The Finndale Mystery

Paige brushed her hand against the dust of the velvet curtains, she grabbed a clump of it and pulled it aside swiftly. Bright, golden sunlight flooded into the basement through the large French doors. Lighting up the rather empty, but clean space. The walls were painted a pale shade of beige and there was a similar coloured carpet. There was a square table, wood, a colour like golden brown. A few smaller dark brown tables placed randomly around the room. Sofas were placed against the walls, white and soft, but some stains from Arya’s experiments tainted their perfection. The ceilings had simple chandeliers, emitting a white light, but it was rather striking, so they used the yellowish light of the lamps. The TV was 120 inches, placed in a black display cabinet at the front of the room, decorated with metal vases and foreign artefacts. It was early spring, so Paige pulled the curtains apart, and opened the windows.

Arya ran, she didn’t like running, but she was late. Again. Her dark hair flew behind her, and a little sweat dotted her light tanned complexion in the sudden change of weather. She pulled herself over the white picket fence of Paige’s back garden, almost tripping over, avoiding the delicate flowers patches. Swinging open the back door, she stumbled down the narrow staircase and reached the basement. Arya looked messy and exhausted, but she grinned at her awaiting friends. Paige looking rather stern and Willow smiling as if trying to suppress a laugh.

“You’re late. Again.” Paige said flatly.

Precisely what Arya thought she’d say, “I know, I ran here, I got the stuff, it was tricky, but I did, then Mrs Faust was talking to me about some extracurricular thing going on next Saturday, and you know when she starts talking it’s hard to get her to stop, so then- “

She was cut off sharply. “Its fine. We don’t need the whole story, just go wash your face, there’s a soap there too, and use the brush, your hair’s a mess.” Paige said, smiling by the end of it.

“Wait! What did you bring?” Willow blurted out excitedly.

“I have no idea, you’ll just have to be patient.” Arya said solemnly before leaving the room.

It was hard to tell what Arya meant sometimes; she was smart but didn’t care for it. She loved fantasy and was often taken as a little crazy.

Arya Jones is 17 years old, in her 6th year at ‘Cedar and Lake’. Paige Temple was also in the upper school, but it was her 7th year, she was 18. Paige likes being in charge and she likes baking. Willow has fawn brown hair, sort of wavy and her skin was a little lighter. She was 16, still in the lower school in her 5th year.

The soap was jasmine scented. Arya walked into the basement about the same time as Vera Cast (Paige’s mother, but we’ll refer to everyone in their full original name).

“Hi girls, I need to go out, I’d hate to leave you unsupervised, so I asked the elderly lady next door, Mrs Diana Corlis, to watch you as usual.” Vera said sweetly, adjusting her blonde hair, so like Paige’s.

Then she left the room, walking perfectly in her incredibly high heels.

“So, what have you brought?”

“I can assure you it’s better than salad making or finishing Willows homework.” Arya set up some unnamed chemicals and lit a candle. She mixed the substances in a small bowl and held it above the flame. It started to spit and shriek violently, causing sparks, before Paige knocked it over……

“That could have blown us up! What were you thinking Arya?!”

“No, I had it under control, and now look, you burned some of the carpet and stained the sofa. Again.” Arya said calmly.

“Are you crazy?! If my mum- “Paige started, before the door creaked open and a small old lady limped in. Her grey hair was rather messy, and her wrinkled face was smiling, and she was quite unaware of what happened.

“Hello girls, I’m taking care of you today, be good and play nicely” Mrs Corlis said slowly. She walked to the other side of the room, sitting comfortably on a sofa and pulling her knitting from her brown bag. She was so typical.

Vera checked on them once more before she left, claiming she’d heard strange sounds, which they obviously denied, whilst suspiciously piled on top of stain.

Then they were alone, with an old lady and another stain. Paige tried to rub it off, but eventually even she didn’t care and placed another pale blue silk pillow on it.