Nightfall:Welcome to Cold Springs

[Monday, July 24th 11:20 PM
Cold Springs, The Round Up Gas Station]

Nemo: He looks out the window as Shane pulls the truck into a lonely gas station on the side of the road, despite it being summer, the air up here is cold, and there's beads of water on the windows. He looks over at Shane as he puts the large truck into park.

Shane: I'll ask the guy inside if there's another motel. He looks over at Nemo and smirks, tired. They've been driving almost nine hours now, with the last hour having been spent driving through, and out of, the small town of Cold Springs to find a place to stay the night.

Nemo: He shrugs in response, and Shane gets out of the truck, closing the door, then jogging into the gas station. He turns and looks out the window, into the darkness of the forest on the side of the highway opposite of the gas station, and starts to think to himself about what's happened in the passed month. [ Lucas and Ricky decided to leave a few days after what happened in the desert, since I can accurately say I know Lucas, it was probably to keep from causing a lot of conflict. Even though he saved me out there on that mesa, he still doesn't want to be around me. Though now I can't tell if it's because he's afraid of me, or if he wants to avoid doing something violent. ] He looks in the side mirror and he smiles at Yuri's reflection of him sitting in the back seat. [ Even though Lucas and Yuri seemed happy to have each other back, there was a quiet tension between them. Yuri hasn't said it outright, but he's still afraid of hurting Lucas, or causing him more trouble. Even though what happened was mostly my fault, I'm sure he blames himself... ] He let's out a quiet sigh and turns around in his seat, looking back at his twin brother. Like the forest so far?

Yuri: There's a lot of shade out here. He looks back at Nemo and smiles a bit. It's nice. He's wearing a red and white baseball button shirt that he borrowed from Shane after he ran out of clothes to wear one day. Ever since then it's been his favorite shirt to wear.

Nemo: It's in a valley, so you'll probably get to go out during the morning and afternoon. He turns away and looks back out the window. [ Even with Yuri's condition, the passed few weeks have been fun, almost like I'm a kid again... And it's not as if I spent much time outside during the day anyway, but at least all the way out here Yuri can choose to have a normal life if he wants to... At least as normal as living in a town in the middle of a huge forest in the middle of no where can be... Speaking of which, Lucas and Ricky seem to be back to the lives they had before, despite losing their house, they're hell-bent on living a boring existence, but I suppose that's what makes them happy... I can tell some of it was caused by that tension Lucas and Yuri had. Despite everything he's been through, Lucas hasn't changed at all. He's not like me. We're so similar, but so different, and even after he was possessed by the same demon that held me for so long, he still has that flicker of innocence... That faith... That Morality. He obviously loves Yuri and, just like me, he'd do anything for him, but he's had trouble coming to terms with what Yuri has done... It doesn't help that Ricky probably blames us both for what happened, and tells Lucas as much to calm him down... And he's right. All of this has been our fault... Well, my fault. ] He runs his finger over the window, drawing a simple circle, which eventually becomes a cartoon skull. [ But I did what I set out to do, and then some. Things like guilt and morality haven't bothered me for a long time. Living life one day at a time is better than worrying about everything that has happened, or might happen. Lucas will probably to learn that someday... Though a part of me hopes he'll never have to. I don't want him to be like me, and if he has to hate me, then that's the way it'll be. I'm good at hating myself anyway. ]

Shane: The driver's door suddenly opens and Shane climbs back in. The clerk said there's an old motel about a mile up. He closes the door and starts the car, then puts on his seatbelt.

Nemo: He looks over at his boyfriend. Well I hope for someone's sake that they have two available rooms. He looks back at Yuri with a devious smirk.
[9:36:48 AM | Edited 9:37:12 AM] Arbi: Yuri: He looks back and forth between Shane and Nemo before looking back out the window and crossing his arms, getting a little cold. You guys do what you want... I actually like sleeping in the truck.
[9:53:33 AM] Omniance: Shane: He shakes his head.

Nemo: You hear that? Whatever I want... He smiles a wide grin.

Shane: He pulls the truck out into the road and starts driving fairly fast, being a trucker that's driven for thousands of hours across the country, he's not intimidated by the darkness of the forest, and his truck is so big that he could hit an entirely herd of deer without slowing down. We have to be up early, so whatever it is you want better involve a lot of sleep.

