Well, there’s not much to say about our new home. The town is dead and so is this stupid house. Of course it is big and I have always wanted to stay in a big house. We could have stayed in California in a big house. Why did we have to move here to Huntsville? They should call it Deadville. What is so great about this place that Dad had to move here. I know that he is a detective and he has to move different places. We have stayed in California our whole life.
I ran downstairs for breakfast Mom was in the kitchen hovered over the stove. I’m not really hungry this morning. My little brother was happy to move, but he’s just in kindergarten. He thinks life is about moving. When you’re in the seventh grade and you have to leave all your memories and friends it’s not so cool.
I will have to start a new school and everything. I am not much of a socialite person. I am very unusual and few people understand that. Mostly all of my friends understood and some of them found it cool. I like taking photos of things. Then I write about it. Dad says I should be a detective, but I’m not that brave. I could dream of going in a big mansion solving a mystery about a ghost. But if the opportunity came in reality I would be too scared to take the deal.
Plus, there won’t be any exciting mysteries to solve here. Except the mystery of how this town became so dead? The woods is our backyard. Where are we supposed to put our pool and trampoline? We didn’t live big time in California if that’s what you’re thinking. We didn’t have a pool and trampoline. I was just saying if we went in the store and bought a trampoline where was we supposed to put it?
“Elizabeth, stop staring in the air like that and come sit down,” Mom said with her voice sounding a little dry. I sat down and heaved. Mom glanced at me and rolled her eyes. She poured me some orange juice and nodded her head.
“Elizabeth, why don’t you just get use to this place your Father got a good case here,” Mom explained to me. I turned up my nose. How can a good case be in such a horrible place? I just don’t get how my whole family thinks this is such a good place. It looks like a place where they tortured kids and made them eat plain broccoli. Who eats plain broccoli? Certainly, not me I have to eat my broccoli with cheese.
“Yuck, Mom this food is terrible,” I said spiting out the eggs. Mom’s mouth gaped and she tasted some of Sam’s. Then she covered her mouth and her eyes turned red. I thought she was going to explode. The she held her stomach and ran into the restroom. I raised my eyebrows and turned back around towards the table. I just sat there for a while. My stomach started to hurt too. It’s going to be boring here. There is nobody around here and I’m sure if there is they are probably ghosts.
“Cindy, are you ready to explore the town,” Dad said coming in rolling up his sleeve. I did a fake smile. I wasn’t really ready explore the town. What is there to explore?
“Dad, is your case here is to find out how this place got so dead?” I questioned. Dad sipped his coffee and nodded. He thought I was j joking, but I was dead serious. I miss my friends already. I should have accepted the offer of staying with my Grandmother, but it’s too late. Every time I mention the name of this place I get some query feeling my stomach.
Dad finally replied to me. “No, my case here is to find out the murder mystery of Helen Miller,” Dad replied.
“Who is the Helen Miller?” I wondered. “Is she like the ghost of this town?”
Dad smirked, but then he looked behind me and frowned. I turned around and there was nothing behind me. I looked back at Dad who was now doing something in the sink. I walked to him and asked him the true story of Helen Miller.
“It will frighten your pants off,” Dad told me. I rolled my eyes.
“Dad I love scary stories besides there’s nothing else to do around here I could us some fun in my life,” I explained. Dad sighed and looked at me. “I’ll tell you on the way to the market,” Dad agreed.
So Dad finally did tell me the story and it did frighten the pants off of me. Helen Miller had been a famous actress from 1918-1928. She died when she 10. She died from poison. People say that her agent did it and some say that her sister did it. They never knew because they both hated Helen. Some even say they planned to do it together. Nobody knows, but that is why Dad is solving the mystery.
“Dad, where did she live and where was she…murdered?” I wondered. Dad gazed at the rode. I really want to know where she was murdered. Then maybe we could go the place together and take photos. I asked him again and he looked at me.
“In our…house,” Dad finally told me. My mouth gaped wide open. We’re living in a murder scene! A ghost is living in our house. Yes, I do believe in ghosts. I probably would have been prepared. And since so many people hated her she has to be an evil one. Dad didn’t say anything else and Sam was in the back playing a video game. I don’t even want to take those photos anymore. I am too scared to do anything.
The thought of Mom being in that house alone is so scary. Dad should have never told me. He could of made up some lie to just stop saying that. We pulled up to some place that looked like a flea market. I hate flea markets they have old clothes and raggedy things that don’t work anymore. I’m not the kind of girl who doesn’t wear last season’s clothes. But I won’t be caught in something that was out of style two years ago. I keep the same shoes for about year, but I am not about to wear some shoes that God knows where it has been.
The person who it belonged to could have had athlete’s feet. Or they could have died wearing those shoes. Why did Dad bring me here to this stupid place? I feel like I was tortured to come here or something.
“Dad, why are we at this flea market?” I asked. Dad took off his seat belt. Everyone was staring at us crazy.
“Why are they looking at us like that?” I questioned Dad. Those people looked like they were sick or something. Dad told us to stay in the car he started walking to this old man who was holding up photo albums. I looked at Sam and he kicked the seat. I could tell he had lost a game. He is usually good at video games.
It’s kind of weird these people look gray. I know it’s crazy. It looks like their clothes faded or something. I turned up the radio and my favorite song “Breakout” was on. I started singing along. It made me want to be back in California. Just as I was getting to the chorus a man banged against the window. I screamed from the top of my lungs. Sam started screaming too.
The man’s eyes turned red and he looked more scared than me. I climbed into the back seat and I looked out. Everyone was still looking at us funny. The man held up a jar. “Peaches?” the man asked. I was so scared I had forgotten how to talk. The man only wanted to sell some peaches. My hands shook and my lip trembled. I felt uncomfortable and I just wanted to go back to California.
Dad shooed the man away and climbed in the car. He quickly put the car in gear and drove off. I was so frightened I didn’t say anything the whole ride home.
