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Description
Between worlds

Annabelle ran her finger over the old stone railings, tracing the lines of time against her fingers. Patches of moss felt like small islands of chaos the vastness of time. Annabelle climbed and stood up, balancing on the railing. A wave of red and yellow streaked past her, as the autumn winds played with the seasonal leaves. As she stretched out her arms she felt the pulse of life around her. This place was ancient and magical. It was like the stones, the leaves and the wind sang to her as autumn sneaked closer. She felt like she could fly and almost leaped off the railing in her bliss. Annabelle sighed and smiled to herself. She sat down on the balcony railing and swayed her legs back and forth like a young girl when she played on her swing. When had she last been home? A year? Two?

Annabelle looked down at the old fountain below her. The face of a young woman stared back at her. Long white hair, emerald eyes and a tired face swam in the grey water, but her feminine feature stood out despite her worn jeans, the ripped trench coat, the dirty black t-shirt and the rugged heavy military boots. She remembered when her big brother had called her a tomboy and almost dislocated his shoulder by twisting his arm. Well the Tai Chi course had to be good for something and twisting ones brother’s arm when he didn’t behave was a good thing.

2 years ago she had been at her last year in high school and preparing for college, history major of course, and now, now she was in Scotland pursuing the latest lead. Not that she disliked her work, it was just a feeling she had. Like she had taken a step into a world that always seemed to change, keeping her from adapting. Still she liked what she did. The travels where a perk, she got insider access and she never lacked excitement. She was hunter now. Not a scholar.

She glided down the balcony and stared at the sliver of the moon that hovered above the ancient mansion. A group of dark clouds glided across the sky and covered her world with dark. She turned on her heel and forcefully pushed the giant oak doors open. She felt a rush of old air against her face as she entered a large hall. A large oak table dominated the centre of the room and like the mansion it palpably radiated with the wisdom of ages long forgotten. Annabelle ran her fingers against the old surface of the table as she paced through the hall. Her echo followed her almost like the mansion itself was judging her with its entire might. Another oak door rose up in front of her and again she pushed the open large oak doors.

Shrill beeping and the scurrying of feet greeted her silent world and she had to blink for a moment as two large floodlights that where trained against the wall above her sent their cool pale blue light into her eyes. Immediately a pair of sunglasses appeared in her hand and she continued her walk across the room behind blue shades. The buzz of activity was all around her as archaeologists and technicians where studying engravings the walls, assistants making various phone calls and constantly updating a flat screen mounted over the fireplace and few a members of her team where packing equipment into a small container.

The flat screen displayed the most recent photos taken by the onsite archaeologists and technicians showing large sigils and the occult engraving on the walls, the reason of their visit to the manor. To this point no valuable information had been found Annabelle had received orders to: “pack up and return to base in three days” as her supervisor had put it. She felt sad as she had announced the order to on-site personnel the next day. This place was a marker, Annabelle was certain of it. It had stood vacant for at least a-100-years and bore no signs of decay from disrepair. She studied the layout of the floors, both those above ground and belowground. Three storeys and 2 subterranean so far suggested that the this old house harboured some ancient secrets but levels below where nothing more than passages carved from grey rock with no interest at all.

The three days had passed and slowly equipment was being shuttled away in trucks, as where personnel and by now only a fragment of the remaining staff was still exploring the mansion. Annabelle had however secured that the mansion was to be placed under the care of a warden so that it remained in repair should she ever feel the need to return to these ancient stones. Annabelle stiffened a bit as she remembered she had more important things to take care of. She was taken back to the real world by the shrill ring of her cell phone. She flicked it open and answered the call.

“This is Annabelle. Yes, we will be moving out at noon tomorrow. I have seen to it that this location will be watched over by a local. No I told the truth, that we where here for historical reasons. Yes; I believe he will be content with that explanation. Very good; I estimate I will be back in New York tomorrow at 8 pm.”