Nemo: He shrugs and looks back outside. [ Shane might be a little weary of him, but they seem to enjoy each other's company at times, so it's a start. Maybe living up here will let us all get to know each other better, maybe even be like family- ] His thoughts at interrupted as Shane turns on the radio. He looks over at Shane.

Shane: Let's see if we can find a local station... The radio clatters with short bursts of static and noise for a few minutes before he finds a clear station.

Radio Host: A man's voice comes through. Darcy's Diner is hosting their July Pancake Festival this Friday, she's hoping that all of you will be there for all-day breakfast and her signature coffee. As many of us can attest, that's the best damn coffee in the western hemisphere... In more breaking news, just in case if you haven't heard it already, the L.A. police department and the FBI have finished their investigation into the Great Hope Park bombing that occurred late last month. It should come to no one's surprise that the incident was perpetrated by the mass-murderer, and member of the FBI's most wanted, a Yuri Vera, whose remains were found near the center of the explosion. I know a few folk out here in Cold Springs have been following this story closely, especially Toby Raeken, but it seems the whole ordeal is over now. The FBI reports that they came to this conclusion based on DNA analysis from the remains, and by comparing bone fragments to X-Rays taken from Vera's twin brother.

Nemo: Well that's convenient. He's staring at the radio.

Radio Host: The upcoming forecast for tomorrow is... Shane turns the radio down a bit, until it becomes background noise.

Yuri: He smiles when he hears that the FBI think he's dead now. Best news I've heard all day... but who was that guy he mentioned? Toby... what if he recognizes me out here?

Omniance: Nemo: Bandanarama, I guess. At least when we go into town.

Shane: Would probably be a good idea to find out who Toby is. For all we know he might just be the town looney. He turns off the highway onto a road that lead up a hill into the woods.

Nemo: Joke's on him then. Because there's a new looney in town, and he's got awesome blue hair and he's young and fresh.

Shane: And human. Make sure you remember that and you don't go fighting a bear in the woods... He looks over at Nemo admonishingly.

Nemo: He shrugs.

Shane: If you're gonna be a tough guy, at least start lifting weights.

Nemo: But that's what I have Yuri for now!

Shane: He looks up at the rear-view mirror at Yuri for a second, then back to the road..

Yuri: He looks over at Nemo. You should've seen me when I had demonic strength... I could have wrestled a bear down easy.

Nemo: He smiles.

Shane: Watching one of you wrestle a bear would be a sight to see. One hundred pounds of skin and bones beating out half a ton of blubber and muscle.

Nemo: He looks at Shane. Pfft, you like my skin and bones.

Shane: He shakes his head as they drive up to the motel. The sign reads WAKE MOTEL, with the E on motel being unlit. Despite the sign and some of the lights being on, the place looks closed, and there's no other cars. Looks like this place is out of business or something. He slows the truck down as they pull up next to it, looking into the office. There's no one inside, and it's dark.

Yuri: He lowers his window and looks into the dark office, trying to see if anyone's around. After a moment he sees something move near the back of the office. I think I saw someone...

Shane: I didn't see anything.

Nemo: Let's go check. He opens the door and quickly jumps out, before Shane even comes to a full stop.

Shane: He sighs at Nemo's recklessness, it's obvious that Nemo doesn't realize how fragile he is now. I'll park over there... I guess. He stops for a moment so Yuri can get out.
[10:27:35 AM | Edited 10:28:02 AM] Arbi: Yuri: He hops out of the truck and closes the door behind him before following Nemo. The atmosphere here feels much different than the city, without all the sounds from LA filling up the area this place seems especially quiet at night.
[10:29:32 AM | Edited 10:31:50 AM] Omniance: Shane: He drives away, turning in a large circle to park at the edge of the lot near the hill. He's towing a large U-Haul full of their stuff, so it's going to take him a little while to park it.

Nemo: He climbs up over the railing and walks up to the front office, looking inside. See anything?

Yuri: He gets closer and tries looking inside, even though all the windows to the office are covered in blinds they're still open enough to let them peek. No but the sign is lit up, someone has to be here...

Nemo: Could be automatic. He walks along the windows until reaching the door. He pulls on it. It's locked. he pushes it and it opens. Nevermind.

Yuri: He walks up beside Nemo and walks inside with him. The firs thing he notices is that the office smells old, like dust and mold, but it might just be that they don't dust the place often. Anyone here? He tries turning the light on but it's no good.

Nemo: He looks up and around. Why would the gas station clerk send us here if it's closed down? He stays near Yuri, since he can't see well in the dark.

