The lights from the Barley Mow, and the moon shimmering on the pond gave Jongwoon a clear view. It would be easy to walk across the green and circle back to Joon’s. The dry, well- trodden path skirted around the water’s edge and joined the lane near 3 tile-hung cottages with neat hedges and lighten front doors.. Turning right, Jongwoon followed the curve of the lane.

Five modern, brightly lit houses caught his attention with glimpses of flickering TV screens and a woman filling a kettle at the sink. Something fast and warm scuttled inches from Jongwoon’s feet. Tempted to go back, he realized that he was a good hundred yards from the Barley Mow. He had to be near Orchard House. He had come this far. He wasn’t going back. If he walked in the middle of the lane, he’d avid four-footed nocturnals and tree roots. THen he heard owls. Two of them, calling back and forth like a pair of feathered Harpies. ( A/N: A Harpy is a creature from greek mythology, its a half woman half bird hybrid. They are supposed to be ugly. The actually word means ‘ that which snatches.’) He was alone in the dark, on a deserted country lane, in a foreign country, looking for a house he had never seen. Jongwoon willed his courage, marched round the next curve, and stopped. This was his house, he knew it.

He peered through high wrought- iron gates. A gravel path led past shadows of overgrown shrubs to a square brick house where moonlight flickered on long sash windows. Paint and rust flaked on his hands as he pulled on the gates. The chain rattled and fell to the floor. Getting the gate to open was a little more difficult. It didn’t help that the gate was heavy and was a little buried with stones. With a couple of pushes, he finally got it to open.

Jongwoon stood in the gravel driveway. And even in the dark he could tell that he owned a pretty elegant house. Eight double-hung windows were set beautifully on a well proportions facade, and four dormers rose from the roof. A dark shadow of a front door stood at the end of the uneven path ahead and the gravel drive circled behind the house. And it was all his. All complete with the moonlight.

In an upstairs window, on the far right a light flickered. It wasn’t moonlight. A burglar. And in his house. Fired by righteous indignation, Jongwoon raced up the steps to the front door and tugged the iron loop of the bell pull. Loud chimes echoed through the house. Standing on the step, Jongwoon watched the light disappear and then… nothing. What did he expect? The burglar to answer the door? Even the owls had gone quiet. Nothing moved in the night. Jongwoon half-convinced himself that it was his imagination when the door banged. Twice. A loud curse word echoed through the quiet night.

Cautious now, keeping to the overgrown grass, Jongwoon crept round the side of the house. It was a whole lot bigger than it looked from the front. Odd corners and shapes jutted out behind. A cluster of buildings huddled over a high brick wall. Deep shadows hid everything  except rough outlines and shapes. Jongwoon waited by the corner, watched and listened. A dark shape slunk across the yard. The intruder continued the path between a clump of overgrown bushes.  Fury burned away all her caution. “ What are you doing in my house?!” She called.  The intruder didn’t stop to answer. One look behind and it fled across the grass and through the side gate. Jongwoon chased, racing through the gate, out into the lane and careened into a dark figure.  “What are you doing?” He demanded too angry to consider fear. “ Jongwoon?” He knew that voice. “ Kyuhyun?” Kyuhyun Cho? What are you doing here?” This was a bit much first intruding on his dinner, then his property. “ Walking home. Are you alright? You’re shaking.” Strong hands gripped his shoulders. The last bit was true. He shook from his knees to the shoulders he held. Jongwoon stepped back from his hands and looked sideways. They stood on a narrow unpaved lane. He stepped closer. “ Something scared you. What are you doing here at this time of night?”  

“ Looking at my house.” Had he been the intruder? He’d been suspiciously close but he wasn’t breathing heavily. After that sprint across the garden, a marathoner would be wheezing. “ You really live out this way? You said you lived by the station.”

“ It’s a shortcut.” One hand went back to her shoulders. “ You shouldn’t be wandering around here after dark. It’s not safe.” He’d ignored that. “ Someone was there, in the house. I saw a light. The person ran out this way.”

