I walked through the door of the new house with my father following closely behind me, the house was huge compared to our 3 room apartment in New York.

Here, in Virginia, it was less crowded outside, mostly just trees and the small community we now lived in. But the house, it was what surprised me the most. All of them actually, everyone in the neighborhood had huge three story Victorian sized houses.

Ours was no different; it was three stories, and the outside was dark purple with a black roof. There was even towers for heaven's sake! It was like we had arrived in a gothic horror book, I could almost see the bats flying around it. It was also surrounded by a wrought iron fence with a huge, towering gate. Fun right?

I dragged my three duffel bags that held all of my possessions into the house and my father dragged his humongous bags behind him before closing the door. We weren't allowed to have many things in our old apartment; but we couldn't really do much about it since my mom walked out on us and just left us.

So my dad struggled for the longest time just to support both of us, often working double shifts just to buy ramen, so I never asked for anything I didn't need to help him out. And if I wanted something, I got my own jobs.

That's how I got most of my books; my prized possessions that filled up two duffel bags. That's why I was so surprised when my father won the lottery and announced we were moving to Virginia, where a job was already waiting for him outside of the town we stayed in. My dad was a College professor, but he couldn't teach at this town's school because it just had a highschool. So, when school started he would be driving 30 minutes to the town over to work.

Back to the house though.

Inside, we were greeted by a mudroom that matched the outside. Dark purple walls with black waving patterns. Don't get me wrong, I like dark colors. No, I'm not Goth, but there isn't wrong with them at all.

I kicked off my knee high black boots after unlacing them so I didn't get mud in the house (It was pouring outside) and looked at my father, his name was Richard Arkensaw.

My name was Jane.

I had wavy black hair, dark blue eyes, pale, fair skin, I was slender and willowy, and I was about 5'7 in height. My father had dark brown hair, dark green eyes, tan skin, a cleanly shaven beard and mustache, he was slightly muscular but built more for running, and he was about 6'2. He was 42 and I was 17. My mother left when I was 14 when a neighbor got murdered, she didn't even leave a note. For the longest time we thought she was dead, until she sent me a postcard of her in Hawaii with her new boyfriend. I burned it.

CP

My father stretched and said, "You can go pick a room Jane. We have plenty here, but, if you want, the entire third is one big room. It has a bathroom, a walk in closet, an office, and a library up there as well as a huge bed on a loft. If you want it, then you go take the third floor. I'm taking a room on the first floor, once you get settled in I'll give you a tour."

My mouth fell open, "Really?" I asked in shock, he laughed, I loved his laugh. He didn't laugh much until this year since my mom left, it was a musical laugh that resonated through the air.

He clapped my shoulder with his warm hand and nodded, "Yes Jane, this is our house. You can do whatever you want in here," Then he looked at me over his glasses and continued, "As long as it isn't drugs, alcohol, sex, or smoking."

I held up my hands, "Dad, I get sick just from the smell of drugs, alcohol, and smoking. And, ew."

He smiled warmly at me, "Good girl." I grinned at him and picked up my bags, then I walked through the door of the mudroom and looked around.

There was three huge dark blue couches in the center of the living room, a few cushy purple chairs, a flatscreen TV, a huge wooden chest, and several doorways to other rooms. I walked through one on the far left and was greeted by a room appearing to be dedicated to a huge spiral staircase.

My father's voice appeared behind me and I jumped, "That is the only staircase leading to the third floor. You can lock this door too if you want to."

I turned to look at him and grimaced, "Dad, next birthday, I'm buying you a bell that you will need to wear around the house so you can't sneak up on me."

He laughed again and waved, "I'm off to my room." He said.

After some hesitation I called after him, "I'll explore the house on my own dad!" I heard him yell back that he heard me and I sucked in a deep breath and closed the door.

Now I was alone in the room with the huge staircase, this was it. We had moved. Tomorrow, school would start, and I would meet everyone. I would make friends, I would no longer be the poor girl whose mother left her, I would no longer be the girl who would cry at the mention of her father working so hard to support her, no longer would I be the girl who was bullied, called an emo, and no longer would I be alone. I made the promise to myself then and there, hoping I wouldn't regret it.

CP

I walked up the staircase, dragging my bags behind me. When I reached the top, I was greeted with another door. But this one was different, the others were normal wooden doors with boring round knobs; this door was curved and had carvings on it that made swirls and spirals everywhere, and the knob was shaped like a lion's head mid-roar. I reached for it and twisted cautiously, I faintly heard a growl and whipped around. But I found nothing unusual, I was still alone, it must have been my imagination playing tricks on me.

'At least I didn't hear a bat' I thought with a grim smile.

