As the adults spoke downstairs Marlene dashed up to the second floor and then up the stairs to the third. After she reached the third she went up through some stairs hidden in the ballrooms closet and went up the thin, creaky, stairs to the attic. Up in the attic it was dark, except for the two small windows at each side. There was a light up in the attic, but it didn't work that well. Although it didn't work exceptionally great, Marlene figured it would be better than nothing at all-so she turned it on.

Trudging through the old documents and boxes towards the back wasn't easy. She almost tripped a few times, but then she got to the box that was quite worn out. She grabbed the top few items and made sure she had gotten all her favorite things and rushed towards the third floor main bedroom. She switched into her favorite Victorian dress. She had the shoes to match and a beautiful diamond necklace. In the room there was still the hair clip where she had left it in the little drawer of the bedside table.

This was one of her favorite rooms in the whole house. The room was large and had a beautiful ceiling with a mural on it and tall windows with beautiful soft, thick, curtains draping down over them. The floor was marble but had an old rug in it. This is where she stayed whenever she got to stay overnight here. She felt at home here!

Marlene then left the room. She went over to the ballroom and peered out the windows. Something then caught her eye as she turned and went to go to the study. There was this little gold band-like ring on the windowsill.

"I've come into here many times, but I've never seen this ring here before. It looks quite old, maybe it's grandmas. Although it doesn't look like anything she'd wear," Marlene was in deep thought. Without even thinking she put on the gold ring. Then something came over her. A cold wind came through her body, although the windows were closed. Then it stopped. Marlene looked around, and everything seemed untouched. "This is too weird," Marlene decided she should go ask grandma if the ring belonged to her.

As she walked through the long third floor corridor and past the expensive rooms Marlene seemed not to notice that all the books that were in the study were now not by authors such as Danielle Steel and others, but of Edger Allen Poe and Shakespeare. Also all the lighting torches that her grandmother had bought that worked on electricity were now actually lighting torches that provided light by flame. Down the second floor corridor Marlene went and then into the foyer. "Something is different, I can feel it," Marlene squinted her eyes and looked around. "I must be imagining things different."

Then she was wronged. In the living room there was not her mother, grandmother, and aunt, but rather two ladies in very expensive dresses, and two men in fancy suits. Careful to not be seen Marlene went to the corner of the room. Several times the man seemed to look at her, but not acknowledge her. Marlene listened to what they were saying.

"It's truly a shame that that tragedy happened to someone of such a young age. Although it's been years now, it's still hard." The more fancy lady spoke with tears forming in her eyes and the man next to her, apparently her husband, wiped her tears and placed his arm around her.

"I suppose we should be leaving now, we will see you soon at the dance this Friday anyhow." The other man motioned for the lady next to him to get up and they walked out of the room.

Marlene watched in amazement. She decided to go ask the sobbing lady what was going on and why she was crying. The husband whispered a few words into her ear and then strutted away.

After gathering her courage Marlene walked over to the lady that was sobbing and stood at her side. "Excuse me, what's wrong?"

The lady did not answer.

"Uhm, lady? What's the matter?" Marlene rose her voice a little because maybe the lady hadn't heard her through her sobs.

After yelling it she figured that the lady was weird. She then poked her in the shoulder several times, but there was no effect. "Come on, this has to be a sick joke or something," Marlene said half out of worrying and half out of aggravation.

Then something poked her. Marlene whirled around and there was a tall man with an evil smirk plastered on his face.

"Marlene, she can't hear you, nor feel your touch. You are dead, practically." The man's voice was dark, and almost mocking. It was also slow, he let the words linger on his tongue. "Let me explain. I put that ring there in the ballroom for you to find. You bit the bait and now you are trapped. The only way that you can get back into your present time is to sell me your soul. Will you sell it to me? Or do you want disaster?"

Marlene didn't believe this man. What proof did she have? "No. I will not."

"Alright, you did this to yourself. When you want your life back, tell me, I am everywhere."

Marlene closed her eyes and sat on the couch next to the sobbing lady. "What is going on?" Thoughts layered one on top of the other in her head.