• It was a cold, wet, dark, stormy night and as the lightening streaked across the night sky four unlucky students broke down.

    “What's wrong with the car this time?” questioned Anna as she sat in the back with long flowing black hair and piercing green eyes. She was dressed in casual clothes consisting of a long black skirt with several layers with a tight black top covered with a long black fleece and a black scarf tied round her neck.
    Th male at the wheel turned round and gave a quick grin.
    “well I don't know do I. Do I look like I have x-ray vision?” he joked he opened the car door and stepped out into the rain immediately his top was soaked through and his jeans started to absorb the rain.
    “Yo Owyn you want a hand out there?” called the remaining male in the car
    “Sure Dan” Owyn called back
    Anna and Stephanie watched the two boys from inside the car laughing about how wet they were, when Owyn came and opened the car door.
    “Er we have a major problem the engine has taken to much water and shorted out.
    “You have to be kidding me!” exclaimed Anna turning to look at Stephanie
    “This has to be a joke or something” decided Stephanie confidently
    “Nope were not joking” said Dan coming round to the door “ It looks we were going to have to walk it” he finished wiping his hands on the back on his jeans.
    Anna and Stephanie got out of the car and looked round dismally, while Owyn locked the car.
    “This is just typical, we would pick the route that no one ever comes down” moaned Stephanie flicking her wet hair off her face “I mean come on look at the state of me! My make-ups ran all down my face and my hairs a mess and there's no way anyone is going to pick us up!”
    “Well lets just walk for abit then see if we see any signs of life” suggested Owyn helpfully. As Dan led the way Anna followed behind him while Owyn kept Stephanie following at the end. About 50 yards later Dan suddenly stopped.
    “Looks guys!” he shouted “ A house but its all the way up that hill” Everyone stopped to look. As the lightening lit up the sky again the house Dan was referring to was illuminated for a split-second before all went dark again.“Well it doesn't look that bad, lets go and see if they will take in four bedraggled students for night” suggested Anna then walking off in the direction of the house.
    “Isn't it nice the way she stops and waits for an answer” commented Stephanie sarcastically watching Dan head after her.
    “Lets just go” urged Owyn and following after Anna and Dan tugging Stephanie behind him. As they trudged up the hill branches snagged their clothes and and the wind pushed them back almost as if it was telling them to go back.
    Finally after a long and gruelling trek they made it to the top of the hill and stood there shivering for what seemed like an eternity.
    “Well some one knock on the door then!”insisted Stephanie, looking at the others making it plain that she wasn't going to knock on the door her self. Dan reached over and lifter the giant door knocker and knocked twice.
    As the knocker hit the door the second time as a onerous sound emerged within and oozed through every particle in the air until the air had a greasy feel and seemed to suffocate them slowly, the door swung open with a gradual squeak that rung in their ears until it was the only sound left on the planet.
    As they peered into the house the darkness and gloom parted to allow a slim and well dressed young man to enter their lines of vision.”Please come in, you look totally drenched!” he said not looking bothered about the fact that they were total strangers. They entered the house cautiously looking around to try and get their bearings the sight they were greeted with didn't totally faze them as they had known Anna long enough to get used to the weird and wonderful. The sight that they could see was that one of an untidy house that obviously hadn't seen a duster in it's entire existent. The walls, doors and floors were caked on a twelve inch layer of dust and the once proud statue that had adorned the floor was now home to many creepy crawlies. The statue was one of an elegant young woman with what appeared to be bat perched on her wrist ready to take flight she wore what must have been a very expensive dress but appeared to have been wrecked by some unknown cause.
    Dan groped around on the wall and found the light-switch and flicked it on, lighting up the hall way. At this point, they had the light to see what their host really looked like. He was slim, with an expensive looking suit, stunning blue eyes, pale faced but it looked great with his wild but tame black hair.
    “Oh please do forgive me for my rudeness I'm James Blaylock” he introduced him self, coming down the stairs at the same time.
    “Well I'm Anna and these are my friends” Anna introduced “Dan, Owyn and Stephanie” she finished indicating to the people as she said the names. Dan and Owyn stood an shuffled their feet as they hated being in unfamiliar places ans Stephanie just stood there looking horrified at being introduced in such a state.
    “Well you look soaked so maybe you might like to get dried” James suggested much to the approval of Stephanie “Maybe you'd consider staying the night as the road looks like it's going to flood and there no way of leaving when that happens. I wouldn't want you to get caught in a flood” he concluded
    “Thanks that would be great” said Dan taking charge
    “Well I'll lead you to the guest rooms and allow you to get dried out if there's anything you need just give me a shout” he finished up. As James lead them p the ancient stairs they started to creak like they weren't just very often and the dust coated banister wobbled precariously looking like it could break away at any time. They went up three flights of stairs before they reached what was the guest rooms . There was two hallways leading off in separate directions each had endless doors along them, all looking the same.
    “ If the boys will come this way and the ladies remain here please” requested James as he led the boys along the corridor they glanced back nervously to the girls. The hall seemed to stretch on for years when suddenly James stopped by a door that looked the same as all the others had.
    “This will be your room there should be fresh towels on the rack and a phone in the room if you want to speak to the others just dial there room number” announced James to no one in particular. When no one made a move to go in it Owyn stepped forward and claimed it just as James walked over to another door. “This will be your room the same applies as it did in the other room. If either of you require anything just phone 1 or give me a shout” he concluded and walked off in the direction of the girls.

