Thanksgiving Gift

Chapter 1.

I held my breath long enough to go a little purple, giving colour to my sunken ghost-like waxy appearance. I stared in the mirror for too long until the blazing assortment of horns from behind, drilled through my numbness, alerting me that the signal was open and ready for me. The trick helped. I no longer felt like crying. However, only a few meters into the road, I saw a lovely couple hanging out with their hands clutched tightly as if they feared that the slight chilly November wind might whip them apart. Unbeknownst to my conscious, the road blurred into an opaque world where I alone travelled aimlessly. There was no one to blame but myself for the little tragedy I partook in, just before thanksgiving.

To begin with, let's travel to the very first chapter. My name is Annabelle Michelle. Dearest of the dear calls me Bella and those who bear me call me Anna. Both of which I hate with a passion; because the names remind me of my grandmother's from both sides of the family. Neither of them possessed an ounce of grandmother qualities or gentleness, much for my luck; making my life miserable, once my parents died from a hunting accident when I was ten.

The GPS lady asked me to take a sharp left and I adhered. I was aimlessly travelling accompanied by the lady with a highly metallic voice helping me take turns and twists. I was hoping to reach the family ancestral house of my father by midday. It must be because I was the only distant relative alive for my grandmother; her personal belongings fell over my shoulder as if I had to carry her closet of demons for the rest of my life. I distinctly remembered how horrified the lawyer sounded through the phone, asking me to be mentally prepared to receive the house.

Humbug! If I knew Anna as well as I think I know, then I can smell the wet cat and shit candles and cigarettes from here. It must be similar to a pigsty, assuming the least. She was crazy and I am not even exaggerating.

Well, to my story. Daniel was an incredibly handsome six foot one arrogant bastard of a relative whom I saw one thanksgiving dinner. The first thing I remember about him was how arrogantly he threw me into the pool, without my consent, making my body ache for a week. He and I hit it off instantly, knowing well I was entering into a pool of lava covered up with flower petals and stingy fragrances. It was not safe but try lecturing a teenager who was infatuated with love.

'In two hundred meters, turn right.' The metallic voice woke me up with a start. I realized it was not the lady but something on the road that made me jump. In between my circling the story a thousand times in my head, I failed to soak in how dusty the road had become as it went deep into the remote desert island of the village.

A tall rusty double gate was pushed open with several vines and dead plants seemingly ripped from the force. Both sides of the roadway were overgrown with plants and shrubs, making it seem exactly how it might be if this was a horror movie. Something in me begged to reverse back from this chapter of life. It was too late as the lawyer eagerly stood out from a red Cadillac

and waited for me to cut the engines.

"Hi, I am Barbara Evans. Nice to meet you, Ms Annabelle Michelle."

I smiled. What else am I supposed to do?

I was absolutely mind-boggled by the size of the house and realized how bankrupt I will be if I was about to renovate this whole mansion. Yet, dollar bills started pinging inside as I realized how cool it might be if I actually renovated it and sell it or let it out for rent. Rich people will do anything.

Looking up into the third story left side of the mansion, I saw something move in the left corner of the window as if the curtains took a small shift.

Barbara looked up looking horrified and quickly turned to me, "Just sign these papers and this will be all yours. You might want to visit the bank tomorrow and make necessary arrangements there as well. Everything is settled, you only need to sign loads of papers." Her flashy smile irritated my skin. I grabbed the keys and turned around without saying a word. She left hurriedly without another word. It made me realize, how likely I am to my grandmother's now. Can't blame me.