Chapter 1

The Basement

 

“Christy, who are you talking to?” asked her mom, Diane.

She stood at the top of the stairs yelling down to her daughter, who was in the basement.

“Your voice is very loud. It carries upstairs.”

“I’m not talking to anyone, Mom. Brad is at his friend Ethan’s house and I was just hanging out in the basement,” Christy answered back.

Christy, twelve, her brother, Brad, sixteen and their mother, Diane Ramsey all have flaming red hair and big blue eyes.

Christy, Brad and their mom had just moved into a huge six bedroom rambling house that was over 100 years old.

The house sat on top of a mountain which sprawled downward to the Pacific Ocean. They had their own boat dock.

The Ramsey’s had moved from Pennsylvania to La Jolla, California to be closer to Diane’s parents: General Max Mumps, Commander of Fort Cheyenne and his wife, Frieda.

Christy and Brad’s dad had died in the Gulf War, while flying helicopters with his men.

Brad, being the oldest child, had always tried to be a big brother for Christy.

“I need you to get a screwdriver for me in the garage,” yelled Diane.

“Okay Mom, I’ll be right up.” Christy answered.

“Your dog is barking and driving me crazy. You were making a lot of noise downstairs,” commented Diane, as Christy handed her the screwdriver from the garage.

Christy scooped up Fluffy from the floor. She held her tightly in her arms.

Her dog Fluffy was a small, beige and white dog of unknown breed that had followed her home from school one day two years ago and became a member of the Ramsey family.

Brad and his friends, Ethan and Mark walked into the kitchen.

“Mom, Ethan, Mark, and I are going to hang out in my room and listen to my new CD,” Brad informed Diane.

“Hi Mrs. Ramsey,” the boys called to Diane.

“Hi boys,” she acknowledged. “When you’re ready there are snacks in the kitchen.”

“Cool Mom,” exclaimed Brad.

Ethan was as tall as Brad with brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing jeans and a blue sweater.

Mark was the tallest with brown rimmed frames covering green eyes, sitting on his sharp nose. He was wearing black jeans and a red sweatshirt. Brad was wearing a burgundy jogging suit.

“Can I listen too?” inquired Christy, walking up to Brad and his friends.

“Not today,” said Brad, shutting his bedroom door in her face. Christy walked downstairs again with Fluffy in her arms.

After dinner that evening Brad noticed that Christy was down in the basement again.

“What’s going on with Christy, Mom?” he asked “She keeps hanging around down in that basement. It’s a big mess down there. I wonder, what’s the attraction?”

“She says she’s just hanging out,” answered Diane. “She could empty some of those packing cartons if she really wanted something to do.”

“I’ll tell her.” Brad headed for the stairs to the basement. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard voices.

“Who are you talking to Kiddo?” asked Brad, walking into the basement. Christy jumped.

“Brad you scared the living daylights out of me. Why are you sneaking up on me?”

“I’m not sneaking up on you. You were making so much noise you didn’t hear me come in.” He shook his red head. “What’s the attraction down here?”

“Nothing, I’m just bored. You and your friends hung out all day together. I didn’t have anything to do.”

“What about your friends, Wendy, Dena, and Stephanie?”

“I called all of them today. They must have all gone some place together because no one was home,” she answered, feeling hurt and left out.

“Spring Break will be over soon and it will be back to the old grindstone again,” commented Brad.

“All that homework, yuck,” said Christy, making a face. “Let’s go upstairs. I’m bored with this basement. It’s really yucky and gross down here. I think the families that lived here before us left all their junk.”

“That’s why I came downstairs. Mom said to start emptying the cartons that got shoved down here when we moved in.”

“Yeah, tomorrow is another day,” muttered Christy, walking up the stairs.

“Are you sure you’re telling me everything?” he asked.

“Why yes, Brad,” said Christy, looking down at the floor. Her face turned bright red. “I’ve told you everything. Why do you ask?”

“I know you and I know when you’re keeping something from me,” he said. They both walked into the kitchen.

Fluffy followed them slowly up the basement stairs. When they reached the top of the stairs Brad picked Fluffy up in his arms and held her high in the air.

“You’re a good girl but you really need to work on your barking.” He petted her head and neck and put her back down on the ground.