Author's note- I do not own SH or it's characters only my own made up characters and story line, I hope you enjoy thank you...comment please...
Chapter One - Ad in the newspaper
It started with an ad in the local newspaper. Apartment for rent, low income pricing, call Frank Sunderland for information.
It had seemed like a genuine miracle for Salli, who had been looking for a new home since moving to South Ashfield. All she wanted was a warm place to sleep and finish her studies on painting and the arts at the local college. She dreaded the dorms, but for weeks had come up empty until she happened to read the small ad while in line at the store. She had written down the number and hurried back to the dorm room she was currently staying in.
Not for long though, she thought. Tossing her purchases on her bed, she picked up the phone and quickly punched in the number.
It took four rings, but finally a gruff voice greeted her.
"Hello?"
"Um..Hi I'm Salli O'Toole and I saw your ad for an apartment for rent."
"Oh yes" the voice said, "I'm Frank Sunderland the landlord of Ashfield Heights."
"Great. what are you asking for in the way of rent?" Salli asked, quickly praying that this wasn't going to break her bank account.
"Twelve hundred for down payment, and it will be four hundred dollars a month, this does include water, but not electricity or cable."
Salli bit her lip and mental calculated how much she had saved from her summer job. If she was right enough for the down payment and two months rent.
"You can come down and see the place before making any decisions." Frank was saying and Salli sighed.
"Actually yes, I would like that. Can I get the address?" She quickly copied the address and found the apartment building was three miles from the school. But still not a bad distance.
"Alright I will see you around...let's say around four today?"
"Perfect, I will see you then" with that Frank Sunderland was gone.
ooo
Salli had a few hours to kill before her appointment at the apartment so she decided she should call home and tell her mother the good news. Reclining in her bed, Salli lazily told her mother about the ad and the rent cost of the apartment. Her mother was a little worried about her only daughter moving into a strange apartment building but Salli assured her that before she made any decisions she would have her friend, Rick, take a look at the place along with her.
After assuring she would send pictures of the building to her, Salli bid her mother good-bye and pulled out her easel and blank canvas, donning her paint stain apron and pulling her long blonde hair into a messy ponytail. After inserting her earphones, Salli began listening to her favorite band, loudly. The screams of Halstorm filling her ears, as she held her colored splattered palette in one hand and a tiny brush in the other.
Salli worked furiously as she sang along with the lyrics of 'I miss the misery'. She slashed at the canvas, wiping at her forehead and smearing a streak of red across it, her pale skin making it stand out starkly. She started adding a little green and black here and there. placing the brush on her handy stool beside her, Salli picked up her Dr. Pepper and sipped as she gazed at the canvas.
A hand touched her shoulder and Salli screamed tossing her can of soda and swirling around, yanking out her earplugs.
"Jesus!" Salli screamed, her breathing erratic.
Behind her, holding up his hands in a non threatening manner was Rick Snow, her best friend. His messy brown hair floppy over his wide forehead. Behind his wire rim glasses were a pair of green eyes that glowed with mischief. His lips were quirked up in a smirk, his silver hoop lip ringed glinting in the light of the room.
Rick, who had known Salli for nearly eight years, was the only person who got away with sneaking up on her while she was busy painting and lost in her own world. He was a young man with a mind for playing games and who enjoyed a good scare. He was the one guy who at parties you could guarantee would bring out the Ouija broad just for fun.
"Rick, you son of bitch" Salli growl, setting down her stuff and placing her paint stained hands on her hips.
Rick shrugged good naturedly and held up his vintage skull wristwatch for her to see.
"Three thirty, girlie, don't you have an appointment?" Rick reminded and Salli's blue eyes bulged with horror.
"Shit..." Salli yanked off her apron and ran into the hallway toward the coed bathroom. "Give me five minutes" she called behind her, leaving Rick shaking his head and smirking.
Turning back toward Salli's canvas, Rick stared at the scene Salli had been furiously painting when he walked in. Once again, she had created a scene featuring a park, but it wasn't at all cheery or sunny. The sky was slashed with red and black, the surroundings painted dark and it appeared she had used gray to create a thick fog.
Rick stepped closer to the easel and peered at the bench Salli had been adding to the park and found that Salli had painted what looked like a small child sitting facing the fog covered lake. An image Rick was use to seeing in Salli's paintings, except she hadn't appeared in any for sometime now.
Was she having the dreams again?
