Kevin Ryan - Nightscape

Liz immediately started scanning the books on the shelves. Even Isabel and Michael were doing it.

"I wouldn't mind staying here for a few days," Liz said. "Exploring would be fun."

"And you haven't seen the mad scientist's lab in the basement yet," Michael said with a grin.

Maria was shaking her head. "It's like I'm taking crazy pills. Have any of you been paying attention?"

"Come on," Max said. He wouldn't have minded staying here for a while, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to make sure the rest of the house was clear. He was sure Maria was just nervous, but a quick search might relax her.

Next, they found an office with a giant desk and some more bookcases.

"Look at this," Liz said, pointing to a plaque on the wall.

Max walked over and saw that it was a newspaper article

mounted on a piece of hardwood. The piece was from the front of the Washington State Times. The headline read, "Benton Lumber Celebrates Thirty Years." It was dated November 3, 1937.

From his position by the desk, Kyle said, "I found some newspapers."

Max went over to where Kyle had laid out half a dozen yellowed copies of the Washington State Times. Several of them carried front-page stories about Benton Lumber.

"Looks like business was pretty good," Kyle said.

"What's been going on here since then?" Liz said.

"I'm guessing that the owner holed up here, getting more and more eccentric, or more paranoid, until he died and started haunting the place," Michael said.

Maria just glared at him.

"Come on," Max said, and they continued. Their next stop was a large, open room.

"It's a ballroom," Liz said.

It was a large space, as big as a wedding reception hall, and very elegant, with chandeliers hanging throughout the room.

"Jackpot," Kyle said, heading for the far end of the floor.

"What is it?" Max asked as he and the others followed.

Kyle reached the bar first and vaulted over it. When he turned to face his friends, he was smiling. "This haunted house comes with an open bar," he said, producing a bottle from under the counter. "Looks like a party."

"Well, we can't really drink, you know," Max said.

"Oh yeah," Kyle said. He had been with Max the first night Max had tried alcohol, and then the second. The

effect had been profound… and dangerous. Besides the disorientation Max had felt, his powers had gone crazy.

"I respect that the aliens among us must abstain, but that doesn't mean we mere mortals can't enjoy ourselves," Kyle said.

Max turned to Liz and said, "I don't think it would be safe for you now. Not with your developing powers."

"Well, I was never much of a drinker before," Liz said, a thin smile on her lips.

Max was glad for the smile. Though he hadn't intended it at the time, he knew he had changed her somehow when he had brought her back that day at the Crashdown. At first she had been terrified by the changes and the emergence of her powers. Max knew she was still scared, but maybe this was a good sign.

"Looks like it's just you and me, Maria," Kyle said.

"Yeah, that's what I need, because I'm not freaked out enough," Maria said.

"Leave it to our alien friends to spoil the party," Kyle said, frowning. As he looked back at the bar with disappointment, something caught his attention. "What the…?" Kyle said, bringing up something else from behind the bar.

"Great, Snapple," Michael said, reaching out to take the bottle from Kyle. He opened it and took a sip. "That's what I'm talking about."

"What will everybody have?" Kyle asked. "I've got soda, Snapple… you name it."

"Should we?" Liz asked.

"Come on, we can leave a few bucks on the bar when we go," Michael said.

Max nodded and Kyle passed out drinks.

"When we're finished our look around, I say we see what else they've got to eat around here," Kyle said.

"All the better to fatten you up with," Maria said.

"What?" Kyle said.

"You know, Hansel and Gretel? The witch that built a candy house? To attract kids that she could fatten up and then eat?" Maria raised her eyebrows with each question.

"And you think that's what's going on here?" Kyle asked.

"Makes as much sense as anything else we've come up with," Maria said.

"Not really," Isabel said, and walked on.

The group continued its tour of the mansion. They found a great room in the front of the house. It had another huge fireplace, sofas, and large windows that looked out over the front of the house.

Continuing, they found an actual gymnasium as well as a children's rec room full of old toys and early pinball machines.

"I am really starting to respect Old Man Benton," Kyle said.

Max looked at the toys and got a chill. Everything was in good condition, but bore the unmistakable look of age. The house looked like a museum without the red velvet ropes. He wondered what happened in this house that the owner kept it intact as the years and decades passed. He had no doubt that someone had been here recently to clean up. Still, long before that, someone must have lived here for years with the place frozen in time. He guessed that the outside had been neglected for maybe ten years. But the

inside was stuck in… what?… the fifties? The forties?

It didn't make sense. And behind it was a feeling that Max couldn't quite place. He saw Isabel taking in the room and thought she looked very absorbed. Something in this house was affecting her.

Suddenly, Liz was next to him. She took his hand. "Feels like they're still here," she said, whispering.

That was it. Intellectually, he knew they wouldn't find any people here tonight. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't alone here.

"Come on, it's after one," he said, checking his watch. They needed to finish and get to bed. He realized he would feel better when they were off in the morning. Away from here.

Isabel stared at the toys.

"Iz," he said. When she didn't turn around, he approached her and tapped her on the shoulder. "It's getting late," he said.

"Ahhh!" Isabel exclaimed as if he had given her an electric shock. She whirled around and looked at him. For a moment, her guard was down completely. She looked vulnerable and… what was it?… scared?

Max was immediately sorry he had scared her. An instant later, her control was back and her face was unreadable.

"Don't sneak up on people," she snapped, glaring at him.

"Sorry…," Max said, but she wasn't listening.

Isabel led the group down the main hallway and up the main staircase. Max felt Liz tense up and he guessed this

was the place from Liz's vision. He saw the balcony at the top. That must have been where Maria fell… would fall, unless they prevented it.

Maria clutched Michael as she headed up the stairs. Beyond the balcony was a long hallway with closed doors on each side. Isabel opened the first door. From behind, Max could see that something was wrong; she was holding her hand to her mouth.

"What is it?" Max said, sliding in behind her.

Then he saw inside the room. Like the rooms downstairs, the two large windows were covered in plastic. But this wasn't an extravagant living space, this was a child's room. A girl's room.

Against a far wall was a canopy bed with frilly pillows and a lace bedspread. In the center were a rocking horse, dollhouse, and doll collection.

"Are you okay, Iz?" Max asked softly.

"I thought I heard someone laughing, maybe a child," she said. Then she shook her head. "No. It's impossible. Must have been something else."

Max nodded, but he thought there was something odd about the room: It looked like someone still lived here. It was easy to imagine that the little girl might return any moment. That thought gave Max a chill.

Gently, he took Isabel by the arm and led her back outside. "I think this house is getting to us," he whispered to her when they were in the hallway.