Chapter One:
Welcome to Midnight Falls.
Established in 1692
The sign stands on the side of the road, on a hill overlooking the town. Faded gray letters painted on a dark blue background, worn and chipped from age. She rolls her eyes as she rereads the sign. Midnight Falls. What a pathetically cliché name for a town. It was a painfully obvious cry for attention. The name just reeked with desperation. It gave the impression that the town had a mysterious, dark secret, like maybe the town wanted to have an air of mystery surrounding it. It was probably just some tourist trap.
And unfortunately, it had worked and reeled in her father, and by default, her as well. She glances over at where he sits at the wheel. His eyes are focused on the road, a gentle smile lining his lips. He seems at ease, sadly, for what looks to be like the first time in months. She frowns at the thought, shaking it away and turning back to staring out the passenger seat window. The past was the past and that's exactly where they left it. She looks up at the overcast sky; dark-gray clouds seeming to follow her and the car.
The weather appeared to reflect the atmosphere and mood of the town. A glance out the window showed old Victorian-style buildings scattered along a dismal landscape. It looked as if someone had picked up a paint brush and only used the darkest colors on the palette to paint the town. Dark blues, purples, and reds appeared to be the dominating color schemes on the buildings. Even the grass and trees seemed to have taken on a gray hue.
The streets were a stark comparison to the landscape. The car drove into what looked to be the town square, tiny shops and stores running down the expanse of the street. People were milling about along their merry ways. A few even waved their hands and smiled as the car passed by. She returned the gestures, feeling slightly more at ease.
The unwelcoming atmosphere of the town made it seem like a ghost town.
Just the thought brought a shiver down her spine.
She wasn't a fervent believer in the supernatural, but finding herself moving to the self-proclaimed one of the most haunted cities in the country did little to quell her unease. The dark air around the town didn't help either. She shakes the thoughts away. This was ridiculous. Ghosts didn't exist. They weren't real. This town didn't harbor some dark, gloomy aura; it didn't have any dark, mysterious secrets. Those were all just plotlines from horror movies.
The fact that the streets were full of life subdued her apprehensions somewhat.
Besides, it was probably just the overcast weather that was painting the town with an eerie atmosphere. Looking back up at the clouds, it did seem like it would start raining any second. As if reading her thoughts, rain drops suddenly pattered against the windshield.
She rolls her eyes. How lovely. The weather, the town, the atmosphere – it was a perfect combination of depressing and pathetic. This town was really trying too hard to be dark and gloomy; to live up to its name. She internally scoffs, crossing her arms over her chest. She sighs, looking out the window as her father drove them further into the dismal and cold atmosphere of the town, and farther away from the warm, welcoming skies of Miami.
Within seconds, the streets clear as people run into stores and houses to escape the downpour.
"This is it." She turned to stare at her father in the driver's seat. He was looking at her, a bright smile on his face. His smile seemed to be the brightest thing in a ten-mile radius. It felt rather unnatural in the pervading joyless atmosphere of the town.
She doesn't say a word, turning back to look out the window, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. She watches the raindrops slide down the window. After a few seconds, she feels her father reach over and grab her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. She turned to him, displeasure written on her face.
"Come on, Ally-cat." He says, frowning. "This is a fresh start, for both of us."
"I don't understand why we had to move in the first place. Things were fine back in Miami." She says sourly, once again turning away from him. Even as she they left her mouth, she knew the words were a lie. Things had been far from fine. Her parents' constant and incessant arguing over the littlest things, ended in a bitter divorce, with her in the middle of a tug of war between her mother and father.
She had been given the choice – stay with her father in America or go off to Africa with her mother. She had chosen the former, only for the comfort of living in a place she already knew. She didn't want to pack up her life and move elsewhere.
To her dismay, she had still ended up moving.
"This is for the best." Her father answers, snapping her out of her thoughts. Ally rolls her eyes, averting his gaze and turning back to look out the window. Her father turned onto a street leading to the outskirts of town and stopped in front of a gated entrance. A sign on one side of the gates read Moon Manor. Craning her neck, her eyes trace the road all the way up a hill, where a looming structure stood at the top. A shiver ran down her spine and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. The car started a gentle ascent.
