THE BLACK MANSION

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DANA
As I sat beside Jacob Riley, I swear my heart was beating a million times faster than it was supposed to. His brown eyes stared into mine and his lush blonde hair moved as the wind coming in from the window blew on it; he turned away, probably cause I was staring at him like a maniac.

My name is Dana Simpson; Im fifteen years old and Im on a school excursion. Right now, Im on a yellow school bus sitting next to probably the cutest guy in the school, Jacob Riley. My little brother, Kurt, is sitting in the seat in front of me with his action figures and comic books while my younger sister, who detests me, sits in the front row of seats very far from me with her posse group she calls friends. They are definitely talking about the latest movies or songs or pop stars or worse still, makeup. For my sister, its more fun talking about makeup than actually putting it on (but that doesnt stop her even if shes only twelve). Me, Im what you would call a braniac, I love to read and write and I do write my own stories and poems. I like to read books higher than my grade which is why I got bumped up two grades (my little brother said its because my I.Q is so huge, they had no choice). Most of my friends (or well, people that actually talk to me, like Jacob) are usually seventeen or eighteen and in some extreme cases, twenty-one.

Jacob looked at me and decided to talk to me, I cant believe my mom forced me to do this, its so annoying. He looked out the window, then at me again What about you? Did you wanna come? Of course, I wanted to, thats what everyone expects of me, the braniac; the girl who was bumped up two grades because the school didnt know what to do with her anymore, the outcast..........................the LOSER. But actually, to say the truth, as much as I like educational excursions like a trip to the museum or something, I wasnt looking forward to this. While at

home, I had to behave optimistic because my parents said I was the role model to my siblings; maybe I succeeded in fooling little Kurt but I wasnt fooling Carly, she knew me more than anyone which is ironic since she hates me more than anyone. However I couldnt tell all this to Jacob so I stuck to the usual response, We could learn stuff, you know, I said weakly. Yeah, whatever, He looked out the window and this time, he didnt look back at me. Hey, have any gummy bears?, I turned back to see the closest friend I could possibly ever get, Sunny Lopez. She is seventeen and head of the cheerleader squad but shes pretty nice and SINCERE (you dont find that in many people, not to talk of a cheerleader). Um.m........chill I checked my backpack and got out a pack of gummy bears which I brought especially for Sunny. I gave them to her and turned back my attention to my laptop which I had momentarily forgotten; I was checking the dimensions of a building my dad had constructed, he told me I could study it during the excursion. I was pretty much into anything; Architecture, Engineering, Art, English, anything as long as I could learn something. Suddenly the bus jerked to a stop and my laptop almost fell off my lap, thank goodness, I had been holding it firmly. Mr Con appeared from behind the wheel, We are here, kids. All of us groaned but he didnt get the message, Thats the spirit. he said, Come out lets make camp.

DANA
I stepped out of the bus and then after a few minutes, Sunny joined me and so did my little brother. Looking at Kurt I have to say, I kinda feel sorry for him; he was shunned out of the schools social life when he was four and the school had never forgotten (I cant tell you why, its too horrifying).

Wow, its hot, dont you think? asked Sunny. I gave her a look, I didnt know what shes complaining about since she was already half naked, all she wore was a bummy bum shorts and a bra top. She looked back at me and saw my expression, What? she asked. Nothing, I said, Its just that, you are like, wearing underwear Which just shows how hot it is., (She said this statement in Spanish). I know enough Spanish to translate that but sometimes, Im really lost when Im speaking to Sunny because she might begin a conversation with English and then somewhere in the middle, she switches to Spanish (since Ill probably make a lot of mistakes if I attempt to write in Spanish, Ill just stay clear of it.). I looked at Kurt struggling to keep up with me and Sunnys long strides; he was nine years old and he had such bad memory that Im not even sure if he remembers the incident of five years ago. A reason my parents had chosen this truly horrible school (trust me, its scary how horrible it is) is because of the kindergarten attached to it so Kurt could be close to Carly and me.

