章 1: Chapter One

What could it possibly be?

The longing for an undefined abstract had been there for as long as she could recall, leaving her on the lonely brink of completion and fulfillment. There was something missing... something important and great, something...life-changing.

What could it possibly be?

Five years later..

"As you can see, it's not that old." The female agent began. "A nail in the roof and some paint would do the trick."

"It leaks?"

"Only when it rains."

"Ha, nice joke." Alex said in sarcasm.

"Don't look at me like that! You ask for third rates, third rates you get." Olivia shrugged.

"Whatever, what do you think Trice?" He asked, turning to his wife.

He got no response.

They turned to the woman who stood, staring at the next house. She seemed locked in a trance, her eyes fixed on the old wooden structure covered in dried overgrown weeds. It was a bungalow of modest size, three bedrooms she guessed. It definitely did not look as appealing as the one the house agent showed them, but she could swear something needed her there, it never stopped calling out to her.

"Trice?" Alex called again, surprised at her sudden behaviour.

"Is that house occupied?" She asked, still looking at it.

"Well, not exactly but.."

"I want it." She blurted to the perplexation of all.

"Are you crazy?" Alex bursted out. "That house looks weird, it's probably haunted or something!"

"I hate to admit it Beatrice, but that house has a bad name attached to it. Besides, it's not on our sales list. If you don't like this one, I can show you others."

She turned to face them.

"Where is everybody? I haven't seen a soul since we got here."

"This part of Green Hills is quite low in population." Olivia confessed.

"I kind of like the quiet. The other houses, are they on this part of town?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"Trice, please don't start getting ideas into your head." Alex chided. "Let's take the first."

"I like this part of town, and I want that house." She maintained, pointing at her fancy.

"Oh good Lord." Alex sighed.

"Trice it's not for sale, take this one for twenty-five thousand." Olivia offered.

"It's a candid advice."

"Give me that one, and I'll give you twenty-seven."

"We're not doing this." Olivia shook her head unbelievably."

"Twenty-eight?" She went on.

This time Olivia pondered on the offer.

"Don't tell me you're contemplating it." Alex faced the agent.

She was still silent.

"Olivia!"

"Twenty-nine thousand dollars and you've got a deal."

The agent said to Beatrice, ignoring Alex.

She grinned.

"Twenty-nine thousand it is."

"Oh no."

"Okay, I'll go get the papers." Said the beaming agent as she left for her car.

"What has got into you two?" Alex shook his head dejectedly. "And where the hell are you going to raise twenty-nine thousand dollars from?"

"What do you think? I'm a freelancer, of course I have savings "

"I still don't buy the idea." He grimaced.

"Come on sweetheart," she coaxed, wrapping her hands around his neck as she drew closer to him. "Don't you trust me?"

"I do but.."

"Then leave it as it is."

"I find it hard to."

"Think about it, if we buy the cheaper house, we'd still have to paint it, fix the roof and ceiling, perhaps even change the floors.."

"You don't know that, we haven't even looked inside."

"But you see I do." She said, smacking her lips seductively at him. "If we buy my house, all we'd have to do is take off the weeds."

"And paint it." He added.

"Probably, but it shouldn't cost that much, right?"

"Well.."

"Come on," she pouted. "Do it for me." She pulled him into a kiss which he readily accepted.

"Damn it, you should have been a succubus."

"I know, right?" she beamed.

"Here they are," Olivia announced, swinging the documents as she approached them. "All you have to do is sign here..and here.."

Done with the procedures, the agent made to leave.

"Oh Anna is going to love this!" Beatrice was thrilled.

"I highly doubt she would." Alex muttered, making his wife turn to him sharply. "But I'm fine with it." He quickly added.

"Nice doing business with you." Olivia said as she got into her car. "Oh yeah, just in case anything goes sideways or 'mystical', you might want to see the town's priest, goes by David. He's an expert in the spiritual sort and all. Bye!" She ended, gearing her vehicle into motion.

"She's bluffing, right?" Alex asked, his eyes following the trail of rising dust.

"Of course she is." Beatrice replied, more in a bid to reassure herself.

"Well," Alex began as they turned towards their new house. "Too late for backsies."