The reason for the move was a job opening. As part of the Court agreement, her father needed to have a stable, well-paying job to show that he could support her. He was a retired detective, keyword was. Since he won the court battle for custody of Ally, he needed to find another job. Lo and behold he heard of an opening for a sheriff in a town in the middle of Pennsylvania.
A few weeks later, and here they were.
"I don't know why a town would have an opening for a sheriff. Why wouldn't someone local want to fill the job?" She asks, her eyes still watching the car climb further up the hill. It was a little strange that the town had been so fervently advertising the open position. Why would a town in Pennsylvania be advertising a sheriff position in Miami, Florida? That didn't make any sense. Didn't the usual chain of command fall down to the sheriff's second-in-command?
"I'm not sure, but it's better not to look a gift horse in the mouth." Her father replies cheerfully with a shrug.
Ally sighs, the rest of the ride passing in silence. The circumstances were still quite unusual and concerning. The car comes to a gentle stop in front of a large, imposing Victorian-style mansion. It fit in perfectly with the rest of the town's architecture.
Her new home.
It was a large, three-story structure, with a complex, asymmetrical shape, with a steep, multi-faceted roof with gables. The mansion had light gray wooden paneling, with a white trim lining each of the several windows and the door. A large, wrap-around porch that started on the right side of the doorway, leading into a densely-populated forest in the backyard, and came back around. On the left side was a tall, octagonal tower, fully fashioned with its own a sharp, pointed roof.
The mansion had more than enough room for a family of two.
Her father killed the engine and in her periphery, she saw him turn to face her, with an excited look on his face. "Well, what do you think?" He asks.
Ally gives the house a once-over and turned back to look at her father. "This was the only house for sale?" She asks, once again glancing at the house. Something felt off about it. She turned to look at her father. His smile had faltered at her question.
"It's great, Dad." She quickly says, giving him a reassuring smile.
Her father sighs in relief, the tension from his shoulders disappearing as he leaned back into the driver's seat. He nods his head, grinning. "I know it's a little different than our house in Miami, but it has character. This house, this move – it's all a fresh start." He smiles at her, but she can see past the vacant smile. He really needed her approval about this decision. She sends him an encouraging smile.
Their house in Miami was a typical one-story beach house, with the ocean practically in her backyard. It was welcoming and humble. She closed her eyes, imagining herself back home. Her feet curling into the sand, the warm summer breeze blowing her hair, the feel of the gentle ocean spray on her face.
The mansion was indeed nothing like her old house. It was large and seemed rather uninviting. Just one look at it made a pit form in her stomach.
The sound of her car door opening snaps her out of her thoughts. She is met with her father's smiling face. Both his hair and light jacket are soaked from the unyielding downpour. "Come on. I want to you to see the inside."
Humoring her father, Ally plasters on her best fake smile and quickly followed him up the stone path leading to the house, to avoid as much of the rain as possible. Her father took out a pair of keys and jingled them eagerly, his eyes bright with excitement, like a child in a candy store. On the way to the town, her father had picked up the set of keys at the realtor's office, which was in the next town over.
Ally couldn't help but roll her eyes at his enthusiasm. She tried to fight back a smile, but was unsuccessful. It really had been so long since she had him smiling so genuinely. Who was she to ruin his good mood with some unknown and unfounded suspicion?
Her apprehension was probably just a typical human response to a new situation and setting. After all, she had just been uprooted from her childhood home.
The steps of the porch creaked under their weight. She supposed that is expected, given the age of the mansion. It was probably several decades old, maybe even a century or two. While the mansion looked to be in good shape and well-constructed, she was sure it had seen better days. She could picture this mansion in another century, being the center of the town activity. She could imagine a huge party being held there, with women in flowing gowns and men in suits with long tailcoats milling about.
The sound of a lock clicking snaps her out of her thoughts and she opens her eyes, seeing her father pushing the two, huge wooden doors open. He motions for her to take a step inside.
Trying to shake off the foreboding feeling, she plasters on a smile and steps through the threshold. Her father was right. This was a fresh start. The house would grow on her, she was certain.
She lets out an awe-filled gasp, as she takes in the foyer. A huge, dazzling chandelier hangs over her head. Polished wooden floors lead to a double staircase. The two sets of stairs curve gently, meeting at the second-floor landing, a corridor below them. At the other end of the corridor she sees an open space that leads to the back door. Looking to her left, she sees a modest-sized parlor, fully furnished with an embroidered couch, armchair, and loveseat and a carpet with an intricate design. A wooden coffee table stands on the center of the rug. A dark chestnut cabinet stands in the corner of the room, full of handmade porcelain. To her right is a dining room, with a long, wooden table and eight chairs.
