HELL HOUSE

CHAPTER ONE: Summoned by a Letter


Miranda Madsen shivered slightly in her green polo-neck as the intricately carved front door shut behind her, the sound echoing throughout the entrance room.
In her hand she held a letter, her fingers clutching it tightly. An overnight bag was slung over one slim shoulder and her silky orange hair hung in a loose plait over one shoulder.
“Hello?” she called. Receiving no answer Miranda sighed and dumped her bag on an ornate wooden chair beside the door.
The hallway was large, with a dark, carved wooden ceiling. Faces of gargoyles and saints stared down at her and Miranda looked away. The floor was red tiles, only softened by a bearskin rug in the centre. The bear’s eyes were staring and its mouth open in a silent roar, fangs bared and ready to strike.
There was no other decoration in the room, the walls were painted crimson and they reminded Miranda a little of the colour of blood. She shifted uneasily and gripped the letter a little tighter.
Miranda wasn’t generally a nervous person. At High School she had been the most popular girl, head cheerleader, class Captain and Head Girl.
She could play the piano, the harp and the violin, and her music teacher often said she had the voice of an angel. She was beautiful too, and she knew it.
Her hair was long, wavy and an unusual orange in colour, her eyes a bright forget-me-not blue and her skin as white as the snow. All in all she was an exceptional nineteen year old girl, sure of herself and never nervous.
But she was nervous now.
A few days ago she had received a letter at her parent’s town house. It had been an invitation, inviting her to a party at Crawley Manor on Halloween night. There had been no signature, Miranda had no clue who had sent it but strangely she had felt compelled to go. After all, she had nothing better to do. Normally she would have spent the night with her on/off boyfriend Gabriel. But he had told her he was busy and so here she was.
Miranda was just about to shout hello again when the door opened behind her and two figures stepped into the entrance room, both shivering from the cold outside.
Miranda recognized both of them instantly. It was Luka Odagiri and his sister Mie, Japanese siblings who lived on the same street as her in London.
Luka was twenty and was regarded by Miranda’s upper class parents as ‘no good’.
He rode a great black motorbike and wore his hair in jagged black spikes around his face. His eyes were so dark they were almost black and his outfit consisted of badly fitting jeans, a black shirt and a worn leather jacket with metal spikes around the cuffs. Frayed cut off gloves covered his long fingers and light stubble was growing on his jaw.
Miranda scowled, Luka was something of a mystery to her with his laid back attitude and his general disregard for rules.
His sister Mie however, was his complete opposite: only eighteen years old and as innocent and naïve as a little button. Her black hair was cut into a shiny bob, decorated with a white Alice band and she wore a white cotton dress and cardigan.
Miranda only spoke to the two siblings at her parent’s New Year’s Eve parties when they invited everyone on the street and beyond, but she knew that Luka was fiercely protective of his sister.
“What are you doing here?” Miranda asked pointedly, putting on her haughtiest voice.
Mie smiled shyly but didn’t reply, her small hands tightly gripping a purple Hello Kitty overnight bag.
Luka had his back to them both, removing his motorcycle helmet and setting it down on the floor beside the door.
“Well?” Miranda demanded.
“We were invited.” Luka replied shortly, his dark eyes looking sharply into hers.
Miranda’s mouth fell open, about to protest. However, Luka’s sudden shout of hello startled her into silence.
Again no one answered and Luka slumped down on the floor, his back resting against the blood coloured wall and his long legs stretching out over the tiles. Miranda watched him warily.
“Do you know who sent the invitation?” she asked.
Luka shrugged and took a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket. Lighting one, he blew the smoke in Miranda’s direction.
“Guess we’ll find out soon.” He said, his voice smooth, giving away the privileged background that his clothes and actions disguised.
“I don’t like it here Luka.” Mie said suddenly, making Miranda jump. She had forgotten the other girl was there, that was how quiet Mie was.
Luka smiled gently at his sister, the look softening his whole face.
“Its okay kid, the host will be here soon and the other guests.”
Mie smiled back but she didn’t look convinced. Miranda glanced again at the bear rug and felt the feeling of unease wash over her once more.
