The Red Wing Mansion

Chapter One

No one wanted to go near the Red Wing – it was the most haunted place in Clue.

The only reason I was going there, was the maintenance. The elderly owner needed a cleaner as they themselves did not live there. All I had to do was go once a week and wipe off the dust and make sure no bugs were climbing through the doors and making themselves a new home.

I was also backpacking through the region and I wouldn't be here longer than a month, so I was happy to get a few thousand dollars for the simple task of cleaning. It was a lot of money – and I wasn't going to pass up on it.

I found it slightly humorous that the residents of the Clue Township wouldn't even set foot on the acreage around it. As I head up the drive in my rental car, all I see are scenic fields surrounding a beautiful – albeit empty – mansion.

Luckily, I didn't believe in ghosts.

All in all, this job was going to be an easy buck.

I park and hop out, gathering my knapsack with some basic cleaning supplies for my first self-tour of the old mansion.

For something called the Red Wing, it was mostly blue stone. Huh.

Funny? Not really.

I head straight to the door, pop in the key and swing it open.

A few steps in, I'm staring in awe at the amount of furniture in this place. So old and cool! It was well preserved from a time long past, but everything was wrapped in a layer of thick dust.

"If you need any help –" who the fuck? I spin around to the open doorway, to see a full grown man has appeared. Dark eyes, dark hair and light skin, but that sharp jaw line...only in my dreams, oh god... he's handsome as all hell. Fuck. But where and who – he seems to understand my shock, and quickly restarts, "I'm just the neighbour, sorry to scare you," he steps forward and outreaches a hand clad in a leather glove, "Claudius Fontaine."

Geez.

I had no time to process this 'neighbour' dressed in a white tunic almost, and dark pants, which match his neatly trimmed black hair, in a fashion I have not seen on any man in town.

I raise a slow brow, and pretend not to notice his hand reaching forward to shake mine, as I instead quickly reach for my phone and check the screen for notifications.

"Oh, I'm... Alix, with an I," I state to the phone. I try to appear like I'm rude, on purpose. I just want him to go.

"Short for Alexandria?" his voice is damn near butter velvet on my ears though, which in itself, though nice, is a little intimidating. His accent is weird too, like he talks from an old movie script.

"Alix, just Alix," I gulp as I glance up from my phone to Claudius, as he smiles as he turns to go. I stare and feel there is something odd about his movements too, but I can't put my finger on it. As he leaves I try to be a little bit more gracious, "Nice to meet you Claudius. Old fashioned name?"

"Fontaine," Claudius looks over his shoulder at me, quoting his last name. It confuses me for a long second, until I realise it's a reprimand, "Or Sir... lovely to meet you too," he turns again as he forces in that last line.

I try not to screw my face up. Who did he think he was?

As Sir walks out the door and turns from the steps at the porch, I can't help walking forward and slamming the door shut on him; hard. I let out a sigh, as I also lock the door too.

"Creep," I whisper under my breath, "Sir Fontaine, this isn't the 18th century. Dick."

I step back from the door, but my curiosity gets the better of me.

I sidestep to the nearest window and pull back the curtain, to look which neighbour he is, from the left or right farm... but I don't even see him on the grass, nor walking either way. Nor is he out front. He's just gone.

Um. I step out of the curtain and sneeze as dust filters up my nose.

Anyway. This place needed a damn good thorough clean. I understand why I was offered two thousand to completely go over this entire mansion. It was huge even just from the entry point.

I turn around, looking to start my duties, while taking out my camera. I could do two things at once. I liked to post travel vlogs, and this was the perfect place to film an interesting and unique location.

I start to record the first part, deciding to document each room before I clean it.

"I'm in the most haunted house in Clue – and I'm only here for the money," I shake my head at myself, that didn't sound as funny as I thought it would. I start again, "Welcome to..." I think for a moment, as I spin around and show the entrance of the mansion in a full 360, hmmm... "...Welcome to... Fontaines... Red. Wing. Mansion."

Cue evil music.

That was a better start.

Fontaine's dick ass name made it sound a bit more terrifying, I thought.

I lower the camera, and pick out a dust cloth from my bag. It was time to explore, work and play.