The boys held the doors open for us to walk into the castle. My breath left my lips as I glanced around.

The main hall was large in size and contained different types of architecture and grand artwork; paintings, vases, and candles lining the walls. There was also a large red carpet covering the main entrance to the hall, including a stairway leading to the upper level. Candelabras were placed on tables in each corner.

The hall almost looked clean, but I noticed dirt and dust balls littered along the carpet. Talk about no spring cleaning.

A chandelier hung beneath the high cathedral ceiling. Archways lined the left and right walls beneath the second-floor balconies. Four doors on both sides, but I couldn’t see the other doors at the top.

Besides the floor, the entrance hall looked totally cleaned. The old article said the townspeople burnt the castle down after they chased the mayor into his home. I expected to find charcoal and rubble all over the place. But it totally looked like someone fully cleaned up the castle and redecorated it. Rory and Kason couldn't have fixed the castle by themselves in one day. Maybe the papers were totally bogus.

“What do you think?” Brian asked.

Holly widened her eyes with a big smile. “It looks awesome!”

Malaya narrowed her eyes at the floor and at the ceiling. "Did you guys clean this whole place by yourselves?"

That was totally what I wanted to know.

Rory glanced around as he rubbed the back of his head. "I don’t know. This place looked clean when we got here."

"Did someone live here before we got here?" I asked.

Kason looked around. "I didn't see anyone here. Maybe they left a long time ago."

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

I never heard anyone moving to the castle and leaving their stuff behind. If someone moved into the castle, the whole town would have known. Maybe the real estate company, Greenville, sent carpenters and cleaners to maintain the castle in case a rich family wanted to buy it. Who knows, I only cared about cheerleading with my friends.

Brian shrugged. "Whatever. Setting up the party here is what matters. Would you like a tour before we begin the decorations?"

Tiffany smirked. "I am totally up for that." Her eyes glanced around. "My family could buy this castle in an instant. Then I would be called a princess!"

Malaya giggled. "A cheerleader princess?"

Tiffany smiled at her with the click of her tongue. "Good one."

"Come on, we'll show you upstairs." Brian walked up the staircase as we followed him.

While behind, I sniffed the air with my eyes closed. Only dust and dry paint flowed around me. If I smelled a monster hiding in the castle, I would know already.

*****

Okay, just to skip through the boring parts, I will totally summarize the whole thing. All we did was check out the second floor inside the castle. Brian told us to avoid the basement, locked by a metal door beneath the staircase. He said he couldn't unlock it, believing it had something dangerous down there.

Oh yeah, as if that was totally obvious.

The second floor has two doors. One leads to the diner, and the other has a hallway with four rooms. A library, bathroom, storage, and an art gallery. Near the diner was the ballroom, which Brian suggested where the party should take place.

I totally agreed with him. Our party should be called the monster ball. Heeheehee.

Three tall windows stood along the left wall over the marble checkerboard floor. Candle holders hung on the right wall between paintings. The paintings were mountains, lakes, and forests. I wondered who placed them there.

So far, I smelled nothing weird. Only Rory smelled like a wet armpit.

My cellphone buzzed, and I answered it. "Hello?"

"We're here," Kevin answered.

"Where?"

"At the docks. Can you meet us?"

"Sure! I'll see you soon." I hung my phone and turned to my friends. "Kevin and Salina are here. I'm going to meet them."

"Okay, but don't take too long," said Tiffany. "We might need your help to decorate this place."

"Just give me a ring, and I will be back." I left quickly, hoping Kevin and Salina will be fine on the island.