Grace - Part III

Grace almost fell over Sandra when they came to a stop outside one of the second floor guest bedrooms. They slipped into the room. It was dimly lit by two candelabra.

"Electric, of course. So as not to burn down the whole house," declared Sandra. As if she had explained it a thousand times.

The room, as was most of the house, was decorated in a sort of Victorian Gothic style. This room in particular had dark wood paneling and a lusciously high bed. Grace new it well from her childhood. The perfect bed for jumping.

Grace followed Sandra towards the fireplace, and (just as out of a movie) Sandra pulled a book from a nearby bookcase, and a hidden door in the paneling opened..

"Not the most original idea, I know, but it kept you little kids out," teased Sandra.

"Only because we weren't tall enough to reach the shelf," retorted Grace.

Grace hesitated, unsure whether she really wanted to know what was in this secret room. She stood in the doorway for a moment as her eyes adjusted to the dark.

Sandra moved around the room lighting various candles. "For a long time, no one knew this room was here. So, no one knew to run electricity to it."

There was a pause as Grace soaked in the room. She had searched for this room so many times. And here it was, it even had a window. She thought it was strange for a secret room to have a window. She had always assumed it would be an interior room with not walls facing the outside of the house.

Grace's wonderment must have caused too long a pause, because suddenly Sandra's hands were on her collar dragging her into the room. "I promise I won't bite," Sandra whispered, "unless you ask nicely."