"How could you do that?" Matilda yelled as soon as she laid her eyes on Ferry. "Bidding all your salary on a lousy basket. Do you think May is going to like you more now? She's only going to think you're more pitiful than before."

All three had decided to meet in front of Mrs. Jones's house that evening. After the story they heard at the festival, they intended to find something, anything that had to do with the Pride Mansion.

"We don't have time for this, Matt," whispered Ferry, sneaking against the big walls of the house. There was no light coming from inside. The garden was just as wild as it was when Mrs. Cobbs lived there, so they had to watch their steps. High grass, thick bushes, and old trees, they were all tangled and spread all over the garden, ruling over it in the kingdom of memories. Matilda and Ben followed. Ferry reached the back door and pushed it. It was open.

"Wait!" Ben whispered before Ferry could get in. "What if Mrs. Jones's daughter catches us?"

"We'll say we came to fix the shelves as I promised to her mother," said Ferry.

"Besides, she's sick, the poor girl," Matilda added. "She won't jump around the house. And we won't go to her room."

"That's right," said Ferry. "She won't even know we're here."

"I still think it's wrong," Ben mumbled.

"Let's hurry," Ferry rushed them. "Mrs. Jones is on duty at the tavern tonight, but still... Aren't you coming?" he asked Ben seeing no intention of him entering the house.

"Why would I? I usually keep watch. What if she forgot something and decides to come back?"

Ben was right. Only this time, Ferry felt awkward to be alone with Matilda. What if she remembered their kiss? Ferry hoped so bad that she'd forgotten.

"What is it, Ferry?" she asked as if she could read his mind. "Are you afraid to be alone with me? Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Although, you deserve it for all the stupid things you do."

Ferry got nothing to say. He sighed and went in. He turned on the flashlight and a pale light lit the room. He was wearing a pair of knitted gloves that felt itchy in his hands. He had forgotten Lavender's gloves at the edge of the forest, at the failed date he had with May, but when he came back to look for them, they were gone.

Now, they walked a small corridor where they stumbled upon several boxes and a lonely hanger in a corner. Everything looked dusty and deserted. When Mrs. Cobbs lived in the house, the air was still and the things were old. But now, they looked filthy.

Ferry and Matilda arrived at the parlour where once, the former owner of the house had told her life's story. In the dim light of the flashlight, they discovered the old and broken furniture covered in dusty sheets. A pile of logs was resting by the old fireplace where the fire had gone out, leaving the ashes behind, the only sign that the house was actually inhabited. Ferry almost stumbled into a bundle of sheets and blankets in front of the fireplace. Dozens of consumed candles were scattered throughout the room, on the floor, and on the fireplace.

"We're looking for the needle in the hay stack," mumbled Matilda, pushing with her feet the empty boxes that were in her way.

Ferry watched her with the corner of his eye. Matilda was muttering, as usual, and complained about how much she had to endure because of him.

They entered another corridor leading to the kitchen. They discovered the same mess. Inside the kitchen cabinets, the plates and glasses were nicely placed on the shelves. But they were all full of dust, just as the rest of the house, a sign no one had used them in a long time.

"I could've stayed home, by the fire, having a hot chocolate," Matilda muttered.

But Ferry had others in his mind. "So? How was your date with Danny?" he asked as if he didn't care.

"Good," Matilda said. The flashlight was too dim for Ferry to see her reaction. "How was yours with May?" she asked in return.

"Good," he said. Fortunately, he was holding the flashlight so Matilda couldn't see his face either. The silence was interrupted only by the screeching of their footsteps on the old floor.

"Are you together now?" Ferry couldn't help but ask.

A pause followed which to him seemed to last forever.

"No," she finally said. "I just had to follow the rules of the basket bidding. Wasn't that the same for you and May?"

Ferry didn't quite know what to say about his date with May. As always, May's behaviour on his concern made him even more confused. He didn't know what to believe anymore. The girl seemed to like him; they almost kissed. She had even told him her secret. But it was enough for the smallest thing to happen that she began to avoid him again, as it actually happened the very next day. Yet he couldn't talk to Matilda about May.

Instead, he said, "May and I are just friends."

"Maybe we should go upstairs," she said as if she hadn't heard him. "There's nothing to find here."

They started for the stairs leading to the second floor. Each step was accompanied by a short squeak that sounded rather loud in the silence surrounding them.

The whole floor was illuminated by the streetlamp whose light penetrated through the window at the end. The dust on the floor was thicker than the ground floor scattered on both sides of old and fresh footmarks. Ferry studied them in the light of the flashlight: the fresh ones were of a thin foot, with long toes; the old ones were wide — a man's footprints. And Ferry thought that maybe they were his father's; though he could hardly imagine him walking through the filth of this house which looked so different from their immaculate, neat home. He quickly chased the thought away, focusing on their mission.

The fresh footprints led to the first room. To their surprise, the room had no door. He went in with Matilda behind him, almost glued to his arm. In the room, there was only a toilet table with a mirror and a wardrobe in the corner with a narrow door. On the toilet table, scattered everywhere, there were lipsticks, powders, creams, pencils, mascara, and nail polish pots in all colours. Ferry had never seen so many. Fortunately, all the women and girls he knew didn't wear makeup. He also saw a pile of grammar books on the table, probably belonging to the widow's daughter.

He headed for the wardrobe with the broken door. Matilda opened it and the door almost fell. Ferry caught her just before it hit her. Matilda could barely hold back from screaming — the door had no hinges.