Yuri: He takes out his lighter and flicks it on but the small flame barely lights up the area around them. He keeps quiet as he moves it slowly around the room, showing the empty couches to the side before lighting up the dust covered counter. There's a mirror on the back wall, showing them their reflections.

Nemo: He adjusts his hat a little and pulls at the front of his hair as he looks into the dim dust reflection. Well if it's abandoned we can just crash for the night and no one will be the wiser.

Yuri: I know I saw someone in here... He looks over the counter towards the backroom. In there... He hands Nemo the lighter before climbing on the counter and hopping over.

Nemo: He looks back outside, Shane is driving around in another circle and stopping. Afterwards he turns and looks over the counter. Anything?

Yuri: Shh... He slowly peeks into the backroom and after a moment starts walking inside, out of Nemo's sight.

Nemo: He leans on the counter, the only noise now being his own breathing, and the sound of Shane's truck.

The old floor underneath Nemo creaks when he leans on the counter, it almost feels like the wooden floor is bending downwards and might break.

Nemo: He let's out a quiet sigh and takes a step back, looking down at the floor. He murmurs to himself. This place is a dump...

The floor creaks even louder when he steps back before the floor suddenly collapses.

Nemo: He lets out a quiet yell as he falls through this floor boards, dropping the lighter as he does, and it goes out as it hits the ground with him. He lays there on the cold floor in the dark for a moment, before he let's out a long sigh as he sits up and rubs his back. ...Ahhg... He look up at the dimly lit hole above him.

There's a small cloud of dust around Nemo, causing him to cough until it dissipates. It doesn't feel like he's hurt too bad but he definitely bruised his lower back. He can hear quick footsteps coming from upstairs but Yuri isn't anywhere in sight.

Nemo: Yuri? He pats his hand around on the floor until he can find the lighter, and flicks it on. ...Shane? He gets to his feet and looks upwards, then around. The lighter is leaking from the bottom and the flame is really dim now.

There's a wooden wall behind him, it looks like there's a light switch a few feet away on the same wall.

Nemo: He takes a deep breath as he looks around, noticing the wooden wall, he walks over to it, talking to himself as he walks through the dark. I remember, when I could just create my own damn fire... He looks at the lighter and then to the light switch, flicking it on.

A lightbulb flickers on in the middle of the large room, he appears to be in some normal empty basement. There's a few boxes nearby but they look like they're full of old blankets and sheets, probably for the motel rooms. A closer look reveals that some of the boxers were knocked over, the blankets inside dragged to the other side of the room beside an old washing machine. It looks like something small was sleeping here.

Nemo: He looks at the spot for a moment, then yells out. Yuri!?

Yuri: Nemo! His footsteps can be heard above him, near the backroom. Where are you?!

Nemo: Turns out I need to lose some weight! He flicks off the lighter and then throws it to the ground since it's broken anyway. He walks over to the spot where he fell and looks up. The floorboards broke and I fell through! Looks like something was living down here! He mumbles to himself. Someone... Whatever.

Yuri: He walks back to the front of the office and climbs on top of the counter, just when he's about to hop over he stops himself when he sees the large hole in the floor. Shit...

Nemo: Maybe that's who you saw! He looks over to the makeshift bed.

Yuri: You see any doors down there?

Nemo: Well there has to be one. He looks around the dimly lit room.

When Nemo looks around he sees a single door near the corner of the room. It looks boarded up but at the very bottom there's a large hole, like something ripped or broke apart the bottom half to crawl through.

Nemo: Did you find that... Guy or thing? When he sees the door he starts to walk towards it. Because it looks like it's been here for a while.

Yuri: The backroom was empty, there's another small room up here but I didn't see anyone. He tries to see where Nemo walked off to. Can you get out?

Nemo: Well there's a door here, but it's boarded up. He walks over to it, looking down at the bottom. He grabs at some of the boards and starts pulling at them.

The wooden boards are nailed to the wall and door, they don't budge when he pulls on them.

Yuri: He walks up behind Nemo. Need some help?

Nemo: He jumps slightly, looking back at Yuri. ...Yeah. He pulls his hands away, a splinter in one of his fingers. I'm seriously going to consider making a pact with another demon if I can't even rip a door off it's hinges anymore...

Shane: You better not! He calls down from above them, looking down into the hole, he shines a floodlight down at them, then around.

