Chapter 3

House of Mystery

As I suspected Sarah wasn't in the bathroom and hadn't wandered over to Lily and Alice's room for a midnight chat. Actually, when I poked my head into the other girl's room to check all I saw was Lily with cucumbers covering her eyes. Alice too had disappeared from her bed. I wandered downstairs silently hoping that anyone who saw me would assume I missed dinner and wanted a snack. It was true, I did want a snack, but when I heard muffled crying coming from the kitchen the idea of food left my head. Sarah, with a stumbling Alice in tow crawled out from behind an odd, opening, oven. What the heck? How on earth did that stone slab move itself up and down? I figured the oven opened into the forbidden basement, but why did Alice and Sarah even want to go down there in the first place?

Maybe I've been reading to many YA fantasy books, but the only thing that came to mind was that Alice and Sarah were involved in something, something big, and something supernatural.

My entire life I've searched the local paper for things that seemed off hoping they'd point me in the direction of my specials. Maybe I'm nuts, but I honestly knew they were out there. If I was right and they were I knew where they were living. Sarah and/or Alice was a special and somehow I was going to find my way in.

Yet how could I? If I knew one thing about specials it was that their lives were hard and they trusted few. Sarah and Alice probably had known each other their entire lives. How was I, a stranger, going to get involved in something like this?

Unsure what else to do I went back to bed.

Come morning I discovered Alice was sick and wouldn't be going to school. Thinking of her stumbling around last night my gut told me that blindness was her only ailment and I hoped to God that she'd be okay. (Don't give me that look. I want her fine so she's fine, not just so I can get in on the secret.)

I walked over to school alone after skipping out on breakfast quickly. The only person who spoke with me was Sarah and she was too distressed over whatever had happened to Alice to remember me. I didn't blame her. Old friends over new girls always. Especially when Sarah could have partially been responsible for whatever accident plunged Alice into darkness.

On my way over I was so encompassed in my thoughts that I literally ran into a woman. Her dyed hair was a light brown, but from her eyebrows being the same color I guessed that was around her natural color. She stood about 5'5 and when she spoke I was startled to hear an American accent.

"Sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going," she told me. I doubted that. This middle aged women looked like she didn't miss a beat, but the fact that she was willing to take the blame spoke well for her character.

"No, really my fault," the women raised an eyebrow before smiling.

"It's nice to have another American on campus. It's Lucetta right? Fabian, I mean Mr. Rutter, told me about you. I'm sorry to hear about what happened with your parents."

Oh so this was Sarah and Anubis's mother, Nina I think A said. "Thanks," I told her softly unsure how else to response.

"I never knew my parents," she continued obviously trying to make me feel better. "They died when I was little. You're lucky. It's better to have loved and lost then never have loved at all."

"Lord Alfred Tennyson" I responded quickly.

Mrs. Rutter raised a surprised eyebrow before laughing, "Quite a reader aren't you. I like you Luce. You remind me of me at your age, though, I hope you get into less trouble than I did."

So Sarah was definitely the special then. After all, if her mother was always in trouble (special attribute one) then she was a special. If Mrs. Rutter is a special so is her daughter. Most likely anyways.

"I'll try to ma'am," i promised sweetly. "I like your necklace by the way." I noted. Confused Mrs. Rutter looked down at her necklace-less breasts so I explained. "Sorry Couldn't help but notice the tan-line. It hasn't quite faded yet. It's the same shape as Sarah's necklace. Considering that the fact that that necklace looked Egyptian and you're a curator I deducted that Sarah's necklace was once your necklace now handed down."

"Wow. Yes, it was mine given to me by an old friend whom Sarah just happens to be named after," Nina responded quietly. "You should get going. Even a girl with your intelligence has to go to class. I started late here too and I know how hard make up work can be."

Waving goodbye to Sarah's mysterious mother I wondered about what the two Rutter girls could be. Was Anubis a special too? And if he was why was Alice investigating with Sarah and not her brother. Maybe it only passed down through girls and the Y chromosome killed it? I had no idea what they were.

The only class I wasn't actually ahead in was British history considering that I'd been taking US History instead. At least the transition would be easy academically, but socially... I went back to the house for lunch and ended up eating it alone in my room.

Days flew by. Within 24 hours Alice's eyesight returned and no one but me was any wiser to what happened. Multiple times I tried opening the oven door and going into the basement, but it seemed to need a key (a key shaped exactly like the eye of Ra and Sarah's necklace.)

Finally however I caught my break. I was heading into my room to do homework when I noticed Alice and Sarah's hushed voices inside. Pressing my ear against the door I could make out their conversation.

"We have to figure out a way back there. Why put a blinding light if there's nothing to hide?" Alice asked.

"I know there must be something there, but we can't do anything until we know how to not go blind," Sarah replied.

"You could ask your mom," Alice suggested. "I mean it! She had the locket and I'd bet she used it to go down there. The footprints are probably hers. Maybe she knows how to get past the light."

"I'm sure she does, but we can't ask. He said that anyone could be the serpent."

Now I was getting somewhere! All i needed was a name.

"Can we trust him? How do we know Osiris isn't the bad guy. He is the god of the dead after all." Osiris? As in the Egyptian mythological god of the dead? Maybe it was code.

Or maybe it wasn't. You never knew with specials.

"I don't think we can ask my mom. Even if she isn't the one trying to get to the mosaic she would stop us saying it's too dangerous," Sarah countered.

"Did Osiris not say anything else in the vision?" Alice asked. "Did he give any clues."

"No," Sarah replied regretfully. "All he said was that the serpent has sent his champion to find the ma'at scales and he was sending his..."

"But there are others right? Three others a champions. One of Anubis, who is called the Chosen One. One for Osiris, you, the Osirian. One for Isis... I'm thinking Isisium, and then one for Horus I think Horusian is good," Alice reminded.

Giggling Sarah commented, "Those names are rubbish. But I've got nothing better so you win." Settling down Sarah spoke again, "Who do you think they are. Osiris said they were here, in this house, but I can't because Apophis' champion is here too!"

"You know that makes 1/2 of the people living in this house the chosen of the gods... don't you think that's a bit of an odd coincidence?" Alice asked. "I mean okay so having one or two in a creepy school like this is acceptable, but why would all five congregate at the place of the scales when only one knew they were here?"

"I don't know,Al," a resigned Sarah told her best friend. "Maybe it's because of the scales we, or our parents, were drawn here. Who knows and actually I don't care."

"I think Luce is one of them." Alice's words startled me. What? I didn't exactly know what they were talking about but I was no special. That's for sure.

"What makes you think that?" Sarah questioned. "I mean i don't know either way, but why?"

"She's weird," Alice pointed out and I didn't blame her. Between my seclusion, nationality, and past, I was weird. "I don't know it's just a feeling whenever I'm around her... I feel like hot."

Sarah burst out laughing. "You feel hot?"

"You're right," Alice laughed. "It's crazy."

"She could be the Serpent," Sarah muttered not laughing. "Maybe that's why she's avoiding us."

I was not evil and it took all my willpower not to burst in and say something.

"No," Alice defended. "She's not evil. Just weird. Plus she wasn't even here when you had the dream so she can't be one of them."

I hadn't noticed Alice's voice getting closer until it was too late. Falling on the floor next to the open door I saw the aghast look on Alice and Sarah's faces. Crap.