Chapter I

The wind blew the dust that was created by a speeding car. After it settles, three images became visible. The three children stood there with bags in hand. A boy and two girls. " I hate having to stay here each summer." Said the youngest child named Dan. I mean, why do mom and dad have to go on that stupid vacation of theirs each year." "Yeah, they could have at least taken us with them this time. Said the second oldest girl named Ran. I mean there isn’t even a television set here. There’s not even a telephone or computer here." Dan continues the list. "No microwave. No radio..." San, the eldest, cuts into Dan’s and Ran’s list. "Would you two shut up!" She said angrily.

Just then the butler came out the front door. They have never seen this guy before. He was a large, tall man about 6'6'’. He looked cramped in the suit he was wearing. Dan begins with a rather harsh remark. "Your too fat for that suit." Ran laughs and San’s eyes almost popped out of her sockets. Dan just stood there snickering to himself. The butler gave a grunt and grabbed Dan by the collar. "If you ever say anything to me like that ever again, you will be sorry!" Dan just stood there. His face was red with anger. A tear begin to trickle down his cheek when San pushed him aside and faced the butler. "You will not talk to my brother like that again!" San said in protest. The butler leered at her in a defied stare. He raised his hand, about to slap San when the front door opened. The butler almost released his slap when a hand grabbed his arm. A angry voice boomed behind him. "If I ever see you doing anything like that to my grandchildren again, you will be fired!" The Butler remained speechless. The grandmother had the tip of her cane pressed up against the back of his head. She lowered her cane down back to her waist. She moved the butler aside and walked toward her grandchildren. She gave them a hug, and kiss. "Why don’t we go inside?" And with one last look at the butler, she and the children begin to walk toward the mansion doors.

As they were walking the children noticed a rose garden, which was not there last year. San looked at the garden and seen a young boy with white hair standing in the middle of it. San stops while everyone else continues to go into the house. Ran and Dan turn around to see San just staring at nothing. Dan whispers to Ran. "She’s crazy..." Right then a rock bashes against Dan’s head and he crumples to the ground. "That’s what you get Dan!" Said San walking indignity into the house. But before she went in, she glanced back at the garden. The boy was gone. She brushed it off as the sun playing tricks on her mind.

The children swung the big wood door open. The sun shined through, catching the images of strange but beautiful creatures. San gasps but realizes it’s a statue. "Man San, you scare so easily!" San looks over at her grinning sister. She’s was about to say something to her when Dan barges in behind them. "What the heck you guys just standing around for!?" Dan then loses his balance, and hits a very expensive vase. He falls to the floor holding his head, and looks up just in time to see the vase fall, and break beside him. The butlers eyes grow wide. He looks at the broken vase. He then turns his attention to Dan. He picks him up by his arm and slaps him across the face. "You spoiled brat! Look what you have done to this vase!" The two children’s stomach drop as their brother hits the ground. San is still trying to figure out what happen. Ran becomes angry and rushes the butler. She bites his leg in a rage unheard of. The butler tosses her off like a rag doll. San is about to step in when a swift figure passes by her. San’s grandmother walks up to him, takes her cane and lands a solid blow across his face. The shock of the hit makes him lose his balance as he crumbles to the ground. The grandmother picks up Dan. Dan then kicks the butler as he tries to regain consciousness "Your fired!" Yells the grandmother in a booming voice. "What...!" Said the Butler in a small, weak voice. "You heard me now get out!" The Butler gets up. He rubs his face and grabs his coat. "You people are insane! This place is a mad house! The butler gives the kids a last mean look. Brats..." And with that he slammed the door. The grandmother composing herself turns to the children. "Who’s hungry?"

