1 March, 2004: For this story, the reader has to do some of the work. Every time a decision has to be made, you're the one who has to make it. Each scene has a list of options at the end. Click on the number of the one you like the best and see where you go.
Of course, you probably won't be able to tell which option will lead you to an adventure and which will lead to a (rather soppy) love story, but that's part of the fun.
Before we start, though, I need to give credit where it's due. Firstly, inspiration came from two sources. The first was Circle Writing Challenge 5, Meagan's challenge. (You'll find an archived version of the story here.) The second, in an obscure way, was last year's blog story. (You'll find it here. It's lots of fun, too.) Somehow, the two of them got jumbled together in my head and this is what came out.
Also, I need to say a big thank you to my editors, LoriD and Grey, for wading through this monster and giving me the encouragement I needed to actually post it. Ladies, you did a wonderful job under rather trying conditions. Thank you!
Lastly, to save having links everywhere, there are only a couple that go back to my main page. One is here: Back to Janice’s Main Page and the other is right at the very bottom.
Shh! The "i" in the word "links" is a seecrud link to a map of the possible paths in the original story.
In 2005, Jixemitri held an appeal for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. As part of that event, I promised to write some additional sections of this story. Due to real life complications, it's taken me much longer than I originally intended, but the update is finally here. A big thank you to Jenn, Cheryl, Mary, Dana, Cathymw and BethAnn for their contribution, both to the appeal and to the extension to this story. A special thanks to Jenn, for giving the most detailed and creative ideas!
You can read the elements I was given on a separate notes page, but I suggest that you don't read the rest of the notes until you have read the parts to which they relate as they contain spoilers.
A big thank you, also, to my editors, Dianafan and Robin, whose help was invaluable. It was a big, difficult job and I thank you both for undertaking it.
On a more practical note, the extension to the story is in a separate document. There are two separate points which lead to the new section. To distinguish the new options, the whole line is in this colour and they have a part number 2-point-something. If you choose an option that forms part of the update, you will be taken there and if you want to start again the link will bring you back to this page. Otherwise, your browser's 'Back' button can be used to navigate.
Now, on to the story… or should that be stories?
Please note: Trixie Belden is a registered trademark of Random House Publishing. This site is in no way associated with Random House and no profit is being made from these pages.
The sun was shining brightly as Di guided her little purple car up to the front of the enormous old house. It was the first day of the Bob-Whites trip to celebrate Trixie, Honey and Di's high school graduation and all three of the girls were feeling good.
There were two vehicles already parked outside the house and the girls recognised them as belonging to Jim and Dan. Beyond that, the front door of the house stood open invitingly and the front windows were open to catch the breeze.
Di lowered her sunglasses to take a better look at the place she had rented for the house party. "It's not quite what I expected," she said, rummaging in the glove compartment. "I'm sure it looked nicer than this in the picture. Oh, here it is." She pulled out a rather crumpled brochure and held it up for comparison. Elegant script read 'Pendeville House' above a photograph which, considering the current state of the house, must have been at least fifteen years old.
"It is a little more run down," agreed Honey from the back seat. "But I'm sure it will be fine, Di. In fact, it looks quite romantic, really."
"It looks spooky, if you ask me," Trixie said from the front passenger seat. "I bet it's crammed full of mysteries."
Di cringed and put her hands over her pretty face. "Please don't say that," she said plaintively. "I think it's just run down and horrible."
"No, it isn't," Honey said soothingly. "Let's go inside and have a closer look."
The three gathered their belongings and made their way up to the house. They were met at the door by Mart who, after some less-than-subtle prompting from Jim, took Diana's bags from her and carried them up the stairs to the bedroom. Jim and Brian took care of the rest of the girls' luggage.
"Someone's been trying to make the place look nicer," Honey commented, indicating some half-completed renovations. "I'm sure it will be lovely when it's finished.
"They could have finished it before they rented it out," Di muttered, pouting. "And they could have tried to cover up those stains."
Trixie leaned over to look more closely. "It looks like blood!" she cried. "Oh, Di, I think you might have rented us a genuine haunted house!"
Di let out a little shriek and Honey moved to soothe her. "Don't worry, Di," she said softly. "Trixie's just teasing. I'm sure the house is just fine."
Just then the boys trooped down the stairs and the whole group gathered at the base of the stairs. Brian shepherded the group out onto the front porch and called for order. "What's the plan, gang?" he asked as soon as there was quiet.
"Jim and I are going to take a look around," Trixie announced. Several of the others hid smiles at the look of surprise which crossed Jim's face. "See you all later." She grabbed Jim's arm and was headed towards the front stairs.
"Wait a minute," Brian said, frowning slightly. "I think we should stick together to begin with," he continued seriously. "What does everyone else think?"
Keep the group together? Go to part 3.
Let Jim and Trixie go off by themselves? Go to part 2.
Stay with the rest of the Bob-Whites while Jim and Trixie go off by themselves? Go to part 4.
"Let them go," Honey said lightly. "We'll have plenty of time to be together later."
Nobody else spoke up and Trixie took the opportunity to leave. She grabbed Jim by the arm and practically dragged him down the front stairs and away from the rest of the group.
"I thought we'd never get away," she said melodramatically. "When big brother Brian wanted to stop us…" She trailed off, pulling a dreadful face.
Jim laughed. "It's not that bad," he replied. "He's only being a good brother after all. By the way, where are we going?"
"No idea," Trixie said with a giggle. "Which way do you think?"
"Well, there's a path that we haven't explored yet that goes through the garden," he suggested. "Or that looks like a summerhouse just through the trees."
"Or, we could sneak back into the house through the back door," she replied with an impish grin.
Should they take the path through the garden? Go to part 7.
Should they look in the summerhouse? Go to part 8.
Should they go back to the house? Go to part 2.1.
"I guess we should stick together," Di said, rather reluctantly. "After all, we've hardly ever been all together in the last couple of years."
With an effort, Trixie suppressed the scowl which threatened to cross her face and settled on one of the comfortable chairs which were standing against the front wall. One by one, the others found somewhere to sit as well.
"So, what are we going to do now?" Trixie asked, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice. "Any ideas?"
Brian spoke first. "I think we should spend the afternoon together," he said seriously. "Di's right. We haven't talked much in recent times."
Almost as soon as he was finished, a strange creaking noise came from somewhere inside the house. Di jumped violently and edged closer to the front stairs, as if afraid that the house would fall on her.
"What was that?" she asked in a strangled whisper.
Before anyone could answer, there was a scraping noise which seemed to be coming from somewhere underneath them. Di shivered visibly.
"Someone should go and see what made those noises," Trixie said, seeing an opportunity to escape Brian's clutches.
"Don't be silly, Trixie," her eldest brother said. "I'm sure it's just the house settling or something."
"I agree with Trixie," Di said firmly. "Someone should investigate."
Brian frowned. "Why don't we all go inside and get something to eat," he suggested.
"Or, maybe, we could take a walk together," said Honey. "I saw the cutest little cafe, just around the corner. My treat?"
Should they take Brian's suggestion and get something to eat? Go to part 5.
Should they split up to investigate the strange noises? Go to part 6.
Should they go for a walk together? Go to part 2.2.
Once Trixie and Jim had left for their walk, the rest of the group spent the next few minutes standing around and looking lost. The silence began to be uncomfortable.
"I'll be up in my room if anyone needs me," Di said suddenly without looking anyone in the face. She quickly turned and left the group staring, bewildered, after her.
"Do you think she's all right?" Brian asked, concerned. "She seemed upset. Maybe I should go and see what's wrong."
"No," Mart disagreed. "I should go."
"Leave it," Honey replied. "She's just a little disappointed in the house, I think." As she was speaking, a strange creaking noise arose, unsettling the group considerably.
Honey shivered. "What was that?" she asked. No one seemed to know. "Brian, will you come with me to look for what made the noise?"
"It's probably nothing," he said, but his face showed his uneasiness.
Should Mart see what is wrong with Di? Go to part 9.
Should Brian see what is wrong with Di? Go to part 12.
Should Brian and Honey investigate the noise? Go to part 10.
"Wonderful suggestion, brother mine," Mart exclaimed happily. "Let us forget about the strange noises and procure for ourselves some comestibles."
Trixie groaned, but followed her brother back towards the kitchen. Soon the whole group was having a substantial mid-afternoon snack gathered around the kitchen table.
"You know what I think we should do?" Di said suddenly between mouthfuls of celery with low-fat dip. "We should play a game."
Honey giggled. "So long as it's not Truth or Dare," she said.
"Or, Spin the Bottle," Trixie added, looking at her brothers with a wrinkled nose.
"I kind of like the idea of Truth or Dare, actually," Dan said, seemingly serious. "Why don't we play that?"
Diana looked at him strangely and said, "I was actually thinking of something a little less…"
"Intimate?" Honey supplied.
"Exactly," said Di. "How about we play Hide and Seek?"
Mart looked incredulous. "I think you're both mad," he said flatly.
"Why don't we vote on it?" Trixie suggested. "I'm for Hide and Seek!"
"Me too," added Honey.
"Truth or Dare sounds like fun, though," Jim said thoughtfully.
"And at least we'd be talking to each other while we played," Brian added.
"Which means that I have the casting vote, doesn't it?" Mart grumbled.
Should he vote for Hide and Seek? Go to part 25.
Should he vote for Truth or Dare? Go to part 26.
At once, all three of the girls objected, each clamouring to make their point heard.
Brian held up his hand for silence with a deep sigh. "I'll go and have a look," he said. "Come with me, Jim?"
Jim nodded and the two set off to look for the source of the noises. The rest of the group settled nervously to wait.
Minutes passed. Conversation lagged as they struggled to keep their minds off the memory of the strange noises. Finally, the wait was too much for Trixie.
"I'm going to find Jim and Brian," she announced suddenly. "Honey, do you want to come with me?"
Somewhere upstairs, there was a noise like a heavy piece of furniture being moved.
"Jim and Brian didn't go up there, did they?" Di asked nervously. "So, what made that noise?"
"Well, I'm going to look for them," Trixie repeated. "Honey?"
Di stood up. "No, come with me, Honey," she said. "I'm going upstairs to find out what made the noise."
"Speaking for myself," Mart added, "since no one else seems to be, I shall stay here in case of their imminent return. Daniel?"
Dan laughed. "Fine," he said. "Us brave he-man types will stay here while the girls go out looking for adventure."
"But who should I go with?" Honey wondered aloud.
Should she go with Trixie to find Jim and Brian? Go to part 27.
Should she go with Di to investigate the strange noise? Go to part 28.
They took the path which led down into the extensive gardens, walking slowly without talking. After walking a few minutes, the house was completely out of sight.
"There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about," Jim said quietly as they stopped under a shady tree.
"What's that?" Trixie asked quietly.
Jim turned to face her. "You know you've always been my special girl," he said softly. As she nodded he continued. "I think it's time that you were more than that. May I kiss you?"
Trixie smiled and nodded. "Do you even have to ask?"
A soft breeze ruffled her curls as Jim leaned in to gently kiss her. Around them, birds sang and the gentle breeze made the flowers nod. Time seemed to stand still.
"I think it's time to go back," Jim whispered finally. "After all, we don't want Brian to come after us."
Trixie giggled softly. "I don't want to go back just yet," she said. "Why don't we continue our walk?"
Should they go back to the house? Go to part 11.
Should they continue their walk? Go to part 34.
Jim and Trixie walked slowly towards the little structure, half hidden in the shrubbery. As they approached, they could see that it was rather more neglected than the main house and had an abandoned air to it.
"Can you see the door?" Trixie asked quietly as they began to circle the building.
Jim nodded and pulled a branch aside. "Here it is," he said. "Shall we?" He grasped the handle and pulled. "It seems to be stuck," he said a moment later. "It's not locked though - there isn't a lock on it."
"Maybe we could get in through this window," Trixie suggested, pointing. "Then we could open the door from the inside to get out again."
Should they climb through the window? Go to part 15.
Should they look for another way in? Go to part 40.
"I'll go and see if Di is all right," Mart said, standing up. "Why don't the rest of you wait here? I'm sure the noise is nothing, really."
He rose and entered the house, leaving the rest of them to talk amongst themselves. Eventually, Honey spoke up. "Why don't the rest of us go for a walk?" she asked. "I can't stand just sitting here."
Brian nodded, and they all started down the stairs. Behind them, the noise sounded once more.
"I'm starting to worry about that sound," Brian said, turning to look back at the house. He could not help thinking about the half finished renovations. "It's almost like…" He trailed off as the creaking turned into the sound of splintering timber.
"They'd better get out of there fast," Dan said, seeing the alarm on Brian's face. "I'll go in and get them."
Brian held out a hand to hold him back. "No," he said. "We should call out to Mart and tell him to bring Diana back with him."
Should Dan go in to get them? Go to part 19.
Should they call out to Mart to bring Di out with him? Go to part 20.
"I'd really feel better if we went and took a look," Honey said. "Please come with me, Brian."
Brian stood, nodding. "Maybe the rest of you should stay here."
Once inside, the noise sounded again. "Where is it coming from?" Honey asked nervously. "It's almost like it came from under our feet."
"Let's check the basement first," Brian suggested. "I think I saw a door in the kitchen."
Sure enough, there was a door, just where Brian had remembered. It squeaked eerily as he opened it and a shiver ran down Honey's spine.
"Is there a light?" she asked in a whisper.
Ahead of her, Brian felt along the wall and found the switch. A single 40 watt bulb lit up near the bottom of the stairs. Cautiously, Brian started down.
"Should I come too?" she asked, still whispering.
Brian paused. "Only if you want to," he said, looking back at her. "It doesn't look as if there's anything down here anyway."
Honey turned to go back into the kitchen. Just as she reached the doorway, the door slammed in her face. At the same time, the light bulb exploded, showering Brian with glass. It was pitch dark.
"What was that?" Brian asked, brushing himself down. "Ouch! I've cut myself."
"I'll open the door," she replied, suiting action to words. "Oh, it seems to be stuck."
"Quickly, please," he said. "I'm bleeding."
"I can't get it open," Honey said, becoming alarmed. "It's not just stuck, Brian, it's locked!"
"It can't be," he replied, starting back up the stairs. "Let me try."
"Oh, but it is," Honey said rather hysterically. "Let me out!" she yelled, turning the doorknob frantically. "This isn't funny! Let me out!"
Brian let out a sigh and spoke gently to her. "Honey," he said softly. "Step out the way so that I can try."
She began to sob, but obediently moved. "We're trapped in here. I just know it," she said tearily. "Oh, Brian, how will we ever get out?"
He considered carefully before answering. "As far as I can see, we have two options. Either we wait for one of the others to go into the kitchen, or we go down the stairs to look for another way out."
Should they wait to be rescued? Go to part 29.
Should they look for another exit? Go to part 30.
Reluctantly, Trixie agreed to return to the house. She smiled as Jim took her hand and they slowly made their way back towards the group. A few minutes later, they entered the house by the back door.
"Where is everyone?" Trixie wondered aloud. "I thought there would be someone here when we got back."
Jim put a finger to her lips and pointed into the next room. "Looks like it's a day for first kisses," he whispered, smiling.
Trixie looked in the direction he pointed and gasped. "Dan's kissing Di?" she whispered back. "Since when is he interested in her?"
Jim shrugged and pulled Trixie away from the doorway. "If no one's missing us," he said, "I guess we can have a little more time to ourselves."
"Looks like you spoke too soon," Trixie muttered with a groan as Dan and Di entered the room. An instant later, Brian joined the group.
"Where are Honey and Mart?" Brian asked, apparently unaware of anything different. "It's about time we decided what we're doing for the rest of the day."
Glancing out the window, Trixie said, "Mart's probably in the kitchen eating us out of house and home. Why don't we just decide without them?"
Should they look for Honey and Mart? Go to part 13.
Should they decide what to do without asking Honey and Mart? Go to part 36.
"Forget about the noise," Brian said. "I'll go and talk to Di."
Before anyone could object, he had gone inside and headed up the stairs. It was dim inside, and cooler than outside. Under his feet, the stairs creaked gently.
Reaching the top, he turned to the left and made his way to the second door on the right. He tapped softly, calling Di's name.
"Come in," she answered.
Brian opened the door and entered the room. Di was sitting next to the window, gazing out.
"Are you okay, Di?" Brian asked, walking up behind her and putting his hand on her shoulder. "You seemed kind of upset."
She sighed deeply, still facing away from him. "This isn't working out at all how I planned," she said. "Why is it that Honey can arrange things to be perfectly perfect without any effort, but when I try everything goes wrong?"
He sat down next to her on the window seat. From this angle he could see the tracks of tears which had run down her face. "Don't say that," he said gently, brushing the tears away with his fingers. "Things aren't as bad as that, you'll see."
Di turned towards him, looking deep into his eyes. "You really mean that?"
"Of course I do," he responded gently. She's so beautiful, he thought. Should I kiss her?
Should he kiss Di? Go to part 21.
Should he let the moment pass? Go to part 132.
"We don't need to look for them," Di said in an odd tone of voice. "I can see them through that window."
As one, they turned to look in the direction she indicated. Their reactions to what they saw were varied. Brian looked outraged. Trixie looked disgusted. Jim turned away. Di and Dan began to smile.
"He- he-" Brian stuttered. "He can't do that!"
Gently, Di took his arm and turned him away from the sight of his brother passionately kissing the girl for whom he had held secret feelings for so long. The rest of the group looked on as Di led Brian away, all the while speaking soothingly to him.
A few minutes later she returned. "He's having a little rest now," she said. She turned to Trixie. "You and Jim don't have to stay here. Dan and I will make sure everything's all right."
Should Trixie and Jim go out and look at the summerhouse? Go to part 8.
Should Trixie and Jim take another walk around the garden? Go to part 18.
Epilogue:
Honey sat quietly in her corner, reminiscing. It was the 35th annual Bob-White reunion and she was surrounded by family and friends. Who would have thought, she wondered, that there would be so many decendants of the BWGs.
Across the room, Honey's grandkids played raucously with the youngest children of Jim and Trixie, and Di and Dan. Beside her, as always, was her beloved. Mart had not been her first choice, but in the end he had been the best. Looking across at Brian now, she could hardly remember what she had seen in him.
He looks happy now, she decided with a little sigh. Happier than he ever would have been with me. She looked lovingly at her family. Her eldest child, conceived on that long ago trip, caught her eye.
"Are you okay, Mom?" she asked, settling next to her.
Honey sighed again. "Just remembering things from long ago," she replied. "Before you were born."
Her daughter smiled. "You mean, you're wondering about what your life would be like if you hadn't gotten pregnant."
"I don't have any regrets," Honey stated firmly. "You know that."
"I know, Mom." She sounded sure. "Just like I don't regret having kids young, too." She stood up, brushing the creases out of her clothes. "Now, it's time you joined the party."
Honey smiled softly, remembering for just one more moment, then stood to join in the fun.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"Okay," Jim said. "I'll go first."
A moment later, Jim had hoisted himself over the windowsill. That's strange, Trixie thought. Where did he go? She quickly followed him. Once inside, she found that he had apparently been standing in front of her the whole time.
"That was weird," she said, looking back out the window. "When I was outside and you were inside, I couldn't see you."
Jim's face was drawn when she turned back to him. He was gazing at his watch and did not appear to have heard her. "I think we're in big trouble," he said quietly.
"What do you mean?" she asked, grabbing his wrist. "What's wrong with your watch?"
The digital display whirled and spun, slurring the numbers together as they grew and shrunk in a seemingly random manner. She looked at her own analogue watch and was horrified to see the hands spinning back and forth.
"Look around yourself," Jim said in a voice low with fear. "Where are we?"
The only thing that was familiar was the window through which they had entered. Around them, in every direction, the summerhouse had gradually faded away and had been replaced by a large, old house.
