attorney’s office, and take in a deep
breath as I open up the car door. It’s a quaint, red brick building that has a
mahogany colored door. It’s even equipped with a brass door knocker, which must
be for decoration considering there’s a doorbell to my left. I glance down at
my clear coated fingernails and wonder if I should have put a little more
effort into looking presentable. It’s too late now because the door opens.
“Mr. Nickel, I’m Anastasia D’Salvatore. I’m here for the
reading of my father’s Will.” I stick out my hand like any normal person, and
Mr. Nickel, the gray haired old man, just stares at it. I’m not sure if he’s
stuck in the eighteen hundred where women don’t shake hands, or if my nail
polish offends him. Either way, he’s just lost my vote of cute old man of the
year.
“Right this way, Ana.” Okay, he’s really lost my vote. Why
is it that everyone in this town calls me Ana? I follow the short old man
inside anyway and close the door behind me. My short heels clink on the
hardwood floor as I walk through a short foyer to a set of stairs. Mr. Nickel
leads me up the stairs, and suddenly I feel like I’m in some sort of horror
movie as I pass very old pictures hanging on the wall. Not one of the people in
these pictures is smiling.
“I appreciate you taking the time to lay this all out for
me, Mr. Nickel.” I’m really trying to be polite here. But the way he
raises his nose in the air as if he’s smelled something disgusting makes my
entire body rigid. I sit down in a small leather chair facing a desk and Mr.
Nickel settles himself behind it. Then he proceeds to tell me the worst news of
my life.
Chapter Four
Jonah
It’s been three hours since she disappeared, and I’m
beginning to wonder if she’s alright. It takes twenty minutes to get to town,
and it probably doesn’t take more than an hour to go over a Will. Anastasia is
approximately an hour and twenty minutes late getting home. What could she be
doing that would take her an hour and twenty minutes?
“She’s probably trying to dig up information on you.” Tom’s
voice rolls through me like a rumble of thunder.
“I thought I got rid of you with a pill.” I close my eyes so
that the visual hallucination cannot be seen. But my senses betray me and the
light behind my eyelids darkens for an instant as Tom passes in front of me.
This is worse than before. I can feel his breath on my face!
“A pill can’t get rid of me, Jonah. Not when you don’t want
me gone.” I grit my teeth and fumble around for the wooden, kitchen chair. My
hand grazes over it and I plop down in it with an audible thud. Relenting, I
open my eyes and Tom is nowhere to be seen. With a furrowed brow, I search the
entire kitchen with my gaze, and let out a relieved sigh when I don’t see him.
“I want you gone.” I whisper to no one. May trots through
the kitchen door with her tongue lolling out, and I take the hint. I turn the
thermostat down so that the house is cooler. Just as I’m turning around to ask
May if she needs to go out, the front door slams open, and a hurricane comes
blowing through the house.
Her blonde hair is still falling flawlessly around her face,
but her once calm, blue eyes are a sea of stormy rage. The way her lips are
clamped together makes me think that she’s trying to hold back some very frank
words. And the way her feet are held apart makes it look as though she’s ready
for a very tough fight. I immediately take a step back from Anastasia, and
wonder if I should ask her what is wrong. I get my answer soon enough.
“You!” She shouts that one word at me as if that will
explain everything, and then she’s advancing on me with her weapon, a finger. I
feel the first poke at my chest and scrunch up my muscles as I try to shy away
from her.
“What the hell is the matter with you?” I just get more
glaring looks, a few splutters, and then some more pokes in my arm. My instant
shock at her behavior
breath as I open up the car door. It’s a quaint, red brick building that has a
mahogany colored door. It’s even equipped with a brass door knocker, which must
be for decoration considering there’s a doorbell to my left. I glance down at
my clear coated fingernails and wonder if I should have put a little more
effort into looking presentable. It’s too late now because the door opens.
“Mr. Nickel, I’m Anastasia D’Salvatore. I’m here for the
reading of my father’s Will.” I stick out my hand like any normal person, and
Mr. Nickel, the gray haired old man, just stares at it. I’m not sure if he’s
stuck in the eighteen hundred where women don’t shake hands, or if my nail
polish offends him. Either way, he’s just lost my vote of cute old man of the
year.
“Right this way, Ana.” Okay, he’s really lost my vote. Why
is it that everyone in this town calls me Ana? I follow the short old man
inside anyway and close the door behind me. My short heels clink on the
hardwood floor as I walk through a short foyer to a set of stairs. Mr. Nickel
leads me up the stairs, and suddenly I feel like I’m in some sort of horror
movie as I pass very old pictures hanging on the wall. Not one of the people in
these pictures is smiling.
“I appreciate you taking the time to lay this all out for
me, Mr. Nickel.” I’m really trying to be polite here. But the way he
raises his nose in the air as if he’s smelled something disgusting makes my
entire body rigid. I sit down in a small leather chair facing a desk and Mr.
Nickel settles himself behind it. Then he proceeds to tell me the worst news of
my life.
Chapter Four
Jonah
It’s been three hours since she disappeared, and I’m
beginning to wonder if she’s alright. It takes twenty minutes to get to town,
and it probably doesn’t take more than an hour to go over a Will. Anastasia is
approximately an hour and twenty minutes late getting home. What could she be
doing that would take her an hour and twenty minutes?
“She’s probably trying to dig up information on you.” Tom’s
voice rolls through me like a rumble of thunder.
“I thought I got rid of you with a pill.” I close my eyes so
that the visual hallucination cannot be seen. But my senses betray me and the
light behind my eyelids darkens for an instant as Tom passes in front of me.
This is worse than before. I can feel his breath on my face!
“A pill can’t get rid of me, Jonah. Not when you don’t want
me gone.” I grit my teeth and fumble around for the wooden, kitchen chair. My
hand grazes over it and I plop down in it with an audible thud. Relenting, I
open my eyes and Tom is nowhere to be seen. With a furrowed brow, I search the
entire kitchen with my gaze, and let out a relieved sigh when I don’t see him.
“I want you gone.” I whisper to no one. May trots through
the kitchen door with her tongue lolling out, and I take the hint. I turn the
thermostat down so that the house is cooler. Just as I’m turning around to ask
May if she needs to go out, the front door slams open, and a hurricane comes
blowing through the house.
Her blonde hair is still falling flawlessly around her face,
but her once calm, blue eyes are a sea of stormy rage. The way her lips are
clamped together makes me think that she’s trying to hold back some very frank
words. And the way her feet are held apart makes it look as though she’s ready
for a very tough fight. I immediately take a step back from Anastasia, and
wonder if I should ask her what is wrong. I get my answer soon enough.
“You!” She shouts that one word at me as if that will
explain everything, and then she’s advancing on me with her weapon, a finger. I
feel the first poke at my chest and scrunch up my muscles as I try to shy away
from her.
“What the hell is the matter with you?” I just get more
glaring looks, a few splutters, and then some more pokes in my arm. My instant
shock at her behavior
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