THREE:
"So what do you think?" Dad asked me later that evening. "Are you going to like living in the country?"
I thought for a moment. "Well it's certainly different from the city..." I looked around. We were sitting on the porch out the back, having just finished a barbecue tea. It was a warm night, and the sun was beginning to set. I still wasn't completely used to the silence, but at that moment I didn't think that I had ever been somewhere so peaceful and relaxing.
"That's for sure!" Dad agreed.
"But it's got something about it-it's own charm." I admitted. "And I've already met some of the girls here as you know, so it's not like I'm going to be all alone when we start school in a few weeks."
Mum smiled at us. "I'm glad things are working out. I was so nervous they wouldn't. Now all I've got to worry about is starting work next Monday!"
"I'm sure you'll be fine." Dad said loyally. "You'll be the best doctor in the whole area!"
I sighed, and got to thinking about what I'd learnt that day. "The old Johnson house" was our house, and in our house a young girl had been brutally murdered. Even worse they didn't ever find out who did it! My opinion on the house being pretty had changed a little now I knew of its dark history! But, I told myself firmly, there was no need for overreacting.
"Hey Claire?" Dad asked.
"Yeah?" I said, jolted back to the present by his voice.
"How'd you feel about a trip back to Melbourne on Sunday? I've got to go back to do a few things.." Dad asked.
"Um sure." I agreed, thinking that it would be nice to get back to the city even if it was only for a few days. At heart I'd always be a city girl I knew only too well.
*****
I went to bed early again that night, still getting used to the country air Mum had claimed with a big smile. I got ready for bed, and climbed in and closed my eyes. And then I just lay there. I couldn't get to sleep no matter how much I tried, and how tired I had been. Eventually I threw the covers off, and got up and got a book to read. Whilst I was reading it I fell asleep.
I don't know how long I slept for, but I woke up freezing, despite the fact that my doona cover was covering most of my body. I shivered, and sat up. The lamp was still on since I'd been using it to read, and it cast shadows about the room. For some reason I felt as if someone were watching me, and I shivered again-this time more out of fright than anything else. I took a few deep breaths and then felt better.
"Stupid girl." I said out loud. "You wouldn't be acting like this if you hadn't found out about Andrea this afternoon."
I settled back into my bed, and closed my eyes. But I left the lamp on.
*****
The next day we pretty much finished unpacking. The place now looked cozy and homey, but the fact that I knew what had happened there made it seem less so to me. Later that day I cornered Mum and asked her whether she knew why the house had been so cheap?
"I think it was because they really wanted to sell it. According to the real estate lady they moved away from the area two years ago, and were getting a bit desperate about selling it. Besides that houses out in the country are a lot cheaper than back in the city." Mum explained. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh no reason." I said as casually as I could, but Mum wasn't convinced. Her eyes narrowed, but before she could say anything Dad was calling me from inside the house.
"Claire! Phone! Someone called Shelley?" He yelled.
I got up and went inside to the phone. "Hi?"
"Hi! How's the unpacking coming along?" Shelley asked me.
"Good, we're pretty much done. We're working on getting the outside cleared up a bit. The garden needs a bit of work."
"Yeah, well it would after a few years wouldn't it?" Shelley said logically. "Listen Claire I was thinking about what I told you yesterday. I don't know that it was the best idea for me to tell you that kind of thing."
"If you hadn't someone else would have. And who knows, they might not have been so nice about it. And I was getting a bit annoyed by the little comments about the "old Johnson house" anyway!" I told her. "So relax, it's cool."
She laughed. "That's okay then. As long as I didn't give you nightmares."
Thinking back to my strange night I felt a little scared. But I was sure it was only my imagination being overactive again. "No nightmares." I assured her.
"Great. So, are you still up for the party on Saturday night?" Shelley asked.
"Sure am." I replied. "It'll be good to get to know some people before classes start. It's really nice of you to invite me."
"Oh, that's fine." Shelley said, sounding a little embarrassed. "Anyway, I wondered what you're thinking of wearing."
"Gosh." I said. "I hadn't even thought about that. What kinds of things to people wear out here?"
"The same as you wear in the city!" Shelley replied, with a laugh. "It's just that it takes us a little longer to get the clothes."
"So what are you wearing then?" I asked.
"I was thinking just jeans and a top or something.." Shelley said. "It's not a big party."
"How about a denim skirt and top then?" I asked, thinking of my new skirt I'd bought in the sales a few weeks back.
"That should be fine. Now-do you want to meet us out the front of the shop and then we'll walk to the party from there?" Shelley asked.
"Sure." I agreed. "What time?"
Shelley named a time, and I said I'd be there.
*****
The next few days went slowly. There wasn't really all that much for me to do since I didn't know many people in the area, and we'd finished unpacking and were now spending time out in the garden, making great progress. During the days I was fine, but the nights were a different story. I was having trouble sleeping, and when I did fall asleep I would often wake up with the feeling someone was there watching me, and I was also very cold. Mum came into my room one evening and she commented on how cold it was in there compared to the rest of the house." At least it's good for summer." She joked. "But remind your Father to have a look and see whether there is air getting in somewhere." "From where? The Antarctic?" I asked. Mum just laughed.
As Saturday approached I welcomed the chance to be with people my own age, have a bit of fun, and get my mind off the fact that there was something about my house which creeped me out. I told myself on many occasions that if I hadn't known about Andrea dying there I wouldn't be feeling like this. But regardless I couldn't deny the fact that there was something about my room that scared me.
[A/N. I am not sure whether I'll continue with this story or not. It started off interesting me, but then stopped. I've still got some ideas for it mind you, so I might get back to it soon, I might not...]
