Chapter One

Welcome to Specterton

The moving van tumbled along Route 105 towards our new home. There really wasn't much to look at- trees, shrubs, trees and shrubs, trees that resembled shrubs, and of course, road signs. No one really seemed to travel this route. Unless you count us, of course.

"Us" does not consist of many people. Mainly, the moving van had three people in it. And a cat. The cat was Phanny, short for Phantom. She's bright white, with a small black spot right smack in the center of her head. She sat silently in my lap, staring out the window. For most of the trip Phanny has been extremely quiet so that I almost forgot she was there, until, of course, a 16-wheeler went by and she dug her nails into my thigh. Then I knew she was there. Phanny is always quiet-she prowls around on light feet so that she has an almost ghostly presence. It gets a bit freaky sometimes, but I love my cat.

The person to my right was my dad. I was sitting squished in the middle of both my parents. My dad is Daniel Fenton- "Dan" as his friends call him, "Danny" to my mom and "Uncle Tucker". He was fast asleep, having been quite tired for most of the trip. Honestly, I don't know what he does that makes him so tired. His face was flat up against the window, his black hair was a mess (as usual), and his eyes were closed, covering bright blue eyes. My dad is a strange one- I can never fully describe him. Sometimes he's gone for parts of the day, and sometimes he's so tired in the morning even though he was sleeping all night. I love my dad, but still, I can't say he's not strange.

To my left was my mom, driving. Samantha Manson-Fenton. She refused to give up her maiden name after she was married, but she still wanted her married name, so she stuck a hyphen in between them. Real original. My mom is an all-out environmentalist- she works for the EPA. That's why we're moving. She got a promotion, but she had to be transferred to get it. So we decided to move out of our little apartment in Amity Park, Oregon and buy a house in Middle-of-Nowhere, Pennsylvania. Okay, I made that up. The name of the town is Specterton. But it's in the middle of nowhere, so I, as it's new resident, am allowed to insult it. It's not like it was my idea to move here.

And, I am the last person in the car. I am Lilleth Madison Fenton, a thirteen-year-old girl who doesn't want to move. I'm going into high school this year. I'm a little younger than most of the people in my grade, but that's okay with me. It makes me feel special. My birthday is in a week- too bad I'll have no one to celebrate with except my mom and dad. I didn't have any friends back in Amity Park, either, and it will probably be the same here. So I'm not getting my hopes up or anything, just saying.

Lost in the fantastic view of trees, shrubs, road signs, and trees that resembled shrubs, it took me a second to comprehend when my mom all of a sudden burst out, "Look! We're here! Welcome to your new home, Ellie."

Oh, did I forget to mention everyone calls me Ellie? Sorry, I get lost in the grandness of my introductions.

"Huh?" I said, as another 16-wheeler surprisingly swerved around us and pulled it's horn. Phanny dug her nails deeper into my skin and gave a wild hiss. I hate long car rides. Not that we're in a car or anything. Oh, whatever.

"We're here," my mom repeated.

And then I saw it. The great sign that read "Welcome to Specterton". I was at my new home now, wishing I was at my old one.