• Dreary, that was what Laura thought of Fairview Falls. The small town was located in Southern Maine, away from civilization in a secluded area. Similar to all small towns everyone knew each other going back several generations, a fact which most of the people were proud of. The fact that many of them knew nothing outside of their town did not faze them the least bit. The population was about five thousand people, including children still in school. Among them was Laura Mahoney the only high school student who wanted more out of life. She wanted to be someone, to be something other than a small town woman working in the small town’s grocery shop or one of the many small businesses.
    True her father owned the only large successful department store in town which also happened to be an hour away- how else would he get good business? She saw the Department store not as a sign of hope, maybe one day she would be able to leave, but as a thick heavy chain that coiled around her closing off all fresh air and strangling her as it tried to hold her in the one place she hated. She knew well enough that her father would have her inherit the business, a notion she despised. No, Laura Mahoney did not want to be known in small town politics like her forty year old father, no she wanted to be known throughout the world because of something she had done. No to be a shadow was not enough for the fiercely independent girl.
    So she bid her time in waiting, knowing her Father would want her to obtain a higher education. The year she graduated would be the last year she stepped foot in that town. Only two years stood in her way before she could vanish from her place of birth. She decided to act just like what was expected from her, to be an obedient child who planned to take care of her father’s business after college. “I don’t want my child to not have the experience of going away to college! It’s an experience everyone should have!” Of course he expected her to return, just like the little obedient girl she appeared to be. And so, she planned and planned as she waited for the right moment to dash away and never look back.
    Only that moment came sooner than expected. It came in the mail one afternoon, September tenth. Laura gracefully walked down the street; her walk was that of a confident model, to her large modern mansion. In the girl’s eyes the “house” was too large and too uncomfortable to be a house. A house was supposed to be cozy, a place that was special to its owner, simple yet elegant not overly large and ornate. The Mansion- it was not a house and therefore hers- imposed itself over the street like a giant. Its shadow stretched over the ground below and seemingly took over the neighboring house’s shadow. Many pedestrians would o and ah over the property and give jealous glances her way if she happened to walk in and out of the place. If only she could tell them how much she would trade all of what she had to leave the place even if it meant that she would be poor.
    On her way up the steep driveway she casually stopped by the mailbox. With a thin hand and elegant fingers she took the mail out and shut the box. Riffling through the envelopes, she did not expect any mail; she overlooked a thick beige envelope addressed to her. Seeing nothing Laura began to dial in the code to enter the front door. Her fingers did the work and she let her mind wander a bit. Her Parents would be leaving for a formal event in the next town. The drive would take them about two hours both times to drive back and forth, the event would be several hours alone. With no one in the house with her Laura could call her best friend over for the night. Her father would have no problem with it, he never did. Whatever she wanted Mark Mahoney gave her, it was a wonder she was not spoiled. A small almost hysterical giggle escaped her thin mouth. The irony had not escaped her of just how many people would switch places with her if they could, in which case she would more than happily oblige them.
    In front of her the front door creaked open like an old hinge on a gate, for some reason she thought of a graveyard as she listened to the noise. “Well this place has some likeness to a graveyard; both places are cold and unwelcoming. Still I think I would prefer a graveyard than this mansion. I wouldn’t be surprised if I felt most at home there.” With that thought she walked into the open maw of the entrance, her body stiffening for yet another evening of discomfort. As if reading her thoughts, a cold draft blew through the hallway colliding with her head on. Often when she had little to do and was lazily laying on the bed she would have some peculiar thoughts about the place. She could imagine that the mansion was a living breathing creature full malice and hate for her. It wasn’t far from the truth, she figured, after all she hated the place, why wouldn’t it hate her back? Laura vaguely remembered a documentary; it was from several long years ago, about the paranormal. A ghost hunter and a mediator were discussing how inanimate objects could be possessed or pick up residual energy if it was powerful enough. Suppose that was what happened here?
    Her thoughts are shattered by her mother’s voice as she enters the kitchen, “Oh Laura, your father and I are heading out. We just had a change of plans. We won’t be home until Monday night, I’m quite sorry about that dear. I’m sure you understand that we need some alone time together? We will only be gone for three days.” Clarissa Mahoney finished speaking in a rushed voice as if what she had to say could not contain itself within her mouth. Her scarlet lips turned up into a small smile at the thought of being away for the weekend. When she returned Clarissa could already picture the faces of her friends as she showed off all her new purchases. Not only that, but the event they were attending would be packed with important people. She could already see herself becoming the center of attention at her social luncheon on Tuesday with all the other rich housewives.
