Sangeetha Kamath

CHAPTER 4 EGAD! SHAMBLES IN THE BRAMBLES  The cottage hummed a lullaby of sleep and sweetness... yet Goldwynn's skin pricked. Where were the Bears? The porridge pot on the dining table had gone cold and a knitted scarf draped the back of Papa Koala's chair like a fluffy question mark.  But a faint tantalizing aroma of rhubarb tarts in the oven, mingled with the scent of truss'd herbs from the rafters still hung in the air. The house was left behind in a hurry not too long ago. Goldwynn followed the scent and padded into the kitchen, her curiosity spiking by the minute. Copper pots and pans hung like spotlights, a wooden spoon dunked in a bowl of whipped cream, and more cookie crumbs mapped a trail to the pantry door which was left ajar.  As she peeked in, shelves of jars filled with pickles, dried mushrooms, and jewel-toned preserves stared back at her. A torn label on a jar of "Bears' Special Blend" fluttered pleadingly at her. Pushing open another door outsi...

                          CHAPTER 3               MEADOW BROOK COTTAGE  Goldwynn rested her palm lightly on the door and it opened a crack ! “Hello! Anyone? Hello, Bears! Lost in the woods. Can I rest here a bit before I'm on my way?” The silence was a heavy veil in the cottage. Perplexed, Goldwynn entered with trepidation.  Perhaps the Bears were out collecting honey and berries… Meadow Brook cottage slumbered amidst the trees, its sturdy interior brick walls holding a gentle patchwork of pinks, blues, and yellows, like a basket of meadow flowers left to dream in the sun.  The air was gently perfumed with woodsy potpourri while the fireplace sighed a tired wisp from the cherry wood logs.  The Bears were here a while ago…they might return soon.... Goldwynn made her way inside.Winsome furniture crouched on the floorboards facing the fireplace. A sunflower yellow couch ...

                                                     CHAPTER 2                BRAMBLESHIRE WOODS The trees were steeples piercing the skies, their gossamer branches blurred high against the dwindling light The creepers that entwined them pulsed like the dying embers of a bonfire.  Dense mists brimming with cedar and sun-bleached pine, swirled around their trunks and veiled the forest floor in billowy waves. The odor of decaying leaves and the damp moss made Goldwynn’s senses reel.  Disheveled, she scrambled to her feet, her heart racing like the devil.  The Locke mansion was nowhere to be seen! The cavern had spat her out like a bitter aftertaste. Her ears strained to hear some sign of life.  “ Where... am I? Where is the Locke Mansion”. Her voice shredded the hush.  There was only s...

This post is part of the Blogchatter A2Z Challenge 2026.                                                  CHAPTER 1        ABERCROMBIE LOCKE MANSION  The sky bled bruises of plum and cherry over the rolling hills. A full moon hung low against the mauve casting silver shards through the trees. The mansion made of cold greystone loomed large beyond the rusted iron gates. It grated on the gravel, rasping on the hinges and yawned open like a predator's jaw as Goldwynn booted it open with her foot. Her sneakers squished heavily on the mulch of dead leaves. Clutching her backpack, she looked up at the towering, grim structure forebodingly.  "Are you sure you want to do this?" her friend Lexi whispered, hesitating by the gate. "This mansion's totally cursed, they say." Lexi's voice was a thin thread. A chill crept up her back and she tight...