First Glimpse

Chapter 3

Rick and Marissa walked out with meagre goods. They had immediately liked the quiet town and wanted an excuse to make trips there. Rick had started to put things back as soon as she filled the cart with enough stores to last a war. She understood. She was already glad they had come. Even though they had come in miffed, she was already beginning to re-discover the things she had loved about him. The things she had forgotten in a whirl of champagne, fairy lights, loud music and well meaning friends.

Mr. Pierce saw her smile lovingly at her husband and frowned. He was a quiet old man who had never been fond of new arrivals. He firmly believed that they spoilt the serenity of the town and stirred excitement amongst its people. Especially young, adventerous couples. Always poking their noses into everything and wanting to make friends. No, Mr. Pierce was not fond of exciting things. And Marissa and Rick seemed to be the type of people who couldn't survive without a little bit of excitement. Mr. Pierce was not wrong. But still he took to Marissa's childlike banter and Rick's quiet, polite ways. He would tell the townspeople later that he knew then that they were good people.

Mr. Pierce was almost beaming by the time the roadster made its way out of town. He had seen the looks on the faces of the cobbler, the innkeeper, the woodsman, the butcher and the mechanic. His closest friend's could not believe that he had befriended strangers. He chuckled to himself as he thought of the free rounds he would get at the inn tonight.

Soon they reached a winding, narrow, treacherous, overgrown path. If Mr. Pierce had not pointed out the turn, Rick would never have known a road existed. On one side was a steep cliff and on the other a steep rise. A slight mistep and they would hurtle down to their deaths. Marissa held her tongue and breath as Rick manouvered the roadster, its silver rims teetering too close to the edge. He made a silent note to get them bicycles tomorrow. The roadster was way too dangerous to use on this path. Sleepstone Manor was still not in sight and it was fast getting dark. A quiet chill had fallen and the fog was descending rapidly. RIck fought his urge to go faster. Obviously by this time they would've liked to turn around but that was not an option. Marissa gripped the handle on the side of the door till her knuckles were white. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see Ricks knuckles on the steering wheel were just as bloodless.

She slowly turned to Mr. Pierce and asked him about Sleepstone Manor. Mr. Pierce looked pale but it did not seem to be because of the road, rather his eyes were fixed at something beyound the pine trees, something he knew was there but was not yet in sight. He almost stage whispered his reply. "The tales, Mrs. Applecombe, they say are fables. To keep vandals and teenagers from troubling the groundskeeper, but....". Marissa froze. "But what, Mr. Pierce?". Mr. Pierce shook his head as if forcefully waking himself up. "But, noone has ever seen anything hereabouts, so you needn't worry Mrs. Applecombe. It's a beautiful house. Mr & Mrs. Radickson, the tenants before you? No, you havn't heard of them i'm sure. Well, they loved to entertain. We all miss them. We are glad that you have come for the summer. Now look ahead. Sleepstone Manor should be coming up right round this bend."

Marissa looked forward but she could sense the forced upbeat note in Mr. Pierce's voice.  She had not heard any tales. Infact all their parents had told them when they were shuttling them off was that the manor had belonged to a friend of Rick's grandfather. The man had died without any issue and left his grandfather the property to do with it as he wanted. It had been given out to various tenants over the years but noone stayed long. Noone had said anything about 'tales'.

She saw Rick's worried expression but she didn't push the topic. Later she wondered why not. Perhaps she didn't want to know or perhaps as Sleepstone Manor loomed ahead she caught her breath once again.