A Discovery

"Oh, that’s the ol’ manor house, ma’am, no one has lived there for more than half a century.” 

Those words echoed in my memory as I stood and looked at the house that at one time I’m sure was the most beautiful estate in the township:  Elderberry Manor.  The brick stood sure and fast until your eyes trailed toward the crumbling foundation.  The paint was chipping on most of the woodwork, and a few of the smaller window panes had been broken.  It seemed a shame that such a lovely house know stood empty and – lifeless.   

Acres of property surrounded Elderberry Manor. Beautiful grounds complete with orchards, fountains, ponds, and long ago, prize-winning gardens...  Townsfolk say that there was even an intricate hedge maze tucked in among the other beautiful features, but now all overgrown and somehow forgotten.

Or so I thought.  Little did I know that just behind this lonely house was a place bubbling over with life;  I myself didn’t quite believe it – it took a little girl named Emily Ann to finally assure me of its existence, for one had to look very carefully to see it…

♥Cath-