Chapter 1
We're here!" said Dad, turning off Burns Avenue onto the long, white gravel driveway. Jason looked up from his favorite magazine, Astrology Today, to see their vacation house's large, black-and-gold metal gate. As he got out of the car to open it, a cool breeze blew past him, which felt good on his skin. It was a warm August day in the suburbs of Vancouver. He pulled up the gate lever—noticing it was oddly cold—and yanked the heavy gate open so that Dad could drive the car in.
Jason looked up the driveway from the gate to the large, dark green and brown house with a black tiled roof. It was so big it looked more like a mansion than a house. The house had many large windows, but at the very top, there was a single round window that almost looked like an eye looking down on them. A sense of excitement and anxiety flowed over him as he walked along the white gravel driveway. There was an empty black-and-gold fountain with two-winged hyena statues atop a pedestal in the middle of the driveway. They were rather menacing-looking and almost life-like, adding to his anxiety.
Dad parked in front of the main steps and got out of the car, rearranging his thick, black-rimmed glasses and tucking his polo shirt into his pants over his plump belly. "Wow! It's even bigger than the pictures on the vacation rentals brochure," said Dad as he looked up at the house. "It's bigger than the Governor General's house back home in Belize."
Jason's mom popped out of the car and took her red scarf from around her neck. "It is much bigger than the governor's house. I can't believe you got such a good deal on it. It is a great venue to celebrate the boys' birthdays. They are growing up so fast," said Mom, teary-eyed. She turned to the car, saying briskly, "Matthew, can you please turn off your game and help your dad with the bags?"
Jason's younger brother, Matthew, stuffed his yellow game console into his bag and begrudgingly climbed out of the back seat. He looked up at the house and put on his blue baseball cap. "Why did we get such a big house when it's only four of us? I didn't want to spend my fourteenth birthday in a haunted mansion."
"Well, I think it's kinda cool and very historic!" said Jason.
"Well, you can enjoy your sixteenth birthday here," said Matt, grabbing his backpack. "I'd much rather have spent my birthday in New York City and seen the World Trade Center for my skyscraper photo collage."
Popping the trunk, Dad said, "It was a deal on the vacation rentals site, and it’s one of the oldest houses in Vancouver, from the early nineteen hundreds. I thought it would be fun to stay in a piece of history. Then, next year, we can go to New York and see the World Trade Center."
"I think it's a beautiful house, honey, and you got such a great deal on it," said Mom as she collected her large red bag and gallon water bottle. “Mom, why did you bring that big water bottle? They have water in the house, I’m sure!” Jason chuckled.
“I need to drink a gallon a day. It keeps me young,” said Mom with a wink while taking a sip of water.
Matthew started yanking the suitcases out of the trunk. "Umm, King Jason, a little help, please?"
"Basically, Dad has us staying in an ancient house. Like, we get it, Dad, you're a historian. But couldn‘t we have just gotten a regular hotel?" grumbled Matthew to Jason.
"You know Dad loves these historical places. Remember that house where we stayed in Mexico City? It felt more like an ancient ruin than a house," Jason chuckled.
"Yeah, and remember when Mom found a vulture on the back porch? It wouldn’t move even with Mom throwing pebbles,” said Matthew, laughing as he hauled a suitcase out of the trunk.
The family made their way up the granite staircase to two tall black doors with a bright bronze frame. Four statues of proud-looking bronze lions flanked the main door, two on each side. "The host said the key was under one of these statues," said Dad, putting his suitcase down.
"Try this one, Dad," said Jason, pointing at one of the statues. "I'm feeling lucky."
Dad shrugged and shifted the statue, finding it heavier than expected. "Lucky guess, Jason! Or do you have a sixth sense?" teased Dad.
"I'm all-knowing, as the stars and zodiacs guide me," Jason said cheekily. However, he honestly didn't know how he'd known that.
"Surrrrre, what are you, Miss Cleo now?!" said Matt, rolling his eyes.
Dad chuckled, jingled the keys, and pushed open the large black doors, which creaked loudly. They all stepped across the door frame together and looked around the foyer. The bright sunlight shone in, lighting up the dark wooden paneling and gold and bronze trimmings. It almost sparkled as the rays of sunlight hit the room.
The wooden floors creaked as they stepped further inside with their luggage. A dark, grand, wooden staircase stood before them, leading up to the second floor. On either side of the foyer were two large open rooms. A large crystal chandelier hung high above their heads.
"Do we get separate bedrooms?" asked Matt. "I don't want to sleep in the same room as Jason—he snores too much."
"Well, I don't want to hear you fart in your sleep either," said Jason, pushing Matt further into the foyer.
"Boys, settle down. You'll have separate rooms. This house is huge. According to the brochure, it has six bedrooms," said Dad.
Jason and Matt ran up the stairs to the second-floor landing. "The master bedroom is for your parents, boys!" shouted Mom.
Matt turned a corner to the first room and yelled, "This is mine!"
"Whatever! I'm going to the third floor," Jason called back and ran up the next flight of stairs. On the third-floor landing, there were only two rooms. One was a bedroom with an adjoining bathroom. The other room across the hall had an ornately carved door with gold symbols Jason couldn't understand. When Jason tried to open the door, the knob wouldn't even turn. He looked through the keyhole, but it was pitch black in there.
Jason shrugged and headed to the bedroom that was decorated with many gold and bronze fixtures. In the middle, there was a large canopy bed with white and gold lace curtains and a tall bay window with drapes held back by gold tassels. The warm summer light gave the room a dreamy glow, catching on to the various ornaments around the room.
Jason jumped onto the bed to test its softness and found it very comfortable, like a thick cloud. Retrieving his Astrology Today magazine out of his schoolbag, he settled into the pillows to finish the article he'd started in the car. Sometime later after seemingly dozing off, some soft laughter awakened Jason. It didn't sound like Matt, but he sat up in bed and said, "Hey, Matt, is that you?" There was no answer. He got out of bed and walked toward the bedroom door, still hearing the faint laughter. He opened the door and found the sound to be coming from the locked room. He knelt and peered into the keyhole. The laughter sounded louder and more hysterical, almost like a hyena.
A hand suddenly touched his shoulder. Jason jumped up and spun around with a slight shriek to find Matt standing behind him.
"Dude, are you okay? You're so easy to startle! Such a punk for an older brother," snorted Matt.
"Well, don't sneak up on me like a freaking weirdo," protested Jason.
"Anyway, Mom said to come downstairs so we can help her with dinner. Rice and beans with chicken and salad," said Matt, licking his lips. Jason's stomach instantly growled, and he momentarily forgot the hyena-like laughter coming from the door: it was his favorite Belizean dish.