She can't help but wonder how long the house had been up for sale and who its last inhabitants were. The decorations were quite modern, a blatant contrast to the house's antique design. She also wonders why they left. There was no way her father could've afforded this house if the realtor hadn't been so eager to sell it.
That meant there was something about the mansion that was off-putting, she felt it as soon as she walked through the door. She couldn't quite put her tongue on it, but something just felt off.
She jumps at the feeling of a hand wrapping around her shoulder. She looks to her right, to see her father taking in his surroundings.
"It's amazing, isn't it?" He asks, turning to face her with a smile.
All she manages is a head nod, shaking his arm off of her shoulders and walking towards the hallway between the stairs. There is a door on the right side of the hallway. Opening it, she finds a staircase leading to the basement. She shuts the door and continues towards the back of the house.
She finds a large, spacious kitchen to her right. It has dark wooden cabinets and an island in the middle with a marble countertop. A small, round table with seating for four stands at the right of the island. The kitchen is fully furnished, complete with a stainless-steel refrigerator and a modest oven and stove top. Between the breakfast table and kitchen is a small hallway. Ally walks down the hall and finds a bedroom and bathroom.
Coming back down the hallway and past the kitchen, she finds an even larger parlor, this one with a large, flat screen television and an L-shaped couch. Past the living room is a hallway and she can only assume that it leads to another bedroom and bathroom.
Ally walks back to the foyer, to see no sign of her father. "Dad?" She calls out, her voice echoing along the walls.
"Upstairs, honey." He calls out.
She chooses one of the stairwells and climbs up, meeting her father. The two of them explore the second floor, finding a spacious master bedroom complete with a master bath, a library and office, as well as another two bedrooms.
The first bedroom has dark blue wallpaper, as well as navy blue bedding. The curtains by the window ruffle from the light breeze. Ally walks over to the window, to see it overlooking the front of the house. That was strange. She was sure she hadn't seen any open windows when they first drove up. She closes it.
From the corner of her eye she sees a figure. Whirling around to face the bed, no one is there. It was probably a trick of the light, she reasons. Still, she quickly makes her way out of the room, unable to shake off the feeling that someone or something is following her.
She walks into the other bedroom, which is part of the tower. She decides to make this her new room. At least she hadn't seen a figure in hear, yet.
This room is much larger than her old room, with a rather large closet. It has violet wallpaper, a queen-sized bed with a canopy. A small desk and chair are set up near the window. The room has its own adjoining bathroom. Ally can't help but smile at that. She would no longer have to share one bathroom with her father. She could take as long as she needed to get ready in the morning, not that she took that long.
The mansion was nice, but that still didn't chance the feeling of unease it gave her. She would just have to get used to it, she decided. Besides, she really had no real evidence or reason to feel suspicious about the house or its past inhabitants.
"Ally?" Her father's voice calls.
"In here." She answers, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. It seems comfy enough, she decides.
A few seconds later, her father's head pokes through the doorway. He looks around the room, nodding his head. "I had a feeling you would pick this room." He says with a grin. "Now you really are like my little princess, with your own tower."
Ally rolls her eyes.
"I just got a phone call from the office. Looks they need me to finalize some paperwork. Will you be alright by yourself or would you mind taking a drive downtown with me?"
She looks around the room. The sense of something supernatural still surrounds her. She definitely did not feel comfortable being on her own, not with the weird feeling in her chest.
She follows her father out of the room, down the stairs, and outside. The feeling in the pit of her stomach did not completely subside until they were far away from the mansion.
The drive to the sheriff's office wasn't very long. Unsurprisingly, the office was located in the center of the town. The rain had fortunately stopped and the town was once again full of life of people walking around.
Her father parked right in front of the tiny building. At first glance, you wouldn't think it was a sheriff's office, if it wasn't for the small sign hanging above the door. The building looked more like a quaint cottage than a sheriff's office. It did little to scream of authority. Then again, Ally reasoned, a small town like this probably didn't deal with much crime. Not when everyone probably knew everybody else.
