Sage stepped out of the shower in the beautiful bathroom. Could it have been nearly a week since she had first arrived? At least she had discovered the passageway between her bedroom, the dressing room and the bathroom. It made the trip quicker and less conspicuous. Sage wrapped herself in the terry robe and padded back to her bedroom and work. There was so much information she was digging into, so much she wanted to know and understand. She had started bringing the journals to her room at night so she could read through them and get a sense of the history of the place.

Stopping at her window, she saw the white of the crashing waves in the darkness; apparently, Maddy and her father lived near the gate. Sage wondered if the word "near" was literally or figuratively used; she chuckled at the bizarre train of thought as she looked toward her desk at the other window. Sage smiled; Maddy was surprised that Sage had moved the furniture around a little. The writing desk used to be against the opposite wall, but Sage had moved it to in front of the window where she could look out onto the garden and ocean. Turning off the overhead light, Sage moved toward the desk, where a single lamp illuminated the room. Sliding into the chair, she looked across at the pinprick of lights of the village before returning to the research that was becoming completely absorbing. Opening the journal again, she continued to read, unaware of the moon crossing the sky or the ribbon of dawn awakening the slumbering world on the horizon. The woman who wrote these early entries brought to mind all that the family experienced. She made it a living, breathing thing. Sage felt as though she was walking through every experience vividly. So absorbed in this other world, Sage never heard the knock on the bedroom door, nor did she hear Maddy calling. The opening of the door and the calling of her name went unheard. The touch of her hand on her shoulder jolted her from this other world, and she gasped.

"Sage, I didn't mean to startle you," Maddy said, looking around the room and taking in the bed, unused pyjamas and the pile of journals on the side of the writing desk. "How long have you been at this?"

"At what?" Sage asked, looking around her as though she saw the room for the first time.

"Whatever you were doing?" Maddy said, indicating the desktop.

"Oh …" Sage said, "not long."

"You didn't sleep in your bed last night; your pyjamas are still on your bed, and the lamp is on even though the sun is pouring in the window," Maddy said, staring into Sage's tired eyes, "you didn't sleep last night."

"I guess I didn't," Sage said, "I got into the journals … I was only going to read one."

"How many did you end up reading?" Maddy asked, her gentle words drawing a sigh from Sage.

Sage looked between the two piles, grimacing as she pointed at the smaller pile on the left, "Unread," and then to the pile on the right, "Read."

"Then I think I've come just in time to break this obsession of yours," Maddy said, "it's Saturday, the sun is shining, breakfast is waiting for us on the terrace, and we're taking the beach walk into the village."

"Oh, is my house arrest over?" Sage said, grinning as she pushed to her feet, moving stiffly toward the wardrobe, glancing over her shoulder, surprised at the alarming expression on Maddy's face, "Maddy? I was joking."

Maddy looked down at the open journal on the desk, "These are Charlotte's journals."

"I would presume so," Sage said, "I'll be returning them to the library before we go out."

Nodding briskly, Maddy swallowed hard, turning to Sage with a forced smile, "I'll see you downstairs in a few minutes."

"Okay … on the terrace," Sage said, watching Maddy nod and leave the room; looking back at the journals and the closed door, Sage frowned, "What is going on with you, Maddy?"

Dressing quickly, Sage gathered the journals and headed for the library. While pushing the journals into the place, Sage noticed one of the journals in the pile had something peaking out from the back cover; frowning, Sage gently opened the journal to the very back cover and discovered an old black and white photo pushed into the leather. Carefully easing it out, Sage held it to the light; a young woman cradling two newborn babies smiled up at the camera. The Pixie face, gentle eyes and bow-shaped mouth revealed the mystery to whom she was related; it was as though Charlotte lived once more in this woman. Turning it over, Sage felt sudden surprise race through her as she took in the inscription on the back of the photo and read: "My dearly loved Carla, may your babies live to an old age. Charlotte would be so proud."

"Who is Carla?" Sage whispered, gently returning the photo and putting the rest of the journals away, "This is getting more intriguing as I go along. I wonder if any legend is attached to the house after all."

Sage closed the drawer, sighed, rubbed at her tired eyes, and left the library. It was time to head into the real world around her and breathe a different air.

