The Haunted Country Club Chap. 2

     Nine o’clock, Halloween morning, our little group was sitting in the school van. We had made a supply list and we were checking to see if we’d forgotten anything.

     “All right. We should have twelve cameras, twelve digital cameras, fourteen voice recorders. Six tripods, extra batteries, extra memory, all of our luggage, food and drinks. Do we have it all?” Brandon asked.

     “Yep, we have it all. Amazingly we haven’t forgotten anything. Chelsea said as she put the last tripod in.

     “Oh wait, what about the extensions cords for the laptop?” I asked. “ Never mind I found it. We’ve got everything. We’re just waiting for our driver.”

     Right on cue an elderly man, obviously in his sixties, meandered around the corner. He was dressed in his usual suit, black pants, white shirt, and a one colored tie. Today the tie was blue. Mr. Curtis Benjamin, great-grandson of John Benjamin. (When John moved to Morning Sun he had two children that stayed in New York) Mr. Benjamin is a five foot two man with a thin build. His shin is wrinkled and wrought with freckles. He has thin lips, dentures yellowed with smoke, a small nose, and grey eyes that don’t look at you they look through you. What was left of his hair was white and mostly centered around his ears. He sometimes walked with a cane, today he didn’t. Some people say Mr. Curtis Benjamin looks just like his great-grandfather and if you had seen a picture of John Benjamin you would agree. Mr. Benjamin has been the principle at Morning sun for forty-two years. Even though he is sixty-three, Mr. Benjamin’s mind is as sharp as it was when he was in high school.

     “Now students you have all volunteered for this journey. If any of you would like to leave, now is the time to do it. You so not have to stay in the house longer than you like. We will leave here in exactly three minute. When I drive you there I will wait at the gate until all of you are in the house and the door I shut. You have my cell phone number, call me when you are ready to leave. Wait at the end of the gate and I will come and get you. Any questions?” Mr. Benjamin asked.

     “No sir. We’re ready to go when you are.” I said.

     “Let me check the luggage, Have to make sure everything is packed down. UHHH, this will absolutely not do. I can’t see out the window. You have two minutes to rearrange this or we’ll have to leave some things behind.” Mr. Benjamin said. I, of course, mocked him as he climbed inside the van.

     “Okay. Let’s put our luggage on bottom. Make them as even as possible. There you go. Laptop and all the extras next. The cameras will go on top. Wait leave room for the tripods. All right, Mr. Benjamin can you see now?” Nadia asked as Brandon put the last camera in and shut the door.

     “Yes, yes. That will do fine now. Chelsea you sit up here with me. Boys you sit in the middle. Nadia you and Felicity will sit in the back. There will be absolutely no talking on this trip. Now as I…”

     “Mr. Benjamin, were not going to a funeral, were going to a haunted house on an adventure.” I interrupted Mr. Benjamin as he was laying down the law to thick. He always seemed to be to stern.

     “That may be true, however, you should all be collecting your thoughts and preparing yourselves mentally for the task at hand. And for that comment you get a weeks worth of detention, Felicity. Now if there is nothing else to talk about we are a minute late.” Mr. Benjamin said as he started the van and began weaving in and out of parked cars.

     I made the guys crack up by mocking Mr. Benjamin in my usual was. He gave me one hell of a look through the rear view mirror. I waved it off.

     I myself am five foot eight with burnt- maplewood hair and faded blue eyes. I seem to have authority in the school and I would be described as a smart ass by most, if not all, of my teachers. I have a figure most men would call and “hour-glass”. I’ve been through more boys than most girls my age and I’m currently going with Brandon for the fifth, or is it sixth time. Anyway you get the idea.