It looked just like the pictures Mom and Dad had shown us online... but that's what scared me. If you're moving into a house, you're gonna wanna do some digging, am I right? That's how I knew.
It made no difference to me how big our real estate agent, Marcy, smiled, or how many facts she tried to include about the vintage décor. I knew the truth. I'd told Violet; I tell her everything. But I hadn't told Mom or Dad. Shit would hit the fan. This was the Murder House.
And Violet thought it was cool! I'm not superstitious or anything, but I'm not exactly comfortable with living in this house, and she thinks it's awesome. Mind you, to say we're twins, we're about as different as they come.
Violet could best be described as... erm... cynical? Yeah definitely cynical. Depressed, both clinically and emotionally. Pessimistic to say the least and... what's the word?.. someone who lost all the fucks she once gave. It's not a bad thing, particularly. But it was definitely difficult to see myself as her sister any more, let alone her twin! I was her polar opposite- no joke. I'm pretty optimistic, I guess; usually quite happy, and I care enough for the both of us... I care perhaps a little too much.
We looked different too. I walked behind her as we followed Marcy on the tour of the house. Her dark blonde hair fell to her shoulder blades straight as can be. Her style was also very different to mine; she wore a longish blue floral dress over a long-sleeved burgundy top, all covered by a mustard yellow cardigan. I on the other hand, was much more simplistic in my appearance. I wore blue jeans with black wedged boots, with a plain white top and a cropped black cargo jacket. I lifted my red nails to try to tame my curly hair.
Marcy said something about the previous owners who refurbished the house being gay and Violet turned around to me, a twinkle alight in her brown eyes as she looked into my blue ones.
"Bet you called that," she whispered.
"Damn right I did," I murmured back and she chuckled.
The tour of the house continued, but I didn't pay too much attention, planning to look around for myself later. But eventually the tour ended up in the kitchen. I grumbled as Hallie the yappy furball darted between my ankled and nearly tripped me up.
"Violet, honey? Can you go see where Hallie went? Thank you," Mom said as Violet nodded and left.
Marcy cleared her throat just then and all attention was on her; "Speaking of the last owner, full disclosure requires I tell you what happened to them..."
Here we go...
"Oh God," Mom started, "They weren't murdered were they?"
"Yes actually... murder-suicide..."
"Hence the low price..." I pondered.
"Exactly my dear," Marcy praised.
"Where'd it happen?" Violet asked from where she now stood behind me.
"Basement, dear."
"We'll take it!"
For fuck sake...
I cleared my throat and the three adults turned to me.
"Marcy thank you for the lovely tour, and it was so nice to meet you," I said, extending my hand for her to shake, "But is it okay if I have a wander around by myself, now we know we're getting it?"
"Of course, dear," she beamed at me as I waved goodbye.
I turned and dragged Violet with me as I started ascending the stairs, hearing a faint "What a lovely daughter you both have" behind me.
"What are we doing then, St. Maya?" Violet mocked, using her nickname for me.
"You wanna choose a room or not?" I asked... damn right I had my priorities in check!
"Oh shit! Yeah I do!" she remembered, and we raced up onto the first floor.
"This place is huge- I imagine there'll be like six to choose from," I pondered as we wandered the corridor.
"Seven actually," Violet replied, and I rolled my eyes smirking.
"Whatever..."
She swung open a random door and it was painted in khaki green with some greys here and there. I squinted to try and see more with what little light came from the tiny windows and saw a double bed in the middle of the room.
"DIBS!" Violet yelled and I rolled my eyes.
"I honestly didn't want it anyway," I muttered walking back down the corridor.
I walked on a little further, right to the end of the corridor, and saw a battered white door. I opened it to reveal a spacious room with shiny wooden floorboards, and white walls with a queen sized bed on the right of the door and a massive bay window at the other end.
"DIBS!" I yelled to anyone who cared, slowly making my way forward to the window.
I looked out to see Marcy look back to the house and sigh in what looked like relief. I shook it off though, turning around when I heard someone stood in the doorway.
"Maya, honey?"
"Hey, Mom," I smiled at her and made my way over to the new bed.
She sat down next to me and we looked at the blank walls.
"Hit me with your ideas then!" she squealed, squeezing me in a hug as I laughed.
"Wellll.... right, picture this!" I started and she closed her eyes; "Left hand wall, London scene; Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, that sort of stuff."
"Uh-huh."
"Right hand wall, San Francisco, Golden Gate Bridge, etcetera, etcetera..."
"With you."
