"April 3, 1888. Dan Master's 24th birthday."

Sam sniffed the air as she followed her guide down the spiral staircase. Onions and garlic mixed together with the aroma of some sort of meat cooking filled her nostrils. As they got closer to the first floor, she started to pick up the scent of something chocolate. The phantom continued.

"Incidentally, this also happened to be the same day that Penelope Baxter, now Penelope Masters, and her son Dashiel Baxter moved into the mansion."

"So," Sam asked, "Her wedding was yesterday? Why would they schedule it the day before Dani-, I mean, Dan's birthday?"

"They didn't. Vlad and Penelope Masters got married in June."

"What?" she exclaimed, "But women usually don't move in with their husbands until after they're married!"

"Usually, yes. This time, however, Vlad absolutely insisted Penelope moved in. His former wife died ten years before and he thought it was high time his young daughter had a mother figure in her life. The sooner, the better."

"Still, that must have created a whole lot of talk around town."

"It did, yes. But, then again, the people here in Amity don't really need a reason to start gossiping. If a bird flies by someone's window, people here will debate what that bird was doing, if it was someone's lost pet, whose cat almost caught it, whether it was an omen. Ugh, the possibilities are endless."

"Gee, thanks," Sam muttered sarcastically, "As if I needed yet another reason as to why I'll hate living here."

By now, they had reached the hallway and were standing right next to the open front door. Dan also stood there too with his arms folded and a scowl on his face. The small butler carrying two large suitcases was the first to enter the mansion. Dan paid no attention to him and continued to glare past the top of Bertrand's grey hair and straight at the woman about to enter. Sam followed his glare and recognized the woman as Mrs. Masters. Her tall companion with greyish white hair that matched his goatee, however, she didn't recognize.

"Well," he cheerfully said as they both entered, "Here you are, Penny. Home sweet home!"

"Penny?" Sam snorted.

"That's what Vlad liked to call his wife, yes."

"Vladdie, dariling," she replied, taking one of her suitcases out of his hand, "Are you sure it's alright for me to be here so soon?"

"No," Dan mumbled.

"Penny, darling, I insist," Vlad dropped the other suitcase onto the ground patted Mrs. Masters' free hand, "I'm not always around here to take care of my daughter and Dan's a young man, now. He doesn't want to watch over a young girl. Do you, Dan?"

"I-"

"He wants to go out into the world. Explore! Pretty soon, he'll be meeting a girl of his own just as wonderful as you are!"

"God, I hope not."

"Speaking of your daughter," Mrs. Masters looked around, "Where is the young dear?"

"Oh, she's helping her cousin with Dan's gift. I swear, that girl absolutely adores her cousin. Probably the only older female model she's had for most of her life, poor girl."

"That's right!" she turned to Dan, "It's your birthday, isn't it, Daniel?"

"It's Dan," he grumbled, moving aside as his father passed through with a suitcase.

"I hope you're having a wonderful birthday, darling!"

"Not anymore, I'm not."

"Dashiel!" she turned back and shouted at her son outside, "What have I told you about that box! Be careful! It's got a very important neclace in there and I don't want anything to happen to it!" She turned back and continued to talk in a sugary voice to Dan, "Now, Daniel-"

"It's Dan."

"Yes, of course it is, dear. Since, I'll be married to your father very soon, I want you to think of me as your mother. In fact, you can even call me Mother, if you'd like."

"She's kidding, right?" Sam snorted.

"I won't."

"Or, Penny, if you prefer."

"I prefer to call you bi-"

"Daniel!" his father turned up suddenly besides him and hissed in his ear, "If the next word that comes out of your mouth rhymes with 'witch,' there's going to be some serious trouble!"

Dan was quiet for a moment before muttering, "Biscuit."

"I'm sorry, dear?" Mrs. Masters looked confused.

"I said I'm going to get a biscuit."

He turned around and stomped off. Sam and the phantom followed him to the kitchen. As they all arrived, Dan started to enter, but as soon as he opened the door, it was immediatley slammed shut.

"No!" a female voice shrilled out, "You are can't come in!"

"Who's that?" Sam asked.

"The cook," the phantom replied.

"Cook? I didn't they had a cook. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen her."

"That's because she was fired several months later."

"Wait," Sam rememebered what her grandmother had told her earlier, "Vlad Masters died the night everyone got food poisoning. She got fired because he died?"

"Very good," the phantom smiled back at her, "Penelope did fire her after he died. Not because she actually believed the poor girl was responsible, of course."

"Why not?" Dan protested, trying to open the kitchen door again, "I'm hungry!"

"Because I'm making your birthday surprise! You can't come in or it'll ruin the surprise!"

"Is it pork chops with garlic potatoes and a black forest cake with extra whipped cream?"

The woman was silent for a moment before answering, "I-I-I don't speak English!"

"But, you just-Never mind."

"Hey, Dan!"

He turned around and smiled.

"Tucker! How'd you get in?"

"Tucker?" Sam turned towards the new person walking towards them.

"Dan's best friend," the phantom answered.

"Snuck in through the servant's entrance," Tucker answered proudly, "Your new butler really needs to learn how to lock doors."

"He's not my butler," the frown returned on Dan's face.

"I take it she's here already?"

"She actually told me to call her Mother."

"Yeesh."

"Or," he tuned his voice to a higher pitch in mockery, "'Penny, if you prefer.'"

"Hey, Derrick!"

Both men turned around to see a sulking Dashiel heading towards them.

"It's Dan," he snarled.

"Whatever," Dashiel rolled his eyes and shoved a heavy sack into Dan's arms, "Mother says it's your birthday. Here!"

Without another word, he stomped off. Dan and Tucker turned back to the sack and stared at it.

"What is it?" Tucker asked as his friend untied the string.

"Potatoes?"

"Well," Sam said, staring at the gift, "At least I know what to expect come my birthday."

Suddenly, the forceful wind from before started up again. Sam's hair flew behind her along with her veil. With one hand, she reached for the top of her veil and held it tight against her head and used her other hand to protect her face. The mysterious white pieces of paper she had seen before getting sucked into the journal came back and flew violently around her and the phantom. She looked at the two men in front of them. They continued to stare in confusion at the potatoes, undisturbed by this wind. In fact, unlike her and the phantom, their own clothes and hair remained still as if everything was perfectly normal.

"What's happening?" she shouted as the wind grew stronger and louder.

"Today is done!" he shouted back, raising a hand to protect his own face, "We're turning the page and moving on to the next entry!"

They both watched as pieces of paper continued their violent dance around them, coming closer and closer with each second until they were both surrounded by nothing but whirling pages. Sam let out a scream as she felt herself getting sucked forward by something she couldn't see until everything went black.