Entry #5

Entry # 5

Samuel thought for sure, the large animal shaped shrubbery would block the windows. He ordered it installed as soon as the windows were installed. The gate and fence was to keep people from walking up to the house. He loved this house, but it had issues. There was problems that came with the house, when he inherited. He was told what to expect in the days and years to come. He really didn’t understand what it all meant, until he and his family moved in nine years before. They had been trying to deal with this issue for that long. This had to be the last move, Samuel couldn’t take another move. Not now, not this year. He was going to correct the problem this time, once and for all.

Vanessa remembered what life was like before they got the house. They went out, visited friends, traveled. When the two ladies came over, it made her remember how much she missed having friends. She had fun that afternoon, and wanted to do it again, but she knew she couldn’t. She had to make sure the house was always perfect, it had to be dusted, and the floors always had to be clean. There was no way to relax, she found that out the hard way.

Vanessa especially felt bad for Melinda and Mandy. This house is all they have ever known. They too have never been able to have friends and go to play. They have never been able to have tea parties with their dolls or run screaming from a bug or a lizard in the garden. No, Melinda and Mandy also had to help keep the house in perfect condition. When they did try to play, and made a mess of some kind, bad things happened. They have seen other children play outside, and they often wonder what it is like. Secretly, both girls hoped to one day be able to play outside like other children.

It had been a few weeks since Sharon and Carol went to see the new neighbors. They both wanted to go back to the strange house, as if they were drawn to it. They both walked the neighborhood and took their kids to the park. When they walked to the park, they had to pass the big purple house. On one of these walks to the park, Carol was pushing a stroller holding her nine month old baby girl. Carol loved walking with the baby, it just made her feel good to get out in the fresh air. On this day, she happened to look past Sharon and toward the house. When she did this, she thought she saw two other ladies also walking the same path they were. When she turned to see the other ladies, they weren’t there.

Carols heart stopped. She looked at the reflection from the large strange windows again. She was actually seeing her own reflection, with Sharon walking beside her, but the baby in her stroller wasn’t there. She was much thinner, as was Sharon, but the baby was gone. Carol couldn’t take another step. She stood still and looked into the reflection and asked
Sharon if she saw the same thing, did she see the stroller. Carol was near tears now, even though it was only a reflection. She couldn’t understand how her baby was not in the picture presented in the reflection in the large pane of glass.

At that point, when Carol was breathing so hard, scared for her baby, Samuel walked out of the house and suddenly the reflection returned to show the baby along with Carol and Sharon. Carol started to tremble at the fear that was running through her head. Samuel seemed to notice something wrong and quickly went over to the ladies to make sure they were ok. Samuel invited the ladies to come into the house, have a glass of lemonade and get out of the heat. Surely, it was just the heat, some cool refreshments would help.