The dinning room was in a great marbled floor section of the house. But the room was littered with more weird statues. San begin to notice that none of the statues appeared in real life. More fantasy types of creatures. San questioning mind took over. "Hey grandma, what kind of statues are these?" Dan, being still quick to comment, says. "Only nerds ask questions like that!" San gets a annoyed look on her face "Is it a crime to have a inquisitive mind?"San replies intelligently. Dan tries to think of a come back but nothing comes to him. Instead he just shoves her. San, in any other circumstances would have shoved Dan back. But after what just happen, she decided the best choice is to let it go. "These statues are from...ancient Greece." Says the grandmother in a not so convincing voice. San notices the change in her voice but decides to not question it any further. That dinner was the most awkward dinner the kids have ever had. No one hardly talked and Dan barley ate. Which is unusual for a pig like him. But secretly his pride was hurt. San decided to break the dreaded silence by saying, "I am finished. I am going to go study for my summer school assignments." Dan sees a pure opportunity to make another comment. "You know that is why boys don’t want to go out with you. Because you scare them with your geek vibes." Ran high fives Dan and they both have a good laugh together. This remark San cannot let go. She goes to Dan and Ran and smacks them both in the back of the head. She then storms off to the room she always stays in. Ran and Dan both complain to their grandmother. She just shrugs and says. "That’s what you get..."

After dinner, Ran and Dan decide to go exploring. Even though they have seen every inch of this old mansion. They explore the first floor first. All they find are two bathrooms, the dinning room, a huge chef’s kitchen, and a couple of guest rooms. The basement was a damp dark area of the house. Nothing much but rotting news papers have been collected over the years. The second floor is full of guest rooms. These rooms had valuable antiques and paintings in them. But there is one room that always has interested them ever since their first visit in the house. This room was the gigantic Library. Their grandmother started a library years ago, and every year she adds more books to her collection. They went into the Library and even though they have seen it a couple of times before. It still amazes them. The library floor was made of thick glass so you could see to the lower floor. The ceiling was about the size of the dinning room and in the shape of the dome. The ceiling was made of glass so the sun came in and shined on the books.

"Grandma will probably have to get a bigger ceiling if she adds any more books!" Said Dan as he rummages though the stacks of books. "Yeah, maybe she can get that one picture of the two guys touching fingers or something." Said Ran. Dan smirks at the idea. "That would be stupid looking!" Ran changes the subject. "Hey I have an fun idea!" Says Ran energetically. "Lets sees who can make it around the room the fastest on the ladders!"Dan looks at her quickly. "You’ve got my attention." Said Dan in a excited tone. So they start playing on the ladders. The ladders are attached to a railing against the shelves so that it is easy to get books in multiple places. Dan and Ran slide back and forth yelling and screaming. San hears so much loud racket that she goes in their to investigate. "What are you doing?" Yelled San. Dan and Ran stop playing. "We were just playing a game." Said Ran in a innocent voice. Dan adds in. "And I was trying to get a book on one of the high shelves." San gives Dan a glare. "Sure you were. I suggest that you two go before I tell grandmother." Said San seriously. Right after San was done speaking. Ran and Dan scampered out the door. They ran into the hallway and out of sight. "Perfect. She thought pleasantly. Now I have the whole library to myself."

She was climbing the ladder when she looked out the window. She saw a guy who looked about 17. She couldn’t tell what height he was, but she estimated he was around 6’0." He was picking weeds out of the rose garden. "He must be the Gardener." Thought San. She decided to ask her grandmother about him. She went downstairs and looked in her grandmother’s room. Her grandmother was reading a book. San didn’t pay attention to what the book was called. She was to busy looking at her grandmother’s room. For her ceiling was covered with the same beautiful creatures she saw in the dinning room. Her bed was much nicer than the ones in the guest rooms. It had a lot of fluffy pillows and thick red covers. Her grandmother had not taken notice of her. "Who is the gardener." San suddenly asked. Her grandmother stops reading and looks up. "Oh, him? His name is Dexter. Said the grandmother. I just hired him a month ago to work on the new rose garden I had put in. He’s a shy fellow and doesn’t talk much. But he gets the job done and that’s all that matters." She then goes back to her reading. San walks out the door and heads outside to meet the gardener.

