Chapter 1: The Haunted House

“Hurry up girls, we are late. The alarm didn’t go off this morning.” Kelly yells at her two girls as she rushes around while trying to make their sandwiches.

“Mom, why do we have to go today? We are already late?” Lilly asks while pouting and tying her shoelaces.

As Kelly tries to button up her white silk blouse, she watches as Jaime sits at the counter brushing her long curly brown hair. She makes a funny little grunting noise every time, she hits a snarl and that makes Kelly smile a little bit.

Packing up the sandwiches into two brown paper bags, Kelly states disapprovingly, “Get in the car.” As she hands each one of them their lunch and they head on out.

Locking the door behind her, Kelly fastens the last button on her blouse before wiping a stray hair out of her eyes. “Calm down. It is just another day.” She murmurs under her breath before she glances over to the car and notes that they are already inside.

On her way to the car, she smiles and thinks to herself, “I am lucky to have them.” And then she drives quickly but carefully to the school.

After dropping the girls off, Kelly drives to the post office to pick up her mail. On the way, while glancing out the window at the beautiful day, she notices the shimmering light display as she looks at the sun shining on her windshield. A few minutes later, she hears robins singing so happily in a tree, and thinks to herself, “Today is a good day.” as a secretive smile plays on her lips.

When she arrives at the post office, she steps out of her car as an elderly woman with long grey hair stops to wave at her and smiles before asking politely, “I hope you’ve had a nice start to your day?

“You too.” Kelly smiles at her brightly before looking in her small black purse for her key to the post box. While she searches for it, the wind picks up and her yellow flowery sundress starts to move in the breeze. Struggling to keep it down with one hand, she finds her key with the other and then makes her way into the small, brightly lit room containing the mailboxes.

For some reason the key doesn’t go in immediately, so she forces it and then it finally turns. Opening the lid, she peers inside before pulling out a couple of small packages and a letter.

Carefully, she quietly reads the name and address with a questioning tone of voice, “Kelly Jones 2983 E. Bluff Rd?” Shaking her head, she looks at the address again and then notices that it says 2983 E. Oak St. Surely, her eyes are playing tricks on her because it clearly didn’t say that before.

Taking a moment, she fondly thinks back to when her name used to be Kelly McDonald. When she was a teenager, she looked hotter than hot, and men would glance at her hungrily everywhere she went. Of course, everything changed a few years later when she got married just after high school and had kids about two years afterwards. Two girls to be exact, Jaime is fourteen and Lilly is ten.

Unfortunately, life hasn’t been the same since John died three years ago. Now, she has friends, but no boyfriends, no casual affairs or even one-night stands. She has been stuck in a rut for a long time. Matter of fact, she is beginning to wonder if she is ever going to find someone who cares for her like John did. After all, it was so easy with him.

When they met, he was the quarterback of the high school football team. All the girls wanted to be with him, but for some reason he asked her to the prom. She thought it was a joke at first, that is until he kissed her, and it changed everything. They instantly fell in love, and everything was perfect for a time.

That day, she became the most popular girl in school, and everyone suddenly liked her. Most importantly, John loved her beyond a doubt. All throughout the rest of high school they were together. Inseparable from the moment she stepped out the door and he picked her up, until he kissed her sweet lips before she climbed out of the car and walked up to the house at night. Kelly went to all the dances with him and all the proms. She even became prom queen several times and John was prom king because they were the perfect couple, and everyone adored them.

Shortly after high school, they were married and had fun for a couple years as newlyweds before Jaime was born two years afterwards. Four years later, Lilly came along. It was the happiest times of their lives because John had a great job, and she had her little family. They did so much together and had fun doing it, especially when John made her laugh. Even when she was upset, he could make her happy.

One day, he started getting sicker and sicker. Over time, it only got worse, and she didn’t know what to do because John would get tired and was always in so much pain that he couldn’t even get out of bed. Eventually, he was fired from work because he could not do his job. When the girls would always ask her why daddy hurt, she could offer them no answer because she herself didn’t know.

After an especially painful day, he turned to her and asked to be taken to the E.R. When all the tests came back, they found out he had leukemia. The doctors told her that he only had a few days to live. Devastated and not knowing what to do, Anna took him home to figure it all out and then a few short days later as the doctors projected, he died.

That was three years ago, and life has moved on without him. Their children grew up and her sister moved in with them. Her sister Samantha is only a year younger, but she acts like she is twenty something. She has blonde hair like Kelly, although she wears hers long. People love her green eyes and her high energy, and her way of always lighting up a party.

Samantha had tried to go to college. However, she ended up failing out after the first semester because she liked to party too much while sleeping through her classes. Because of this, she ended up in a dead-end job with a small salary. Ironically, somehow Samantha thinks she is going to afford a house payment.

