Pentatonix: Murder House

Three

One month later

The Grassi family is driving down the highway on their way to look at a house on Los Angles.

Nel thought it would be good for her family to start a new and move away from the small town of Texas and leave their problems and past behind.

Mike also saw this as a way for their son Mitch to make friends and be a little more social.

"The light is different out here. It's softer." Nel says admiring her surroundings.

"It's called smog." Mitch says from the backseat.

"You should be excited, Mitch! You can stop sneaking cigarettes and start taking deep breathes." Mike says.

"I need to use the bathroom!" Mitch whines.

"We're almost there."

"I need to go!"

"Mitch, really it's a freeway where do you want me to pull over? Maybe the Honda next to us has a bathroom." Mike jokes.

"Bet if the dog had to shit, you'd find somewhere to stop." Mitch sasses.

"Really, Mitchell? I hate that word unless I'm saying it!" Nel says.

Mitch fake laughs as his mother turns around to look at him.

"You know I'm really glad we named you Mitchell instead of our second choice." Mike says.

"Which was?" Mitch asks.

"Sunshine." Nel says.

Mitch fake laughs again and turns back to look out the window.

"Come on, it's funny! You gotta admit it!" Mike says.

Then Mike turns to Nel and tries holding her hand.

Nel quickly moves her hand from his.

Mike focuses back on the road and brushes it out of his mind.

                                               **
The Grassi family walks up to the front door of the house and rings the doorbell.

"Man, I already love this place! Don't you love it, hun?" Mike says to Nel.

She nods and looks around at the front yard.

"I mean it looks even better than it did online!" Mike says in excitement.

"Yeah. Yeah it's interesting." Nel says.

Mitch stares blankly at the window as he thinks he sees something.

"Great. So we're the Addams Family now." Mitch says to himself.

"Hey! Crabby pants, come here!" Mike yells to Mitch.

Mitch walks to his parents and stand a good distance from them.

"What do you think?" Nel asks.

"It's this place amazing?" Mike asks.

Mitch stays silent just looking around at everything.

Then the front door opens as they are greeted by the real estate agent Josh.

"Welcome!" He says and the family enters the home.

They walks around as he explains everything about the house to them.

"These are real Tiffany fixtures put here by the previous owners." Josh explains.

"Gay?" Nel asks.

"What do you think?" He says.

They walk to the kitchen and Mitch trails off by himself to explore without his parents.

"Do you cook?" Josh asks Nel.

"Nel is a great cook! I got her cooking lessons a few years ago for our anniversary and she ended up teaching the teacher a few things." Mike says of his wife.

"Cooking lessons? Romantic!" He says.

"Aren't you a psychologist?" He asks of Mike.

"Psychiatrist. You said on the phone something about there being a study that I can use as a home office? I'm planning on seeing patients here so I can spend more time with the family." Mike says.

"Humbling." Josh says smiling at the family.

They all smile at each other at the thought of Mike spending more time with the family.

The family dog starts barking out of control at something by the basement door.

"Mitch, go see what she's barking at." Nel says to Mitch.

Mitch walks over and finds the dog.

"Come on! What's wrong?" He asks the dog.

Mitch looks a the creepy basement door and goes to try and open it.

After a few tries he finally gets it to open.

He turns on the light and walks down the old creaky steps.

He looks around and decides he wants nothing to do in the basement and walks back upstairs to his family.

"When I saw pictures of this room online, I thought you could use this as your music room." Mike says to Nel.

They all walk into the large living like room.

"Are you a musician?" Josh asks.

"I was." Nel says.

"A cellist and a very good one!" Mike says.

"Why did you quit?" Josh asks.

Nel talks about the wallpaper changing the subject really quick.

"It looks like there's a painting on the wall under here." Nel says.

"The previous owners must've covered it up. They were modernist." He says.

"Speaking of the last owners, full disclosure requires I tell you what happened to them." He says.

"Oh god! They didn't die in here did they?" Nel asks.

"Yes actually both of them. Murder suicide." He says flatly.

Nel and Mike looks at each other like they shouldn't buy this house.

After being told the previous owners died in the house was a deal breaker for them.

They wouldn't feel comfortable being in a house where someone died.

"I sold them the house too. They were such a great couple. You never know I guess." He says.

"Guess that explains why this house is half the price of other houses in the area." Mike says.

"I do have a ranch home in the valley, but you're going to be getting a third if the house and double the price." Josh explains.

They continue to discuss the house and what other options there were besides this house, when Mitch finally speaks up.

"Where did it happen?" Mitch asks.

"The basement." He says.

"We'll take it." Mitch says without hesitation.

Mike and Nel look at Mitch who is smiling for a change and shrug.

"I guess we'll take it!" Mike says.