Book III: The Haunted Orphanage

Part 4

"Cass! Cass!" Alice said as she shook me awake.
"What?" I said groggily.
"Emily is missing."
"What do you mean? She probably just turned invisible or something." I tried to rest my head back in my pillow, but Alice snatched it before I could. "I surrender. Let me get ready."
"Be quick. We have to make a few stops."
"What for?"
"You're going to show me the haunted mansion."
"Wonderful. Can I have my pillow back?"
Alice tossed back my pillow and left the room.
"Matt did you hear that? Emily is missing." No response came from the top bunk. "Matt?"

I got out of bed and found a note on his pillowing, saying how Amber and him went on a hike with Mr. and Mrs. Dixon. And then explained in the greatest detail how they didn't even try to wake us up for the hike. I would've much rather taken the hike and wake up early than revisiting the old deformed ghost lady in the haunted mansion.

I went down stairs and found Alice sitting at the table. Her head was in her hands and I heard her crying. I dragged a chair next to hers and took a seat.

"What's the matter?" I asked as I put my arm around her shoulders.
"It's Emily." Alice said looking up, her eyes were red and puffy from crying. "Last night after you went to bed, she told me that something powerful was in that mansion. She said that it could even travel to places less than five miles away from its original haunting site. I think that woman you saw last night is what took her."
"We're going to find her." I said as Alice grabbed my hand.
"I know we will."
"I'll go get the car running." I began to walk out the door when I stopped. "How do I unhook the car from the camper van, again?"
"C'mon, let me show you." Alice said as she got up from the table and walked out the door.

We drove down the mountain and into town. We stopped by the library to find information on the mansion. We found out that the mansion was burned down in 1937, because of a fire set by an unknown man. The orphanage's caretaker Miranda May died in the fire along with twenty of the children who stayed there. From the library we headed to the hunting store for supplies. We bought rope, so that Alice and I wouldn't be separated and new winter coats to replace our hoodies and sweaters (what can I say we're from the south). We left the hunting store and drove back up the mountain to the mansion.

As we drove up to the mansion we saw what looked like children playing in the front yard. Alice and I got out of the car and began walking towards the front yard. As we got closer the children began running to the back of the house. We followed them to the back, but when we turned the corner no one was there. We walked into the middle of the back yard and looked up at the back attic window. I took a step back to get a better view, but the ground from beneath me fell out. I fell through the hole and landed on a heap of burned wood. I got up slowly being careful not to put too much weight on my ankle.

"Alice!" I called up. "Can you tie the rope to a tree and toss it down."
"Okay! I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere."
"Wasn't planning on it." I said as I flicked on my flashlight and looked around.

I soon realized I didn't fall on wood. I fell on burned remains on what once were human skeletons.

"Alice! Hurry on that rope, please!"