UMBRA

One Last Look

"So you're telling me that she saved you when you toppled and hit your head?"

"Yup," said Jace. "I mean, look at me now, not a scratch. She healed me. Otherwise, I would have bled to death."

"Could it be she got us in the Aldridge Manor to save us?"

"It could."

*Silence*

"There's something else, isn't there?" I asked.

"I think so," said Jace. "I think she wants us to help her. If we do so, she'll repay us. But if we don't, I don't think we'll ever get out of here."

"Great. Just great."

After a lot of thought-process I asked, "So how do we do it? How do we help her?"

"Well, she had a super husky voice," said Jace. "She said 'fire'. . . Or maybe 'free'. . . Or 'three'. . . I think."

"Wonderful," I said sarcastically.

"Fire doesn't tell much," said Jace.

"Free as in 'freedom'? Liberty? Statue of Liberty?" I mocked. "She wants us to buy her a flight ticket to New York?"

"I don't know."

We all sat silently on the steps of the staircase (from which we had entered the gallery before) and started using those big brains of ours. From the steps, I could see a peek into the gallery. I saw a painting in which Barbara was holding hands with a young man in a garden. The image was nostalgic and disturbing.

I was lost in my thoughts when Olly jumped suddenly and said, "The torch! In the hand of the Statue of Liberty!"

"How did he get so smart?" Jace whispered to me.

"I don't think that's right, Olly," said I, ignoring Jace. "If she can hold back the wax-tar-thing, can't she just fly around and find a torchlight on her own?"

"I think Olly's right," Jace interrupted. "I think she wants us to set fire to the mansion. You know, to 'free' her soul."

"What about her saying 'three'?" I asked.

"I must've misheard."

There were no bright ideas in my head this time. So I accepted the deal. "How about we just use a candle?"

"I don't think she'll mind."

I had a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling to be precise.

I failed to find a loophole, however. And there wasn't much time. So we continued moving around to find anything we could use to start a fire.

"Where do you keep a matchstick in a mansion," asked Olly.

"I was hoping our saviour Barbara would help us," said I irritatedly.

"We should look in the kitchen or maybe near the chandeliers."

"And where would the kitchen be?"

"How will I know?" said Olly. "What about finding lighters?"

"Depends on how old this place is. You won't find it here if it wasn't invented by then," said Jace. "Which year do you think this was made in?"

"1870's."

"I'm guessing 1830. I mean, did you look at that ceiling?. It's dirtier than Maurice's hair. That dude in my class doesn't take a bath for weeks. Hydrophobia or something,"