Secrets of Ausburg

Chapter 8

Giselle's POV

Coming out of the bathroom and smelled food was nice. I couldn't stop smiling at the moment and a giddy feeling swelled up in my chest.

Yesterday was scary. But I felt optimistic about today, it would surely better than yesterday. In fact, we were going to search the mansion and I was really curious about it. Like, who wouldn't feel your heart beating with anticipation.

Hope we wouldn't cross any ghost today. Yeah, I would love this idea.

We had a quick breakfast (although it is more like a brunch), like really quick. Well, what could I say? Jean and Eric were hungry. Roxanne just picked up some fruits and I, as usual, ate a little. I was full before the others finished and decided to pack some things for us investigating the mansion.

When the girls were finally done with their meals, we brought our stuffs and got ready to go to the mansion. When we opened the door, we met this guy who, according to Jean, brought us our breakfast this morning. It seemed like this guy is the landlady's son. They had a similar aura. But he had a greater and tidier appearance, unlike his parents who were always had this horrifying look when we asked them about the story of the Ausburg family.

"Hey," Jean chirped. "Thanks for brought us the breakfast this morning, we were supposed to go downstairs, but-"

Oh Jean, I was totally noticed your voice became a little bit higher and her face seemed a little bit brighter. I smelled something fishy here. Hehehehe.

"No, that's totally fine; it was my pleasure," the boy answers. "I know you guys must've gotten into something coming into our village, mostly, people who came into our village weren't looking for a vacation, but more likely, answers." He smiled. Oh God how I could imagine God carved that face by Himself. I truly understood why Jean looked like an excited puppy.

"So, you're the landlady's son? Since we'll be here for a week or two, it must be impolite of us to call you by 'you'. So, what's your name?" I asked, not realizing that the question were formed outside my own will.

"Oh, sorry. How rude of me; I'm Eustace. Eustace Baker." He smiled as he offered his hand to me which I accepted.

"Hello, Eustace. It's nice meeting you. I'm Roxanne, you could call me Rox. This green-eyed girl is Erica, you may as well call her Eric. This auburn-haired girl is Jeanette, you could call her Jean, and the girl who's shaking hands with you is Giselle. It was nice meeting you, and would you mind? We're kind of in a hurry right now. We'll have another chit-chat at dinner, I'll make sure Giselle is there, too." Roxanne answered him with mischievous eyes and sly smirk, just like Sherlock Holmes when he succeeded in deducting something.

He smiled at me and retracted his fingers from my grip. A feeling of lost suddenly engulfed me. Weird right?

He didn't responded any further,so,  me, Eric, and Jean finally manages to go downstairs, but my eyes couldn't leave him alone. I didn't know why, but something made me curious about him.

He stared back and mouthed a "good day" before he turned around and continuing his work.

***

"What was that all about, Rox? He's introducing himself nicely and we certainly cannot just hurriedly end that like that. It's rude." I frowned at Roxanne which made Jean and Eric started to stare at us both.

"Aww, Giselle," Roxanne let out some of her teasing notes. "You are interested in him, how can't I not notice that? You are the only girl out of us that is so hardly attracted by a boy; and suddenly, that Eustace guy came in and you can't even stop looking at him." She grinned.

My cheeks were hot as soon as she finished her sentences. Jean and Eric were both smiling widely at me too.

"Hey, you guys. We're here to solve this inconvenient case. Not for a date, nor for looking for a boyfriend." I said, as I pointed at the mansion just  few meters away. I mentally high-five myself for not stuttering my sentence. I would have flushed cheeks all day long.

"Speak for yourself, Giselle." Eric's lips curled up into a smirk, her tingling huge eyes making the whole squad laughed. She pulled her famous derpy face.

It was good to make them laugh, but as we were approaching to the mansion, I really hoped this laughter wouldn't end up in screams.

***

"So, what's the plan?" Eric sounded her thought short after we arrived in front of the main gate. The gargoyles were peering at us as we passed the gate. The ravens flew up high, blocking the sunlight from our view.

"Let's split up into two groups! This mansion is too big for us to search for a day!" Rox exclaimed loudly, answering Eric's question.

"Are you sure?" Jean opened her mouth. "We have two scaredy-cats here."

"It's not going to be as scary as yesterday's night. It's still bright out there. I think we can manage?" I looked at Eric, asking for her agreement.

Eric shrugged off her shoulder before opened the door and stepped in to the residence.

"Let's get this over before nightfall." Her determined steps echoed through the premise.

"Fine then. Jean and I will go sauntering the left wing. You and Eric go to the left wing. We'll meet again at 5 o'clock right here. Be careful!" Rox briefed us shortly.

"Haven't you been here before? What are you searching?" Eric chirped out.

"Yeah, I only finished the outside of the compounds. We'll discuss this later tonight."

We all nodded and splitting up in the middle.

***

Grouping me and Eric in this kind of events was one of the biggest mistake Rox ever made. First of all, we were both scared. Second, we were not really cautious about the clue lying in this place. Third, we were both clumsy. Yeah, what a 'perfect pair'.

Eric was walking slightly in front of me, navigating through the long, full of vegetation and creaked wooden floor in the hallway. We stopped in front of the first door we saw. The handle was rusty and the door looked like it would fell apart anytime.

"This door hinge are hopeless. We should just break it open." I told Eric, who agreed by kicking the door down. Layer and layer of dust were flying around as the door collapsed, blurring our vision and we began coughing restlessly.

When the dust cleared up, the mirror in front of us was reflecting a silhouette of a unknown man. Most of its face were not recognized as it was black. Only its lips were visible. And the lips was moving. It was mouthing something.