"What should we do?" Trixie asked. "If we go back through the window will we be in the same place we started?"
"I don't know," Jim replied. "But, I think we'd better make a decision quickly. I don't like the look of this at all."
Should they try the window? Go to part 17.
Should they explore the house for another way out? Go to part 16.
"I think we should take a look around," Trixie said after a short pause. "At least, then, we'll know where we are."
Jim nodded. "Lead the way," he said.
"We should start with this room," Trixie decided. "Then, maybe, we'll go into the next one."
A few minutes search revealed very little. The house was completely bare of furnishings but, strangely, was not at all dusty. The only other strange thing about it was that when they tried to look out of the windows, there seemed to be nothing on the other side.
The doors, which stood open, seemed to be quite normal. They could see into two adjoining rooms: the kitchen on one side and what might have been a formal living room on the other.
"What now?" Jim asked. "Should we go through one of these doors, or should we try going back through the window?"
Should they try to explore the living room? Go to part 52.
Should they try to explore the kitchen? Go to part 53.
Should they try to go through the window? Go to part 17.
"Let's try the window," Trixie said finally. "I don't know where it will get us, but it can't hurt to try, can it?"
Jim nodded grimly. "Do you want to go first, or should I?"
Trixie stepped forward. "I'll go first this time," she said. "Wish me luck!"
She steeled herself, wondering whether this may be a dangerous mistake. Slowly, she moved towards the window and gently reached out her hand. Behind them, there was the sound of slamming doors at the instant her hand reached the opening.
"What was that?" she asked, jumping back. She looked over her shoulder and saw that the doors, which had stood open, were now closed. "I hope I haven't made things worse."
"What about the window?" Jim asked, sounding rather impatient. "Can you go through?"
Trixie reached out again, this time showing him what she had felt the first time. "It's almost as if there's a pane of glass there," she said. "I can't push through it."
Jim groaned. "What will we do now?" he asked. "I really want to get out of this place."
"Well," she replied, considering, "we could try to break it, or we could look around the house."
Should they try to break through the window? Go to part 45.
Should they explore the house? Go to part 46.
"I sure hope Brian's all right," Trixie said with a little giggle once they were outside. "I never expected Mart to be the one to steal Honey away from him!"
"I'm sure he'll be fine," Jim said rather absently. A moment later he continued, "Do you think there might have been something going on with them for a while? They seemed terribly…"
"Familiar with each other?" Trixie supplied, wrinkling her nose. "I'd thank them to not be quite so 'familiar' in public."
Jim laughed and agreed. "Maybe we should make it our mission this week to keep them away from Brian."
Trixie considered. "It would keep him off our backs," she conceded. "And I don't really want him to be unhappy. Besides, the less I see of my almost twin joined to Honey at the lips, the better!"
"That sounds like a plan," he replied. "But, I would like to spend some time alone with you."
"Decisions, decisions," Trixie muttered. "My brother's happiness, or my own?"
Should Trixie and Jim make an effort to keep Brian away from Honey and Mart? Go to part 14.
Should Trixie and Jim throw caution to the wind and pursue their own happiness? Go to part 33.
"It's too risky," Dan said, pushing past him. "He probably couldn't hear us from here." Before Brian could object any more, Dan had gone.
Inside, the creaking and groaning sounded much worse, and Dan could see a strange bulge in one of the ceilings which he was sure hadn't been there before. I'd better be careful, he thought. One wrong move and…
Taking a deep breath, he set his foot on the bottom stair and hoped for the best. Halfway up, the splintering sound started again, ending in a loud groan.
"Mart?" he called loudly. "You'd better get out of here!"
He set his foot on the first stair beyond the landing, and held his breath. The house was groaning loudly now, with small cracking noises which filled him with dread. There was a loud bang as a beam came loose, crashing down on the stairs behind him and filling the air with dust.
Dan coughed, fighting for breath. He staggered upwards, clawing at the carpet in an attempt to make it to the top.
"Mart!" he yelled. "Di!"
Through the clouds of dust, Mart appeared. "We're here," he said. "Let's go."
"Not that way," Dan said, gasping for breath. "Blocked."
"But how will we get out then?" Di's voice sounded shrill. "We can't just stay here!"
Dan crawled forward, trying to get away from the place where the beam had fallen. "There's a tree outside my window," he said. "We might be able to jump across to it."
Di gasped. "Jump? I couldn't do that!"
"There's another tree at the other end of the house," Mart suggested, pointing. "I think it's closer, so we wouldn't have to jump."
"But we'd have to walk across the place where the beam fell," Dan pointed out. "It might collapse under our weight. I don't think it's worth the risk."
Should they take Dan's suggestion? Go to part 22.
Should they take Mart's suggestion? Go to part 61.
"I'll go around this way," said Honey. "They might be able to hear me better." In an instant, she was off.
"Mart! Di!" Brian yelled, as loud as he could. "Get out right away!"
From around the corner of the house, they could hear Honey yelling as well. The groaning became louder. Somewhere inside there was a crashing noise as something heavy fell.
"Mart!" Brian yelled. "Di!"
"I should've gone in there," Dan said. "Maybe I should go now."
"No," Brian said sharply. "It's too dangerous. Keep yelling."
Inside, there was another crash, followed by a scream. Just inside the front door, a beam crashed down and blocked the entryway. For several long moments Dan and Brian stood still in horror.
"Mart? Di?" Brian yelled. There was no answer.
"Where are they?" Honey asked, running up. "Did they get out? Are they safe?"
Before anyone could answer, Jim and Trixie appeared from the other side of the house. The scene fell silent as the house settled.
"What happened?" Trixie asked. "Where are Mart and Di?"
"I think they're still in there," Brian said, taking control. "Honey, go and get some help." She ran off towards the nearest neighbour. "Jim and I will circle the house in opposite directions and make sure they're really inside. Everyone else, stay back. It's too much to risk any of our lives on this one."
"I think we should go in," Dan said quietly. "If you'd let me go in before, maybe I could've saved them."
"We should wait for help to arrive," Brian disagreed. "If you'd gone in, you'd be stuck in there too." He strode off, calling all the way. Soon, Jim started off in the other direction.
"I still think we should go in," Dan said to Trixie mutinously.
Should they go inside to look for Mart and Di? Go to part 64.
Should they wait for the emergency services to arrive? Go to part 65.
Leaning in gently, Brian kissed Di softly on the lips. The instant they touched, she put her arms around him and pulled him close.
"Oh, Brian," she said, running her fingers through his hair. "You have no idea how long I've wanted you to do that."
Brian looked surprised. "Really?" he asked. "I always thought you liked Mart."
She smiled. "All those big words wear on you after a while," she said. "And you have no idea how hard it is to act dumb all the time!"
"I wouldn't ever want you to do that," he replied. "Be yourself."
Once again, Di smiled. "But is there any future for us?" she asked. "Or should we leave it as just one kiss?"
Should Brian and Di pursue a relationship? Go to part 131.
Should Brian and Di just stay as friends? Go to part 128.
"In that case, we'll have to do it your way," Mart said quietly. "We'll help you, Di."
As quickly as possible, Dan led the way to the window. Throwing it open, he shuddered to see how far it actually was to the nearest branch.
He turned to Mart. "One of us will have to go first, and the other will have to help Di."
Mart quickly sized up the gap. "You go first," he said. "You're taller than me, so you'll have the advantage."
His friend simply nodded and swung out the window. A moment later, he had leapt across into the tree. Di covered her eyes as he struggled to keep his balance.
She could hear the sounds of exertion as he tried to keep a grip on the tree. Then, hearing Mart sigh in relief, she opened her eyes. Dan had climbed a little higher and was now looking down at them while holding on with his legs.
"I can't do it," she said, tears beginning to fall. "You'll have to leave me here. I can't do it."
Gently, Mart rubbed her back and said, "Yes, you can. I'll be here to help you." He led her to the window and helped her over the sill. He called to Dan, "Ready?"
"Yep," he replied. "Give me your hands, Di."
Leaning down as far as he could, Dan grasped her wrists while Mart kept hold of her waist. She let out a little squeal and tried to get back in through the window, but Mart did not let her.
"It's okay, Di," he soothed. "Dan's got you, and I'm right here to help you."
She shivered slightly, but did not resist any longer. Inside the building, there were ominous noises. Suddenly, the tree seemed very attractive to Di.
"Now, you see where I landed?" Dan asked. "That's where you're aiming for," he explained. "You've got to jump onto the branch and I'll stop you from falling off."
She nodded, closing her eyes once again. Dan began to count and, on three, she jumped. For a long moment, her nails dug into Dan's wrists as she wavered between standing and falling, but finally she was secure on the branch.
"That was close," she said shakily.
Carefully, she moved out of the way so that Mart could jump next to her. He grasped one of Dan's hands and swung easily to the branch. Behind him, there was an enormous crash as the floor of the room they had been in collapsed.
Di screamed. "Did you see that?" she asked, incredulous. "If you hadn't helped me…"
"Let's get down," Dan said, changing the subject. "We'd better go and find the others."
The three climbed out of the tree as quickly as they could and made their way back to the front of the house. They found the other four staring, dumbfounded, at the house.
"You're okay!" Trixie yelled, seeing them. "Oh, Mart! I was so worried." She enveloped her brother in a bear hug. Soon, everyone was hugging.
"But, now what are we going to do?" Di wailed. "Our party is ruined!"
"We could always find somewhere else to stay," Mart suggested. "Or we could just go home."
Should they find somewhere else to stay? Go to part 23.
Should they go home? Go to part 24.
Epilogue:
All seven of the Bob-Whites were seated comfortably in a rough circle. They had been talking and laughing for hours and now it was growing late.
"Well, it's certainly been an exciting trip," Jim said reflectively. "I'm almost sorry we're going home tomorrow."
"I could do without that sort of excitement," Di replied. "If this is what happens when I make the arrangements, I'm never going to do it again!"
Trixie looked around appreciatively. "I thought it all worked out pretty well, actually," she said. The agency which had rented them the house had supplied them with other accommodation, free of charge. It was certainly a lot nicer than the old house had been. "I motion that we put Di in charge of accommodation for all our trips."
"Seconded!" cried Honey.
"We'd better put that to the vote," said Jim, pretending to be serious. "All in favour, say 'Aye.'"
"No!" cried Di, amidst a chorus of ayes.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
All seven of the Bob-Whites sat on the edge of the lake. The agent who had rented the house to them had offered alternative accommodation, but no one had really wanted to stay.
"I'm glad we all agreed to come home," Di said. "We've had a great time just spending the week here."
"Just like old times, really," added Honey. "Does anyone want any more food?"
Around her, there were several groans and one polite 'No, thank you,' from Di. Correctly assuming that everyone had eaten more than enough, she began to pack the leftovers away.
"So, who's going to arrange our next trip?" Trixie asked. "It'll be a big challenge to fit in as much excitement as we had this time."
Di groaned loudly. "I don't want that much excitement, so someone else had better do it."
"I thought you did a great job, Di," Trixie said sincerely. "It wasn't your fault that things went a little wrong."
Di giggled. "If that's your idea of 'a little wrong,'" she said, "I think you'd better arrange the next trip."
"Sounds like you've volunteered, Trixie," said Mart. "So, is everyone agreed? Trixie will arrange the next trip?"
There was such enthusiastic agreement that Trixie simply gave in with good grace.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Mart sighed heavily. "Hide and Seek," he said.
"You'd better start counting, Mart," Trixie said happily and headed out of the kitchen. "Anywhere in the house, upstairs or downstairs, is fair game. When you get to 100, come and find us!"
Fairly soon, he was the only one in the kitchen and the house was filled with the sounds of people stealthily moving. He could hear the stairs creaking and various doors open and close. He did not bother to actually count, but instead estimated the amount of time it would take.
"Coming, ready or not!" he yelled rather wearily, and set off to begin searching.
Should I start upstairs or downstairs? he wondered.
Should he start looking upstairs? Go to part 31.
Should he start looking downstairs? Go to part 32.
Mart sighed. "Truth or Dare," he said, "but I get to go first. Dan, I dare you to run around the house wearing Di's pink T-shirt."
"Yeah?" replied Dan. "Well, I dare you to kiss Honey - on the lips, mind you, and in front of everyone."
Honey gasped. "This isn't how it goes!" she objected. Mart and Dan ignored her.
Mart said, "I dare you to kiss Honey, while wearing Di's pink T-shirt and standing on the front porch!"
"Guys!" Di interrupted. "Settle down. That's not how you play!" Neither of them seemed to notice.
Dan frowned, thinking. An evil smile slowly lit up his face. "I dare you to stand naked on the front porch while Honey and Di throw rotten tomatoes at you, then you have to kiss both of them, while still naked."
"If that's how it's going to be," Mart said, "I dare you to stand naked on the hood of Di's car and recite the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet to Di in falsetto while wearing a wig and lipstick in broad daylight."
Di said, "Hey! No one's standing on the hood of my car!"
As Dan began to formulate an even worse dare, Honey drew Trixie and Honey aside. "I think I have a dare of my own," she whispered, smiling. "Do you think if two of us kissed them - passionately, I mean - they'd stop it?"
Di looked thoughtful. "They might," she said. "I think it's worth a try."
"Count me out," Trixie said warily. "If that doesn't work, I'll thump 'em both for you, but I'm not kissing them!"
"Then it's up to us, Di," said Honey. "Which do you want?"
Should Honey kiss Dan and Di kiss Mart? Go to part 122.
Should Di kiss Dan and Honey kiss Mart? Go to part 123.
"Come with me, Honey," Trixie said, grabbing her friend by the arm. She added to the others, "We won't be long."
Honey let herself be led back through the front door, which Jim and Brian had disappeared through minutes earlier. The house seemed to be deserted.
"We know they didn't go upstairs," Trixie theorised aloud. "So either they should be somewhere downstairs, or they went out through the back door."
"I guess," Honey replied absently. She looked around nervously. "Shouldn't we be able to see or hear them if they were here, though?"
Trixie stopped short. "You're right," she said. "Let's check quickly." The two girls made short work of the search. After only a few minutes it was clear that they were the only ones on that floor.
"I don't like this," Honey said as they stood in the kitchen. "Where do you think they've gone?"
"I don't know," Trixie said slowly. She walked across to a closed door on the other side of the room. "Into the basement?" she asked, opening it. "Or, did they go outside?"
Honey frowned. "I can't think of anywhere else. We would have known if they'd gone up the stairs."
"Which way, then?" Trixie asked. "The basement or the garden?"
Should they go down into the basement? Go to part 102.
Should they look outside? Go to part 103.
"Please come with me," said Di. "Trixie can look after herself."
Honey smiled and stepped towards her dark-haired friend. "Okay," she said. Turning to Trixie, she added, "We'll be right back if you want to wait."
Trixie shook her head and the other two set off in search of the source of the mysterious noise. Inside the house, it was quiet once again.
"Let's just go upstairs, find the noise and get out of here," Di said, almost whispering. "It's kind of spooky in here somehow."
Honey giggled nervously. "It's just our imaginations," she said. "There's nothing wrong with the house, Di. It's just old and a little neglected. Nothing to worry about." Under her feet, the stairs creaked ominously and Honey giggled again. "I hope."
"Great help you are," Di grumbled as they reached the top of the stairs. "Now, which way should we look first? Left or right?"
Should they turn left? Go to part 80.
Should they turn right? Go to part 81.
"Nothing would induce me to wander around down there in the dark," Honey said firmly, despite her tears. "I'm going to just sit down here and wait."
"Okay," Brian said warily, and sat down next to her. "I need to get the glass out of my hand anyway."
"Let me help you," said Honey, reaching out towards him. "Where's your hand?" Their fingers met and she felt blood. "Now, where's the glass?"
Brian took her hand with his uninjured one and led her to the right place. "Just here, near the base of my thumb."
Honey giggled in spite of herself. "This would be a whole lot easier in the light," she said. "Oh! Now I've cut myself too." She pulled her hand away, putting the injured finger in her mouth.
Beside her, Brian shifted slightly. "Got it," he said momentarily, sounding relieved. "But I think I've got blood everywhere."
"I hope someone-" Honey began, breaking off as a soft sound startled her. "What was that?" she asked, her voice soft and shaky. "It sounded like…"
"Like there was someone here with us," Brian completed. "Laughing at us." He stopped for a moment, listening. "I don't like this. I think we should look for a way out."
Honey's voice sounded slightly hysterical when she next spoke. "I'm sure it's a ghost! Break the door down, Brian," she said. "My father will pay for the damage, just get us out of here."
Should Brian break down the door? Go to part 72.
Should they go down the stairs? Go to part 73.
"I want to get out of here as quickly as possible," Honey said firmly. "Let's get downstairs and start looking."
The two started to feel their way down to the level below, going slowly so that they wouldn't slip. When they were halfway down the stairs, the room suddenly filled with eerie laughter.
"Who's there?" Honey called shakily. She let out a shriek as a spectral figure appeared in front of them, his face and clothes bloody.
"You shouldn't have come here," the ghostly man whispered. "If you want to leave, you will have to solve the mystery I set for you."
"Wh- what mystery?" Honey asked.
Once again, the eerie laughter sounded, but the ghost's lips did not move. "How did I die?" he said softly. "I will give you three clues. If you are correct, I will let you go. If not…"
"What are these clues?" Brian asked firmly.
The ghost smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. "One: He said he didn't mean it. Two: Nobody knew where it had come from. Three: They put it down here afterwards." A moment later he disappeared.
Honey, who had pressed up against Brian, let out a gasp and huddled closer. "What does it mean?" she asked. "How can we work out how he died? We don't know anything about it."
Unseen in the darkness, Brian frowned. "I think he wants us to look for the thing that was put down here. Maybe there'll be a clue with it."
"I don't want to do anything of the sort," she replied hotly. She sounded teary as she continued. "I just want to get out of here."
Brian sighed. "I don't think we have a choice," he said. "Come on, let's go and see what we can find." Gently, he turned her towards the bottom of the stairs.
"What's that light?" she asked, sounding even more frightened than she had before. A faint glow illuminated one of the corners, off to the right. "Please, Brian, let's stay near the stairs. I don't want to get lost down here."
"But it could be a clue," he argued.
Should they go towards the light? Go to part 133.
Should they stay near the stairs? Go to part 134.
Let's get this over with, Mart thought as he trudged upstairs. Reaching the top, he yanked open the first door he came to, which belonged to a closet.
"Oops," said Di guiltily from within. "Dan, stop it. Mart's here." Oblivious to her request, Dan continued nibbling at her neck.
All at once, Mart lost his temper. "How dare you?" he yelled, going red in the face. He reached in and grabbed Dan by the shirt, dragging him out. "You're supposed to be my best friend and this is what you do?"
Di tried to placate the two men. "It's not what you think, Mart," she said. "You know I'll always love you, and I'm pretty sure the baby is yours, but Dan's just so sexy…" She screamed, as Mart punched Dan in the nose.
"That's it, buster," Dan said, throwing a punch of his own. Soon, the two were on the floor, rolling around.
Honey appeared from one of the rooms. "Look out!" she screamed. "Mart! The stairs!" It was too late. Mart lost his balance and the two broke through the railing, landing heavily far below.
"Oh, no!" Di cried. "They're both dead! Now what will I do?"
"Mart's not dead," Honey replied, checking his pulse. "I'll call an ambulance."
A week later:
Di sat, weeping softly, next to Mart's hospital bed. The doctor had just told her that, by some strange coincidence, Mart was suffering from an extremely rare condition that she couldn't remember the name of and that it was unlikely that he would ever recover.
What am I going to do? she wondered. My baby might never know its Daddy!
Mr. and Mrs. Belden entered the room, both looking grave. "Hello, Di," Mr. Belden said. "We have something serious to talk to you about. We've decided not to continue Mart's life support. Unless you object, it's going to be turned off this afternoon."
