The twins' house was far from what I had imagined, even in my wildest fantasies. Built on the outskirts of the town, following a path through the forest, it was a mansion in every sense.
When Aly's mom's van stopped at the entrance, the automatic entry gate opened after a quick scan of the car's license plate, performed by a system I had no idea existed. Then the van proceeded down a paved road that cut through the forest, illuminated by a dozen lampposts that gave it a romantic and charming atmosphere. As we turned a bend in the road, the house appeared before me like a palace emerging from the earth.
"It's..." I struggled to find words to describe it and could only manage to say, "fascinating." It was a modern three-story piece of architecture, each level at least 15 feet high, with en
