Starting over is never an easy thing to do. Standing outside their new house Carlie and her thirteen-year-old daughter Megan stared at the small two-bedroom 1970’s style home. Holding the boxes that held thirteen years of their lives they look at each other with nervous smiles and shaky hands and start up the sidewalk to the brightly painted front door of Red. Placing the rusted key into the lock, the door swung open freely as if there was a hand already there to pull it open to welcome the girls to the inside of the house.
Musty, yet clean and fully furnished, this home had a small touch of charm. Flowered couches still holding the shape from when they were originally purchased in the 1970’s. Fluffy carpet that would slide between your toes when a person is barefoot, an odd shade of copper/red. The bathroom with a pink tub, toilet and sink. Matching pink tile wall separator from the toilet and tub. The kitchen, oh the kitchen. The only room that has received an upgrade, maybe to the 1980’s. Cast Iron sink, gas stove and refrigerator. Oddly carpet in a kitchen of a paisley pattern. Each of the bedrooms had been furnished with beautiful wooden queen beds with tall posts for each corner. In each room there wasn’t a closet but an Armoire with double doors. For an older home the owners that decided to rent it out kept it clean and tidy, offering Carlie a great deal for a single mom to rent. Even including all the utilities.
As the girls entered the home, they were greeted by the flowered couches where Megan tossed her box of bedroom items, slightly bouncing as the box hit the couch then settled without tipping onto the floor. If Megan would have watched closer, she would have seen that the boxes were so close to tipping over as they bounced on the couch, but it seemed as if an invisible hand caught them and held them from falling.
“Mom, really do we have to stay in such an old house. I just want to go back home.” Sassy Megan, tall for her age, lanky, long mousy brown hair, hazel eyes, and constantly pouty lips. Carlie just looked over at Megan, with sad tired eyes, “Megan, you know why we had to move, and this is all I can afford. Just go pick a bedroom, I will let you have first pick. I am going to go get more boxes.” Carlie walked back outside as fast as she could so Megan wouldn’t see the tears welling up in her blue eyes. There are so many emotions she wanted to just let out, to yell and shout. It was never in her life plans to become a single mother, to lose her whole life plans to a younger woman sliding into her husbands views and eventually into his bed.
While standing at her car, looking at her only property her ex would allow her to take, Carlie took a deep breath clutching her arms around herself to get the only hug she was able to get during this time. Looking around this was the first time she was taking in the property she was renting. It was a couple acres of grass, old large trees that’s limbs tangle within each other as if they were fighting for sunlight as it was growing. Glancing around Carlie noticed a small shed off to the right of the house. Thinking to herself it will be a while before she can put anything in it for storage, placing a new wave of emotion over her. Between the house and the fence on the other side was a crazy old tree, this took Carlie’s focus to stop and stare. An odd feeling of gloom filled her as she looked this tree over. From where she was standing, she could see little pegs going up the front of the tree, squinting her eyes a little to see through the branches she was able to make out a small tree house. Very run down, wood had changed to a grey, rustic finish. Ripped fabric was seen fluttering in and out of what was suppose to be to door. For some reason a shutter of fear seeped into Carlie’s bones. Quickly shaking it off she grabs a few more boxes that she knew would be needed for the rest of the night and walked in a fast pace back into the house.
Megan, looks around the bedrooms, walking slowly in each one trying to figure out which one she will pick. They were both identical only differences were the distance to the bathroom. Finally deciding on the bedroom farthest away from all the other rooms in the house, she retrieves her boxes from the living room and starts to unpack. The first box contained pictures of her past life. “I will be back, I won’t stay here forever. Daddy wants me and mom.” Megan speaks to her photo of her family before it split. Setting it on the dresser closest to her bed. Tears welling up and refusing to fall. Megan knew more than her parents thought. She was excellent at listening and watching. She seen the changes in her father when he got his work promotion, from how he was home all the time and loved to tease and play with her mom. To the nights where he wouldn’t come home, or when he did all he did was yell and tell her mom how bad she was as a wife. To the day he opened the door and told both Megan and Carlie he wasn’t wanting to be in their lives anymore and they both must leave. With a sigh, Megan opened the Armoire to put her clothes away. Thankfully it is empty Megan was so worried there would be clothes to match the age of the house. With a tiny giggle at that thought, Megan starts to hang her clothing up. On one of the doors when its open the Armoire has a mirror, even thought its aged and blackened around the edges still pretty easy to see a image clearly. Megan glances at herself and frowns, something is off. But she cannot quite figure out what it is. Looking herself over she doesn’t realize it wasn’t her eyes she was looking at. With a shrug she finishes putting her clothes away and closes the door. Hunger hit the teenager.