Yuri: I'll get it open... He moves Nemo behind him where it's safe before three dark chains fly out from the dim ground and stab into the blocked door. The chains pull and pull until the nails bend and break, ripping the three wooden boards off the door.

Shane: You alright down there?

Nemo: I'm fine, just bruised my back probably.

Shane: He sounds a little relieved. So this place is obviously abandoned... He looks up and around.

Nemo: ...Yeah. He looks at Yuri, then to Shane. You still wanna stay here?

Shane: After a pause he responds. I'll go look at the rooms, you guys alright?

Nemo: We're good.

Shane: Try not to get into trouble... He turns and walks out of the office.

Nemo: He reaches forwards and grabs the doorknob, pulling it open slowly. Could've left the flashlight...

In the darkness of the next room, near the floor, two green eyes stare back at Nemo.

Nemo: He narrows his eyes, becoming more cautious. He whispers quietly to Yuri. Looks like we found our suspect...

Yuri: He looks over Nemo's shoulder into the dark room. Looks like a dog... you must've scared the shit out of him when you fell through the floor.

Nemo: Smart dog if it's made it's own little fortress down here. He takes a step towards it. Hey little guy... He holds out his hand.

The large dog growls when Nemo holds his hand out to him, still fearful and cautious of him after he made all that noise, he warns him by barking loudly.

Nemo: He pulls back his hand. Well it's just a dog... Wolf... He clears his throat. We're not here to hurt you doggy... We just want to get out of the basement...

Wolf: The wolf growls again, feeling outnumbered by the twins. It doesn't look like it's giving either of them a chance right now and instead decides to flee before Nemo can get any closer, barking again before crawling through another hole. This one appears to lead into a small dirt tunnel and not another section of the house.

Yuri: I think you scared him...

Nemo: Well he's probably smart to be afraid of us. He looks around for some stairs or a ladder or something. Still strange that it's been living down here all by itself. I didn't see a collar, did you?

Yuri: He walks into the small room and holds his hand out to the wall in front of him, it's a wall of solid concrete. Doesn't look like we're getting out this way... He sees something on the floor near the hole and picks up a collar, tossing it Nemo. Here, let's head back upstairs through the hole. He walks out of the small room.
[
Nemo: He catches the collar and looks at it as he follows after Yuri. So it was someone's dog. Maybe there's and address on here...

The muddy collar looks old, worn and doesn't appear to be big enough to fit a wolf's neck, it must've fell off while it was growing up. The metal tag simply reads "Black".

Nemo: Black. He flips it over. That's all it says... Seems kinda racist...

Yuri: He looks back at Nemo. What sounds racist? He's standing under the hole they fell through.

Nemo: I dunno, it was a joke. He puts the collar into his pocket. So are you gonna shoot a chain into the ceiling so we can climb out?

Yuri: Yeah... turn off the light and I'll get us out of here.

Nemo: He walks over the to small light and flicks the switch off. Well this is an exciting start in our new town, huh?

Yuri: A dark chain falls down from the hole above, he motions for Nemo to go first. Just wait until we get to Odie's house... he swears it's haunted.

Nemo: Pfft. He grabs onto the chain. I want to believe.

About ten minutes later...

Shane: I checked the flooring, it's solid in here and the next room over. He sets a small backpack full of clothes and other stuff on the corner of the beds.

Nemo: He's looking outside. You want a dog?

Shane: What?

Nemo: There was a dog in the basement... Named Black I think.

Shane: I'd love a dog. He starts pulling stuff out of the backpack.

Nemo: What-really? He actually sounds surprised.

Shane: What kind of red-blooded American doesn't want a dog? He pulls out a bag of toothbrushes and sets them on the side of the bed. The water in the bathroom runs, but it's not hot.

Nemo: He sets his baggy on a counter with an old coffee machine and pulls out a bag of beef jerky, he walks outside and sets some of it on the ground near the door, before walking back in. Well maybe you can warm it up for me.

Shane: He sighs again. Someone's really push'n for a push'n... He walks into the bathroom. But we need to get up in six hours. He starts brushing his teeth in the bathroom.

Nemo: He sighs and grabs the sleeping bag, rolling it out over the mattress, mumbling to himself. Well it was worth a try.
[12:50:38 PM] Arbi: Yuri: He's sits up a little, seeing Nemo put out that food by his door, before he lays back down in the back of the truck. He already has his sleeping bag set up, between all the luggage. He's looking up into the night sky at all the stars, there's thousands of them. He feels like he could stay up all night looking at them but he's tired and his eyes feel heavy. Just as he drifts off to sleep his body disappears, keeping him safe while he sleeps outside in the dark.
[1:02:12 PM] Omniance: The next morning...

