Scene #2
“Picture, Picture”
“It has potential Carlie,” Desi said,
wiping her hands on a napkin. “But it’s gonna take a fortune to fix
it up.”
“I know, but when I saw it I knew it was the house
of my dreams. Will you help with the renovations? I really loved
what you did with Mark and Lisa’s old Victorian.”
“The
Victorian has two floors,” Desi protested. “This place has four and
a basement that are likely on the verge of collapsing. Not to
mention their house wasn’t and still isn’t, haunted.”
“Hey,
my house isn’t haunted!”
“Carlie, you and I both saw that
man in the portrait above the fireplace in the parlor move. We
didn’t have anything to drink last night and we sure as hell
weren’t hallucinating.”
“We were tired Des-”
“He
moved Carlie.”
“Okay fine, he moved.”
When her friend
dismissively took a sip of her coffee, Desi’s gaze narrowed.
“You’re not as freaked out about it as you should be,” she said,
after their waitress walked away. “In fact you’re damn near
glowing. What’s going on?”
“If I tell you something you
promise not to freak out.”
“I am way passed freaked out. I
ain’t promising anything.”
“Well promise me you’ll hear me
out at least.”
“Fine.”
“A few weeks after I bought
the house, I learned why it never could sell. It has a bad past.”
“If you tell me that guy in the picture killed and chopped
his family up and hid them in the walls I’m getting a room at the
Holiday Inn tonight.”
“No he didn’t…but he and his family
are in the house. Well, in the portraits really. Adrian…that’s his
name, the one above the fireplace, he didn’t mean to scare you.
He’s really actually…nice. Although sometimes he can be a real pain
in the butt but–”
“Oh my God, you’re falling for some creepy
ghost guy in a picture.”
“I am not.”
“Yes, yes you
are…oh my god.”
“It isn’t like-”
“I don’t care what
it is or isn’t like…I can’t believe I’m having this conversation
with you. I feel like I stepped into the Twilight Zone.”
“You promised you’d hear me out.”
Took some tremendous
effort, but Desi held her peace and listened.
“Adrian and
his family don’t reveal themselves to just anyone. In fact they
haven’t spoken to a living soul in nearly fifty years. I am the
only person they’ve talked to since then.”
“That’s
wonderful. Check please.”
“Desi.”
“No, look Carlie.
I… this is just too crazy…I mean-”
“What did you tell me
this morning?”
“What?”
“You said you never slept so
soundly. You, who suffer from insomnia, slept last night Desi.”
“Yeah so…”
“Grayson, Adrian’s brother, portrait hangs
above the fireplace in your room. When I went to go check on you
last night, he was sitting on the side of the bed, stroking your
hair as you slept. He’s never moved or talked to me. Adrian said he
never did for the previous owner of the house either…but he moved
for you.”
“Well, that just makes me feel warm and
fuzzy…really.”
“Don’t be like that.”
“Don’t be like
what…creeped out beyond all reason? Why in hell would you tell me
something like that? I won’t be able sleep for the rest of my life
now thanks very much. This is the real world, not Harry Potter.
Pictures aren’t supposed to move…and they sure as heck aren’t
supposed to be stroking your hair or doing whatever it was that put
that smile on your face this morning when you came downstairs. No
way am I staying there tonight.”
“Desi you have to come
back to the house with me.”
“Oh hell no…my happy behind is
staying at the Holiday Inn and if you were smart you come with me.”
“Adrian and the others are fading Des…their souls will be
forever lost if we don’t help them.”
“What if we do help
them and they turn out to be evil.”
“They’re not evil.”
“Uhuh…if they are, and they kill us…I’m gonna be kicking your ass
in the afterlife. I need a drink.”
“It’s ten o’clock in the
morning Des.”
“What’s your point?”