Inside, they found some dresses, blouses, and skirts, thrown all in a messy pile. On the top shelf, they saw a wooden box. Matilda took it carefully. It was small enough to hold it with both hands. There was something inside. At a careful search, they observed the box had no lid, no orifice, no lock. It looked like a perfect cube cut directly into the wood. Matilda carefully placed it back on the shelf, dusting off her palms.

"What is this place?" she whispered. "That's not how I remembered it. As if no one is living here... As if Mrs. Jones and her daughter are just visiting."

"Maybe they didn't have time to unpack," whispered Ferry.

"How so? They've been living here for quite some time. This place is starting to annoy me, she muttered. "What exactly are we looking for?"

"Mrs. Cobbs must have gathered all she has collected about fairies over the years: newspapers, books, newspaper clippings, notes, diaries... I don't think she left with them. They must be somewhere in the house."

"You don't want to have this house turn upside down, do you?" Matilda said. "It would take us days to--"

"Shh," Ferry interrupted her. He thought he heard something coming from the room next door. A sigh? A whisper? He definitely heard something.

"Don't shush me," Matilda snapped, turning menacingly towards him.

"Would you keep it quiet?" he snapped back at her. "I think I heard something."

This time, Matilda stood quiet. Ferry exited the first room and headed to the neighbouring one. He felt Matilda's warm hand nesting in his hand — she was afraid. He could feel the warmth of her palm even through his thick gloves. He held her hand tightly in his and they both stopped in front of the room which also had no door. But unlike the other room, it was blocked by a huge wardrobe. Instead of the door, there were thick bars. The door of a cage. Ferry got a shiver down his spine which Matilda must have felt because she held his hand even tighter. Ferry listened. He could hear a soft movement behind the wardrobe-door. Like the rustling of sheets. And someone humming a song. It was the room of Mrs. Jones's daughter.

"Let's get out of here," Matilda whispered. "This place is giving me the creeps."

"We can't. We still haven't found anything. Who knows when we'll have this chance?"

"Where else could we look?" she asked.

"There's only one place left. The attic."

Matilda nodded. Holding hands, they both headed to the ladder leading to the attic. Ferry climbed first, pushed the hatched and went in. He then helped Matilda go in, too. The attic was lit by the streetlamp whose light went through the round, spotted window. A stately air, almost tangible, owned the entire room. Old boxes and furniture were scattered everywhere. Ferry passed by a mirror with a milky surface, and his heart twitched when he saw his own reflection. Matilda was right, the place was giving the chills. He began to search through the cardboard boxes. There were only invoices, documents, accounting papers, receipts, and any other boring paperwork.

"It's useless," Matilda snorted. "There's nothing here."

Ferry agreed. "If it were to hide something you wouldn't want anyone to find, where would you hide it?"

Matilda gave it a thought. "Mrs. Cobbs was very old and almost blind. It must have been hard for her to climb stairs, let alone going to the attic. She spent most of her time in her chair. Besides, when she was blind, she probably couldn't write about fairies and the weirds of the town anymore."

"And that means..."

"I don't know... I'm just thinking that if I had something I consider valuable, I would like to keep it close to me the whole time. Where I spent most of the time. At hand."

They both hurried to get down the attic, animated by Matilda's idea. They reached the parlour again and stopped in front of the old armchair where Mrs. Cobbs had spent the last years. Ferry removed the old sheet covering the armchair. He studied the velvet-fading pillows under the flashlight Matilda was holding. Nothing. He went round the chair. On one side, it had a pocket sewn on the exterior. In the pocket, Ferry discovered a thick notebook with red leather covers. It was tied with a pink, silk ribbon that had lost all its brightness—Mrs. Cobbs's journal.

Matilda was just about to give a squeak of joy. "Mission accomplished. Now let's get out of here!"

She didn't even have the time to finish her words, that they heard movement in the darkest corner of the room. The shadow in the corner was moving. With trembling hands, Matilda turned the flashlight to the corner. In the shadows and fringes of light that were moving and blending in front of them, a beast appeared out of the darkness. It was a dog. A black dog, the largest they had ever seen. In one leap, he was right in front of them.

The two didn't know when they got out of the house.

"Run!" Ferry shouted as he passed by Ben, pulling Matilda after him.

Ben didn't wait to be told twice. But the dog was too fast, following them closely. Now, they could see it in the light of the street lamps, chasing after them on the deserted streets. Unfortunately, he was getting closer and closer to Ben who was the last running.

"How could I not know that Mrs. Jones has a dog?" Ferry shouted to Matilda as they ran. But even she couldn't even keep up with Ferry. And Ben was far behind them.

Ferry stopped; he picked up Matilda in his arms; the girl didn't protest, holding her hands tight around his neck; he took flight with her in his arms returning for Ben. He grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, then rose into the air. It was hard, and he was about to fall a few times. But he saw the moonlight and flew right to it. The moonlight gave him strength, and he raised even higher, away from the streets and from anyone's sight. The dog remained behind, barking furiously.

Ferry put his friends to shelter, slowly descending in front of Lavender's garden.

"What was that?" asked Ben, catching his breath.

"I don't know," Matilda replied, looking rather shaken.

"I've never seen that dog before, although I flew over Mrs. Jones's house many times. At least, we have her journal," said Ferry, carefully taking it out of his jacket's pocket.

"And we've got rid of the dust in the house," Matilda added.

"Was there dust in the house?" Ben asked.

"Yeah, why?" his friends asked at the same time.

"That means Mrs. Jones will know someone broke into her house."  

Thank you for reading this new chapter! The adventure begins. Are you ready? As always, I'm anxiously waiting for your thoughts :)