I lug my massive suit case out of the car and take a look at my surroundings. There's not much to look at. The "haunted mansion" we're staying in looks as though the person who is supposed to take care of it forgot to for the past hundred years. There are tourists walking the dusty roads and peering into the muddy windows as I wait for my mom to unbuckle my sister, Lucy, and walk over.
"Isn't this cool, sweet heart?" my dad asks.
"Sure, dad, whatever. When are we leaving again?" I respond half heartedly.
"Come on, at least try to have a good time! I'm sure you'll have fun." my mother scolds from behind.
"I'll try, but it's gonna be hard." I mumble to myself.
My mom chooses to ignore my comment and walks into the musty hotel. It's actually pretty nice inside. There are red velvet curtains hanging beside the windows and a massive, crystal chandelir dangles from the tall ceiling. Delicate furniture litters the lobby and a stone fireplace keeps the room toasty warm. I feel like I stepped back one hundred years into an old hotel. Walking to a tall, oak desk, we are greeted by a "ghost" lady who signs us in and calls a "zombie" bellhop to take our bags and show us our room. When we get there, I plop my suitcase on my side of the queen-sized bed that looks like a coffin.
"Can I go check out the place?" I ask my mom.
"I guess so, just be careful and be back here in forty-five minutes so we can go eat together."
"Okay, bye!" I say as I open the door.
"Wait! Are you sure you're ok? Maybe I should come..."
"No! I'll take a map of the town and besides I can always call," I reason.
"Fine, have fun!" my mom finally relents.
I make my way down the stairs and into the not-so-busy roads. After walking and window-shopping for about thirty minutes, I come to a small wooded area. Ignoring the KEEP OUT! sign, I wander inside. The trees block out the sun and the ground is nice and soft, I lose track of time as I listen to the sounds of nature and inspect the flowers. Realizing that it's probably been forty-five minutes by now, I decide to go back. I'm about to turn around when I see something shimmer in the grass. I pick it up and turn it over in my hand. It's a necklace with a gold chain and a rainbow tinted stone in the centre. The gem sparkles in the setting sun and the designs engraved around the stone seem to swirl with the wind. Since the gem was in the middle of the woods, I don't think anyone owns it anymore so I stuff it in my pocket and hurry towards the hotel.
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"The necklace has been found," exclaims a deep voice.
"Yes, yes it has. And so the war will start," a much softer voice responds.
"Do you think we are ready?" questions a third voice.
"We are, but is the young girl?" This question brings silence as no one really knows.
"Only the future can tell," whispers the soft voice.
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After dinner, I crawl into the warm bed, exhausted. It was a long day. I drift off to sleep with the necklace clutched in my hand.
I wake up again at 2:00 am. Something is wrong. When I look down at the necklace, I see that it's glowing.
