The night was dark, the sea breeze billowed through the air and a soft rumble came to Sage's hearing. Rolling over in the large four-poster bed, she slowly opened her eyes to a view of the garden in a pale moonlight breaking through the dark clouds. It shone over the wet garden and sprinkled its rays over the ocean in the distance. It was beautiful and terrifying all in one. Slowly getting out of bed, Sage moved toward the open window. It had felt strange that she felt safe, secure and secluded for the size of this large house. Not once today had she opened her laptop to work or do research.

After taking a shower in the most enormous bathroom she had ever seen and making food from the supplies she had brought, finding an old-fashioned library at the back of the house was like finding the most fantastic treasure ever. The number of books she could read were spread along floor-to-ceiling shelves, a gallery with a reading nook and large cushions and wide comfortable chairs made her feel like she wanted to stay, curl up with a book, and never leave.

She had learnt that this close to the ocean made it a chilly spot to stay in as the sun sank and the icy ocean breeze blew in. Now, at this time of the morning, watching the trees sway in the gale blowing across the lawn fed the pool of inspiration that had been dry for so long. Something was stirring, and she didn't know what it was but liked how it made her feel.

Sage sighed while leaning against the open window frame; it felt ... blissful. This solitude was absolutely amazing. No one was calling all the time, no one demanding all the time. The silence felt like an old friend who had come to visit. Sage would cherish this feeling of lightness, liberty and liveliness. The rumble of the approaching storm came closer. The gale blew the window open further, crashing the wooden slats against the outside of the house.

Startled, Sage cried out, reaching out into the sudden downpour of rain. She grasped the handle, pulling the window closed and securing it. Looking down at her drenched upper half, she began to chuckle, leaving her room to find the bathroom on this floor and dry herself off. Pushing open the doors, Sage found an office, four bedrooms and two bathrooms, which had no towels anywhere in them. Heading toward her bedroom, she noticed doors on the other end of the passage.

"How many rooms does this place have?" she muttered, passing her room and walking on in the gloom, opening doors as she went. The door next to her room was a large closet area, probably something she could explore in daylight, and the second door down, she found an enormous full bathroom. Flicking on the light, she looked around; the walls and ceiling were painted ocean blue, painted clouds were scattered across the ceiling, and white tiles covered the floor.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, opening the white cupboards and finding toiletries, towels, face clothes and a large fluffy terry cloth robe, "oh, this is going to be a luxury to wear."

Pulling a bath sheet from the cupboard, Sage was about to dry off when she suddenly wanted to shower in this haven. Ignoring the approaching storm, Sage closed the bathroom door and opened the taps in the shower, stripping off and stepping under the warm water that felt like a waterfall washing over her. The scented soap smelt like a rose garden, and the shampoo reminded her of an ocean breeze. Sounds of the breaking storm above her were drowned by the sensations invoked, and Sage never wanted to leave the cocoon. Finally stepping out into the steaming room, Sage dried off and wrapped herself into the large, lush robe. The thunder rumbled overhead. It felt close enough to rattle the glasses and the teeth in Sage's head.

"Oh," she gasped, looking around the room as the lights flickered above her, surprised that she hadn't felt more alarmed before now, "that was close. That is a first ... forgetting about something like an approaching storm just to enjoy a shower."

Scooping up her clothes, Sage padded back to her room. There had to be an interlinking door between the three rooms, something she would have to look into when the sun rose. Pulling an oversized comfortable chair closer to the window, Sage curled up facing the window, tucking her feet under the robe's folds. In the distance, a flicker of lightning sliced the sky. Mesmerised, she watched the flashes dance across the sky, moving closer then further away. The thunder continued to rumble, sometimes accentuating the lightning strikes or filling the gaps in between. A smile pulled her lips up at the edges. It was a storm, supposed to be frightening, but she found it an enchanting dance of the elements. Somewhere before dawn, she slipped into a deep slumber. Waking at the strange sound of a nearby bird call. Lifting her head, Sage looked out the glass pane near where she sat. Seagulls and garden birds chatted in the sparkling sunshine. The ocean was a calm plate of water, the periwinkle sky was cloudless, and the sun's warmth caressed her face. Standing, Sage pushed the windows open, breathing deeply as the salt on the ocean breeze and the scent of flowers from the garden mingled into an enchanting aroma. Another day had begun, and Sage couldn't wait to discover what the house held and perhaps learn a few things about the village simultaneously. She would need to get some supplies today, and it would be better to understand what the village held where that was concerned before deciding where she needed to go to get the rest of her needs.

