Having just discovered a secret passageway in the kitchen pantry of her fiance’s old family home in the hills, Rylee simply couldn’t not explore it. She flicked her phone’s torch on and pressed forward, through the tight space.
Did Cole know about this? Surely not. She kind of liked the idea of this being her little secret, though, so she needed to explore before he got back. That could be hours, though, given he wouldn’t even be at one of the best building companies on the Mornington Peninsula yet. Still, there was no telling how many mysteries awaited beyond this tight corridor.
Eventually, she squeezed through to a spiral staircase that went up and down, in better condition than anything else in the house. Figuring up went to the attic she’d been trying to work out how to get into, Rylee descended the dark staircase.
After about thirty steps, she came to a large room with walls of stone. Through the torchlight, she could just make out two shapes near the far wall. They appeared to be tombstones.
Well, isn’t this just a lovely piece of history? Rylee thought. What have we got down here? Vampires? Cole may be searching for some modern home builders for hire, but I sure as heck won’t let them touch this place.
Rylee crept forward, a dark presence feeling less like it was in her imagination with each step. Occasionally she glanced back, her torch illuminating the darkness she stepped out from. Nothing.
As she reached the tombstones, Rylee read the names engraved on them. Sir Henry Francis and Lady Anabelle Francis. Francis? Rylee wondered at the name. She hadn’t known of anybody in Cole’s family named Francis. His grandparents had been Charlie and Sarah West, hadn’t they? So, who were these people?
There were a few doors in this odd basement, but Rylee decided that she’d rather check out the attic before Cole got home. And so, she made her way back up the stairs, not noticing the shadowy figure that followed closely behind her.