The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lost One

Chapter One: The Ketterley's Mansion

CHAPTER ONE:
The Ketterley's Mansion

We stood under the shadow of the old mansion. The wind blew coldly, as though reflecting the building atmosphere. I tried to cover my shoulder with the dark green knitted shawl I have received as a going away present from Mrs. Price, our old neighbor and my only friend.

Courtney, using two of her candle-like fingers, covered the tip of her nose as though she had smelled something repulsive. She was wearing a white cropped long sleeves sweater and high waisted slim fit jeans that are tucked under her favorite high heeled boots.

I stared at my her and gave a quiet sigh, I don't think she'll be able to cope up easily in our new life in the country side.

And that goes too, for my adoptive mother Eden, who was a formerly known celebrity, for she had disbelief written all over her surgically-enhanced face.

''This is IT?'' she practically spat to Mr. Henderson, the lawyer who accompanied us in our travel to the countryside.

''W-well, as you can see, it is a bit rundown but I assure you the insides are--''

''A BIT?'' she emphasized. Looking even more annoyed. Her small delicate nose was flaring, a clear sign that she was angry.

Mr. Henderson looked panicky as he fumbled through his bag for a set of old keys. ''S-should we come in?'' he asked with a shaky smile as if trying to divert Eden's attention.

I smiled politely and nodded to help him out a bit, while my mother and sister didn't even bother to waste a single breath.

With Mr. Henderson's force, the big oak door opened. Revealing a big wood-paneled receiving area with a thirty feet tall ceiling and two large, interconnected stairs.

If it weren't for the lack of furniture, absence of light, piles of dust and hanging cobwebs, it would have looked half of what my mother and sister expected when the lawyer mentioned ''mansion''.

The wooden floors creaked under my sister's heels and she gasped. Looking as though she had fallen ten feet to the basement.

''This is NOT safe..'' she whined. Stopping near the entrance.

Eden hushed her. Courtney gasped again, but this time soundlessly. She must really be in a bad mood since she rarely reproach her daughter.

We watched silently as Eden's eyes scanned the whole area. Looks like she had gathered herself for a moment, because she turned to face Mr. Henderson with a fake smile on her red thin lips.

''I am the legitimate owner, am I not?'' she asked, suddenly making sure of the will left by one of her relatives who died.

''Y-yes..'' Mr. Henderson answered looking quite suprised that Eden gave him a chance to talk about the will, for he had been trying to explain on the way to the mansion but was always dismissed by my impatient mother.

''Ms. Primpus Kirke, who recently died of old age, stated in her will that the house must be passed to the closest living relative as possible. Since she was an old maid who bore no child, and was also the last member of the Kirke family, the property is passed to her cousin Emilda Vane, your mother, who unfortunately is also deceased, then passed to you the eldest daughter, Eden Vane. You are the legitimate owner of the land, the mansion and all the objects and properties in it.''

Mr. Henderson tried to finished this in one breathing which eventually turned his face in a pale shade of violet and resulted to quick, continuous inhales and exhales afterwards.

''Great.'' Eden answered blankly. ''So are we done here?''

Mr. Henderson produced a pile of papers from his bag and motioned them to Eden.

''Uhh, you just have to sign--''

Eden cut him off and immediately signed the papers. After that she grabbed the set of keys from Mr. Henderson's hand.

''You can go.'' she muttered sarcastically while signaling to the doorway.

Mr. Henderson was about to leave when he stopped just outside the door and turned to Eden.

''If ever you have any questions, please do not hesitate to--''

Eden cut him off again by slamming the door to his face.

''Will do.'' she shouted with a sing-song voice so that Mr. Henderson could here from the other side of the door.

When she was sure he had left, Eden pinned her curly blonde hair into a firm tight knot and threw the set of keys to me.

''Go check the rooms and unlock the doors. Courtney and I will be attending a party in the city and will be back tomorrow by sunset. Make sure this.. place is atleast liveable by then.'' she ordered without even looking at me.

I was about to say something when Miranda, our rotund maid, came inside. She was followed by Simon, our tall driver for six years, who was pushing a huge trolly packed with luggages, mostly Eden's and Courtney's.

''The car's ready, Madame.'' Simon grinned, showing his teeth, as though he had accomplished something equivalent to the invention of telephone by Alexander Graham-Bell.

''Perfect.'' Eden exclaimed gleefully and she walked out of the house closely followed by a hurrying Courtney, who doesn't want to be left out of a glamorous party.

I gazed through the window and watched the car disappear, farther and farther out of sight.

''When did she say she'll be back?'' Miranda asked me as she unloaded all the kitchen equipments we took with us from the old house.

''Tomorrow afternoon.'' I answered with a sigh. Miranda crossed her arms and sighed as well.

''I'm going to check the rooms. Are you going to start cleaning?''

''I don't even know where and how to start.'' she exclaimed with a grunt while eyeing the cobwebs hanging from the ceiling like chandeliers.

I just smiled and started what Eden had tasked me with. Holding tightly to the old keys that were danggling side to side.

I found out that, even though it had been covered by dust and cobwebs, the mansion was huge, sturdy, still looks quite magnificent and was just in need of a good clean.

There were three rooms, two sitting rooms, three bathrooms, a large dining hall, a maid's quarters, and a large customed kitchen downstairs. While there were six rooms, each with it's own bathroom, one master bedroom and two sitting rooms upstairs.

I was not able to open the door to the attic for the key was not included in the set of keys Mr. Hendeson gave. It must be somewhere around the house, or probably broken, or worse, lost. I should mention it to Eden but I'm sure she wouldn't care.

I put Eden's luggages inside the master bedroom and was fascinated by the many oil canvass of green fields and icy blue mountains encased in oak frames.

What captured my attention the most, was a tiny black and white sketch of a big lion standing mightly at the edge of a cliff.

I don't know the reason why it felt familiar. Like experiencing deja vu. A bizarre and confusing feeling of not being able to remember where you have seen it, yet you are quite sure that you have. I had to tore myself away from staring at it to start cleaning.

I took Courtney's luggages to her room, the second largest one in the house, and cleaned there too.

By supper, I was completely exhausted and quite disappointed that we only have to dine with three loaves of bread and slices of cheese.

Miranda said that my adoptive mother did not give permission to get anything more than bread and cheese from the pantry, so she refuses to get anything other than that.

I went straight to bed after dinner and had the weirdest dream I've had in years.

All I remember was a pair of green scary eyes staring at me before I woke up, and it was beyond scary.