Pulling jeans and a T-shirt from her bag, she dressed quickly. Padding barefoot downstairs toward the kitchen. The smell of brewing coffee wafted to her; a cautious alarm bloomed, slowing her steps until she came to the kitchen doorway and watched a young woman beating a batter mixture in a bowl while eggs fried on the gas burner.

Stepping into the room, Sage waited. A small gasp followed the young woman, looking up and freezing before she let out a sigh of relief and placed the bowl and whisk on the counter. Resting her hand on her chest and smiling.

"You startled me," she said, "you must be Sage ..." she stepped around the counter, extending her hand, "... my name is Maddy."

Sage shook the extended hand and smiled, "Hi, Maddy; I wasn't expecting anyone else to be here."

"Oh, you will be on your own in the evenings, but I'll be here during the day to keep the house for you," Maddy said, "my mother was a housekeeper previously, and it's been a dream of mine to keep house here since I can remember."

"Where do you stay?" Sage asked.

"In the Village of Coopers Creak," Maddy said, "my house is not far from the beach gate."

"Beach gate?" Sage asked, frowning.

"If you look out the front door directly toward the ocean, you'll see a gap in the stone wall," Maddy returned to her bowl and began beating. "There is a gate in the gap; you must take a few stairs to reach it."

Nodding, Sage wandered into the space, looking around. "When I was here last night, I didn't look around at everything. I needed to eat, so ..." she shrugged, "... I cooked, ate and went to bed."

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Which bathroom did you use?" Maddy asked.

"I think before bed it was the one on this floor," Sage said, "but when the storm hit, I found a bathroom a few doors from my room. It was probably the silliest thing to do, but I wanted to shower immediately."

"You showered during the storm last night?" Maddy asked, glancing at Sage.

"Yeah, it was ... calming," Sage said, "I have no idea why I did it, but that bathroom is beautiful and welcoming."

Maddy stopped mixing, staring at Sage and smiling.

"What?" Sage asked.

"You're not the first person to say that about that bathroom," Maddy said. "There was a woman who lived here several years ago who was fond of taking showers during storms."

"Oh, who was she?" Sage asked.

"A lady everyone called Rose," Maddy said, "it was years before I was ever born, but people say she would do strange things during storms."

"Wow, what kind of other strange things did Rose do?" Sage asked, sliding onto a bar stool.

"Hmm, let me see," Maddy whispered, frowning thoughtfully as she poured coffee into a mug and placed it in front of Sage, "milk and sugar are over there," she pointed to a tray, "unless you'd like cream?"

"A little milk is fine," Sage said, reaching for a milk jug while waiting for Maddy to continue.

"Rose was known to walk on the beach in front of the house to and from the village," Maddy said, "apparently the walk was inspiring and healed her soul."

"Is it far to the village from the house?" Sage asked.

"No, it's quickest by car, but walking can take up to half an hour, depending on where you're heading in the village," Maddy said.

Sipping her coffee, Sage nodded, "I think the eggs are done."

Maddy turned to the stove and quickly turned off the burner plate, "Thanks, I have some slices of roast beef to go with it and toast if that's okay."

"That sounds fantastic," Sage said, smiling, "usually my breakfasts are a croissant or Danish on the run and coffee."

"That doesn't sound very healthy," Maddy said, shaking her head, "this first week that you're here ..." she paused, "... if I may suggest getting to know the house better and then you can come with me to the village at the beginning of next week and meet some people, learn where you can get supplies, good coffee and food."

