The Riddle House- PT.1

Joshua dared T.J to jump from the top of the fence. The four of us present there cheered with encouragement; there was Joshua, the most dominant one. He was the take-charge-of-the-situation person, sometimes I would take him as the leader. Then there was T.J, short and shy but full of ego. Johnny was the new addition to our group because he was new in town. I consider myself the nerd of the group.

“I’ve got a better dare,” I shouted to the top of my lungs causing everybody to turn their attention to me, “let him go into the Riddle house,” I finished my sentence almost panting. They all looked at me surprisingly, I even heard Joshua let out a gasp but Johnny looked puzzled.

“What’s the Riddle House?” Johhny asked,  T.J was the one gasping this time.

“You mean you don’t know what the Riddle House is?” Joshua said “You never even heard of the story of the Riddle Family?”

“Don’t be stupid Joshua” T.J said almost annoyed “If he hasn’t heard of the Riddle House then obviously he wouldn’t have heard about the Riddle Family.”

“Stop quarrelling guys and tell me the story!” T.J was now beleaguered.

“The story of the Riddle house goes far back into old days,” Joshua itched his head and asked “What do you call it- the old days?”

“Colonial days,” I said muttering rolling my eyes at the same time.

“Yes, colonial days, the story goes back all the way to colonial days, the Riddles where the richest people in the state and this house was what they built and lived in for many generations,” Joshua said to Johnny who was apparently listing attentively.

T.J glanced at his watch “uh-oh, I we are late for school”

“Shut Up! T.J,” I shouted but everyone had already began to run down the narrow side walk to Telianius High School.

“Wait Up!” I ran behind them shouting but the distant sound of the bell was ringing in all of our heads at that time.

~*~

The bell went as soon as the clock said three, we hustled out and huddled up under a tree in front of the school when Directoris Riddle- that’s right Directoris Riddle, one of the original Riddles his ancestors occupied the now abandoned Riddle House. It was unknown why he was the only Riddle remaining these days but he was an old man that had many secrets.  He came right in our direction, as soon as he arrived, without any greeting I blurted out,

“Why doesn’t your family live in the Riddle House anymore?” he looked at me quite surprised and relieved at the same time.

“I think it’s about time the whole world knows the story of the prestigious Riddle Family and the secrets that lie behind the portrait of the family in the Riddle Library.” He said with almost tears in his eyes.

The Riddle Library was a library built years ago and the ancestral Riddle Family Portrait hung on the walls.

“The Riddle Family Story is filled with murder, betrayal, desire, and power, what my family tried to cover up for generations, but I will unfold everything to you,” he said.

Thomas Riddle raced down the steps of the Riddle Mansion to meet his soon to be bride, Narlisa. Narlisa was stunningly beautiful with long black hair, rosy cheeks and a well formed waste line. She had a flasy smile but she was sole property of The Germanot Family, another well respected family. The Germanot Family envied the Riddle Family and wanted everything they had, the money, the reputation and even the charming good looks of the family. They would do anything to have ties with the Riddle Family even if it means selling their only daughter to the Riddle son.  Thomas Riddle on the other hand was a young dashing young man, called the womanizer of his age, playful as he was he was ready to settle down. Tom and Harriet Riddle called their son Thomas beside them and sat down beside David and Juliet Germanot and their beautiful daughter. What both families were unaware of was that this marriage arrangement could ruin the rest of their lives as power was lurking in the heart of one, that was unborn.

......Continued ...... Soon.....