    Anna and Stephanie had been admiring the paintings on the walls while the boys and James had been away now that James approached they stopped looking and waited patiently for him to arrive.
    They would have waited forever for him to arrive if he had wanted them to but he had already decide that he was going to have some fun with this lot after all how often do people come down this road he thought 'never' was the only answer that presented itself to him. The boys would have to go though they would mess up his fun and get in the way trying to play the heroic part, just as all the previous boys had but he wasn't going to let that happen this time. He made enough mistakes in the past to show for that. When he reached the girls neither of them said anything instead they just stood there waiting for an order, he decided to take his gaze off then for now he wanted to see then as they really were and now as they would be under a spell.

    Neither Anna nor Stephanie knew what had happened one minute they had been viewing the paintings and the next nothing, they felt as if a great weight ad been lifted from their shoulders.
    “Right then if you would follow me this way” said James in that calm flowing voice of his.
    “Oh I feel a bit dizzy” announced Stephanie reaching out to steady herself against wall.
    “Well then, we had better get you to your room first, it must be those wet clothes you are wearing” said James sounding full of concern. He lead them down the opposite corridor that the had led the boys down. James was feeling very bemused with himself he wasn't surprised that the blonde had felt dizzy after he took his glance off her most of them did but the one didn't even bat and eyelid that was most unusual e had met few over the years that could carry on as normal after he took his glance off them, well a challenge at least something to keep him occupied. The sound of a dull thump brought him out of his thoughts, the blonde had collapsed it wasn't surprising really she was soaked to the skin and clearly the only thing that kept her going was the side effects of the glance.
    Anna whirled around at the sound of the thump Stephanie had only gone and collapsed, just typical of her she had to be the one to make a scene she just couldn't help herself see a pretty lad and that's it she'll do anything to get his attention just to be held by them. Well this was going a bit to far.
    She reached down to help Stephanie to her feet but James was already there moving with lightening speed picking her up and walking off down the corridor.
    “I'll put her in this room as it's pretty close to yours” he said again in that cool, calm voice it seemed like he never had any emotions, he opened the door without and any bother at all and went and placed Stephanie on the bed.
    “If you'll follow me I'll take you to your room” came his voice from the side of her she hadn't even heard him move. He led her out of the room and silently closed the door behind him then walked off down the hallway, it was several doors later when he stopped then started walking again it was some time later that he stopped and opened a door.
    “This will be your room, if you need anything I'm just across the hall, right over there” he said pointing to a door opposite from Anna's “If you need to contact your friends at any point just call there rooms” he finished and softly closed her door behind him.
    It wasn't till then that Anna was able to explore her new surroundings the room was extravagantly furnished with an on-suite bathroom and front balcony that she hadn't noticed on the way up to the house, probably because she was to busy getting wet to notice the details of the house. Her room had luxury red drapes and a four-poster bed that had draw round curtains that matched the drapes. There was even a wardrobe complete with clothes slightly out of fashion but who was she to judge the fashion of things.
    After appraising her surroundings she jumped in the shower and started to wonder what the others were up to.
    Owyn and Dan were already making good use of their luxury surroundings by sleeping, and the same went for Stephanie.
    Once Anna had finished in the shower she went and checked on her clothes and discovered that they weren't dry yet, oh well she though there's nothing else for it, and she went and chose a dress from the wardrobe once she had picked one that she like and fitted herself into it she headed for the door to see what everyone else was up to. As she stepped out of the door so did James, out of his.
    Wow was the first thought that entered his head, some girls can really pull of an Victorian dress.
    “I hope you don't mind but my clothes aren't dry yet and there were clothes in the wardrobe” she finished almost hesitantly
    “No no it's fine someone might as well wear them saves them getting dusty” he replied “ Would you like something to eat?” he asked looking at her closely for the first time
    “Oh, please if it's not trouble” she said “I'm sure the others would to” she added on after a thought
    “I checked on them before there all asleep” James said lying with the speed of a rattlesnake. At least they would stay asleep if his glance had anything to do with it.
    James led Anna down to the kitchen and had her sat down on the breakfast bar, despite its looks the house was quite modern inside.
    “Do you like scrambled eggs?” he asked looking at her from the side of his eye
    “Yes” was her one-worded reply as she looked round the kitchen trying not to make it obvious that she was nosing.
    A brisk 5 minutes later and plate of scrambled eggs were set before her, followed by flapjacks.
    “Mm this are good” she commented trying not to sound like she was really impressed. James tried desperately to suppress a grin, they always liked his cooking but yet he couldn't quite fully see what was going through her head only little snippets reached him and even then they weren't whole. No this was interesting to him normally they were so easy to read yet she was intriguing and managing to keep his prying mind out, but how could she do it was what he couldn't understand no one have ever manage to stop him from reading their thoughts they never even realised what he was doing.