I stepped through the odd door and dropped my bags in surprise, this was all mine? In front of me was a huge room that had two couches that had lion claw feet, a flatscreen TV, a minifridge, lots of round windows with big black curtains, several doors, and a fireplace. All of this was underneath a huge loft that stretched across the entire huge room, a wooden ladder was leaning against the loft connected by something that looked like ivy? The walls were painted black with carvings of a red rose garden that looked like they were painted in blood.

One door was carved with a white owl surrounded by black and had been labeled 'Library', I picked up my two duffel bag's that contained books in a daze and crossed the room to it. The knob was shaped like a book.

Fitting. I twisted it and pushed the door open. I was greeted my bookshelves upon bookshelves. All empty.

"But, I'll fill all of you up." I said aloud in wonder.

I began putting my books in one bookshelf and was slightly disheartened when I only filled up half of one floor to ceiling bookshelf. Oh well, as I said, I'll get more books.

I walked back out of the library and grabbed my last bag, I walked to a door with a carving of a gothic purple dress with a knob shaped like a high heeled shoe and pushed the door open.

As my father said, it was a walk in closet. But he failed to mention that it was HUGE! And that it already had things in it from the previous owner, the really strange thing? They looked my size. The even stranger thing?

They were all gothic princess type dresses with shoes to match. Half of the closet was filled with them. So I put my stuff on the other side. I mostly had long sleeve undershirt's that were purple, white, black, blue, and green. I had short sleeved tunic's, fingerless gloves, various leggings, ripped jeans, knee high boots, shorts, skirts, and Pj's. Plus a few jackets, scarves, and trench coats, I would have to get another big coat before winter.

I grabbed the smaller bag of make-up and toiletries and left the three duffel bags inside my closet and walked back into the main room; after I walked to the last three doors I looked at all three carefully. One had a carving of a desk with a knob shaped like a door, one had a carving of a lion sleeping, and the last had a carving of a mirror. I chose the one with the mirror, I would investigate the one with the lion later, the one with the desk was probably the office my dad mentioned.

I put my make-up and toiletries away and looked around the dark purple bathroom, there was a round window with heavy black curtains, a huge bathtub, a shower with a big purple curtain, and a dark blue vanity. Plus the toilet. After looking around I found huge, fluffy, purple and blue towels. I sighed and ran a brush through my thick black hair that had been fuzzed up by the rain, I put it back in a loose braid and looked at myself in the big round mirror.

I guess I was pretty, in a dark kind of way. I applied some more dark eyeliner and mascara, which was pretty much the only make-up I actually used anymore. I fiddled with my fingerless gloves and walked back into the main room.

CP

Right as I was preparing to sit down, I heard a knock on my door. That's what I loved about dad, he respected my privacy.

I walked over to it and opened it to see my dad standing there with a few bags in his hands that he had left in the car. "Hey Jane, I got a few things for you." He said with a smile.

"Dad! You didn't have to get me anything!" I cried.

He only laughed and stepped past me, he went to my minifridge and opened one bag. It was full of soda and food, he put it all away and said, "Remember, don't go overboard with the soda." Then he walked back to me and held out a messenger bag, I had always wanted one and I took it numbly. It was heavy so out of curiosity I opened it to see….. a laptop, a smartphone, and a kindle H-D.

My mouth fell open and I almost dropped the bag, "Dad!" I shouted, half in glee and half in surprise.

He laughed again as I tackled him in a hug, "I'm glad you like them, Jane, I thought that since we have money now and we moved, it could be like a new home gift."

I kissed his cheek and replied, "Thank you daddy, for everything." He smiled warmly at me and rubbed by head.

I ducked his hand and he snickered. "Well, get some rest honey. School starts tomorrow, for both of us. I'll be gone by the time you wake up, the bus will be here by 8:00 ok? School starts at 8:30, I'll leave breakfast in the kitchen. I'll be home at about 6:30 tomorrow night, I'll bring some dinner for both of us. Will you be ok all alone?" I nodded and he kissed my forehead, "Make some friends ok? And I won't say no if you bring them home for me to meet."

He winked at me and I giggled, "We'll see if I can make friends daddy. And I'll be fine, don't worry about me. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself. I love you. Goodnight."

He wrapped me in a hug and whispered, "Goodnight Sweetheart, I'll see you tomorrow night. Tell me everything when I get home ok?" I nodded against his chest, comforted by his warmth. After a few minutes, he released me and looked around.

"If you want we can get some new paint-"

I shook my head at his words, "No, I like it." He tilted his head and shrugged, he waved and walked back through the door.

I sighed and changed for bed, tomorrow was going to be a long day.