First Meeting

Mia followed the path of the three who had come before her by opening the unlocked front door and stepping into the entrance hall of the mansion. Just like she’d seen on Roxanne’s website, the long staircase directly in front of her led to a landing, followed by two other staircases curving to the next level. The living room was to the right, leading to the kitchen, garage, and workshop. A dining hall to the left, followed by another room leading up a back staircase.

She knew all this.

But what unnerved her was that beyond that, the mansion remained largely a mystery. No content on the website revealed much of anything about what lay elsewhere, including on the upper levels.

Mia didn’t have to wait long for Roxanne to show herself. The Punk Princess herself appeared at the top of the staircase, clad in a pair of strange glasses. Mia was mesmerized by the odd colors shimmering across the front of the lenses.

“Hi.” Roxanne grinned.

“Hi,” said Mia.

Silence settled between the two girls. Mia felt the awkwardness as Roxanne stared at her, unmoving, her eyes remaining hidden behind the glasses, which appeared to swirl like a witch’s potion.

Mia was confident she could pound this girl into a pulp physically, but she held back, not trusting Roxanne’s boldness. Why would she be so bold?