In Due Time | m.c.

// Chapter One //

When I walked through the front door, there was no one to be found and not a single sound heard. All the familiar furniture that was placed around the house was taken notice. I found a note sitting next to the landline in the kitchen. Mother's handwriting was scribbled across the little pad of paper.

Piper-

       Seth from the old neighborhood called. He wants to checkout the new house. Call him back.

P.S. Took Uncle Rick out for a drive with your car when he came by with it. Will be back later.  Love you.

When you live in one place your whole life, your neighbor is kind of like your default friend. That's who Seth was. To be honest, the only reason I hung out with him was he had a Nintendo when we were younger. He only became weirder over the years. In a way, moving was an appropriate excuse to not spend time with him anymore. He did have great taste in video games, though. Maybe I'll give him a call.

Since Mum and Dad weren't home, I had to wait to ask Dad about the house. Assuming they won't be home until later, I made myself supper. I'm not the greatest chef in the world, so I made what any teen that can't cook could. Microwave Toquitoes. After they finished heating up, I ran up the staircase with my nuked food and plopped onto the bed in my room. I watched the television that was finally set up and awaited for my parents return.

__

Without meaning to, I fell asleep while I was waiting. I heard faint knocks in the background as I stirred in my bed. Light was shed into my room from the hallway and I felt a presence take a seat on my bed. "Piper." A hand touched my shoulder and I immediately jolted up. It was only my dad.

"you startled me." I rubbed my tired eyes and look at the clock. It was almost one in the morning. They got home so late.

"I just thought I would let you know that we're home, kid." He rubbed my shoulder again to sooth me from a few seconds before. "You can go back to sleep." Just as I was about to rest my head on my pillow, I was suddenly reminded of what I needed to ask.

"Hey, Dad?" I asked. He was nearly out the door before I caught him.

"Yes?" He came back in.

I sat there for a moment trying to think how I wanted to go about this. "Why are other kids at school calling this the psycho house?" I may as well say it blatantly if I wanted to get anywhere.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and a sigh escaped his lips. He sat back down on my bed and crossed one leg over the other. "I didn't think I would have to tell you the history behind this house so soon." Sigh number two came along. "Do you really want to know?" I nodded my head, awaiting for further information. "This isn't meant to scare you in any way. None of this was ever proven. It's more so just a legend." He took a breath. "Supposedly back in the nineteen-eighties, a mass murder took place here in this house. The one behind it all killed off each victim one by one. When the cops arrived they told him to surrender. However, he didn't. He killed himself before they could get him." He watched me as I took in all this newfound information. To say I was shocked was an understatement. None of this could've actually happened. Not here.

"You don't think that actually happened? Do you?" I could see in his eyes he was questioning himself whether he believed it to be non-fiction. He shook his head, telling me no.

"No reason to be frightened, Piper. Now you know what everyone's talking about, though." He slouched his shoulders.

"Thanks for letting me in on it." No wonder why I continually recieved countless stares.

"Go back to bed, kid. You have another day of school ahead of you." He got up and left my room, shutting the door before he left. I tried to go back to sleep but my thoughts continually went back to the story I just heard. It made me feel so odd to be in this house.