Di gasped. Oh, no! What do I say?
Should she say that they can turn off life support? Go to part 113.
Should she ask them to keep life support on? Go to part 114.
I might as well start down here, Mart thought, beginning to wander rather aimlessly around the lower part of the house. After about two minutes, however, he sunk into a comfortable chair in the living room and started to drift off to sleep.
He was startled awake a few minutes later by the sound of voices nearby. "We'll have to tell them sometime," he heard his sister say softly. "Pretty soon, they won't be able to help noticing."
"I'd rather wait until we're married," Jim Frayne replied. "It'd be more respectable to announce the pregnancy then."
Mart saw red. Who does he think he is, messing with my sister? he thought angrily. He's going to meet my fist pretty soon… Or should I get Brian to help me?
Should he try to beat up Jim alone? Go to part 115.
Should he find Brian and get him to help him beat up Jim? Go to part 116.
Should he rethink the whole 'beat up Jim' idea? Go to part 117.
Epilogue:
Honey sat down under a shady tree and sighed contentedly. Across the park she could see a young mother with her small child, playing happily. There, but for the grace of God… she thought with a start.
If you had asked her six weeks ago, Honey would have sworn that she would never risk getting pregnant outside of marriage, but she had almost taken that risk. In fact, the only thing that had stopped her was a rather embarrassing interruption by Brian.
Brian. Honey felt bad every time she thought of him. She had no idea that he had felt that way about her and was terribly ashamed of how much she had hurt him. How could I have missed that? she wondered. If only he'd said something to me. She sighed again, this time rather sadly.
Across the park, another two figures appeared. One of them was Brian Belden and the other was an unfamiliar young woman. Maybe he wasn't as hurt as I thought, Honey thought, beginning to smile. She watched as he put his arm around the girl, then turned away, satisfied.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Jim took Trixie's hand and they continued walking in the direction they had been going in. The path wound through a grove of mature trees, with thick shrubs on both sides.
"I'm glad we came here," Trixie said happily. "I just know we'll have a good time." She smiled up at Jim. "Especially now."
He squeezed her hand, making her smile widen. "I'm glad you feel that way," he replied. "But, I don't want Brian coming after us so how about if we go back inside now?"
Turning a corner, the old summerhouse came into view. "Let's look in here first," Trixie asked hopefully. "Just for a moment."
"Can you ever explore anything for 'just a moment?'" Jim asked, smiling. "Maybe we should go back to the house now and get the others."
Should they look inside the summerhouse? Go to part 35.
Should they go back to the house? Go to part 11.
"Please, Jim?" Trixie asked, looking up at him hopefully. "Just for a moment, I promise."
Her boyfriend sighed. "Just for a moment," he confirmed. "Then we really have to go back."
Trixie smiled happily and ran up to the dilapidated structure. Pushing aside the branches of an overhanging shrub, she grasped the door handle and pulled it open with a loud squeak.
She stepped cautiously inside, flinching slightly as a spider's web clung to her face. "It's terribly dusty in here," she said to Jim, who had remained outside. "And I think the roof might leak." At her feet, the old wooden floor showed watermarks.
Jim followed her inside, ducking to avoid the webs which Trixie had missed. "Happy now?" he asked. "There's nothing in here but spiders." Gently, he pulled the dusty web from her face.
"Oh, but there's not just spiders in here," she whispered. "There's also you and me. Kiss me again."
He was only too happy to give in to this request. A few moments later he sighed. "Time's up."
"One more kiss?" Trixie asked.
"We shouldn't," he replied, whispering.
Should he kiss Trixie again? Go to part 37.
Should he take Trixie back to the house? Go to part 11.
"Fine," said Brian, rather annoyed. "Why don't we-" He broke off and stared out of the window, his jaw dropping.
Everyone turned to see what had surprised him. Brian's surprise quickly turned to outrage. Beside him, his sister simply looked disgusted. Jim quickly turned away and Dan and Di began to smile.
"He- he-" Brian stuttered. "He can't do that!"
Gently, Di took his arm and turned him away from the sight of his brother passionately kissing the girl for whom he had held secret feelings for so long. The rest of the group looked on, as she led him away, all the while speaking soothingly to him.
A few minutes later she returned. "He's having a little rest now," she said. She turned to Trixie. "You and Jim don't have to stay here. Dan and I will make sure everything's all right."
Should Trixie and Jim go out and look at the summerhouse? Go to part 8.
Should Jim and Trixie take another walk in the garden? Go to part 18.
Jim smiled indulgently and leaned to kiss Trixie again. Behind him, there was a terrible crash as the door was thrown open.
"What are you doing in here?" an angry voice demanded.
"None of your business," Trixie told her eldest brother, and tried to pull Jim towards herself. "Leave us alone. We're busy."
Brian frowned. "I think it's time you came back to the house. Everyone's waiting for you."
"We'll be there soon," she replied. "Just leave us alone."
Brian's frown turned to a scowl. "I'd like a word with you, Jim."
"Brian! Just go!" Trixie said, exasperated.
Should he go back to the house alone? Go to part 38.
Should he demand that Trixie and Jim come with him? Go to part 39.
Grumpily, Brian trudged out of the summerhouse, muttering darkly. Before he was even out of the door, his sister started kissing her new boyfriend once again.
"You'll make peace with him, won't you?" she asked a few minutes later. "But don't make any promises. I can make my own decisions and don't need big brother Brian to do it for me."
Jim looked down at her determined face and smiled. "Deal," he said, brushing back an unruly curl. "So long as you agree not to antagonise him any further."
She pretended to think carefully. "Okay," she said finally. "But only if you'll kiss me again." With a smile, he did as she bid.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Epilogue:
Over six months had passed since the confrontation in the summerhouse and it seemed that the argument which had started that day would never end. It was now Christmas Eve, and the Bob-Whites were attempting to have their usual party.
Brian sat alone in the corner, staring grumpily at the three happy couples who made up the rest of the club. He took a drink from the bottle in his hand and turned away.
"I thought we agreed on no alcohol," Trixie asked quietly, taking the bottle from his hand. She sat down next to him and set the bottle on the floor. "Brian, I'm sorry. I don't care whose fault it was anymore. Please, just let it go."
He looked at her somewhat blearily. "It's not about you and Jim anymore," he admitted. His gaze turned to Honey. "Other people did worse things than you did that week."
Trixie sighed. "It would be easier for everyone if you'd just forgive him," she said, her eyes straying to her almost-twin. "I'm sure he didn't mean to get her pregnant." Her brother turned away. "Anyway, if you got someone pregnant, I'm sure you'd marry her."
Brian frowned. "That's completely irrelevant," he said. "He knew I was interested in her. He shouldn't have touched her let alone… do what he did."
"She's your sister-in-law now," Trixie reminded him. "And in a few months she'll be mother of your niece or nephew. You have to let go of this."
Across the room, Honey called out, "Goodnight, everyone!"
Brian stood suddenly and strode across to her. "Goodnight, Honey," he said, leaning to kiss her on the cheek.
She looked surprised for a moment, then put her arms around his neck to give him an awkward hug. Her pregnant belly bumped into him and she giggled as the baby kicked, hard. "Did you feel that?" she asked.
He nodded, smiling rather sadly. He turned to his brother. "Goodnight, Mart," he said, patting him on the shoulder.
"Goodnight," Mart said, rather surprised. He couldn't remember the last time Brian had been this friendly to him.
As Brian stood and watched them leave, the rest of the group shared a smile. Maybe everything would work out after all.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"Let's look for another way in first," Jim said, considering. "There might be another door."
Trixie moved closer to look through the window. "I don't see one," she said. "Are you sure the door is stuck?" She grasped the handle and pulled. It opened with a loud squeak.
Jim laughed. "I like that. I pull as hard as I can but can't budge it. You open it easily." He shook his head.
"What can I say," she laughed. "I just have superior muscles." She stepped inside, flinching slightly as a spider's web clung to her face. "Nothing in here but spiders," she said a moment later, disappointed.
He laughed again. "What did you expect? A mystery?" Her sheepish expression told him he was right. "No mysteries here. Unless…" He stooped to pick something up.
"What?" she asked eagerly. "Did you find something?"
"Mystery of the Empty Candy Wrapper?" he asked, holding it for her to see.
Trixie groaned elaborately. "Thank you, but no," she said. "Seeing as there aren't any mysteries, why don't we clean it up a bit so we can use it? It wouldn't take long."
Jim looked around warily. "I don't know," he said. "Somehow this place kind of gives me the creeps." He grinned at her. "Especially since the door doesn't seem to like me."
"Poor baby," she replied. "If you can't hack it, maybe we should go back and see what the others are doing."
Should they clean the summerhouse? Go to part 41.
Should they go and see what the others are doing? Go to part 42.
"Okay, okay," Jim said. "No need to make fun of me. We'll clean the place up a little."
Trixie grinned. "I'll get a broom," she said, and ran off. A few minutes later, she returned. "Better start at the top," she said, handing him a long-handled brush. "You start on those cobwebs, I'll-" She stopped. "What is it, Jim?"
He stooped, sniffing delicately. "Do you smell something?" he asked. "Something rotten?"
"No," she replied bluntly. "I just smell dust."
"This board isn't nailed down," he observed. "Maybe we should look underneath."
Should they look under the board? Go to part 43.
Should they continue cleaning up? Go to part 44.
"Great idea," said Jim. "Let's get out of here." He took Trixie by the arm and practically dragged her back to the house.
"I can walk by myself," she said indignantly, wrenching her arm away from him. "Besides, what's the hurry?"
Before he could answer, Jim noticed Di hurrying towards them with an unfamiliar man. "Something wrong?" he called, seeing her serious expression.
A moment later she had joined them. "This is Mr. Wellington, from the agency that rented us the house," she said. "They want us to leave right away."
"I'm terribly sorry about this," Mr. Wellington said politely. "We've just been contacted by the owner to say that the house needs some urgent repairs. The work crew is waiting outside as we speak." He paused for a moment, then said, "I'm afraid you won't be able to re-enter the house. Your belongings will be collected for you."
As they walked back towards the front of the building, Jim paused. The creepy feeling was back again. He looked back over his shoulder towards the summerhouse and shuddered slightly. Why do I feel like we just had a lucky escape? he wondered.
Rounding the corner of the house, he knew that the agent had not told the truth. The work vehicles bore the name of a demolition company. I'm glad we're leaving, he thought as he watched some men start to erect some scaffolding. Who knows what could have happened to us here.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"If it makes you happier," Trixie said, "look under the board. I don't think there's anything down there."
Gently, Jim pried up the board. As it came up, he was almost overwhelmed by the rotting smell. He staggered back a little and stole a look at Trixie. She was peering curiously into the hole, apparently unaffected.
Taking a deep breath, Jim moved once more to the space over the hole. He looked down into the space and in the dim light could just make out the shape of a human body.
His eyes widened as he noticed more details. The corpse was wearing the same clothes as he was. And that's my watch, he thought with a start. His next observation was even more horrifying. He shifted slightly, trying to see more, and saw that the corpse was not alone: its hand was intertwined with another hand. Trixie's bracelet, he thought, now quite fearful. He crouched lower, trying to see the faces.
Beside him, Trixie said impatiently, "I don't see anything, and I can't smell anything either."
Jim looked at her sharply. "I'm sure I can smell something," he said, sounding uncertain. He looked back into the hole. They're gone, he thought, stunned. What does this mean? Coming to a sudden decision, he dropped the board back into place and stood up.
"Well, are we cleaning up or not?" Trixie asked, impatient.
"No," he replied determinedly. "I'm sure there's something underneath there. We won't use this building."
Trixie looked puzzled as he firmly escorted her back to the house, but did not object. Neither did she object when Jim insisted on telling all of the Bob-Whites that the summerhouse was absolutely off limits.
All through the week, Jim managed things so that they spent hardly any time at the house and no one could make him say why. As they drove away, Trixie saw him nervously looking back.
"Something wrong?" she asked lightly.
"Not at all," he replied. We got out of there alive, he added to himself. And that was a mystery better left unsolved.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"Hey, maybe there's a mystery here after all," Trixie said happily. "You start on the cobwebs and I'll look under here."
A moment later, she had pried up the board and knelt next to the hole, peering down. Jim glanced down to see her flinch and hastily replace the board.
"It's a dead animal," she said, grimacing, "with rats eating it."
Jim looked at her carefully. "That's it?" he asked. Something in her face made him wonder if she was telling the truth. "I didn't think you'd be afraid of rats."
Trixie stood quickly and grabbed his arm. "Let's get out of here," she said. "I don't think we should come in here again. When we get back to the house, we'll tell the others."
He nodded and complied. After all, if Trixie was this rattled, it must be something pretty scary.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"I think we should try to break it," said Jim. "It's our best chance."
Trixie looked around. "Do you see anything we could use to break it?" she asked.
He looked around, searching with his eyes. "There," he said. "That looks like a loose floorboard." He walked over and pulled it up easily, but almost dropped it in his shock at what he saw underneath. "Trixie!" he called sharply. "You've got to see this."
She rushed over and dropped down next to the hole he had made. "Jim!" she cried. "What does it mean?" Through the hole, she could see the world far below her. She thought she could make out the house and gardens, but there was no sign of the summerhouse.
"I don't know," he said slowly, "but I think we'd better get back through that window." He stood up, grasping the board firmly, and went back to the window. "Wish me luck," he said.
Trixie held her breath as he swung and hit with all his might. The board shattered against the window, leaving no mark. Sighing with disappointment, Trixie felt to see if there was any difference. There was not.
"So much for that idea," said Jim. "What do we do now?"
"Well, you could let me have a go," she replied. "Or, we could try looking around the house."
Should Trixie try to break the window? Go to part 47.
Should they explore the rest of the house? Go to part 46.
Trixie turned to look around the room. The two doors which had been open when they first saw them were now standing closed. "Which one should we try first?" she asked.
Should they try the door on the left? Go to part 48.
Should they try the door on the right? Go to part 49.
"We've got nothing to lose," said Jim. "Why don't you try?"
Trixie quickly found another loose board and walked up to the window. She took aim and swung it as hard as she could. This time, instead of shattering, the board went straight through and came back again.
"Did you see that?" she asked, amazed. "It was like there was nothing there." She reached out and touched it only to find it was as impenetrable as ever.
"There's only one thing left to do," said Jim, his face pale and drawn. "We'll have to find another way out."
Go to part 46.
"Let's try the one on the left," said Jim.
Trixie walked slowly across to the door and looked at it carefully. It appeared to be an ordinary wooden door with an old fashioned lock. She reached out and turned the handle.
"It's locked," she said, her voice full of disappointment. "I'll just try the other one." She walked slowly to the other door, hoping against hope. "It's locked, too," she said finally. "What do we do now?"
Before Jim had time to answer, a voice from behind them called a greeting, making both of them jump. They turned to see a young man, dressed in the style of eighty years ago.
"Sorry to startle you," said the man. "I thought you might like some advice."
Trixie found her voice first. "Can you tell us how to get out of here?" she asked hopefully. Her face fell slightly as she saw the young man's expression.
"I'm afraid not," he said. "If you can see me, you've already missed the opportunity. You have to choose the right way the first time."
"But you had some advice for us?" Jim asked. "You've been here for a long time?"
"It depends on your point of view," the man answered. "To me, it seems like I've only been here for a few weeks. I'm sure you'd see it differently. The day I came in here was May twelfth, 1926."
"And the advice?" Trixie asked.
The man looked over his shoulder. "There is another doorway. If you come with me now, you will be far more comfortable than if you stay here." He paused, looking over his shoulder once again. "The choice is, of course, yours. Make it quickly, though. The door is only open for a few more moments."
Should they go with the man? Go to part 50.
Should they stay in the same room? Go to part 51.
"Let's try the one on the right," said Jim.
Trixie walked slowly across to the door and looked at it carefully. It appeared to be an ordinary wooden door with an old fashioned lock. She reached out and turned the handle.
"It's locked," she said, her voice full of disappointment. "I'll just try the other one." She walked slowly to the other door, hoping against hope. "It's locked, too," she said finally. "What do we do now?"
Before Jim had time to answer, a voice from behind them called a greeting, making both of them jump. They turned to see a young man, dressed in the style of eighty years ago.
"Sorry to startle you," said the man. "I thought you might like some advice."
Trixie found her voice first. "Can you tell us how to get out of here?" she asked hopefully. Her face fell slightly as she saw the young man's expression.
"I'm afraid not," he said. "If you can see me, you've already missed the opportunity. You have to choose the right way the first time."
"But you had some advice for us?" Jim asked. "You've been here for a long time?"
"It depends on your point of view," the man answered. "To me, it seems like I've only been here for a few weeks. I'm sure you'd see it differently. The day I came in here was May twelfth, 1926."
"And the advice?" Trixie asked.
The man looked over his shoulder. "There is another doorway. If you come with me now, you will be far more comfortable than if you stay here." He paused, looking over his shoulder once again. "The choice is, of course, yours. Make it quickly, though. The door is only open for a few more moments."
Should they go with the man? Go to part 50.
Should they stay in the same room? Go to part 51.
"I say we should go," Trixie said to Jim. "What do you think?"
Jim nodded and they followed the man over to a seemingly blank piece of wall.
"Put your hand in front of yourself," he said, "and push gently. As soon as you feel it give, step through."
Trixie stepped up to the wall and did what he said. She soon found herself on the other side of the wall, in a comfortable living room. A moment later, Jim and the strange man had followed.
"Let me show you around," said the man. "There's something here that I think you should see." He led the way over to one of the windows and pulled back the drapes. Patterns swirled wildly on the glass. "You can make it show any place on Earth," he explained. "Like, the cemetery where my memorial stone is."
The patterns resolved to show a quiet country cemetery, the picture clear enough to read the inscription. "William John Harris," Trixie read. "Is that you?"
"Call me Bill," the man said, nodding. "And who do I have the pleasure of meeting?" Trixie and Jim quickly introduced themselves. "Nice to meet you," Bill said. "Now, what would you like to see?"
Trixie looked at Jim. "I think we'd like to see the house," she said. "I want to see what our friends are doing; if they're looking for us."
"Oh, it's far too late for that," Bill replied, "but I'll show you anyway." The cemetery disappeared in a random swirl and the house appeared in its place. "You see, a long time has passed in their world."
Trixie gasped. The house, which had been quite livable, if a little run down, was now just a ruin. A sturdy fence surrounded it, with warnings that it was dangerous to enter.
"Show us our homes," said Jim.
"Oh, you'll have to do that yourselves," said Bill. "I can only show you places I've actually been." He showed Jim where to put his hands. "Now, think of the place you want to see."
Before their eyes, the Manor House appeared. It was in fine repair but seemed somehow different from how they remembered it. A moment later, a boy of about ten ran down the front stairs.
"Can we follow him?" asked Trixie.
Bill nodded. "As long as one of you has been wherever he goes."
The boy ran down the hill towards Crabapple Farm. The old farmhouse suddenly came into view and Trixie's eyes filled with tears. The garden had changed, as had the outdoor furniture, but the house was still the same.
Another boy of the same age ran out into the yard and the two headed off together. "Leave them," said Trixie. "Let's look inside the house."
"Hey," said Jim. "The kitchen's blue. And, what are those things?" A middle aged woman walked in and began stacking dirty dishes into the dishwasher. "Is that…"
"It's Honey!" gasped Trixie. "But she's…"
"Everyone else ages," Bill said gently. "You see them grow old and die. After a while, you stop recognising the places you used to know."
"And we're stuck here? Forever?" Trixie asked.
Bill nodded sadly. "I'm sorry," he said. "All you can do is watch it happen."
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"I think we should stay here, near the window," Jim said.
Trixie nodded. "Thanks anyway," she said.
