Phantom of Cynder Hall

Chapter 1

"Instability is bad for adolescence." Those were the first words Leah Chandler spoke as she stepped into the new house on top of the hill.

Her dad came in behind her carrying a load of boxes. "What instability? You got me and your mother and Jacey."

Leah glanced outside at six-year-old Jacen Chandler; Jacey to family. Her brother was crouched on the driveway, his lustrous copper head glinting in the sun as he studied something intently--probably ants. Bugs had become his obsession lately.

"Julian isn't my mother."

Julian was their stepmother, and although she wasn't necessarily a bad one, Leah didn't like her much, or the new home the woman had picked out.

"Sweetheart, we talked about this--"

"We moved from a rocky mountain home in Colorado to some southern town that's pretty much in the middle of nowhere. This defiantly qualifies as unstable."

Her dad set the boxes on the floor and wiped sweat off his forehead, his damp brown hair sticking to his skin. "Diamondhead isn't in the middle of nowhere. It's the state I grew up in. It's not like we moved to another country."

"It's wet, and flat, and hot," Leah stated shortly.

"The Mississippi River's on the other side of town, and the ocean's only a forty-minute drive away."

"There's no dance program at school."

"I'm sure there's studios around here somewhere."

"Um, no there isn't. I googled it."

Dad sighed. "Well I'm sorry, but this isn't McDonald's. Can't always have it your way."

Just then Julian came in carrying three suitcases. "Isn't it darlin'?" the woman gushed in her southern accent, gazing around in delight. "Just our size, too . . . Leah, did you see the kitchen? It's so--"

"Cramped?" Leah finished dryly.

Her father gave her a warning look.

"Oh c'mon," Julian chuckled. "It's petite, very petite. Wait until we get all my kitchenware in here!"

"You picked a good one," Dad assured, kissing his wife's forehead. "We'll set up the kitchen soon as we finish the bedrooms."

At that moment Jacey came inside carrying something and headed forn the stairs.

"Jacey, what's that in your hands?" Julian demanded, catching the back of his shirt as he passed.

Jacey opened his hands a bit to reveal a small frog.

"Oh, Jacey, go put that back outside. We can't have smelly old frogs in our new house."

Jacey's lower lip poked out in protest.

"Why can't he keep it in a box or something up in his room?" Leah countered coolly. "It's not going to bother anyone. Mom let me do it all the time."

The comment had the desired effect; Julian looked uncomfortable.

"He can keep it outside in the backyard," Dad stepped in quickly. "No frogs, snakes, spiders, rats, or mice inside."

Julian nodded in satisfaction and smiled. "That's right. Now Jacey, go put Mr. Frog back outside. When you come back we'll go look at your new room."

The boy reluctantly did as he was told, his head low in disappointment. Leah's smoky green eyes darkened, but she kept her mouth shut. Not looking at either adult, she went after Jacey and found him next to the side of the house by a deep puddle, cuddling the frog in his hands and cooing to it.