The Inheritance

Chapter 4

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Anna found Lily easy to talk to. She had a warm and inviting personality. One that not only drew you in to her, But also made you want to tell her all your secrets. After another cup of coffee for both women. Lily had to excuse herself. Stating that her laundry should be done by now. Anna waved goodbye to her new friend, not seeing that Chris had been sitting on the front porch with a newspaper, until he spoke up.

"So the new girl wears polar bear pants to bed uh?"

Anna turned around fists up, ready to fight whatever was behind her. Relaxing once she understood it was just Chris. She gave him a friendly wave, asking him what he was doing.

Folding the paper he explained that this was where he always read the paper, at least in the morning. He stopped looking just past her down at something by her feet. Turning she saw it was Steve. Taking advantage of Chris being there, she asked if he knew anything about Steve.

"Yeah actually," he paused, getting up to pet the cat. "Steve is a long time resident. He wandered out of the woods, into your aunt's house. Over the course of caring for him as a small kitten, she decided that the town would call him Steve."

They watched as he did a large stretch. Getting back up, he stuck his tail straight up and walked down the road. Anna called out to him worried. He got half way down the driveway, before she realized he was leaving. Turning around, he looked her in the eye. Giving her a deep meow, before continuing his walk.

Chris lighty put a hand on her shoulder giving her a smile. "Don't worry about him." He started looking back at the fading image of the cat. "He's probably headed to the butcher," Chris laughed, shaking his head. "Tom hates cats. But Steve finally won him over when he was a couple years old. Now Tom gives him some scrapes once a day." Anna brought Chris in the house, walking back to her coffee she told him to help himself. They soon fell into a comfortable silence. A large banging sound came from the stairs. Chris rushed back into the walk in room, making sure to stay in front of Anna.

Looking around, neither of them could find a reason for the sound. Finally Chris just shook his head and said it must have been the old man again. Anna asked him what he ment. Chris watched her. Partly in shock, and partly trying to figure out if she really didn't know. Shaking his head, he led her back to the coffee.

"Anna didn't your family ever talk about the stories about this house?" Snorting she told him about how her aunt told everyone it was haunted. But after a couple family members poked fun of her, she had them stay for a weekend. After that nobody talked about it again. Chris shook his head looking at his coffee.

"Well that is true." He watched her. Looking for any sign she wasn't interested or just wouldn't believe him. "Well they came up and found out it really is haunted. From the stories around town, it sounds like a couple different ghosts. One is your Grandfather Sam. He always wore a suit, up till the day he died." Chris paused, giving her a moment to think about what he said.

"He likes to look out the upstairs window, and walk around the house. Sometimes he falls down the stairs. Which you'll hear every now and then." Anna nodded at him, thinking of the old man she saw in the window yesterday, before the kids came up. Without thinking she asked him if he ever saw a little girl? Christ nodded, taking a sip of the coffee.

"That's Abby. Nobody knows much about her. But we have figured out if she likes you, she will leave gifts." Anna wanted to know what he meant exactly by gifts. "Mostly things like pennies or sometimes quarters. Sometimes she'll leave some marbles or small balls around too." Anna felt a shiver course through her, remembering the feel of the marble in her hand.

Once their coffee was finished, Anna went and changed for the day. The pair got to work looking over every inch of the house. It took them a bout five hours, but they finally had a good idea of everything that was needing to be fixed or updated. By the time they were done, Anna found out the movers had showed up. Turning around to look at Chris again, she asked if he would be willing to help her out tonight? Looking at the van he just laughed. "Welp as long as you throw in some food I'm game." Anna quickly got some information for a pizza place. After hearing the kids excitement about delivering to the house, she hung up. Rolling up her sleeves, she started helping to unload the truck. Getting the boxes placed in the right room.

By the time the pizza got there, the group had just finished unloading the truck. Anna had to hold back her laughter watching the five teens get out of the little neon. Each holding onto either a pizza bag or a two liter of soda. All five looked around in amazement at the house. Chris took the cash from her, walking over to the boys. He gave them the money, while a couple of the movers grabbed the drink and food. All finding joy in the kids amazement looking at the old house.

They all sat on the porch eating and joking. Finally Chris got curious and asked how the two men knew Anna. Looking right at him, the bigger of the men said she's their pimp. Chris staired for a moment in shock. Whatever he had thought about them, couldn't have come even close to that answer. Finally Anna stopped laughing enough to give the big one a light hearted punch. "You idiots!" Christ jumped to catch her. She had been laughing so hard, she fell off the banister.

Holding her close to him, he stared down into her eyes. He was shocked at how green they were. Before he had a chance to really look in them she pushed back. Pointing to the two build builder types, she told him blushing that they were her cousins.

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