A small group of four students was hiking in the forest. Diane, Daniel, Tessie and Thomas liked hiking, they often went on tours and they managed to sweep the entire surroundings of their town. However today Tessie stopped and stared at a manor on the nearby hill.
“Hey, guys. Look at the manor; if I’m right, there were ruins last year there.”
“Right, there is a ruin sign on my map,” Daniel fetched a map from his backpack and looked at it.
“Let’s have a closer look at the manor,” Diane wasn’t able to resist the temptation; she was quite a curious girl.
Her companions nodded and they headed towards the mysterious manor. The building looked well maintained as if it had been built the day before.
“I don’t know; something is wrong with this manor. Maybe it is a bad premonition only but I’d advise to turn away and leave as quickly as possible,” Tessie turned to her boyfriend Thomas but he shook his head.
“Don’t be a coward, love. What can happen in a manor. We aren’t in a B class horror movie though.”
“Okay then, let’s go in,” she nodded and stepped forward.
Daniel opened the massive gate and entered the large hall. He looked around and stopped dead in his track.
The hall was clean and equipped like one in a museum or gallery. The walls were framed by numerous pictures. There were three doors on the back wall and a small stand on his right.
“Welcome in our special manor. Come closer please,” an old lady was sitting behind the counter.
“Is this a museum, madam?” Diane turned to the lady.
“Not exactly, my dear,” the lady replied. “Have a look at the pictures in the front hall. It is free and you can have a tour if you are interested then.”
“Thanks madam,” Diane smiled at the lady and stepped forward when she felt a pressure in her bladder. “Excuse me,” she headed towards the door marked by the familiar toilet sign.
When she emerged from the toilet, the group walked over to the left side wall to start watching the pictures.
Although the pictures were artworks, they weren’t too interesting. There were portraits and landscapes hanging on the walls. The group passed the entire hall and Diane almost headed toward the exit. She didn’t understand the words “special manor” when she looked back and spotted a portrait they had passed earlier.
“Hey guys, do I see right? A lady was depicted in that picture before,” she pointed at a picture on the back wall.”
To her utter surprise a small toddler girl was depicted in the same picture. Daniel, Tessie and Thomas looked back and they started in utter surprise at the portrait.
All of sudden the toddler girl in the picture changed back into the lady.
“Madam, could you explain what happened?” Daniel turned to the old lady.
“Of course, young man,” she smiled and continued, “picture change and people change, too.”
At the same moment she disappeared in a fog and seconds later a small girl about three year old was standing in front of them.
“Follow me please if you are interested,” she stood up and headed towards a door on the back wall and opened it.
“Hey guys, I’m getting worried,” Tessie protested again but she caught the gaze of Thomas and got silent. They followed the small girl and entered the door.
They found themselves in a small corridor leading to the right. There was a label on the opposite wall.