Well, here we are. Book two. I can't believe how far I've come already. I still need to make plans for the sequel to this story. LOL. Welcome newcomers, and to my loyal reviewers, welcome back. Thanks for all the input, it's really helping. Please enjoy chapter five of my little story.
There is a place not far from where you live that is called paradise by some. This place is actually a road, where everyone is singing and dancing and people are oh-so-happy. It's a road called Imagination.
This road is not the one that the Fenton orphans were traveling on, unfortunately.
Right now they were busy traveling down a road surrounded by swampy marshland and were on their way to their new home. "Dr. Montgomery, your new guardian, is a scientist," Mr. Poe said. "What does he do?" Danny asked. He was thinking that perhaps Dr. Montgomery would have some ghost-hunting equipment, like his parents had used, that could help him in his work. "I'm not sure," Mr. Poe said, "I didn't have time to chit-chat. Oh, look, we're here!"
The children looked out the window and saw a large house with sculptures of snakes and other reptiles littering the front lawn. As the children walked past them, they wondered if their new guardian would be kind person, especially after the way Count Vlad had treated them – or mistreated, to be more accurate. The front door opened to reveal a smiling man with a boa constrictor draped around his neck. "Hello, children," he said, "I am your Uncle Monty."
The first few days at their new home were very interesting, and I'm sure that you are questioning the boa constrictor and the sculptures by now. You see, Monty was a herpetologist – that is, he studied snakes and other reptiles – and this fascinated Samantha Fenton and her brothers greatly.
One night the orphans were lead into a grand room filled with several snakes and lizards as well as a few amphibians. "I call it the Reptile Room," their guardian explained. "Isn't it magnificent? This is the result of years of research and collecting of specimens." "Why is it called the Reptile Room," Tucker signed inquisitively, "If there are amphibians in it as well?" "Ahh, Tucker, you speak in sign language," Monty said, smiling. "You see, when I first began my work, I only took care of reptiles. I later expanded my research. Oh, before I forget, would you like to see my latest discovery?" The siblings nodded eagerly, a word that here means "indicating that they thought it would be fun to see a newly discovered species of snake."
Monty lead them to a large cage with a huge black snake inside. "This," he said, "Is the Incredibly Deadly Viper." The children gazed with wide eyes and watched it slowly slither towards the door of the cage. The Viper pondered the children for a moment, then swiftly flicked open the lock with its tail and and struck Tucker's arm. Tucker staggered back a bit, then smiled and petted the large creature. Sam and Danny looked at Uncle Monty in confusion.
"The name," he proclaimed, "Is a misnomer. The Incredibly Deadly Viper is harmless!"
The children glanced at each other, and then laughed, half out of relief for their brother, and half out of the fact that they had been frightened by such a gentle creature. Their happiness soon faded, however, when the doorbell rang. "We'll get it," Danny offered, as he and his siblings raced to the front door.
As soon as they answered it, however, the children foud to their dismay that there, in the doorway, was a person that they had hoped never to see again.
"Hello, my name is Stephano," the man said, but he could not hide his true identity from the children underneath a false-sounding Italian accent. "No, you aren't," Danny replied, shocked with the sheer audacity of Vlad thinking that he could just waltz into their new home and destroy their lives - again. "You're Count Vlad, and we aren't letting you inside this house."
"I'm terribly sorry that you feel that way," Stephano said menacingly. His eyes glittered with malice, a phrase which here means "Shone in a most unpleasent way." "You're still as persnicketty as ever, and I see that Samantha hasn't recovered from her foot injury yet."
"My foot is just fine," Sam said nervously, glancing at her bare feet in order to make sure. "Is that so?" Stephano said, grinning deviously. "If I recall, I believe that there was once a man who became so startled from repeatedly being called by the wrong name that his grip slipped on a knife he was holding and accidentally chopped off one of poor Samantha Fenton's toes."
But our sister has ten toes, Tucker signed.
"Oh really?" He reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a large and rusty knife.
At that moment, Uncle Monty entered the hallway. "Oh, hello," he said cordially, "You must be the new assistaint. Children, will you please help him with his things while I show him around?"
The children gave each other unsure glances, but regardless, dragged the heavy luggage into the guest bedroom. They still couldn't shake the feeling that Uncle Monty was in grave danger, and I'm sorry to say that they were correct.
CLIFFHANGER! O.o What will happen to the Fenton orphans next? What will Count Vlad attempt next? Will pancakes appear in this story? ...Okay, so for those of you who have read ASOUE, you know what happens next. Oh well, there goes my rockin' cliffhanger end... Review and you get cookies! xD