Ever-Increasing Darkness: Seven

"Do I have to?" Ms. Madison regarded the thermal garments that Jill had produced with a fair measure of suspicion, coupled with some distress. "I mean, what do they do to a girl's figure?"

"Keep it warm," Jill replied brutally. "Now get dressed and stop moaning. It's a long way to Tonn, and we need to be ready if the car won't get us there."

Ms Madison looked distressed, but did what she was told. Lady Sylvia changed without complaint. But then, Ms. Madison reflected, that was hardly surprising. Her colleague wasn't that long out of school. She was used to following orders and wearing clothes that were a great deal less stylish than Ms. Madison liked. Once they were fully clothed, hatted and booted, they stepped out into the cold.

The Land Rover did not stop in the snow, but struggled forward against the heaped snow. Ms. Madison shivered, now thankful for her unstylish clothes. She willed the car on, over the desolate mountains. This was an area totally deserted, wild. She could well believe that some evil had stayed on here, never to completely die.

Jill stopped the car by the gates of the house. Getting out and donning snowshoes, the girls made their way down the long drive. Lady Sylvia looked aroung her, shaking her head.

"Is this really summer?" she looked doubtful. "Lynette, did we call him?"

"No," Ms. Madison confessed. "So no getting captured today, huh?"

"I'll try," Lady Sylvia reassured her colleague. "How much further, Jill? - I'm freezing!"

"You won't be soon," Ms. Madison spoke , pointing to the ground ahead of them. The snow stopped abruptly, giving way to a rugged spot of ground. It looked like a lot of recent growth had taken place.

And there, emerging from the undergrowth was the shattered ruin of a mighty mansion, its empty windows like sightless eyes.

The girls shuddered, feeling that something evil waited there.