The fire. That’s what started it all.
Jess studied the house intently from across the street. This was her first visit since last October, that awful month that changed her life. From her vantage point she could see the garage in back and the boxes stacked in front of the windows of the apartment above. She'd wanted to see the place one last time before tomorrow to refresh her memory. Wind from the river valley below blew up the street, pushing her hair in front of her eyes. She continued watching the house as she hooked the errant hair behind her ear with her finger, wary for any movement. There was none, of course, as the house had been empty the past six months. She turned and walked slowly up the street, as if carrying a heavy weight.
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The fire. It started on the couch on the front porch, sweeping through the old house on Ann Street, quickly overwhelming the elderly landlords living on the first floor. That night was hot and humid as early September nights are prone to be, and Jess was in her room upstairs, lying in bed listening to her MP3 player when a rock crashed through her window. Startled, she ripped the buds from her ears and heard the chilling words, "Fire! Fire!" She quickly pulled on some clothes and ran to Lin's room, frantically pounding on the door, the hallway filling with smoke, choking her. Finally the door opened and Jess rushed in, slamming it behind her. Lin, bleary eyed from sleep, quickly dressed while Jess forced the window open and kicked out the screen so they could escape onto the rear porch roof. Lin ran down the wooden fire escape while Jess rushed up to the attic apartment, forcing her way in through Karen's open window and pulling Karen's naked body from the bed, yelling for her to get out. Karen grabbed some clothes and they fled down the rickety fire escape, the heat and smoke from the fire driving them to edge of panic.
Lin called 911 on her cell while Jess and Karen tried the back door to rouse the landlords, only to be driven back by the flames. The three girls huddled on the sidewalk across the street and watched helplessly as the firefighters struggled to bring the blaze under control but it in the end it was a total loss.
The semester was just two weeks old and they were homeless.
The local Red Cross chapter found them temporary lodging at the University Inn on the northwest corner of campus, and they spent the next two weeks apartment hunting. The only places left, however, were those too rundown to live in, even by students’ standards. Their Red Cross case worker had warned them not to be too picky as they only had a week of charity left when the call came: a local woman had read about their plight the paper and offered them rooms at her house. A meeting was quickly arranged.
“Wow," said Karen, her mouth hanging open slightly. Lin grunted in agreement and Jess was at a loss for words.
The house stood at the end of Division Street before the road turned and crossed over the river, a couple of blocks north of where the student rental properties stopped. It was a large, red brick, three story house, built in the 1800’s and sat on a small hill overlooking the river valley. The driveway wound past the front of the house and turned around the side to the large garage at the back of the lot. The girls stood in the driveway admiring the well kept house as the owner, who had introduced herself on the phone as Cecelia, watched them from the porch, her hands clasped in front of her. She appeared to be in her early 60’s, grey streaking her pulled back black hair. The girls climbed the steps to the porch to make their introductions.
"Hi, I'm Jessica, but I prefer Jess," said Jess holding out her hand.
"I'm Karen."
"Melinda, but I go by Lin."
"You can call me Aunt Cecie, everybody does!" said the older woman, taking each hand in turn, her smile showing slightly stained teeth. Jess thought the smile was a little strained and didn't touch Aunt Cecie's eyes.
"Let me show you around," the old woman offered, walking in through the open double front doors. Jess and Karen followed closely behind, but Lin straggled a bit, taking in the details of the stained woodwork on the porch. Through the doors she swore she heard a soft chuckle, but dismissed it as a trick of the wind which had picked up, chasing dried leaves in little circles on the porch. Lin felt a chill up her spine and pulled her sweater tightly around her and went inside, closing the doors.
To the left of the entry way was the parlor and to the right was the living room. Jess didn't know how a parlor and living room differed, but felt it impolite to ask. Opposite the front doors was the wide staircase leading up to the left to a landing with a large circular stained glass window a half flight up before the stairs doubled back to the second floor.
Wide, dark-stained trim encased all of the doorways, including the wide opening into the living room. A thick, antique Persian rug covered the dark wood floor, with two couches facing each other and a square glass and wood coffee table between them. A large brick fireplace sat along one wall, flanked by built-in wooden bookcases stuffed with books. The front wall was curved in a graceful arc, accommodating a sitting area next to the windows. There didn't appear to be a speck of dust in the place.
The living room led onto a formal dining room, and it, too, had a curved exterior wall. A glass chandelier hung over the long wooden table set with twelve chairs. To the left of the dining room was a half-bath and beyond a music room with a baby grand piano in the center. Each room was anchored by a large Oriental rug in the center, and the color of the walls and the furniture perfectly complimented the rugs. Through the dining room was a large eat-in kitchen with a back staircase leading up, the cellar stairs beneath them.
Aunt Cecie led them back out and up the front staircase, pointing out the hand carved banister as they climbed to the second floor. They were shown three large bedrooms, each furnished with four-poster beds and tastefully appointed, and a large bathroom for them to share as well as a large study. Cecie briefly showed them the master bedroom and bath before asking if they had any questions.
"What's on the third floor?" asked Karen.
"More rooms. It's a fully finished attic but I use it for storage nowadays," said Aunt Cecie.
"What's over the garage?" asked Lin looking out a rear window.
