Cassandra painfully woke up in the detention cell at the north gate, sometimes in the middle of the second night. After getting detain because the Adventurer guild stated she was dead, it really made her day, if not her whole week. Being grill for twenty-four hours and beaten several times, they finally left her alone to wait for the Adventurer guild representatives to show up. Word eventually reach her ears that someone from her home town was on their way to verify her or not. Feeling a slight panic and afraid she be taken back and sold, she spent most of her time figuring out how she could escape. There is nothing on her that could have helped her pick the lock. Looking over the lock itself shows she could easily escape if she had something to pick the lock. Other than that, there was nothing much to do but study Sandra's memories because somehow, magic could not be used within the cells. Who would have thunk? Yeah, I am childish, I know.

Groaning from the beating she had taken, she thought of the Magic House, and her life there made her wish she had a chance to say goodbye to what few friends she did had, glad now that she had no pet to leave behind or a family to miss.

It was at that moment she notices a shimmering of light in front of the jail cell door. She watches as a red door slowly magically appear. Not just any door but the Magic House's red door with its dragon head knocker with an iron ring clamp in its mouth. And the multicolored fan shape glass window above the red door.

Hopping off the bed, she hobbles over painfully to the door and touches it hesitantly. Afraid it would vanish like a dream. Her shaking hand fell upon a skeleton key that was in the door lock. She was always criticizing her mentor about changing the lock only for him to nod and smile, saying he will think about it. Taking a deep breath, as the door opens with a long slow creaking noise as the key in the lock, click open as she pulls the key out.

Her eyes widen with surprise as she stares through the doorway into the familiar foyer of the magic house. Hardwood floor shines as if they have recently been buff. Fifteen feet in front of her is the large mahogany staircase with a red and gold trim runner that went down the center of the stairs. A hallway ran on both sides of the stair leading to two beautiful carve doors that lead further toward the back of the house.

Staring at the top of the stairs and seeing a white mist cover the stairway's end on the second floor, obscure and blocking access to the floor. Even the chandelier is in a fog high above her head. Only it's glow told her it was still there.

Cassandra leans back from the doorway and peek around the edge of the door and saw the bars of her jail cell. Leaning back in, she peers back into the room. Taking one last look at the jail cell behind her, she timidly steps into the foyer of the Magic House. The door closed behind her with a click causing her to jump in fright until she reopens the door and saw her jail cell. Closing the door again and locking it, she did not realize that there is the sound of shouting and fighting in the distance as the door closes, and she turns and leans against the door in relief.

The foyer is about fifteen feet by twenty wide. To the right wall are two doors, one leads to the closet, which she opens to reveal a ten-by-ten foot room full of coats, hats, scarves, gloves, men and women boots, and umbrellas. Just about everything that people lost at the house for the last few years. Next to that is the carved door that leads to the study. Turning around and staring at the opposite wall where the glass French double doors are leads into the sitting room. There are two small hallways, one on both sides of the stairs leading to two more carve doors. The door on the right hallway had a carving a couple performing a ballroom dance. She remembers it leading into a large ballroom and dining hall. Beyond that to the magician stage and theater with seating for a thousand or more people. While the other carve door was of an image of a woman in an old kitchen. She was bending over a kettle in a large fireplace. That door leads to the kitchen and the staff quarters. Checking the doors and unlocking them with her key. Only for both doors to reveal a blank wall behind them. Even the secret doors in the side of the staircase open to a blank wall. And not to storage rooms and workshops in the basement.

Pausing in front of the French doors, she realizes the painting on the walls is different, instead of previous magicians that performed at the Magic House. The paintings on the wall are now of places she has been and the towns and dungeons she has seen since she arrived in this world.

Shaking her head in wonderment as she opens the door into the sitting room. The smell of lavender filled her nostrils, and she took in a deep breath. For the first time since she came to this world, she can smell clean air. Well, almost clean, she not had a clean bath in days nor clean clothing.

The sitting room with its white eggshell color wall and flowery trim borders helps brightens the room. The light from the windows and another set of double glass doors that should lead to the garden. With flowery curtains pulled aside that allow the sunlight into the room. Even the oval white flowery rug on the dark hardwood floor help brightens the room. Sitting on the rug is a beautiful Astoria Grand sofa with flower print and several flowery pillows. Two matching white Contessa Baroque Throne chairs facing a white brick fireplace that had a fire going. On the coffee table two glass pitchers, one looks to have lemonade. The other pitcher has ice tea with real ice and four upside-down glasses next to the pitcher! Next to that was a teapot with hot water in it to serve hot tea from a tin that has tea leaves. Teacups sat upside down on saucers next to the teapot on the coffee table in front of the sofa. A silver plate with a glass dome covers assorted cakes stack inside, making her stomach growl with hunger. She had not eaten the whole time she had been in the detention cell after watching one of the guards spit into her food. The water she was given was dirty, and realize she had not healed herself since she couldn't use magic in the jail cell. Who knows what bacteria is in her body.

