CHAPTER 1 : Joanne
The red SUV drove onto the muddy path that lead to a green belt filled with various kinds of plants and trees. “God this place is beautiful!” Rachel said looking out of the window. With her beautiful and kind eyes, Rachel was taking in the natural beauty of this place. Seeing this place she was reminded of her ancestral home where she grew up. Though her house was not this big, this place looked fancy and expensive by the standards of old days. “You liked it?” Steven asked while focusing on the road. He was not used to driving on roads like this. Growing in a town with all the facilities and luxuries, he was doing this for his wife.
“Why, you don’t like it?” Rachel asked Steven.
“No. I like it. But its important to me that you like it more than I do.” Steven said while momentarily looking at his wife. He really wanted her to like this place so that they could end their weekly tour to the countryside, only to hunt old houses.
“We don’t need to come so far away from the city. I will be fine in our old neighbourhood.” Rachel knew that Steven could not connect to surroundings like this like she did. But Steven was also determined to make his wife happy.
“Listen..” he pulled the brakes and turned to Rachel, “the doctors have been telling us that you should not be living in a polluted environment anymore. I already work from home and so this place will be perfect for us. You have told me so many stories of you and your family in a house like this.”
Rachel looked out of the window. Their car was standing outside the house, which was at least three times bigger and beautiful than the house she lived in.
“My house was not big as this. This.. is like a freaking castle!” Rachel was awestruck by the sheer grandeur of the house. Steven got out of the car and opened the door for Rachel. He then held her hand and helped her get out. Rachel was still looking at the house.
“I want you to be happy and perfectly healthy.” Steven said placing his hand over her shoulder, as they both looked at the house, “and I know how much you love houses like these.”
Suddenly, the main door of the house flung open and an old woman came out. “Hello!” her smile was from her one ear to another, scary enough for children, “You must be Rachel and Steven. I am Joanne, we talked over the phone?” her smile widened — something Steven thought was not possible. After shaking their hands, Joanne escorted the couple inside. It was an old fashioned house made out of wood and bricks — mostly wood. Rachel could notice the fancy and heavy wooden beams on the roof and a beautiful fireplace in the hall. “You like it dear?” Joanne asked Rachel with her scary smile. Steven could see the several signs of cosmetic enhancement on Joanne’s face. With big and plump lips, wide eyes, and surgically cheekbones, Joanne was desperately trying to hang onto her fleeting youth. Rachel checked out some adjoining rooms, “Uhhh… Yes. I like it.” she said.
Rachel’s endorsement boosted Joanne’s confidence and she started doing to the house what those cosmetic enhancements did to her body. “You should know..” she said like a salesman’s pitch, “this house is made of premium material. The original owner of this house left no expense to build this beautiful castle. Passed through several generations, this house is still strong and beautiful as it used to be in its early years. And mark my words, this is going to be here standing strong.”
Steven knew how sales pitches sounded and so he nodded only to show how he appreciated Joanne’s impressive description of the house. “Tell us about the history of this house please.” Rachel asked Joanne. She actually seemed impressed.
“Well, I don’t know everything, but the last owner of this house was a Mr…” Joanne checked her notepad, “… yeah.. Mr Williamson! A rich fellow with a rich heritage. His family was in the railroad
The red SUV drove onto the muddy path that lead to a green belt filled with various kinds of plants and trees. “God this place is beautiful!” Rachel said looking out of the window. With her beautiful and kind eyes, Rachel was taking in the natural beauty of this place. Seeing this place she was reminded of her ancestral home where she grew up. Though her house was not this big, this place looked fancy and expensive by the standards of old days. “You liked it?” Steven asked while focusing on the road. He was not used to driving on roads like this. Growing in a town with all the facilities and luxuries, he was doing this for his wife.
“Why, you don’t like it?” Rachel asked Steven.
“No. I like it. But its important to me that you like it more than I do.” Steven said while momentarily looking at his wife. He really wanted her to like this place so that they could end their weekly tour to the countryside, only to hunt old houses.
“We don’t need to come so far away from the city. I will be fine in our old neighbourhood.” Rachel knew that Steven could not connect to surroundings like this like she did. But Steven was also determined to make his wife happy.
“Listen..” he pulled the brakes and turned to Rachel, “the doctors have been telling us that you should not be living in a polluted environment anymore. I already work from home and so this place will be perfect for us. You have told me so many stories of you and your family in a house like this.”
Rachel looked out of the window. Their car was standing outside the house, which was at least three times bigger and beautiful than the house she lived in.
“My house was not big as this. This.. is like a freaking castle!” Rachel was awestruck by the sheer grandeur of the house. Steven got out of the car and opened the door for Rachel. He then held her hand and helped her get out. Rachel was still looking at the house.
“I want you to be happy and perfectly healthy.” Steven said placing his hand over her shoulder, as they both looked at the house, “and I know how much you love houses like these.”
Suddenly, the main door of the house flung open and an old woman came out. “Hello!” her smile was from her one ear to another, scary enough for children, “You must be Rachel and Steven. I am Joanne, we talked over the phone?” her smile widened — something Steven thought was not possible. After shaking their hands, Joanne escorted the couple inside. It was an old fashioned house made out of wood and bricks — mostly wood. Rachel could notice the fancy and heavy wooden beams on the roof and a beautiful fireplace in the hall. “You like it dear?” Joanne asked Rachel with her scary smile. Steven could see the several signs of cosmetic enhancement on Joanne’s face. With big and plump lips, wide eyes, and surgically cheekbones, Joanne was desperately trying to hang onto her fleeting youth. Rachel checked out some adjoining rooms, “Uhhh… Yes. I like it.” she said.
Rachel’s endorsement boosted Joanne’s confidence and she started doing to the house what those cosmetic enhancements did to her body. “You should know..” she said like a salesman’s pitch, “this house is made of premium material. The original owner of this house left no expense to build this beautiful castle. Passed through several generations, this house is still strong and beautiful as it used to be in its early years. And mark my words, this is going to be here standing strong.”
Steven knew how sales pitches sounded and so he nodded only to show how he appreciated Joanne’s impressive description of the house. “Tell us about the history of this house please.” Rachel asked Joanne. She actually seemed impressed.
“Well, I don’t know everything, but the last owner of this house was a Mr…” Joanne checked her notepad, “… yeah.. Mr Williamson! A rich fellow with a rich heritage. His family was in the railroad
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