Sarah Adams, not remotely a religious woman, closed her eyes and asked God for her money back.  Whatever did she do to deserve this?  She was going to be a star, she was going to dance next to Elvis in Jailhouse Rock for the love of blueberries!  Instead, she married that<span style="font-style: italic">pig</span>- the man she reluctantly called her husband- and now, she was stuck here in this murder house for what she guessed was eternity.  She'd watched many come, many go.  Some died, and some, like this new couple, didn't last a month before they moved again.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF80FF">"Whatever I paid before I became a sperm, Lord, I want it back.  Every cent,"</span>she hissed, watching the young couple from the top of the foyer.  Her eyes rested on the woman, Cassandra.  She was just like her, but the poor girl didn't know it yet.  Her husband wasn't<span style="font-style: italic">right</span>, just like hers was... before he strangled her in the middle of the night.  Her fingers clutched tightly, pink, filed nails digging into her palms and drawing blood.<span style="font-style: italic">Her</span>husband promised her a future, a future he would only steal away from her in the end.  Such empty words, sweet talk.  Men only wanted one thing, as far as Sarah was concerned.<br/><br/>But Cassandra shouldn't worry; she would ensure she remained safe from harm for as long as she was watching, and Sarah was<span style="font-style: italic">always</span>watching.  She reckoned one of the other... inhabitants of the house would dispatch of the husband soon.  If that happened, he would be all hers.  If it didn't... well, she would make sure it did.  Her fingers rapped upon the railing as she slowly paced, blood trailing across the smooth elm finish from her still-bleeding palm.<br/><br/>She meandered into the kitchen.  They couldn't see her unless she wanted them to, of course.  Her eyes drifted to the window.  Those damned cats were watching again.  She didn't know if she wanted the cats gone because they were always pests, or if she wanted to keep them just to show that husband of hers he was not welcome here.  It was so oddly convenient that he was allergic to those little devils.  Mama Gina had long since been a thorn in her side, always sicking her cats onto the property whenever a new family moved in.  For once, it played to her advantage, if only a little.  Scaring them away didn't work.  She tried to warn them.  They were so insistent on buying the house.  They would learn of their folly soon enough.  Of the house's occupants, she was perhaps of the most tame.  The least she could do was make sure they made it out alive.  Or... one of them, anyway.<br/><br/><br/>Blake knit his brows and pushed out his lower lip in mock pout.  He genuinely wanted for his wife to be happy, and for the most part, it wasn't a lie.  Truthfully, he just didn't know<span style="font-style: italic">how</span>to integrate.  It was a little scary.  It was scary for her as well, and he felt partially responsible.  Despite this, it was necessary that he rise above his own needs and think of them as a whole.  Cassandra was everything to him.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF8000">"No, no, no, honey, I mean it,"</span>he rebutted quickly,<span style="color: #FF8000">"Start one here." </span>He followed her to the stairs on the foyer, placing his hand on the railing but keeping his eyes on her.<span style="color: #FF8000">"We can go camping?  Go to the lake, maybe go fishing... get some air.  We don't have to settle in all at once."</span><br/><br/>He had to admit, Cassandra always had solid ideas.  Getting out and around wasn't a bad idea at all, despite having only just moved here.  In fact, he embraced the idea fully, knowing she probably wouldn't appreciate him going back to work so hastily.  And, he needed time with his wife, just the two of them.  They hadn't actually gotten that opportunity well... since their honeymoon.  When they returned, with a fresh mind, they could tackle the finer points of establishing themselves here.<br/><br/>The ghost standing in the foyer with them crossed her arms and shook her head.  What was she to do in the meantime?