Chapter-3

Lydia sighed as she stared at the Chinese take-out that had been placed in front of her. Her mother smiles." well, this is our first meal in this house, chinese take-out."

" Can we consider this food? it tastes like rubber."

" Lydia, we have to try and do our part to make this a special occasion, besides, I finished one of my sculptures today."

Lydia glanced into the living room at the odd pile of clay." yep.. a real work of art."

"Thank you dear."

Lydia glances back towards the stairs." I think a hobo used to live in the attic. There's a matress in there, really ratty and torn up.."

Her mother's eyes widen." or worse, mice... Bill, call the exterminator in the morning won't you?"

" Yes Ma'am." he muttered softly.

Lydia smiled, you had to give the guy some credit.He was a friend from New York who had fallen on hard times.Her mother had hired him for basicly two jobs: babysitting Lydia and everything else.The guy was practically family and it was easier to tell him things then her constantly busy ' genius artistic' mother.

" can I be excused? I still need to unpack..."

" Of course dear, but be careful up there in case there are any mice."

Lydia slowly nods." Bill and I say it's a ghost."

" Don't be ridiculous dear, there are no such things as ghosts."

"This IS supposed to be a haunted house, maybe somebody was murdered here and chopped into little pieces beneath the floors."

"Alright so you were miserable in New York and now you'll be miserable here. I have some friends coming over in a few days and I will hear no more of your morbid talk."

Lydia shrugs as she heads up to her room. " I cannot figure out how I'm related to that woman." she says softly as she opens the attic door. Her eyes widen at the sight of a man, no, not quite a man, a teenager.He's so pale, but his hair is dark as raven feathers.

"Are you the ghost that haunts this place?"

Edward, a bit surprised at the sudden voice looks up, confused." ghost?"

" What the? are those bony claws or something?"

" claws?" he looks to his hands, confused.

Her eyes widen in fear." those are.. hands.. knives... for hands.." She backs up a bit. " Like some kind of Psycho killer..." She starts backing down the stairs." stay away from me! i'm calling the police!"

"Police? no! no police.." he seems confused, not sure how he had scared her.

"wait, that'd be stupid. The police don't catch ghosts."

"ghosts?"

" That's sad, you're a ghost in denial?"

"what?"

Edward backed up as she came closer.

"I'm not going to hurt you. It's a proof positive test, if I touch you and my hand doesn't go through you aren't a ghost."

Edward slowly nodded, sure enough, her hand touched his cheek.

"Ok, so you're not a ghost, but what are you doing up here?"

"I'm not finished." he whispers softly

Lydia raised an eyebrow." finished? sounds like some mad scientist creation. There.. isn't a mad scientist here too, is there?"

" My father didn't wake up.." he says softly.

Lydia frowns." I know how that feels. My Dad died when I was three, and left me with my mom."

Edward blinks slowly, trying to completely understand what she said.

"Did you cut the hedges?"

"yes."

" and you live up here?"

Edward slowly nods, looking to the hole in the roof." you can see to the ocean sometimes.."

Lydia slowly nods." so, do you have a name?"

"Edward..."

"Well Edward, My name's Lydia Mansor and you are now..." she thinks slowly." a friend from school."