I love that mansion in the media, it's appropriate; but it's all evergreen than what I had in mind LOL But it fits ;) Dont you love it?

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On that fine morning after the incident, the girls were resting under the oaks in their respective hammocks. Rocky, their farm dog, was bouncing up and down to get the few bits Lucy dropped from the white rolls. Em was knitting something; that only she knew because her manner of doing so was very wrong, as per Lucy. And Katie was as usual immersed in the world of classics.

And on this serene atmosphere, it was really unexpected and odd to have a request made by Lucy to take a go and see that house, up above that hill, all alone looking forlorn and abandoned. She continued and reasoned that she couldn't forget the stone mansion because she saw that house repeatedly in her dreams.        

Katie got startled by the request and looked up from her book while Em fell down from her hammock.

"What? I haven't said anything too shocking, have I?" Lucy said, suddenly worried that she might have said something bad.

Poor Lucy didn't find the catch in it. It wasn't because Em was really melodramatic that she fell from the hammock; it was because 'Lucy' never said or initiated anything beyond her comfort zone and thus hearing this bizarre request which didn't cross their mind, really surprised both girls immensely.   

"I don't know. It seemed pretty deserted and it's far away from town and home." Katie said without looking away from her book.

"But, I couldn't forget it. I felt sad for the house; I mean it was looking... never mind."

Em got up from the grass, dusting her jeans and said, "Ah, I should have known... what, was I even thinking?" she said and got into her hammock and lazily swayed.

"What?" repeated Lucy little too loudly? Katie sighed.

"Oh, that..." Em took a considerable amount of time to rile up Lucy but then dejectedly sighed and said, "I should have known my dear sister Lucy wouldn't bring out such a strange request in want of something adventurous." Em's eyes twinkled. She sat up with her legs dangling down and said very dramatically, "I should have known that she would have such a request only because she felt sad... for that lonely house. Oh, our kind old sweet Lucy," Em mocked.

"That is not what I mean," Lucy said in a childlike voice.

"I don't see why we can't and why we should. But, if this interests you very much; we can try it out. However, I am sure, parents won't like this. So, we should do this without letting them know." Katie said, finally keeping her book down.

"Yes, I just need to take a look around, that's all." Lucy was suddenly excited like a wild puppy who heard the word walk and run. Rocky growled suddenly without any reason but he was ignored by the excitement.

Within minutes, they were ready and got the permission by saying they were going for a ride. Their fathers were home and Katie for a second thought they would say against this but luckily they didn't. However, Julie insisted she packs a picnic lunch and thus thrust a wicker box into their hands as a parting word.

Setting out in the charming weather made Em feel as if they were famous five out for adventures and her chatting made the journey seem short. Too soon for their liking, they reached the place.

After the last town, there is a farm with a small cottage in the far end. Beyond that farm is thick foliage which wasn't exactly woods but overgrown that masked the road from then. The muddy road leads from the thick foliage to the gates of the mansion and then winds down after few yards to a sharp turn to the right. The girls guessed that the road might take them to the Bridgeton Woods' although they were not sure about this part since it was very far away from their house. And their fathers have never let them out of Sandy Street-- next town, few miles from their hometown.

Upon reaching the end of the farm, before the thick foliage, the horses stopped without moving an inch forward. They refused even though the girls lured them with ripe and juicy carrots. Thus, the girls decided they will walk on without the horses and commanded them to stay near. They listened as they started nibbling green grass under the oak tree lining the barb fence.

"I wonder what happened to the horses," Lucy exclaimed really worried, looking back every now and then to the horses but they appeared to be happy and restful.

"It isn't far from here, I am sure," Katie said.

"They might want to eat the green grass. If I was a cow, I would have eaten that completely." Em exclaimed before thinking and then quickly turned to look at Lucy, hoping that she didn't hear it.

"Finally, the great Emily declared she is a "cow"," Lucy exclaimed triumphantly, forgetting all her uneasiness.

Katie just shook her head and smiled at the bickering couples.

Finally, she saw the path getting familiar even if she just came here last night. The overgrown greenery, the slight rise of land, the crooked large gates all seemed familiar and she stopped walking. She looked at the gates and then to the inside. She wasn't anywhere near the gates, but she could feel a curious pull.

The couples were few feet away from Katie, without even realizing where they were going.

Suddenly, Katie wanted to know what happened to such a beautiful house. She opened the gates and it opened with a very noisy screech and rips as the dried roots and shrubs were disturbed from the slumber; it sounded as if Katie has awoken a sleeping monster.