"Do I have to bring anything for the walk into the village?" Sage asked as she slipped her feet into a pair of sandals, "I hope shorts and a t-shirt are okay, and I won't offend anyone."

Maddy grinned, "We have seen those clothes before," she chuckled, "you're fine, but it's sweet you want to make a good impression. I think the villagers are a little worried about doing the same."

"What do you mean?" Sage said, following Maddy out of the house and across the lawn toward the ocean.

"If you decide you no longer wish to live here, we are made redundant," Maddy said with a slight shrug.

"Redundant?" Sage repeated, frowning as she took in this part of the garden, "You mean the village and this house … what? Disappear?"

Maddy stopped at the top of a shallow flight of stone stairs, "I didn't want to put that kind of pressure on you, but … yes."

"Wow, but you've had other residents living here before me," Sage said, "did that also apply?"

Maddy shook her head, "The others before you truly need assistance, and some of them were being hunted by terrible people," Maddy sighed. "Your assignment means that we're under review."

"Review? Like a job performance?" Sage asked, surprise rippling over her expression and running into her words.

"You could put it like that," Maddy said, grimacing, "your … assessment was time specific … you have six months to discover the legend of the house and write about it, and then you decide if you want to stay or not."

"Yes, so?" Sage asked, wondering if she was understanding correctly.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

"If you don't like what you find or miss the six-month mark …" Maddy sighed, "… the house can be closed up, and the funding that runs this village could be pulled."

"Would whoever controls that do something like that?" Sage asked, slowly moving toward the top of the stairs and looking at the ocean.

"They could," Maddy said, softly turning toward the ocean and pointing to the bottom of the stairs, "there is the gate."

"Ornate iron bars," Sage said, nodding, "it is sort of what I expected after researching for a week."

"What do you think so far?" Maddy asked.

"About what I found?" Sage asked, pushing open the gate and stepping onto the soft beach sand as Maddy nodded, "I think there is a lot that happened at that house, this stretch of land, and I think whatever happened changed the course of the history of this place and also the family that first lived here."

"You found that out in a week?" Maddy asked, glancing at Sage before watching the waves race toward their bare feet, "Maybe you will find out in the next five weeks."

"One thing I do know," Sage said, "is that there is a lot of work to do, and the subject matter can be consuming."

Maddy smiled, "It must be good then," she pointed to a single-storey stone house with a wrap-around veranda nestled just off the sand, "... that is where I live."

"When you said a house close by, I didn't realise it was this close by," Sage smiled, "I envisioned it smaller for some reason. But that is a nice size."

"Thank you," Maddy said, "it's almost as old as the house."

They walked on in silence to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore and the gulls calling above them as they rode the thermals of the ocean breeze.

"Tell me what I can expect in the village," Sage said, pausing as Maddy hesitated, glancing at the house, "do you need to do something before we go on further?"

Maddy swallowed hard, "My … father," she whispered, pointing at the house's veranda, "he … he is waiting to meet you."

"Does he meet everyone who lives in the house?" Sage asked, turning toward Maddy's house.

"Not usually on the first day," Maddy whispered, "he doesn't seem to be happy."

"Let's go see what he wants," Sage said, as she moved toward the house, pausing and turning back to a stationery Maddy, "Do I introduce myself?"

Maddy cleared her throat, squared her shoulders and blew a breath out through pursed lips, "That would be rude of me to make you do that," she said, moving past Sage, "let's get this over with."

Sage watched her stride up the beach, "Another mystery," she sighed, following Maddy into the shade of the veranda, preparing herself for anything that may come. Getting closer, she overheard a few words of the whispered, heated argument before Maddy turned to her, giving a tight smile.

"Sage, this is my father," Maddy said, "Dad, this is Sage … she is the current resident in the house."

Sage stepped forward, extending her hand and firmly shaking Maddy's father's extended hand while meeting his eye, "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, Sage; you can call me Nate," he said. His voice was surprisingly soft and mellow and held slight gravel like he had worked in the elements for many years.

"Nate," Sage said, smiling, "as in Nathan or Nathanial?"

The flicker of surprise in his eyes and the quick glance at Maddy was not lost on Sage as she waited for his reply.

"Ah … Nathanial," he said, clearing his throat, "you're… you're the first person to ask me that."

"Ever?" Sage asked, glancing between father and daughter, "In your entire life?"

