Nature's Greatest Miracle

Chapter 1

Brighton, England
1992

T

he heavy drops of rain fall upon me and Josh. We found this old mansion and we thought we would look around. Me and Josh invited others but they wouldn't want to come. So it was only left to us visiting this mansion. Although, we did have a few disagreements before going, but we somehow pulled through.

"Oy Oliver! I see the mansion! It's right there! Can't you see it?"

I take a look but it's still far. The mansion is "It is there! I see it! But it's still so far and it's raining. Maybe mom and dad are looking for me already."

"Aw c'mon, I brought my flashlight for the darkness! Just a little more running and we will be there!"

"Little more running?!" I give him a questioning look but he shrugs it off. "Just hope the sun doesn't set soon Josh!"

Before we left, the time was 2:30 PM and it will probably take 20 minutes to get to the mansion with our bikes. Since light rain started, we left our bikes to a neighbour. Light rain unfortunately became heavy.

Josh starts running and I try to pick up the pace.

My vision is limited due to the fog, but I'm able to see the black metal fence surrounding the mansion and a large gate in the center. So far, that's all I can see aside from the vast ground beyond. The gate is wide open like it was left there for the public to visit. It surprisingly isn't far from civilization.

I notice lights coming down from the street behind us. It's a cab and it starts honking. Josh doesn't seem to notice so I call him and we both stop. The cab drives over to my side and its door opens.

A fat tux-suited man comes out with a hat on his head and a monocle. I think he's somewhere between his 50's and 60's.

"What're you kids doin' out here at such a time? Aren't you supposed to be with your parents?" He asks us.

"N-no sir-" I mutter before Josh interrupts me.

"What right do you have to be tellin' us what to do?!"

"Disrespectful child! I ask you nicely and-" The man seems mad but is interrupted as well when a woman comes out of the back of their seat in the cab.

"Angus! Those are children! You can't be mad at them!" The woman says.

So this man is called Angus...

She has straight blond hair and seems like the nice kind of woman that loves children. She's tall but is quite slouching. She has broad shoulders being covered by a fur coat. I guess her age is probably 45-50.

"How can that be my fault Laura?!"

Laura must be the woman's name.

"I'm so sorry children. Angus and I are just really busy right now." Angus groans and walks back inside the cab, slamming the door. Laura approaches us holding bars of chocolate and bends down to offer us. "Hello children. Here you can have this chocolate as a sign of apology. Please excuse my brother Angus, he is a bit of an idiot." She smiles.

I take two bars and Josh takes the rest of the bars. We both say thank you but she doesn't look like leaving yet.

"Hmm... Are you two planning to go to that mansion?" She asks us and points her finger at the mansion which is slowly getting visible.

"Y-yes ma'am." I reply.

"I can bring you there." She says with a wider smile. She has so much gentleness in her voice that it's hard to not trust her.

Josh nods his head and says, "Thank you ma'am!"

"Yes, thanks miss." I give her a smile as well.

She giggles and rubs both of our heads. We follow her back to the cab, not sitting anywhere near Angus, who's in the front seat.

"To the Evan's Mansion please!" She requests the cab driver.

Anthony and the cab driver looks back at her with questioning and shocked faces.

She answers back with a smile and a slow nod. The driver starts driving slowly heading to the mansion.

Classical music plays at the car's radio but the heavy rain is still louder than the radio.

"So..." The cab driver starts. "Ma'am why the mansion?"

"Oh! It's these lovely children that would like to go explore. Let them be!" Laura says cheerfully and Anthony groans. 

The whole cab went silent and the only noises were the faint sounds of the radio and the loud rain.

Not longer than five minutes, the cab stops in front of the mansion's gate.

"Thank you sir. Thank you miss." I thank them.

"Oh! Wait! Here, you might need this." She gives me a flashlight and a black umbrella. And she smiles at me. "Just in case."

"T-thanks ma'am." I smile back at her.

Josh jumps down from the cab without saying a word. I follow him while the cab driver starts driving away from us.

I walk as I watch the cab disappear once it turns a left.

Before we go in, I open the umbrella. "Josh! You need to be here with me in the umbrella! You'll get sick!"

Josh just frowns and shakes his head. So we start walking inside.

He pushes the rusty gate for it to open widely for us.

Josh leads the way towards a fountain, using the gravel path as a guide to where we are going.

I stop and admire the fountain, while Josh walks around it as if he's looking for something.

"What?" I ask after Josh, who's on the opposite side of I am, gives me a look.

"You see the words around it?"

I walk around the fountain and notice poorly carved words. The language is German translated as:

The mansion is where-

The whole message is unable to be read as it goes all the way down to where the rain's water filled the fountain.

"C'mon let's go." Josh nods his head towards the mansion.

We slowly walk, following the gravel path. I notice dirt patches where flowers used to be in it. The dirt patches are just filled with weed now.

We come across torn down six-feet bush that looked like it was neatly trimmed before it was broken. The bush must mean that we are close to the mansion.

The rain starts getting lighter and I somehow feel relieved since carrying an umbrella for such a long time hurts my shoulder. Josh doesn't seem to mind that he's really wet though.

"This is it!" Josh yells.

The fog clears slowly. Upto this point the we could only see the front side of the mansion.

And it is bloody big.