The Old House

Chapter 1

My friend Sarah had just moved six months ago to one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in the city. It's said that the people there are known for not only their money but also for the things they try to hide. My friend's dad was a detective for the city, or at least that's what my friend told me at the time. When she told me her dad had gotten a job promotion she seemed a little confused about what he did to make the amount he made. She told me that it is top secret and that even her mom wasn't allowed to know what he did. The week after she had told me the news, her dad suddenly became very strict and didn't let me come over to see her or even call her at times. They then moved with no warning. Sarah's mom was getting a little impatient with her dad because Sarah missed me and wanted to show me her new home, so Mrs. Johnson told Sarah that I could come over for a couple of hours. The drive to Sarah's house was not long, but I couldn't stop thinking about how weird it was, out-of-nowhere her dad had suddenly gotten a job and made a lot of money. Then a sudden move? What is going on?
"Emily, we are pulling into the neighborhood. You should let her know we are almost there," my mom said, "wow! These houses are beautiful!" They had long, tree-lined driveways, but you could still see the buildings past the trees. They were old houses from the 1800s, or at least that is what Sarah had told me.
"Wow, they are!" I said as I pulled out my phone to text Sarah to let her know that we are in the neighborhood, and she replied by saying that she would wait outside for us.
We pulled into the tree-lined driveway and finally saw the house. It was, in my opinion, the most beautiful one on the street, with a wrap-around porch, a beautiful front garden, and a tree perfect for climbing. The house was three stories high, just as Sarah said, but that was all she said about it. I wish she would have said how beautiful it was. I felt like I was walking into a fairy tale.
Sarah was standing at the top of the steps that led to the porch when we arrived. She came running down the steps, and I jumped out of the car to hug her. We stood there in a hug for a while and told each other how much we missed one another. After her dad had gotten a new job, he has been a little worried about having friends over, so we haven't been able to hang out for a few months.
My mom told us that she had some errands to run and that she would pick me up in a few hours. So we began the tour! When I walked into the front door, I stood there in amazement while looking around the entryway. The first story had an open floor plan with great, big windows looking out to the backyard. When I first walked in and looked to the right, I saw a beautifully decorated common room with a piano in the corner to entertain guests. To the left, I saw a room with a fireplace and chairs for cold nights. I knew this house was beautiful, but to be honest, I feel like it's a bit much for an old house. It felt like the house was decorated for grand parties, not like home. Sarah's mom usually didn't like homes decorated with antique chairs and tables, she loved warm homes that felt welcoming. Did her style suddenly change? I didn't tell Sarah what I was thinking. Instead, I chose to enjoy being here with my friend.
*****
Sarah had shown me the whole house except for her room and the backyard. The house was absolutely beautiful, so beautiful that I felt like I was in a dream. I also was able to meet her newly adopted brother, Austin. He was working on homework when we saw him so we didn't talk much. Her sister Ava joined us halfway through the tour, but then her mom called her down to help make dinner. Mrs. Johnson was a nice woman and an amazing mom, but I didn't know her that well because I usually only hung out with Sarah. I was also able to say hi to Sarah's older brother Eric, which was rare because he usually stayed in his room when I was there.
When we got to Sarah's room I was relieved and my shoulders relaxed, I didn't even realize I was tense in the first place. Her room had the same decorations as her past house. She said she didn't want her room to change much because of all of the sudden changes. I was happy to see that she didn't change much either.
"So... What do you think?" Sarah said as she jumped onto her bed and then patted the spot next to her signaling me to sit.
"It's huge!" I said laughing.
She laughed too, "yeah, but really, I want to know what you think."
"I think It's absolutely gorgeous."
"I know right? I feel like I'm living in a fairytale."
"So, what job did your dad get?" I was curious about what he did to make so much money.
"I don't know, every time I try to ask he says he has to go work on something, but hey, at least we live here now, and we don't have to worry about money anymore," she said, in an attempt to change the subject.
"I heard you have a pool now!" I felt terrible. I didn't know that was how she felt. If I did know I wouldn't have brought it up.
"Yeah, we do! And we have a beautiful garden out there too with lots of strawberries. Do you want to pick some?"
"Umm, yes!" We went out of her room and then raced each other down the stairs. I said hi to Mrs. Johnson and Ava before we went out to the back patio.
When we got to the pool, I saw Sarah's dad sitting on a chair near the pool, he was wearing some fancy clothes, and was reading something. He was acting very strange and like he didn't want me to see something, so when we got there we said hi  then continued to explore. 'Why was he acting so strange?' The strawberries were in the farthest part of the yard so we headed there first. The garden was beautiful. There were rows and rows of different types of veggies and fruits, and the garden was lined with gorgeous flowers that were attracting butterflies. Sarah had grabbed us some baskets so we can put the strawberries somewhere when we picked them, there were hundreds. As I was picking some, I stopped to look back at the house but then saw something strange. 'What is that?' I thought to myself. 'Wait a second!'