After a few days both mother and daughter have finally settled into their new home, well at least new to them. Rooms were all loaded with all their possessions, which showed. The living room had Megan’s hoodies laying over the couches, shoes kicked off in the middle of the floor and left to be tripped over. Carlie rolled her eyes as she came into the room, more chores that never seem to end. Wandering into the kitchen for her morning coffee ritual Carlie felt a sense of calm, and oddly warmth. This seemed to happen soon after she discovered her room faced the old oak tree. With a shudder Carlie recalls the vivid memory.
Walking into her bedroom with boxes in hand she had noticed the room was a bit darker than it should be. Setting the boxes down on the edge of the bed and walked over to the window to open the curtains, it was then she was frozen in place. Staring straight at the trunk of the tree. Embedded into the trunk were knots from the growth, normally to most this wouldn’t be unusual but this one was, at least to Carlie. The knots formed a face the simple eyes and mouth, but not a normal mouth its as if the tree froze a face in the middle of a scream. Chills ran up Carlie’s spine, goosebumps popping out all over her arms and legs. Feeling the need to run, to hide but unable to move, her breathing hastened making her feel light headed and dizzy. Just when she felt as if she was going to pass out a sudden warmth covered her like a hug, closing her eyes to enjoy the warmth and safety it offered she could have sworn she heard, “I got you”. With a few short calm breaths, she opened her eyes to find the curtains had been closed. Confused trying to remember when she closed them Carlie quickly turned away from the window and exited her room. When she did come back later that night for bed she was filled with the instant warmth as she curled up under her covers and fell asleep so quickly, she didn’t think about the oak even a little.
Sighing, placing her coffee cup in the sink Carlie went to Megan’s room to wake her up. There she was sprawled out in her bed, one leg in bed on leg hanging over the edge. Her hair a mess some plastered over her face, a little dribble of drool sliding down onto her pillow. Carlie chuckled happy to see that it seemed Megan got some good rest. “Come on girly. Time to go register for school”. Carlie leaned over and brushed Megan’s hair away from her face. “No, mommy let me sleep more. I don’t want to go to a new school I want to go back to my old school with my friends.” Smacking her lips Megan pulled up her covers. Carlie flipped them down just as fast and started to tickle Megan, this was a normal school day routine. “Ok, silly girl we will get a late start today, but you are going to get registered today. Come on to the kitchen have some breakfast.” “Fine, pancakes?” Megan opened on eye watching her mother. “Yes, silly girl, I will make you a few. But if you’re not out there in five I’m not adding the chocolate chips.: With that Carlie jumps up quickly and heads to the kitchen. Behind her she can hear Megan stumble out of bed and follow her.
Breakfast was done, house was cleaned up against Megan’s wishes, Carlie and her daughter snuggle together on the couch watching tv when they heard a timid knock on the front door. Carlie paused the tv to listen to make sure that is what she heard, there is was again another knock. “Our first visitor!” Megan jumps up off the couch and runs to the door. She looks out the little window, “Mom it’s a old lady.” Carlie gets up and opens the door.
“Hi, my dears!! Oh, I am so happy to have young blood in this house again, I tell ya it’s been years since the O’Neill’s were able to rent this place out. The last family that lived here suffered such pain. Oh, my did Nelly never change the furniture, good gosh. Oh, here have a tuna casserole for dinner. Oh, my I forgot to tell you my name is Mary Lou. So nice to meet you.” Here stood this little old lady who didn’t let a word in. Blue tinted hair, about 4 foot tall. Slightly rounded in the body a mischievous smile and twinkle in her eyes. “Um, Hi.” Carlie slightly taken back by the barrage of instant conversation stumbling over her own words. “I am Carlie, and this is my daughter Megan.”
Mary Lou looked the girls over and smiled. “I’m sorry, I have been told I am very forward, but with as little life as I have in front of me, I just don’t want to miss a minute.” A slight flash of sorrow flashed in her eyes. “I have lost a lot in the past so I have decided to keep going forward.” Carlie placed her hand on Mary’s shoulder “would you come in please. Were new to this town and area and would love to learn about it.” Within seconds the look of sorrow vanished, and pure joy filled Mary Lou’s face, You can just tell she couldn’t wait to explode with the towns secrets.
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