"Yes," Nate said, "I guess those around here who grew up with me know, but no newcomer has ever asked that."

"Oh, well, I like to know details and find that by linking things together, understanding comes," Sage said, looking around the veranda at the wicker furnishings and wind chimes that drew her attention as the breeze fluttered through it, "I'm sorry if we interrupted anything by coming here to greet you."

"Interrupt anything?" Nate asked, frowning with confusion evident in his deep green eyes.

"It looks like you were busy with … something," Sage said, indicating the tea tray and books on the coffee table, "we were on the way to the village, and frankly, I'm happy to be allowed to walk the beach and finally get to see this mysterious village of Coopers Creek."

"Why do you think it's mysterious?" Nate asked, glancing sharply at Maddy, who rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Before I came here," Sage said, not missing the exchange, "I'd never heard of Coopers Creek. If I look it up on the internet, the last mention of it was during the last world war, and since then … nothing. To me, that is mysterious."

"Research … online," Nate stammered while blinking quickly, "you put our name out there?"

"I did," Sage said, "I have come to understand that my assignment could be important for everyone here; one thing I have learned in the world of research is to always have proof you looked for something. You are clearly concerned with the world knowing you're here," Sage said gently, "let me assure you … no one does. If you ask a travel agent for a means of transport to Coopers Creek, they will tell you the place is non-existent."

"See, I told you there was nothing to worry about," Maddy said, looking meaningfully at her father, "we're the only ones who live in this cocoon and know about it."

"I needed to make sure," Nate said, sighing heavily, "thank you for being honest with us, Sage."

Smiling, Sage glanced at Maddy before steadily gazing at Nate, "If you don't mind us leaving you now, I would love Maddy to show me the village."

"Oh …" Nate said, nodding, "I'm sure she will do a good job. Enjoy the walk and exploration of the village."

Giving a parting wave and smile, Sage returned to the beach and continued walking in the direction they had been heading. Maddy caught up to her quickly, panting a little.

"You're in a hurry," Maddy said, glancing at Sage.

"Am I?" Sage asked, "I sensed you wanted to get away quicker than I did. I was waiting for him to put me under house arrest again."

Maddy laughed, "Oh, I would love to see him try."

"Why do you say that?" Sage asked, grinning.

"He comes across tough and able but can only carry that with the men of the town," Maddy said, wiping at her streaming eyes, "when he tries it with my mother and I …" Maddy chuckled, "… he dissolves into a puddle of pleas and beggging."

"Really?" Sage stopped walking, staring at Maddy, "That burly man can be resorted to begging?"

Maddy nodded, "He is a strong person, but he's like a … cuddly teddy bear ... all soft and gentle on the inside."

"Huh, one never knows about people," Sage said, nodding as she continued down the beach, "you were going to tell me about what I can expect in the village."

"Right," Maddy said, "there are many original things you'll see and so many people you need to meet."

"Oh boy, names will be swirling by tonight," Sage gasped dramatically before smiling, "tell me everything I need to know."

Glancing at Sage mischievously, Maddy chatted animatedly, answering Sage's questions until they reached the village stairs on the beach.

"Do you feel ready?" Maddy asked.

Blowing out an exaggerated breath, Sage took in the shops along the seashore, "I … oh heavens," she turned nervously to Maddy, "I hope I am … I don't want to mess anything up."

Maddy's gaze softened as she reached out, taking one of Sage's hands, "You aren't going to mess anything up … just be yourself, and you'll be fine."

Nodding, Sage squeezed her hand, "Thank you. Strangely, it's important that they like me ... silly, I know, but ... they have to like me," she prattled, meeting Maddy's steady gaze, "... okay … let's do this."

"Follow me," Maddy smiled as she climbed the stairs, "where do you want to start?"

"Where would I find a good cup of coffee?" Sage asked.

"Good start," Maddy said, pointing to the far end of the stores on the left, "we'll start on that side and work along until we reach the other side."

"Maddy, are these the only stores in the village?" Sage asked, looking up and down the row.

"No, there are more," Maddy said, "these are the ones you can see from the beach and since you want to start with good coffee ... where we'll start."

"Fair enough. I'm in your hands," Sage said as they slipped their sandals back on and walked along the cobblestones toward the smell of coffee and the delicious smell of something baking.