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He took it and began scribbling a number into the softness of my palm. “I’ll see you this weekend. Now come on, your parents are waiting for you.”

Standing up, I glanced at the clock to see an hour had flown by.

SIX

THE JOURNAL

May 2000

We rolled away from the building, navigating the roads until evergreens encroached on all sides once again.

Now and then, an opening would give a glimpse of the shoreline and the icy waters that from my vantage point, were blustery and tumultuous.

I sat in the middle of the backseat this time, no longer pouting after my encounter with Ash.

Ash.

Ahead was a curving climb in the road that led to clearing above a jagged cliff face. Atop those jagged rocks was our new home.

Soon, it began raining again, a brief deluge that started as we coasted from the canopy of trees that lined the driveway.

Through the blurry rain sheet, I could make out the details of a house with powerful walls, but crumbling and fraying in places. It looked as if it had been neglected for ages.

“I’m half expecting Dracula to come floating to the car.” My mother remarked as we slowed to a halt. She gave my father a sidelong glance.

There was a shift in their behavior toward one another that summer. They had stopped doing that thing I heard them talking about. Triangulation. But long forgotten were my questions of why they’d gone to the lengths to move this far away—this remote in the country.

“Are we going to be living in this monster by ourselves?” I asked.

“The house still belongs to the family that lives here…but we are going to share it,” my father supplied.

“That’s a weird deal,” I said.

“It’s the best deal we can afford right now, plus there’s a boy your age that lives in the other end of the house,” my father replied.

We hurried from my father’s car into the awaiting foyer, a bleak affair that was cold and colorless. Two members of the house greeted us but it was a young woman with golden brown skin and a kind, pearly white smile, that stood out. Her brunette hair was tied neatly into a bun, highlighting her high cheekbones and serious eyes. She was the most beautiful woman—aside from my mother—whom I’d laid eyes on.

That evening, my parents returned to town for a meeting with the Mayor, and I was once again left alone. It wasn’t an unusual occurrence to be alone; my mother worked as a nurse despite my father’s staggering salary at the hospital and private practice. And when they weren’t sleeping with their co-workers, they were fighting. So, alone I was. And alone, I would always be.

But it was dinnertime in a new home; the rooms were chilly and the walls felt like they were watching. I needed something comforting to eat to rid myself of the eerie feeling.

I left my room, hoping I wouldn’t get lost like I did earlier. However, I did lose track of time as I ventured through the hallways, peering around at the portraits, examining myself in the gilded mirrors, and clicking on the lights of every room I passed. It was my thing to do whenever I entered new spaces. In my head, by entering, turning on the lights, and infusing a bit of positive energy into a space would dispel any negative auras that might have lingered there before. When I was scared, I’d run right into the darkness and face whatever was in it. If I thought something was beneath my bed, I ripped the blankets up and peered under the bed, ready to become a rabid animal at whatever lay beneath me.

I was both intrigued and afraid of this house.

Eventually, I found my way to the kitchen, which was warm and smelled of mouthwatering spices. A young boy was seated upon a wooden stool, head poked into a book. Above the book, I could make out neatly styled hair and the outline of black-rimmed glasses. He was wearing a black t-shirt that hugged his frame and black slacks. On the counter beside him, there was an ‘Organic Chemistry’ textbook. He didn’t notice me lingering in the archway. I watched as he scribbled a few things into his notebook, then lowered his book before noticing me awkwardly standing there.

“Hi,” I said, not knowing what else there was to say. I felt uncomfortable being there in that space. He looked like he belonged in a lab, computing formulas and theories of the universe. Posing questions related to our existence. He was all ink-smeared fingers, scattered papers across the island, and an undercurrent of danger.

The boy placed his book on the countertop and continued staring at me, not saying a word.

I might have stopped breathing at that moment. Golden-brown skin reminiscent of an opulent sunset and striking blue eyes greeted me. He looked exactly like Ash.

“My mother says you’re the one taking this place away from us.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and assumed a commanding stance as he stood from his seat. He was tall and intimidating.

“What? No—” I began, but what did I say to him? I wasn’t exactly aware of the deal my parents had. So I just stared at him until I could conjure the words to supply him with.

I had no words.