an eerie orange glow over the grounds A low mist floated across the driveway Deep shadows stretched between the trees As the bare branches scraped together in the wind they seemed to come alive I shuddered and looked away just as a flurry of black wings swooped down over the rooftop Bats It was like a scene from a movie My heart pounded with excitement I'd never visited Madsen Mansion before Sure I'd seen Grandma Madsen lots of times when she'd visited us but this was the first time I'd ever been to the place where my mom grew up I wished it was a visit just for fun and not because I needed somewhere to stay while my mom set up our new place Our new place across the country from Dad away from our old life together our family split in two 2
The mansion looked as scary as I'd imagined It had a pointy tower on one side and lifelike statues of wolves along the roof Iron bars protected the large windows and the heavy double doors seemed like the gates to a castle There was no way someone could break into or out of those doors Mom said the house used to be a sunny yellow but now the paint was dirty and peeling If you googled haunted house this is what you'd see But it couldn't really be haunted could it Mom parked at the top of the circular driveway Here we are Sly Your home for the weekend What do you think honey She looked at me with a twinkle in her eye I shrugged I've seen scarier I said That was a fib 3
Mom smiled I'm going to miss you She reached out to stroke my face I could see her eyes welling with tears Oh no Mom stop it I'm ten I swatted her hand away I'll see you on Sunday morning It has been too long since I was here Mom said as she looked up at the house I used to sleep in the tower I followed her gaze to a half-open window waiting in darkness Sometimes I thought I could hear someone calling my name I shivered Nice try Mom What You're just trying to scare me She smiled Am I Just then I saw something move in the tower window I hoped it was only the curtains flapping 4
Mom is there anything else I should know about this house I asked Mom laughed Believe me it was interesting growing up here with your grandma It's a special place I smiled Okay As we walked up the cobblestone path the rosebushes reached out to scratch us as we went by There were symbols carved into the wide doors They looked like stars and letters but I couldn't read the fancy writing What is that Mom I asked Gaelic she said An old language The language of our ancestors What does it say It's hard to explain she said It means that this door is the threshold between without and within Huh 5