Luka rolled his eyes at her and Miranda moved away, taking her lipstick out of the pocket of her jeans in order to reapply.
For at least ten minutes the three occupants of the room were silent, each breathing the musty air and shivering slightly in the cold. Mie stood in the centre of the room, her wide eyes watching the door as if she wanted to run through it and back home. Miranda couldn’t blame her; she was beginning to think that it had been a bad idea coming here at all.
Even from the outside the house was ominous, dark and turreted, reaching far into the sky with sharp towers and spires. Carved gargoyles had stared down at her from the balcony of every window as she had made her way up the drive.
“We should leave.” Mie said pleadingly, her eyes now on Luka who was opening his mouth to speak. But he never got the chance because at that moment the front door opened once more and a girl stepped through.
The heavy door slammed shut behind her and she jumped, shuffling a little further into the hall, her grey eyes taking in the faces of the others.
“Dinah?” Miranda asked in disbelief.
The girl nodded and broke into a crooked smile. Dinah Hamilton, for that was her name, had gone to Miranda’s high school. They hadn’t known each other well, Dinah had been in the year above, but they knew of each other.
Dinah was a geek, that was the only way Miranda could put it. The girl had bookworm written all over her. Her mousy brown hair was in two plaits, she wore a white shirt and a brown skirt (knee length of course), woollen tights and glasses which she had to constantly push up her nose.
“Um…I had an invitation…” Dinah stammered, adjusting her glasses for the third time since she had arrived.
Mie nodded, “We all have invitations as well.”
“I know you.” Luka said suddenly, out of the blue; his gloved hand indicating Dinah. “You go to the art college on Baker Street, I see you walking with your folder.”
Dinah nodded and turned to face him, “I…I know you too,” she said. “You used to go out with Wai Lin, and I remember your motorbike.”
Luka nodded, “I’m Luka,” he said. “And this is Mie.”
Mie smiled and waved at Dinah who smiled and waved back.
“Does anyone know who invited us?” she asked.
“No.” Miranda said, tired of being in the background. “And it’s damn creepy. I think we should go and see if there is anyone in the rest of the house.”
“NO!” Mie cried, her eyes more than a little fearful.
But she didn’t have to worry because just the door flew open for the fourth time and two people stepped through, both dragging a large black overnight bag.
They dumped the bag in the centre of the hall and then shut the door behind them. Luka, Mie and Dinah stared at the two arrivals curiously but Miranda didn’t. She let out an excited squeal, “Gabriel!” she cried, hugging him tightly.
“Miranda?” he asked, pushing her way and looking at her in disbelief.
Gabriel Kynaston was heir to the Kynaston fortune, much revered model and Miranda’s ideal husband.
He was also completely beautiful, as well a being rich, which helped. He lived mostly in a London townhouse his parents had bought him but his family home was the English countryside, not too far from London. Miranda had been there once and nearly been bowled over by the sheer vastness of the place. It had been like stepping back in time to a Jane Austen novel. There had been picnics and afternoon tea, balls and dinner parties, croquet and horse riding. It had been during that visit that Miranda had decided that was the life she wanted.
Gabriel himself would make the perfect husband, well mannered, handsome, confident and powerful. His hair was so blonde it was almost white and it hung in soft waves about his pointed white face. His eyes were an expressive icy blue and his pouty mouth concealed dazzling sharp white teeth.
He always dressed with the utmost class, which Miranda loved, being of a certain level of class herself. That evening he wore an immaculate white shirt and black Armani suit. Miranda had to keep herself from drooling.
“Wow!” she cried, “I can’t believe we both got the same invitation! Isn’t it amazing?” Perhaps the party or whatever it was wouldn’t be so dreadfully dull with Gabriel around.
Gabriel nodded. “What a lucky coincidence.” He said a bit flatly.
Miranda frowned at his tone of voice but decided to ignore it, she was probably imagining things.
“GOD this place is fucking weird!”
Everyone’s gaze immediately went to the other person who had come through the door. Miranda recognized him immediately. It was Drew Lane, the twenty year old, gaudily dressed, bisexual best friend and faithful lapdog of Gabriel.
