Red Moon ~ A Twilight Fan-Fic

Chapter 5: The Old House

A/N: So, it's time for Nessie's return! (I'm talking about me, not Nessie, the daughter of Bella and Edward... although she'll appear soon enough as well though). I hope you enjoy this chapter. It'll give you a glimpse of Eshe's life in general, some of her old acquaintances and her Afr9can roots from her father's side. Don't forget about the book (you'll know when you see it), it will be important later on!

Hugs!
Nessie

Chapter 5: The Old House

The car door slammed behind me with a loud bang.

"Eshe!" Mom exclaimed.

"Sorry," I said. In my excitement, I'd stepped out quickly. Mom was right when she said I was a danger to all doors.

The little car was still shaking from the impact. Poor thing. It had been through a lot. We had left it for months on the edge of the jungle, only to force it to cross half a continent later. When we had found it, it was encrusted with mud and there were a couple of bird nests built on top of it. The engine wouldn't start until our tenth try to turn the key in the ignition. I patted its now clean hood sympathetically.

My attention shifted to the house in front of me. The iron fence was beginning to show its age; the black paint had begun chipping off, and rust took the place of the paint. Tall conical trees created a thick wall behind the fence, obscuring the view to prying eyes. I pushed the gate and it opened easily. There was a cobbled path that led to Grandma Eshe's front door.

The garden inside was well tended; the work of the gardener of course. Grandma Eshe loved this garden so much. Along with her family, her flowers were her whole life. Preserving this little paradise she'd created was something Dad felt like he owed to Grandma Eshe. The house ahead was classic, painted pale yellow on the external. The paint had chipped off here as well, revealing white patches of plaster.

"We should get someone to fix that," Dad muttered to himself as we walked to the porch.

The door and the windows were made of Grandma Eshe's favourite wood according to Dad. My fingers traced the pattern on the door. It had flowers carved on it, but it felt smooth under my touch. Mom pulled out the keys, and unlocked it. There was a faint trace of mold in the air, covered mostly by old paint and wood. Just like back when I was two. We had stayed here for about four months, but the place held many memories of mine. This was where I lived when I went to school for the first time. This was where I learned how to recognize all sorts of different plants. More importantly, this was the place where my grandparents lived. It was proof that my parents and I didn't come out of nowhere. We had a connection to the human world, we had a past.

Most of the vampires we had met, were so old that they couldn't find the place they came from even if they wanted. Their houses had been brought down centuries ago, replaced by new and better ones. It sort of scared me, knowing they had lived to see the world change in so many ways through the years. And I would live the same thing too. I had an eternity ahead of me.

I felt someone nudge my shoulder. Dad was standing right behind me. "You didn't hear a word I said, did you?" He grinned.

I nodded guiltily. I wasn't sure where I'd inherited this from; I could concentrate on my thoughts so hard that I lost track of reality.

"I said you can go spend your day however you like. We won't go to the airport until two in the morning. There isn't a flight leaving for Buffalo any sooner."

"Okay. I'll be upstairs," I said, and ran to the first floor.

Some steps creaked as I made my way up. The boards on the top floor seemed loose and sank a little when I stepped on them. I opened all the doors, one by one and peeked inside. The shutters were closed, very little light coming in. The rooms were neat, but it was obvious that no one had lived here in a while.