Finish the Four or Be No More

By Edward Henninger

Two curious and adventurous young girls decide to explore their new neighborhood. Little could they imagine the harrowing journey that awaits them when they wander into an old house nestled amid a wooded hill near their new home. Trapped in an unexpected challenge by a mysterious woman occupying the house to finish four harrowing journeys or be no more, the young girls must continually rely on their love, companionship, and ingenuity to survive. From the moment they step foot in the house, they begin to wonder if this is all a bad dream or their new reality. Will each challenge bring them closer or farther from the answer?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Jan 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9781647503710

Edward Henninger

Edward Henninger began his engaging and imaginative storytelling to pass the time in the family car while transporting his two young daughters to and from athletic and school events. Starring his two young daughters, his stories started with familiar places or situations but quickly turned into harrowing and unpredictable challenges for the two curious and ingenious sisters to solve. He decided to chronicle and retell those tales of his girls’ adventures in a series of chapter books. This is his first published novel.

Book preview

reality.

Chapter One

What Is It You Want?

Keely, 13, and her sister Lexy, 10, had not had time to investigate their new neighborhood yet since they moved into their new house about a week ago. The past week was spent unpacking and organizing their bedrooms, arranging their toys in their new family room, and hauling items to the unfinished basement. This partly sunny, Saturday morning, a day before Halloween, they had their chance to look around in their new neighborhood. After eating breakfast at around ten o’clock, they get the okay from their parents to start their exploration.

As they step out on to their porch, Keely glances to her right. The cul-de-sac that leads away from their new house runs up a pretty steep hill and then seems to disappear to the right and then to the left. Their house was built near the end of the cul-de-sac next door to a much larger house that is perched at the very end of the street’s circle. Although they had yet to discover many areas of their new neighborhood, including the wooded hills behind their own house, today they will set out for all that sits up and over the steep hill at the top of their street.

Let’s head up the hill Lex, Keely points and says.

But I wanna go down in the woods behind our house, it looks cool, Lexy replies.

All that rain the past couple of days probably made the paths really messy. Let’s save that trip for a dry day, okay? Keely explains.

Yeah, but… Lexy starts to say.

Come on, let’s go!

Keely ignores her sister’s pleas and shouts over her shoulder as she steps off the porch and walks out the driveway leading to the cul-de-sac. Although clearly disappointed, Lexy hustles to join her older sister.

The two girls stroll up the cul-de-sac glancing at each house as they go. To their right are three houses of varying sizes, each with a large lot to each side and downward sloping woods in the back. To their left stand, four houses packed closer together but also with woods running away from them in the back. A medium-sized dog appears in the picture window in the front of the first house they encounter on their left. She or he is instantly joined by a second dog and they nudge one another to gain the best view of the two girls walking up the street. Silenced by the window, the girls can tell from their actions that the dogs are heatedly barking at them.

Lexy turns and asks her sister, Ah, aren’t they cute. What do you think they are saying to us Keel?

Huh, what? Oh, probably get away or keep out. I’m thinking, Keely causally responds.

I would like to pet ’em, Lexy suggests. She had wanted a dog since she was old enough to talk and so far, all her parents got her were a series of stuffed ones.

They don’t look too happy to me. Let’s keep moving! Keely orders as she picks up the pace a bit.

The girls meander their way up to the midway point of their street when they hear someone shout.

Well, hello there girls, how are you doin’ this morning? an older woman hollers from her driveway to their right. What are your names? she stops raking leaves to ask.

Um, Hi! Keely shouts back. I am Keely and this is my sister Lexy. We are just out for a walk, she continues.

It is a beautiful day for that! You girls ready for Halloween? Lots of kids trick-or-treat around here. Be sure to drop by our house, we have lots of goodies! the lady insists.

Um yeah, sure, Keely responds with a nervous smile.

Keely quickens her pace again and Lexy jogs to catch up. They proceed further up the hill until they reach the top. They cross the street that runs perpendicular to theirs and look around. To their left is a wonderful view of a valley nestled among patches of colorful woods. To their right is a white house with a small tree line running along its side. A middle-aged gentleman with scoop in hand is out in the front yard waiting for his aging brown and white dog to do his business. He barely notices the two young girls strolling by the edge of his yard. He smiles over at them and then quickly back down just in time to witness his dog’s assault on his grass. The girls look at each other and break out laughing.

In front of them and slightly to their left is a steep street that slopes down away from them, winding past several houses on each side. They can barely make out the stop sign that marks the end of the street way down at the bottom of the hill. Across the street from the stop sign, they see the start of a dirt road on a large colorful mountain side. A chain is connected to two posts on each side of the road and a small rectangular sign dangles from its middle. The road then snakes its way from the chain line up a ways before disappearing into the forest to the left. As they scan further up the hillside, they again spy that same dirt road crisscrossing near the top and to the right, and then off somewhere. They look at each other and then back up at that distant hill. One more look and Keely knows where they will start their expedition today.

What do you think? Keely asks while pointing to the distant hillside.

What? Up there, are you serious? Lexy quickly responds as if questioning her sister’s sanity. No way! You see the chain, no one is allowed up there.

All the more reason to go up, don’t ya think? Keely answers while flashing a mischievous smile. Look, over there where the road curves to the left. You can just make it out, see it?

See what? I don’t see anything, Lexy replies with a look of puzzlement on her face.

It’s a house, Keely gleefully points out.

So, we can’t go there, Lexy responds nervously.

Come on, let’s see if anyone lives there, Keely quickly counters. Come on! she demands again.

Keely begins to walk down the steep street motioning for her younger sister to join her. After about ten to fifteen steps, she stops and notices that she is walking alone. She turns around and sees her sister still standing where they spoke, frozen in disbelief. Keely jogs back up the hill to her sister’s side.

What’s the matter? Keely calmly asks.

I am scared. We should ask mom and dad first, shouldn’t we? Lexy asks her sister in a quivering tone.

Nah, we aren’t going to stay there, just explore. They said we could explore, remember, Keely confidently reminds her sister.

Um, well, yes, I guess so, Lexy hesitantly responds.

So, let’s go explore, come on. Nothing will happen, I promise, Keely says with a smile.

Keely taps her sister on