I m a g i n a r y

Little Grey Girl

    We are moving…

    Moving to a new house means new life...new friends...and a new school.

    Mother, Father, and I are all moving to a new home that is secluded in a forest that was left untouched for years. I turn my gaze out the window of the backseat, taking in the screenery as dark colored leaves gently fall and whirl in the calming autumn air.

It was rather soothing.

    The road to the house was narrow and empty. The road was covered in gravel, creating a crunch sound as the car drives along the ground.

    A building came into view.

    “You see the house, Dusk?” Dad looked back at me from the passenger seat and smiled, I smiled a little back, playing with the dark brown hair that covered one of my eyes.

    “Yup” I quietly reply.

    “It may not look incredible but it’s all we could find nearby” said Mom. The car came to a stop in front of the decrepit house. We all exit the car, slamming the car doors shut, I smooth out my purple skirt, and helped gather our bags from the back.

    The house gave a haunted house vibe or just had a old feel to it. The pale, dusty skin toned paint was chipping away, exposing the darkened rotting wood. The windows looked old and unstable, like if you were to press your hands against it the window pane will fall out of the frame. Everything about this house was old and was in need of repair.

    I could only imagine how much worse the interior was.

    Mom walked ahead of us and unlocked the badly damaged door and opened it wide.

    “Go on in” I take a step inside, a single step inside the house sent dust flying in the cold air. I cough a little.

    “It’s dusty in here” I muttered. The interior of the home was dimly lit and just as old looking at the exterior. The wallpaper was old fashioned and overly floral with creaky wood floors and even a fireplace with burnt firewood. I grip the handles of my bags, heading up the stairs that lead to the second floor. There were four rooms. Three bedrooms and a bathroom. The hallway on the second floor was narrow and dark.

I enter the first bedroom on the left. The room was not too bad looking, it looked like the room of a little girls, there was a neatly made bed, a white painted nightstand with a floral pattern lamp, a large dresser with empty drawers and a desk and chair. The desk had a few sheets of paper in an unorderly fashion with ink splatters, yet words could be made out. I approach the desk and pick up the paper with writing.

The paper was rough and crinkly.

November 13th 1998

“Today was a lot of fun! I played outside while big step brother watched on the porch. When I was done I went inside and said hi to mama and papa. Mama said a friend of his was over to visit and talk to him about work or something?

I didn’t really understand but I stayed quiet.

Arthur told me that he doesn’t trust him.

I wonder why?”   

Elizabeth Marnon

    Who was Elizabeth Marnon? I set the paper back down, then quickly went downstairs. I could hear my Mom in the kitchen, she was humming softly as she set our food in cupboards and the fridge.

    “Hey mom, do you know who lived in this house before us?” I asked, she stopped was she was doing, then looked back at me.

    “Not really, but I only know that it was a family of four, a mother, father, daughter, and step son I believe, I don’t know them personally of course” Mom replied with a slight chuckle.

    “Mkay, is the daughter’s room my room then?” I asked.

    “Yes” Mom hastily replied. She soon went back to putting kitchenware away and cleaning it up a bit. I exit the kitchen, heading back upstairs and headed into my room.

    I approach the window in the room and open the thin veil curtains letting in some sunlight. The light made the room look more lively. I examine the photos on the wall. One of them was of a little girl smiling, she had orange-brown hair tied back in a braided ponytail, grey-green eyes and a vivid red bow on top of her head, she wore a frilly dress enveloped by a green and gold laced top buttoned up with a red bow and white collar, she held a stuffed animal of sorts.

She was very cute. I take the frame off the wall and examine the back, looking for the date or information like that, written in the bottom right corner reads.

    “September 12th, 1992, her first day at school”

    I put the picture back on the wall. The other frames were of drawing’s I’m assuming the girl in the previous picture drew. Nothing too strange about them though.

    I unpack my things and set my empty bags in the bottom drawer.

    There was a stuffed animal inside, I take it out carefully.

    “What? I thought I checked the drawer’s already…” I sighed holding the strange looking rabbit plush. It was a faint pink color with red buttons for eyes and the ears were...not really ears, they were cut in a fashion that made the fabric curl.

    That was the doll the girl in the picture was holding, she must of forgotten it.

I set the doll against the lamp on the nightstand.

    I heard two sets of footsteps coming upstairs, the door to my room opens.

    “Like your new room?” Dad asked, poking his head in, I sit on the edge of the bed.

    “Yeah I do” I reply, Dad nods a little, and leaves, leaving the door open. I could hear Mom and Dad talk from the other end of the hall.

    “This place could use a bit of touch ups” said Dad.

    “Hm...But I would like to keep it this way, in memory of the previous family” said Mom.

    “I know, but they are not here anymore, I doubt they’d care”

    “Haa...I’ll think about it then”

    “Thanks, honey”

    After that line was spoken, a door in the distance was shut. I let out a sigh, pulling out my phone. I lay on my back on the bed and pull up messages. I called one of my friends back at home.

    “Hey Dusk! You at your new home?” asked Nikki from the other line, I laugh a bit. She was of course, one of my friends back home.

    “Yup, how are the others handling my disappearance?” I asked, I could hear Nikki laugh from the other end.

“Everyone misses you already. How’s the house look? I bet it’s old since it’s from the Marnon family” said Nikki.

“Yup, it’s pretty old, do you know what happened to the previous family?” I asked, since she did know the last name of the family.”

“No, but I hope you come back sometime, have fun girl!” Nikki laughed, I laugh with her.

“Later” I say lastly, as I hang up.

I missed my old home, but Dad had to get a new job, and because of the distance we had to move somewhere else.

It was as simple as that.