Sage paused while cutting a piece of beef on her plate, looking directly at Maddy. The woman was trying to look as though it didn't matter if Sage didn't do as requested, but by the body language Sage read, it did matter.

"Why does it matter if I wander around, perhaps to the beach or the village this first week?" Sage asked.

"It ..." Maddy smiled tightly before shaking her head and continuing, "... it doesn't."

"Maddy? I'm going to be here a long time," Sage said, "if there is a reason for the suggestion, I would like to know."

Maddy sighed, leaning on the counter and looking directly at Sage. "The first week is always the most vulnerable. It has always been the task of those in Coopers Creek to ensure that you were not followed or that someone does not intend to harm you. You cannot be in the village should you be seen or tracked here. But the suggestion to get to know the house is an honest one. If I'm correct, you've been asked to write about the house's legend."

"Yeah, I have, but I need to find out about the legend first," Sage said, pausing and glancing at Maddy, "do you know anything about the legend?"

Maddy groaned, "I've heard so much about the legend of this house and many variations. I have no idea what is true and what is not."

"Oh, is it one of those," Sage chuckled before putting a forkful of food into her mouth, "tell me what you've heard."

"Let's see," Maddy said, a slight pucker forming between her eyes, "it is said that this house once belonged to a wealthy family. The father insisted on his children marrying people he chose for them doing things that he demanded of them."

"Sounds like a tyrant," Sage said.

Maddy nodded as she continued, "The mother wanted her children to have a life of choices and freedom from dictatorship and familial enslavement."

"That's a mouthful," Sage chuckled, "so what happened?"

"This is where the variations come in," Maddy said, "some say that the father died, and the mother promised the children that the house would only be used for people who needed to stay here. Others say the father left the family, taking his wealth with him. He didn't get far from Coopers Creek before dying; his body was found in a field just off the current dirty road coming here, and the wealth reverted to the family. Another variation has been heard that the eldest son and the woman he loved tried to escape the father's tyranny and married on a ship just offshore. A huge storm blew in and wrecked the boat, and no one knows if they survived."

"Wow. Okay, what does any of that have to do with the legend of the house?" Sage asked.

"Maybe nothing, perhaps everything," Maddy sighed, "I did tell you that it was garbled talk about the legend."

"You did," Sage said, "who built up the library?"

"Oh, that has been with the house for centuries," Maddy said, "I do know that this house was built here by some wealthy member of nobility when the world was being explored. I don't know the exact date or year, but it stood here for a long time; Coopers Creek used to be a smuggler's haven until the house was built and whoever it was that owned it brought order and safety to the people of the town."

"It has some beautiful books in there," Sage said, "I wonder where to start with uncovering the legend of the house."

"It may be a good place to start, but I think it would be even better if you got to know the entire house before you hid away researching," Maddy said, "you have to live here a long time," she shrugged, "you may as well know what is in the house."

"Very true," Sage smiled, "does this house have a basement, cellar or coal shute?"

"It has a basement," Maddy said, "I believe there is a wine cellar, but I don't know about a coal shute. Why would you think this place has a coal shute?"

"It's old, well maintained, clearly modernised, so someone cares," Sage said, "if it's as old as the stories indicate, I thought it may have a coal shute for delivering that item when it was used."

"Well, I think you have a lot to find out," Maddy said, grinning, "I do know that there is an office on your floor of the house, but I'm not sure if it holds anything that can point you in a direction, but you can have a look."

"Thanks, Maddy," Sage said, pushing off the bar stool, pausing as she thought of something, "Maddy, did the previous resident need to write about the legend?"

"No, I think the previous person was an artist," Maddy said, "but I'm not sure."

"Can the people who stay here take anything with them?" Sage asked.

"You mean from the house?" Maddy said, "I wouldn't think so, but they don't leave ... as in moving away."

"What happens to them?" Sage asked.

"Well, they pass away," Maddy said, "there is a village cemetery just in the hills," Maddy said. "Everyone who lives and dies here is buried there."

Nodding, Sage moved out of the kitchen and headed toward her bedroom; it was time to get to work and learn all she could about the house and village of Coopers Creek.