She follows her father out of the car and towards the building. Several people on the street smiled and nodded at them, making room for the both of them to pass. Her father nods and smiles in return. Ally waves politely. The people of the town seemed nice enough. Maybe they were just trying to make up for the dark, uninviting air the town gave off.
A bell on the door signals their entrance into the office. On the right is a desk, with a secretary sitting behind it, shuffling through some papers. She looked to be a several years older than Ally. Her red hair was tied in a tight bun at the top of her head, a pair of glasses perched on the edge of her nose. On the other side of the office a row of chairs. Straight ahead stood a few individual desks. Past the front desk was a long hallway, with several doors on each side.
The secretary looks up from her work at the sound of bell. Her face instantly morphed with recognition and she stood up, smiling and holding out her hand. "Sheriff Dawson, what a pleasure to meet you. I hope your trip here was well?" Her green eyes shone brightly.
Her father walked up to the woman and shook her hand, smiling. "It was fine, thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you too, Didi."
Didi, what an interesting name, Ally thought.
The girl turned to face her, her smile only growing brighter. "And this must be your daughter. What a pleasure to meet you as well." She held out her hand.
Ally smiled politely and shook it. "I'm Ally. Nice to meet you, too."
Didi turned back to face her father. "I'll let Officer De la Rosa know you're here. Please, make yourselves comfortable." She motions to the chairs.
The brunette reluctantly takes a seat. She saw her father follow suit.
"Would you like anything? Tea, coffee, water?" Didi asks.
"No, thank you." Ally replies.
"I wouldn't mind a cup of coffee, thank you." Her father says.
"Coming right up." Didi nods and disappears down the hallway behind her desk.
Ally and her father sit in a peaceful silence. She glances at a clock on the wall, watching the hands slowly turn. It was almost five in the afternoon. They had left Miami exactly twenty-four hours ago. She smiles wistfully at the memories that came. But, this was her new life, she sighs.
Her eyes droop from tiredness. She hadn't been able to sleep well during the drive. Sleeping in a car seat was not very comfortable. She was planning on taking a nap when they got to the house, but that idea had quickly disappeared. She lets out a yawn. Damn, maybe she should've asked for a cup of coffee.
In her periphery, she sees Didi return with two mugs of coffee. The redheaded girl handed one of the mugs to her father, who said his thanks, and gave the other one to Ally.
"You looked like you needed it." She says smiling at the brunette's surprised expression.
Ally nods, smiling in return. "I did. Thanks." She takes the mug gratefully and takes a sip of the dark-colored beverage. She can instantly feel the effects of the caffeine, as she is suddenly much more awake.
Didi stands up and walks back to her desk. "Officer De la Rosa is on his way." She says, before sitting back down and once again burying nose in her work.
A few second later, an olive-skinned middle-aged man appears from the hallway behind the front desk. "Ah, Sheriff Dawson, what an honor and a pleasure to meet you." He says, walking up towards the other man, his hand out.
Ally watches her father stand up and shake the man's hand. "A pleasure to meet you, too. I look forward to working with you."
The man turns to look at the brunette, holding out his hand. "Officer De la Rosa. Pleasure to meet you, Miss Dawson."
"Nice to meet you, too." Ally replies, standing up shaking the officer's hand.
"The paperwork is in my office, in the back." Officer De la Rosa places his arm around her father's shoulder and started leading him behind the desk.
"This shouldn't take too long." Her father says, turning to face her.
"It's fine Dad." She says, taking a sip and enjoying the coffee in her hand. She looks around the rest of the office, finding it strangely quiet. Sheriff's offices on television were always shown to be busy and hectic. Then again, televisions shows weren't always accurate.
She internally shrugs and uses her free hand to take her phone out of her pocket. She unlocks it and started scrolling through her social media. She smiles ruefully as see saw her Miami friends' posts. Oh, what she would do to be back in the warm Miami sun.
"So, how are you liking Midnight Falls so far?" Ally glances up from her phone, to see Didi addressing her.
She shrugs her shoulders. "It's alright. What's with the name though? Midnight Falls? Sounds pretty cliché."
Didi smiles, laughing and nodding her head. "It's a long story. Has something to do with the town founders." She leans in closer towards the brunette, lowering her voice. "Apparently, this town has quite a past connected with the supernatural." She pauses. "But," she leans back in her chair. "That depends on whether you believe in that stuff."
"Do you?" Ally asks.