Sunnys cheerleader members came over, Um..... Sunny, we should go, said one of them (she didnt say where they had to go to). Sunny looked at me apologetically, I shrugged, Its ok, go on. Her friends pulled her away and looked at me like I was some type of monster their leader should not be hanging out with. Just you and me, Kurt I said. I ruffled his bright orange hair and we headed to camp. Camp had been made right in front of the jungle that we were going to explore. Simpsons Mr Con called, I headed over to him with Kurt following closely behind. You will be sharing a tent with Peacock. (Mr Con tends to call our last names) Peacock, cried Mr Con; everyone burst out laughing but when Andrew came into view, it turned into serious fits of coughing. Andrew Peacock was the quarterback of the schools football team, so if you were caught laughing at anything about him, well, like Kurt, youll be shunned out of the schools social life. Besides Andrews name, there was really nothing wrong with him;; he had full brown

curls and blue eyes. Also, he worked out a lot and was seriously fit; right now, he had no shirt on and wore khaki shorts; muscles I didnt even know the name of showed in every corner. I think some girls in the background fainted or something. Peacock, can you please wear a vest?, Mr Con said. I noticed the shirt slung over his shoulder, once he wore it, he looked me straight in the eye and said Hey. I opened my mouth to say something but the next thing I saw was darkness.

DANA
I woke up in an absurdly pink tent feeling woozy. What happened? I asked. You fainted because of Andrew replied Kurt. Andrew looked up and was welcomed with a deadly look from Kurt (sometimes Kurt doesnt get the picture and thinks hes the one protecting me). You looked like a fool., that should be none other than ,,,,,,,,,,, ugh, Carly. I dont know what happened between Carly and me to make her hate me so much. When she was a little kid like eight, me and her were best buds and then suddenly I turn fourteen and become a freshman in high school and then she changes from this sweet kid to this stuck-up brat who hangs out with rich kids and always wants the latest stuff which she clearly knows we cant afford. The way she talks to me is really something too, like Im her worst enemy and her friends treat me the same, well, at least not Sarah Aged (now theres a sweet kid). She doesnt hang out in Carlys posse but she hangs out with Carly; thats probably the few times Ive ever seen the real Carly.

Carly came over, her brown eyes looked like they were trying to read my mind and her brown hair gently cascaded over shoulders. I hate looking at Carlys hair, all brown and beautiful; just like our mums. Even Kurts hair was at least one colour,

even though it was an unattractive orange. My hair was like a mixture of brown, blonde, red and orange and it wasnt the nice kind; now my hair wasnt particularly ugly but it definitely wasnt pretty. Carly had already removed all her make-up but she still looked beautiful; she had gotten all her looks from mum and she wasnt humble about it. You look like someone threw you into an eagles nest and then you were eaten by an Anaconda and then spat out again and left in the middle of the desert for a decade. Thats not true, well most of it;; I didnt look that bad but at least, someone came in to boost me up. Hi said Jacob; he still wore his white sleeveless shirt and jean shorts. Hi, I said, I was wondering if you will come to scout the area with me, Harry, Lucas and Courtney. I was about to say yes before he even finished but then the name hit me in the face. Did you say Courtney, as in Courtney Aged? Jacob hesitated but he answered yeah. Uh-Oh, Courtney and I dont get along, like at all. Her and Jacob were best friends, then they started dating, then they broke up, then Jacob took me to the school dance and she has hated me ever since. I didnt need to be told that she hated me when I could clearly see the looks she gave me whenever our paths crossed. Sure Jacob nodded and went outside. I stood up to join him, Dana, surprisingly, it had been Carly that had called out, he r face looked sincere and concerned like she was about to ask me a really important question. Can you pass my make-up kit? I opened my mouth in disbelief but I handed her the kit anyway. She took it and I stormed out; I heard her laughing from inside the tent. I joined Jacob and we both made our way out of camp, some people turned towards our direction and then sped off, probably to go gossip. Standing at the edge of the camp was my worst fear and nightmare, Courtney Aged.

