• -Chapter 1-

    "So. . .this is it, huh?" My mom spoke softly so she wouldn't disturb the eerie quiet that surrounded this new home of ours.
    Dad and I nodded, but she was daydreaming out the window again. Our car reached the end of the long graceful driveway slope and stopped in front of the massive oak doors. I opened my door and stepped out. The smell of burnt leaves hit my nose and I frowned.
    "Isn't that smell simply divine!" My mom said.
    She threw her arms out as if to embrace the smell. I rolled my eyes when she wasn't looking and went around to the back of our Prius. Dad had unlocked the trunk already and had left my hefty black suitcase in the very back. How thoughtful. But then I looked over and saw my dad struggling up the marble steps with 4 of my mom's suitcases, and I didn't blame him so much.
    My mom was too eccentric for her own good. I reached in and hauled the suitcase out. I had to fit a lot of things into this suitcase, so it was only natural I'd fall over with the suitcase, once it was freed from the darkness. I gave the suitcase the old heave ho, and managed to somewhat carry it using two hands.
    "I'm going to love it here!" My mom squealed as she hung on to my dad's arm.
    I swear sometimes I have to be the mother. I groaned as I lugged the suitcase up the stairs. Sure, marble stairs were simply 'divine' as my mom put's it, but she's not the one carrying a 2 ton bag. I reached the front door panting. My dad looked ready to swing the suitcases into a river. That is, if he had the strength. My mom squealed and spun around in a circle. She opened the doors to reveal what had once been a beautiful living room, but was now covered in dust and spiders.
    "Ok, dove loves! Now take your suitcases up the stairs and I'll start dusting!" My mom said. The boss once more.
    Dad saw the stairs and looked like he was going to have a hernia. It was another 20 or more stairs to the next level of the house.
    "Don't worry dad, I'll take the suitcases." I told him kindly.
    I only did this because I heard my mom singing. And once she sings, you want to be at least in the next country. My dad grunted and gave me the evil eye, but no way was he going up those stairs.
    "Sure. Leave me to die with that banshee singing like there's the apocalypse coming tomorrow." Dad huffed and placed the four suitcases at the bottom of the stairs. I grinned and picked up another suitcase.
    Dad covered his ears and walked into another room. I ran up the steps, too happy to feel the weight of the suitcases. At the top there was a hallway that went to ways.
    I turned left and started walking, examining the rooms. I put each suitcase where I thought mom and dad would be happy with. If they weren't they could always pick another room. I took longer picking my room. There were so many. The felt each doorknob, no clue what I was doing. Then the strangest thing happened. I felt a vibration through a gold plated doorknob with beautiful engravings. Curious, I twisted the knob and waited until I heard the invitable click of a door opening. I pushed lightly and the door swung open. Unlike all the other rooms, this one wasn't covered by dirt. A bed, with what looked like silk white sheets and a strange bright blue pillows at the headboard was the centerpiece of this room. Everything else was beautiful too.
    Mahogany dresser and matching desk, with a lamp that had a odd color light to it, and a sidetable, completely empty. I must have looked like a goon, standing and gawping. And then, the most beautiful melody, filled the room. And I'm not talking about my mom's singing. I stood entraced until it stopped, and all was silent. Mom shouted up the stairs.
    "Sweety, did you find your room?"
    I shook my head a couple times.
    "Yeah mom!" I shouted back. I heard my dad mumbling about my ignorance as he dragged the last two suitcases up the stairs. I threw my suitcase on the bed and back out of the room. For some reason, it seemed to good for me. My stomach growled, protesting it's lack of food.
    I head down the stairs again. My mom had her eyes closed, partcially because she was listening to music. I was right by her face when she screamed up the stairs,
    "Hey who wants to go out to eat?!"
    and very nearly blew brains out the other side of my ear. I cursed music players silently in my head and tapped my mom's shoulder.
    "Sure." I said, trying to regain my hearing.
    My mom winced as my dad walked down the stairs. We crowded out the door and down the steps. I kept thinking of that one room. I would have to try some exploring when I didn't feel like eating a rock.
    I groaned as my mom volenteered to drive. I slid into the backseat and prayed we wouldn't hit some innocent cow along the way.