The man walked through a seemingly solid piece of wall and was gone. A few moments later, the place he had gone through shimmered briefly then returned to normal.
"What do we do now?" Jim wondered aloud.
"Sit and wait, I guess," Trixie replied. They settled together on the floor and the next thing she knew, Jim was shaking her awake.
"Trixie!" he was saying, over and over. "They're demolishing the summerhouse."
She jumped up with a start and ran over to the window. Outside, she could see workers milling around. Further away, on the other side of a temporary fence, she could see her father standing with a teenage boy.
"My Dad," she said, pointing. "But who's that with him?" Something didn't seem right. "Brian?" she said with a gasp.
"It doesn't look at all like Brian," Jim said. "He's too young, for one thing."
Trixie stared, disbelieving. "Not the boy," she said. "That's not my Dad, it's Brian." Tears ran unchecked down her face. "We're stuck in time."
The window shattered and dissolved into nothing. Trixie tried desperately to go through it, but only ended up on the floor. "We're trapped," she cried. "We'll never see our families again."
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"Let's try the living room," said Trixie. "It looks more interesting."
Jim smiled, despite the strain they were under, and followed her into the other room. Like the room they had just left, it was completely bare. It had one door, which was closed.
"Not much here, either," said Trixie. She reached out and touched the door. "Should we try it?"
Should they try the door? Go to part 54.
Should they go back and look in the kitchen? Go to part 55.
"Let's try the kitchen first," said Trixie. "It seems to have more things in it."
They walked through the door, only to have it slam behind them. They both jumped. Jim, who had entered last, turned to look at the door. "Looks like we're stuck in here, now," he said, turning the handle.
"Let's just hope this was the right choice," said Trixie. "I don't want to be stuck forever in a kitchen."
The room, which had seemed empty from the outside, was exactly as Trixie imagined an old-time kitchen from the days before electricity to look like. There was a meat safe, just like the one to her left, in the barn at home. This one actually had meat in it. To her right, there was an ice box.
Jim opened the door to the ice compartment. "Hey, there's actually ice in here," he said. He opened the food compartment to reveal a small collection of perishables.
There was another door beyond the meat safe and Trixie pulled it open. Inside, she found a well-stocked pantry. "Are you hungry?" she asked, half serious. "There seems to be plenty here to eat."
"What I'm really interested in," said Jim, "is a way out. Should we try the door?"
"I don't know," she replied. "Doors don't seem to be helping very much. Why don't we look at the windows?" She walked over to the nearest one and looked out. Instead of the blankness, which had been behind the windows in the other room, this one looked out onto a beautifully kept garden.
"I think we should try this one," she said. "It looks much more promising than that door."
Should they try the door? Go to part 56.
Should they try the window? Go to part 57.
"I guess so," said Jim.
Trixie grasped the handle and turned. Nothing happened. "It's locked," she said dejectedly. "We'd better go and look in the kitchen."
Go to part 55.
Trixie and Jim walked back into the first room. The kitchen door, which had stood open, was now closed. With a sinking heart, Trixie knew without even trying that the door would be locked. She went over to check and found that she was right.
As she did so, the door to the living room slammed shut. Jim, who was standing closest, tried to open it. "It's locked," he said.
"Then, there's no way out, is there?" Trixie asked in horror. "Are we trapped here forever?"
Jim did not answer. He was staring fixedly at the window. Trixie turned, just in time to see it fade away. Their last link with their own world was gone.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"I'd rather use the door," Jim said, considering. He walked over and turned the handle. It opened easily and the two stepped out into the garden. As they did so, it shut behind them with a bang.
"I hope this was the right choice," Trixie said grimly. "It doesn't look as if we get another chance."
Jim looked around, noting the beautiful garden and its surrounding wall. "That wall's too high to climb," he said, "and there doesn't seem any way back into the house."
"Which leaves those two gates," finished Trixie, pointing straight ahead. "But only one of them seems to be open." The gate on the left was held shut with a padlock and chain.
"Maybe the key is hidden around here somewhere," Jim suggested. "Should we look for it, or just try the other gate?"
Should they look for the key? Go to part 60.
Should they try the gate on the right? Go to part 59.
"Okay," said Jim. "We'll try the window." He grasped the latch and was relieved to feel it release. Holding his breath, he gently eased the window open. Just as it reached its furthest extent, a gold key dropped onto the sill.
"Hey, what's that?" asked Trixie, reaching past him to pick it up. It shimmered brightly in the light coming through the open window. "I wonder what it opens."
Jim shrugged. "Bring it with you," he said. "I'm sure it will come in handy." He hoisted himself over the sill and dropped down onto the ground. A moment later, Trixie followed him.
"It's beautiful," she said, looking around. "But, it's not home. Which way should we go?"
The garden was bordered by a high wall, too high to climb. Right in front of them were two gates. The one on the left was held closed with a padlock and chain, while the one on the right seemed to be unfastened.
"Well," Jim said, considering, "we could try the key in that gate," he pointed, "or we could try just walking through the other one."
Should they try the key in the gate on the left? Go to part 58.
Should they try the gate on the right? Go to part 59.
"I think we should try the key," Trixie said, walking over to the gate. "At least, we should see if it's the right kind." She took the padlock in her hand and turned the keyhole upwards. "It looks like it might fit."
"Let's try it," said Jim.
She took a deep breath and slid the golden key into the lock. "So far, so good," she said, letting her breath out. "But does it work?" Gently, she began to turn. A moment later, the lock opened with an audible click. "It's open!" she cried happily.
The gate opened with a soft creak and the pair stepped out of the summerhouse door into the overgrown garden of the old house. Everything seemed exactly as they had left it.
"Let's get back to the house," Jim said, leading the way. "I want to make sure we're really in the right place."
They walked in silence, looking for something which might show that things were not quite right. Rounding a corner, they caught sight of Honey. She let out a startled cry and began running towards them.
"You're back," she said, tears starting to flow. "We've been so worried." She hugged both of them enthusiastically, much to their surprise.
Jim looked at his sister affectionately. "We weren't gone that long," he said gently. "It couldn't have been more than half an hour."
Honey stared at him, utterly incredulous. "You've been gone an entire day, Jim Frayne, and you know it," she said hotly. "You went for a walk this time yesterday and no one's seen you since, so don't try to tell me you've only been gone half an hour because I just won't believe you."
By this time, Brian and Di had joined them. "You'd better have an excellent excuse for this," Brian said sternly. "We were on the verge of calling the police."
Trixie looked at Jim helplessly. She knew they had an excellent excuse. She also knew that her brother would never in a million years believe it. It could be worse, she told herself. We could still be stuck in that place. It was cold comfort in the face of Brian's anger.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"Let's try the one on the right," Trixie said, after examining them. "It looks more promising."
Together, they pushed the gate open and stepped through, finding themselves in the middle of a vast field. There was a swishing noise and, turning back, they discovered that the gate was no longer there behind them.
"What now?" asked Jim. "Any ideas?"
Trixie turned in a slow circle, looking carefully for a clue on which way to go. "That looks like a gate over there," she said finally, pointing in the direction they had faced when first they arrived here. "Kind of overgrown by those bushes."
"Well, that looks like the best way," Jim replied, starting to trudge in that direction. "Let's go."
The ground was soft and the grass long, making the way seem much longer. Every so often they had to stop since the field, which had seemed quite flat at first glance, was riddled with swampy pockets. Finally, they reached the other side and the gate which Trixie had seen.
"Here goes," she said, giving it a gentle push. It opened easily and they stepped through to find themselves on the doorstep of the summerhouse.
Jim looked around cautiously. "I think we're back," he said. "Let's get back to the house."
A few moments later, they knew that something was very wrong. Instead of seeing Di's, Jim's and Dan's cars there was an unfamiliar vehicle parked out front. Then, when they went up to the front door, they were greeted by a strange woman who looked as if she had seen a ghost.
"You- you-" she stuttered, apparently stunned. "But you're-"
Jim stepped forward. "I'm sorry," he said. "Do we know you?"
A man walked up behind the woman. "What's wrong, honey?" he asked, before catching sight of Jim and Trixie. "Oh, aren't you the kids who went missing last summer?"
Trixie and Jim looked at each other, now every bit as stunned as the woman. Had they been gone for an entire year? The man began talking again, saying he would call the police, or their parents.
"But we can't have been gone a whole year," Trixie whispered, as the couple from the house made some calls. "I was supposed to be starting college."
Jim looked at her curiously. "That's all you can think about?" he asked. "Just imagine what our families must have gone through. They probably thought we were dead!"
Trixie grinned. "They probably thought we'd eloped," she corrected. "I bet they were pretty mad at us for a long time."
Jim groaned. That's just what I need he thought. How are we ever going to explain our way out of this one? Try as he might, he knew he would never find the answer.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"Let's look for the key," Trixie decided. "I'll look around the side of the house; you look over near the gate itself."
Jim nodded and the two set to work, leaving no stone unturned. Finally, they had to admit that if the key was there, they could not find it.
"Maybe it was inside the house," Trixie said dejectedly. "We'll just have to go through the other gate."
"Cheer up, Trix," Jim said, putting an arm around her. "There's still hope. Let's go through that gate." He led her towards it, trying to stay positive. "It might be the right gate anyway."
Together, they pushed the gate open and stepped through, finding themselves in the middle of a vast field. There was a swishing noise and, turning back, they discovered that the gate was no longer there behind them.
"What now?" asked Jim. "Any ideas?"
Trixie turned in a slow circle, looking carefully for a clue on which way to go. "That looks like a gate over there," she said finally, pointing in the direction they had faced when first they arrived here. "Kind of overgrown by those bushes."
"Well, that looks like the best way," Jim replied, starting to trudge in that direction. "Let's go."
The ground was soft and the grass long, making the way seem much longer. Every so often they had to stop since the field, which had seemed quite flat at first glance, was riddled with swampy pockets. Finally, they reached the other side and the gate which Trixie had seen.
"Here goes," she said, giving it a gentle push. It opened easily and they stepped through to find themselves on the doorstep of the summerhouse. "Brr," said Trixie. "It's cold."
Feeling rather alarmed, the two made their way quickly to the front of the house only to find it deserted. A big tree out the front had lost its leaves, ready for winter.
"I don't like the look of this," Jim said warily. "But I'm not setting foot in that summerhouse again, that's for sure."
"Let's see if there are any neighbours home," Trixie said. "Maybe someone will help us." She turned and walked off towards the nearest house, a tiny cottage with a well-kept garden. Jim followed as she walked up to the door and rang the shiny brass bell hanging there.
A few moments later it was opened by an elderly woman. "Excuse me, please," Trixie began, "but we seem to be lost-" She broke off as the woman gazed at her in wonder.
"Why, child," the old woman said, "I was sure you'd gotten trapped in that terrible place. I'm so glad to see you both safe."
"What do you mean?" asked Trixie. "And how do you know…"
The old woman smiled. "Oh, I know all about that place," she said. "Since I was a girl there've been stories about it - terrible stories. Most times, if you haven't found your way out in a year you never do. Like I said, I'd almost given up hope on you two."
"A year?" Jim asked. "How long have we been in there?"
"Let me see," the woman said. "It was summer of last year, and it's November now. That would be a year and five months, I think."
Jim sank down onto the step, stunned. More than a year gone? He couldn't believe it. And what of their family and friends? "Could we please use your phone?" he asked faintly. "I think we'd better let someone know we're safe."
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"Please, Dan," Di begged. "I just know I can't jump. It has to be the other way."
Dan frowned, deeply unhappy. "Okay," he said finally. "But we'll have to be very careful. Mart, you're lighter than me. You go across first. Walk as close to the wall as you can get."
Mart nodded and started across. The floor creaked ominously, but it held. Eventually he had gone far enough that Dan let Di follow him. Once again, the floor creaked. Down below, they could hear small things falling as Di's weight on the boards above dislodged them.
Now, do I risk following them? Dan wondered. Will it hold my weight? Or should I go out through that other window?
Should he tell Mart and Di that he'll meet them outside? Go to part 62.
Should he follow Mart and Di? Go to part 63.
Dan made his decision. "I don't think we should risk it again," he said. "I'll go out through the other window and meet you outside. See you at the tree."
Di's face showed her fear, but Mart nodded and led her away. Dan turned and went to his own room. He threw open the window and looked out. That's a lot further away than I remember, he thought, fear gripping him. I hope I can make it.
He climbed over the sill and leapt, barely making it to the nearest branch and struggling for several seconds to stop himself from falling. He regained his balance and climbed to the ground as fast as he could.
Hang in there, he thought as he raced to the other end of the house. He reached the tree in time to see Mart trying to get Di out of the window. She was crying hard and shaking her head. Looking up, he saw that Jim had beaten him to it and was up in the tree already, trying to coax her out.
"You can do it, Di," he called, putting his hand on the lowest branch. He pulled himself up and reached for the next one. "You'll be fine, just trust us."
A few moments later, he was next to Jim. "If you stop me from falling," Dan offered, whispering, "I'll grab her and drag her out." Jim nodded and they set the plan in motion.
"No!" shrieked Di, just as a terrible splintering sound came from the house. "Let me go!"
Mart, who was perched on the windowsill, turned ghostly pale as an enormous crash sounded behind him. He clung on desperately for several seconds before something from inside hit him hard. A moment later, he lay still on the ground.
"Mart!" Di screamed. "Oh, he's dead! He's dead!"
Dan held tight to Di's struggling figure and Jim held tight to Dan. The three swayed alarmingly until Trixie, who appeared suddenly on the branch next to them, slapped her smartly across the face.
"Come with me, Di," Trixie said firmly. Dan set her down and Trixie escorted a weeping Diana to the ground.
When they reached the ground, Brian was leaning over Mart, taking his pulse. "He's not dead," he said, "but we need to call an ambulance right away."
The next few minutes were filled with utter confusion. Honey ran off to find a telephone. Jim and Brian debated hotly over whether Mart was in more danger from something falling on him or from being moved. Everyone else milled around helplessly, mostly just getting in each other's way.
Finally the ambulance arrived and Mart was taken to the local hospital. The rest of the Bob-Whites crammed themselves into Jim's car, which was the only one they had the keys for, and got to the hospital shortly after the ambulance. Then came the waiting.
After a seemingly endless wait, they were allowed to see him. The whole group gathered around his bedside, anxious to see how he was.
"Are you going to be okay?" Honey asked, ever polite.
Mart grinned. "Right now, I feel fine," he said. "I've got a broken ankle, which I'm sure will hurt like the dickens when these drugs wear off, and some bruises, but otherwise they've given me a clean bill of health."
On hearing this, Di burst into tears. "It's all my fault," she cried. "If I'd gone through the window when you told me to…"
"Shh," Mart soothed, reaching out to her. "It's okay, Di. We all made it out and that's the important thing." He squeezed her hand and smiled up at her. "Nothing else matters."
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"Hurry up, Dan," Mart called impatiently. "It could give at any minute.
Dan took a deep breath and started across. Just as he was halfway to Mart, the floor dropped slightly and there was an almighty groan. A moment later, the whole world went black as a lump of wood hit him on the head.
The next thing Dan remembered was waking up in the hospital. Looking around, he saw that Honey was sitting next to him, reading a magazine. She looked up at that moment and her face lit up.
"There you are," she said, smiling. "We were wondering when you were going to join us."
He struggled to formulate a question. There were so many things he needed to know: what had happened to Mart and Di? How long had he been out? Was he badly hurt?
Honey seemed to understand. "You all fell when the floor collapsed," she said softly. "Mart broke his ankle and Di dislocated her shoulder, but they're both okay." She picked up the nurse call button and pressed it. "I promised I'd let them know if you woke," she explained.
A moment later a nurse entered, smiling to see the patient awake. She asked a few questions and seemed satisfied with the answers, which she marked on his chart. Dan took inventory of himself and was pleased to find that nothing hurt particularly much. He had some bad bruising, and a bump on his head which would take some time to heal, but overall things seemed to have worked out fairly well.
A lucky escape, he thought gratefully. A very lucky escape.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Trixie looked at him for a long moment. "I think so too," she said finally. "I'll check where Jim and Brian are. You look for a way to get in." Before waiting for an answer, she was off.
Uncertain for the first time, Dan stared at the house and tried to think. There's too much debris on this side, he decided. Maybe it would be easier from the back of the house.
Listening carefully, he could hear Trixie talking loudly from around the corner of the house to his right. He ducked around the opposite corner just in time. Now, to find a way in, he thought. I'll try the back door first.
Moments later, he was inside. The kitchen was still intact, though filled with dust and small bits of rubbish which had floated in from adjoining rooms. His shoes sounded loud on the floor as he crossed to the doorway.
A low groan came from somewhere nearby. "Is someone there?" he heard Mart's voice say hoarsely.
"I'm here," he replied, keeping his voice low. "Can you tell me where you are?" In front of him, the next room was a mess of broken timber. The windows were blocked, making it dim, and the air was filled with stifling dust.
Mart groaned again and Dan turned to the place the sound came from. "I think I can see you, Mart," he said, trying to see a way to get to him. "I'm going to try to get to you."
He carefully climbed over the piles of fallen beams until he could reach out and touch his friend. From here, he could see Di as well. She lay still, her eyes closed. Dan wondered if she was dead.
"What should I do?" Dan asked. "Should I try to move something off you?"
Mart's breath came in short wheezing gasps. "Help Di," he said. "She needs it more than me."
Dan climbed a little further until he was next to Di. No pulse, he thought, trying to control the panic. Should I call out for help? He stopped, suddenly afraid. What if the noise makes something fall on us - like an avalanche?
Should he try to save Di himself? Go to part 66.
Should he call out for help? Go to part 67.
From inside the house there was the sound of more things falling. "I think we'd better stay outside," Trixie said, shuddering. "It sounds like it could collapse any minute."
Dan began to pace nervously. "I've got to do something," he said finally. "At least we could find out what Brian and Jim are doing."
"You go," Trixie replied absently. "I think I'll wait here for the ambulance."
Dan strode away, leaving Trixie standing alone at the front of the house. Please be all right, she thought fervently. Please be all right!
A moment later Honey joined her. "They're on their way," she said breathlessly. "What's happening?"
Trixie burst into tears. "Nothing," she sobbed. "It's too- dangerous to look for them, so- so- we just have to wait."
Honey put her arms around her friend and comforted her as best she could. "They'll be here soon," she soothed. "It'll be okay."
"I don't think it will," Trixie replied. "Oh, Honey! What if they're-" She broke off, unable to complete the thought.
"Don't even think it," Honey told her. "The ambulance will be here soon."
Trixie stopped crying suddenly. "Honey!" she cried. "I'm sure I saw the ambulance station just around the corner from here. Shouldn't we have heard the siren by now?"
"Maybe not," Honey replied. "They probably have to send someone else first - maybe the fire department?"
"But they're right next to each other," her friend replied. "I think I'll call them back."
Honey looked surprised. "I don't think you need to do that."
Should she make the call? Go to part 70.
Should she just keep waiting? Go to part 71.
Epilogue:
Dan stood solemnly outside the ruins of the house and wondered if things could have been different. Maybe if he had called out for help…
Still, he was confident of one thing: he had saved Di's life. That was the one bright point at the moment. Di was alive because he had gone against Brian's order.
He knew that Brian was feeling pretty bad at the moment. It was only natural, of course. His decision had probably cost his brother his life.
Dan sighed and wondered for what seemed like the hundredth time whether there was any way they could have saved Mart too. If only I'd called out, he thought. If only I'd done something different.
For now, that was the only thing he could think: If only…
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
I've got to have help, he decided. I'll call softly to begin with and see what happens. "Trixie? Can you hear me?"
"Dan?" he heard her answer right away. "Are you okay?"
"Send Brian in right away," he said. "Kitchen door. I need help."
