The driveway twisted along the small hill that the mansion resides on. I passed two large brick columns covered in thick ivy and began making the ascent. On both sides of me were lush expansions of grass that went to the edges of the property until they ran into fancy shrubs and tall delicate trees that covered the property from prying eyes. The driveway was made out of gray bricks patterned and cut to fit the curve of the ascent. At the top of the driveway the path looped into a donut. In the center was a bright red Japanese maple tree. A stark contrast to the very green scenery that was complemented by the gray bricks. However, today the contrast didn’t show as much with the weather being a muted overcast.

Cutting across the left side of the donut I made my way to the stairs that led to the door. Thick slabs of stone cut wide and long, it took me two strides to walk the length of one step. Finally I reached the top of the stairs and was met by a humongous wooden door nearly double my size. I made a quick glance to the center of the door where a gold encrusted O sparkled. However, the rest of the door was not in great condition. The paint was cracked in quite a few places and towards the bottom the wood was beginning to fray and chip. I pulled my keys out of my pocket, inserted them into the door and yanked. Opening this door was never easy, I would often have to lean backwards dropping my butt a bit to get some leverage to have enough power to make it budge. The frayed bottom of the door gently whistled and the hinges of the door creaked. Once there was enough room I quickly slid behind the door while it was still swinging outwards. I pulled back on it, twisting my body around and then using the same lean I had used outside to now slow the door down.

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“Thud” the heavy door closed with some effort and echoed throughout the house. A gentle sigh escaped my mouth, a habitual one that most wouldn’t even notice. I stared to my left and right. Long hallways that were covered in antique furniture pieces that could all be described as beautiful, but there was no harmony to be felt between each object. The mansion was large with each side being roughly 50 meters long. Thankfully, the main stairway was located right in the center of the house. Ahead of me a marble console table rested next to the stairs where a crystal statue of a woman rested on top of it. Walking across the house I made my way to the stairs. I take a few steps up when I begin to hear a tape of a voice coming from upstairs. Pausing my steps for a moment I take a swift breath that hugs the teeth with a “shhhhup” and close my eyes like an extended blink. I continued up the stairs

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