lips, “I was supposed to babysit her, but I made a stink
about going to a friend’s birthday party. When I came home, Rosie was gone and
the ambulance was just leaving. I think she might have killed Rosie to spite
me. She never said it out loud and I never saw it, but I suspect it was her.” I
shake my head, “If I’d only stayed home, she’d still be here.” I don’t realize
I’m crying until I can't see anymore. The tears have taken over my eyes.
Her hand covers mine, “I am so sorry, Lynnie. That is truly
awful.”
I look at her and see tears in her eyes too. She is the
sweetest lady. I flip my hand over and grip to hers.
We sit there for a second and then Tim comes running in and
points outside. She stands and follows him. He rarely talks, and when he does,
I swear he has an English accent.
Alex comes into the kitchen. He sees me there and scowls. I
sigh, “Why can't you just be nice to me?”
“Why do you have to kill every plant in the yard? You know we
have a dead spot around the house that goes in a perfect circle?"
I frown, “Well, now it matches the inside of the house.”
He laughs and sits across from me. He puts his hands over his
face and laughs, “You are a pain in the ass, Lynnie.”
I laugh with him, “Then we should be best friends.”
He lowers his hands and points, “Stop flirting with me, it’s
disturbing.”
I try not to wince and instead scoff, “Don’t flatter yourself,
fat head.”
“You really have no idea, do you? The affect you have in this
house? You have no idea who you are?”
I shake my head, “I’ve been here a week. How can I have an
affect yet? It’s us hired help in the kitchen and you and the great and powerful
master in the other room. You eat together in silence and mope around here the
rest of the time. What affect could I have on that merriment?”
His dark-blue eyes sparkle, “You should go for a swim. Or go
to town. Get out for a day.”
I don’t know what to say to that. He laughs again and slaps
the table hard when he gets up and leaves me there. I get up, following him out the front door and see he’s right. The grass is brown and
yellow and dry. The bushes are dead. Everything is dead. The wind comes and
cools the warm breeze around me. The wind seems lost and less powerful. I walk
around the back of the house, and there in the long grass to the lake, is a
line. It is rounded and circles the house. The grass on the other side is green
and healthy.
I walk down the path to the healthy grass. The wind pushes me
hard enough that I nearly stumble.
“STOP!”
I turn to see him. The master is running down the grass to me.
In the bright sunlight, he looks normal. He runs, and I swear, I know him. He
is handsome and makes my heart beat faster. When he gets closer, I see the
scars, but maybe less until he opens his mouth. “You said you would stay a
year.”
I point at the lake, “I just wanted to see the lake and the
grass. See how it’s dead around the house? I think that’s from me. Mary’s house
always looked like that. Dead. Sometimes I think the whole curse is more real
than I can even imagine.” I look up a him, “Sorry, about the yard.”
“I could not care less than I do about the yard.” He looks
confused, “You can't leave. You said you would stay a year. You promised.” He
looks on the verge of one of his angry attacks. His hands are shaking. It
almost makes me curious why he’s so determined I have to stay, it makes me want to leave just to see what will happen. Of course the money
makes me stay, that and the feeling of belonging.
I smile as sweetly as I can, but I’m freaking out inside.
“Looking at the grass is not leaving. I am not leaving. I swore it and I won't leave.” I don’t get why he's so fired up. I don’t
understand why he cares if I look at the yard—he has serious trust
issues. Of course being here, makes me think that
maybe he has been abandoned to this haunted house by his family. He is
about going to a friend’s birthday party. When I came home, Rosie was gone and
the ambulance was just leaving. I think she might have killed Rosie to spite
me. She never said it out loud and I never saw it, but I suspect it was her.” I
shake my head, “If I’d only stayed home, she’d still be here.” I don’t realize
I’m crying until I can't see anymore. The tears have taken over my eyes.
Her hand covers mine, “I am so sorry, Lynnie. That is truly
awful.”
I look at her and see tears in her eyes too. She is the
sweetest lady. I flip my hand over and grip to hers.
We sit there for a second and then Tim comes running in and
points outside. She stands and follows him. He rarely talks, and when he does,
I swear he has an English accent.
Alex comes into the kitchen. He sees me there and scowls. I
sigh, “Why can't you just be nice to me?”
“Why do you have to kill every plant in the yard? You know we
have a dead spot around the house that goes in a perfect circle?"
I frown, “Well, now it matches the inside of the house.”
He laughs and sits across from me. He puts his hands over his
face and laughs, “You are a pain in the ass, Lynnie.”
I laugh with him, “Then we should be best friends.”
He lowers his hands and points, “Stop flirting with me, it’s
disturbing.”
I try not to wince and instead scoff, “Don’t flatter yourself,
fat head.”
“You really have no idea, do you? The affect you have in this
house? You have no idea who you are?”
I shake my head, “I’ve been here a week. How can I have an
affect yet? It’s us hired help in the kitchen and you and the great and powerful
master in the other room. You eat together in silence and mope around here the
rest of the time. What affect could I have on that merriment?”
His dark-blue eyes sparkle, “You should go for a swim. Or go
to town. Get out for a day.”
I don’t know what to say to that. He laughs again and slaps
the table hard when he gets up and leaves me there. I get up, following him out the front door and see he’s right. The grass is brown and
yellow and dry. The bushes are dead. Everything is dead. The wind comes and
cools the warm breeze around me. The wind seems lost and less powerful. I walk
around the back of the house, and there in the long grass to the lake, is a
line. It is rounded and circles the house. The grass on the other side is green
and healthy.
I walk down the path to the healthy grass. The wind pushes me
hard enough that I nearly stumble.
“STOP!”
I turn to see him. The master is running down the grass to me.
In the bright sunlight, he looks normal. He runs, and I swear, I know him. He
is handsome and makes my heart beat faster. When he gets closer, I see the
scars, but maybe less until he opens his mouth. “You said you would stay a
year.”
I point at the lake, “I just wanted to see the lake and the
grass. See how it’s dead around the house? I think that’s from me. Mary’s house
always looked like that. Dead. Sometimes I think the whole curse is more real
than I can even imagine.” I look up a him, “Sorry, about the yard.”
“I could not care less than I do about the yard.” He looks
confused, “You can't leave. You said you would stay a year. You promised.” He
looks on the verge of one of his angry attacks. His hands are shaking. It
almost makes me curious why he’s so determined I have to stay, it makes me want to leave just to see what will happen. Of course the money
makes me stay, that and the feeling of belonging.
I smile as sweetly as I can, but I’m freaking out inside.
“Looking at the grass is not leaving. I am not leaving. I swore it and I won't leave.” I don’t get why he's so fired up. I don’t
understand why he cares if I look at the yard—he has serious trust
issues. Of course being here, makes me think that
maybe he has been abandoned to this haunted house by his family. He is
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