It was 1976 when she first laid eyes on the house. No, it wasn't because of its expensive Tiffany glass decoration, its ghostly exterior or its low house price, and of course not its horrific history.
She had seen this house before, once, in her childhood. No, of course, being a East Coast girl, she had never been to the West before she turned 18. Maybe she saw it on an old photo of her grandfather. She was told that he was an architect and he loved collecting old photos, before one day abandoning his family and leaving them no money her grandmother used to say. Maybe this was one of her grandfather's work, but why would a Virginia man travel to California to build house?
She walked into the house, and the house seemed to whisper to her, once you move in, your life will change. Her life was not galmourous. Gave up her acting dream, married to her not-so-rich businessman husband, two sick children and third one on its way, she knew she could do so much more. Maybe this was her chance.
Her mean Great Grandmother used to say her womb and her family was cursed. They were destined to face things beyond the nature. Her word must have some wisdom, since the old lady lived 110 years before she died, but the Great Granddaughter didn't believe her Great Grandmother until her first born was diagnosed of Down Syndrome.
That's why she wanted to move to a new home before her third child. Maybe a change of environment was what would break the curse.
And she was correct. She begged her husband to buy her this bargain house. After they moved in, the house brought her luck and fortune, although it was a small price to pay to live with the other. Her third child was normal, blond, looked a lot like her. Her dog breeding career took off. Her husband got bigger business and made more money. Her life was perfect. But, bad things always happened when she was at the happiest point on her life.
She found out her husband was cheating when she was pregnant with her fourth child. The first one was his secretary. The second one was his business partner. She pretended she didn't see it. At least, he wasn't bringing them home.
She had her fourth child, kind-heart, but horribly disfigured. Maybe he had had enough with her. He wanted a normal life.
Then she realized her husband started flirting with their housekeeper.
She had had enough. She wanted to confront them, but her husband went on a business trip and her maid took months off her job and found them a replacement. Those two must be having an romantic get-away, she thought. Yes, the maid looked different, maybe she was pregnant and they were hiding to have a love child. She knew she was driving herself in sane.
On the day, he was back from his "work trip" and the maid was back from her "sick days", she found them on the bed and killed them. She though she was doing no wrong. She buried the maid and fed her husband to the dogs.
Days later, she saw her maid's substitute. coming to the house with a baby. She knew the baby was her husband's. She knew she was right. They were having an affair. However, this didn't end her nightmare. She started seeing things... ghosts. At first, she thought she was in sane, but later, she realized that the house was cursed. Spirits were trapped. She was haunted by the ghost of her maid. She was forced to move out.
She still believed the house was destined hers, so she didn't move away. She bought the neighbor house.
The second time she moved back to the house because she wanted to be with her son, her kind child. The second time she moved out of the house because she was haunted by her other son, the one with mommy issue.
It didn't matter who bought the house. It didn't matter if she was living there. She knew this would always be her house.
= The End =
Well, this is kinda a spin-off of my oneshot Wisdom Man. If you are confused reading this one, reading Wisdom Man might help.