the noise echoed again, I decided to check it out. After closing the door behind me, I inched down the hallway. Once at the landing, I peered up. No one was there and I heard nothing. I looked over the side of the banister toward the foyer, but I saw nothing down there either. Darkness filled the house. I wasn’t sure where to begin to find the source of the noise. The sound ricocheted again and this time I thought for sure it had come from upstairs.
As much as I hated to climb those stairs in the dark, I knew I needed to check it out. I pushed back my shoulders and stuck out my chest. This was my place… I needed to be brave. After taking in a deep breath, I pushed forward and made my way up the stairs, trying not to hit the spots on the stair treads that made noise. Considering the age of the house that was almost impossible. They creaked and groaned with almost every step. Old houses had lots of strange noises, but I was convinced this one had more than most. LaVeau Manor came alive at night.
Once on the third floor, all the bedroom doors were closed there too. It could’ve easily been someone getting a drink of water or a snack. My mind was playing with me and I needed to just go back to bed.
Just as I turned to go back down to the second floor, the noise came again. That wasn’t my mind playing tricks.
Whatever this was sounded as if it had come from the attic, the one place in the house that I didn’t want to hear a noise. The attic had been where I’d found the Book of Mystics. It was spooky up there. Of course it was an attic—all of them were that way. Slowly I made my way down the hallway that led to the cramped space.
Once in front of the attic, I paused in front of the door, thinking that maybe the noise wouldn’t come again and I could just go back to bed. I’d pull the cover over my head and forget about it. Unfortunately, the banging sound came again. It could be an animal in there moving around. I really didn’t want to deal with a rat. Or any other animal for that matter.
Pluto had been asleep on my bed, so I knew it wasn’t him. If there were mice in the attic, I’d have a chat with him. I wrapped my hand around the old knob and twisted. Releasing a deep breath, I pushed the door and eased it open. Immediately a squeak came from somewhere in the room and sent a shiver down my spine. When I glanced at the corner of the room, something flapped around. A bat was hanging from one of the ceiling beams. A scream escaped my lips before I even realized.
Stumbling backward, I tried to find my way out. I hoped that I hadn’t woken up the guests, especially not Cora. She would not be happy. I had to remain calm, but I wasn’t doing a very good job of it. Almost falling over myself, I lunged out the door, slamming it hard so that the bat wouldn’t escape the space. Something had gotten out though. It was all a blur. Had the bat gotten out or was it my freaked out imagination? I tripped to the right and onto someone. Another blood-curdling scream came out, even louder than the first one. The place sounded like a horror movie. When I spun around, I realized that Arthur was right behind me.
“Is everything okay?” He grasped my arms to steady me.
Arthur was shirtless, wearing only red plaid pajama bottoms. Now my face was smashed into his hard, muscular chest.
For a moment, I was at a loss for words. Finally, I managed to say, “I’m okay, but there’s a bat in the attic.”
“Really?” Arthur said. “Let me check it out.”
“Fine by me.” I stepped out of the way.
He moved over to the door and eased it open. I was right behind him. I looked over his shoulder, but the bat wasn’t there.
“I don’t see anything,” he said as he moved into the space.
I slowly followed him, looking everywhere for the creature. He was right though, I couldn’t see it anywhere. Arthur went over and pulled on the light switch in the middle of the room. The soft yellow glow filled the space. The boxes
As much as I hated to climb those stairs in the dark, I knew I needed to check it out. I pushed back my shoulders and stuck out my chest. This was my place… I needed to be brave. After taking in a deep breath, I pushed forward and made my way up the stairs, trying not to hit the spots on the stair treads that made noise. Considering the age of the house that was almost impossible. They creaked and groaned with almost every step. Old houses had lots of strange noises, but I was convinced this one had more than most. LaVeau Manor came alive at night.
Once on the third floor, all the bedroom doors were closed there too. It could’ve easily been someone getting a drink of water or a snack. My mind was playing with me and I needed to just go back to bed.
Just as I turned to go back down to the second floor, the noise came again. That wasn’t my mind playing tricks.
Whatever this was sounded as if it had come from the attic, the one place in the house that I didn’t want to hear a noise. The attic had been where I’d found the Book of Mystics. It was spooky up there. Of course it was an attic—all of them were that way. Slowly I made my way down the hallway that led to the cramped space.
Once in front of the attic, I paused in front of the door, thinking that maybe the noise wouldn’t come again and I could just go back to bed. I’d pull the cover over my head and forget about it. Unfortunately, the banging sound came again. It could be an animal in there moving around. I really didn’t want to deal with a rat. Or any other animal for that matter.
Pluto had been asleep on my bed, so I knew it wasn’t him. If there were mice in the attic, I’d have a chat with him. I wrapped my hand around the old knob and twisted. Releasing a deep breath, I pushed the door and eased it open. Immediately a squeak came from somewhere in the room and sent a shiver down my spine. When I glanced at the corner of the room, something flapped around. A bat was hanging from one of the ceiling beams. A scream escaped my lips before I even realized.
Stumbling backward, I tried to find my way out. I hoped that I hadn’t woken up the guests, especially not Cora. She would not be happy. I had to remain calm, but I wasn’t doing a very good job of it. Almost falling over myself, I lunged out the door, slamming it hard so that the bat wouldn’t escape the space. Something had gotten out though. It was all a blur. Had the bat gotten out or was it my freaked out imagination? I tripped to the right and onto someone. Another blood-curdling scream came out, even louder than the first one. The place sounded like a horror movie. When I spun around, I realized that Arthur was right behind me.
“Is everything okay?” He grasped my arms to steady me.
Arthur was shirtless, wearing only red plaid pajama bottoms. Now my face was smashed into his hard, muscular chest.
For a moment, I was at a loss for words. Finally, I managed to say, “I’m okay, but there’s a bat in the attic.”
“Really?” Arthur said. “Let me check it out.”
“Fine by me.” I stepped out of the way.
He moved over to the door and eased it open. I was right behind him. I looked over his shoulder, but the bat wasn’t there.
“I don’t see anything,” he said as he moved into the space.
I slowly followed him, looking everywhere for the creature. He was right though, I couldn’t see it anywhere. Arthur went over and pulled on the light switch in the middle of the room. The soft yellow glow filled the space. The boxes
Similar Books