Currently Drew’s spiky hair was bright fire-engine red, but he changed it every month. He was physically stronger than Gabriel but nowhere near as smart, his green eyes were openly malicious and his bright purple shirt clashed horribly with his hair.
“I’m Gabriel Kynaston and this is Drew Lane,” Gabriel said politely, turning to face Dinah, Luka and Mie.
Luka nodded and shook his hand, the difference between them almost painful. Gabriel was everything orderly, proper and perfect. Luka was wild, dark and mysterious.
“I’m Luka Odagiri and this is Mie, my sister.”
“I’m Dinah,” said Dinah.
“I’ll bet you are.” Drew said with a lascivious grin.
Dinah blushed and went to stand beside Mie who was looking at Gabriel and Drew in slight awe.
“Hello Mie,” Drew said with another wide smile. “How old are you then?”
“She’s eighteen.” Luka said sharply, glaring daggers in Drew’s direction.
Gabriel looked at Luka thoughtfully and then walked over to Drew, who was staring at Mie like a lion would look at its prey.
Putting his hand on Drew’s shoulder Gabriel said, “Leave it alone Drew.”
Drew rolled his eyes and broke away, strolling over to regard Miranda for an instant before turning back to the rest of the room.
“So what the fuck is going on?” he drawled, “Where’s the host?”
“We don’t know,” Miranda said, sidling closer to Gabriel who didn’t look at her. “I don’t think there’s anyone here but us.”
“Did you see the statues outside?” Drew continued, apparently deaf to Miranda’s words, “They scared the crap out of us when we arrived. What the hell is this place, huh? The Addams family mansion?”
No one answered. Mie looked at Luka. “I think we should leave.” She said again, her small hand tugging on the sleeve of his leather jacket.
“Don’t worry.” Luka said, “I’m here.”
Miranda rolled her eyes and looked at Gabriel, “There really isn’t anyone else here,” she said. “I shouted…and so did Luka.”
Gabriel looked over at the dark haired boy and Luka nodded, a cigarette dangling between his full lips.
“Well perhaps we should just…..” Gabriel trailed off; a door on the right hand side of the entrance room had just swung open, allowing them a glimpse of a dimly lit hallway that was painted the same blood red as the entrance room.
Mie let out a little gasp but everyone else remained silent.
“Should we go down there?” Miranda asked, her question directed at Gabriel rather than anyone else. Her only plan was to find somewhere where she and Gabriel could be alone so she could find out what was bothering him or at least reassure herself that he still loved her.
But it was Luka that answered. “Let’s go,” he said, stubbing his cigarette out on the wall, leaving a little black mark. “Aren’t you guys curious about this whole thing? I wanna see what’s down there.”
Miranda glared at him, she hadn’t been addressing him. Her mother was right; Luka Odagiri had absolutely no manners.
“Alright,” Gabriel said suddenly, shifting slightly away from Miranda and closer to Luka. “I’ll go first.”
Miranda scowled, why was nobody paying attention to her? And why was Gabriel being so cold? It wasn’t like him; usually he was all sensual smiles and buckets of charm. Miranda wondered what she could have possibly done wrong.
“If you’re going then go.” Drew ordered from the back of the room, at some point during the conversation he had walked backwards so that he was now standing directly behind Mie who was looking distinctly nervous.
Gabriel glared at him, “Put a sock in it Drew.” He said before advancing on the open door.
The hallway beyond was lit with a few flickering candles and it looked less than inviting, but if Miranda leaned a little to the left she could make out another door at the opposite end.
Gabriel began to walk down the wooden floor of the hall, his expensive Italian shoes making little to no noise. Luka was watching him, his face inscrutable and his hands jammed roughly in his pockets.
Gabriel reached the other door and pulled it open, the others waiting with baited breath for the result.
“It’s okay!” Gabriel called. “It’s a dining room, set for six…..and lots of food too! And drink! I suppose it really is a party…”
“THANK FUCK!” Drew yelled, sprinting down the hall after Gabriel. “I could use a good drink!”
Luka followed soon after, closely trailed by Mie and Dinah.
Miranda went last, oblivious to the sound of the entrance room door locking shut behind her.

(A/N) please review, it means a lot, i want to know your opinions..who's your favourite character? who do you not like? etc