DANA

About time, you guys got here., said Courtney, Harry and Lucas are already long gone. Even though she tried to hide it, I could still hear her British accent. Courtney had moved from Britain to Denver a year ago and had changed the way our school worked.. Before it was jocks and cheerleaders that ruled the school but when Courtney came, the school was then ruled by the jocks, cheerleaders and Courtney. The reason I added Courtney was because she was the only one who had courage to stand up to the jocks and cheerleaders. People scattered themselves among these two groups but what about the rest of us like me and Kurt? (Jacob was on the basketball team so he was a jock too). Well, folks like me were the people Courtney stood up for and at the end of the day; she became the class president and the most popular girl in the school in just 2 weeks. I think thats what really caught Jacobs attention and thats why he asked her out plus Courtney was absolutely perfect physically; she didnt dress like other girls, not too sleazy but still trendy like, just simple bum shorts and check shirt........buttoned up. Some girls would just leave it open and say they were hot but Courtney buttoned hers up and matched it with a pair of all-stars hightops. Her straight blonde hair covered her eyes but her blue eyes still pierced into mine like daggers.

Why are you looking at me? I blinked and realised that she was talking to me (P.S: I need to stop staring at people). Come on, she gestured and started walking into the main desert. Jacob followed and of course, I followed too. Courtney edged to the left which gave me the indication that she wanted me in the middle of her and Jacob. We walked in silence searching to see if anyone was within a mile radius but all I saw was sand, sand and some more sand. I remembered Jacobs grandmother and decided to talk, Im really sorry about your grand mum, Jacob. He looked at me with those soft, brown eyes, Thanks, he said, But that just means one less person to take care of since both my parents and grandparents are gone and now that

its just me and Matt, Im going to make sure no one hurts him. He looked so serious and I couldnt blame him, Matthew Rippy, his younger brother, was all he had but Jacob didnt stop there, In fact, I hate leaving him at camp alone but I had to come since someone begged me to. Thats all Courtney the monster needed to be unleashed, Excuse me, she said But I didnt beg you, Ive a reputation to keep but since you are with the tape, I have to make sure you dont do something stupid with it.

She suddenly picked up a rock and threw it a really, long distance; it landed on Lucass head or was it Harrys? I dont know, they looked pretty much the same from where I was standing (Really wish I wasnt wearing jean trousers in this blazing sun). What was that for? asked Jacob, They were playing around., she replied. It doesnt mean you should throw a rock at them., retorted Jacob. Oh, build a bridge and get over it, Jacob she said plus, there is a lot of distance between us and them, so it wouldnt hurt that much. You are impossible. said Jacob. Courtney stopped and gave Jacob a look that probably meant youre dead to me and she really did try to kill him with her own bare hands. I knew she wrestles but this was incredible; she pounced on Jacob who was much bigger and taller than her. They both landed on the floor with her sitting on top of him, punching his face like it was a punching bag.

Jacob tried to stop her but his hands were strictly made for basketball, not for punching hands of steel. I crept up behind Courtney and dragged her off him while she screamed, Let me at him, let me at him. Me and her both ended on the floor, she scrambled back up but Jacob was already ready and he stopped her. Look said Jacob; Im not falling for that. said Courtney. He turned her and I looked too; a hill Im pretty sure wasnt there, had just appeared from nowhere. I looked at Jacob;

Courtney removed Jacobs hands off her shoulders and started to walk up the hill. What are you doing? I asked, Going to see whats at the top. Jacob shrugged and we followed suit. At the top of hill, we saw a valley and in the middle of that valley was a black mansion. Courtney was hiding behind a few bushes; I lay down beside her since I was already filthy. Jacob just walked on but Courtney dragged his leg and he fell over. You fool cried Courtney, Theyve probably seen us Why are you so worried? asked Jacob. This hill isnt real and so if a fake hill is right in front of a BLACK coloured mansion, Im pretty sure the owner wont want to see us. Courtney sure was clever, But they would have seen us now, right? I said. Probably, replied Courtney casually.

The door of the house opened and a gloved hand popped out and put a toy dog on his front porch and then went inside again. Is that a toy_________? Courtney never did finish the statement. The toy dog grew 10 feet tall and in one giant leap, pounced on me, Courtney and Jacob.

CARLY
First of all, I cant believe I had to miss the Twilight saga Eclipse, for this_____this bombasity of a school trip. If my sister, Dana, had just done the right thing and said that she didnt want to go for this stupid trip, I wouldnt be here. She actually fainted because Andrew Peacock said Hey to her; talk about embarrassing and then Jacob, as in Jacob Rippy, asked her out (If you could call scouting an area, a date).

