DELUSIONS (Sample) [PUBLISHED]

CHAPTER FOUR

Abigale didn't stick around to meet the neighbours. Instead, she went inside like her mother asked. Before this, however, she decided to watch how the scene unfolded from her doorstep. The person who had walked out of the house – a boy who looked fresh out of high school – walked right up to Abigale's mother and extended his hand. When her mother shook it firmly, his eyes drifted up to where Abigale stood. She remained on the front step like a fool, her mouth suddenly dry as she caught sight of his dark blue irises. Like the colour of water at the sea floor, she found herself completely entranced.

When she finally regained her senses a few moments later, Abigale stepped inside of the house and slammed the front door shut. A hot blush filled her cheeks as she realized how odd and stalker-like she must have looked.

She rested the length of her body against the inside of the door for an instant, peering out through the distorted glass. Abigale was curious of her new neighbour, but she wasn't sure why. Maybe it was his eyes, or the fact he kept looking up to the house like he was searching for something, or someone. As far as she could tell, he couldn't see her from the outside of the door, so she was safe from further humiliation.

Abigale's mom pointed to the stack of boxes slowly piling up on the sidewalk as the driver of the U-Haul truck unloaded them. The boy followed her mother's gaze to the boxes and nodded. They exchanged a few more words before the two walked over to the ever-growing stack. Abigale then turned from the door and looked onward to the rest of the house.

The interior was bland and rather bare. The last owners had left nothing in the house besides a few chairs and table in the dining room, a couch and side table in the living room, and a microwave, fridge, and stove in the kitchen. The walls for each room were painted the same colour: a creamy white that resembled the shade of her old bedsheets from when she was a kid. The floors were a mixture of tile and plush brown carpet.

Wow, Abigale thought to herself as she finished walking through the first floor. This was definitely a nicer place than her home in San Francisco, which had been barely large enough for her and her mother and father. Here, her mother could have had at least two more children and they all would've been able to fit inside comfortably.

After walking back through the living room door, Abigale looked up the stairs to the second floor curiously. She assumed her bedroom would be on that floor but wasn't sure whether or not she should take a look yet. Part of her was worried. Abigale didn't feel right about walking through this house she was to call her own, but she forced herself up the stairs anyway.

She counted the number of stairs she climbed. It came to a total of nineteen steps. Nineteen steps to climb each time she wanted to live in solitude. Abigale pursed her lips together as she reached the second floor. She could live with that.

The stairs led to a larger room – most likely a space for her mother's office – that had two doors on opposite sides leading out. She first walked to the right door, which held a vacant room. The room behind the left door had the same layout.

Abigale walked back into the first room. This would be her bedroom, she decided.

"Abigale?" The front door slammed shut. "Can you help me with this please?"

She exited her new bedroom with reluctance. Using quick footing, Abigale reached the first floor just in time to see their new neighbour, Mr. Piercing-Blue-Eyes, help her mother with the box she was about to drop.

"Thank you," her mother said breathlessly as he put the box down near the stairs. "You don't need to do all this by the way."

"It's not a problem, really." His eyes then darted to Abigale for a moment. "I like helping out."