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"What is it?" Mabel asked, and Evie realized it had only been her friend co" Evie took in the whole of the room "Funny," she said

"What is?"

"From the outside, I noticed a fat chimney, but this fireplace is very small"

"We don’t have time to critique the architecture, Evie Anyto run for their mothers If they haven’t already run to the phar the," Evie instructed

"For what?" Mabel called

I don’t know "I’ upstairs"

Mabel raced to her side "Evangeline Mary O’Neill! You’re not leaving e and Ira Gershwin"

"Oh, rhapsody Then I’ll never be blue," Evie quipped, though it felt odd to joke in such a to, please?"

A grand central staircase led to a second floor Its elegantly carved neere rotted through in spots The stairs creaked and groaned with each step, and Evie hoped the staircase would bear their weight She swept the flashlight across austere oil portraits silvery with spiderwebs At the top was a long hallway branching off left and right with doors all the way down Evie kept her eyes open for soive her a solid read, so right She rattled the knobs of several doors, but they were all locked shut At the back of the house, they came to yet another staircase This one was narrow and enclosed and led to an attic room whose dorht bled through the cracks, but it wasn’t enough to cut the glooht around the room Its beam landed on a four-poster bed draped in curtains A bureau with a tri-fold mirror A wardrobe Carefully, Mabel opened the wardrobe’s creaking doors It was empty inside except for a few hats The bureau held a tarnished hand mirror and brush

Suddenly Mabel let out a bloodcurdling scream

"What is it? What is it?" Evie said, heart pounding Mabel was still squealing as she pointed to the bed, where Evie’s flashlight bea form of a rat as it scurried away, and Evie and Mabel nearly cli all the while

"That is the last straw, Evie!" Mabel choked out "Can we please go?"