Shaking her head, Kelly asks herself begrudgingly, “Why did I agree to help find a house if I could find one in her price range? So far everything is either small, a dump, or in the wrong neighborhood.”

Still standing there with her mail in her hands, she starts to have an eerie feeling that someone is staring at her. Turning around, she scans the room before she sees an incredibly handsome man with piercing blue eyes and dark brown hair looking at her. She finds herself thinking, “That is odd, I don’t think I have ever seen a man with blue eyes like that before. They seem to pierce right into my soul with that blue that reminds me of the ocean. So devastatingly handsome.”

Smiling at him sweetly, she notices that he flirts with her by immediately flashing a charming smile back. “How tasty.” She almost says out loud as she stands there staring at him in a trance, not even realizing that he opens his mouth and is speaking to her, “Hi, I’m Joel. What’s your name beautiful?”

Shaking her head to clear the cobwebs out, she quickly replies, “I’m Kelly, nice to meet you.”

As she gazes into his eyes, a picture flashes through her mind of him staring at her naked. However, when she starts to get aroused, she gazes at his sculpted body that was surely made by the Gods and finds herself wanting to run her fingers over his skin before licking every inch of him.

When she finally snaps out of it, she puts the mail in her bag before quickly stating breathlessly with a smirk on her lips, “I have to go, but maybe I will see you around.” as her voice echoes throughout the post office.

Before leaving, she feels him still staring at her, so she stops and winks. Then she turns around and walks out the door as one of the people walking by says in a cheerful voice, “Hi.”

She smiles and then continues to her car, where she sits, thinking about what just happened. “Why did I feel like I knew him from somewhere?” She says softy as she tries to remember why he looks so familiar.

After a moment or two, she slides the key in and turns it. Hearing the engine roar to life, she smiles and then puts it into gear. While driving home, she wonders what would have happened if she kept talking to the man with the blue eyes.

For the rest of the trip, that thought stays in her head until she pulls in the driveway. “Damnit!” She exclaims when she realizes that she forgot the food.

Before she backs out of the driveway to go to the grocery store, she closes her eyes as she imagines the two of them fucking right on the counter at the post office with a smirk playing on the corner of her lips.

The cell phone starts to vibrate in Kelly’s pocket as she shops for groceries. Looking at it closely, she notices that her sister is texting her about a house for sale. It is located on the other side of town and suspiciously the house is selling way under value.

She tells Kelly that the house is supposed to be haunted. So, as a favor after dropping off the groceries at home she decides to go over and see if the house is what her sister is looking for.

While passing a mirror in the store she sees that her shoulder length light blonde hair is getting a bit too long for her liking. Her pale skin is flawless, but she looks tired. As she glances back at the man over the counter, she pretends to be interested in sunglasses. Trying not to be obvious, she picks up a particularly pretty pair and quickly checks out.

A little while later as she is driving over to the house, she thinks about what kind of place Samantha wants. “I just know I am going to end up helping her out.” She murmurs under her breath while staring out the window.

She passes by a very lovely older couple in their sixties and smiles, remembering how happy she used to be. At one point in time, she had long waist length curly light blonde hair. All the guys would stop and stare at her. Now that she is 34, the men do not pay quite as much attention anymore. The only thing that still draws looks her way is her steel gray eyes. She manages though to keep her hour-glass figure.

When she pulls in the driveway, she cannot believe her eyes. The house is big, beautiful, and is landscaped expertly. As she looks around her, she notices that there are red rose bushes and decorative grasses. Everything is so tastefully done and artistically designed. For the price they want, it must be haunted!

At this point she realizes that it would be perfect for her family and for her sister. The house is big enough for all of them. Even if it is full of ghosts! They have been needing to get out of the neighborhood they have been currently in for a while now. The neighborhood has been going steadily down-hill, year after year. As she is reminded of it, she walks up to the door and looks around.

Set on buying the house, she knocks on the door several times. To her surprise the door opens immediately afterwards. It is almost as if the woman knows she is standing at the door before she ever knocks. The owner has her step inside and then informs Kelly that her name is Carrie. Carry just so happens to be a very beautiful young woman with strawberry blonde hair, porcelain looking skin and is wearing a skimpy red sun dress.

She tells Kelly supposedly why she is selling the place. Speaking quietly, she whispers, “I have come across hard times and cannot keep up the mortgage anymore.”

Hearing this, Kelly still cannot help thinking there is something else going on here. As she looks around, she asks curiously, “So I have heard rumors that the house is haunted. Are they true?”

Obviously not wanting to look her in the eyes, Carrie glances at the cupboards as she tells her, “There have been some strange things going on and I’m sure that it is just because it is an old house.”

She seems a little hesitant to go into details, so Kelly does not push it. However, Kelly is still thinking about buying the place, so she looks around the rest of the house carefully. As she walks into the basement, she notices that it is fully furnished.

