1 The Mansion

Goosebumps rose on my arms as I walked through the dark forest. I was cold and scared and didn't know where I was. I must have made a wrong turn going to the village. I looked around me and all that was there were trees and vegetation as there had been for what seemed like forever.

The only sound around me was the breeze rustling the leaves on the trees. A cry of a bird every now and then can be heard but it only scared me more. I just wanted to go home. I have no idea how I got lost as I have walked the same way from my home to the village hundreds of time and it didn't make sense. How did I get here?

The sound of a branch snapping behind me made me turn around. No one was there. I slowly turned back around after a few seconds and continued walking. I couldn't help but feel as though I waa being watched. The hair stood up on the back of my neck as I kept walking. Where am I?

After a few more minutes of walking, I came upon a house...no....mansion? Why was it in the middle of the woods? There were no lights on inside which only gave it a scarier affect. Plants and vines cover the walls and surrounded the windows. The house was made of what looked dark bricks. With the overgrowth surrounding it...it looked abandoned. I was tired and cold . If I just rested here tonight I can find my way back tomorrow morning and go home. But why did it have to look like an abandoned mansion from the horror movies.

With hesitant steps I walked up the path to the mansion. The stairs were dirty but held firm as I walked up the concrete steps. I held up a shaky hand to the door and grabbed onto the door handle. Twisting the knob my heart stopped as I heard a click. It was unlocked. Pushing open the door, I looked inside to find an unexpected image. The house was...clean. There was no dust that could be seen, no dried leaves or knocked over furniture as I had expected to see. Did someone live here?

It looked like a well taken care of house. Yet seemed empty.

"Hello. Is anyone here...?" my voice trailed off as it carried through the house. I still felt like I was being watched but I pushed the feeling aside as I stepped further into the mansion. There was no answer. For some reason it frightened me. "Hello," I called again. Still no answer. I walked into what seemed like a living room. It had couches and chairs made from fine leather and velvet. Carpet made from soft fur.

A fire place sat in the front of the room. There was no fire so the room was a little chilly. I went to a pile of logs that sat next to the fire place and put some in. Grabbing a match I found in a drawer of a table that sat a few feet away, I lite the fire. Heat radiated almost immediately from the fire and I felt warmer quickly.

As I sat on the couch, I yawned. It wasn't until now did I realize how tired I was. As scared as I was to be in a strange, seemingly abandoned but clean mansion, my exhaustion took over. Taking the thick and fluffy blanket from the back of the couch and resting my head on a luscious throw pillow, I fell asleep.

I was awaken slightly, still mainly asleep, as I felt a hand brush my cheek. I smiled as I thought it was a dream. A nice dream. Before I sank back into unconsciousness, I heard a deep voice speak in almost a whisper. "Sleep. You now belong to me."