    Almost like a magician Laura pulled out her obedient daughter face, slightly forlorn with a little bit of dampness in her eyes. If she was honest enough with herself, the girl knew she was secretly glad of being alone. However she also realized that was not what her parents wanted to hear – no, they wanted her to tell them how much she loved them and could they pretty please stay home. It gave them the rush of pleasure knowing their daughter loved them. It wasn’t that she hated her parents, she loved them, but at the same time she wanted them to let her be her, not a shadow. Shadows were meek; they never stood up for themselves or did what they wanted. No, every shadow she knew had no personality. What she wanted was to do what she wanted and still love her parents.
    “If you are going to be gone for that long, can I have a friend over? You know how I feel about staying in this house alone. It is too big for one person. I would freak myself out at every noise I heard,” Her voice comes out slow but firm, she had only a little hesitancy as she spoke. Laura knew her parents well enough, they would say yes but it was always better to ask.
    Clarissa gave her daughter a fleeting look before turning away to gaze at her reflection “Of course you may, Darling, I would not expect you to stay here alone by yourself. I myself would feel better if I knew you had someone with you in this house.” With a gloved hand she pats her hair in place, if there was even one strand of hair out of place she would have gone right back into her bathroom to fix it. “Remember no drugs, drinking, or smoking in this house. If you have to do any of those then please do it somewhere else. I do not want any furniture to be damages. Oh, and remember, not the Vodka, that is your father’s personal drink.”
    The girl watches her mother prim herself, “Mother, I do not take drugs. Just say no, and all of that. So please do not think I am that low of a person!”
    The older woman barely glanced down at her daughter; she was keeping herself busy with herself. No matter what occasion Clarissa had to be perfect. Even the smallest gathering commanding hours of her precious time to put every hair strand in place while she applied her make up perfectly like an artist applying her paint brush on the canvas. Her hands were sure of their movements, they had the practice from years and hours in front of the mirror that never lied. So it had come to happen that Laura’s mother trusted no one but the mirror. After all her husband would tell her white lies now and then, her daughter would hide a bad grade once in a while, nothing big for both her husband and daughter loved her to much to hurt her with a lie, but Clarissa knew that mirror had no heart. They showed what other would never say – to them each line, each wrinkle, each blemish was just as prominent as the beauty she had. And beautiful was not even the word to describe Clarissa. She was drop dead gorgeous even at the age of thirty six. To her she had deep wrinkles of an older woman, something she could not tolerate.
    Her one fear was aging, her looks deteriorating, and becoming a was, no longer an is. She feared that her husband would look for another woman to love if she could no longer please him in various ways, so it led her to fight against all signs of age. No matter what Laura told her, Clarissa bought all anti-aging serums and wrinkle fighters. She exercised two hours a day using weights and cardio routines in order to keep her flesh firm and muscles lean. She wanted to keep her appearance fresh and clan, something that she had so far succeeded in. Yet, it seemed to her that she was losing the fight, slowly and surely as she knew her birthday was approaching. Secretly inside Clarissa wished for a way to become immortal, a way that would keep her young and beautiful for all time without her having to struggle everyday to age gracefully and keep her looks. She shoved those thoughts a side for a minute to speak with her daughter, a beautiful child she was proud of. Laura was everything she ever wanted, a girl who was gorgeous and witty, a girl who was fiercely independent to the point of having that independence be her downfall.
    She forced a smile on her lips before pivoting on her feet to gaze down at the five foot girl “I know, Darling, but I also know about all those reports about teens smoking and drinking. I did not mean to sound do selfish by saying I do not want the furniture damaged but I was worried you would not listen to what I said. I wanted to make okay in MY mind that as long as no damage was done everything would be fine. Do not open any bottles of liquor or smoke anything. There is food in the fridge and freezer, remember that we have plenty of movies if you want to watch something, and the games are in the basement.”
    Slowly nodding as if she was listening Laura responds just as carefully, “Do not worry about me Mom, you know how well I can take care of myself. I was hoping to go shopping this weekend, if you do not mind. I would drive down south a little to go to the other department store. It has a book store I want to visit. I also want to call Amanda to keep me company for the three days you are gone.” She pauses, refilling her lungs, “Mom, are you doing alright?” She watches her mother with clear dark sapphire blue eyes, concern written on her face.
