The House On Slatewood Drive

Chapter 1: New Home, New Beginnings

-2013-

"Honey, this is gonna be amazing. Don't you think, Aria?" Luke said to his daughter. She was way too busy reading her newest depressing novel.

"Justin, leave her be. She's not coping well with moving." Emily said rolling her brown eyes, her deep chocolate colored hair blowing out her window. "She's 16 years old. I think she'll miss the house she lived in for her life." She grabbed Luke's free hand.

"Are we almost there?" Aria asked, impatiently shaking her legs... "I have to pee." She sighed.

"Yeah, Just hold on. We'll be there in five minutes." They were getting off the highway as he looked at her, smiling at her as he watched her look out the window.

Aria opened her car door and grabbed her bags looking at the new house her family is now moving into. "You had to pick this place, I already don't like it." Her green eyes surveying every inch of the house from the Modern-Victorian gates to the giant windows at the top of the building. "It's really creeping me out."

"Stop it, it's not going to do you any harm to grow up a little and be nice. Come on, you'll love it here." Emily told her daughter moving a strand of light brown hair behind her ear... "It's gonna be fine!" She assured and unlocked the doors to their newly owned mansion.

"Holy shit, Em! Look at this place!" Luke yelled from the kitchen. As he was running up the 2nd balcony staircase and shouted. "Girls! Come look!"

As Aria and Emily were running up the stairs, they looked at the wall carving from the previous owners. "What is it?" They said in sync.

They approached a room. It was a beautiful office space with a chandelier, stained glass windows, dark hardwood floors, and green and brown walls. "It could be an office! You know how many patients I can have and still be home... It will be great!" He was amused and walked toward Emily, stood beside her and kissed her temple while pulling her into his arms. "We'll finally have a house to be happy about." He smiled and kissed Emily one more time.

Aria kinda liked exploring the house every room had a different look, feel, and nature to it... As she walked into the room at the closer end to the hall, she felt a little bit of a drafty coldness. "Why doesn't anyone know how to close the damn windows." She whispered.

She pushed the door open and smiled instantly. Her room was perfect. Dark floors like the office with purple and maroon colored walls. She was falling in love with her room already. It was very empty but she pictured just how she would fix it up. Her daze was jolted by her mother, who was leaning in the doorway, "Ari, c'mon we have to go get boxes out of the truck... Then you can decorate your room." She smiled as she walked away. Aria took once last glance at her palace and walked to the kitchen.

"Luke, can you carry the couch into the den for me... I have to get the kitchen stuff." She said as she handed Aria her boxes. "Go unpack and meet us downstairs, okay." Emily rubbed Aria's cheek. She looked up at her house, "Home sweet home..." She sighed, "Let's hoping this lasts." Emily walked into her house, happy.

Luke could vision his office, full of patients, helping people, letting people feel comfortable again. It was all perfect. Luke was a psychologist, and a very good one at that. "Thank God this will fix us." He thought and walked out of his room.

Emily was filling her cabinets with glassware when a loud knock echoed through the home... As she rushed to her door, her husband followed close behind. Emily looked through the eyepiece and opened the mahogany door, it was Rayne, the real estate agent.

"Hello, Rayne. How are you today?" Emily said politely. "I'm fine, how are you moving in?" She said rudely changing off topic. "I need to tell you something about this house. There was a couple, Denise and Sara... A gay couple, who lived here... And well died here as well. It was a suicide/homicide, the police think anyway. I don't really know all details but, yes they designed everything. Even expecting a baby. The nursery was absolutely beautiful but no baby was ever put into it, sadly. They were a fantastic couple of owners, but that's all they know." Rayne seemed to chatter for hours, Luke or Emily didn't get a single word in. "Well that's all for now, I'll keep you posted." She waved and showed herself out.

Emily stared at Luke for 5 minutes until Aria came downstairs, "Dad, can you help me move my dresser and bed into my room?" She asked. "Yes, I'll be up in a minute." Luke looked back at Emily and walked up the stairs.

Aria hung a picture beside her bed. It was a black and white picture of a skull, she painted it. She's an excellent artist but she never paints. She unpack her clothes admiring every single article she unfolded. Aria hung everything up and stacked her CDs and pinned up her chalkboard, and also put her curtains up. She looked around, she was impressed.