The Hidden House

Chapter One

You may or may not have heard the story of little Anabelle Bentford, but you shall hear it just the same. It was many years ago when her adventure began- around June of the year 1740- in a land far away from your own. Anabelle Bentford, along with her friend, Nathaniel Waterstone, was eight years old. Eight is a rather irksome age, for when a child is eight, they are either too young or too old to do most anything that would please them. Luckily for Anabelle, she was a headstrong girl who did what she wanted, unlike Nathaniel, whose biggest fear was being reprimanded by Bessie. Bessie Waterstone was not only Nathaniel's twenty-four-year-old sister, but also acted as a sort of governess for the two children. Now, the reason that Anabelle lived with the Waterstones was because- Bessie would often tell her- Anabelle was an orphan, just like the Waterstones. When Anabelle was only an infant, some servants had taken her from the home in which she had lived before her parents' untimely death, and handed her to Bessie, who happened to live in a cottage nearby- Waterstone Cottage. As they were raised together, Anabelle and Nathaniel became very close friends, and thought of each other as siblings. And though Bessie scolded them often, she did so with kind intentions, and always made certain (At least, the best she could) that they kept out of trouble.

Despite Anabelle's willingness to break the rules, she wasn't punished very often, for there were not many rules to break. All that was required of her and Nathaniel was that they did their fair share of chores- which included pulling weeds from the garden, hanging wet clothes out to dry, and setting the table at meals- and that they not act foolish, as children are often tempted to. But there was one rule that was always to be taken extremely seriously: they were not to travel more than a mile from the cottage in any direction. Nathaniel promised to obey his sister. Anabelle promised too, but no sooner had she done this then she was running laughingly away from Nathaniel, who was begging her to return with him to Waterstone Cottage, which was now well out of sight. This chase occurred under a bleak sky- one so darkened with clouds that it seemed the sun was not out at all. Night was beginning to fall; a warm summer breeze blew across the grass, gently blowing the sage blades about as it went. Suddenly, across this empty landscape burst Anabelle and Nathaniel, who had been playing a game of tag outside of Waterstone Cottage when they were supposed to be doing the laundry; the game had evidently gotten out of hand, and Anabelle had run off at a marvelous speed only capable of eight-year-olds. Nathaniel, worried for his friend and more worried for himself, had sped off after her in an attempt to draw her back home; but, as usual, she could not be persuaded.

"Anabelle Bentford!" Nathaniel cried to her, "Anabelle, you really have gone too far this time! Pray, let's turn back!"

"Turn back? Not a chance, Nathaniel Waterstone," Anabelle called playfully over her shoulder.

"But we must! Bessie- she'll send us to bed with no supper!"

"Now, why would your sister do that?"

"Because we've gone too far from the cottage! I know we have, Anabelle, for it is out of sight! Besides, the wind is growing stronger, and the sun is setting behind the clouds; before long, night will fall, and we'll find that we've gotten ourselves lost!"

"You must catch me if you want me to return with you!" Anabelle laughed like a silver-bell as she continued to race.

"I cannot run as fast as you..." Nathaniel breathed harder, and began to slow down. "Oh, let's turn back this instant! I am much too tired to run anymore."

"Nathaniel Waterstone, you mustn't be such a coward! It makes no difference how far we travel from the cottage; your sister shall never know of it."

"I am not a coward, Anabelle Bentford; I am simply conscientious."

"What does that mean?" Anabelle carelessly called over her shoulder as she dashed up a large hill.

"It means that I think twice before I take any action, and that I am careful of what I do. You ought to be conscientious like me!" Anabelle reached the top of the hill, and, gazing at the valley below with those curious, icy-blue eyes of hers, stood still. When Nathaniel, who was quite fatigued, finally reached her, he stopped and caught his breath. He then turned to her with a puzzled expression. "Anabelle?... Anabelle, what are you looking at?" His gaze fell into line with hers, and he found himself staring down into a valley; in its center was an enormous white palace. While its size was imposing, it looked desolate and abandoned, as if nobody lived there at all. Something about it attracted Anabelle, but she could scarcely take one step before Nathaniel took hold of her wrist. "Anabelle, you know good and well that we are not allowed to go near other houses without Bessie; approaching this house can only worsen things, if that's even possible! We are leaving right this moment!"

"No, we aren't," she argued as she yanked her wrist free of his grasp.

"Oh, please, Anabelle? I don't want Bessie to scold me, because I always cry when she does, and I don't want to-"

"Do you gather anyone lives there?" Anabelle asked as her gaze shifted back toward the palace, her eyes glistening with imagination.

"I would rather not know!" Nathaniel shuddered.

"Perhaps nobody lives there," she thought aloud. "But why would anyone abandon that incredible palace?"

"If somebody abandoned that house, it must be so horrible that nobody could possibly wish to live there."

"Come, let's have a look," she suggested.

"Oh, no, Anabelle! We've gone out far enough for one evening! I shan't go any farther."

"Then I will," Anabelle decided as she began to walk toward it.

"No!" Nathaniel protested as he followed her. "I- you cannot leave me all alone, I- I shall get lost trying to find my way back to Waterstone Cottage, and so shall you! Besides, thesky is darkening, and we haven't got any candle... Anabelle!"

"Very well," Anabelle scoffed as she turned toward him. "But you are not to tell Bessie that we've found this palace. Do you understand?"

"I couldn't possibly lie to Bessie! She knows when I lie, and whenever I lie- which is only when you convince me to- she scolds me incredibly harshly!"

"You would only be obliged to lie to your sister if the subject of this palace is brought up," she reminded him, "And it will not be brought up so long as you do not mention it to her, which you won't."

"Oh, fine," he sighed as they began their walk to Waterstone Cottage. "I only wish you wouldn't always get your way." Anabelle only smirked and replied,

"Now, what fun would that be?"