Mystery at Shatick Estate

Mystery at Shatick EstateBy Rosanne Catalano, (aka R.C.Kayla)

Gravel crunching under their feet, the three girls walked slowly up the long and winding driveway; a driveway that was dirt and gravel now. The day was clear and crisp, with only a breeze to stir the imposing trees and leaves along the surrounding fence.

"I'm starting to get scared," Patsy's voice shook.

"We are not chickening out now! We've come this far, may as well go further..." said Kaylin.

They all stayed close together, arms wrapped 'round one another, and looked behind them more than once as they continued up the driveway to the ivy-covered mansion ahead. A mansion where a rich developer, named Mr. Shatick, lived with his wife. And where a little further down to the right of the estate was a cottage where his housekeeper and the housekeeper's little boy lived.

Remembering that years earlier, Mr. Shatick would offer the children of their neighborhood money for any child 'brave enough' to venture up to his mansion after 12:00 midnight on Halloween, Kaylin wondered why, as far as they knew, no kid had been brave enough to come up here...

In the daylight sunshine, the house did not look all that menacing except for the ivy growing up the sides of Mr. and Mrs. Shatick's estate. It made the mansion look pretty creepy and intimidating.

But Patsy, Kaylin and Lizzy continued walking up the leaf-strewn driveway despite their fear of what they would find once they got to the mansion's front door.

Turning the corner as the driveway suddenly veered to the right, they came upon an empty in-ground swimming pool that had seen much better days. It was now filled with fallen leaves instead of water for swimming.

The pool was also filled with what looked like books; with their pages open for all the world to read the words written in there except for one thing - the pages were beginning to turn yellowish from age, and some of the pages looked as if the person tried to rip some of the pages out, got frustrated they couldn't, and threw the entire book with its binder in the now-dead swimming pool.

"Hmm, wonder who's books those are?" asked Kaylin, walking ever closer to the swimming pool.