Winchester Abbey

Chapter Twenty-Five

Night had fallen, leaving the entire Austen manor in shadows. Charlotte crept to the window and peered out again. The entire manor across the treeline was black, making it incredibly difficult to pick out from amongst the trees.
"What are you looking at?" Hannah interrupted from behind her.
Already feeling jumpy from looking at the spooky place, Charlotte all but screamed before whipping around. Her hand clutched her chest as her breast heaved.
"Dear Lord, Han, don't scare me like that," heaved Charlotte. Han peered at her curiously as she plopped down upon the bedspread. The other two girls followed suit soon after, all looking quizzically at Charlotte.
"What do you think of going back to Bloodwood?" Charlotte finally spoke. All the girls stared back at her blankly.
"Oh, heck no," Hannah began while Mary Catherine looked uneasy. Madi shook her wavy hair.
"Yeah, not so much," replied Madi.
"Don't you want to figure out what is up there?" Charlotte asked.
"Why don't you ask your man to go with you if you are so determined to go?" replied Hannah, taking a sip of her hot chocolate that had been put out on the small table.
"Because he's a part of the paid group, dumbo," Charlotte sighed. "Plus, I don't really want to bring him alone in the dark with me."
Hannah snorted.
"Oh, how little you know about that," she murmured into her cup.
Charlotte rolled her eyes before crossing her legs underneath her on the stiff chair.
"I want to know what's going on up there," she said, jabbing a thumb in the direction of the old house.
"And I want to live," Mcat replied, not making a move to help her. Charlotte stuck out her tongue at them.
"Whatever," she mumbled.
"So, are y'all looking forward to tomorrow?" Hannah asked brightly.
"Internet, normal clothes, and phone service all the while going into a town with people who aren't going to speak old English for a day? Yeah, super psyched," Madi replied.
It was going to be fun, thought Charlotte to herself. She was longing to call her other friends and see how everyone was doing. Getting back her laptop was going to be a big plus too.
"If they don't have a Starbucks in this little town, I'm leaving for good," said Charlotte, grinning widely. The house momentarily forgotten.
"Amen," replied Mary Catherine, laughing.
"If I drink another cup of tea.." began Madison, but never finished. They all began daydreaming of what they were going to accomplish the next day.