Ann Martin - Kristy And The Haunted Mansion

I flashed Bart a grateful look.

"Okay, here we are at our mansion," said Charlie, pulling up to a huge, heavy wooden door. "I think it's the butler's night off, so we'll just have to let ourselves in. Shall we, ladies and gentlemen?" Charlie had put on a silly accent. I smiled as the kids jumped out of the van. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

We hurried through the rain toward Charlie, who was fitting the key in the lock. The big door opened right away, and we saw an immense hallway spreading out before us. Some of the kids dashed inside. "Hold it!" I said. "We have some stuff to unload. And then I want everyone to stick together until we find our way around."

We brought in the things the caretaker had given us and set in the hall. Then Bart and I began to organize them. Food went in one pile, to be taken to the kitchen. Blankets went

in another, to be taken to wherever we were going to sleep. Luckily, enough light was coming in through the big windows so that we could see without flashlights, even though it was a little dim inside the house.

We gathered the kids together and walked through the downstairs rooms. "Wow!" said Charlie, when he saw the living room. "Look at those paintings. I'll bet they're worth a lot." I was too busy checking out the comfy-looking sofas that were grouped around an immense fireplace. I was trying to figure out if we could sleep on them without ruining the expensive-looking fabric they were upholstered in.

The next room was a formal dining room, with a table twice as big as the one in my house. There were twenty — I counted — chairs with beautiful needlepoint seats set around it, and an elegant silver bowl had been placed in the center of its gleaming surface.

"I bet the kitchen's through there," said Joey, pointing. Sure enough, a big, fancy kitchen adjoined the dining room. I ran to the hallway to retrieve our food. When I returned to the kitchen, the kids were exclaiming over the huge cookstove that stood in one corner. "They used to burn wood in these," Jackie said to me. "Bart told us. And they'd cook on it."

"There's a gas stove, too," said Charlie, "in case we want to boil water or anything."

Suddenly I noticed that there seemed to be too few kids standing around. "Where's David Michael?" I asked. Nobody answered.

Just then, before I had a chance to freak out, I heard David Michael calling. "Come here, you guys! Check it out!"

We followed the sound of his voice and found him standing in an incredible room. I looked around and saw: floor-to-ceiling shelves full of books, plush rugs, rich brown leather chairs, needlepoint pillows, brass lamps, and — a full-sized pool table! "Wow," I breathed, looking at the smooth green surface, which was surrounded by gleaming dark wood. A chandelier hung over the middle of the pool table, with thousands of crystal droplets that seemed to cascade from a central circle. This mansion was even fancier than Watson's.

"Quite a shack we're stuck in," said Bart with a smile.

"You know, though," said Charlie. "There's something odd about all this." He waved his hand as if to indicate the whole house. "I mean, take a sniff. What do you smell?"

I sniffed. "Nothing," I said.

"Leather," said Karen.

"It's not musty, is what I mean," said Charlie. "And there isn't a speck of dust anywhere. This house is kept up pretty well considering no one lives in it."

"I guess that old man's just a really good caretaker,” I said, to cover up the fact that Charlie's words had given me another one of those darn chills. "Anyway," I said, trying to change the subject, "maybe we should have something to eat. I know I'm hungry."

Karen had wandered over to a window, and was watching the tree branches toss in the wind outside. The storm seemed to be lasting forever. I walked over to her and put my arm around her shoulder. "Coming?" I asked. I could tell she was feeling upset.

"Okay," she said in a small voice. Her lower lip was trembling. "I guess we really are stuck here." I nodded and gave her a comforting hug. It was going to be a long night.

Chapter 5.

Mary Anne and Dawn returned from Redfield later than they had planned. They had gotten a ride home with the Pikes, and with the rain coming down so hard the drive had been slow. Plus, they'd had to stop at the supermarket, since Mrs. Pike needed to pick up milk. When she dropped them off at their house, Mrs. Pike reminded Mary Anne about the sitting job that evening.

"I'll be over in about a half hour," replied Mary Anne. "I just want to get into some dry clothes."

Mary Anne and Dawn dashed through the rain to their front porch. They stood there for a few minutes, looking out at the storm. "I've never seen anything like this," said Dawn.

Thunder rumbled loudly, and the sky lit up with distant lightning. "I don't know if I've ever seen it rain quite like this either," Mary Anne replied. "It's pouring." Sheets of water ran off the porch roof, and she held out her hand to feel the cascade.

Dawn was wringing out her long hair, which had gotten soaked during the short run from the Pikes' car to the porch. "I'm going to take a shower," she said, "and get ready for my job at the Barretts'."

"I'll be in in a minute," said Mary Anne. She continued to gaze out at the wet world

the front yard had become. Huge puddles were forming everywhere, and the trees tossed in the wind. Most of the flowers in the garden were bent over, pounded by the rain. And the rain kept on coming. It seemed, Mary Anne told me later, as if the rain would never stop.

Finally, Mary Anne went inside. The house was quiet, since her dad and Dawn's mother were out running errands. She headed for her room, took off her wet clothes, and dried her hair with a towel. Then she found a clean pair of jeans and her favorite sweat shirt and put them on. Immediately, she felt cozy and warm. She checked her watch. It was almost time to head for the Pikes'.

Downstairs again, Mary Anne rummaged in the hall closet until she found her father's huge umbrella and her hooded slicker. She was looking for her rain boots when the phone rang.

"I'll get it," called Dawn, who had just come downstairs with a towel wrapped around her head. She answered the phone and talked for a few minutes. Then Mary Anne heard her say, "Hold on a second. I'll ask Mary Anne." Dawn dashed into the hall with a strange look on her face.

"What's the matter?" asked Mary Anne.

"It's Watson Brewer," said Dawn. "He says

Kristy and Charlie and everyone haven't come back yet. Watson was expecting them an hour ago, and they haven't called or anything."

"That's strange," said Mary Anne.

"I know. Watson seems pretty worried."

"Oh, I'm sure there's nothing to worry about," said Mary Anne. "They probably just got slowed down by the storm. Maybe Charlie pulled over for awhile to wait out the rain."

"I bet that's what happened," said Dawn, sounding relieved. "I'll tell Watson." She went back to the phone.

Mary Anne put on her slicker and her boots. Then she looked at herself in the hall mirror and burst out laughing. "Lucky thing Logan can't see me now," she thought. "See you, Dawn,” she called. "Have fun at the Barretts'!" She headed out the door and put up the umbrella. The rain was still pounding down, but at least this time Mary Anne was ready for it. The slicker and boots, as funny as they looked, did do the trick. She walked quickly to the Pikes', dodging puddles and jumping over the streams of water that flowed down either side of the street.

Soon Mary Anne stood on the Pike porch, shaking out her umbrella. She took off her slicker and shook it out, too. Then she knocked on the door. She heard pounding feet inside, and then the door was flung open. The

triplets (who are ten years old) stood there, grinning at her.