Here Lies

Chapter 1

"Victoria, are you ready? We need to get up to the peninsula soon so we can get everything into the new house before dark!" My mom called up the stairs.

"Why do we have to move?!" I called back down from my room.

"For the hundredth time it's because I want us to have a fresh start after what your father did!" My mother said.

"So? Why do we have to move to an old house out in the middle of nowhere?" I asked her.

"Because I am your mother and I say so! Also it won't kill you to be outside, who knows what could happen in the new house, you could find a life!" My mother called up.

"Fine!" I yelled as I came down the stairs with my duffle bag, the rest of my stuff was packed in boxes inside of a moving van that is on its way to the new house. I tossed my duffle into the back seat of the car and got in the passenger seat while my mom took the drivers seat.

"Wait! Don't forget Sparta!" I said as my mom began pulling out of the driveway. I ran inside and grabbed my cat Sparta, I had a dog but my dad took it with him when my mom threw him out after she literally caught my dad cheating on her. "We almost left you Sparta!" I told him as I scratched his chin.

He purred and rubbed his head against my cheek. "I'm sorry Sparta! I don't know how we almost forgot you bud!" My mom said as she rubbed his ear before pulling out of the driveway.

It was a long drive and as it turns out we didn't get there until dark. As soon as the new house came into view Sparta started acting strange, he hissed and growled at one of the windows as his tail lashed back and forth angrily.

My breath caught in my throat as I noticed an old woman standing in the window staring at us from the second floor. As soon as I blinked the old woman was gone and I found myself feeling startled. "Mom, I don't want to go in there..." I told her as we pulled up.

"Nonsense Victoria! It's beautiful isn't it? This is our fresh start!" My mother said as she got out. I got out and held Sparta close as I grabbed my duffel and headed in with my mom.

"The moving team won't be here until tomorrow but the house already has furniture for the most part. Your room is upstairs, the one with the white door." My mom said.

I went upstairs and realized the room that was mine was the one with the old lady in it. I shut the door and set Sparta down, I didn't want to be alone in here. I had read that cats have a link to the spirit world and frankly I think Sparta is a better protector than my dog would be in this situation. I watched Sparta closely as he stared at something I couldn't see, suddenly he hissed and lashed out into empty air.

"Sparta, what is it buddy?" I asked him as I knelt down and smoothed his fur. He jumped up onto my bed and curled up on the pillow. I sighed before unzipping my duffel.

I took out my sketch book and pencils as well as my laptop and headphones. "Lets hope mom has the router hooked up." I said as I sat beside Sparta and rubbed his black ears. He purred and closed his eyes as I started my laptop up.

No creepy, weird things happening were going to stop me from calling up my aunt Madelynn. I started up Skype and called her, it wasn't long before I saw her face.

"Victoria!" My aunt said.

"Aunt Maddie!" I said happily.

"Hey, how is the new house?" She asked.

"I don't feel comfortable here, I swear I saw an old lady in my window when we pulled up and ever since we got here Sparta has been acting strange." I told her.

"Well honey, I'm sure it's your imagination and both you and Sparta just need time to adjust. Speaking of which, where is the little devil?" My aunt asked.

"Right here, see him?" I asked her as I tilted the screen so she could see him on my pillow.

"Aww, isn't he just precious..." My aunt said. When I tilted the screen up she squinted. "Victoria, who is that?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"Is somebody there with you guys?" Aunt Maddie asked.

"Where?" I asked.

"Near your closet, look!" My aunt said, just then the lights flickered. I turned and screamed as I saw the same old lady.

My computer went black and the lights shut off. "Clean, all clean!" The woman cried over and over again as she reached for me. When her hand touched my skin my arm went numb and a cloudiness filled my mind. I looked at her in terror, her face was decayed looking and her nightgown tattered.

I couldn't touch her but she could touch me. The numbing cold spread up my arm and began to move through my body. "Victoria!" My mom called as she knocked on the door, I couldn't speak, I couldn't move!

As the handle turned the old lady disappeared and I fell to the floor shaking with cold and fear, my body still numb. Sparta jumped off my pillow and curled up on my chest, his body heat slowly warming me and as he licked my arm it began to tingle with feeling.

Sparta began rubbing his cheeks on me and the cloudiness dissipated and finally I could feel. I sat up and held Sparta close as I met my mom at the door when she opened it. "Victoria, why didn't you answer me?" My mom asked.

"I was drawing." I said.

My mom looked over my shoulder at my sketch book. "It's not even open but whatever you say..." She said with a sigh.

"C'mon, it's time for dinner." My mom said.

"Okay, I'll be down in a minute." I told her. My mom shut the door and I hugged Sparta. "Why didn't you at least hiss at that old lady?" I asked Sparta. He meowed and nuzzled my cheek. "I can't be mad at you, what the hell is going on here though?" I asked as I went downstairs.

I ate dinner and took my shower, as usual I had Sparta in the bathroom with me. I wrapped a towel around me when I finished and made a clicking noise as I tapped my leg which told Sparta to follow me. I entered my room and shut my door before pulling out a pair of shorts and a tank top.

"Sparta I can't wait to get my humidifier and fan in here." I told him as I petted him. Sparta meowed and began purring. I grabbed a book out of my duffle bag, it's corners were dog eared as well as many of the pages. The spine of my book was falling apart, held together by a lot of Scotch tape. It was one of my favorite books.

I opened it to the page with the rose petal sticking out. "Victoria, lights out in a half hour!" My mom called from her room.

I read for a half hour before my mom told me it was lights out. I shut off my light before getting back in bed. I rolled over so I was facing the window, Sparta was curled up on a pillow I had placed on the inner window ledge.

I gently stroked his soft black fur as the sound of rain pattering my window put me to sleep, only a flash of lighting or crack of thunder disturbed the dark, peaceful night...