Description
Between worlds

Annabelle ran her finger over the old stone railings, tracing the lines of time against her fingers. Patches of moss felt like small islands of chaos the vastness of time. Annabelle climbed and stood up, balancing on the railing. A wave of red and yellow streaked past her, as the autumn winds played with the seasonal leaves. As she stretched out her arms she felt the pulse of life around her. This place was ancient and magical. It was like the stones, the leaves and the wind sang to her as autumn sneaked closer. She felt like she could fly and almost leaped off the railing in her bliss. Annabelle sighed and smiled to herself. She sat down on the balcony railing and swayed her legs back and forth like a young girl when she played on her swing. When had she last been home? A year? Two?

Annabelle looked down at the old fountain below her. The face of a young woman stared back at her. Long white hair, emerald eyes and a tired face swam in the grey water, but her feminine feature stood out despite her worn jeans, the ripped trench coat, the dirty black t-shirt and the rugged heavy military boots. She remembered when her big brother had called her a tomboy and almost dislocated his shoulder by twisting his arm. Well the Tai Chi course had to be good for something and twisting ones brother’s arm when he didn’t behave was a good thing.

2 years ago she had been at her last year in high school and preparing for college, history major of course, and now, now she was in Scotland pursuing the latest lead. Not that she disliked her work, it was just a feeling she had. Like she had taken a step into a world that always seemed to change, keeping her from adapting. Still she liked what she did. The travels where a perk, she got insider access and she never lacked excitement. She was hunter now. Not a scholar.

She glided down the balcony and stared at the sliver of the moon that hovered above the ancient mansion. A group of dark clouds glided across the sky and covered her world with dark. She turned on her heel and forcefully pushed the giant oak doors open. She felt a rush of old air against her face as she entered a large hall. A large oak table dominated the centre of the room and like the mansion it palpably radiated with the wisdom of ages long forgotten. Annabelle ran her fingers against the old surface of the table as she paced through the hall. Her echo followed her almost like the mansion itself was judging her with its entire might. Another oak door rose up in front of her and again she pushed the open large oak doors.

Shrill beeping and the scurrying of feet greeted her silent world and she had to blink for a moment as two large floodlights that where trained against the wall above her sent their cool pale blue light into her eyes. Immediately a pair of sunglasses appeared in her hand and she continued her walk across the room behind blue shades. The buzz of activity was all around her as archaeologists and technicians where studying engravings the walls, assistants making various phone calls and constantly updating a flat screen mounted over the fireplace and few a members of her team where packing equipment into a small container.

The flat screen displayed the most recent photos taken by the onsite archaeologists and technicians showing large sigils and the occult engraving on the walls, the reason of their visit to the manor. To this point no valuable information had been found Annabelle had received orders to: “pack up and return to base in three days” as her supervisor had put it. She felt sad as she had announced the order to on-site personnel the next day. This place was a marker, Annabelle was certain of it. It had stood vacant for at least a-100-years and bore no signs of decay from disrepair. She studied the layout of the floors, both those above ground and belowground. Three storeys and 2 subterranean so far suggested that the this old house harboured some ancient secrets but levels below where nothing more than passages carved from grey rock with no interest at all.

The three days had passed and slowly equipment was being shuttled away in trucks, as where personnel and by now only a fragment of the remaining staff was still exploring the mansion. Annabelle had however secured that the mansion was to be placed under the care of a warden so that it remained in repair should she ever feel the need to return to these ancient stones. Annabelle stiffened a bit as she remembered she had more important things to take care of. She was taken back to the real world by the shrill ring of her cell phone. She flicked it open and answered the call.

“This is Annabelle. Yes, we will be moving out at noon tomorrow. I have seen to it that this location will be watched over by a local. No I told the truth, that we where here for historical reasons. Yes; I believe he will be content with that explanation. Very good; I estimate I will be back in New York tomorrow at 8 pm.”