He heard her calling her brother as he tried to bring to mind everything he knew about first aid. By the time Brian joined him, he had already started trying to resuscitate her, and was very relieved to have some help.
"No pulse, no breathing," he explained. Without another word, Brian began to help. After what seemed like forever, Dan said. "I think there's a pulse!" Shortly afterwards, she gave a sigh and took a breath.
Brian's face broke into a smile. "You keep watching her," he said to Dan. "I'll take a look at Mart."
Until Brian spoke, Dan had not noticed that Mart had not made a single sound while they were resuscitating Di. He took his eyes off her for a moment to check on him.
Brian's face was pale as he felt his brother's pulse. "It's weak," he explained, seeing the question in Dan's face. "He's unconscious."
"Maybe we should move the stuff off of him," Dan said, watching Di's breathing. "Would that help?"
"I don't know," Brian replied. "It might hurt him even more. We just can't tell."
Should they try to move the beam off Mart? Go to part 68.
Should they wait for the emergency services? Go to part 69.
Epilogue:
Mart looked around his hospital room and sighed. He really wished that things had been different. Of course, who knew what would have happened if Dan and Brian hadn't intervened.
He knew, intellectually, that he and Di might both have died if they'd just waited for the emergency services. He also knew that there was no proof that his current condition was a result of what Brian and Dan had done to try to save his life.
There was a tap at the door. "Time for your therapy," said the nurse brightly. She helped him into the wheelchair and pushed him away.
A lifetime on wheels, Mart thought bitterly. And all because of one lousy choice.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"Unless he gets a lot worse, then," Dan said. "We'll just leave it."
Brian nodded, not even noticing that Dan did not see it. Where is that ambulance? he wondered desperately. I don't know how long he'll hold out like this.
It seemed like an hour before they heard the sirens approaching. Soon, they were relieved by the professionals and had to wait outside like everyone else.
Mart and Di were loaded into ambulances and taken away, soon followed by the rest of the group in Jim's car. Then came the waiting, and the telephone calls home to tell their parents what had happened.
Several days later:
Mart sat up tentatively for the first time since his ordeal. His mother, who had scarcely left his side since the accident, had finally had to take a break. He grasped the rare opportunity with both hands.
Now, if I can just get out of bed, he was thinking. A nurse walked past and frowned at him sternly. "You lie right back down," she said. "You don't want to do yourself another injury."
Mart frowned back at her. "I want to see how my friend is," he said grumpily. "No one's told me how she is."
The nurse's stern look turned to sympathy. "What's your friend's name?" she asked. "I'll see if I can find out for you."
He gave her some details and the woman strode away efficiently. After a few minutes' wait she returned, smiling. "She's doing very well, apparently," she said. "She's breathing on her own now, and her condition is listed as stable."
As the nurse went back to her duties, Mart lay in his bed thinking about what she had told him. Breathing on her own? he thought. Stable? What kind of condition was she in before? He determined to ask the next visitor who dared show their face in his room.
The next visitor happened to be Trixie. "She was very lucky," she told him. "The doctors think she's going to be all right. If Dan hadn't gone inside to find you, she probably wouldn't have made it."
Mart took a few moments to absorb this latest piece of information. After a little while he relaxed, grateful for his friends and the risks they had taken.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"It would make me feel better," Trixie said before she raced off.
Honey was left waiting alone. Within minutes of Trixie's departure, sirens sounded somewhere nearby and only a minute or two later the house was surrounded by emergency services vehicles. She was right, Honey thought, stunned.
Several days later:
Trixie sat silently at her brother's bedside, willing him to just wake up. She had not left him, not even for Diana's funeral, except when she had to.
"Any change?" came Brian's soft voice from behind her.
She shook her head without turning. "How was the funeral?" He sank down next to her wearily, lost for words.
"What funeral?" asked another voice, scratchy and low.
Trixie and Brian both stared at Mart, whose eyes were still closed. "Mart?" Trixie asked. "Are you awake?"
"Answer the question," he rasped.
Trixie took his hand. "I'm sorry, Mart," she said softly. "Di didn't make it. Her funeral was this morning." The three Beldens sat together in their grief, changed forever by the events at Pendeville House.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Epilogue:
Forever after, Trixie wished she had made that call at the time she had first suggested it. By the time that they had made the second call it had been too late for both Mart and Diana. I should have trusted my intuition, Trixie berated herself again and again. Di probably wouldn't have made it, but maybe we'd still have Mart.
Trixie sighed deeply, knowing that she had to live with that regret for the rest of her life.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"Are you really sure that's what you want?" Brian asked.
He heard Honey sniff. "I'm sure," she said. "Please, Brian, break it down right away. I don't like it in here."
Sighing deeply, he began to carefully judge the distance between the door and the top step. "Stand back," he said, getting in position. He threw himself against the door with a loud thud and a grunt.
"It didn't break," Honey said, disappointed.
"It's a sturdy door," he replied. "It will probably take me a few tries." He got in position again. "Here I go again."
This time there was the sound of splintering timber, but the darkness remained. "Why can't I see anything?" Honey asked, her voice full of fear. "The door broke, didn't it?"
Brian took Honey's hand and pulled her down the stairs. "It wasn't the door," he said as they reached the bottom. "The stairs were breaking away from the wall."
Honey gasped loudly. "You mean, we're trapped down here? In the dark?"
"We'd better start looking for a way out," Brian said, trying to sound cheerful. "Hold onto the back of my shirt so we don't get separated."
For the next ten minutes, the pair slowly felt their way along the wall. Finally, Brian spoke. "I think it's a door," he said. "Should we go through it, or do you want to check the rest of the room first?"
Should they go through the door? Go to part 74.
Should they check the rest of the room first? Go to part 75.
"Don't worry, Honey," Brian soothed. "We'll find a way out. Let's just go down the stairs and look for a way."
She sniffed, trying to hold back the tears. "Okay," she said finally. "Let's go downstairs."
They moved slowly, feeling their way until finally they reached the bottom. "Now, let's start looking for a way out," Brian said, trying to sound cheerful. "Hold onto the back of my shirt so we don't get separated."
For the next ten minutes, the pair slowly felt their way along the wall. Finally, Brian spoke. "I think it's a door," he said. "Should we go through it, or do you want to check the rest of the room first?"
Should they go through the door? Go to part 74.
Should they check the rest of the room first? Go to part 75.
"Let's try the door," Honey said, sounding unsure. "I guess we could try out here again if there's nothing there, couldn't we?"
"I can't see why not," Brian said, opening the door and stepping through. "I think this is it, Honey. I can see a light in here somewhere.
It did not take them long to find the light source: a tiny window set high in the wall. As soon as they moved away from the doorway it became clearly visible.
Honey looked at it critically. "Does this help?" she asked. "I'm not sure you'd fit through there, Brian, and I'm sure I could never climb up to it."
"I'll give you a boost," he said. "You can go and get some help."
Suddenly, the voice they had heard earlier sounded again. This time it sounded exceedingly angry. "I don't want to leave you here," Honey said hastily. "I think I can see some boxes over there. Let's try to both get out right away."
Quickly, they both starting piling things up to reach the window. As soon as the pile was big enough, Honey climbed carefully to the top and threw open the tiny window. She squeezed out, landing ungracefully in the garden.
"Come on, Brian," she cried desperately. "Please, try to get out."
"I won't fit," he said, comparing his broad shoulders to the narrow frame. "Go get someone to help me."
Should Brian try to get through the window? Go to part 78.
Should Honey find someone to help? Go to part 79.
"Let's check the rest of the room first," Honey replied. "There might be something better."
They set out again, moving slowly and feeling their way. After a while the wall took a turn to the right and, shortly later, a turn to the left. For several minutes they followed it in a straight line.
"I think this might be a corridor," Brian said, puzzled, when they had gone on for quite some time. "Keep one hand on the wall and the other on my shirt while I check." She felt him step away then walk back and forth for a few moments. "There's another wall parallel to the one we're following," he said finally. "Do you want to keep going, or turn back?"
Should they keep following the corridor? Go to part 76.
Should they turn back? Go to part 77.
"Oh, let's just see where it goes," Honey said, seeming close to tears. "I just want to get out of here."
Brian put his hand back on the first wall and started walking again. Several minutes passed. The corridor kept going, further and further away from their starting point.
"I think I see a light ahead," Honey said, her voice full of hope. "I can see your outline."
Brian stopped and turned to her. "That's funny," he said. "I can see your outline, too." He slowly turned around, looking for the light source. "But I shouldn't be able to. There's no light in here, as far as I can tell."
"Let's just keep moving," Honey said. "Maybe we're almost at an exit. We've walked far enough."
He started walking again. "I'd say we walked clear of the house quite some time ago. This could be some sort of secret passageway." For several more minutes they walked on in silence.
"We must be nearly there," Honey said desperately. "I can see you pretty clearly now, and I can see the walls too."
"The passage turns a corner just ahead," Brian replied. "Maybe the exit is around the corner."
As they turned the corner, Honey's fingers slipped from Brian's shirt. "Wait," she cried. "I lost my grip." Ahead of her, Brian had stopped and was staring in horror at the wall. Around them, the eerie laughter sounded once again.
"Is it- Is it the ghost?" Honey asked shakily. "Oh, Brian, why can't I get a hold of your shirt? It keeps slipping through my fingers!"
For a long moment, Brian didn't answer. "Just like this wall is slipping through mine," he said finally. He turned to look at her, noticing the soft glow which surrounded her and the way he could see right through her body to the wall behind. "I don't know how it happened, Honey, but I think we're the ghosts now."
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"Let's turn back," Honey said suddenly. "We could always try that door we passed."
Slowly, Brian turned them around, making sure they were following the same wall. After a few steps he stopped short.
"What's the matter?" Honey asked. "Why aren't we moving?"
"There's nowhere to go," Brian replied. "There's a solid wall in front of me. We'll have to keep going the way we started."
Go to part 76.
"Please, Brian," Honey asked. "I'm scared and I don't want to leave you. Please, at least try."
He frowned. "Against my better judgement," he said, "I guess I could try." He put one arm through the window, pulling himself up into the tiny space. He eased his body up, inching his way until he could go no further. "Go find someone to help, Honey," he said finally. "I'm stuck."
She turned to run off, stopping short when she spotted Jim and Trixie only a short distance away. "Help!" she cried, not caring who knew how scared she was. "Jim! Help!"
Moments later, her brother was by her side. "What's the matter?" he asked. Looking where she pointed he saw his friend, stuck fast in the tiny window. "A little bit small, don't you think?"
"Quit being smart and get me out of here," Brian replied. He let out a startled cry. "Quickly! Whatever it was that's in there has got me!"
Jim took Brian's one free arm and pulled, bracing himself against the side of the house. After a moment, Brian began to slide through. He let out a cry of pain just as his other arm came free.
"Sorry," Jim said, supporting Brian's weight as best he could. "Can you move now?"
Brian's face was white. "Something's got my leg," he said, gritting his teeth against the pain. "Get it off."
Jim leaned forward, trying to see inside. In the dim light, he could just make out a figure, like a large man, holding his friend's leg. Before he could even say anything, the figure simply faded away.
"Gone now," Brian said. "Help me out."
Jim gently guided him out through the window, easing him onto the ground. Honey hovered close by, worried by the look of pain on his face.
"Rest for a minute," Jim said, "then I'll take you to the hospital. That arm's broken for sure." Brian nodded and did as he was told, certain that he'd had a very lucky escape from Pendeville House.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"I'm not moving from here until you're with me," Honey said, close to tears. "Help!" she yelled. "Help!"
From not far away, she heard Jim answer and moments later he had arrived on the scene, closely followed by Trixie. "What's the problem?" he asked, looking all around.
Honey pointed to the window. "There's something in there and we couldn't get out and then we found this window but Brian says he won't fit through, but if he doesn't then that thing will get him and I don't know what it will do to him and I think it might be a ghost, Jim, and please don't let it get Brian." She looked up pleadingly at her brother.
He leaned down to look in through the window. Brian had been clearly visible when he had arrived, but now he was nowhere in sight. "Where did Brian go?" he asked.
Honey gasped loudly. "It's got him! Oh, Jim, please help him!"
"I'm here," Brian said, his voice muffled. "And I'm not alone."
Jim peered intently through the window. "Honey, go and get me a flashlight," he said. "Trix, can you find anything we could use to make this larger?" Soon, both girls had raced off.
The wait for their return seemed interminable. Jim could just make out the two shapes, one quite clearly his friend and the other apparently a large man. Examining the man's hunched over stance, Jim wondered whether he was angry and aggressive or if there was something wrong with him.
Finally, Honey returned and handed him a large flashlight. "Thanks," he said, turning it on. He played the light around the edges of the room, not wanting to startle the strange man. There was a strangled cry and the strange man fled, leaving Brian shaken but apparently unharmed.
"You okay?" Jim asked, shining the light on his friend's chest.
Brian nodded. "Just find some way to get me out of here."
"Will this help?" Trixie asked, walking up. She held out a crowbar. "I had it in the car."
"Will it ever," Brian said gratefully. "I don't want to question my good fortune, but didn't you get here in Di's car?"
His sister nodded as Jim began to make the window larger. "You never know when it will come in handy," she said.
"Maybe I don't want to know," he muttered as Jim helped him through the opening. "There are some questions better left unanswered."
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"Left, I think," Honey said lightly. "We'll just look in each room and we'll be out of here in no time."
Di nodded grimly and followed. They made their way along the passageway, stopping at each door to look inside.
"Nothing in this room," Honey said cheerfully. "But look at the mess!"
"Surely Jim and Brian wouldn't leave their room like that?" Di asked, looking around nervously. She dropped her voice to a whisper. "You don't think there's someone else in the house, do you?"
Honey looked into the room thoughtfully. "It doesn't seem like them to be so messy," she said. "Maybe we should go and get Dan and Mart."
"Too late," Di said, grabbing Honey's arm. "Run, Honey! He's right behind us!"
The man let out a yell. "Where is it?" he demanded, panting slightly. "Give it to me!"
The two girls ran as fast as they could to the end of the passageway and practically leapt through the doorway there, slamming it behind themselves.
"Ow!" cried Di, just as Honey turned the key in the lock. "I broke a nail!" As she held it up, a small trickle of blood crept down her finger. The door rattled as the man tried in vain to open it, then fell silent.
Honey searched her pockets. "All I've got is a tissue," she said, handing it to her friend. "Wrap it up, and let's get going."
"But where are we?" Di asked, looking around. "Where do these stairs go?" She peered upwards, trying to see where the stairs led.
"It must be the attic," Honey said softly. "Either we go up there and see or we try to signal the others through that little window." The tiny room they stood in was lit by the window Honey pointed to. It was high off the ground, opening over a heavily tree area. Furthermore, it was nowhere near the last place they had seen the other Bob-Whites.
Di gulped. "Those are our choices?"
Should they try the stairs? Go to part 82.
Should they try to signal through the window? Go to part 83.
"Right, I think," said Honey. "There aren't as many rooms this way."
Di nodded and the two started off, opening the first door they came to. "What a mess," Di said, taking in a scene of destruction behind that first door. "Who would-" A large hand clapped over her mouth. Struggling hard, she managed to see that Honey was being held with a knife to her neck by a large, strange man.
"Not a single sound," the man said in a low, gravelly voice, "or your friend gets it. Understand?" A moment later, Di was lying on the floor of the room all alone, its door shut and locked behind her.
Slowly, she picked herself up. The palms of her hands were gritty from where she had landed and, looking around, she noticed that the wooden floor was tracked with dried mud from someone's boots.
I guess it's evidence, she thought, dusting herself off. I'd better not touch anything I don't have to. But, what am I going to do now?
She looked around carefully. The door was locked. It was sturdily made and she felt that she had no hope of getting out that way. What about the window? she wondered. A quick glance out told her all she needed to know: there was nothing outside this window to climb onto and it was a very long way to the ground.
That's it, she thought, sinking down onto the only chair left upright. I'll just have to wait for him to come back and… She decided not to complete the thought.
Instead, she started to pace the room. It was cluttered with overturned furniture and books scattered from a built in bookcase. After several turns, she slammed her hand against the mantelpiece in frustration. I can't just wait, she thought. I've got to get out of here.
Turning to pace again, she stopped short. Suddenly, the bookcase wasn't held fast against the wall. A secret passage? she thought, utterly stunned. Should I go in there?
Should she go into the secret passageway? Go to part 89.
Should she stay in the room? Go to part 90.
"Yes," Honey said patiently. "Those are the choices, but I think the best one is the stairs."
Di gulped once again and nodded. "Let's go," she said, more bravely than she felt.
Honey led the way up the dusty, dirty staircase. She tread carefully, keeping a hand in front of her face to catch the spider webs. The stairs creaked eerily, but there was no other noise.
"Do you think he's up there waiting for us?" Di whispered shakily.
Honey stopped. "I didn't think of that," she replied. "But I'd guess there's only one way up." Even in the gloom, she could tell that Di felt happier about that, so she started up again.
A few moments later they reached the top. The attic was even dirtier than the access stairs had been and Di let out a shriek as a spider ran across her arm. The two stood perfectly still, terrified that they had given themselves away.
Nothing happened.
"I guess we're alone up here," Di said finally. "Can you see another way out?"
Honey scanned the room. "No," she replied. "But that window faces the front of the house. Maybe we could catch someone's attention from there." Even as she spoke, there was a terrible crash and the sound of splintering wood.
"He's broken down the door," Di said in a strangled whisper. "Where can we hide?"
"Over there," Honey replied, pointing. "Behind that big pile of boxes." She grabbed Di's arm and pulled her along towards the hiding place.
Together, they squeezed through a narrow space near the back of the house. There was a terrible rending sound as Di's clothes caught on a hidden nail.
"My new blouse!" she said in an outraged whisper. "I paid-"
"Hide!" Honey interrupted. "Quickly!"
Di came to her senses and ducked behind the boxes just in time. Only a moment later the two heard the man's footsteps on the floor of the attic.
Slowly he crossed the floor, coming closer to their hiding place with every step. Honey desperately looked around for a weapon but could see none. What can we do? she wondered. There's nowhere left to go. Beside her, she could see Diana almost shivering with fright. Why can't I find a weapon? she wondered in despair.
Suddenly, there was silence. The man had stopped walking. Honey held her breath, not wanting to give their position away. Di's eyes were squeezed shut.
"I know you're in here," the man said, his voice low and gravelly. "I'll give you until three to come out, or…" He laughed, and the two girls heard the sound of a match being lit. "Well, let's just say it would be better for you to come out."
What do we do now? Honey wondered, looking in wide-eyed horror at Di.
"One."
Di moved closer to Honey. "We've got to do what he says," she whispered, almost inaudibly. "All this junk…"
"Two."
Make a decision, Honey berated herself.
Should they come out? Go to part 84.
Should they stay where they are? Go to part 85.
"I can't think of anything else," Honey said. "Can you?"
Reluctantly, Di shook her head. "Let's at least try signalling," she said finally. "If that doesn't work, we can try the stairs."
Honey went over to the window and undid the latch. "I think it's stuck," she said a moment later. "Help me push?"
Together, they pushed on the window frame until the little window flew open with an angry squeak. Honey leaned out to see if there was anyone below, but found that she could not see the ground. Directly below them, only a few feet away, was a small section of roof.
"Don't even think it," Di said, eyeing Honey suspiciously.
"What?" her friend asked. "I wasn't-" A slow smile spread over Honey's face. "That's a great idea," she said. "Let's go out the window. It's a much better idea than trying to signal."
Should they go out the window? Go to part 86.
Should they try to signal? Go to part 87.
"Three."
Honey stood up, closely followed by Di. The two just stood there, waiting for the enormous man in front of them to make his next move.
"Come out here," the man ordered. "Slowly, and one at a time."
Di, who was closest to the man, had to move first. She shivered with fear as she walked, trying to keep the torn part of her blouse out of sight.
