I woke up to the sound of footsteps in the other room. Peeking through my heavy lids, I saw mom. She was dressed and looked as if she had places to be. I pushed the slick fabric of my sleeping bag off me, hearing the zipper release. Had I been smart, I would have simply slept on top of it rather than in it. It wasn’t like I needed the warmth, and the added layer of fluff would have been a welcome reprieve from the hard, carpeted floor.
I glanced around me, finding both June and Alexis still asleep in their own bags. Boxes were stacked throughout the dinning room, each one labeled in thick black writing as to where it belonged. Though that didn’t happen last night. It was past midnight by the time we finished unloading the truck. The last thing I wanted to do was move it again.
Mom approached, seeing I was awake.
“Good Morning, Honey.” How she was able to be so pleasant first thing in the morning, I’d never know.
“Good morning. Where are you off to?” I asked, crawling from my dark green bag and rezipping it.
“The bank called and asked if I could start a week early. I know that doesn’t give us much time to get everything unpacked and settled in, but it’ll be good to get things rolling as soon as possible. I laid a twenty on the counter beside the stove. You can order a pizza for lunch. I’ll be back around five. In the meantime, I’d like you guys to go through the boxes and take them where they belong. And honey, try not to fight with your sister. I can’t be leaving work to settle your disputes.” Mom kissed my forehead and made for the door.
“I can’t speak for her, but I don’t intend to start anything. Have a good day. We’ll see you when you get home.”
She smiled at me and stepped out the door, locking it behind her.
Despite the few issues I’d had with her, I couldn’t deny that she was pretty cool as far as moms went. Of course, she was being extra nice since she believed the divorce was hard on us. Sure, the move sucked. But dad was an asshole. We were better off without him.
Getting to my feet, I made for the bathroom. There were two to choose from. One was just past the kitchen, across the hall from the utility room, and the other was right beside Mom’s room, which was located directly below my room. Between there, there was another living room type place, which I didn’t know what to call it. We already had a dinning room, and this one was right inside the main back door. There was another back door off the utility room. One thing was certain, it was much larger than the trailer we’d lived in before.
Reaching the bathroom closest to the kitchen, I flipped on the light and closed the door. Raising the toilet seat, I handled my business, flushed, and left the room, hitting the light on my way out. I had some time before my sisters would wake up. If I was quiet, I could prolong it by at least an hour. That should give me ample time to explore my new dwellings and find all the other secrets this place held. If any of them were half as interesting as my hidden cubby and early warning system, this might turn out to be a half way decent place.
In the rear living room place, I felt a strange sensation. It was the first I’d experienced since arriving, which I found odd. Places as old as this were typically riddled with latent energies and lingering spirits. This one had been completely clean last night. Even when I came through here, there was nothing. Why was it registering now?
Finding the strongest point, it was at the northwest corner of the room, I sat on the floor and closed my eyes. I knew what it was almost instantly. I was sitting on the nexus of two leylines. But why hadn’t I felt them earlier? In fact, now that I was searching, there were tons of them. Only four intersections, but several parallel lines. This place should have been a beacon of paranormal activity. Hearing movement in the other room, I opened my eyes and stood. It seemed my fortune was at an end. Besides, a dormant historical location resting on the verge of this many leyline didn’t need me poking it with a stick. That was a good way to awaken a poltergeist.