The House That Wants Project

Chapter 1

THTW 2023

The House That Wants

          Kristin Fisher got off the bus at the depot in Bixby. She didn't want to be there. Her Aunt, Linda Shelby, had passed on and Kristin needed to take care of her affairs.
          Kristin grew up in Bixby, but she had left five years ago to go to college in New York. Her raven hair was longer now but her eyes were just as dark.
          When Kristin had left, she and her Aunt were not speaking. Linda wanted Kristin to pursue a different career choice; one that Kristin refused vehemently. Linda looked tired even then, with bags under her dull green eyes and her medium length grey hair pulled up in a bun. Her high waisted, high neck dress only accented her statuesque height. She looked much like a schoolmarm from the 1900s.
          Kristin had her laptop as a carryon and claimed her one small brown suitcase, carrying her meager essentials. It would be easy to find items that would complement her mostly black wardrobe. Even though she was walking, she did not take the direct route to Mitch Griffin's office, down Walnut St. past Tyrel's Tires and the adjoining townhouse. Instead, Kristin walked over to Pine St, down to Ohio Boulevard, and back two blocks to his office.
          As Kristin entered the office, a young woman with red hair greeted her.
          "Welcome to Griffin, Inc. How can we help you?"
          "Just tell Mitch that Kristin is here."
          "one moment please." She slid her curvaceous body out from behind the desk and disappeared into an inner office. After a moment she held the door open. "Mr. Griffin has been expecting you."
          Mitch sat behind a large mahogany desk looking at some files through silver wired spectacles. He was still lean, and sported a mustache that he kept trimmed neat. His sandy brown hair was shaggier than he had kept it in the past.
          "Well look at what circumstances dragged home," said Mitch.
          "I see you still prefer red heads." Kristin sat in one of the cushioned chairs in front of the desk. "I had to come. I'm the only heir."
          "No, you're not. Mrs. Shelby left instructions that we should try to locate Constance Fisher."
          "Good luck with that. No one has heard from my mother since I don't know when. Aunt Linda used to meet with her in secret."
          "If the Cannover House is sold, half the profits is to be put in escrow for Mrs. Fisher."
          "I was going to stay at Cannover House. I'm sure there's many things that need taken care of before I return to New York."
          "Mrs. Shelby owned several businesses and homes in Carroll County. There are specific instructions for most of the properties."
          Kristin nodded. Mitch closed the files and slid them across the desk to Kristin.
          "everything you need is in there. I am a consultant, but you are the executor."
          Kristin put her hands on the files. Searing pain gripped her head.
          The vision Kristin was having was of a family dressed in the style of the 1940s. A young woman with scraggily blonde hair sat, blood coming from her mouth down the front of her white nightgown. Two children cowered at her bare feet. The girl had dark hair, was soaking wet and shivering. The boy, blonde haired cut short, was slamming a rock into the floor over and over. An older man stood over them, smoking a cigar. He had bristly grey hair sticking out under his hat and thick sideburns. A young black woman stood a little apart from them, a torn yellow dress she was holding up and bruised face. Suddenly the whole scene was blotted out by a red glow. When the glow disappeared, the family lay burned to death on the floor.
         Kristin was snapped back to reality by Mitch's hand on her shoulder.
         "Still having migraines?" Mitch handed her a glass of water.
         Kristin took a bottle of pills from her purse and downed three of them.
         "You should have listened to your Aunt."
         "My Aunt would have had me be a freak."
         "So instead, you have this pain from denying your gifts."
         "It's not a gift, it's a curse."
         "However, you want to see it."
         Kristin left the office without another word. As she rode in the taxi, she had tears I her eyes. She had known it was going to be hard seeing Mitch. Would she really be able to handle seeing the others?













                   750 wds