JJ and Ashley [girlxgirl]

Chapter 1

AN: For those who've read this chapter on Lit, you may remember it was not my best work. I've made quite a few changes to keep characters clear and to introduce them a little better. I'd love to hear if I did well, or should get back to the editing table.

January 4th, 2011

JJ arrived back in Sierra Falls just as the sun was rising. Traffic seemed light for a Tuesday, until she remembered that winter break was probably still in effect.  Driving through the streets brought back memories which were quickly stifled.
“I’m not here for a trip down memory lane. Just deal with the house, get rid of it, and get out. Nothing else.” She muttered, waiting to turn left at a stop light.

While she waited she looked at the folder on the passenger seat. Inside it held a copy of the last will and testament of Mack Jameson. It held papers that legally placed her childhood home and its contents in her name, in her possession. Those papers made the old house a nightmare again, only this time JJ was determined to be done with it for good when she left town again. The papers had also given her access to a large sum of money, which would fund any renovations and fees required for selling the house.

As the light changed and she made her turn, JJ wondered again why Mack had sat on the money for so long. The majority of it had come from a life insurance policy that had been taken out by Mack on her mother, Emily. When she’d died Mack had been awarded the money but instead of using it, he’d stuck it in the bank and forgotten about it. The same thing had happened when Mack had died. Money from the life insurance policy had been placed in the bank and now belonged to JJ. Eight hundred thousand was more money than JJ ever thought she’d see in her lifetime.

It didn’t take long for JJ to come to her final destination. She parked her truck at the sidewalk next to the mailbox and looked the house over. It looked terrible. Shingles were missing in large patches from the roof and the gutters were gone. The front windows were broken and dark, the decorative shutters hanging off or gone completely. It was obvious even from where JJ sat that the front door wasn’t sitting properly and the steps to the old porch were missing. The porch itself didn’t look very stable, but at least it was still there. The garage door was badly rusted and needed new windows. JJ would be surprised if it worked. The driveway and front yard were covered in a blanket of snow but JJ knew there would be a lot of landscaping needed. The ranch style fence was riddled with what looked like termite holes.

JJ pulled her keys from the ignition and left the warmth of the truck. Her boots crunched through the thin layer of snow as she trudged through the front yard to the side gate. The old gate swung unevenly, halted in its progress by a pile of snow and debris from years of neglect. JJ shoved through the gap, took one look at the amount of snow that had gathered and decided to try the front door.
Her old key still fit the lock and a well applied shoulder got the door moving. The smell instantly had JJ regretting the entire situation. The sound of insects scurrying away made her skin crawl as JJ shoved the door wide open. She couldn’t see very far in, but what she could see wasn’t encouraging. Piles and towers of garbage filled the living room. Newspapers, food containers, bottles and cans were what JJ could identify. The smell told her there was rotten food and possibly rodents mixed in too.

“I just hope he didn’t have a pet,” JJ muttered, covering her nose with her sweatshirt. She returned to the truck for a large flashlight and some fresh air. Steeling herself, JJ ventured into the house.

The heaps of garbage and junk were taller than JJ in places. She didn’t go any further than the hall entrance, able to see that the entire house was in the same state as the living room. The kitchen was where the worst of the smell was coming from. JJ could only guess what was in the fridge and how long it had been sitting getting rotten. She wasn’t about to open the sucker and find out.