"So what do you think?" Dad asked me later that evening. "Are you going to like living in the country?"
I thought for a moment. "Well it's certainly different from the city..." I looked around. We were sitting on the porch out the back, having just finished a barbecue tea. It was a warm night, and the sun was beginning to set. I still wasn't completely used to the silence, but at that moment I didn't think that I had ever been somewhere so peaceful and relaxing.
"That's for sure!" Dad agreed.
"But it's got something about it-it's own charm." I admitted. "And I've already met some of the girls here as you know, so it's not like I'm going to be all alone when we start school in a few weeks."
Mum smiled at us. "I'm glad things are working out. I was so nervous they wouldn't. Now all I've got to worry about is starting work next Monday!"
"I'm sure you'll be fine." Dad said loyally. "You'll be the best doctor in the whole area!"
I sighed, and got to thinking about what I'd learnt that day. "The old Johnson house" was our house, and in our house a young girl had been brutally murdered. Even worse they didn't ever find out who did it! My opinion on the house being pretty had changed a little now I knew of its dark history! But, I told myself firmly, there was no need for overreacting.
"Hey Claire?" Dad asked.
"Yeah?" I said, jolted back to the present by his voice.
"How'd you feel about a trip back to Melbourne on Sunday? I've got to go back to do a few things.." Dad asked.
"Um sure." I agreed, thinking that it would be nice to get back to the city even if it was only for a few days. At heart I'd always be a city girl I knew only too well.
*****
I went to bed early again that night, still getting used to the country air Mum had claimed with a big smile. I got ready for bed, and climbed in and closed my eyes. And then I just lay there. I couldn't get to sleep no matter how much I tried, and how tired I had been. Eventually I threw the covers off, and got up and got a book to read. Whilst I was reading it I fell asleep.
I don't know how long I slept for, but I woke up freezing, despite the fact that my doona cover was covering most of my body. I shivered, and sat up. The lamp was still on since I'd been using it to read, and it cast shadows about the room. For some reason I felt as if someone were watching me, and I shivered again-this time more out of fright than anything else. I took a few deep breaths and then felt better.
"Stupid girl." I said out loud. "You wouldn't be acting like this if you hadn't found out about Andrea this afternoon."
I settled back into my bed, and closed my eyes. But I left the lamp on.
*****
The next day we pretty much finished unpacking. The place now looked cozy and homey, but the fact that I knew what had happened there made it seem less so to me. Later that day I cornered Mum and asked her whether she knew why the house had been so cheap?
"I think it was because they really wanted to sell it. According to the real estate lady they moved away from the area two years ago, and were getting a bit desperate about selling it. Besides that houses out in the country are a lot cheaper than back in the city." Mum explained. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh no reason." I said as casually as I could, but Mum wasn't convinced. Her eyes narrowed, but before she could say anything Dad was calling me from inside the house.
"Claire! Phone! Someone called Shelley?" He yelled.
I got up and went inside to the phone. "Hi?"
"Hi! How's the unpacking coming along?" Shelley asked me.
"Good, we're pretty much done. We're working on getting the outside cleared up a bit. The garden needs a bit of work."
"Yeah, well it would after a few years wouldn't it?" Shelley said logically. "Listen Claire I was thinking about what I told you yesterday. I don't know that it was the best idea for me to tell you that kind of thing."
"If you hadn't someone else would have. And who knows, they might not have been so nice about it. And I was getting a bit annoyed by the little comments about the "old Johnson house" anyway!" I told her. "So relax, it's cool."
She laughed. "That's okay then. As long as I didn't give you nightmares."
Thinking back to my strange night I felt a little scared. But I was sure it was only my imagination being overactive again. "No nightmares." I assured her.
"Great. So, are you still up for the party on Saturday night?" Shelley asked.
"Sure am." I replied. "It'll be good to get to know some people before classes start. It's really nice of you to invite me."
"Oh, that's fine." Shelley said, sounding a little embarrassed. "Anyway, I wondered what you're thinking of wearing."
"Gosh." I said. "I hadn't even thought about that. What kinds of things to people wear out here?"
"The same as you wear in the city!" Shelley replied, with a laugh. "It's just that it takes us a little longer to get the clothes."
"So what are you wearing then?" I asked.
"I was thinking just jeans and a top or something.." Shelley said. "It's not a big party."
"How about a denim skirt and top then?" I asked, thinking of my new skirt I'd bought in the sales a few weeks back.
"That should be fine. Now-do you want to meet us out the front of the shop and then we'll walk to the party from there?" Shelley asked.
"Sure." I agreed. "What time?"
Shelley named a time, and I said I'd be there.
*****
The next few days went slowly. There wasn't really all that much for me to do since I didn't know many people in the area, and we'd finished unpacking and were now spending time out in the garden, making great progress. During the days I was fine, but the nights were a different story. I was having trouble sleeping, and when I did fall asleep I would often wake up with the feeling someone was there watching me, and I was also very cold. Mum came into my room one evening and she commented on how cold it was in there compared to the rest of the house." At least it's good for summer." She joked. "But remind your Father to have a look and see whether there is air getting in somewhere." "From where? The Antarctic?" I asked. Mum just laughed.
As Saturday approached I welcomed the chance to be with people my own age, have a bit of fun, and get my mind off the fact that there was something about my house which creeped me out. I told myself on many occasions that if I hadn't known about Andrea dying there I wouldn't be feeling like this. But regardless I couldn't deny the fact that there was something about my room that scared me.
[A/N. I am not sure whether I'll continue with this story or not. It started off interesting me, but then stopped. I've still got some ideas for it mind you, so I might get back to it soon, I might not...]