. . .

Nana always had a positive, sunny outlook on life, viewing the world

Parsons Manor. She could barely tolerate me, so I spent most of my

childhood in this house.

It wasn’t until I left for college that Mom moved

through rose-colored glasses. She was always smiling and humming, while

Mom?”

“Yes?”

“Fuck off.”

Mom is cursed with a perpetual scowl on her face and looking at life like

A snarl overtakes my face, fury tearing throughout my chest. “Hey,

her glasses got smashed when she was plunged out of Nana’s vagina. I

hear the tell tale chime that the call has ended.

How dare she speak of her own mother that way when she was nothing

I hang up the phone, angrily smashing my finger into the screen until I

Nana died about a year ago, gifting me the house in her will, but my

don’t know why her personality never developed past that of a porcupine—

settling in one place.

Mom sighs again through the phone. “I just wish you had more ambition

she was never raised to be a prickly bitch.

And when it did, I decided to travel around the country, never really

something more with your life than waste away in that house like your

in life, instead of staying in the town you grew up in, sweetie. Do

grief hindered me from moving into Parsons Manor. Until now.

grandmother did. I don’t want you to become worthless like her.”

Growing up, my mom and dad had a house only a mile away from

got back on my feet and my writing career took off.

out of town an hour away. When I quit college, I moved in with her until I

but loved and cherished? Nana certainly didn’t treat her the way she treats me, that’s for damn sure.

Parsons Manor is stationed on a cliff side overlooking the Bay with a

the bright yellows and oranges in the petals a beautiful contrast against the

mile long driveway stretching through a heavily wooded area.

The flowers during the spring season. Hyacinths, primroses, violas, and

I shiver, delighting in the ominous feeling radiating from this small

portion of the cliff.

It looks exactly as it did from my childhood, and it gives

away, and the black paint around the windows is chipping like cheap nail

I rip a page from Mom’s book and let loose a melodramatic sigh, turning

spearing through the gloomy clouds and looming over the vastly wooded

Sometimes, it feels like you’re on an entirely different planet, ostracized

congregation of trees separates this house from the rest of the world,

overgrowth with outstretched claws.

again with a bit of TLC. Hundreds of vines crawl up all sides of the

thicket of trees are no more inviting—their shadows crawling from the

black siding.

And in autumn, sunflowers would be crawling up the sides of the house,

And I fucking love it.

structure, climbing towards the gargoyles stationed on the roof on either

it’s starting to sag on one side.

rhododendron.

area as if to say you shall fear me. Peering over my shoulder, the dense

polish. I’ll have to hire someone to give the large front porch a facelift since

The house has begun to decay, but it can be fixed up to look like new

as me, and the three acres of clearing bursting with weeds. I bet plenty of

making you feel like you’re well and truly alone.

snakes have settled in nicely since it’s last been mowed.

Nana used to offset the manor’s dark shade with blooms of colorful

side of the manor.

.......♡

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