Home Sweet Home (Sylvia)
I deeply inhaled the crisp autumn air as I sat on the ground, leaning ever so slightly on Mom's tombstone. I used my finger to trace the letters in her name, not even needing to look. "Sienna Anise Moorehouse" displayed crystal clear to my mind's eye. It had been a month or two since I had been to visit; that dream of her and Tammy didn't help matters either. I'd have been lying if I said I wasn't afraid to come visit her. I kept expecting her to pop out of the ground at any moment, but I soon realized that my fears were a bit on the childish side.
'I blame all the horror movies.' I heard Daniel chuckle.
'No one asked you, darling.' I looked in the direction of the car and rolled my eyes.
'When do they ever?'
"Fair point." I sighed to myself as I turned to look at Mom's headstone. I placed a kiss on my fingertips and gingerly touched the cold marble. "I'll be back to visit soon, Mama. Promise."
I looked up to the stars, watching the lights dance across the sky. That always used to be our favorite thing to do. One of these days, I planned to rediscover my love for it. Maybe in the new place? With a sigh, I picked myself up off the ground and made my way to the car, where Daniel waited patiently for me. I climbed inside and we both sat there for a moment in silence. It wasn't awkward, but I already knew we were of the same mind. Neither of us had left this city in a very long time. It didn't feel right. Things felt even worse because we had to leave it behind without Edie.
That thought struck a chord with me. Our poor little Edie...though, at times, I found it hard to fully pity the girl. On one hand, I saw a fragile minded young woman who was influenced by her sires. On the other hand? We saw firsthand the predator she became because of that same influence. It was hard for us to tell which was the real her. How much influence did Damien and Nadine really have? Did Daniel's efforts to help her actually do anything?
"I still wonder that as well." He knowingly sighed as he started the car. "Looking back now, I just feel like she played on my sympathies. Like that was my parents' plan all along, as silly as it sounds."
"Not silly at all." I gave his arm a small, loving pat. "It's hard not to think about those things. This was someone you raised and protected, only to have them fall onto the one path you damn near killed yourself trying to keep them from. That's a pain some parents have to deal with, unfortunately."
"I know, but I..." He couldn't bring himself to finish the thought, but I knew full well what he was about to say.
"There comes a time in every parent's life where they have to let go. How you have to let go is the interesting part."
"Interesting. That's one way of putting it." He chuckled bitterly.
"You know what I mean, dear." I took one last look back at Mom's headstone as we drove off. "Do we have everything?"
"Only the essentials." Daniel nodded. "Everything else is already waiting for us. Mikhail sends his love. Hopefully, he'll be able to drop in to visit once we're settled."
"That would be nice." A tiny smirk danced on my lips. "It'd be like having a little piece of home show up every now and then. Well, a piece that we'd actually want to have around."
Daniel simply nodded and we drove on in relative silence. The trip lasted maybe an hour and a half and the farther we went, the less buildings I saw zoom past out the window. Soon, I was welcomed to the sight of a sprinkling of houses and an abundance of open space. I smiled to myself, remembering all the family vacations to my grandparents' farm growing up. Nothing but fields, forests, and space for miles. There was a sense of peace I felt out there that I hadn't felt in a long time and I always cursed myself for taking it all for granted.
"I wonder if the old farm is still standing?" I mused silently to myself.
"Old farm?"
"My grandparents had a farm we always used to spend our summers at." I smiled at the warm feeling of nostalgia that washed over me. "I lived in the city for a long time, yes, but being out there, in the middle of nowhere, was a beautiful experience. Catching lightning bugs at night, stargazing, being able to pick fresh fruits and veggies right out of the garden for snacks. It was definitely heaven to me. Sadly, Grandmama had to sell it after Grandpa died. If I remember correctly, a cousin of mine was able to get it back, but I don't know what's become of it. I still think about it every now and then, though."
"You'll have to show me one day soon." I could hear the smile in his voice. "It sounds amazing."
"It really was." I chuckled. "My cousins couldn't stand it though. Our grandparents didn't play the whole 'video games all day' thing, if at all. We were always outside, either playing or helping with farm chores."
"Sounds kind of like my childhood, though we never had the option of video games." Daniel grinned smugly.
"Hang onto your butts, kids! We got a purist over here!"
He simply laughed, putting a hand on my knee. After what felt like only a few moments, we arrived at our new abode. To say it didn't look like much on the outside was a vast understatement. Shingles were missing from the roof, and there was a widow's watch that looked like it was about to drop from the tower any second. I easily made out the chipping paint and various rotting planks of wood. The more I studied the homely looking structure, the more I actually started to fall for it.
"Good thing the inside looks nothing like this." I heard Daniel growl in disdain.
"I don't know," I mused quietly with a tiny smile, "the thought of a fixer-upper is growing on me."
I turned to Daniel, who looked none too amused at my idea. I gave him a pout, my lip quivering ever so slightly. He crossed his arms, looking as unmoved and defiant as possible. I saw his resolve wavering, though. After a bit, he let out an exasperated sigh and threw up his hands.
"Love you," I said smugly as I exited the car.
I heard something along the lines of "Whatever, brat!" as I made my way up the dirt path that led to the front door. I reached for the door but remembered that I didn't have the keys. That wasn't what stopped me. The closer my hand got to the doorknob, the more the air around me vibrated. A cacophony of voices swirled around in my head, some in languages that I didn't understand. I shook like a leaf, but I had no way of willing myself to move. Daniel's hand on my shoulder jolted me from my trance and I stumbled backward, Daniel's arm quickly wrapping around my waist.
"That excited, huh?" Daniel joked, but his eyes surveyed me with concern.
"Sorry, I just...How old did Mik say this house was?" I breathed.
"Almost as old as I am." He shrugged. "Why? Something wrong?"
"I don't know if all of the previous occupants actually left." I kept hold of him as he unlocked the door.
"You mean we're haunted?" Daniel half-whined.
"Afraid so, darling." I sighed and let him lead me inside. "Mama always used to say I could tell those things. She said I used to have imaginary friends that would tell me things I shouldn't have known. Made me ever so popular with the church mothers."
"Yikes." Daniel chuckled. "Let me guess, you heard the word 'exorcism' at least 10 times in one conversation?"
"Of course! With 'devil child' sprinkled in for good measure. Then, they tried to bring my absent father into it, and that's where Mama pumped the brakes."
"Take it they didn't care too much for that?"
"I was 12 when that happened. That was the last Sunday that church ever saw us." I sighed, looking around at the almost familiar set up of the foyer.
The stairs were farther back but were still spiraled. There was a study at the far end of the hall and the entrance to the living room was a bit away from the front entrance, but as I rounded the corner into the room, I could clearly see why. The area was double the size of our old living room, but not as many bookshelves. There were two chairs in front of the fireplace, which was a nice comfort. Of course, the bearskin rug and fur blankets were going to take some getting used to, but I'm sure it would grow on me.
"Will you be alright?" Daniel's hands gently cupped my face. "I wanted to get a fire going and try out that rug." He gave me a wink.
"Ugh!" I tried to sound disgusted, but my laughter betrayed me. I gave him a kiss before shooing him off.