Growing up Marion had never truly felt as though she had a permanent home. It was a universal truth who all that knew her family that her mother, Jackie, short for Jacqueline, was never one to stay in we certain town for too long. No one knew why, including Marion. However when a mysterious package showed up on their door step and her mother hastily took it inside, she knew there was something amiss.
"Finally after all those long years, the will has been passed to us sweetheart." Jackie called out lovingly to her confused daughter.
"What will? We don't know anyone." Marion shrugged not sure what to make of what her mother said.
"I had family but they abandoned us. However since we are the only ones left we have inherited not only a comfortable lifestyle but a grand mansion as well." Her mother said pulling out the deed to a house and she smiled uncomfortably at it.
Marion investigated the box and saw a letter among the packing peanuts. Curiosity she picked it up, on the front of the envelope in fine cursive letter read. 'Warning, to those of the Ravenswood family who have to come inherit this curse." Just that was enough to spike her curiosity further. Gently she opened the letter and there was an old piece of paper, whoever got this first never opened it. All that the letter read was "Death waits inside for those who enter Ravenswood Manor."
"No wonder no one ever opened it." Marion gave the letter to her mother with an eye roll.
"You don't really believe in things like that do you? Ghosts, spooks and things like that?" Jackie asked her daughter.
"No mom, I'm 22. I think I'm a little old to believe in hocus pocus." Marion's sighed.
"Pack your things, we leave first thing in the morning." Jackie said then began to pack herself.
How many times had Marion heard that sentence in her life? More than she ever wanted to count if she was honest. Going back to her room she packed up what little belongings she had and then sat on her bed. She was grown, she knew that she didn't have to follow her mother, but she also knew that her mother needed her and to be honest she feared what would happen if she ever left her
Mother alone for a long period of time. She had wondered what this place would be like, the town was called "Thunder Mesa" and apparently it was founded by her family, a family she knew very little about. With a groan she closed her eyes and went to sleep.
One long, boring, uneventful in a good way flight later, Marion looked at the
Mansion before them and gently pushed the sunglasses to the bridge of her nose.
"Well this place has seen better days." Marion commented.
"Nothing a little paint can't fix. The workers start this afternoon. We will dazzle this place up and make everyone envy us." Her mother grinned as she walked to the front door.
Marion looked to her left and right, there were barely any people around. Nothing but a bunch of old abandoned buildings. Shaking her head, she followed her mother and made it to the front door just as her mother unlocked it and pushed it opened. Years of dust came flooding out the door and Marion and Jackie had to back up and cough the years of dust our of their lungs.
"Has no one been here?" Marion asked her mother.
"Not in years, my father inherited it from his father and his father built the place. My father feared it so much, but I never knew why. Now I will show him that we Ravenswood's will be great once again." Her mother grinned and went inside the old house.
This was all a little too weird to Marion. First, she had never met her grandfather, so she didn't know what to make of him and now all the sudden her mother speaks of restoring her family's home to its former glory. In Marion's eyes she had never seen her mother so determined. It was shocking and scary at the same time.
Walking into the old house, Marion took off her sunglasses and looked around. Dusting would be number one on her list. Taking her index finger, she wiped the side table just to her left and a large clump of dust gathered on her finger.
"Casper happen to live here too?" Marion asked herself as she knew her mother already went further into the house.
Going to a nearby light switch, she prayed before lifting it up and igniting the electric lights in the house. One good thing so far, the lights worked. There was a loud thump behind her which made Marion jump and turn around to see her mother had found buckets, rags, brooms and mops. It was going to be a long day.
"Marion you start here in the hall and parlor, I'll work on the kitchen. After that we can get groceries." Jackie smile then left Marion alone with a bucket of water, four rags, a mop and broom.
Sitting her bag down to the side, Marion made quick work as she opened the windows, since the house was in desperate need of fresh air, and then she took all the sheets off the furniture. It was all still intact and completely unharmed. She did beat them a little softly with the broom to make sure the dust was gone. Once that was done, she took a rag and began to dust the tables and things upon it.