San went out the back the door, and slowly approached the gardener. When she reached him, his back was turned to her. While he was pulling weeds. It took her about 10 seconds till she worked up the nerve to talk to him. She reached over, and touched him on the shoulder. He turned around quickly. Expecting to see the grandmother or the butler. When he sees San he looks at her oddly. "Who are you?" San almost chokes on her words "My name is San, what’s is your name?" She asked already knowing the answer. He took of his hat reveling his blue eyes, and blond hair. "My name is Dex. Is there something you wanted?" Asked Dex in a hurried voice. San could feel her palms begin to sweat. "I just wanted to meet you." Said San nervously. "Well, as you can see, I’m very busy. If you have something important to tell me, tell me now." Said Dex losing patience. "Well no…I" She was interrupted by Dex saying. Beat it kid." She walked away stunned about what just happened. She felt a little attracted to him but now she hated his guts. "Shy my ass." She thought aloud. But deep down inside she knew she still liked him, no matter what she or he said. She was heading back to her room when Dan and Ran flew past her. Normally she would of yelled at them for running in the halls but she did not feel like it today. The other two thought this weird but went on playing. She went in her room, and lied down.

She woke up to the sound of footsteps. She looked out her window. " It’s dark..." San said as she yawned. "I wonder who is up this late? She tries to go back to sleep but the footsteps sound as if they are marching in place. "If this is some joke by Dan. I will kill him." She got out of her bed, and walked toward the door. She opened the door, and saw a boy turn the corner of the hallway. He went to fast for eyes to get a fix on him. She thought it could be Dan. "What’s he up to..?" She thought out loud. She crept down the hallway that seemed so small in the day is so large at night. When she finally saw the library door shut. She starts to turn back toward her room. Until she hears a voice calling her name in such a sad tone. A chill ran down her spine. The area around her begins to feel cold. Something was drawling her in. She really didn’t notice till she was in the dark library. Usually, the library is one of her favorite places to be. But right about now she would give anything to be anywhere else. She walks into the middle of the shadowy library. She saw the boy looking at her. They were eye to eye. The same boy from the rose garden was staring back at her with sad gray eyes. A sad presence began to over whelms her. San begins to back up a bit. The boy then turns to the ladder behind him. And begins to slowly walk up. San, beginning to become scared, starts to back off. Then, in a low voice she hears him say, "Come with me." San, stopping her tracks. Her heart now pounding inside her chest turns around and looks at the boy. "Come with you where?" The boy gets a distant look on his face. "To Parallel..." The boy then disappears. She goes up the ladder as fast as she can to see what happened to him. Then she gets five steps from the top of the shelf, she starts to hear voices screaming her name. She stops and listens. It sounded like is coming from below her but she did not see anything.

Then she wakes up and feels the sun shining on her face. San is standing on the ladder. The same exact ladder in her dream. She stood there in shock and almost lost her grip. She grabs a hold of side of the ladder and is able to regain her balance. "What the hell are you doing!?" Yelled Dan. San climbs off the ladder, and told them all about her dream. Dan and Ran just looked at her like she’s a freak. "There is something about this that gives me the creeps." Said San in a low voice. "That dreams just fake. Protested Dan. I bet you even pretended to be asleep on that ladder. San turns to him angrily. "I did not pretend to be asleep!" Dan gets a smirk on his face. "Then prove it." Said Dan in an mocking voice. "Fine I will!" Shot back San. She climbed up the ladder at top speed. She reached the top, which was about 20 feet in the air. She sees a object covered in dust. She slowly walks over to the object in a slow pace. She realizes the object is a book. Ran and Dan get restless and yell up at her. "What’s going on up there! Did you find anything?" She picks up book and holds it close to her face. The book had no title or binding number. She opened up the book and seen that all the pages were empty. She yelled down to them what she found. Ran and Dan look at each other and shrug. "Can we sell it or something?" Asked Dan in a goofy voice. San is about to say something when her voice is suddenly cut off. Silence fills the air as the two children look at each other. Then all of a sudden the boy looks over the top of the shelf and stares at the Ran and Dan. Ran and Dan begin to panic and begin to rush to the door. The library’s doors shut heavily with a dreaded sound. The children scream. "What are we going to do!" Yelled Ran in a screeching voice. "Where gonna die!" Shouts Dan in a non comforting voice. They turn around to see the boy standing right in front of them with the book in his hands. Ran and Dan’s face turn white as the boy opens the book. He reveals a dark hole in the center of the book that sucks the children in. The boy and the book disappear from the room leaving this world behind.