Threshold by Caroline Schmied Chapter 1

“Oh my God,” she sighed as they pulled up to the house, her soft brown eyes reflected tint of her car’s window. “Its much bigger than I expected. Oh, I just love it.” “Now don’t go getting all excited, we don’t even know if it’s truly in our price range.” Peter said quietly as he peered at the monstrosity of a house. There it sat in the blazing sun. Two stories of glowing August moon colored paint, contrasting strongly with the green of the grass, which grew in a slight incline, and dark green, almost purple, bushes seemed to lift the house to the center of a small hill. It’s windows gleaming in the sunlight, outlined in white, making them appear larger, and so welcoming. The bright white porch, in Queen Anne style, ran the entire proximity of the beast, with Ionic columns every ten or twelve feet, and a delicate wooden fence. The only break in the encircling fence was to open for a narrow and steep stairway, seven steps high at the very front middle, leading a direct course to the grand oak front doors. This porch protected the narrow body that rose straight up to a peak than gently slanted downward lowering the eyes back to the beautiful simplicity of the decorative line work molding that caressed the underside of the roof. Such careful consideration had been taken in the homes detail. Small fans decorated every corner of the porch, while curlicues and waves rolled playfully away from the sharp angles of the house. All the angles had been softened with some sort of fine detail, causing it to seem as though a mistake had been made, the house shouldn’t be so imposing, but small, a doll house perhaps. Was it an illusion or was the house really this big, then a shadow appeared on the porch, it seemed a mere speck standing there. “There’s Colette,” Alanna said excitedly. She sprang from the car, accidentally slamming the door behind her. Peter, the always much more reserved, stepped out closed his door and made sure to lock the car. He watched as his ecstatic-just-to-see-this-place wife ran to meet the realtor. He knew this was it, she had laid her eyes on the house, loved it instantly, and he never could refuse her anything she wanted, let alone loved. Alanna’s run was actually more of a skip, her long auburn hair bouncing behind her. She glanced from side to side, taking in the landscaping; already planning where to plant flowers, and what kind of dog would be playing with her in the yard. She knew this was the house! And the money, it would be insignificant, after all her husband “the Architect” was in great demand these days, and would certainly soon be paid what he’s worth. “Mr. and Mrs. Adler how nice to see you again,” came the calm and soothing voice of Ms. Colette la Prate. She looked quite the businesswoman, in her fawn colored power suit, white cotton blouse with tiny ruffles at the collar and cuffs. In fact, she emanated “serious business woman” despite her tiny five foot two inch frame. Her buff colored hair, obviously natural, was tied up and back, showing off her perfectly featured face, and her silver rimmed glasses, so delicate, truly accentuated her silvery blue-gray eyes. With those eyes Colette could read people, she didn’t even need to look them in the eye anymore. She was really learning all the “tricks of the trade” so profoundly. Just talking to Alanna Adler on the phone brought this house to mind, and their first meeting just confirmed that this house would soon be the young couples new home. This house had been on the market for only two months. Colette’s entire office avoided it and wanted nothing to do with “the spooky house”, as they called it, but Colette was determined to sell the place. Besides she didn’t believe in all that hocus-pocus her co-workers spoke of, disappearances, funny noises, smells, and the whole like. Most prospective homeowners turned their noses up at the big yellow house when they heard that the previous owners had mysteriously vanished. “ . . . but, I’m sure you wont let that sway your perception of the house. After all there was no evidence of foul play and most likely they just picked up and left.” Colette mentally applauded herself for her honesty. “What do you mean, “they disappeared”, as in poof! your gone?” Peter inquired a little uneasy. “Did they take their furniture, did they move, or were they moved?” “It appeared as though they dropped everything and left, not a word. There has been a rumor going around for years that they had money problems, gambling or something, and ran from them.” Colette waivered on her honest act. Questions without answers were not good selling points. They had been a well off family, father, mother, one little boy, and even a large golden retriever named Casey. However the Adlers didn’t need to know that the entire family had suddenly vanished, or that one of the neighbors swears he saw a bright and blinding light over the house the middle of that fateful night. What had that to do with the house anyway? “I love this porch,” Alanna cried out, bringing Colette back to herself. “Oh, Peter we could get some rocking chairs and a small table, then spend every evening for the rest of our lives right here, watching the sunset or our children playing, drinking tea or wine or lemonade and having snacks and . . . .” “That sounds lovely Sweets, but lets not get ahead of ourselves,” came the deep voice of logic. “Shall we go inside?” Questioned Colette, knowing full well that when Mrs. Adler sees the foyer and living room, with it’s hard wood floor and giant windows, the commission was as good as hers. “Both doors open in,” she explained, “and look at how the sun fills the entrance here. Oh, and you must see the glow of that light through the stained glass.” Alanna had been so excited with the exterior detail that she had scarce noticed the detail in the house, such as the stained glass in the doors. What an exquisite design, two peacocks, one in each door, facing each other in rich hues of blue and green. A small boarder was set around the rectangular colored windows in alternating bright yellow and vibrant red squares that eerily matched the peacock’s eyes. The glow of the glass was simply mesmerizing. “The glass is set high to allow the light to come in but not all the heat,” she explained as she closed the left door and then the . . . . “No, don’t let that door shut!” A yell came from the top of the stairs. Then, slam! It was closed. Alanna screamed and Peter jumped, pushing his wife behind him defensively. “Damn it, nooo,” the man hollered as he ran down the stairs. When he got to the doors he started pounding on them, and shaking them, practically yanking the doorknobs out of their sockets. Colette gasped, then caught her breath. “Excuse me!” she demanded. “Excuse me sir!” “Now you’re trapped too,” he sighed as he pressed his forehead to the door letting out a long and sorrow filled breath.