Shane: This place is out in the middle of no where... How did I agree to this?

Nemo: I don't know, I'm sure I said something really convincing. He's looking out at the forest as they drive up an old gravelly road. I don't want to have neighbors anyway... They're nosey.

Shane: He's looking ahead, it's obvious that a car came up through here a few times before them, as the gravel on the road has fresh tire treads. It's dark here. He looks at the radio. Almost seven and the sun still isn't up.

Yuri: He has his hoodie on with a smile across his face. I love this place.

Shane: The air is so clean, I'm not used to it. He pulls around and bend and the house can be seen just up the road. That's gotta be it. Even though it's hidden by trees, the three of them can tell the house is big as they drive passed most of it, up the driveway. Shane parks the truck and gets out. There's a maroon-red landrover already parked ahead of them. Well let's see what this place is all about... He stretches a little and looks to Nemo as he's hopping out of the truck.

Yuri: He gets of the truck and looks towards the massive house. Is that a lake behind the house?...

Shane: Description said it was lake front property. That's the only reason I even agreed to coming all the way up here.

Nemo: He shrugs innocently. Look at it though, it's awesome. A whole mansion.

Shane: He heads for the front door, walking up the steps, Nemo follows after him. Bandanas, guys. Don't want Odie's mom recognizing you two.

Nemo: Right. He pulls a bandana out of his jacket and ties it around his face.

Yuri: He pulls out his bandana and quickly gets it on too.

Shane: He knocks on the door, loudly. After a moment he sees the doorbell and presses the button. The three of them can hear a faint ringing through the entire house. He looks at Nemo, waiting for a few seconds before the front door opens.

Clara: Oh you made it. The twin's mom smiles, then looks to Nemo and Yuri. I wasn't sure if you'd still be coming. She looks back to Shane. When you didn't call I got a little worried.

Shane: The reception was really spotty in the motel we were staying at, sorry about that.

Clara: It's fine, come in and I'll show the three of you around. She pulls both of the doors open and moves out of the way to let them in.

Nemo: He suddenly feels uncomfortable, hesitating as Shane walks into the house ahead of him. He didn't expect to see his mom.

Yuri: He doesn't want his mom to get suspicious of them so he gives Nemo a friendly push to get him to keep walking inside, though he's just as surprised as Nemo to see his mom here.

Nemo: He breaks from his trance and walks in.

Clara: As you can see the house is a bit run down, though it's mostly just cosmetics, the framework is in great shape. The owner and her son come up here every five months to inspect the premises. She motions around the large foyer. The elevator doesn't seem to work very well, however, though I'm told that it's an electrical problem and not a mechanical one.

Shane: He looks at the old elevator, then around. Yeah that's probably not a big deal. She leads them into the living room. I can handle electrical repairs.

Nemo: He looks at Yuri with a look of uncertainty.

Yuri: He almost hesitates to speak, thinking the bandana might not work. What happened to Odie's mom?

Clara: I'm sorry? She turns and looks at Yuri.

Yuri: It's nothing, just a little surprised. I thought we were meeting Miss O'Dwyer here.

Clara: No, she's um... She looks a little nervous. She wasn't up to it, and I'm a licensed realtor, so she asked me to be here. She clears her throat. Will the three of you be living here together?

Yuri: Yeah, just the three of us. He looks around at the old furniture and the piano near the living room.

Clara: Well I suppose it's a good investment.

Shane: The town has a lot of abandoned buildings, what happened?

Clara: There was a mining boom in the late seventies... After that a lot of people left, though a logging company has sprung up in the last ten years and the property values here are going back up.

Yuri: He walks up beside Nemo and whispers to him while Clara and Shane are talking. You okay?

Nemo: He whispers back and Clara leads Shane further into the room. I haven't seem mom in a long time... She looks... Old... Sort of... But not really... It's just... I'm not used to her I guess.

Yuri: He watches them walk away before whispering back. Yeah, it's crazy seeing her again... I'm trying my best not to hug her.

Nemo: Yeah... He looks back to Shane and his mom. She seems to be telling him about the history of the house.