“ And you thought it was me?” How did he answer that. He still did. “ There is no one else.”  He said. “ I promise it wasn't me. I don’t wonder around empty houses by torchlight.” Kyuhyun said. “ You think I imagined it?” Let him dare answer yes. “ No. It’s probably some teenager braving out a dare. The house is suppose to be haunted. You likely interrupted some lad’s attempt at machismo. This time I am walking you home. You’re scared and it’s not wise to wonder around after dark.” Jongwoon let Kyuhyun walk him back to Joon’s Familiar with the path, he warned about roots and hazards hidden by the shadows. Crossing the edge of the green, he took his elbow. “ Theres a dip here, watch out,” he said. Jongwoon stopped and explored with his foot. There was a hollow, deep enough to trip on but hidden by the grass. “How did you know? “ he asked looking up at his pale face in the moonlight. “ I walk here all the time.”

Ten minutes later they stood by Joon’s gate. He waited . Surely he wasn't planning on coming in? He was going to be disappointed. “ Thanks for the . I think i can find my way next time.” Jongwoon held out his hand. A strong cold hand grasped his. “ Take care, Jongwoon. I’ll be seeing you around.” He waited at the gate as he walked up the path. Jongwoon turned and waved as he reached into his jeans pocket for the key. It felt warm after his fingers.

Without turning on his light, Jongwoon watched from his window as Kyuhyun retraced his steps across the green. Had he spoken the truth? Was that path by her house a shortcut to his? A few questions or a check on a map could answer that.  He watched him halfway across the green until his silhouette faded in the dark.

Kyuhyun paused in front of Orchard House a willed himself to think about the library inside. He wouldn’t think about its new guardian, his blond hair, his skin smooth as clotted cream, or the warm eyes that glittered with intelligence. Most of all he would ignore the warm blood that coursed through his veins. Temptations like that could ruin everything. With Jongwoons ancestry he was more likely adversary than ally. He wouldn’t forget that. He’d learned that much in four hundred years.
 

“ You’re an incompetent idiot! What was it this time? Scaredy cat frightened by a ghost? Give me strength!” Onew felt the blood rise up his neck as he snarled at Jessica. Pale eyes glowered back. “ You try it! Nothing is there I’ve gone through that rom twice.”

“ Make it three times! “ Onew said. “ You try poking that mausoleum in the dark. I’m not going back.” A nasty chuckle vibrated in Onew’s chest. “ You will. I’m taking Jongwoon round the property in the morning. It’ll be on the market by tomorrow afternoon. You’ve got one more night to find everything.” Jessica looked at Onew. “ Or, dear Uncle?” She responded. “ Or, you’ll find we’re not as benign as you thought. We can be quite nasty when roused and crossed. As the old ladies found out.” That did it. Onew smiled. He had Jessica where he needed her.

“ It’s beautiful.” Jongwoon ignored Onew’s benevolent amusement. He’d need more than a morning to grasp the reality of owning such a house. Mysterious and eerie last night, the red brick glowed a welcoming warmth in the mid morning sun. The cracked paving stones were worn, not hazardous, and the garden looked neglected, not sinister. But the elegance of the house remained, like a weary dowager resting her tired bones in the sun. “ How old is it?” Onew shrugged. “ Hard to say exactly. Too heavy to be Georgian. Maybe  Queen Anne. The local historical society might know something. The back is much older of course.”  Jongwoon held out his hand for the key: It was several inches long and weighed a couple of ounces. The lock turned slowly but it clicked. Jongwoon grasped the dulled brass knob and pushed the heavy black door.

A musty smell and cold damp air hung about the wide hallway. Dust covers protected the heavy furniture but a film of dust covered the marble fireplace and obscured the windows. Cobwebs decorated the crystal chandelier and the banister rails. It wasn't hard to imagine mice nesting in the rolled up carpet by the wall. “ Miss Haversham would feel quite at home here.” Onew smiled. “ Your aunts had a reputation for eccentricity.” He said. “ Surely they didn’t live like this?” He remembered Gran’s obsessive spring cleaning and her insistence on linen and polished glassware. “ Miss faith died almost two years ago, she tended to be the organizer. I’m afraid Miss Hope didn’t manage too well and the house has been empty since October.” Onew strode from room to room like a zealous reactor. Jongwoon followed , collecting impressions, a wide, airy drawing room with faded pastel curtains, a dining room with a heavy oak table and exquisite pale wood paneling with a carved fireplace to match. The breakfast room looked out an overgrown flower garden. A small parlor with worn out modern furniture and an ancient TV looked like the Misses Underwood’s everyday room.

