Chapter One: Exploring

Souta and I stepped off of the front porch together and headed around the main building towards the back yard. For a historical piece of land , it wasn't large, and therefore there wasn't much for us to take in. Behind the house stood the shed and the storehouse, which Grandpa said he wanted to turn into a gift shop. He had this crazy idea of opening the shrine again for tours since he would have nothing better to do with Mom at work and the two of us at school. Directly behind the storehouse was a strange looking structure that Mom said the people who sold her the Shrine told her that it was a well. Of course, as soon as I told Souta about the well, he wanted to check it out.

So much for seeing if we could find any cool gadgets the previous owners left. I highly doubted they kept any of their possessions in the well house.

When we reached the door, it was all boarded up. Souta found a metal bar laying in the high grass behind the well house, which I used to pry the warped boards off of the entrance. Much to my dismay, the door's hinges were no longer attached to the frame, and I barely jumped out of the way in time as the oak structure hit the concrete platform with a sickening thud .The door gave way to a huge cloud of dust that reeked of mold. Souta frantically fanned the air to try and clear it up. The dark recess looked forbidding. Just like the places in the mystery novels I've read . They've always managed freaked me out even if it was a good story. Good thing none of that stuff happens in real life, right? For once, I wasn't sure about this place. Grandpa was the one who believed in evil spirits and such, not me. It was all rubbish as far as I was concerned. Stop it, I said to my self, even Souta isn't scared. That means it isn't logical for you to be afraid.

" Whoa, sis. It's dark in there!"

" No duh, Souta, it was probably built before there was electric lighting. I'm going to go back to the house to get some candles and matches. Stay here and don't go in until I get back."

" Alright. It's not like I can see in there anyway. What's the point of going on a treasure hunt if you can't see what you're looking for?", Souta laughed

" Don't get smart with me ! I'll be right back!"

I ran back to the house as fast as my legs would carry me. Candles and matches, candles and matches, where would Mom have packed them? With the living room stuff? I was so absorbed in figuring out where they could be that I almost ran into Grandpa.

" Easy does it, Kagome! Remember, slow and steady always wins the race! Why are you in such a hurry? Better yet, where's Souta? I thought you were gonna talk to him.", Grandpa said

I didn't have time for a game of "Twenty-one Questions". Souta was waiting for me. " I already talked to him, and I got him to give the shrine a cha-"

" That's wonderful sweetheart! I knew you could get through to him. So why are you rushing so ?"

I sighed, " I was getting to that before you cut me off. Do you know where Mom packed the candles and matches? Souta and I need them since we're going to explore the buildings on the grounds. Souta's idea before you ask."

Sometimes it seems like my family knew I was born with only one nerve and they enjoyed taking turns jumping on it. Today must be Grandpa's turn. When Grandpa didn't answer , I got busy ripping open any and all boxes that were in my path. After what seemed like an eternity , Grandpa walked out of the kitchen holding two candles and a bundles of matches. Now I was seeing red.

" You mean to tell me that I opened all of these boxes and you knew that they weren't in any of them?! "

Grandpa smiled sheepishly, " I forgot your mother unpacked them earlier and put them in the kitchen."

" Hey, I'd love to stay and chat," I sputtered in a rush as I took the candles and matches from him,"but Souta's waiting for me. Love you, see you later!"

With that I sped off towards the well house. The sun was starting to set against the horizon, casting an orange haze over the grounds. It was beautiful but it also gave the shrine a sinister appearance. Souta was going to be disappointed since we would have to head in soon. I suppose tomorrow could be another day. As I approached the old well, I felt chills run down my spine. Something wasn't right about this place. The aura shifted and oddly this time I could feel it. I could tell from how many times I've heard Grandpa explain it as a part of his endless stories about the past. There had to be a reason it was boarded up. I was praying my earlier instincts about the place were wrong as a skidded to a stop.

"Souta?"

My ten year old brother wasn't standing where I left him thirty minutes ago.

Alright folks! Souta's missing!!!!!!! Did he ignore Kagome and go into the well house? Or did something else happen? Well that's for me to know and for you to find out! =P Next chapter will be up soon. Please read and review! Let me know what you think so far!

- Rayne