“Nice.” She says to herself as she looks around and admires the woodwork all around her, just like the upstairs.

“The house is over a hundred years old, but well taken care of. The carpeting is outdated but can always be torn up or replaced. As for the decor, it must go.” She thinks to herself as she makes a list of things that must be done.

Still wondering when she is going to see a skeleton or two appear from a closet, she notices a couple of guys hanging out on the couch over in the corner, smoking. She walks over to them and smiles before asking provocatively, “Do you guys think it is a comfortable place to hang out?”

The men look at each other curiously and laugh before she prods them to get an answer, “What does that mean?”

Another guy that she did not see before comes from behind her and replies in a deep voice, “Well, first. My name is Grayson. I am the neighbor across the street. What’s your name?”

Looking him up and down, she says to herself, “Wow, he is incredibly handsome.”

“My name is Kelly. So, what about the house?” She asks as she keeps insisting on finding out while he stares her down.

He pauses for a minute, waiting for her to stop drinking him in before replying in a satisfied tone-of-voice, “As for your question, they are laughing because things get a little strange around here sometimes. Some would call it haunted, I just say it has character. Others have seen objects move by themselves.”

The whole time she is pretty sure he’s joking but gets an unsettling feeling about the room. She turns and looks at him even closer before seeing that he has caring eyes and decides he is harmless.

“He is just my type.” She thinks to herself as she keeps staring at him uncontrollably. Tall, brown haired, chiseled features, and a relaxed look about him that makes her just want to cuddle with him. However, he is at least 10 years younger than her. As she looks around the room one more time, she briefly glances at the other two guys who look like slackers and decides that they are nothing much to look at. After all, she would not ever give them a second look on the street if she was walking by.

When she hears a noise, she turns quickly, glancing over towards a dark corner, she sees something move by itself out of the corner of her eye.

She jumps, and then asks quietly, “Did you see that?”

Laughing, the two guys shrug their shoulders and Grayson smiles wickedly before stating sarcastically, “If you’re scared, I can make you feel more comfortable.”

As he smiles and makes a move towards her, she decides at that point that she is going upstairs. Upon returning to the kitchen, Kelly sees Carrie and informs her that she is going to buy the place right then and there.

After all, she figures that the quicker she buys the place, the sooner she can get rid of the guys downstairs. Besides, once all their things are there, it will not feel so weird anymore. So, after she takes one last look around, she writes her a check. When they both sign the papers and Carrie hands Kelly the keys, she feels so much better. When Carrie says goodbye and wishes her the best of luck. Driving back home she feels a sense of adventure in her bones.

Two days later, Carrie moves out and Kelly starts moving in. She drops the kids off at school and goes to work moving boxes in. After a couple hours, while listening to music and singing, she turns and notices that she has an audience. She had forgot that she left the door wide open, and Grayson is standing there gazing at her. Their eyes lock and he snaps out of it.

“Hi, I came over to say hello and see if you need anything. I heard that you bought the place and I just thought I could help my new neighbor out. I was really close to Carrie and I hope we can be too!” He says suggestively as his voice sounds so deep and inviting.

A frown forms on his lips as she tells him quickly, “Not at the moment that I can think of, but thanks for the thought.”

While their gaze locks on each other again, a dead silence comes over the room and tries to think of what to say. When they just stand there for a few minutes longer, it feels like an eternity, but she finally speaks up regretfully, “I really should get back to work here. If I had anything ready, I would make you some coffee or something.”

The moment he starts to move towards her, she feels as if she is being pulled towards him. She swallows hard when their bodies meet, and he puts his hand on her arm. Reaching up with his other hand, he gently caresses the side of her face as his hips touch hers. Leaning forward, he kisses her softly and she feels his teeth just barely graze her lower lip. This time when he kisses her again more deeply, his tongue pierces her lips and plunges into her mouth as they slide over each other.

Their bodies melt together. Feeling the warmth spreading all over her, she senses his hard cock pressed against her. She gasps as he puts his hand on the small of her back while he slides downward. His fingers reach underneath her sundress and glide up her silky soft inner thigh.

Suddenly, her cell phone rings, and she snaps out of it before she murmurs under her breath, “Just in the nick of time.”

As he retracts his hand, she quickly picks up the phone and takes a deep breath before asking breathlessly, “Who is it?”

Noticing the time, she explains quickly, “I must go, sorry. I have got to pick up my kids from school. They are calling because I’m running late.” as he looks frustrated because she rushes him out the door.

Right before she leaves, she turns to see him crossing the road looking disappointed, so she stops for a second to say sadly, “We will talk later when I have more time. Bye.”

While he smiles and waves, Kelly rushes off to pick up the kids and bury what just happened in the back of her mind for the moment.