That morning, after my first cup of coffee, because I am a zombie before I get my caffeine, I open my laptop to look at the listing once more. I'm not sure why, but I felt an overwhelming urge to see the pictures again. Viewing it only strengthened my decision to buy the property. I know people might think I've lost my mind because I haven't seen it in person, but my instincts tell me it's my home. It's strange because I've never been to Sugar Creek, and I live an hour away.
With my mind made up, I quickly called Mick to tell him I wanted to make an offer on the property. Of course, he was a little stunned that I didn't want to look at the place in person. He tried several times to convince me to go look at it, but there was no need. This house was a part of me already. It called to me like nothing ever has. He finally gave up when he realized I was determined, and we started to discuss my financial situation and buying options.
When I disclosed that I had enough financial resources from my mother's inheritance and my savings, Mick was confident I would qualify for a first-time home buyer's loan. As a result, I decided to stop and make an official offer on the property with his assistance.
We discovered that the house was city-owned because it had been abandoned for 25 years. While most similar properties were redeveloped, this one remained on the outskirts and was deemed unused. After numerous meetings and discussions, town officials opted to sell the property to attract new residents. The town sheriff and some supporters pushed for demolishing the house, but were outvoted by the remaining council members.
The only reason I would possibly reconsider my decision would be because the story of the family who lived there before was tragic. They had gone missing, with no trace of them anywhere. The town avoided discussing it. Most believed the father had killed his family and buried them in the woods behind the house before fleeing. The case was thoroughly investigated, but it eventually became a cold case. It was a sad discovery, and I felt compassion for the family. How could an entire family simply vanish? Someone knew what happened, but why they stayed silent remained a mystery. I should have been scared or worried, but the story instead made the house more fascinating. Despite this, I couldn't shake the feeling that the house was destined for me. It seemed as if the house was calling to me, urging me to claim it as my own.
It took two whole weeks before I heard the news that my bid on the house was accepted. Those two weeks felt more like an eternity. I constantly looked at my phone, willing it to ring. When it didn't, anxiety became a constant friend to me, filling up my bones to the point of exhaustion.
The closing date was at the end of the month, and I decided to keep the information to myself. Once the keys were in my hand, Zeke would be my first call because then the house would officially be mine. Excitement replaced the anxiety, and I felt like I could breathe again. With the location of the house, Zeke could stay with me while he opened their new branch of the construction site.
The night before my meeting to close on the house, I had another dream. This one was just as unsettling as the last one. My mom didn't come to me, but a woman wearing a blue summer dress with long, wavy black hair streaked with grey cascading down her back. Her eyes were the same color as mine. She felt oddly familiar to me; it must have been because she resembled my mom, stunningly beautiful. Despite all that, her presence sent goosebumps up and down my arms. The woman turned and motioned for me to follow. She led me into a dining room, stopping beside the table. I looked around the room and realized it looked familiar. The only thing I could think was, "Am I having a déjà vu moment?" And then it hit me, the more I scanned the room, I realized this is the house I am buying. I focused my attention back on the woman. She tilted her head to the side, and it felt like she was assessing me. Then she smiled. The goosebumps erupted once again, and my body felt like it was shaking from the fear that had enveloped me.
"Why are we here? What do you want from me?" My voice betrayed me and trembled as I asked the questions. The woman kept smiling and pointed at the dining room wall.
"Help us, please," she whispered, and I barely caught what she was saying. What threw me off the most was how she kept smiling and pointing. She just kept repeating the phrase over and over again. The longer this went on, the feelings of anxiousness and uneasiness seemed to escalate, making me wonder if this was another ominous sign of things to come. My panic rose, and it felt like I couldn't catch my breath. Could you have a panic attack in a dream? I wasn't sure, but it sure felt that way. The only thing I could do was clutch my chest and keep reminding myself to take slow, deep breaths it was only a dream.
I looked back at the woman, and saw a shadow had appeared beside her, which made me jump. You could tell it was a male shadow because of the wide shoulders and stocky build. Suddenly, I was jolted awake, visibly shaken. I was drenched in sweat, and my heart felt like it was pounding out of my chest. For some reason, this dream scared me to my core.
As I sat there going over the dream in my head, the only conclusion I could come to was that maybe this woman had something to do with the missing Catalano family. Perhaps she was trying to tell me what happened or to warn me of danger, or maybe it's my overactive mind freaking me out. There were so many unanswered questions that deeply troubled me, but it would not deter me from buying the house. I know it should have, most people would have taken this as a sign not to go ahead with the closing. For me, it felt like the house had the answers I needed. I decided my best course of action would be to push past this crazy dream as best as I could and get ready for my meeting.