    Clarissa leaned against the counter, her face slightly pale, “Of course I am, Dear. Why wouldn’t I? I am going to a social gathering, a gathering I might add that is the stepping stone of being invited to the Christmas Ball. If all goes well the next social meeting will be in October for the Halloween Dance and then the Thanksgiving Fundraiser which leads to the Christmas Ball! Isn’t it great? A wonderful opportunity! Thanks to my Mines I inherited, I can contribute to the Thanksgiving Fundraiser! My father was a shrewd business man, Laura; he knew how to earn a fortune in his sleep. Sapphire mines, emerald mines, and even the Platinum ore mines! He only released half of what he mined at a time, creating a false sense of rarity, not to mention he owned most of those mines worldwide! One of the most important lessons I learned from him was: Always no matter what, you must take care of your employees. They are what allow you to continue to grow and what makes your money for you.”
    “Mom, what did he do to make them happy? I never heard you talk about grandpa like this.” Laura glances down at her feet, she never knew her grandpa very well. Her earliest memory was of him was only one of a gruff man, turned old early from a harsh life. He had passed quietly when she was five years old.
    “Oh, Laura, he was not a man who was known particularly for his kindness. He knew the value of employees and what they brought to his company. They were the backbone of his mines, without them he would never have been successful. A quarter of the half he held back from the public, he distributed among his workers. The other quarter he kept apart in a vault. He believed if there was ever a time when his mines failed him, those supplies would support himself and his workers for several years.” AS she spoke her eyes drifted shut, and her mind traveled all those years back to her childhood. After years of willing her mind to forget those memories, Clarissa’s subconscious mind resurfaced the old wounds. “Oh, look at me bringing up ancient memories I thought I had forgotten. Really, I suppose I must remember them, to forget them again would not be helpful. Look at the time; we really do need to head out. Laura, good bye, see you in several days. Be a good girl and look after the house. Call if there are any emergencies.”
    “Mom,” Laura half smiled, “I’ll be fine. If anything comes up you will be the first one I call. Go have fun; I’ll have Amanda over today to stay the weekend. If that does not make you relax then I can call before I go to bed tonight and then throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday.” She holds her mother’s gaze with a steady one of her own. She understood a parent’s fear for their child, many parents tended to imagine the worst scenarios that could happen to their “little baby angels”. Laura could already guess what was flying through her mother’s mind. Half the time her mother worried about her daughter, what horrid things could happen to her? What could she do that would put herself in a challenging situation which put her in danger? What would she do then? Clarissa doubted her own sense of responsibility when it came to her daughter.
    “Are you sure? We could take you with us, it would be no problem for your father and I to do a little bit of reorganization to have you accompany us. I am sure your father could arrange for some reservations for you and find things to entertain you with. Honestly it would be no problem, darling, we would be glad to have you come along with us.” Clarissa tilts her head to the left slightly watching Laura with wide curious green eyes.
    Laura shakes her head, “Nope, stay in a stuffy hotel? Not for me, I will stay home. I am going to call Amanda to come on over. Can I order some Pizza or Chinese food? We might also order some movies from Block Buster. We’ll go to bed by one- it is the week end. So go on a head. Dad is probably waiting for you any way. Have a good time Mom.”
    Clarissa kisses her daughter on the top of her head. She swiftly walks out to the car. Her slim frame swayed slightly almost like a breeze pushing on a flower in the garden. Laura watched her go, a sense of dread gnawing at the pit of her stomach. It was small, but there, carefully growing making the Girl worry for her mother. She could not shake of the sense that something was going to happen, something she would not be able to control. Her deep liquid midnight blue eyes flashed with a dim light of worry. Rarely did she have a premonition about anything but when she did, the girl learned to listen, just like she learned to wield her intuition as a weapon. Was it a sixth sense that she possessed? She did not know but whatever it was, it had saved her many times in the past. Surely it could help her again. If only she knew what her mind and body were trying to tell her, she could be of more use. At the moment she could do nothing but wait, wait and check up on her parents throughout the night and the weekend.
    When her mother’s back could no longer be seen, Laura took out her cell phone and dialed Amanda’s number. The dial tone sounded in her ear, then the ringing soon after. She had to wait a minute before she heard the click on the other side and Amanda’s sweet voice, “Hello, Laura?”
    It took her a second to answer, “Yeah, it is me Laura. Amanda I was just calling to ask if you wanted to stay at my house for the week end. My parents are out of town, so I thought maybe you would like to you know, hang out. Mom said it would be okay, she left some money out on the counter for me to use.”
    “Sure,” Amanda answers quickly, “You know my parents, if it is with you anything goes. Give me half an hour to prepare my stuff; don’t want to have one pair of clothes for three days. I’ll drive over in my own car.”
    Laura sighed, “Hurry up please, Amanda, I hate to be here a lone with no one else!” She sounded impatient; her voice almost came out as a whine.
