The Houses of Lorian Hollow: The Soundtrack to Your Scream

Chapter One

       "'Her tongue had been cut out and mouth sewn shut. What's even more disturbing is that her eyes were missing'." Aria shivered. "Christ, you'd think these internet trolls would have at least a shred of tact. Maybe refrain from sharing the messy details of this shit."

Aria put her phone down on the table. She was in charge of the social media accounts for the Lorian Hollow Historical Society. This time a poster named "TheRealLH" had tagged the Historical Society in a description of a murder the week before.

"Ew," Gabi stated with a scowl. "Are murders around here always this, I dunno, fucking bizarre?"

"This is probably just another rumor. You've seen the Urban Legends section of the historical society!" Aria said. Aria Murdoch and Gabi Campbell met at the beginning of the fall semester at Ainsworth University, an uppity, private school that boasted an extremely selective admissions pool, and "over one hundred years of excellence." Gabi came to The Hollow to finish up her B.A. in European History, while Aria pursued a graduate degree in Classical History.

The pair started working at the Lorian Hollow Historical Society together shortly after meeting. Almost everyone mistook them for sisters since they shared the same slim frame and golden blonde hair. The biggest differences were Gabi's mesmerizing, deep green eyes and pouty lips which contrasted greatly with Aria's dark blue eyes, soft demeanor, and sunkissed skin.

"But that was all just hearsay, Skunkape, or swamp gas... or Chupacabras!" Gabi laughed. She sobered before speaking, "Nothing this grisly..."

"Grizzly bears!" Joan growled wrapping her tattooed fingers over Gabi's eyes from behind. She pulled her head back and smooshed her cheeks, smearing Gabi's "soft ecru" foundation across her face. Joan looked down at her hands and frowned as the cakey makeup residue stuck to her fingertips.

"Ew." Joan laughed and wiped her hands on her dusty, black leggings, leaving white streaks.

"Bitch, you're gristly," Gabi groaned. She pinched the muscles in Joan's forearm. Picking up the water stained spoon next to her plate, Gabi used her warped reflection to try to fix the damage Joan had done to her intricate contouring and highlights.

Aria introduced Joan to Gabi during a Historical Society event, about a month prior. They hit it off, sharing the same tastes in almost everything, from Industrial music to horror movies. It felt as if they had known each other all their lives and they spent as much time as they could together.

"So, what about grisly, gristly, grizzly bears?" Joan plunked down. Joan Schlacht had lived in Lorian Hollow all her life, her family lineage residing there since the original settlement. Standing short with brown eyes, her pale, white skin was adorned with numerous black lined tattoos. A self-proclaimed "pleasantly-dumpy, raven-haired beauty" in reference to her full-figured, plump frame and dark, fringed hair that she boasted about in her numerous online dating profiles. Joan's witty sense of humor and bold personality attracted people like moths to a flame.

"What? How'd you get to grizzly bears?" Aria asked.

"I don't even think there are grizzly bears in Florida," Gabi mused. "We were just talking about the latest and greatest in Lorian Hollow crime: the dead girl they found near the old Courtyard House last week."

"Oh yeah! I heard about that. The girl had her eyes cut out and her ears were missing or something? Now they're saying it was grizzly bears?" Joan inquired, confused. Aria shook her head.

"Girl, the poster that tagged us said her tongue was cut out and her eyes were missing, mouth sewn shut." Aria gestured with emphasis between laughs.