"Seriously!" Sara made a fist and pounded on the wall. "Listen, it sounds hollow."
Davechuckled again. "Well, it would fit. Haunted house, secret passages, no way in, no way out."
Kirsty didn't look up from where she was sketching in the dust. "The question would be then," She muttered. "How to get past it."
"Obviously," Dave snapped. He moved away from teh wall and started around, tugging on one of the torch holders. "Maybe one of these act as a trigger for it."
"whatever you say Daveybear!" Kirsty rose smoothly to her feet, returning the dagger to her belt. She shrugged. "I'll humor you."
"Love is in the air," Sara hissed under her breath, holding back a chuckle.
"What did you say?" Dave asked, glancing up at Sara, then quickly at Kirsty, who was looking at Sara with narrowed eyes.
"Nothing," Sara smiled, copying Dave's idea of trying the torch holders.
It took them less than half an hour to try all the holders, revealing nothing.
"Brilliant idea Daveybear," Kirsty chuckled.
Dave flashed Kirsty a quick glare. "Don't call me that!"
Kirsty chuckled, flashing Sara a quick smile.
"What's this?" Dave asked, looking intently at the floor, where Kirsty had been absently sketching with the dagger. He glanced up at the painting on the wall, then back to the ground. "I wonder...."
He crossed the room and removed the painting from the wall. A rumbling sound made the girls turn quickly, staring with wide eyes as a section of the wall swung outward, revealing a staircase.
"Well," Kirsty said. "Looks like ya had a good idea after all."
Dave took the lead, holding up the torch he'd taken from Kirsty. The stairway led down, disappearing in the dark below. Kirsty was shortly behind Dave, trying to see past his shoulder, with Sara bringing up the rear with the other torch.
"Think we're nearing the bottom," Dave said, glancing quickly back. His eyes widened briefly as the stair beneath him collapsed. A startled oath sounded as the stair closed back up over him.
"Daveybear!" Kirsty screamed, falling to her knees and trying to pry up the step. 'Davey!" Her fists pounded the stair.
Sara leaned over her, holding the torch high, looking for some way to open the step back up. Kirsty went from hitting it, to pressing her weight down on it with both hands.
"It won't budge!" She gasped. "Damnit!" She hit the step one final time before getting to her feet. "Now what?" She turned her head to look at Sara, and leaned against the wall, her eyes widening as it fell in behind her.
Before Sara had a chance to move, the wall closed, leaving her alone.
"Damn," Sara snapped. She pushed against the wall, but, like the step, it wouldn't budge. Swearing under her breath she continued on. She thoguht she might see the bottom of the flight of stairs, and quickening her step, finally made it.
A quick look around revealed that this floor had windows. Too excited to watch her step, she hurried towards the nearest window, too shocked to make a sound when the floor gave in under her. Her breath was forced out of her when she hit the floor, and everything went black.
Kirsty woke, jerking upright. Sunlight shone warmly on her face, and she looked around.
"What the hell?" She mumbled.
She was in an open field, with a creek bubbling merrily thorugh it. A pair of deer glanced up from drinking and looked at her unalarmed. A nudge on her shoulder caused her to turn, and she found a fawn looking at her. A few rabbits grazed nearby, moving closer to her, unconcerned by her presence.
"Hello there," A timid voice said behind her. "Who might you be?"
Kirsty jumped to her feet, snatching the dagger from her belt as she turned. Hovering in the air before her was a small figure which appeared to be a tiny girl. Sheer wings flapped slowly behind the figure.
"What the hell are you supposed to be?"
The girl shrugged her tiny shoulders. "I am what I am, nothing more, nothing less."
"Where am I?" Kirsty asked, slowly lowering her dagger.
"You are where you are, where else could you be?" The girl flitted away, hovering over the creek and dipping her hand briefly into it. "Is this not where you wish to be?"
"I don't know!" Kirsty snapped. "I don't know where I am, or even how I got here!"
The tiny winged girl looked up from the creek, and flitted back over to Kirsty, her tiny head cocked to the side.
"You are experiencing distress!" She stated. "Why is that?" Her tiny hand rached out and touched Kirsty's cheek.
"Just who the hell are you?" Kirsty snapped.
"What do you mean? You have asked me that already. I am what I am, nothing more, nothing less."
"Yes, you said that already! Just give me a straight answer would you?"
"Again I do not understand what it is you wish!" The girl settled briefly on Kirsty's hand, staring up at her. "I would not be here if there was not a need for me. What is it that you need?"
Kirsty shook her head, glancing around the clearing again. Beyond the creek lay a forest, looking dark and forbidding.
"The only thing i can think of offhand that I need is to know where I am and how to get home!"
"You are here!" The winged girl too to the air again.
"But where is here?" Kirsty gasped, annoyed with the tiny one's answers.
"Here is where we are? Is it not?"
Kirsty rolled her eyes, and stuck the dagger back in her belt.
The first thought that came to her was that she hurt. Her head was pounding. Groaning, Sara sat up, rubbing quickly at her head. It wasn't tender, so whatever she'd done to herself in the fall couldn't be much. A quick look around at her surroundings showed her to be in a rather large room lined with windows. The windows filled her with a quick hope. Windows could be broken, so there was a way out.
She crossed to the windows quickly, shocked to find that they opened onto another room. Not outside as she had assumed. So, not a way out after all.
This house was impossible. She'd arrived here by some means, so there had to be a way to get out of the house. Standing around sulking would get her nowhere, so she headed for the only door into the room. The door proved to open onto a tiny closet sized room which contained a desk, chair, and a door on the other end.
A book lay open on the desk, and curiosity overwhelmed her momentarily. Settling herself into the chair she started to read the book, which proved to be a journal, written in a neat hand
Father is distressed today. The spirits have been most restless, and I too am becoming distressed. They usually do not bother us, usually content to leave us to our desires, as long as we don not do anything to cause them distress. Yesterday they drove Daniel away, and I can only hope that he will return. I fear that something is going wrong, and I can't help this fear that constricts my belly. What is causing the spirits to act out? Why now? They are usually so content to leave us be, and we have had an understanding. I do not understand this. I am afraid I do not like this feeling. Brother has suggested that perhaps, now, it is time to consult with a priest, to see about having these spirits removed. Of course, when they first appeared we thought the same, but they seemed to be harmless, so we didn't, and we learned to live with them. But now, I do not know. I fear them.
April 3, 1864
The day grows late, and I have not seen Daniel since two days ago, when he was driven away by the spirits. I now believe that I will not see him again. He usually visits every day, but has now missed two days. How I might get ahold of him I'm not sure. I tried to leave the house earlier, only to find myself confused, and going around in circles. Even in rooms that do not exist in this house, to my knowledge, did I find myself. I do not understand this. Usually I can come and go as I please, but now, somehow, the spirits are keeping me here. I do not know if they will allow me to leave or not, but hopefully, hopefully, they will. I must find Daniel. I will go away with him a think, never to return to this cursed house. Father has already given his blessings for our marriage, so it's only a matter of finding him. Ah well, perhaps tomorrow things will have improved.
My Pictures
In Memory of my Grandmother
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