The man grabbed her arm, twisting it painfully and nodded for Honey to start moving. She held her head high and looked him in the eye, trying to push down her fear.
As soon as she was close enough, the man grabbed Honey's arm and started to drag the two girls towards the door. The doorway was narrow, as was the staircase. Her mind raced, trying to work out the best way to use that to her advantage.
"What do you want with us?" she demanded, trying to stall for time. "Let us go!" The man did not answer, but moved all the more quickly across the attic.
In the end, it took no thought at all. Just at the top of the stairs the man stumbled and lost his grip on their arms. Before they knew it, Honey and Di were both behind him, pushing him over the edge. He cried out in pain and shock as he tumbled downwards and out of sight.
"We'd better make sure he doesn't get up again," Honey said, taking off down the stairs. "He might catch us again if he does." Turning the corner, she could see that the man was stunned, but seemed relatively unharmed.
"Quick! Hold him down!" she cried as she scrambled to get to him. "Don't let him get away!"
Di reached him first, and leaned her whole weight on his back before he could get up. He groaned loudly, but did not struggle. Honey soon joined her.
"What do we do now?" Di asked. "We can't stay like this."
Honey frowned for a moment, then her face cleared and she whistled, Bob-White! Bob White!
There was an answering whistle from somewhere downstairs and only a few minutes passed before reinforcements arrived. Someone called the police and they shortly arrived to take the prisoner away, all the while protesting that he "ain't saying nothin'".
"Good work, Di," Honey said once they were alone. "I think we make a good team."
"Couldn't have done it without you," she replied. "But next time, let's leave the bad guys to someone else."
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"Three."
I'm staying right where I am, Honey decided. I don't think he'd really set the place on fire.
"Why you little…" the man said angrily. He began to throw boxes aside, searching for them. "You give me my diamond!"
The two girls quickly exchanged a glance before Honey pulled at Di's arm and dragged her further away from the man. The two scurried between boxes and old bits of furniture, trying to avoid the objects which the man threw all around the room.
There was a tremendous crash as a pile of boxes fell, narrowly missing Diana. "What are we waiting for?" she whispered, when Honey did not move forward.
"We're stuck," Honey replied. The way ahead was barred by an ancient chest of drawers and the path behind them had completely disappeared when the boxes fell.
Just then, the box they hid behind disappeared and the man bellowed, "I've found you!" He towered over them, tall and broad and extremely angry.
"What do you want from us?" Honey asked defiantly. "And what diamond?"
The man's face settled into an ugly leer. "My stinkin' double crossing partner hid it here," he said. "And since you girls won't give it to me, this one's going to pay for it." He leaned down and grabbed Di by the wrist, dragging her to her feet. She struggled, but could not escape his grasp.
"We don't have your diamond," Honey said loudly. "Let her go!"
The man dragged Di into the middle of the room, to one of the few clear spaces. His watch band tangled in her hair, making her cry out in pain and him shake his hand violently in frustration.
"Ouch!" Di cried. "Let me go!"
"Quiet!" he ordered, struggling to get something out of his pocket while holding her still.
He pulled out a pocket knife and Di gasped audibly. "What are you doing?" she asked.
The man twisted her body so that she faced away from him and a minute later let her drop to the floor. She turned her head to see what he was doing, but something else caught her eye. She stared for a few moments at the strand of hair which was still caught in his watch band. Her hair.
Suddenly, Di launched herself at him, knocking his mouth closed and making him bite his own tongue. "How dare you?" she cried, kicking him anywhere she could reach. She scratched at his face, not even noticing the blood she drew with the sharp edges of her broken nail.
The man fell backwards in surprise, crying out in pain as he landed. Di was off the floor in an instant, punching and kicking him wherever she could reach.
"That's for my broken nail," she said, hitting him around the head. "And that's for my blouse," she added, punching him in the stomach. She changed her stance, ready to kick.
Honey turned away before the next blow fell. She felt sure where Di would target next and didn't especially want to see it. She looked to the door, where Jim and Brian were approaching and watched both of them cringe as Di delivered her final blow. "And that was for my hair!" she said with clearly apparent outrage.
Several days later:
Di, Honey and Trixie sat on the front porch of the old house, sipping cold drinks and enjoying the late afternoon breeze. The male contingent had left the three alone for a few hours and they were making the most of it with a little girl talk.
"You've really got their respect, Di," Trixie said admiringly. "I don't know why I didn't think of it myself."
"You should've seen her," Honey said for about the tenth time. "I completely forgot to do anything. I just sat there on the floor and watched, I was so amazed."
"It was nothing," Di said, also for about the tenth time. She sighed happily.
From her point of view, things had worked out extraordinarily well. Not only did she have the respect and admiration of the rest of the Bob-Whites, but she also had a fabulous new hairstyle and Honey had mended her blouse so that it was as good as new. They had even found the diamond and handed it over to the police. Life didn't get much better than this.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"Honey!" Di wailed. "I don't want to even think about-" A sound from just outside the door interrupted her. She paused, taking a deep breath. "Okay. I don't want to meet him, so I guess this is the next best option."
"Great," Honey replied. "Shall I go first?"
Di nodded. Honey put a leg over the sill and squeezed through, sliding down easily onto the roof below. "Easy as," she said confidently. A moment later she had slid down towards the eaves and checked the situation down below. "Come on out, Di," she called.
Reluctantly, Di followed. The two sat at the edge of the roof, their legs dangling, looking at the ground below. "I guess that wasn't as bad as I thought," Di said, looking much happier.
"But how do we get down from here?" Honey asked. "Though, I guess we could take our chances and jump. It can't be more than eight feet."
"It's not even as far as that," Di replied. "We'll jump." She looked carefully below herself, turned and dropped, hanging momentarily from the guttering and landing gracefully.
"How did you do that?" Honey asked, amazed. "You should have been a gymnast, Di!"
Her friend shrugged and said it was nothing. "Besides," she added, indicating her feminine curves, "I don't have the figure for it."
Honey looked ruefully at her own figure but said nothing. "Any ideas on how I can follow you?" she asked instead.
On the ground, Di gestured to someone that Honey couldn't see. "Hang on," she said. "Dan will be here in a moment." At that, she ran off, presumably to tell someone what had happened.
Half an hour later, the whole group was assembled at the front of the house. The police had just escorted the intruder away and peace once again reigned in the old house.
"Next time we take a trip," Brian said, half serious, "I think I'll stay home. The rest of you can have the adventures. I've had enough!"
Honey giggled. "And you didn't even see any of the action."
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"No way!" Di replied. "I'm not going through there."
"Fine," Honey said, feigning exasperation. "But if no one hears us we'll have to think of something else."
"Fine," said Di. "We'll whistle."
The two girls looked at each other for a long moment, then Honey leaned through the window and whistled, Bob-White! Bob-White! They waited. Nothing happened. No answering whistle was heard.
"Try again," urged Di. "They might hear you the next time."
Again, Honey whistled, Bob-White! Bob-White! Again, nothing happened.
"That's it then," Di said with a sigh. "We'll have to think of something else."
"What will it be, then?" Honey asked. "The stairs or the window?"
Should they try the stairs? Go to part 88.
Should they go out through the window? Go to part 86.
"The stairs," said Di. "There's no way I want to go out that window."
Just as she set her foot on the first step, the door behind her exploded inwards with an almighty crash. The man was almost on top of them, seething with anger.
Honey picked up a piece of the door. "Get away from us," she said, aiming the pointy end at his throat. "Leave us alone."
"Give it to me," the man demanded. He lunged, and Honey thrust the broken board towards him. It pierced the skin, and blood poured out. Di screamed. Even in her horror, Honey could see that the man was badly injured.
"Run and get Brian," she said to Di, even as she tried to stop the blood flow. "Tell him to hurry, and call an ambulance."
By the time Brian arrived, Honey knew it was too late. There was blood everywhere and the man had lost consciousness. The ambulance arrived and took him away, but Honey was lost in an ocean of regret.
I killed him, she thought, over and over. I should've done something different. Nothing would ever change it now.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
A noise outside the door startled her and she almost leapt through the opening. A handle inside helped her pull the hidden doorway closed and she heard it click just before the key turned in the lock.
"Where are you?" the man bellowed, clearly furious. "Come out right now." There were sounds of furniture being roughly thrown about.
What do I do now? Di wondered desperately. What if he finds me here? She looked around. It was dim inside the passageway, but not completely dark. A small vent let in a tiny puddle of sunlight near where she stood, but the passageway which led away was much darker.
If I just stand here, he could find me, she thought, but if I try following the passage I'll be in the dark and I could get lost.
Should she stay where she is? Go to part 91.
Should she follow the passage? Go to part 92.
It's dark and dusty and dirty, Di thought in distaste. Knowing my luck, I'd probably get lost. I'll just stay here. Even as she decided this, she could hear the man coming back. Then there was another sound, like the whispering of the wind, and a soft breeze blew out of the opening.
Maybe it goes outside, she thought, suddenly finding it all the more attractive. Maybe I should go in there after all.
Even as she was thinking this, another scheme came to mind. Is that what I think it is? she asked herself, moving towards the long slender blade of a knife which lay almost at her feet.
The man was almost at the door. Only time to do one thing, she thought desperately. But which?
Should she pick up the knife and stay? Go to part 99.
Should she retreat into the secret passageway? Go to part 89.
I really don't want to get lost in here, Di decided finally. I'll just stay here. On the other side of the wall she could hear the man moving around and throwing things. Please don't find me, she thought fervently.
As she waited, Diana's eyes began to adjust to the dark and her surroundings began to become clearer. A few steps in front of her was a staircase leading down. Across from where she had come in there was another doorway, similar to the one she had found behind the bookcase.
Maybe I could go through there, she thought, as the sounds from the other room became more violent. Or maybe the stairs lead out of here. She shuddered at the thought of getting lost down there. Though, maybe I should just stay here.
Should she go through the other door? Go to part 96.
Should she go down the stairs? Go to part 97.
Should she stay where she is? Go to part 98.
There was a terrible thump as something hit the bookcase which Di was hiding behind. That's it, she decided suddenly. I'm following the passageway.
Gingerly, she felt with her foot before taking a step. She repeated the procedure a few times before the floor suddenly seemed to disappear in front of her. Stairs? she wondered, feeling for something to hold on to. A handrail was attached to each side and, grasping both of them, Di stepped down onto the first step.
From there it was easier, and she soon found herself at the bottom of the flight. The way ahead was barred by a closed door. Feeling around, she found two other doors, one to the left and one to the right. Which way? she wondered.
Should she try the door to the left? Go to part 93.
Should she try the door straight ahead? Go to part 94.
Should she try the door to the right? Go to part 95.
Di grasped the door handle to her left and turned. It gave a soft grating sound and suddenly, she could see the faintest hint of some light up ahead.
From up above, she heard the sounds of the man finding the secret passageway and she quickly slipped through the doorway and shut the door behind her. The key was in the lock and her fingers shivered as she tried to make it turn.
Please! she thought desperately as, once again, it slipped out of the lock. Yes! But where am I? A hand held out in front of her encountered only space.
Behind her, she could hear the man hammering on the doors and bellowing with rage.
Towards the light, I guess, she decided. Carefully, she stepped forward. Three steps later she was up against a door. There was a line of dim light underneath it.
Here goes, she thought, grasping the handle. It turned reluctantly and she had to put some force against it in order to open the door. The daylight which flooded in was very welcome. A large, prickly shrub was growing right outside, but Di was so relieved that she pushed through it without another thought.
"Di! You're safe!" a voice called and she turned to see Honey running towards her. "We were so worried!"
A few minutes later, the two girls were with the rest of their friends outside the grounds and the police had arrived to capture the attacker.
"That's just about got to be a record," Trixie commented as they waited. "I don't think we've ever had an adventure on the first day of a trip before. I think Di should arrange all our trips from now on!"
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Di reached out and grasped the door handle straight ahead of her and tried to turn. Locked, she thought a moment later. No way I could break it down. I'll have to make another choice.
Should she try the door on the left? Go to part 93.
Should she try the door on the right? Go to part 95.
Di grasped the door handle to her right and turned. It gave a soft grating sound as it opened, but there was not the slightest hint of any light beyond it.
From up above, she heard the sounds of the man finding the secret passageway and she quickly slipped through the doorway and shut the door behind her. She cursed softly. There was no key in the lock and no way to secure it behind her.
I just hope this was the right choice, she thought. A hand held out in front of her encountered only space. A searching foot felt a stair going back up again.
It looks like I'm going back upstairs, she thought, climbing as fast as she could. By the time she was about halfway up, the man was at the base of the stairs. He bellowed wordlessly and ran after her.
Oh, no! she thought as his hand grazed her ankle. What can I do? The hand grabbed her ankle and she fell, hitting her head. A moment later she descended into a blackness even deeper than that of the passageway.
Some time later:
The ceiling was white. There was a dirty mark on it a little to the left. The sheets were white, too. The bed felt… different. There was a smell. What was it? Hospital, Di thought. I'm in a hospital.
She turned her head and was relieved to see Honey sitting next to her. "What happened?"
"Di! You're awake!" Honey said, jumping slightly. "We were worried."
"What happened?" Di repeated. "Why am I in the hospital?"
Honey looked uncomfortable. "What do you remember?" she hedged.
Di frowned. "We arrived at the house. Trixie wanted to go for a walk with Jim, but Brian said no. Then… I don't remember any more."
The uncomfortable look left Honey's face. "Oh, so you don't remember," she said. "You and I went upstairs to get something and you tripped over and hit your head. You didn't wake up right away, so we brought you here."
Di nodded, then regretted it. Her head swum and her whole body ached, as if she'd really exerted herself. A strange vision persisted. Hadn't a strange man been chasing her? But then, Honey would tell her the truth, wouldn't she?
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Di took a deep breath and opened the other door. The sight that greeted her from the other side took her breath away. Honey was in the other room, gagged and tied to a chair.
Moving quickly, she closed the secret door behind her and went to her friend's side. "What happened?" she asked softly, mindless of the fact that Honey could not answer. She tugged at the gag.
"Thanks," Honey said, breathing deeply. "Can you untie me? He could come back any second."
Di worked feverishly on the knots. She jumped violently as the man in the next room called out in triumph, "Now I've got you!" There was a pause, then the sound of the man crashing down the stairs.
"What was that?" Honey asked.
Quickly, Di explained about the secret passage and its hidden staircase. "I guess he must have fallen down it in the dark," she finished.
As the ropes came away from her wrists, Honey looked towards the wall through which Di had come. "We'd better see if he's all right," she said kindheartedly. She swung her limbs, trying to get the circulation moving again. "We can't just leave him there. He could be badly hurt."
Di thought for a moment. "I'll try and open the door," she said slowly, "and you can try to attract someone else's attention. I don't think we should tackle this on our own."
While Honey went to the window to whistle, Di moved over to the mantelpiece. This room was a mirror image of the one she had been in, so she felt confident that the door would open in the same way. She went as close as she could remember to her position when she had accidentally opened the door and started pressing the carved wood.
"What are you doing?" asked Honey as she tried to open the window. "Don't you know how to open it?" The window opened in a rush and the whistle rang out: Bob-White! Bob-White! Almost immediately there was a response.
Di looked rather sheepish. "I opened the other one by accident," she explained. "I'm not sure where I pressed."
After several minutes of poking and prodding the door finally opened. In all that time there had not been the slightest sound from inside the passage. Dan and Mart arrived on the scene and they were quickly apprised of the situation.
"We'll look inside," Dan said. "One of you go and find Brian. We may need him." Di nodded and left. Honey, still feeling a little sore, sat down to wait.
Dan opened the door as wide as it would go to get as much light in as possible. The opposite door already stood open. The two men stepped tentatively into the passageway and waited for their eyes to adjust to the gloom.
"I think I see something," Mart said finally. "Right at the bottom - he's just lying still."
"Maybe he's dead," Dan replied.
Just then, the door opened, causing Honey to jump violently. Then she heard a welcome voice. "Hey! What's happening in here?" Trixie asked. "Is that a secret passage?"
"Trixie!" Honey replied, greatly relieved. "There was a man who captured Di and me and he's fallen down the stairs! Mart and Dan are checking up on him now."
Trixie put her head in and declared it to be much too dark. "We'd better get a flashlight," she said, racing off. A minute later she was back.
She played the light down the stairs. Towards the bottom, they gleamed with blood. Right at the foot lay the man. He wouldn't be hurting them again.
Dan took the flashlight from Trixie's hand and went down to take a closer look. By his stance as he trudged back up the stairs, Honey could tell that the news was not good. "Is he dead?" she asked. Dan simply nodded.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
I think I'll go down the stairs, she decided as the noises in the room stilled. She had only gone two or three steps when the narrow staircase was thrown into half light.
"I've got you now!" the man bellowed from above. Soon, he was thundering after her.
Di screamed and started to run. The man was right behind her. Then everything changed. At the very moment that he would have caught her, Di saw an opening to her right. With agility born of fear, she launched herself into it.
The man called out in fright as he barrelled past her, losing his balance and tumbling to the bottom of the stairs. For several long moments Di stood still in the eerie silence that followed. Then, as quickly as she could, she ran back up the stairs and into the room.
"Mart! Dan!" she called. "Help!"
It seemed like forever before she heard someone coming up the stairs. "Di?" he called. It was Mart. "Are you all right?"
She raced to the top of the stairs, her eyes suddenly filled with tears. "There was a man," she said, beginning to sob. "He got Honey."
"Where is he now?" he asked, quickly joining her.
Di pointed to the room she had been in. "There's a secret passageway," she said. "He fell down the stairs."
At Mart's insistence, Diana then went downstairs to fetch Dan. He seemed reluctant to let her accompany him back into the house and so she had to wait until someone came out to give her some news. Ten minutes later he returned with Honey.
"Oh, I'm so glad you're all right," Di cried, throwing her arms around her friend. "But what about the man?"
Honey pulled her towards a nearby chair. "Dan's just gone to call an ambulance," she explained, "but we don't think there's anything they can do."
"He's dead?" she asked, horrified. A little voice inside her head added, Better him than me.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
That's it, she decided. I'll just stay here. He won't find his way in here. A moment later, that idea was disproved. The doorway opened and Di found herself face to face with an incredibly angry man.
She let out a loud shriek and took a step towards the stairway. The man lunged towards her, grabbing her firmly around the arm. Di shrieked once again, utterly terrified.
"Let me go," she cried. "Let me go!" Without thinking, she kicked him firmly in the shin. Her elbow connected with his torso, just below the rib cage and suddenly she was free.
While the man gasped for breath, Di ran. Before she was even halfway down the stairs she was met by Mart and Dan.
"Man- tried to get me- got Honey-" she managed to say.
"There he is," interrupted Dan, pointing. "He's gone into the next room."
A moment later, the man reappeared. He had Honey in front of him like a shield with a knife to her throat. "Back away, all of you," he said. "Any of you try anything and-" he gestured with the knife.
All three started to back slowly down the stairs. As she turned the corner, Diana just about fainted with relief. Beside her on the stairs was a police officer, his gun ready.
She, Mart and Dan raced outside where they met Trixie. "What's happening?" she asked. "Where's Honey?"
"He's got her!" Di cried. "But how did the police get here?"
"I called them," Trixie replied. "Honey signalled me through the window."
From inside the house was the sound of a shot fired. A moment later, Honey emerged unharmed.
"Honey!" Di and Trixie called together. Soon, she was surrounded by anxious friends.
"I'm fine," Honey said, trying to push everyone away so that she could breathe. "That was uncomfortably close, but I'm okay."
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
In an instant, the knife was in Di's hand. The door opened and the man stood before her, staring in surprise.
"How did you get that?" he asked, striding towards her.
"Don't come any closer," Di said, her voice shaking.
