annabelle in a sort of daze.

Joe started to follow but then he noticed that Nancy wasn't traipsing behind him. He turned around, puzzled, and saw that she was transfixed by a portrait of a man, a slightly suspicious look on her face.

"Nancy, are you okay?" he asked, concerned. He glanced at the picture. 'What is it?"

Nancy tore her gaze from the picture to look at Joe's worried face. She smiled uneasily, said, "Nothing," and pulled him to catch up with the tour group.

Note: Yay! This is cool! Why does Nancy feel like she's not alone in the LeRue Plantation? What startled her so much in the picture? Is there any hope Frank will come back from the land of love? Wait for the next chapter and you'll find out!

P.S. This is the part where you review!