Wincing in pain as she places one hand on her forehead, the other on her heart. She cast the healing spell that nearly blinded her, taking a step back as the feeling of the power from the spell wash over her and not feeling drain but the opposite. She realizes since she had stepped into the house, she has been feeling great and full of energy. Her wounds and bruising from the beating she took seem to have disappeared after a few moments she realizes the pain has faded away.

She smiles as she finishes looking over the room after marveling at how the house seems to empower her. Nodding at the word empowering, she realizes that this place is a boon to her if only it opens its door at another location. Walking around the room, she flips through several magazines on the side tables. There are several magician's magazines, home decoration, woodworking, hunting, and fishing, even a mechanical science magazine. She remembers that there was a whole room in the basement full of magazines from woodworking, cooking, and clothing. Where she and others got their ideas from and patterns, if it wasn't for some of the magazines and clothing patterns she hoarded away in the storage room in the basement, she would have been lost. Yes, it was nice to find stuff on the internet, but many of the stuff she collected was before the internet became what it was when she died.

The smell of coffee grabs her attention quickly as she turns to the back of the room. Upon seeing a coffee maker and coffee cups on a table against the wall, she rushes over and pours herself a cup adding cream and a couple of sugar cubes. She savored the aroma and took a sip. She deeply signs as she thought she never taste coffee again. Placing the empty cup down, and she checks the doors under the coffee stand, finding several different brands of coffee, teas, and instant chocolate milk. Looking over the coffee maker, she could not find a chord or an electrical outlet. While she puzzles over that, she then realizes there is no water attach to the machine. Looking around, she spots a door to the far left of the fireplace. Remember that the bathroom was over there. Opening her eyes wide, she rushes to the bathroom.

The magic house was built in the eighteen hundred by a noted magician. Before it became the town headquarters for the local magicians and entertainment groups, it was a family house. Sometime in the late nineteen hundred a bathroom, a sink, and shower were installed. Later it updated a few times to bring up its elegance to match the rest of the house. It was stock with towels, medicine, toiletries, and, most importantly, a shower.

An hour later, Cassandra steps out of the bathroom wrap in a towel, rubbing her hair dry with another. With a content sigh as she sits down on the couch, curling her feet up under her. 'A real flushing toilet and running water! Hot and cold water in the shower stall!'

"I could stay here! Forever!" She announces to the room.

She debated on getting up to get another cup of coffee as her eyes stare at a large blank canvas over the fireplace. The painting looks like it was shroud in mists, with a hint of a woman in the shadow. Her thoughts were interrupted when she once again smell coffee. She looked to her right and saw a cup of steaming coffee on an end table sitting on a saucer with milk swirl in the coffee.

A little fearful, she looked around and didn't see anyone. Timidly she took the cup and sipped the coffee, tasting the milk and sugar the way she likes it.

Lifting the cup as a toast, "thank you." She said to the empty room. No matter how weird or scary it seems to have a cup of coffee pop up next to her, she will not leave the coffee or a flushing toilet behind. She can just ignore it for now.

Cassandra awoke, curl up on the couch to the smell of coffee and some cinnamon rolls and donuts sitting the coffee table. For a brief moment, she thought she was back on Earth until she saw the painting covered by mist above the wooden mantle as the grandfather clock chimes out six o'clock that was sitting in the corner.

Realizing she was still wrapped up in a towel, she rushes to the bathroom.

Once again, an hour past as Cassandra steps out of the bathroom. She was feeling refresh as she got to use the shower. Her clothing smell clean and felt clean since she arrives in this world. Oh! Finding a razor to shave her underarms and legs was a heavenly moment. The towels she left last night have somehow been cleaned, folded, and put back in the towel closet. Her clothes were washed and press sitting on the vanity.

While she explored the bathroom earlier, she found bandaids, antibiotic, and other essential medicine you would find in a medicine cabinet. What tickles her to death was the toiletries. Sandra's period was at least a few days away, and thanking whatever gods that open the Magic House up, she thanks them from the bottom of her heart.

Deciding it was time to get back and see if the skeleton key will open her cell door and allow her to escape. Once again, in the foyer. She stares at the carver door of a magician doing a magic trick that leads to the office. Shaking her head, she turns and opens the front door as the smell of burnt flesh and feces assaulted her nose. Staring in horror at the burnt down jail, she steps through without thinking as the door closes behind her knocking her out of the dazes as she cough from the lingering smoke. Surveying the burnt timbers and crumbling walls from the blaze that consumed the jail down last night she turns only to see the door fade way as a man in uniform step into the room over some debris staring at her from on the other side of the damage bars with a look of surprise.

"Baron! I found a survivor!" He yells.

Cassandra mutters, "oh, crap."