"Bottom of each wall; water. Left hand side Thames, right hand side Golden Gate strait. Both bodies of water meet under the bay window at the other side of the room," I finished opening my arms proudly.
"YES!" Mom squealed, high-fiving me and pulling me in for another hug as we fell back on the bed laughing.
"Oh, and clouds and stuff on the ceiling," I added, now I had a better view of it.
She laughed; "I would expect nothing less."
I smiled as she sat up and I followed suit.
"Right I'm gonna unpack some stuff in mine and your dad's room, then I'll order some pizza- sound good?" she asked, making her way towards the door.
I nodded, getting up too.
"What are you gonna do?" she asked.
"Explore," I answered.
"Where you gonna start?" she asked.
I frowned in thought before replying...
"Attic."
Tate's POV
I had been watching the newcomers enter the house and have a look around with the real estate agent. Two girls, but they looked so different. One had straight dark blonde hair that came just past her shoulders, while the other had long dark curly hair that went all the way to her lower back. Their eyes were different too- the blonde had chocolate brown eyes, while the brunette had bright sparkling blue ones. And style was also an obvious difference between the two.
"Such lovely young girls," I heard a murmur behind me, and looked back to see Nora, smiling over the staircase bannister like I was.
I didn't say anything to her, just turned back to see the family walking into the kitchen.
Not long after, a small fluffy dog came charging through the corridor and through the ajar door into the basement.
"Violet, honey? Can you go see where Hallie went? Thank you," someone said (presumably the mother) and the girl with dark blonde hair came out and walked towards the basement door.
I looked fearfully at Nora to find her paler than usual.
"Thaddeus," she whispered and that's all it took for me to sprint down into the basement after this so called Violet.
I kept close to the shadows, both so she couldn't see me, and in an attempt to ward off any unwanted ghostly attention. Nobody bothered her though, not even Thaddeus, and she scooped up her dog before having a quick glance round the basement from where she was stood before heading back upstairs.
I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding before heading up after her, looking back to see Thaddeus' face melt back into the shadows. I shivered. That kid gave even me the creeps. And I'm dead.
I sauntered back up the stairs to find the brunette dragging the smirking blonde up to the first floor, grinning, and talking about rooms. Now the room pick was always interesting.
"DIBS!" I heard as I reached the first floor, before seeing the brunette walk out muttering, "I honestly didn't want it anyway."
That must mean this Violet girl got my room.
I walked in to find she had already made herself comfortable on the bed, looking around my dimly lit room happily.
"DIBS!" I heard, further down the hallway.
I ignored Violet as her mother came in and sat down before they had an awkward conversation, instead opting to look for the other girl, whose name I still didn't know.
I walked to the end of the corridor to see what Nora had once named "the principal guest room" now had the brunette walking casually around it. I ventured inside and saw her looking out of the window, standing next to her to look out too. I took extra care not to touch her, not wanting her to be aware of my presence, as we watched the real estate agent sigh in relief at finally selling this goddamn house.
"Maya, honey?"
Her name's Maya!
"Hey Mom," she said... well sort of sang... I could tell she was happiest seeming of the two sisters. One was sat alone with nobody in a dark room, while the other was happy and with family in a room with daylight seeping in all the time.
They started talking décor and I stuck around just out of curiosity. I noticed Maya's eyes light up and sparkled as she described what she wanted to do on each wall, and finish with a grand hand gesture as she described the union of the water under the window. I couldn't help the smile that crept onto my face to see someone this happy. I hadn't seen that in a long time. It was a nice change.
I saw the two tumble onto the bed laughing, before Maya suddenly started describing the ceiling. I smirked. I wasn't too sure that Chad would be particularly happy with her ideas in comparison to his refurbishment plans, but it wasn't his house any more.
"Actually, it is still my house, Mr Langdon- it's everyone's house. All of us, together. We share this same fate as we share this same house," a voice said behind me, and I turned around to see Chad stood there.
"What are you doing here?" I hissed at him.
"I hear word of décor, I'm here, that's how it goes. And why wouldn't I like the girl's suggestions? As long as she's a good painter and doesn't call a line of asymmetric rectangles a "city scape" like five-year-olds do, then I doubt I'll have too much of a problem with her. I may even appear on Halloween and we can exchange notes," he declared, and I rolled my eyes.
"Where are you gonna start?" I snapped back to reality and saw Maya's mom at the door, Maya close behind.
Maya frowned thoughtfully, her nose scrunching up kinda cutely, before a light bulb went off and she declared, "Attic!"
"Oh no," murmured Chad mockingly before her disappeared.
Oh no was right.
Beau.