Upon arriving at the location where the meeting was being held, I was led to a conference room at Mick's real estate agency. As I entered the room, I noticed three other people sitting there with Mick. Introductions started right away; the only woman of the group was Suzanne, the clerk of courts, and the two males who accompanied her were Robert Dunhill, the mayor, and Howard Dawson, the sheriff. Both Mayor Dawson and Suzanne expressed their excitement in meeting me, but Sheriff Dawson froze when he saw me. It looked like he had seen a ghost; his face was pale white. I smiled warmly at them all and took the empty chair closest to Mick.
The sheriff seemed to recover quickly but watched me very closely. I tried to ignore him and pay attention to the meeting. As we went over the paperwork, I noticed the distinct differences between the officials. Suzanne was a slender, blond-haired woman in her late 50s with perfectly manicured nails. She obviously prided herself on her looks. She was friendly and seemed to be genuinely happy that I was buying the property. The sheriff was a stern-looking man in his early sixties, with dark, almost black eyes that seemed to scrutinize every move I made, he gave off the don't mess with me vibe. While Mayor Dunhill was a short, robust, balding man with a big, welcoming smile. He seemed like a big teddy bear. The sheriff was making me feel uncomfortable with all of the constant staring he was doing. So, I turned and looked him straight in the eyes. I wasn't trying to challenge him, just get him to back off a bit.
He took that opportunity to say, "Excuse me, ma'am, but is your last name Catalano?" The expression on my face probably looked comical because I'm sure it showed the confusion and shock that he would ask me that. Did he think I was related to the previous family? That was absurd. I had never heard of the family till now.
"No, sir, my last name is Sleighton. I don't know anyone with the surname Catalano." Was my reply. The look on his face let me know he didn't quite believe what I said. He continued to stare at me for a few more minutes and then apologized if I felt he was being rude. I wanted to tell him I absolutely felt he was being creepy and rude, but I just smiled and said, "It's fine."
After all the necessary paperwork was signed and the keys handed over to me, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of excitement. We all exited the meeting room and headed to the parking lot. I stayed for a minute to thank Mick for all his help, then quickly left. As soon as my feet hit the pavement outside the building, the feeling of being watched took over. As much as I tried, I couldn't shake the feeling, and my instincts were proven right. Standing to the right of the parking lot was the imposing figure of the sheriff. Again, he was staring in my direction; he gave me the creeps. He was one of those people who made you feel uncomfortable, and you wanted to keep your distance. Almost like he could be a threat. Instead of showing my uneasiness or fear, I waved at him to show I wasn't afraid. Even though I definitely was, he didn't need to know that. Shocked, he gave a quick wave of his own and got in the squad car with the other officials. As they passed me, I waved again, hoping I looked braver than I felt.
As soon as I got to my blue Ford Explorer, I immediately called Zeke. As I waited for him to pick up the call, I worried he might not agree with my impulsive purchase. The biggest worry is that he will be mad I didn't include him in the house-buying journey. I hoped that he would understand that I needed to do this by myself. As soon as he picked up all my fears left me.
"Hey Rocky, I thought you forgot about me today?" he sounded genuinely hurt that I hadn't called him yet. This tugged at the heartstrings because he was family. Zeke and his parents had been a big part of my life. They made up for the family I never had. They welcomed me and my mom into their fold and celebrated every holiday, birthday, or special occasion together. Our connection is something I hoped we would never lose.
"Of course, I could never forget you, Z," I laughed. "You are not only my best friend but my favorite human." I paused, listening to see if my declaration reassured him.
"Aww, so sweet but too mushy," he said, laughing.
"I have something to tell you; I did something completely spontaneous and out of character. Do you remember the listing in Sugar Creek we talked about?" I asked nervously.
"Yeah, I do. It was the one you thought was perfect. Why?" he asked.
"I bought it. It's mine. I signed the papers today and have the keys." The words just seemed to spill out of my mouth quickly before I chickened out.
"You mean you have the keys to go look at it, right?" he questioned.
"No, I mean I own it," I repeated.
"What the hell, Rocky?" He says loudly. His reaction kind of threw me off. I didn't expect him to jump up and down for joy, but I didn't expect this reaction either.