Next Door

The dainty house on Amaker Street had stood without a permanent owner for two years. Buyers immediately became sellers of the house, causing the exterior to start to peel and weeds to grow on the front lawn. The dark paint on the paneling had begun to diminish making the house appear creepy to those driving by.

Over the months, the price had dropped and dropped attracting a girl fresh out of college. She knew it would be months of renovations on the old house, but she ultimately decided she was up for the challenge, looking past with others didn't. The quirks of the house attracted her. All she was seeing was the possibility.

The moving truck arrived early in July on the hot South Carolina day. All the neighbors dismissed her as another temporary resident. None of them knew why the house tended to stay without an owner, except the little girl next door.