Temple: A New Journey Begins
Please see the disclaimer on the Synopsis page.
Kermit headed toward the edge of town in the opposite direction from where the temple could be seen. He entered a long tree-lined driveway leading to a white home. It looked like one of those Spanish colonials that you would see in the old Zoro movies.
"This place looks older than the temple," Kermit said to himself. 'I wonder what the Sheriff was so surprised about this place.'
Kermit walked up the steps and noticed the poor condition of the grounds. The steps were also in the same condition. Many were broken and needed repair. The house also looked as if it was abandoned.
'Doesn't look like anyone even lives here.'
Kermit walked up to the front door and tried one of the keys. He finally was able to open the door when he tried the third key. When he stepped inside, it was a total contrast to what was seen on the outside. Dark wood paneling could be seen throughout the entryway that led to each of the rooms in the house. Not much furniture could be seen. What furniture he did see was simple and austere. Kermit began exploring the house. There wasn't much on the first floor. The place reminded him of his sister's, the Gables. His niece, Mitch, recently took it over when Marilyn had a stroke.
Kermit walked through the rooms and inspected each one in turn. One room looked like it could have been a library, but the shelves were bare.
'Well Xia, if you wanted to keep yourself hidden and not let anyone know you were here, you certainly succeeded, until you tried to kill someone other than the monks. That was a fatal mistake. The place looks nearly empty. Still, you had to have had some belongings during the time you lived here. Now where could they be.'
Kermit headed to the back of the house. The kitchen at least looked more lived in then the front. She had to make herself some meals at least. Then another idea accord to him and Kermit started opening doors, looking for a way down to the basement. Sure enough, he found a stairwell down to the lower level. The basement level had no light so Kermit reached for a switch. Light flooded the lower level.
'Well someone at the power company knows someone was living here. The house has electricity.'
Kermit followed the stairs down, grateful for the light. This house was too much like his sister's. Thoughts of that day where hands came through the wall, groping and trying to choke and pin him came to his mind. It was a day he would never forget. He had thought his sister had been joking when she said the house was haunted, but he soon found out that it had been no joke. There had been other incidents since then, but they were not as prevalent as they had been that weekend.
When Kermit came to the bottom of the stairs, he let out a sigh of relief, suddenly realizing that he had been holding his breath. When he reached the basement level, he looked around and saw that he hit pay dirt. The place looked like Caine's apothecary. There were herbs and jars of all kinds all over the place. Yet there were other things as well that looked like they came out of an old horror movie.
'Looks like Xia did more than just dabble in herbs.'
Kermit looked around and recognized a few more items; ones that he had seem before.
'So that's where the brand came from, and the poison."
Then something else caught Kermit's attention.
"What have we here?" he said out loud to no one in particular.
Kermit pulled out his handkerchief and carefully lifted the card by its edges. The card revealed a name. He turned it over and discovered some writing on the back.
"Well, looks like two people knew you were here. We'll just have to see what they have to say."
Continues with Part 44
Alisa Joaquin Copyright@2004.
This story cannot be reprinted or sold in any other form without strict permission from
the author. It is being distributed here solely for your enjoyment.
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