Book One Of

The Photograph Series

By Ancient History Lover

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Introduction

Photographs. A brief moment of the past, family and friends long gone and of good memories. So, naturally it’s not even a speck possible to go back thru pictures, or is it? This is a story about two teenage twins, a boy and a girl, who find out how. True or false? Read and find out!

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Note: All of the historical figures in this book were real. They lived from the 1600s thru the 1900s and me and my family, their generations, are still living today

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Chapter 1: The Trip

“Hey. Hey!” said a 16 1\2 year old girl, Christiana, was trying to drive and wake her brother up at the same time. “Wake up!” she shouted as she whacked her brother on his shoulder. “Huh, what?!” sleepily asked her fraternal twin brother, Jacob, who had fallen asleep. “Were almost there.” She told him.

“Right, where are we going again?” Jacob asked with a yawn.

“I’ve told you a thousand times already,” she said, quite annoyed at having to tell him again, “We’re going to Great-Grandma Ruby’s house! I swear, you have the worst memory someti... oh look, there it is!” they both stared in awe at the huge Victorian Mansion. “Wow!” said Jacob, “It’s beautiful!” he exclaimed as they pulled up the gravel driveway. They had been sent by their parents to help take care of their Great-Grandmother in Kansas, because she had become quite ill. As the huge red-brick house slowly came into view, they saw its beautiful features. It was at least two stories, and had two big, beautifully carved wooden doors, with lion head door-knockers. And was also in excellent condition for it being as old as it was, it was at least 153 years old. They walked up to the door, and Christiana grabbed one of the door-knockers and gently tapped it against the door. All of a sudden a weak voice answered followed by a sickly cough, “Come in, the door is unlocked.” They were flabbergasted by what they saw inside. Great huge halls, it also had a humongous stairway with an elevator to the side for a wheelchair. It had a ballroom, and other rooms too numerous to mention. Then an elderly lady in a wheelchair came out and greeted them warmly, “Come in, come in. Oh! Christiana, Jacob! How much you’ve grown! How old are you both now? I haven’t seen you both in so long!” “Were both 17, but enough about us, how are you how are you feeling?” asked Christiana “Oh I feel fine, but your parents insist on both of you coming here so I had no choice! But it will be nice to have some company. I get so lonely here sometimes, although I at least have my helpers. I’m just so glad you both could make it all the way out here! Well, enough chit-chat, you must be tired after that long drive. Jacob, will you push me to the Elevator please, I’ll show you to your rooms and you can rest.” They protested, but she would not hear of it. When they got to their rooms they realized how tired they really were and slept.

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Chapter 2: The Trunk

When Christiana woke up, she felt refreshed and relaxed. She checked her watch and realized how long she was sleeping. She sat up on her four-post, canopy bed and looked around the room. It was very nice, and very big, it was complete with furniture, which included soft reading chairs, a small coffee table with sitting chairs, a dresser, a desk, and even a fire-place. She slowly got up, not wanting to leave, and went to the next room to get her brother. She walked in his room; it was the same as hers. “Good morning sunshine! Wake up sleepy!” she said then gave him a shake, “Ah, Sunshine and sleepy yourself! I was in the middle of a good dream!” he said grumpily

“About your girlfriend!” she said sarcastically with a giggle. But then got hit by the pillow Jacob threw, “I’m not surprised if you dreamed about your boyfriend!” he returned.

“I don’t have to! You know he’ll be here tomorrow.” Christiana said “I still can’t believe mom and dad let him come!” said Jacob “They trust me if another adult is around or if you are with me. Now come on, let’s have a look around.” So he got up and they found their Grandma and asked if it was alright if they looked around, and she said yes.

So they went back upstairs and looked in all the rooms, and they were all the same, except one. It was down a long, winding hallway that led to an unknown room, “I wonder what this room looks like.” Said Jacob, “Probably like all the others.” Replied Christiana “But we’ll take a look anyway.” She grabbed the doorknob, and jiggled it but it was locked. “Let’s go ask Grandma for the key.” said Christiana. So they went up to Grandma Ruby and told her about the room, “Well, if you are careful, here is the key. The room belonged to your Great-Great-Great-Great Grandpa and Grandma, Johann and Maria Weber, who came by ship in 1852. Then Johann built this house 153 years ago!” and gave them the key, “Wow! That means the house is 150 years old! Its amazing that the house is in as good a condition as it is!” said Jacob “I know,” replied Grandma Ruby, “I love my house, I wouldn’t leave it for anything! I have gotten several offers from people to buy the place, but I always turn them down. Well you two run along now, and I’ll tell the cook to start lunch.” So they went off to the secret room. They found it and Christiana put the key in the lock and opened the door, “Bingo!” Christiana said happily, “Come on lets go inside.” So they stepped inside the room, and all of a sudden it felt like they stepped back in time, there was still unused oil in the old oil lamps, dust was everywhere. “I bet this room hasn’t been opened for years!” Christiana said.

Jacob sneezed, “Achoooo! It hasn’t been dusted for years either! Achoooooo!”

“Hey what’s this?” Christiana said, looking at a large trunk pressed up against the wall. “Let’s open it” Jacob said, but soon found that it was locked, “Lets try the key for the door.” So they tried it and it worked. As they opened it up, they were aghast at what they saw. Little, wooden, trinket-boxes. Things from old Germany… but most of all, pictures. Lots and lots of old, cardboard pictures, they were all taken in America, mostly where they were now, in Kansas. “Let’s bring the pictures down stairs and show Grandma.” Said Christiana, “Just the pictures?” asked Jacob, “Lets bring the whole trunk!” but as they were about to grab it, Grandma Ruby called them for lunch, “Let’s go. We’ll tell grandma about it and ask her if we can bring it down.”

While they were eating lunch Grandma Ruby asked them if they found anything interesting in the room. So they told her about the trunk and asked her if they could bring it down so they all could have a look at its contents, “Well of course!” said Grandma Ruby, “I would love to see what’s in it. But be careful when you bring it down! I don’t want either of your backs broken!” So, when they were through with lunch they went up and lifted it, it was extremely heavy. “Lets’ carry to the Elevator and take it down that way.” Said Christiana, “Yea!” said Jacob. So they grunted and strained and finally made it to the Elevator. When they got back down, they brought the chest into the parlor where Grandma Ruby was. “We got it!” Said Jacob breathing heavily “Oh wonderful!” said Grandma Ruby “Thank you both for getting it down. I’m so excited to see what is inside!” So they opened it, and as they were looking through its contents, Christiana felt a shudder of delight course thru her. These were her ancestor’s things. These were pictures of ancestors long gone. Then they saw it, a beautiful, long, silver necklace. It was a medium sized circle pendant, and in the middle, it had a tear drop shaped Amber stone in the center, and around the stone, following the circle shape was a strange inscription in German, ‘Thineanhänger Useth für gutes.’ “Grandma, look at this.” Said Christiana. “It German,” said Grandma Ruby, “I think I can read a little bit of this.” She studied carefully, then after a minute or so, she gave a sharp cry, “Aha! I am almost positive it says, ‘Useth thine pendant for good’.”