The Ghost of You I Cannot Deny

~1~ The Mansion and The Doubt

Hey guys! This is my first story, so if you'd leave a comment/fan/vote and so on I would really appreciate it, as I'd love to hear from you guys! :)

One thing you should know about me is: I adore constructive criticism as it helps me improve and I'd love to hear your opinions on the characters, setting and so on; so don't be afraid to speak up! I swear I wont bite. ;)

With that said...

I'm hoping to post a chapter every week but as things come up I can't promise anything.

So with all that out of the way...

Enjoy! :)

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~ Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.~

- Arnold Bennet

Kalia Falls stared up at the large imposing building, a black and white kitten in her arms as her mouth dropped agape in shock at the sheer size of it. It was huge!

'This is where I'll be staying?' She thought incredulously as the driver pulled the little black car to a stop… Right in front of the house. If you could call it that at all.

Her door was opened and she numbly climbed out, arms holding the kitten securely to her chest, barely aware of the door shutting behind her, nor of the fact that the man who had picked her up at the airport with a 'Please follow me, Miss' was now unloading her bags and carrying them up onto the deck.

When her mother had said that she would be staying somewhere she had expected a small apartment or maybe even a small house, but this? This was a freaking mansion!

A large deck lead up to the front doors, where an impressive gold lion knocker rested and large windows stared down at her, some open to let the sun in whilst others had billowing curtains blocking the view from peering eyes. Vines creeped upwards and over the wood and bricks, clawing at the surface as if to get inside whilst a large metal fence seemed to wrap around the back, large hedges blocking what would normally be seen through the gaps in the metal. It was overall very creepy and she struggled to hide a shiver.

"Please follow me, Miss." The driver spoke, the last of her bags in hand as he began walking towards the front doors.

He was a kind man with a mop of brown hair that had several silver streaks throughout it and his gentle brown eyes seemed to sparkle with a hidden mischief despite his age, in fact, he was quite nimble for a man of around fifty. He was clad in a pair of simple black pants along with a white shirt and black coat and sitting on his breast was a small nametag -purely for her benefit she supposed- with the word 'Tom' written in simple gold lettering.

He had done nothing but be kind to her so she figured she could give him the benefit of doubt and chose to follow behind him, eyeing the mansion with a look of apprehension as she hugged her kitten closer to her in an effort to find a little bit of security.

The walk way was surprisingly flat and stable despite its appearance, made up of varying shades of gray stone and it led strait to the old looking steps that sat just at the beginning of the deck and where what looked to be the main doors.

Following Tom up the stairs she was surprised to see that the steps only slightly creaked, and she noted, that despite its appearances the house seemed to be well taken care of; or at least, the outside was.

She waited silently as he stopped in front of the large wooden doors, pulling out a rather old looking key from his coat pocket and slipping it inside the bronze colored lock as she eyed the snarling lion knocker. It seemed almost as if… it was watching her, warning her to stay away. She shivered, jumping slightly as the door opened a crack, making the small cat in her arms meow in protest to which in response she sent an apologetic glance.