Going through all the collectables on the table she noticed that there were very few photos. One in fact, it was of an older couple, no doubt a man and wife. Though something about the man felt somewhat off putting to Marion as she dusted the frame. He looked too serious, this was probably her great grandfather and she was a little happy to know she had never met such a serious fellow. Sitting the picture down she continued her work until the parlor was finally finished. Though there was nothing she could do about the hideous wallpaper that hung upon the walls, another job for the contractor. Going to the hall, she then began to use the broom and get down the years of spider webs and on webs alike. She was able to wipe down the banister on the staircase and sweep and mop the floors. The two rooms she had done were beginning to shine like a new penny.
All the sudden Marion had a strange feeling, as though she were being watched. Turning around expecting to see her mother was no one. The hall and parlor were empty. Odd, she thought to herself as she went to one of the bathrooms and began to clean them. She wiped down the walls, cleaned the toilet that must have been installed by another family member hoping to take over the house but not successful in doing it. As she looked up from cleaning the sink? She expected to see her worn out completion. Her auburn hair no doubt falling out of the bun upon her head and her face covered in sweat. That is not what she saw, indeed the reflection looking upon her had auburn hair but was not her. No, the reflection was of a bride, her eyes red and tears continuously falling from them. Marion jumped back and looked around only to be alone. She looked back to the mirror but only found her own reflection this time.
"I must have jetlag...that has to be it. Ghosts aren't real, spirits aren't real. This is an old house and I'm just tired. I've done a lot in the short time that I have been here." Marion said trying to convince herself that what she had just seen with logic.
Walking out of the room, Marion then bumped into someone or something which made her lose her balance. She tumbled backwards and fell into the small tub she had just finished cleaning and looked up. There was a man, in a white tee shirt, with jeans and a tool belt. His mid length brown hair tied back and he was staring back at her wide eyed.
"Miss Jackie?" the man questioned looking Marion up and down.
"That would be my mother, you always introduce yourself after knocking someone into the tub?" Marion asked sarcastically as she leaned her arm on the side of the tub resting her head in her hand.
"I can honestly say this is the first time miss, I am very sorry." He said as he rushed over to her and offered her a hand. "I'm Jared, I'm part of the crew your mom hired to help restore this place. Looks like it is going to be a heck of a job, judging from the outside of course."
Marion accepted his hand and nodded in agreement. The outside was a mess, there was no doubt about that. Lord only knew the last time the place had a fresh coat of paint. The place needed a lot of repairs on the outside she could only imagine what awaited them further into the house.
"I'm Marion I think my mother was in the kitchen but the be fair, I have no idea where that is either." Marion shrugged as they walked out of the bathroom to see Jackie looking right back at them. "Or she's right here."
"Ah you must be the crew I've hired. As you can tell we will start from the outside in. There are more than enough rooms for the crew here so you won't have to travel back and forth." Jackie said as she led the way out to the house.
Both Jared and Marion followed her, curious to know what project would be first.
"Obviously paint is desperately needed. The house hasn't had any in god knows how long. Your boss already has the color I picked out so I think sanding the old paint off would be a good place to start. Marion and I will be inside if you need us." Jackie said and turned without another word and walked into the house.
"Welcome to Ravenswood Manor, let us know if you need anything." Marion said friendly and then too went inside.
Jackie was looking around the parlor and then saw her daughter enter the house. With a bright smile on her face she walked up and hugged Marion tightly.
"Things are finally starting to look up for us dear, its only a matter of time." Jackie grinned as she hugged Marion.
Uncomfortable with this hug from her mother, for a reason she didn't understand, she gently hugged back in confusion. What had brought on this sudden change from her mother? Was it the house? Where was she getting all of this money to restore this old place? Who was the woman looking back at her in the mirror in the bathroom? So many questions that Marion feared she wouldn't find any answers to.