"I'm so freaking excited!" Charlotte exclaimed. She squirmed joyfully in the passenger seat of the blue 1970 Ford pick-up truck. Benjamin laughed as he started to tap on the steering wheel with eagerness.
"How much longer 'till we get there?" Charlotte asked and turned toward Benjamin.
"Not much longer." he said with a chuckle. He strained his head to try and see the road through the heavy blizzard that was engulfing them.
Charlotte and Benjamin had been married for almost two months. Both coming from low-income families, they could only afford a small wedding and no honeymoon. But that didn't stop the couple. Charlotte and Benjamin decided to take a road trip for their honeymoon. Using the pick-up truck that Benjamin's father gave to him as a wedding present, the newlyweds drove around America in search for the perfect town to start their lives in, together. They traversed for almost a month but found no such place. They decided to go back home to New York and try again in a few years.
In Northern Pennsylvania on their way back to New York, the old blue pick-up truck broke down. The couple walked through the bitter cold November wind in search of assistance. While trudging through the snow and dirt, the couple stumbled across the quaint, little town of Winter Hollow. As they gazed upon the snow covered town, they knew that they had found the place of their dreams. Their town. They could feel it.
The following week, Charlotte and Benjamin explored the wonders of Winter Hollow. The beautiful land, trees, and people. The people welcomed them with open arms and made them feel at home. In no time at all, Charlotte and Benjamin found an old Victorian foreclosure house on two thousand acres of land. The house was beautiful and unique. The perfect place for the two to start their family.
The couple quickly put in an offer and it was accepted almost right away by the bank.
"Who is the guy we're supposed to meet to get the keys?" Benjamin asked, still struggling to see the road.
"Um.... A man by the name of Christopher C. No last name." Charlotte answered while flipping through a stack of papers about the house.
"Got it," Benjamin said, "Hey Charlie! We're in Winter Hollow!"
They slowly drove past the town sign with childlike smiles across their faces. The town was just as beautiful as they remembered. As they drove down Main Street, they gaped at the small shops, libraries, and restaurants as the snow began to subside.
Benjamin turned off of Main Street and took a few turns down different avenues and boulevards. Then, the couple drove on to a long dirt road for what seemed to be miles. Eventually, the house came into view.
"Wow." Charlotte said. An older man was standing on the porch. The man had snow white hair and a matching beard. He stood with an arch in his back and it seemed as if he could barely stand without holding on to the porch. He seemed to have a distressed look on his face as the couple pulled up.
Benjamin parked the car and heard the ignition die down. Charlotte whipped off her seat belt and jumped out of the car. Benjamin took off his seat belt slowly and opened the driver's side door. The man, to the couple's surprise, walked down the porch steps to meet them with ease.
"Hello! Welcome to Winter Hollow! My name is Christopher." the man said as he approached Charlotte and Benjamin. Charlotte bounce giddily over to the man as Benjamin trailed behind her.
"Hello, sir. My name is Benjamin Mathers and this is my wife Charlotte." Benjamin said as he shook Christopher's hand and then gestured to Charlotte. Charlotte grasped his hand and shook it violently.
"You seem very excited, miss!" Christopher said as Charlotte let go of his hand.
"Sorry about that." Charlotte apologized, with a smile still painted across her face.
"No, no. It's quite alright. I can understand your excitement. Getting this beautiful house for such a steal. Why I'd be jumping for joy," Christopher chuckled, "Now, first things first, do either of you have the papers that were sent to you from the bank?"
"Um, yes but they're in the car. I'll go get them." Benjamin said as he turned to gather the papers.
Charlotte and Christopher stood in silence until Benjamin returned.
"Here they are," Benjamin said as he handed the papers to Christopher, "All filled out and ready to go. Now, I just have one question."
Christopher paged through the papers and looked up, awaiting Benjamin's question.
"The house was very neglected in some of the old pictures that Charlotte and I saw but now it's all renovated and new. The renovations must have cost a fortune but the house is a foreclosure. Usually foreclosure houses are old and decrepit but this one is almost brand new. Why is that?"
"I was afraid you would ask that question." Christopher sighed and looked around as the snow began to fill the cold dry air again, "Do you really want to know?"
Charlotte and Benjamin nodded. Christopher took a sigh of approval.
"The last owners were a very rich couple. The man had a very successful and well paying job. But the thing is that the man, pardon my language, was a total ass. Let's just say that in order to get to the top of the pile, he had to pass, shove, and step on more than a few colleagues and friends. He was ruthless when it came to his own success. He was an ass and on top of it all, he was an alcoholic. And when he was under the influence, he became abusive. I would see his wife at the market with bruises and cuts all over her body and face. People would ask what happened but she would just ignore them. She even ignored the people who offered help.
"An old friend of the husband's used to date the wife until she left him for her abusive husband. The old friend's name was Graham. He stayed friends with the couple even though she broke his heart. He didn't even seem hurt when the couple displayed their affection for each other at parties and gatherings. But everyone knew he was hiding something.
"One humid, summer night, the husband had a little too much to drink, as usual. He started smacking and punching his wife. He did it for no reason. He persisted to beat her for an hour. But his beating stopped suddenly as he heard footsteps in the hallway. He turned around and a gun shot rang throughout the house. The drunk husband fell to the floor dead. The wife cowered in the corner, blood seeping from almost every part of her body. She looked up slightly to see who the killer was. It was Graham. He begged her to come with him to leave Winter Hollow and have a fresh start. With him. Horrified of the killing, she refused. He begged her and soon became violent. He started to yell and thrash about. The woman was stricken still with fear. He bribed her and screamed in her face. Yet she still refused. She continued to refuse until Graham ended her negativity. Another shot ran throughout the house. She fell to the ground next to her husband. Blood stained the beautiful floors. Graham fled the house never to return. About a week later, a friend of the wife's came by the house to check on the wife because she had not met the friend for lunch. The friend found the bodies lying on the bedroom floor, flies swarming around them. The police searched for Graham but never found him. The bank took the property because the couple had no family to inherit the home and had no will or legal papers clarifying what to do with the house. The bank labeled the house as a foreclosure and put it on the market. About a year later, a lovely young couple put in an offer. And that lovely young couple was you."
Charlotte dug her head into Benjamin's jacket as her spirits lowered.
"So that's the story. Wow," Benjamin said as he put his arm around Charlotte who remained quiet, "But the police still haven't found Graham?"
"Actually, they did find him back in May... dead in the woods. He apparently tried to survive in the forest but not everything went as planned.
"Now, I've been living here in Winter Hollow for almost all of my life and let me tell you, it is one of the safest places in America. That killing was the first real crime we've had in almost fifty years. Trust me," Christopher explained as he put his hand on Charlotte's shoulder, "There is no reason to be afraid. Not at all. If you guys have any other questions, feel free to ask me. Like I said, I've been here almost all my life. I know everything and anything you guys would want to know. Now, here are your keys."
Benjamin took the keys and thanked Christopher. Before Christopher walked back to his truck, Charlotte bid him goodbye and said her thanks. Christopher opened his driver's side door but stopped himself before climbing into the vehicle.
"Oh, one more thing." he called with one hand on the door. The couple turned toward Christopher, waiting for his parting words.
"Welcome to Winter Hollow."