I was searching through my ipod for songs but none of them were working for me when suddenly Dana and Jacob burst into

the tent, screaming about a giant wolf. Our tent was at the edge of camp, the closest to the really crappy jungle. I was about to call Dana some really bad names when in came, youll never guess......................Courtney Aged. Shes like the most popular girl in school, I havent really talked to her before but Im friends with her sister, Sarah. Then I saw her arm, it was oozing with blood and the visible skin around it was a sickly green, like it was infected; she was screaming her head off. I slapped Dana, WHAT, her expression was scary; I almost staggered back but I held my ground. What happened? I asked, the wolf, the wolf....it, it.......jumped on us but.......but Courtney shielded me and Jacob. Before Courtney used to be a heroine, standing up for all the nerds and the rest of them but now, she was my role model. Sarah Aged was so lucky to have her as a sister I wished Courtney was my ______

Everybody, HOLD UP We all turned our direction towards Andrew, a crowd had already gathered in front of our tent. I mean, cmon, the most popular girl in school might have died; who wants to miss that. Andrew gave her that cute, sensible face that made my sister faint but he actually looked concerned.You alright?, he asked, um, um____wow, your eyes are so nice., was all Courtney could say. Anyone who had phones with connection started texting, probably saying that Andrew and Courtney are into each other. Dude, shes not alright. Jacob came in between the both of them which started another round of texting and also, Courtneys fearsome groaning. Clear out, paramedics coming through. Sarah Aged and Gabriel Stanley come into view from the huge crowd, Wow, that is horrible., said Gabriel. Sarah flashed him a look that meant shut up, she knelt beside Courtney; she looked nothing like her sister, she had brown hair and wide green eyes; really intelligent eyes that kind of reminded me of Dana when she was younger and more well,.......Danaish. Sarah looked around at anyone who was in view and then she did the weirdest thing ever; she sucked on Courtneys arm and then

spat out the green goo into a bowl Gabriel had put for her. She kept sucking on it until the green in Courtneys hand started to disappear; then once it was almost gone, she washed and rinsed the blood off Courtneys arm. Everybody gasped, it wasnt a cut; it was like whatever animal had done this to her, had only scratched her but it was deep and really, really long, almost reaching her shoulder. Sarah brought out the bandage and bandaged Courtneys arm extra hard; everybody watched it like a movie, a really painful one. Done, said Sarah, she then put Courtneys bandaged arm into an arm sling all you need to do now is rest. Gabriel volunteered to go with Courtney to her tent, most of the crowd followed them but some stayed behind to see what Sarah would do with the bowl full of green spit and poison. Once they were gone including Jacob Rippy, Dana fidgeted with her laptop; I wondered how she could even live with herself right now. I mean, she stole Courtneys boyfriend, she never even said sorry. She even once threw her lunch at Courtney (she says it was an accident, PLEASE) but yet Courtney had risked her life for her and all she could do was stare at her stupid laptop.

Actually no, cause as I looked closer, she removed her laptop off her lap, then she rolled up her long sleeve to reveal a scratch like Courtneys; shorter but deeper. She used a tissue to clean it up, there was no green stuff and then she bandaged it (she always has a stack of bandages with her). I then began to wonder what really happened.

CARLY
Note on vice principal, Mr Con hes really dumb; I asked him what happened to the other buses and he told me they would probably get here tomorrow. When we started off in the

morning, we were followed by nine school buses and then after 100 miles, there were only two buses left and then we were the only bus left and he doesnt find that odd.

Mr Con told all of us to pack which took like an hour and thirty minutes, and then we had to wait another hour for Mr Con to finish packing. When we finally thought we were going, Mr Con suddenly remembered his map and we then had to wait thirty minutes longer. Finally, Mr Con stood in front of the jungle and breathed in a lot of air (though the air didnt smell nice). Igurgla jungle, kids screeched Mr Con, (Honestly, what kind of name was that?) Mr Con headed into the jungle followed by first Courtney and the nerds, then the jocks led by Andrew and Johnson Stewart and then the cheerleaders led by Sunny Lopez. I followed the cheerleaders group behind; the people I surround myself with, I have to say, werent really my friends, I just couldnt decide where I fit in. Read the full book for free on Wattpad by going to this link, bit.ly/15S1Wig If you enjoyed the story, please vote for it and also, leave comments....