Chapter 1: The watchman.

The once thriving village of Greenthorpe had fallen into despair long ago.
Abandoned factories surrounded it and now stood side by side as iron monuments to days long gone.
Reduced to a rustic village it lay on the edge of the Peddleburg region.
The families that had stayed behind after the depression some two hundred years ago led quiet lives, harvesting crops or taking care of their cattle.
None of them were alive during the days when the charitable Lawrence Greenthorpe still occupied the old mansion just outside of town.
He had always been a warm and kind man and even though none of the villagers had known him in live, they all had a deep respect for him.
The Peddleburg region would be nowhere today if not for the economic boost brought forth by him.
The luxuries in live might not have been as plentiful anymore but the villagers were content with what they had.
There was food on their tables every day and their children had the opportunity to get proper education and room enough to play.
Greenthorpe still had a very attractive town square in which the villagers took great pride.
During the days of warmth the fountain in the central would be turned on. It was a true sight to admire how the water would squirt feet into the air and gracefully trickled down into the round, marble basin below.
Many a romance had laid its foundation on the edge of this basin as the sun slowly set over the town hall with it´s tall bell tower, with 49 feet the highest structure in town.
The town hall had still kept it´s function even though the number of employees was now considerably less then in the days of yore.
Several little shops were located around the square and every morning the delightful buzz of everyday life could be heard as the baker displayed his fresh loaves of bread and the grocer sold fresh fruits and vegetables harvested before on the fields just outside of town.
The town only had a single tavern named ´Hare and there´ and was the center of social life. The place to be on birthdays, wedding parties and the like.
One such wedding celebration was taking place this very evening as two young lovers had vowed to spend their lives together.
The ´Hare and there´ was filled to the brim with rabbits dancing, eating, drinking and singing.
The tables that were pushed against the wall were filled with the most delicious and exotic treats to provide the guests with everything they desired.
In one corner sat four youngsters huddled close together wound up in what seemed a heated conversation.
"I tell you, there is nothing there." A slightly overweight, bespectacled youngster named Markie said quite steadfast.
The girl to his right Lara firmly shook her head.
"I can not believe how anyone can be so naive." She crossed her arms in her trademark fashion.
The boy to her right pulled her ponytails and Lara gave him an angry look.
Tim was slender and the tallest of the four of them. "Watch out of the bogeyman will get you." He laughed and he tried to make a scary face that was more funny than anything else.
He had been making fun of Lara ever since she brought up the 'Specter of Greenthorpe mansion.' A nonsensical tale spread from parent to child about the ghost of Louie Greenthorpe who ate everyone who dared to enter the mansion. Louie was the late son of Lawrence and Audrey Greenthorpe born to them after the completion of the mansion and their permanent settlement in town.
He gave them many happy years until a terrible tragedy befell them and took their only child away from them.
Audrey and Lawrence died shortly afterwards and with them did the flame that kept burned in the heart of the town.
Across from Lara sat her little sister who had been listening to what the others had been saying with big eyes.
She could keep her tears back no longer and cried out for her mother who came rushing at her straight away.
"Have you boys been telling her ghost stories again? Do not think I will not tell your mother this time." The pleading of the boys did not help and they were grounded for the next two week and were to come straight home after school.
In class they had been talking about the mansion and they got excited over the prospect to enter the scary house, as childeren do.
Two weeks later they were playing soccer in the field just outside of town next to the road that led to the mansion.
Markie got tired and took a rest underneath an apple tree looking at the mansion a short distance away.
Tim and he crossed eyes and with a boyish smirk they both got up and ran towards the mansion in silent agreement.

Tim stepped up to the front door after passing the old and creaky gate closely followed by Markie who started to question whether this was such a good idea after all.
He took the doorknob in his hand took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
"There is no such thing as ghosts." Tim whispered to himself.
"No, but if our mom's know we are here, they will kill us." Markie said and he knew he was right. His had told him not to go play near the house a hundred times and would be very upset.
He shuddered and left the thought for what it was as Tim pushed them door open and walked into the great hall ever so slowly, looking back at his friend over his shoulder one more time.
Fear in his eyes and excitement.
Tim gazed in awe at the many things that decorated this hall, paintings covered with the dust of ages. An old grandfather's clock, ticking away the seconds slowly, the once brown rug had now turned slightly yellow and a disgusting smell of urine filled his nose, a vase holding something that had once been flowers, was standing on a wooden table against the staircase that led to the first floor.
An ancient pirate treasure could not have pleased him as much as this old muck, he was in the house all the parents were afraid of. Him and Markie were heroes.
Markie covered up his mouth and nose with the sleeve of his shirt, against the smell but alas it did not have much effect.
A rat quickly made it's way out of the mansion, Markie and Tim got the eerie feeling that they should do the same as a gust of wind blew past them, but something kept them here.
They had come this far and they were not planning on letting the adventure and excitement end here, besides, ghost stories were for babies
A door creaked ahead of them and they quickly looked in the direction it was coming from, pale in the face, little drops of sweat found their way down the soft fur on their backs.
"What was that?' Whimpered Markie, grabbing Tim's wrist and squeezing it a little harder then he intended to.
'"Hey, that hurts." Tim said, getting his grip on reality back."It must have been another rat, look at this place, it looks like one huge rat cemetary."
To the sides of the halls lay small bones and carcasses, yet a path had been swept clean through the middle. As if someone or something still lived here.
"Boohoooo. I'm coming to get you Markie." Tim laughed as his friend stood cowering and looking at the door.
The door had opened just enough for them to have a peek into the next room.
A grand piano with a surprisingly neat stool in front of it stood in the far corner.
Their curiosity got the better of them and they moved closer to the door, inside of the room they could see several beautiful paintings.
There was even one of a royal figure they could recognize as the late king Sazz, Eva's father, above a fireplace that looked like it had not been used for quiet a while.
Tall curtains prevented too much light from falling into the room but a small ray of sunlight fell down on a shiny statue that looked as if it was made out of gold.
"Pirate treasure." Tim mumbled.
Markie, who had re found his courage, slowly pushed the creaking door open but he could feel Tim tugging at his arm.
"Maybe we should not go in there." Tim looked quite nervous to Markie's surprise.
The door was opened but not by Markie. Someone had pulled it open from the inside of the room and the young boys stood face to face with a tall and unhealthy looking rabbit who gave a dry cough as he noticed his two young guests. The two boys screamed at the top of their lungs as they peered into the hollows eyes and ran for it.
Tim almost stumbled over the smelly, yellow carpet as he made his way for the door. Markie jumped off of the marble stairs and rolled through the grass.
"It's alive!" Markie screamed and he cried as his little heart raced in his body.
The purple rabbit scratched his arm and looked after them as they stumbled out of the front gate.

The children arrived at an old tree near the peddleburg creek and sat down, out of breath, Markie a little more then the slender Tim.
Markie sat down on his knees next to the river and put his hands together to make a little cup, he took some of the clear water and rubbed it trough his furry face.
Both of the children did not speak a word to each other for another hour, the sky over their heads was getting darker but they felt safe here, so close to the village.
A woman came walking towards them and they straightened themselves out to look presentable.
In silent agreement they decided it was best if no one ever knew about their endevour. 'They would think we were crazy.' Markie thought to himself.