"Or what?" the man asked, smiling evilly.
What do I do now? Di wondered desperately as the man stepped towards her. Do I try to stab him?
Should she stab the strange man? Go to part 100.
Should she wait and see what the man is doing? Go to part 101.
Di looked up at the man's face. His expression clearly showed that he thought her incapable of harming him. Anger welled up inside her and, without any outward sign of warning, she lunged at him, driving the blade deep into his abdomen.
While the man stared in shock at the wound, Di made a run for it. Half-blinded by sudden tears, she stumbled down the stairs and ran straight into Mart.
"Oh, Mart!" she cried. "A man got Honey and me and I stabbed him."
Mart's face clearly showed his confusion. Sweet little Di? Stab someone? Never!
Luckily, Dan was standing right behind him and quickly took in the situation.
"Where's Honey now?" he asked. "And where's the man?"
"I don't know where Honey is," Di replied, with fresh tears falling. Before she could speak again, the second question was answered for her. The man had reached the top of the stairs and stood looking down at them.
Dan stepped forward, waving the others back. "Can I get some help for you?" he asked casually. "Maybe help you down the stairs?"
The man growled unintelligibly. "Leave me alone," he said. "Just let me out of here and away from that hell cat."
Dan nodded and backed away. Behind him, Di and Mart moved away too. At the bottom of the stairs, they all got out of sight while the man staggered out the front door and down the street.
"That was surreal," Dan commented. "Now, let's go find Honey. We need to make sure she's okay."
"I'm here and I'm fine," she said from somewhere above. "Is it safe to come down yet?" They assured her that it was.
"What did he want?" Dan asked, looking at her carefully to make sure she was telling the truth.
"I don't know," she replied. "I've got a feeling we'll never know."
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Di looked at the man in front of her. I can't just stab him, she decided. I'll just wait for him to make a move.
There was a tiny movement from somewhere outside. The man did not notice. "I've got some plans for you," he said, his face full of malice. "I'm going to-"
Suddenly, there was movement behind him and something came down and hit him sharply on the head. As the man collapsed at her feet, Di saw that it was Honey and that she held what appeared to be a wooden bookshelf.
"Let's get out of here before he wakes up," Honey said, grabbing Di by the arm. The two girls raced out of the house, glad to have made their escape.
A short time later the police arrived to take the man away. Di stood a short distance away, watching. Just as he was being pushed into the car he turned and looked right at her, his face stony and his eyes utterly cold. She drew in a startled breath.
"I'll get you for this," he yelled, even as the police officer was trying to push him into the car. "Even if it's the last thing I do!"
Dan, beside her, frowned. "What was that all about?" he asked.
"I don't know," Di said softly. "I hope we never find out."
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Honey shut her eyes tightly. "How big can the basement be?" she asked. "We'll just go down the stairs, see that they're not there and come back up again, right?"
"Of course we will," Trixie agreed brightly. "It'll only take a moment."
"After you," Honey said, still nervous.
Trixie found a light switch and turned it on. Far below, a single forty watt bulb gave its dim light to the large room revealed below. "This may not be as simple as we thought," Trixie said hesitantly as she made her way down. "I can see doorways leading off to the sides."
"Stop!" said Honey sharply. "Let's not go down there. Let's just call out and see if they answer."
"Okay," Trixie agreed. In a louder voice she said, "Jim! Brian! Are you down here?"
There was a long silence. Eventually, Honey whispered, "Let's go. They're obviously not here." In front of her, Trixie did not seem to hear. "I said, let's go, Trixie. We'll look outside instead."
"I'm not sure we should," Trixie replied softly. "I've got a feeling about this."
Should they look outside? Go to part 103.
Should they go down into the basement? Go to part 104.
Outside, the sun shone brightly. "I don't see them anywhere," Honey said, looking around. "I guess we'd better start walking."
"I'll look in that building over there," Trixie said, running off. She went over to the overgrown little summerhouse and yanked the door open. "Nothing here," she called, slamming it shut again.
"There's a path here," Honey said, pointing. "Let's follow it." The path wound through the overgrown garden and under a grove of trees. After a few minutes' walk the house was completely hidden from their view.
Trixie looked around at the thick undergrowth. "Maybe we should call them," she suggested. "They could be right next to us and we wouldn't know." She raised her voice to yell, "Jim! Brian!"
Honey called as well. They walked along the path for some time, just calling and looking for any sign of their brothers. Finally, the house and summerhouse came back into view.
"Maybe we should go back to Dan and Mart and Di," Honey said, as they neared the house once again. "They're probably all waiting for us together on the front porch."
Slightly disappointed, Trixie just nodded and followed Honey back. As they rounded the building Honey stopped short. "There's no one here," she said, sounding shocked. "Where could they have gone?"
"They're probably looking for us now," Trixie said with a grin.
Honey shook her head. "They would have left someone here," she said firmly. "There's something very wrong here."
Trixie frowned, thinking hard. Finally she whispered, "I've got a plan." Honey leaned closer to hear it. "We're going to split up. I'll sit here and you hide somewhere and watch what happens. Then, if something goes wrong you can go for help."
"What sort of plan is that?" Honey asked, incredulous. "I think we should stick together and keep looking."
Should they try Trixie's plan? Go to part 105.
Should they keep looking? Go to part 106.
Honey sighed deeply. "Okay," she said. "I guess we could go down there." Trixie saw her shiver slightly as they started down.
A moment later, Trixie said excitedly, "I knew it." She walked more quickly towards a doorway just visible in the gloom. "There's something going on here. Just look!"
Her friend moved towards her cautiously. "What is it?" she asked in a whisper, then let out her breath in a shaky gasp. "Isn't that Brian's watch?" There was a dark stain along one side of the band.
Footsteps sounded from somewhere in the gloom. "Quick!" Trixie hissed. "Hide!"
"But it's just Brian and Jim," Honey whispered back. "It must be."
Should they hide? Go to part 107.
Should they stay where they are? Go to part 108.
Trixie looked so hopeful that eventually Honey caved in. "Okay, I guess," she said finally. "We'll do it your way." In a louder voice she said, "I think I left my watch around the back. Why don't you wait here while I go and get it?"
She casually walked to the corner of the house. As soon as she was around the corner, she turned and ducked into some thick bushes. A few moments later she had crept into a position where she could clearly see Trixie.
A man stepped out of the house. A familiar man. Honey gasped. Uncle Monty! she thought, but quickly corrected herself. Fake Uncle Monty… What was his real name? Tilney Britten! A moment later he had taken Trixie unawares and dragged her back inside the house.
What do I do? she asked herself desperately. Do I follow, or should I go for help?
Should she follow them? Go to part 109.
Should she go for help? Go to part 110.
"Oh, all right," Trixie said, rather aggrieved. "I guess we could look some more." She walked back up the front stairs. "We should probably look upstairs."
Honey followed, a small smile gracing her face. "Then, if we don't find anything, I think we should go for help." Her smile widened as her friend began to mutter.
A moment later the smile disappeared altogether. "Stop right there, ladies," a voice said from just below, "or I'll carve my name right across the lovely Miss Lynch's face."
Trixie slowly turned to see Tilney Britten - better known as the impostor who impersonated Di's uncle - holding Di, a large knife pressed to her throat. What should I do? she thought desperately. What will he do to us if I do what he says? And what will happen to Di if I don't?
Should she do as she's told? Go to part 111.
Should she try to get away? Go to part 112.
Trixie grabbed Honey by the arm and dragged her into the room. In her haste she almost tripped over something just inside the door: something which groaned. Jim! she thought.
Groping around blindly, she found a makeshift weapon - an old canoe paddle - and prepared to fight. A man appeared in the doorway, sharply silhouetted, and she knew that it was not one of the Bob-Whites.
She swung with all her might, hoping that Honey had the sense to keep well back. There was a grunt and the man lunged towards her, missing her by inches as she dodged out of the way. She swung again, but missed. Just then, another blow sounded and the man crashed to the ground.
Silence reigned. Honey's voice came through the darkness. "Is- Is he - dead?"
Trixie groped for a light switch and a moment later the little room was flooded with light. "Is that-" She bent over the unconscious man curiously.
"Uncle Monty!" said Honey. "I mean, fake Uncle Monty, whatever his name really was. But what was he doing here?"
Behind them, someone groaned and they both turned to see Jim and Brian, bound and gagged. They rushed to them, quickly untying them. The whole while, they kept a careful watch on their attacker but he stayed slumped on the floor.
"Was I glad to see you, Trixie," Jim said, rubbing his sore wrists. "That was some hit."
Trixie blushed. "Honey was the one who knocked him out," she said modestly.
Brian knelt next to the unconscious man. "We should call for an ambulance," he said. "I'll go up and do that."
"I still don't understand what he was doing here," Honey said. "Did he give you any idea, Jim?"
Her brother nodded. "This is his house," he said, "believe it or not. He found out that we were staying here and came to dole out a little revenge."
Honey shivered, feeling very glad that they had outsmarted him; glad to have survived her trip to Pendeville House.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Both girls remained glued to the spot, unable to decide which way to go. A man appeared from the gloom, his features obscured by the darkness. Honey shrieked and tried to run. The man caught her easily.
"Let me go!" Honey cried, struggling hard. Beside her, Trixie was hitting the man anywhere she could reach.
From above came the sound of heavy footsteps and the door at the top of the stairs flew open. "Let go of her," said Mart's voice from above. Honey suddenly found herself on the floor.
The next few minutes were utter chaos. Footsteps sounded in all directions and voices called out. Eventually peace was restored and it became clear that the man had gotten away.
"Are you all right?" Mart asked them both, his concern clearly expressed in his voice.
Dan had wandered away from the others. "Hey," he called. "Come over here! There's someone in here!"
The group crowded into the small room that Trixie and Honey had been standing outside. Someone found a light switch, revealing Jim and Brian, both bound and gagged.
"We'd better call the police," Trixie said. "I hope you can give them a good description."
Jim smiled. "I can do better than that," he said. "I can give them a name." At the incredulous looks he received he continued smugly, "Tilney Britten. It was his house. He found out we were staying here and decided to exact some revenge."
Trixie shivered, hoping fervently that the police would catch him and that they could have a happy ending to their adventure at Pendeville House.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
I'll just see where he's taking her, Honey decided silently. I won't take any risks, I'll just have a look.
Creeping softly, she made her way up to one of the big front windows and peered inside. There was no one in sight. Honey sighed. What do I do now?
To her right, someone said, "Psst!" She turned to see Di, hiding behind an extra large patio chair. "Get out of sight, Honey. He'll be back any second!"
She scooted back down the front stairs and practically threw herself into the garden. A moment later, Tilney Britten strode past her, his face contorted with some strong emotion.
As she watched, he stopped dead. A firm voice directed him to put his hands up and he let out a roar of defeat. Soon, he was secured with handcuffs and left in the custody of a burly police officer.
Honey and Di emerged from their hiding places and headed straight for the house. Their friends were being held somewhere and they meant to find them fast. Di headed straight for the kitchen and through the door to the basement.
"Trixie?" she called. "Mart? Jim?" A silence answered her.
A police officer arrived at the top of the stairs. "Could you both wait outside," he said firmly. It was not a question. Reluctantly, the two girls did as they were told and the officer descended, his gun drawn.
The wait was interminable. Another officer arrived and put up police tape, stopping them from getting anywhere near the house. An ambulance arrived, sirens blaring, and the two paramedics went inside the house with a gurney. Honey and Di were now beside themselves with worry. What was going on inside?
Minutes later, the gurney was wheeled out and someone was taken away. Honey began to cry. Suddenly, she was being wrapped in someone's arms. Someone familiar and comforting.
"Brian!" she said, tears streaming down her face. "What happened? Who's hurt?" Turning in his arms, she saw his grave expression and immediately her fears grew.
"It's Trixie," he said. "But I think she'll be okay."
The next morning:
Trixie lay in her hospital bed, feeling rather sorry for herself. It was bad enough that she'd let herself be captured - and beaten up - but to have to spend a whole week in hospital in summer was almost too much. And I didn't even solve the mystery, she grumbled to herself.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Honey made up her mind quickly. What use would it be to follow them? she thought. I'll go and find help. She raced across the lawn, looking all the time for the nearest neighbour. Too late, she noticed that Britten had returned. "No!" she screamed, stumbling over the exposed roots of a large tree. The ground came up towards her and then everything went black.
Later that day:
Honey opened her eyes and saw a clean white ceiling. There was a smell. What was it? Hospital, she thought after a moment. I'm in a hospital.
Slowly, she turned her head, wincing as it began to throb. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment then tried again. That was better. There was someone in the bed next to hers; someone with curly blonde hair.
"Trixie?" she asked softly, amazed at how much her head could hurt. "Is that you?"
From across the room came the sound of a chair scraping on the floor. Jim Frayne strode towards her from the far side of Trixie's bed. "Honey," he said warmly. "You're awake. How are you feeling?"
Once again, she squeezed her eyes shut against the pain. Jim pressed the nurse call button. "Before you ask," he said softly, "they got him. And Trixie will be fine. She'll have to stay in the hospital for a few days though."
Honey relaxed against the pillow. "Good," she whispered.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
I have to do as he says, Trixie decided numbly. Beside her, Honey seemed limp and somehow detached from the scene. A moment later, her friend fainted, tumbling down the stairs.
Britten, caught unawares, slashed wildly with the knife. Blood ran down Di's neck and onto her blouse. He lunged at Honey's prone form, splattering her with hot red. Realising what he had done, Britten let out a startled cry and tried to run. He tripped, embedding the knife deep into his abdomen. He got up, staggered once, twice, then collapsed.
"Help!" Trixie cried loudly. "Someone, help!" She looked wildly around for something to stem the flow of blood, but seeing nothing tore off her own shirt. The telephone was just out of reach and she pulled Di with her towards it, murmuring platitudes.
A few hours later:
Trixie sat in the hospital waiting room, quietly reading an ancient copy of Reader's Digest and trying to keep her mind off what had happened. As the only Bob-White who had escaped the day completely unharmed, she felt rather guilty. On the other hand, things had turned out far better than they could have.
Di would need to spend several days in the hospital, recovering from her ordeal. The ambulance officer at the scene had practically told Trixie that she'd saved her friend's life. Honey had quickly recovered from her faint, but the doctor wanted to keep her for observation.
As for the male contingent, they had all sustained injuries while fighting to get away from Britten ranging from cuts and bruises to, in Jim's case, a broken arm. Trixie shivered as she thought of how much worse it could have been.
"Whatcha reading?" a familiar voice interrupted.
She threw the magazine down and smiled up at Jim. "I honestly don't know," she said. "How's your arm?"
"I get to go home," he said, shrugging with one shoulder. "Could be worse."
It could have been worse, Trixie thought, shivering all over again. I'm so very glad that it wasn't.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
I can't just stand here, Trixie thought, her mind searching for options. But what should I do? A plan came into her mind fully formed and she started on it without another thought. She took a slow step towards Britten, watching his reaction carefully.
"You stay there," he said edgily, backing away slightly. "Don't you move." Above him, Trixie took another slow step. "Don't move! Don't move!" he yelled, reminding her strongly of Rumplestiltskin in Bobby's picture book.
Again, Trixie took a slow step. Now she was only one step above him. "Drop the knife," she said, barely above a whisper.
"No," Britten ground out. "Get back. You caused me so much trouble the last time-" He took the knife away from Di's neck to wave it at Trixie. Di pulled away from him, just as Trixie grabbed for the knife.
Bright red blood splattered on Britten's clean, white shirt. For a long moment nobody seemed to know where it had come from. Britten gasped and scrambled away, streaking the wooden floor with red.
"I think I'd better sit down," Trixie said quietly.
A few hours later:
Trixie sat on the front porch of the house, feeling rather sorry for herself. Her attempt at playing hero had left her with twelve stitches across the palm of her right hand, and a lecture from Brian which still rung in her ears.
Her thoughts were intruded upon by Jim. She could see the beginnings of bruises on his wrists where Britten had bound them. It seemed that everyone would have some sort of reminder of this day for days or weeks to come. Hers would last much longer than that.
"Feeling okay?" he asked lightly, settling into the seat next to hers.
Trixie nodded. "Nothing like an adventure to start off our trip," she said without much enthusiasm. And next time, she added silently, I'll know to avoid Pendeville House.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Several months later:
Di sat up in her hospital bed, tired but happy. Beside her in their plastic hospital cribs lay her newborn twin sons. It had been hard losing both Mart and Dan, and she wasn't completely sure which of them was the father, but she knew now that she would be okay.
A soft knock sounded at the door and Trixie put her head in. "How are you, Di?" she asked cheerfully. "And how are the babies?"
A smile lit up Di's face as she beckoned her friend inside. "We're all fine," she said. "Though, now that I see them, I'm not really sure whose they are. This one looks like Dan, but that one looks like Mart."
"I heard somewhere that it was possible for twins to have different fathers," Trixie said, sitting down. "Maybe that's what happened."
Di looked in wonder at her sons. "I think you're right," she said. "Oh, Trixie, that almost makes up for everything! They can both live on in their sons." With tears in their eyes, the two girls smiled at each other and turned their attention to the babies.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Several months later:
Di sat up in her hospital bed, tired but happy. Beside her in their plastic hospital cribs lay her newborn twin sons. It had been hard losing Dan and dealing with the fact that Mart was in a permanent vegetative state. She wasn't completely sure which of them was the father, but she knew now that she would be okay.
A soft knock sounded at the door and Trixie put her head in. "How are you, Di?" she asked cheerfully. "And how are the babies?"
A smile lit up Di's face as she beckoned her friend inside. "We're all fine," she said. "Though, now that I see them, I'm not really sure whose they are. This one looks like Dan, but that one looks like Mart."
"I heard somewhere that it was possible for twins to have different fathers," Trixie said, sitting down. "Maybe that's what happened."
Di looked in wonder at her sons. "I think you're right," she said. "Oh, Trixie, that almost makes up for everything! They can both live on in their sons." With tears in their eyes, the two girls smiled at each other and turned their attention to the babies.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Mart stood quickly, and strode purposefully towards his sister's boyfriend. A look of sheer anger graced his face and his gait was rather stiff. He found them just around the corner and wondered why he had not found them before.
"What have you done to my sister?" he bellowed, instantly alerting the entire house to the situation. Without waiting for an answer, he threw the first punch, which Jim easily dodged.
Trixie scowled at her brother. "Butt out," she said, shoving him away. "It's none of your business."
Others began arriving on the scene. "Calm down, Mart," Di said pleadingly. "We can talk about this rationally."
Mart ignored her and tried to punch Jim again. "How dare you?" he cried, struggling angrily as Dan tried to hold him back. "And I thought you were supposed to be the honorable one!"
"That's enough," Brian said sternly, coming between the warring parties. "We can talk about this later. For now, we have a visitor."
The whole group turned to see a tall young woman with hair as red as Jim's. "Are you Jim Frayne?" she asked him, walking forward rather shyly. "My name's Katje. I'm your long lost twin."
Jim's face turned ghostly white. "Pl- pleased to meet you," he stuttered.
Mart scowled. How dare Jim ignore him like this, in favour of a newly discovered blood relative. "This isn't over, Frayne," he muttered, loud enough for Jim to hear. Should I push the matter now? he wondered silently, or wait until she's gone?
Should he let Jim get to know his new relative undisturbed? Go to part 118.
Should he try to avenge his sister's virtue despite the interruption? Go to part 119.
Red hot anger surged through Mart as he went off in search of his brother. With satisfaction, Mart noted the alarmed looks on both Trixie's and Jim's face as he passed them, but did not stop.
By the time Mart found Brian his anger had begun to subside. "What's up?" Brian asked, noting his expression.
"You'll never believe what I just overheard," he said, starting to pace. "That- that- Frayne has gotten Trixie pregnant."