Didi shook her head. "No. But my brother does. You'll definitely see him at the high school. His name is Dez." She shakes her head again and sighs. "How about you?"
"No." The brunette replies, her vision turning to look at her almost empty mug. She takes another sip. Ally stands up and walks over to the desk, leaning her elbows on the wooden surface.
A silence falls between them. The brunette wracks her brain for some topic of conversation. Her mind goes back to the dark atmosphere pervading in the town.
"So, what's the deal with this town?"
Didi simply looks at her, an unreadable expression on her face. "Every town has its secrets." Just as the brunette is about to ask what she means, the phone next to the redhead rings. She flashes Ally an apologetic smile and answers the line. "Midnight Falls Sheriff's office. Didi speaking. How may I help you?"
Ally doesn't hear what is being said on the other line, but she watches Didi nod her head and give verbal affirmations every few seconds. "Alright Mrs. Wilson, I'll send Officer De la Rosa right away." She hangs up and walks towards the hallway behind the desk.
Within seconds, she returns, followed by Officer De la Rosa and Ally's father.
Her father looks at her eagerly. "Looks like it's my first case. This shouldn't be too long. When I come back we can go get dinner, alright?"
"I can take Ally home." Didi offers. "My shift is almost over anyway. Axel should be here to takeover soon."
"That would be wonderful, thank you." Her father says. "I'll call you when I'm on my way, alright sweetheart?" He turns to look at her.
"Alright, Dad." She nods her head, sending him a smile. He takes out the keys and hands them to her. "See you in a bit." He follows Officer De la Rosa out of the door.
"I'll just be a moment." Didi says, gathering her things. Ally waits for her to get ready.
The bell above the door rings as she door opens and she turns around, to see a young man with curly, black hair and blue eyes walking into the office.
"Hey, Axel." Didi greets him.
"Hey Didi." The boy smiles, before turning to look at the brunette. "Hey." He nods at her.
"Hi, I'm Ally." The brunette says, smiling.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Axel." He smiles back.
"This is the new sheriff's daughter." Didi says coming around the desk. "He and Officer De la Rosa just left. I got a call from Mrs. Wilson."
"Is it her cats again?"
"Yeah. She says they're acting out again."
The boy nods, before making his way behind the desk. "Have a good night."
"You too." Didi calls over her shoulder. Ally follows her out of the door and towards a small, red car parked across the street from the office. She climbs into the passenger seat as the redhead starts the engine. "Where's your house?" Didi asks.
"Uh …. Moon Manor Hill." The brunette says, remembering the sign by the gates.
Didi gives her a look but doesn't say anything, as she puts the car in gear and pulls out.
The drive passes in silence. Didi stops the car right in front of the mansion. "Nice place." She says, admiring the mansion. "I've never actually been up here before."
"Thanks." Ally says, unbuckling her seatbelt. "Thanks for the ride."
"No problem. See you tomorrow."
Ally looks at her in confusion, before realization dawns. Right, tomorrow was Monday, meaning it would be her first day at the Midnight Falls high school. Oh, how lovely. In a town this small, news had definitely gotten around that there would be a new girl.
She climbs out of the car and closes the door behind her. Didi drives off and she turns to face the mansion. Once again, a strange feeling manifests itself in her stomach. She shakes it off, gently climbing up the stone path to the porch. She reaches for the keys in her pocket, but quick movement in her periphery stops her.
She whirls to the left, seeing a blond-haired figure retreating into the forest surrounding the house. She blinks and the figure is gone.
It was probably just her eyes playing tricks on her. Still, she wastes no time in unlocking the house, stepping inside, and shutting the door behind her.
Yup, this house was definitely going to take some getting used to.
I'll probably go back and edit this chapter at some point or another, whenever I get the chance.
Let me know what you thought.
On an unrelated note, so much has happened since I last posted it something. I am incredibly proud and happy for Rocky and Ross. I've always been a fan of alternative music, so it was a pleasant surprise to hear "Preacher Man" for the first time. That being said, I have still yet to hear it on the radio. Anyone from New York City actually hear it? I always listen to 92.3 and I still haven't heard it played. Maybe I just keep missing it.
I promise I will try update my other stories. This idea has just been annoying me since I first came up with it. Any comments, ideas, or suggestions are welcomed and greatly appreciated!
~ honesthannah