The kitchen was dark, low ceiling and several steps down from the rest of the house. “ Much older,” Onew said. “ They built the new house onto an old farmhouse.”  Upstairs were four bedrooms and another room filled with books from floor to ceiling. Jongwoon figured that must be the collection Kyuhyun had referred to. A sixth room held an immense claw-footed tub, a pedestal washbasin large enough to bath a small Doberman, twin toilets with a double mahogany seat. Jongwoon stared. “ Why double toilets?” Onew coughed. “ Old fashioned. You’d never see it nowadays. Whoever buys the house will have to modernize it.”

“But worth it. With some money spent on it, this would be a beautiful house.” Onew nodded. “ We need to get back. I promised the key to Siwon before lunch.” Jongwoon wasn't about to be hustled out of his own home. “ I’m staying. He can meet me here.”  Those dark eyes almost popped. “ Staying? There’s no water or electricity.”

“ I can manage for a couple of hours.” He frowned. “ Fine. Drop the key by the office later.”  The house settled back into quiet as the noise of his engine faded. An hour of signing papers in his office had settled her possession of his property. He wanted time to himself to enjoy owning this wonderful house before he did the practical thing and put it on the market. How much would a house like this fetch? More than enough to buy and furnish a nice, sensible house back in South Carolina. He’d ask that Siwon guy when he came. He never made it. But Jessica did. Busy removing dust covers in the breakfast room, Jongwoon heard the front door open and footsteps across the hall and start up the stairs. “ Hi, I’m back here,” he called, assuming it was the realtor. He opened the door into the hall and Jessica stared at  her from the third step.

“ You’re here?” She asked, gaping. Why shouldn’t he be? Hadn't she heard of knocking on doors? “ Don’t let me disturb you if you’re busy.” She took another step up. “ I won’t.” A half a dozen strides took him to the foot of the stairs. “ Going somewhere?” he asked, one hand at his hip. She squeezed out a laugh. “ Sorry, I thought Uncle told you. I’m looking at the furniture. A friend of mine is interested in making you an offer.’

“ I’m not interested in selling.” At least not to any friend of his. That slowed her down. “ Well… surely… I mean…” She stuttered. “ My furniture isn’t for sale.” she stepped down. “ If you change your mind, let me know.” She stood far too close to be polite in any language. “ It’s not for sale, and not likely to be in the near future.” Jongwoon held the front door open. Even someone as shallow as Jessica couldn’t miss the heavy hint. She held out her hand. Jongwoon took it out of common courtesy and wished he hadn’t when she leaned in. “ See you at the Barley Mow tonight?” She smiled and winked. Jongwoon grunted as he shut the door. Why had Jessica just walked in? She seemed right at home. Was she used to coming and going? He shrugged and went upstairs. The bedrooms could wait, but he did want to look at her books. If Kyuhyun was to be believed, his aunts had an interesting collection. The book room proved too much for one afternoon. He’d come back tomorrow with a flashlight if she couldn’t get the electricity . He looked around at the packed shelves, the stacks of books on the center table and the scattered footprints in the dust. Someone had been in here. Who? The person he’d seen, or imagined last night? He looked at his watch. His two hours had become four and  no sign of Siwon the realtor. He’d go back to Joon’s and get a much needed shower and find somewhere other than the Barley Mow for dinner.

He walked around the backyard before he left. Tool sheds, half- collapsed coal stores, and an old wash house spanned one side of the kitchen garden. The gate he’d run through last night stood open but he couldn’t close it. The wood at the bottom jammed on something. He hadn’t imagined those lights last night. A heavy, black flashlight lay in the ankle-deep grass.

Ok guys sorry I was a little late. This was meant to be up Monday but unfortunately my internet connection decided to be a .  But better late than never.

I wanna say thanks to those who stuck to the story and subscribed. Thank you.

Oh here is a picture of the Harpy, incase your lazy and don't wanna look for it.

Also you might ask yourself who is “ Miss Haversham”  Well its this lady right here. Altho this is just a scene from the movie, it still give you the general idea.

She is a character from one of Charles Dickens book called Great Expectations. Most people make the mistake and think that shes an old woman but she’s barely in her fifties. She lives in a ruined mation with an adopted daughter. Dickens actually describes her as  "the witch of the place.” So now you have an idea of what the house looks. When i read this part i imaged the house to look something like the one from Jumanji.If you don’t know what Jumanji is, its a movie and a book too, i think, i recomend you to watch or read it.

Anyway thank you for reading. Oh and remember to stay warm in this ridiculous weather. If you like in Texas like me you know what i mean. Ok ima stop talking now. Goodbye. I Love You!