Sarah stepped out of the carriage and looked up at the castle. It was like nothing she had ever seen before with turrents coming up from all four corners as well as from either side of the draw bridge and from the middle of the huge, stone homestead.
A gasp escaped from he throat as she saw a figure move past the eastern turrent's top window. Was that a gh-
"..£40, Ma'am …. Ma'am!" The carriage driver's words interrupted her mid-thought.
"Oh, sorry." Sarah fosiked through her purse and gave him two £20 notes and a £5.
"Thankyou!" He said, climbing back up to his perch. "I shall see you in five days, yes?"
"Yes. Goodnight." Sarah picked up her two bags and turned towards the steps that would soon take her up to her five day mystery holiday. She heard the horseman crack his whip and call to his horses.
"What have I gotten myself into this time?" Sarah said quietly to herself looking but up the towering stone wall and remembering how her friend, Candice had convinced her to take his place due to his broken leg. She looked down towards the gate to see the carriage already almost completely disolved into the dark gloom of the night.
Sarah sighed and began her ascent to her home for the next week. "Why did I let Candice talk myself into this? Why couldn't I have stayed in London?" She looked down at the steps she was climbing. They were well worn cobblestone with moss growing our of cracks running parallel to the muddy dirt either side of the path.
She looked back up and realised she was barely half-way up after at least five minutes of climbing. "Well at least it looks like I'll be getting lots of exercise." Another five or so minutes and, after a lot of huffing and puffing, she had reached the big wooden doors.
She used the big, heavy, brass door knocker and heard the bang, bang, bang!!! echoing inside. She waited a while befor trying again … and again. After three more bang, bang, bang's she finally heard a "I'm coming, I'm coming! But please stop that racket!" from within.
A few seconds later there was the sound of metal scraping against metal before the wood swung inwards revealing a darkly clothed man. "Hello and welcome to the Goulding mansion." The man moved away from the doorway and Sarah entered.
"My name's Angus and you must be Sarah, yes?"
Sarah smiled and put down her bags. "Yes." She outstretched her arm and they shook hands.
"You're the last to arrive. We were expecting you earlier. You've missed dinner but supper's about to be served if you're hungry."
"No. The journey was very long. I think I might retire for the evening if you'll show me to my room?"
"Of course. Tomorrow morning we will be meeting in the dining room which is in there." Angus gestured towards two huge wooden doors on the right wall of the hall enterance. "Now if you'll follow me I'll show you to your quarters." He picked up Sarah's two bags, turned and headed towards and up the gigantic wooden staircase in the center of the hall. "These way a tonne!" You must have had a fun time carrying them up the steps outside."
"Yeah. My friend didn't tell me about them."
"Did he tell you about the rules of the place?"
"Rules? Oh, yeah! The whole murder, who-dunnit thing. He didn't get a chance, actually."
"Don't worry, we'll go over them at breakfast tomorrow. And your clothes are in the cupboard of your room. Obviously your friend didn't tell you about that either."
"No… Well at least now I know why my size was asked."
"You are a size 12, aren't you?"
"Yeah." Sarah smiled.
"Well this is your room." They stopped at a wooden door. The last one in the corrider and it was identical to all the rest she had seen.
"Thank you and goodnight." Sarah said, reaching for the door knob.
"Are you sure I can't convince you to come down for supper? It will be the last chance you'll get before everyone is transformed into someone from another time long, long ago." Angus smiled as he said these words, obviously enjoying them. It was also plain that he'd used them many a-times before. Probably in the same situation.
"Thanks … but no."
"Ok, I won't force you. See you tomorrow at 9." He quickly turned and walked off. The echoing of his footsteps on the wooden floorboards rang in Sarah's ears well after he had disappeared downstairs. Probably gone to hit on some other chic. Probably dazzeling them with his earily blue eyes and goldern brown locks. Sarah sighed and opened the door.

"He watched her enter her room, shutting the door silently behind her, and he heard the click as the door was locked from within. He closed his eyes and he saw her through his eyelids. The shoulder length brown hair - straight, bouncing up and down as she walked. Her eyes a bright green - peircing though everything she had (and would) see. They saw through the front people put up and saw deep into the soul where love … hate … anger … desperation, all rested until they were needed in their master's lives.
He knew all this. He had felt and senced it when she had passed the shadow hoolding his body - his vessal. He would have to be wary of her. He was lucky she was tired. He was lucky she had not felt his pressence. He was lucky she hadn't turned,and looked, and seen who he was … what his body held. He was lucky she hadn't seen and felt what he planned to do. But he would not rely on luck in the future. In the future he would stay right clear of her.

Sarah was astounded byt the size of the room. It was huge! The far wall was at least ten meters in length. And the pictures coering the walls! So many! They looked expensive too. And oh the bed! A four-posted canopy bed! She'd always dreamed of sleeping in one of these, and now here was her chance.
There were two doors in the room not counting the one she had entered. She went to the one closest to her, on the wall to her left. The bathroom. Another huge room with spa and separate shower. Very modern for such an isolated, old house. Strange, but she wasn't going to complain.
"Oooo!" Sarah spotted the complementary soaps. She collected them and they always exceted her as to whether or not they had writing on them. She was half disappointed to see they were coverend in just a plain, aqua coloured plastic. But she didn't have this colour so she made a mental note to pocket a few before she left.
After five minutes of searching for (and not finding) a hairdryer she left the room and went to try the door further down the wall - locked. Must lead to the next room. Probbably another guest. Or should they be called participants?
Sarah didn't know, but thought they were probably called participants as Candice had told her that they hired a different venue each year. "More exciting that way" she recalled being told.
Probably be a few locked doors. She wondered who would live in such a gloomy place. Maybe they just hired out the place to groups such as this one.
Suddenly a wave of fatigue hit Sarah. She sat down and got changed. Then Sarah decided to look through the constumes which were supposed to be worn over the following days. She stood up and glanced at her watch, 11:17.
…11:17! Sarah remembered Angus's last words, "See you tomorrow at 9"! She hadn't gotten up that early for months! Definitely time for bed.
She went and brushed her teeth before crawling into the gigantic bed situated between the two doors along the wall. She fell asleep almost instantaniously.
She slept soundly only stiring once when she heard some talking behind her head - in the next room. She remembered some rasied voices … argueing? But then she slept soundly the rest of the night.
Bang, bang,bang! "You up yet Sarah?" Bang, bang! "You awake?"
She woke with a start. She sat up groggily. "I'm awake, I'm awake! What time is it?" She rubbed her eyes and tried to focus on the now brightly lit room.
"8:30, half an hour 'till breakfast is served. See you there!"
"Thanks." She pushed back the covers and got out of bed. She could feel her body and hear her body complaining "Too early, to early!"
She dragged herself to the bathroom and had a 10 minute shower. She pulled on a top and some jeans before remembering the costumes. She moaned and moved to the cupboard -dresses. Dresses, dresses, and more dresses. She grabbed one that looked half comfortable and pulled it on. She saw a full length mirror on the back of the door. Very stylish. Very … 1700's? Sarah giggled before closing the door and heading downstairs to meet the rest of the crowd.