Clara: Well there's four bedrooms, all with a full bath, the attic has a bedroom as well, but the electricity doesn't run up there. She looks glancing at Yuri and Nemo, then back to Shane.

Yuri: He tries not to think too much about his mom being here. What do you think about the house?

Nemo: It's big and old... Which is the opposite of my old house, which was small and modern... But I like it. He looks up at the balconies. But I guess it's up to Shane to decide, since he's the one buying it.

Yuri: I can't tell which is older... this place or the motel. He starts walking back up to Shane.

Nemo: He nods.

Shane: Well let's look at the backyard, the lake looked great from the pictures.

Clara: Oh... Well let me tell you, Mr. Ward, even with all drab walls and old furniture, once you see the view of the lake you'll never want to leave. It's downright magic. She leads them to a side door in the living room, near the stairs, and out into the yard. She points around to the dense woods. Now you won't just be getting the house, the purchase includes the surrounding woods, the lot itself is twenty acres of land, and a sizable portion of the shore and the lake itself. She leads them around the house to a small wooden pier. They can see the lake, which shimmers like silver and gold in the foggy morning light. Breathtaking, isn't it? ...I bet there's no other home on earth where you can get a view like this, right in your back yard.

Shane: He smiles a little, his eyes darting back and forth as he looks out at the lake. Clara is right, it's magical.

Yuri: He tries looking past the large lake towards the other side but the morning fog is making it hard to see anything far off. I didn't think we'd be getting a part of the lake.

Clara: From what I'm to understand the lot includes about half an acre of the lake itself. She points out to a wooden small platform about fifty yards from the shore. That's the property line, right about there.

Yuri: He nods, not really that interested in the lake itself. He's just enjoying talking with his mom.

Clara: Well, would the three of you like to have a look around, or do we have a verdict?

Shane: Give me a moment to talk with my assistants here.

Clara: Understandable. She nods and walks away, along the edge of the shore and then to a small clearing where there's an old fire pit.

Shane: He looks at Nemo and Yuri. I like it.

Nemo: He smiles beneath his bandana.

Yuri: He looks from Nemo to Shane. You sure about this?

Shane: Well we're going to have to try and haggle a bit, there's still no way I have the money to pay what they're asking. He looks at Nemo. We'll need to get a room mate or something, or you two are going to have to get a job. Maybe both.

Yuri: I haven't had a job in awhile but if it'll help pay the bills... sure, why not? He looks at Nemo. We could both get a job at the same place.

Nemo: At the same place? I'm not getting some stuffy office job, I'll just exorcise demons for a modest fee.

Shane: He immediately sighs. We can't pay for a house with under the table money Nemo. That's not how taxes work.

Nemo: I bought an entire house out in the desert with under the table money.

Shane: Yeah, and it was off the books, this one isn't. We need to pay for it with actual money, from actual employers.

Nemo: He crosses his arms over his chest.

Yuri: We'll figure it out... He pats Nemo on the back. No stuffy office job for my bro, promise.

Nemo: He smiles.

Shane: The asking price is nearly a million bucks, and there's no way I'm paying that. I realize she's your mom, but if she doesn't lower the price we can't get this place.

Nemo: Well that's easy, offer her a down payment of like four-hundred-thousand. We'll have a lot to spare, and we'll probably be able to drive the cost down to about seven-hundred-thousand. He nods.

Shane: He raises an eyebrow at Nemo. You've been thinking about this a lot, haven't you?

Nemo: ...Yeah.

Shane: Alright, I'll go talk to her. He turns and walks off towards Clara.

Nemo: He looks up at the house. ...I really hope it's haunted.

Yuri: Maybe we should use that to lower the price...

Nemo: Yeah... He follows after Shane. Tell her we saw a ghost or something. He looks at Yuri. You'll have to do it, I could never lie to mom.

Yuri: He stops Shane before he can start talking to Clara about lowering the price. Mrs. Vera, we really like how the house looks but my brother's been feeling uneasy ever since we got here. He keeps seeing things out of the corner of his eye...

Clara: She looks from Shane to Yuri. ...Umm... What do you mean. She smiles and shrugs slightly.

Nemo: He's looking up at one of the windows.

Arbi: Yuri: Is there something about this house you're not telling us?

Shane: He looks at Yuri sternly for a moment, then realizes what he's getting at, looking to Clara.

Clara: I... Well I'm not sure what you mean. She smiles, but it's obvious that she's a little nervous.

Yuri: You've never heard of negative energy before?

