Waiting for Yesterday

Chapter One: New Life

When my mom pulled our car into the drive way of our new house, I couldn't help but gasp. It was beautiful Victorian home, with white paint and columns. The lawn was heavily overgrown giving the house a wild appearance. We inched slowly throught the rusty metal gate and Anna tapped my arm.

"Look," she breathed, "It's HUGE! Mom, how could we afford this house? It's a mansion for Pete's sake!"

I couldn't help but share her thoughts, but mom just smiled her crinkle smile. It's the one that makes her eyes go all shiny and pretty. The one that made my dad fall in love with her. Well, until he didn't love her anymore.

"Actually girls, it cost hardly anything. The owners were an old couple who wanted it off their hands. Plus, it was too much work for them to hire people to look after it. So now we get to live here, in Heaven!" Mom said excitedly. She sounded like a little girl given her favourite Ice Cream flavour.

"Anyway mom, I was wondering."

"Yes, my little Lizbeth?"

"First of all, I'm not little anymore. Second, is this house livable? It looks like something out of a HItchcock movie." I retort, my nose scrunching up at the sight of the dusty windows.

Mom just laughed as she turned off the car and got out. Anna and I exchanged a look and a groan before we joined her. The sound of the closing doors was the only thing we heard besides some birds chirpping.

I had to admit, the house was amazing. It looked old and mysterious, something I was into. Looking around I couldn't wait to get out my camera and take some shots. Maybe I could even convince mom to let me convert one the rooms into a dark room! Photography was my hobby, and not the new digitale photos. I meant the photos on film that you had to develope and print yourself. Ya know, the one with chemicals that bleaches black into some sickly green colour.

"Well girls, I say let's quit just looking at the old place and start exploring it!"

We each grabbed our suitcases of clothes and headed to the front door. With a dramatic flourish of the key, mom slid it into the hole. After some jiggling, the huge doors were opened and we stepped into the house.

Light streamed in through one giant window opposite the door, taking up the whole upper part of the wall. A staircase wove it's way around the rest of the room, and came to rest just below an old chandlier. The delicate glass stirred slightly with the breeze from the open door. We all stood tranfixed on the spot, our mouths following the thunk of our bags on the dark hardwood floor.

Wow...