HALLIWELL 2024 –Eppy 1

As the doorbell sounded for the second time, an elderly woman rose from her plastic covered, dated, couch and slowly made her way across the room toward the front door. As the doorbell rang out a third time, she stopped mid-stride and, having lost her patience, banged the floor with her cane a few times.

"I'm coming! I'm coming! For heavens sake!" she cried out angrily. "Give me a break. Would ya?"

A few more labored steps and several expletives later, the old woman finally reached the front door and swung it open angrily. There, standing on her front porch, looking nervous but smiling politely, stood Chris Halliwell.

"What the hell do you want?" she spat at him.

Not expecting this type of reaction, Chris shuffled nervously for a moment before greeting the woman.

"Mrs. Noble…" he stammered nervously. "It's good to see you again. I…I don't know if you remember me…"

"Of course I remember you!" she fired back. "Why the hell wouldn't I? I only lived next door to your creepy ass family for twenty years!"

"I…well…" Chris continued to stammer.

"What? You think just because I'm an old lady I've lost all my marbles?"

"No. Of course not. I just…"

"I remember you. How the hell could I forget you? Your family gave me nothing but grief. Which is why I moved clear across the city to get away from all of you! So what are you doing here? Go away!"

She took a step back and started to close the door, but Chris reached out and stopped the door with his hand.

"No, Mrs. Noble. Wait! Please."

"What are you doing? Stop that!" she protested.

"Mrs. Noble please." Chris continued calmly. "I'm not here to cause any trouble. I just wanted to talk to you."

"Talk to me? 'Bout what?"

"My mother. I'm…I'm trying to learn about my past. About her past. And I thought you might be able to help me."

"And why would you think I could help you?" she asked sounding a tad bit amused.

"Well, like you said, you lived next door to my family for twenty years." Chris replied.

"Yes, I did. But we weren't exactly friends. I didn't associate with your kind." She said snidely.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Chris replied defensively.

"Oh don't play innocent with me. You know exactly what I'm talking about." She looked around as if to make sureno one else could hear her. "Witches!" she whispered as if the word were taboo.

"Oh please!" Chris laughed out loud. "You didn't even know we were witches until the sisters died."

"No, but I knew there was something about them….something evil!"

"My mother and her sisters were not evil." Chris replied, the anger in his voice growing.

"Oh, of course not! They were paragons of good!" " She snapped back sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "I don't know who it is your brother thinks he's trying to fool with that museum. A bunch of glorified whores. That's all they were."

"That's not true." Chris managed to respond as he clenched his teeth angrily.

"Don't you tell me what's true and what's not true! I saw what went on in that house! All those men. You would think an entire sorority house lived in that manor…not just three sisters. Of course, now I know most of those men were probably demons."

Having heard enough, Chris turned and started down the steps before he did something he knew he would regret. But then, Mrs. Noble started up again.

"Of course…I always thought your mother was different. I mean…Leo was a nice enough fellow. I always liked him. And I thought their relationship was a solid one. But boy was I wrong. I felt sorry for him. I mean… if I could figure it out, I'm sure he did."

Chris stopped and turned back to Mrs. Noble.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Mrs. Noble said nothing but merely stared at Chris. Finally, she smiled at him, as if she were enjoying the torture she was putting him through, and replied…

"You look just like your father. Do you know that? Just like him."

"Leo?" Chris replied quizzically. He didn't think he looked anything like Leo, except maybe in the eyes.

"Is that what they told you?" Mrs. Noble replied, laughing out loud.

She stepped back, placing her hand on the door.

"You have a lot to learn about your family young man. A lot to learn." And with that, she swung the door shut.

Chris stood there…his mind racing. Mrs. Noble had pretty much given him the information he had come for, although she probably didn't know it. If he had had this conversation with her a few days earlier, he would have just assumed she was crazy. But having heard the conversation between Sheila and his grandfather, it all seemed to add up. He couldn't have misunderstood all of them. It had to be true. Leo wasn't his father.

To be continued…