Unpacking was quick. My parents weren't the sentimental type, and years of moving had taught me not to get too attached to things - or places. By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, my room was set up: bed, desk, bookshelf. Nothing personal. Nothing permanent.
Dinner was quiet. Mom and Dad talked about their jobs - something about temporary contracts and "new opportunities." They always found a reason to move, always made it sound like an adventure. But I knew better.
They were running from something.
I didn't know what, and I didn't ask. Every time I got close to the truth, Mom would change the subject or Dad would snap at me. It was like living with ghosts - things half-said, shadows that didn't belong.
After dinner, I went outside. The air was cold and damp, and the wind howled through the trees like a living thing. I stood on the porch, staring at the mansion. It seemed darker now, more menacing, as if it had been waiting for nightfall to reveal its true nature.
"Hey!"
I jumped, spinning around to see Rena and Tom riding up on their bikes.
"We thought we'd come check out the new place," Rena said, grinning. Her blond hair glowed silver in the moonlight, and she looked as fearless as ever.
"It's a dump," Tom said, eyeing the house. "No offense."
"None taken," I said, forcing a smile.
They were my only friends, the only constants in my life. We'd met years ago in one of the towns my parents dragged me to, and somehow, they always managed to find me again.
"What's with that?" Rena asked, nodding toward the mansion.
"Dad says it's abandoned," I said.
"Abandoned or haunted?" she teased, her eyes sparkling.
Tom groaned. "Don't start."
But Rena wasn't listening. She was already climbing off her bike, heading toward the fence that separated our yard from the mansion's overgrown lot.
"Come on, Amy," she called over her shoulder. "Let's check it out."
I hesitated, my heart pounding. The mansion loomed like a dark promise, its shadow stretching toward me like a hand.
"Amelia," Tom said softly, his voice tinged with worry.
But Rena was already over the fence, her laughter echoing in the still night. And I followed.