Clara: Her smiles fades quickly. The topic reminds her of something her mother would say.

Shane: The place wouldn't be haunted, I hope?

Clara: She looks to Shane. After a moment she sighs. There's some rumors that circulate the town... But who actually believes in ghosts. She smiles and shrugs nervously.

Yuri: What were the rumors you heard?

Clara: I don't know, some nonsense about that statue over there being curse. She sighs and points to the black marble statue near the shore of the lake, sitting on a small hill covered in flowers and with four bronze statues of dogs by her sides. It's ridiculous. She looks back to the three of them.

Yuri: He narrows his eyes just as his mom says "ridiculous", multiple loud thump sounds are heard from above. Before any of them can see what it is, one of the larger branches from the tall trees breaks off and falls, hitting the ground a few yards away from Nemo, nearly crushing him.

Nemo: He jumps to the side, looking up, then looking to Yuri. What the fuck?!

Clara: Oh my lord, are you alright? She looks up at the tree.

Shane: He narrows his eyes, practically glaring at Yuri.

Nemo: Yeah, I'm fine. He looks around, then down at the branch, then up at the tree.

Yuri: He sounds startled and a little mad as he goes up behind Nemo to calm him down. I'm sorry, Mrs. Vera... we're not paying nearly a million dollars for a haunted house. Even if it has a nice view of the lake... Let's get out of here, guys.

Shane: He's still staring at Yuri.

Nemo: He looks up at the trees, then around.

Clara: Alright alright! The owner said I could lower the asking price down to seven-hundred and fifty thousand. She wants it out of her hair, her family has run into a bit of a rough spot this last month, so the house has to go, alright? She looks a little shaken, looking up at the tree.

Nemo: He's not listening to her, still looking around, he takes off his hat and runs his hand through his hair in relief.

Shane: He looks from Yuri to Clara. Seven-fifty?

Clara: You can buy the place and flip it when the real estate here booms in about five years. It's a sound investment and you'll likely make back triple what you'll pay for it now. She looks to Shane.

Yuri: He puts his arm around Nemo, looking like he's comforting him after that horrible accident.

Shane: Alright... He lets out a quiet sigh. We'll take it.

Clara: You will? She smiles. Umm... Come back inside and we'll write up the paperwork.

Shane: How long until we can move in?

Clara: She leads them towards the back door. Well there was a dispute over exactly who owned the deed, so it'll take at least another day for the papers to do through, and I hired a cleaning crew to steam the floors tomorrow, so I'd say you'll be able to be in by Wednesday.

Shane: Sooner than I thought. He looks back at Yuri and shakes his head.

Yuri: He watches Shane while he walks with Nemo, the two of them lagging behind. He whispers. You weren't actually scared, right?

Nemo: Nah... Clearly... Um... Not... At all. He shakes his head.

Yuri: He feels a little bad when he notices he still sounds startled. I think your boyfriend's gonna kill me.

Nemo: Maybe... As they walk into the house Clara is already at the dining room table with a few papers laying over it. Shane is signing them.

Shane: What was this deep dispute you were talking about?

Clara: Well the owner's son went missing about a month ago. Her voice has a solemn tone. He was the actual inheritor of the property, but he was deemed dead earlier this week.

Nemo: Dead? What happened?

Clara: She looks from Shane to Nemo and Yuri. There's a moment of hesitation before she responds. He was caught in the Great Hope Park explosion... Or at least that's what I'm to understand. She looks away, suddenly looking very uncomfortable.

Yuri: He sees how uncomfortable his mom is and knows it's because she thinks he died in the very same explosion. After a moment he looks down and sighs.

Shane: He signs the last paper. Well, hopefully the news that her house has sold will lessen the burden of recent events. He holds the pen out to Clara.

Clara: She smiles and takes it. Well... She sighs quietly. Have the three of you eaten?

Nemo: He raises an eyebrow at her and shakes his head.

Clara: Why don't I take the three of you out to breakfast, my treat. A gift for closing the deal here today.

Shane: He looks at Nemo and Yuri.

Yuri: We still don't have kitchen to cook anything... I think it sounds like a good idea.

Nemo: He smiles a little.

Clara: Well then, the three of you can follow me down the mountain into town. She looks happier and relieved as she moves to gather up the papers.

Yuri: He knows that the only reason he agreed to this is so he could spend a little bit more time with his mom. Even though Shane and Nemo can't see it, he's smiling under his bandana.