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
Mom laughed Exactly You'll find that this place is full of mysteries Cool I said but a shiver ran through me all the same Should we knock I'm sure she already knows we're here said Mom And with that the big doors groaned open spilling warm light at our feet I jumped as a dark shadow appeared in the doorway 6
My vision said the shadow has come true The doors swung inward and the shadow stepped out It was Lady Madsen fortune teller and local legend Also known as Grandma Hi Grandma I said feeling a bit shy Lady Madsen was no ordinary grandma She wore a flowy dressing gown with stars and moons and mysterious symbols on it Her hair was big and white and wiry Her eyes twinkled She must know lots of juicy secrets I thought Sly said Grandma Heart of my heart She seemed to float toward me in her robe Thank you for inviting me to stay with you I said remembering my manners I've always wanted to see Madness 7
