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Our first place High School winning entry is by Michaela Deming, a student attending Briar Woods High School in Ashburn, Virginia. |
Amelia Gardner looked out the rain-splattered window of the train car as it meandered along the English countryside. Amelia and her family were on their way to visit Amelia’s grandmother, Lady Alice Gardner, at her home, Gardner Mansion.
Amelia sighed as the train wound around a hill. Normally, she loved visiting Grandma Alice, but Amelia was dreading this visit.
Amelia’s family had gotten word that Amelia’s cousins, the Metoyers, would be visiting at the same time as the Gardners. Pascal and Marie Metoyer were very nice, but their older sister, Victoire, was awful.
Victoire Metoyer was rude, conceited, and mean. The Metoyers lived in Paris, and Victoire thought there was no better place on Earth.
The train screeched to a stop. Amelia and her family disembarked the train and climbed into a carriage that was waiting for them. They rattled and bounced down a lonely country road before finally arriving at Gardner Mansion.
As they entered the hall, Louisa, the maid, took their coats. An elderly woman in a blue silk dress walked into the hall.
“Alice! John! Amelia! Neville!” she said. “How are you? Was your trip all right?”
Amelia recognized her as Grandma Alice. As the adults talked, a girl with blond hair wearing a lavish green silk dress bustled into the hall. Amelia groaned inwardly as she recognized her cousin, Victoire Metoyer.
“Bonjour, Amelia. How are you?” Victoire asked in her haughty French accent.
“Good enough,” said Amelia.
“Do you like my dress? It’s the latest style in Paris,” Victoire said. She critically eyed Amelia’s red and gold plaid dress. Smirking, she said, “Of course, Paris is the capital of fashion, whereas London, I believe, is sadly behind.”
Amelia bristled, but ignored this comment. “It’s a lovely dress, a bit too fancy for my taste, though,” Amelia said.
Victoire looked at her disdainfully, before turning towards the adults. “Grand-mere,” Victoire said, “May I show Amelia and Neville their rooms, s’il vous plait?”
“But of course!” Grandma Alice replied.
Victoire gave Amelia a mean smile and beckoned, before walking quickly in the direction of the bedrooms, her fluffy skirts swishing.
Amelia rolled her eyes and started after Victoire, all the while thinking how long their visit would seem.
A few hours later, the Gardners, Metoyers, and Grandma Alice sat around the dinner table. “I’m so glad you got here safely,” Grandma Alice said as they began eating. “Odd things have been happening here.”
“What sort of odd things?” Neville asked through a mouthful of roast beef.
“You should not talk with your mouth full,” Mrs. Gardner reprimanded sternly.
“Well,” started Grandma Alice.
“Well, mainly things like the lights going on and off, doors have opened themselves, things have been moved or taken, stuff like that,” Victoire said quickly, interrupting Grandma Alice.
Amelia stared in disbelief at Victoire. The nerve of her interrupting Grandma Alice!
Grandma Alice continued. “Victoire is correct. That is exactly what has been happening. I’m bewildered as to what has been causing it.”
“How strange,” Mr. Gardner commented.
“Well, I know what’s causing it,” Victoire said, with an air of self-importance. “It’s pretty obvious, after all.”
“You know what’s causing it?” Grandma Alice inquired.
Everyone at the table turned to look at Victoire. Amelia stared at her, wondering what could cause such strange events.
Victoire peered triumphantly at her audience before saying, “It’s the ghost of Amelia, of course!”
Amelia’s curiosity turned to annoyance. “I know we don’t get along well, but I’m still alive!” Amelia said defensively.
“Not you!” Victoire said, irritated. “I mean the ghost of Amelia Schrader-Gardner!”
“Who?” asked Neville, looking up from his mashed potatoes.
Victoire groaned before launching into speech. “One hundred years ago, when Gardner Mansion was first built, Amelia Schrader-Gardner lived here with her husband. Amelia’s marriage was arranged for her, and so, she could not be with the one she truly loved. Amelia wandered the lonely halls every day, weeping. After only one year, Amelia died of a broken heart. It is said that Amelia’s ghost still wanders these very halls, crying for her lost love.”
Victoire ended her story in a whisper. A shiver went down Amelia’s spine. Neville was pale and looked fearfully about the room.
“Oh, really, Victoire,” Grandma Alice said, “There’s no such thing as ghosts!”
Victoire shrugged. “Suit yourself, but Amelia’s ghost exists alright. I heard her yesterday.”
Amelia took a sip from her water glass and looked around the room.