Brian only laughed. "No he hasn't." At Mart's outraged look he continued, "He's helping her learn her lines for the play she's in. You know, the one for the charity benefit show next month. Her character is pregnant."
All of a sudden, Mart's anger disappeared and he began to feel rather sheepish. "I didn't know that," he muttered. Should I apologise to her? he wondered, or just leave them alone?
Should he apologise to Trixie and Jim? Go to part 120.
Should he leave Trixie and Jim alone? Go to part 121.
A moment later, Mart caught himself. What am I thinking? he suddenly thought. Me? Beat up Jim? Talk about a joke! Shaking his head ruefully, he decided to do the next best thing.
He got up and walked around the corner, in the direction he had heard the voices, and soon came across Trixie and Jim. They were quietly disagreeing on something that Jim held in his hand.
"I still think it means that she's pregnant, but doesn't really want to marry him," Trixie said, completely disregarding her brother. "She feels compelled to do it, for conventional reasons, but doesn't love him as much as she thinks she needs to for the marriage to work."
Jim shook his head. "It could just as easily be the other way," he said. "And I don't think it's a love issue, but more a fear of making such a major commitment."
"Ahem," Mart said, standing just at Jim's shoulder. "May I ask…"
Trixie looked up. "It's my part in the play for the charity benefit concert next month," she said. "Can you read this and tell me what you think her motivation is?"
His head spinning, Mart took the script from her. I think I almost made a big mistake, he thought. And what was I thinking? Honorable Jim Frayne get someone pregnant outside of marriage? I don't think so!
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
With a sigh, Mart decided to bide his time. After all, undiscovered blood relatives didn't turn up every day and Jim might be rather cross about his dirty laundry being aired in front of one. Further than that, Mart had begun to question the wisdom of trying to beat up Jim Frayne.
He had begun to wander away from the group when he heard his sister call his name. He turned, only to see her fist coming towards him before the whole world went black.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
To hell with it! Mart thought suddenly. He turned suddenly, throwing a punch with all his might, directed at Jim's head. Once again Jim dodged the punch, but this time returned it with interest.
As the world went black, he thought he heard Jim say, "Damn it, Belden. You should've kept out of the way."
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Feeling rather silly, Mart made his way down the stairs and sought out his sister and Jim Frayne. Now that he really looked at them, it was fairly obvious what they were doing. Jim had the script in his hand.
"Trixie, Jim," he said. "I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions just then. I thought you were having a conversation, not rehearsing your part." He paused, then added, "It was really convincing."
"Thanks," said Trixie, smiling brightly. "Though, it wasn't hard to get into character because I really am pregnant."
Mart's face turned white. "You- you-"
"Just kidding," Trixie said, laughing as she walked away.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Mart trudged off to his room. Perhaps solitude would help his wounded pride. He opened the door, only to find that someone else had sought solitude there: two someones, actually.
Dan and Di, limbs entwined and articles of clothing strewn around, were on his bed! He stood there, stunned, unable to believe his eyes. His best friend and his girlfriend!
Turning on his heel, Mart walked out of the room, through the house and out the front door. I think I'll stay somewhere else, he thought to himself. And, tomorrow, I'm going to find some new friends.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Honey looked at the combatants and said, "I'll take Dan. You take Mart." She strode purposefully to him and, just as he was daring Mart to stand naked on the roof with various clauses, kissed him with a passion that the astounded onlookers didn't know she possessed.
Not to be outdone, Di gave Mart a similar treatment. A minute later, coming up for air, she looked around at the ring of faces and smiled brightly.
"Wha- I mean, why-" Dan spluttered, slightly out of breath. "Honey! What did you do that for? I had the best dare for him and now I've forgotten it again."
Honey shrugged. "Us girls can have dares, too," she said. "Difference is, we actually carry them out."
Mart looked up. "In that case," he said, "Dan, I dare you to take that pair of scissors and run up the stairs and back again."
"I don't think that's a good idea," Jim said. "Running with scissors is dangerous."
Should he take the dare? Go to part 124.
Should he take Jim's advice? Go to part 125.
Honey looked at the two men, considering. "I'll try Mart," she said. "You can kiss Dan." Dan was in the middle of daring Mart to stand naked on the roof and do something or other. She waited until Di's mouth closed over his before throwing her arms around Mart and kissing him senseless.
When she came up for air, Honey looked at her victim and marvelled at the expression on his face. "Honey," he breathed. "That was wonderful. I've never experienced anything like it." He drew her to himself and kissed her again.
"Ahem," said Brian. There was no response. "Mart!" Nothing. Brian grabbed his brother by the collar. "Let go of her."
In the background, Dan gave Di an interested look. She smiled and pointed to the door. While Brian was wrestling Mart away from Honey, the two slipped away.
"What did you do that for, Brian?" Honey asked indignantly. "Can't you see when someone wants to be left alone?"
Trixie giggled. "Brian," she said, "I dare you to kiss Honey more passionately than she kissed Mart." She laughed even harder to see the outraged look on his face.
Should he take the dare? Go to part 126.
Should he tell off his sister for even suggesting such a thing? Go to part 127.
With a reckless look, Dan picked up the scissors and set off with them. The others heard his heavy steps as he ran up the stairs, and back down again. He came back into the kitchen, but did not notice a wet patch on the floor.
"No-o-o-o-o-o!" yelled Jim. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Dan slid. The scissors slashed Trixie, Honey and Di. They cut deep into Mart, Brian and Jim. Finally, they stuck into Dan himself and stayed there.
Looking around, Jim knew it was hopeless. All around him his friends were dying. He held on with all his might until he was the last.
With his dying breath Jim said, "I told you not to run with scissors."
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Dan looked at Mart, then at the scissors, then back at Mart. "No," he said. "Jim's right. It's dangerous to run with scissors. Think of something else, Mart."
"Leave it," Mart replied. "I didn't really want to play anyway. Let's go practice our archery. I'll even let you go first." He picked up an apple and tried to balance it on his head. "But, this time, if you hit me you're paying my medical expenses."
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Hearing Trixie laugh at him turned Brian's outrage to anger. He pulled Honey from his brother's arms, lifted her bodily onto the kitchen table and kissed her passionately.
"Hey, I think that's enough," he faintly heard Jim say about five minutes later. He kept going.
Finally, he needed some air. He lifted his head to find a circle of interested faces. His sister spoke. "So, what's the verdict, Honey?" she asked. "Who's the more passionate?"
Turning her head to one side, Honey thought for a minute. "If Mart kisses me again, maybe I can tell you," she said.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Brian drew himself up to his full height and looked down on his sister. "That's not a very respectful suggestion," he said sternly. "In fact, I think I might make a dare of my own.
Trixie raised an amused eyebrow. "What? Are you going to dare me to tidy my room? Or, to be a good little girl for Mommy?"
"No," he said slowly. "I dare you to only go on dates that are chaperoned for the next three years."
Trixie laughed. "In your dreams, big brother!"
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Brian sighed deeply and Di turned back to the window. "I didn't think there could be," she murmured. Suddenly her expression changed. "Look at that!"
She shifted slightly so that Brian could see. He gasped aloud. "Dan just kissed Trixie!" he said. "He shouldn't be doing that!"
Di giggled. "We just kissed."
Brian had the grace to look uncomfortable. "That's different," he muttered unconvincingly. Outside, further developments were happening. "I think I'd better get down there," he said as he saw the beginnings of a violent argument. Jim, apparently, had also seen the kiss and had taken exception to it.
"Let them solve it themselves," Di said softly.
As the two men below became increasingly angry, Brian frowned. "They might need first aid," he said pensively. "I think I'll go."
Should he go downstairs to break up the argument? Go to part 129.
Should he stay out of it? Go to part 130.
Di watched quietly as Brian strode out of the room. A few moments later her eyes returned to the argument below. Jim and Dan faced each other, each with an icy expression and clenched fists. As she watched, Jim suddenly threw a punch and Dan was out cold.
"Dan!" she called frantically. She raced down, nearly knocking over Brian in her haste, and knelt next to the prone figure. "Please wake up, Dan," she said, her eyes filling with tears. "You don't need Trixie. You can have me instead."
Brian frowned. "I thought you just said-" he started, but somehow couldn't complete.
Di looked from the unconscious man in front of her to the one who stood nearby and sighed. "You had your chance," she said lightly. "This time it's his."
Brian suppressed a groan. We had no chance, he thought, feeling rather relieved. Let her chase Dan. It's better this way.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"Stay," said Di. "I've got a better idea." She threw open the window. "Hey!" she called. "Stop that, will you?" The two men below turned to look.
Before he knew what was happening, Di had grabbed Brian and kissed him thoroughly, much to the confusion of the watchers below. She smiled and called out to them once again. "Make love, not war!"
The tension suddenly diffused, the argument broke up. Di beamed at Brian and reached out to take his hand. "We make a good team," she said. "Maybe there's hope for us after all."
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Three months later:
Brian looked back on the last three months with a mixture of emotions. It had been fun while it lasted, but he could now see that the relationship with Di could never have worked in the long run. She needed someone far less serious than Brian Belden.
Still, it was something he did not regret. They could both be happy now, knowing that they had explored that avenue, even if only for a moment.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Just as Brian was deciding to let the moment pass, Di reached up and kissed him softly. "I'm sorry," she said, smoothing back her hair. "I shouldn't have…"
He smiled gently. "I didn't think that you'd want to kiss me," he said. "But I was just wondering if I should kiss you."
"I saw it in your face," she said. "You were deciding not to." She laughed softly. "You're always so conservative."
He shut his eyes for a moment, blotting out the image of her beautiful face. "That's why I decided not to," he said. "You and I are too different for something to work between us." Suddenly, he sounded uncertain. "Don't you think?"
Di considered. "Maybe we should try it and see."
Should they give the relationship a chance? Go to part 131.
Should they stay as just friends? Go to part 128.
Honey squeezed her eyes shut. "I want to get out of here," she said softly. "Okay, let's go look for clues." She took a tentative step towards the light.
"Stick close to me," Brian said. "We don't want to get separated down here." He took her hand and together they carefully crossed the floor to the far corner. As they approached, it became clear that no light was coming in from outside. The objects there glowed.
"They remind me of the ghost," Honey said in a whisper. "Do you think these are real things, or are they ghosts too?"
Brian reached out and touched one of them, a large book. "Feels pretty real," he said. Opening it, he found that it was an old fashioned photograph album. "Just look at this," he said in awe. "Some of the photos are glowing too."
"Oh, it's a clue!" Honey cried, losing some of her fear. "Just look at this one. Doesn't it look just like him?" She pointed to a photo which glowed more strongly than the others. It showed a young man with his arm around a boy of about ten.
"He reminds me of Bobby at his most fiendish," Brian said, pointing to the boy. "I bet he was a load of trouble."
Honey gasped. "You don't think…" she said, trailing off in horror. "It couldn't be…"
"That he did it?" Brian asked incredulously. "Of course not. Put it back and let's look at something else." Even in the darkness, he could see her uncertain look.
Should they put the book back and look at something else? Go to part 135.
Should they keep looking at the book? Go to part 136.
"Please, Brian," Honey asked. "I don't want to get lost."
He sighed heavily. "Okay," he said. "But if we haven't found anything in a couple of minutes we'll have to go over there."
Honey sniffed, but agreed. For the next few minutes they carefully searched the area at the foot of the stairs, finding only a locked door and a pile of old sporting equipment.
"I think it's time to go over to the glowing things," Brian said wearily. "We've wasted enough time, Honey."
"But I don't want to," she replied in a small voice. "Please, Brian, try to break down one of the doors or something."
Brian frowned. "I don't want to," he said. "I don't think it will help."
Should they go over to the glowing objects? Go to part 133.
Should Brian try to break down a door? Go to part 143.
Honey set the book down and looked around. "I think there's something over there," she said. "Down on the floor."
"It's a key," Brian said, picking it up. "And that looks like a door. Should I try it?"
At Honey's nod he first tried the handle, then put the key into the lock and turned. There was a faint click before he put his hand back on the handle and opened the door.
"What's in there?" Honey whispered, peering past him. "Can you see anything?"
Brian stepped inside the room and looked around, closely followed by Honey. "There's a box of things over here," he said. Turning slowly, he noticed something else. "And there's a framed photograph in that corner."
"Which should we look at first?" Honey asked.
Should they look in the box? Go to part 139.
Should they look at the photograph? Go to part 140.
"I'd really rather keep looking," Honey said finally. Turning the page, she gasped. "Just look at this," she said. Blood seemed to be flowing over the page, slowly oozing over the faces in the photographs.
Brian turned the page, to see that the next one was quite normal. He turned it back and found that there was no longer wet, fresh blood, but what appeared to be old blood stains. "Was this album open at this page when he died?" he wondered aloud. "Is this his blood all over it?"
"It must be," Honey said, sounding teary once again. She strained to make out the subject of the photographs. "I think that's our ghost again," she said, pointing to one of the clearer ones. "Is he graduating?"
"I think there's a caption," Brian said, tilting the book. "'Edgar graduates from Harvard' I think." He frowned, noticing one more detail. "I wonder if that little imp did this?"
"What?" Honey asked breathlessly. She caught her breath as she noticed what Brian had already seen: someone had drawn a funny moustache and glasses on Edgar. "Oh, I bet he was in big trouble. It looks like he did it to every one." She tilted the book here and there. "Except this one: it says, 'Edgar with his brother Alfred on graduation day.' It's the little boy again."
Brian looked thoughtful. "'He said he didn't mean it.' Could that be what he didn't mean?"
"Let's hold onto this," Honey said. "But what should we look at next? I can see a mirror over there," she pointed to the left, then turned to the right, "and something with a wooden handle over there."
Should they look at the mirror? Go to part 137.
Should they examine the object with the wooden handle? Go to part 138.
Brian picked up the mirror. "I don't see anything special about it," he said. "There doesn't seem to be-" he broke off, seeing blood spill down its surface.
"Why is there so much blood?" Honey asked with a shiver. "You'd think his throat was cut or something."
"Maybe it was," Brian replied. "I think we'd better look at that other thing next. There doesn't seem like there's anything else to learn here."
Go to part 138.
"It's a scythe," Brian said in surprise as he picked the object up. "Where on earth would it have come from?"
"That's it!" Honey cried excitedly. "'Nobody knew where it had come from,' and, 'They put it down here afterwards.' We're on the right track!" Even as she said it, spectral blood dripped from the blade.
Brian frowned. "But even if this killed him, we still haven't answered the question."
"Well, the only other thing I see is the mirror," Honey said. "Or, I guess we could look in the photo album again."
Should they look at the mirror? Go to part 146.
Should they look at the photo album? Go to part 147.
Brian walked over to the box. He stooped, trying to make out anything of interest. "This can't be right," he said finally. "There's nothing in here but a bunch of old plates and things."
"Maybe he cut his throat on a broken dish and bled to death," Honey suggested in a small voice. "Or, he might have died during a meal."
"In any case, we're no closer than we were before," Brian replied with a sigh. "We'd better look at that photograph."
Go to part 140.
Brian walked over to the framed photograph, which was propped against the wall. It showed a matronly woman with a severe expression, dressed in the style of the early twentieth century.
"Who is she?" Honey asked. "I thought we were supposed to be looking for a 'he?'"
After a careful examination, Brian sighed. "It doesn't say," he said. "I can't see any reason why we should look at this photo."
"Let me see," said Honey. She turned it over and examined the back. "It's a little loose here," she said. "Maybe I could take the backing paper off. There might be something inside."
Brian didn't seem to be listening. "Can you see that?" he asked breathlessly. "It looks like a skull." He took a step towards it. "Should I take a look?"
Should they take the backing off the photograph? Go to part 141.
Should they look at the skull? Go to part 142.
"I'm going to look behind the backing paper," Honey said, completely disregarding Brian's question. She slowly peeled it away, to reveal ghostly glowing letters. "Oh, no!" she gasped, leaning back against Brian for support.
Brian looked over her shoulder to see what was wrong. "'Mine for eternity,'" he read. "What does that mean?"
Once again, the air was filled with eerie laughter. "It means you'll never leave," said the ghost.
Honey screamed as the darkness enveloped them, never to be seen again.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"Let me just look at this," Brian said, walking towards the skull. His hand closed over it and instantly it was flowing with blood. The blood ran down his arm and onto his body, soaking him.
Honey screamed. "Put it down!" she cried. "Brian, please, put it down!"
"Too late," whispered an eerie voice. "You will stay here forever."
As the ghostly laughter filled the air, Honey screamed and screamed. No one would ever see them again.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"Please, Brian," Honey asked. "You know my father would pay for the damage." She sniffed. "Please. I just want to get out of here."
Brian rubbed his face, considering. "Okay," he said finally. "What do you want me to do?"
She hugged him briefly. "The door we came in," she said. "If that doesn't work, we can try the other one."
Even as Brian started up the stairs, the laughter started again. "Giving up so easily?" asked the ghost, reappearing in front of him. "I will give you one more clue, but only if you both touch me."
"T-touch you?" asked Honey. "H-how can you t-touch a…"
"Try it and see," he replied.
Should they touch the ghost? Go to part 144.
Should they refuse the offer? Go to part 145.
Honey looked at Brian. "Shall we?" she asked, touching his hand. At his nod, they reached out together towards the apparition. She felt a tingling in her fingertips for an instant before intense pain overtook her and everything went black.
Some time later:
Consciousness returned slowly. The first thing Honey was aware of was the murmur of voices in the distance. Somehow, that seemed wrong. Gradually she became aware of other things: crisp sheets and strange smells.
Honey opened her eyes to see Trixie sitting anxiously next to her. Her friend hardly waited a beat before saying, "She's awake," to someone that Honey could not see.
She blinked once or twice, trying to remember exactly what had happened. "Brian?" she asked raspily. "Where's Brian?"
Trixie's face paled. "We were hoping you could tell us." Honey shut her eyes against the horror. She knew that they would never see him again.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
"No," Honey said firmly. "Now, please get out of our way."
The ghostly laughter filled the room. "Are you sure about that?" the ghost asked. He did not wait for an answer. "Prepare to see your fate."
The scene shifted and Honey fainted dead away. No one would ever see them again.
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
Honey picked up the mirror and gasped. Instead of her own face, she saw the upstairs of the house, near where Trixie had found the bloodstain. The house was beautiful and apparently still quite new.
The photo album was open on a side table, clean and new. She could just make out the marks on the photos. Honey was horrified to notice that there was something balanced against the hat stand right next to the table; something with a wooden handle and a shining blade. Suddenly, Edgar walked into view. He stopped short, seeing the album, an angry look on his face.
He opened his mouth and Honey thought she could almost hear his angry, "Albert!" For a moment, nothing happened. Then, as if in slow motion, Edgar slammed a fist down on the table and the scythe fell. A look of utter horror crossed his face as the massive blade neared. The mirror splattered with blood. Honey could just make out Albert in the background, his look of satisfaction turning to sheer terror.
"Oh, Brian," she cried, her eyes wide with horror. "His brother set a trap for him and it killed him!" Even as she said it, everything went black.
When Honey opened her eyes, all she could see was the bright summer sunlight shining through the branches of a tree above her. After a moment she realised that she was lying on the grass outside the house.
"Are we okay?" she asked Brian, who was lying beside her.
"I think so," he replied. "I wonder what would have happened if we'd gotten it wrong."
Honey shivered. "Let's not think about it," she said. "Just be glad that we got away."
Want to play again? Go back to part 1.
When they turned back to the photo album, they were both surprised to find that it had stopped glowing. "What's happening?" Honey asked breathlessly. "It's getting dark again."
The room filled with the same eerie laughter they had heard before. "It is too late. You're mine forever," the voice said. "Prepare to see your fate."
The scene shifted and Honey fainted dead away. No one would ever see them again.
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