With the sound of the gates, the girls turned back to see Katie looking at them with an amused smile and then started walking in. Lucy looked in front of her and indeed, the sharp turn did take them to Bridgeton woods; deep dark and tangled. Em and Lucy jogged the way back to the gates and got in to see Katie admiring a nameplate on the walls that held the gates.

BRIDGE MANSION

It proudly said in the once golden nameplate in a very curvy black running letters. Lucy saw Katie's hand dirty. She offered her kerchief but Katie declined. They walked on and loved the atmosphere. Both sides of the pathway once held beautiful garden, they could say; although now it looks like a ghost place with too much-unwanted weeds, plants, shrubs, and whatnots.

They slowly reached to a muddy water fountain in the middle. Katie once again rubbed her dirty hands on the fountain to get rid of ivy, plant roots and dirt. It was marble; white marble. The fountain would have been gleaming and bright in its time, though Katie. She always loved such mansions. A sudden pang of sadness hit Katie like a truck. She gasped for breath and stifled a sob; very much surprised by her emotional change. She never was someone who showed emotions.

And then the graveled pathway led them to the mansion, large, beautiful, and mysterious stone built; an enormous structure that silently waits in time to tell its tale. 

Katie hoped it was filled with sunshine and laughter but then she wondered, why did it then look so gloomy with ivy covering the right side, completely hiding the beautiful arched windows; while the left was a mess, to begin with. Moss, grime, bat sprayings and roots of running plants destroyed the beauty of this mansion. Even the steps leading to the front door with two lion statues on either side of the stone railings were partially hidden by the running shrubs which occasionally boasted green tendrils with brown tips.

Overall Katie wished to give the house a tidy pat and she believed it was capable of survival. No place seemed to be in rumbles, thus it was still sturdy. But something really was off about this place.

Taking the beauty in, Katie and Em didn't realize Lucy was still somewhere near to the gates, freaking out. Em and Katie shared a look. It was her idea and now to see her, far away from the house looks like a very crazy joke she played on them. They walked back to her.

"Luce, what seems to be the problem?"

"The second-floor windows... there... there was a girl holding a teddy with golden locks," Luce said in a very exasperated voice mixed with amusement and anxiety.

Looking back, they couldn't find anything and the place looked creepy through the wild running plants and moss. But, Katie had a vague memory of seeing the light cross on this landing.

"I don't think so. Look at this place. People might not even have come here for I don't know... don't be dramatic." Em said, crossing her hands with a huff.

"I know what I saw," Lucy said. It was rather a very infuriating growl than a statement; something very different for a girl like Lucy. Em backed a step but said again, "Look again Luce, how you could even think that someone might live here. Or, maybe... someone could, I mean..."

"I don't know." Lucy's voice was normal again and that didn't go unnoticed by Katie. However, she let it slide since. She was well aware of Lucy's emotional changes and now that she was stressed, it was bound to happen.

"We won't go in and we won't search if there are people living here. We will tour around and go back." Katie said and that was the end of it.

Lucy was close to Katie as they walked around the house. 

To walk around was really difficult because the house was really in a bad shape with the grass and weeds. However, the girls did take a look through the left side of the house where it was mainly vast lands stretched far and wide with big trees lining the main plot. As they came to the back side, they could see a set of swing, a slide, and a dearly rusted bicycle.

When Lucy saw the bicycle with a girl's basket in front, she looked accusingly at Em, but Em was busy taking it all in; looking very amused.

Katie, however, was focused on the wall that was separating the plot to the other land in the backyard. In the side by the right corner, was a rusted gate. However, she wasn't interested in the wall or the gate, but she was interested in the sight she saw as the gate slightly shifted when they reached here.

Curiously, Katie walked there and looked beyond. She could see the cottage clearly from here. So the wall was dividing the land from the farm, she thought. As she looked closely, Katie could see smoke from the chimneys and an old woman running about the lawn behind a pig. They were like miniature dolls in the distance. Katie smiled and decided she will meet that woman soon.

Turning around, Katie felt a very strange presence behind her. But she ignored it as she saw Lucy white like gardenia.

"What's wrong Lucy? Your pupils are dilated." Katie asked, nudging Lucy.

"I heard... I heard... some... something."

"What is it?" Katie asked. 

After a very long pause, Lucy gasped from the shock and looked at Katie.

"Go... three times."

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