Vampires Rule

The Secret Beneath Jersey's House

After their big argument over who to use the rock on, Jack felt he owed Silver special consideration. So on the following morning when she insisted they kill Jersey's wraiths, he reluctantly agreed. Of course one reason he agreed was because they didn't know where the wraiths were being kept. It was Silver's idea to start at Jersey's house. She was hoping they'd find a clue that they'd missed on their previous visit.

They skipped school and drove to Jersey's house, if it was his house. Jack had sincere doubts. There was no way the head werewolf, the strongest and smartest of all fur-covered creatures, lived in this dump. Lovely wrote about him, about how clever and resourceful he could be. It would be very smart to have a phony house.

Silver started in the living room while Jack searched the kitchen. He slowly moved around, not working too hard because he knew he wouldn't find anything. Swinging a squeaky cabinet door open and shut a few times, Jack mumbled, "Even his cupboards bare."

For half an hour they picked through the house, leaving nothing untouched. Jack even lifted the mattress in the bedroom. He removed the back from the toilet while Silver crawled under the bed. Neither of them found anything useful. It was a huge waste of time.

"Maybe his real house is in another town," Jack suggested.

"He would want to keep the wraiths nearby."

"We could touch something and see if we can get another flash of memory. Maybe we could figure out where his real house is at."

They returned to the living room as a last resort. Jack walked over to the tipped-over file cabinet. He slid his fingers beneath it and tried to lift it, hoping there were important papers inside. It seemed to be nailed to the floor. Jack held his breath, gritted his teeth, and pulled harder. The metal creaked. It gave way slowly, moving an inch. It seemed to be stuck on something. With a grunt he used every ounce of strength he had to lift the thing.

A piece of the hardwood floor behind him popped open.

Silver gasped. "He has a hidden dungeon." She crawled to the edge and peered into the hole. Raising her head, she smiled at Jack. "You are not going to believe this. Come on."

She swung her legs over the edge and found stairs. Light shone from the room below, so they didn't need a flashlight or candle. She walked down quickly, leaving Jack to follow when he was ready.

He was ready. In a flash, using his vampire-speed, he was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her, hand out to help her. She slid her fingers over his. "Showoff," she said with a teasing smile.

Jack looked around, stunned. "It's like we're in another house."

It was more like a mansion. They started off in a wide hallway decorated with red carpet, paneled walls, and a few paintings. There were lights that resembled torches on the wall. This was no dungeon; it was Jersey's real home. Jack took the lead. He walked to the first door and pushed it open. Silver's body pressed against his back as she tried to see past him.

It was a fancy dining room complete with a ridiculously long table and about a hundred chairs. Three chandeliers hung low over the table. Crystal goblets and expensive china had been set in front of each chair, even though Jack would bet his life that Jersey didn't entertain guests in his home.

Maybe the places had been set for the wraiths.

Jack went to the next door and the next. At the end of the hallway they found another hallway. The place was a maze of endless corridors riddled with doors, and they all looked exactly alike. Jack and Silver opened every single one in an endless spree until...