It certainly seemed improbable that a ghost was haunting Gardner Mansion, but how could anyone be sure? What else could be causing strange occurrences throughout the house?
The slight clinking of glass interrupted Amelia’s musings. Startled, she looked up at the crystal chandelier suspended over the table. It was swaying back and forth. Amelia watched it, interested, for several seconds.
Then, she glanced at the ceiling, where the chandelier was fixed. The plaster around the base of the mounting was cracked. As the chandelier swayed, more and more of the plaster flaked away. Suddenly, the chandelier dropped an inch.
“Everyone, watch out! The chandelier’s going to fall!” Amelia shrieked, sliding her chair away from the table.
Looking up, the rest of the family slid their chairs away in unison. Not three seconds later the chandelier crashed into the table, making food fly everywhere.
“See! I told you it was Amelia’s ghost!” Victoire said, triumphantly.
“Never mind the ghost! Is everyone alright?” Grandma Alice said.
“Yes, I believe we are all fine,” Mr. Gardner said, “but what on earth could cause the chandelier to fall?”
Amelia looked through the haze made from the broken plaster. The crystal chandelier was broken beyond repair. The force of its landing had sent crystal shards all over the table. The china had broken and glass was mixed in with the food. Everyone stared at the broken chandelier, shocked. Everyone, Amelia noticed, but Victoire.
Victoire look at the chandelier with what almost looked like satisfaction.
“We might as well all go to bed,” Grandma Alice said. “We’ll eat on the terrace tomorrow morning.”
There was murmured assent, and they left the dining room quietly.
Victoire swished out of the room with Amelia close behind her.
As they walked, Amelia thought about the events. It is very odd how such things are happening. What in the world could be causing them? Louisa and the other maids dashed by Amelia and Victoire as they walked to their room.
As they entered the bedroom wing, Victoire burst forth in a furious tirade.
“Honestly!” Victoire complained, “You English are awful at carpentry work. If French carpenters had installed that chandelier, it never would have fallen.”
“Oh, will you please stop that, Victoire! Yes, France is a nice country, but England is fine, as well!” Amelia burst out.
Victoire smirked. “Temper, temper!” she said, shaking her head mockingly. “You see, we French know how to control ourselves. It’s plain, though, that the English cannot.”
Amelia stared at the back of Victoire’s head, using all of her self-control to keep her from arguing back.
As she thought again about the chandelier, Amelia suddenly remembered Victoire’s satisfied look. Amelia felt a stab of suspicion as she looked at Victoire. It would make sense if Victoire were behind this, Amelia thought. She hates being in England, and she was the one who knew so much about the supposed ghost of Amelia.
The two girls reached their bedchamber. After climbing into bed, Amelia looked through the darkness at Victoire thinking, could Victoire be behind this? Amelia fell into an uneasy sleep.
Suddenly, something awoke Amelia. As she silently looked around the room, she spotted Victoire stealthily slip out of the room.
Amelia watched her suspiciously. What was Victoire doing at such a late hour?
Victoire disappeared into the hall. Amelia sat up silently in bed. She stood up and put on her slippers.
Amelia slid out the door into the hall. She spotted Victoire sneaking down the hall.
Amelia followed Victoire through the dark, cavernous halls. As she slipped past a window, Amelia realized Victoire was heading for the terrace.
Victoire silently crept through the double doors onto the dark terrace. Amelia slid to the door and cautiously looked out.
Victoire was busy at work by the table. Amelia saw Victoire pick up something and move it back and forth on the table.
Grr-grr, grr-grr, grr-grr, it went.
Amelia realized with a jolt. Victoire was sawing off the leg of the table!
Amelia bolted through the doors. “Caught in the act!” she shouted.
Victoire dropped her saw and spun around. “Amelia! What are you doing here?” Victoire screamed.
“Preventing you from destroying any more of Gardner Mansion, that’s what,” Amelia said, folding her arms.
Running footsteps came down the hall before Amelia’s family burst out onto the terrace.
“What on earth is happening here?” Grandma Alice shrieked.
“Grandma Alice,” Amelia said, “Victoire is behind these events. She was just now sawing the table leg off.”
“What?” Victoire screeched, “I did no such thing!”
“Explain, then, why you are here in the middle of the night with a saw and there are saw marks all over the table leg,” Grandma Alice demanded.
“I… I was-, I mean… I was just-,” Victoire stuttered.
“That’s what I thought. Come on, Victoire. Let’s go telegraph you parents,” Grandma Alice said, leading Victoire away.
Mystery solved, Amelia thought, smiling.
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