    On the other line Amanda laughed, a light little sound, “Don’t worry, you will be fine until I get there. I only live a few minutes away. What did you want to do?”
    “I told my mom I wanted to order a pizza and watch a movie or something. I also told her I wanted to visit the department store in the next town – they have some great books!” She laughs slightly. The truth was the girl did not want to shop at her father’s department store; everyone at the store fell on their knees for her. Just because her father owned the place did not mean they could treat her differently than all the other customers. “What did you want to do?”
    Her friend pauses, “I have no preference, really, as long as I am away from my annoying siblings I’ll be fine. God, sometimes I wish I was you! No siblings to annoy you! Plus two parents that fawn over you and are willing to do just about anything!”
    “Don’t be a fool! At least you have siblings to share your burden with! You can talk to your sister and brother about any problems you have that you cannot talk to your parents about!” Laura fought to keep her voice even, to make it sound rational. When Amanda said those words, the girl wanted to scream at her. Amanda had everything that she wanted- siblings to talk to, parents that supported any decision she made. Amanda could be anything she wanted; her parents were not forcing her to inherit a department store!
    “Okay, Okay, don’t bite my head off! I need to hang up, Laura, I am about to start driving. You would not want me to get into an accident would you?” She replies a little guiltily.
    Closing the phone with a loud snap, Laura shoves the phone in her pocket. The two girls had known each other for ages; they were in kindergarten together all the way up their current year. She loved Amanda to death, but sometime felt that the other girl did not realize how lucky she was. Laura would die to exchange places with her best friend. Didn’t Amanda realize that? Didn’t she tell her before? Amanda had always been a little bit jealous of her friend; it was nothing extreme, but just enough to be a thorn at times. It was not Laura’s wealth exactly that bugged her, if she had to put it into words then the best she could describe it was that Laura did not appreciate what she had. She was not a spoiled little rich kid, no Laura had never been spoiled, but she never truly appreciated her wealth. On the other hand Amanda could say the same thing about herself. She never fully appreciated having two siblings in a normal family where she would be whatever she wanted to be. She did not have to bow to her parent’s wishes of doing what they wanted her to do.
    In essence the two girls were born to be friends. They each had what the other wanted, a balance that worked out very well. When Laura could not make herself be what her parents wanted Amanda was there to lend her a hand. At the same time when Amanda could not stand her siblings any more, Laura would make her realize how blessed she was to have them. They were yin and yang, closer than twins would or could ever be. Several adults and peers had once commented that if one of them had been born a male then they would be the perfect couple. At school they had virtually all the same classes together. Apparently the staff member in charge of schedules thought it would be nice to give them the same schedule. The girls appreciated the gesture; both of them were loners in a way. They had a posse each, but those girls were not “friends”. They were followers, people who were popular because of them. These girls would at any moment without hesitation abandon them if their popularity was in jeopardy. Only one or two girls would actually stick by Laura although she did not realize that.
    Looking around the kitchen Laura bits her lower lip. Clarissa, her mother, had left five hundred dollars on the counter. The entire kitchen, and house, was gleaming clean. Every surface was highly polished, each wall looked freshly painted. The hard wooden floors had the appearance of being new, although in truth they had been there for years. Each appliance was state of the art, with top ratings in all categories. Laura knew the reason behind all of it, having a perfect house somehow made everyone think they were the perfect family. After all, didn’t those troubled families have trash for houses? A “good” family had a perfect house, one that was clean and shining, a place that was neat, where nothing was out of order. Didn’t that prove how happy the family was? Didn’t it show how well off they were? To Laura it was all just a front, a front her parents showed to the public because they did not want to really look at their family. If they did, the girl thought, they would realize how unhappy she was, how much she longed for her parents to let her go. No, instead they closed their eyes and saw what they wanted to see, a perfect daughter, a perfect home.
    Sighing she began to clean the counters, her fingers looking for something to do. Spotless the counters were perfect in their condition. It was just that she needed something to do, something to keep her busy while she waited. She hated just standing around doing nothing; Laura was almost constantly in motion. So it was not surprising that she was cleaning the already immaculate clean counter as a way to keep on moving, to keep on doing something. She was nervous, her nerves were on edge. She had no idea why, what reason did she have to be so skittish? None, absolutely none! Sure she was alone in such a large house by herself, and true she had her own feelings of premonitions, but those had no bases at the moment. The mansion, she corrected herself, was large, but it was safe. Her parents had done everything in their power to ensure the safety of the building years ago when they first bought the house. Even then they always updated the alarm systems and security each year. She had nothing to fear- if there was anyone in the house, she would know, and there wouldn’t be anyone else but her and Amanda.