Sarah is twelve years old and Matt, her younger brother, is seven years old.  They both attend the grammar school up the street from their    house.

Everyday, while they walk home, they pass “IT”: Mr. Lynch’s house.  While the house is surrounded by stone pillars, the property itself is surrounded by iron rods, covered with ivy. It is the ivy that prevents     intruders from climbing into the yard.

Mr. Lynch is rumored to be very old, tall, having dark cold eyes and a mean demeanor.

One night, Matt decides to go to the market alone in the dark.  He     wants to prove that he is a big boy. Since he is only seven years old, 
though, Sarah follows him.

He walks around the corner towards the Lynch house.  She has lost      sight of him and when she finds one of his shoes, she starts to panic.

Sarah, her heart pounds with fear, enters the unlocked iron gates.    She saunters over to the back door and wishes for it to be unlocked.  God must have have heard her because it opens to her frantic touch.

Sarah opens the back door and walks inside. The place is totally dark and creepy.  She didn’t imagine it looking any different.

Sarah opens a door to a big room with lots of books. There is a huge burgundy colored chair in the corner and a matching footstool uderneath it.  Must be the library, she thinks to herself.

There is also a fireplace but it hasn’t been lit lately because as she passes by, very cold air briefly swirls out.

Well, they weren’t in there.

Sarah sees the only light in the place shining through a crack in a door 30 feet away.  She approaches with caution not knowing what fate
has for her behind the door.

Pushing the door open, she sees her little brother lying on a couch    with a bloody bandage wrapped around his head. Sarah runs to Matt and hugs him hard. She then stops due to the creaking noise that came from behind her.

When Sarah turns around, she finally sees Mr. Lynch. He is a frail man but not as scary as she has been told he was.

She runs up to Mr. Lynch and screams.  “What are you doing with my brother?” 

He says, “I forgot to feed Cleo.” 

Sarah couldn’t imagine that such a big, mean dog, Cleo, could have a sweet name.  Mr. Lynch explains the whole thing.

“My dog, Cleo thinks your brother Matt was trying to hurt me.  Matt fell  and tripped on a huge rock hidden in the ivy. I heard a scream and ran outside. I bandaged his head and laid him down on the couch in here.”

Mr. Lynch calls Sarah’s folks and Matt is taken to the hospital and receives five stitches.

Sarah and Matt visit Mr. Lynch in the big ivy house from time to time. The property still evokes a scary feeling but Sarah and Matt get pass
that when they reach the house.

She tells all the kids how she finally met Mr. Lynch and traveled      down the road to “IT.” The story will always be legendary.