The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Human Solos =&gt; Topic started by: Beatrice Black on 21-12-2008, 18:05:02</h2>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>21-12-2008, 18:05:02</strong>
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				<div align="center">(http://www.sciam.com/media/inline/BE4FBF6F-BF25-D441-739773A11DC9ACE9_1.jpg)</div><br>From the outside, there was nothing unusual about the house. Couples and groups of students had lived there in the fifty years since its first owners left, and no-one had ever reported anything strange.<br><br>Now, a removal truck pulled away, leaving the house's new owner inside. Alone.
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				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>21-12-2008, 19:10:26</strong>
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				<em>Boxes!&nbsp; Boxes, boxes, boxes, everywhere she looked.&nbsp; It was almost overwhelming, but Kristi was so excited about finally getting her own home that nothing would ruin it for her.&nbsp; Besides, hadn't she taken a full week off from work to do just this...move into her new house?<br><br>Kristi Weaver was a twenty four year old, college graduate, majoring in communications, who was now also mid-level management for an insurance company, and making $60,000 a year, with all the benefits she could have ever imagined.&nbsp; Buying a home was a HUGE step in her life, but one she felt she was up to now, and one she relished more than anything else.<br><br>Her petite 5'2" frame belied the dynamo it held inside, and that was proven a short two hours later when nearly all the boxes had been emptied.&nbsp; Sure, not everything had been put away, but now it would be an easier task, seeing all her belongings out in the open.&nbsp; Standing in her living room, Kristi looked about and briefly wondered if the prior owners had felt as she did when they first moved in.&nbsp; She rubbed her arms, and tugged on the high collar of her turtleneck.&nbsp; With all the moving about she had become quite warm and the sweater seemed overbearing.</em><br><br>"Good to see the heating system works."&nbsp; <em>She commented distractedly, then went into the kitchen to pour herself some ice water.<br><br>Her new fridge stood in the corner of the small kitchen, gleaming.&nbsp; She loved that it had an ice/water dispenser in the door, for Kristi was an avid water drinker.&nbsp; She was also a runner which accounted for one reason she loved water.&nbsp; Swiping a towel over the glass, she pressed it to the ice maker, received a couple cubes then filled it with the crystal clear, and icy water.&nbsp; The drink appeased her thirst, but did little to cool her off.&nbsp; Looking around at the windows covered in blinds and curtains in her house she smiled again.</em><br><br>"Ha! Kristi my girl, you can do anything you want here...this is YOUR home!"<br><br><em>And with that she pulled off the turtleneck, and stood clad in her bra, with her barefeet poking their way out from under her jeans.&nbsp; A couple more sips of the cool liquid and she was back on track placing things where she deemed them to be appropriate.&nbsp; <br><br>Anyone who might have been able to peek inside the windows would have certainly laughed.&nbsp; Kristi resembled the Tasmanian devil as she moved about.&nbsp; Her curly short hair bounced around her adorably cute face, huge icy blue eyes, surrounded by dark brown lashes that matched her hair color.&nbsp; Her tiny nose twitched anytime dust settled on it, and her generous mouth was forever upturned at the corners giving her a smile even when it wasn't really.&nbsp; 'A sprite', was a term she had been called more than once, much to her dismay, but a term she had learned to live with.&nbsp; Sultry and seductive would have been her choices, but she had learned long ago it didn't matter.&nbsp; Proof of her appeal could be found in the number of boyfriends she had enjoyed since high school.&nbsp; Unfortunately the last one had been gone now for three months, having succumbed to one of those 'sultry and seductive' numbers himself.&nbsp; Kristi shook off those thoughts, and refocused on her job at hand.&nbsp; She had way too much to do to worry about things that used to be.&nbsp; Soon she would have the fun of looking toward things to come again.</em>
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				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>21-12-2008, 20:16:38</strong>
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				As she pulled off her sweater, she felt more of a chill. Had she lift the fridge door open? No, that wasn't it, it must just be the effect of stripping off and drinking ice water. <br><br>Looking at the boxes she had unpacked, she needed to fill her wardrobe and drawers with her clothes, restock her bookshelves, DVD and CD racks, and would still have to go into the attic with some of the overflow. Of course, that would have to wait until the house was repainted - and that would wait until the excess boxes were out of the way in the attic.<br><br>The last owner of the house had leased it to a group of students, and it seemed they had left a few boxes behind themselves, stacked in one corner of the small attic space.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>21-12-2008, 23:48:24</strong>
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				<em>After Kristi had put away the important things, she boxed up some odds and ends of things she wouldn't need right away, and carried them up into the attic.&nbsp; Stacking them neatly, after labeling them, she noticed boxes someone else had left behind.<br><br>Taking her box cutter, Kristi slit open the top to the first box, and peered inside.&nbsp; Disappointed, though understanding, she noticed there wasn't much of anything interesting inside, and pushed the box to the attic door.&nbsp; She repeated the action until all the boxes had been inspected, and shrugged when she found only some old books, papers, towels and sheets had been left behind.&nbsp; After carrying them downstairs, and out to the curb for the garbage collectors, she grabbed her dust rag, and some spray polish, and made a good once over all the wood furnishings.&nbsp; The house smelled heavenly of lemon when she was done, and by then the sun was beginning to set.<br><br>Pulling on her sweater again she felt that icy chill run down her spine, and again checked for drafts.&nbsp; The thermometer read 72 degrees Fahrenheit so she didn't turn it up.&nbsp; Instead she made sure the door to the attic was closed, as well as the other windows, lit some candles through out the house, and turned on her CD player before washing her hands and looking about the kitchen for something to cook for dinner.</em>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>22-12-2008, 00:18:55</strong>
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				Hidden in the last of the boxes was what she took to be a sheet but which turned out to be a pastel pink cotton skirt, full and wide, hanging to below the knee. And underneath it, carefully folded up, a short-sleeved white blouse. They looked rather out of place among the other oddments that suggested the box had been packed by a young man. No matter, tehy would both be too large for Kristi to use herself, so back they went.<br><br>As she polished, she felt the trace of the draught again, unable to work out where it came from. Almost as if it were moving around - following her.<br><br>The candles flickered after she passed by, stopping as she flicked on her CD player.
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				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>22-12-2008, 03:29:55</strong>
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				<em>Cooking dinner in her own kitchen was such a treat for Kristi.&nbsp; Until now she had lived at home with her parents and three siblings.&nbsp; Until now she had shared a room with a younger sister, and rarely had any privacy at all.&nbsp; Until now she was almost forbidden from making anything in the kitchen because her mom hated anyone 'messing' with her things.&nbsp; Luckily for Kristi she had taken a couple cooking classes, and had a grandmother who loved to teach her those things.<br><br>Looking around she knew she would clean up immediately after she ate, but the idea that she didn't have to made her giggle.&nbsp; If she left pots in the sink, oh well, there would always be tomorrow.<br><br>Dinner was a simple pasta with an Alfredo sauce, and nice salad of mixed greens.&nbsp; It tasted better than almost anything Kristi had ever eaten, but then she hadn't eaten nearly all day.&nbsp; She even had a glass of a delicious Riesling her co-worker Elliot had given her as a house warming gift.&nbsp; Kristi was planning a party for a couple weeks in the future, and would be inviting Elliot as well as other people she worked with, her family, and friends.&nbsp; She wanted to make sure everything was in its proper order before having people over.</em><br><br>"Errp!&nbsp; Oh my, pardon me!"&nbsp; <em>She burped out loud as she was washing the dishes later on, then forgot no one was around, and no need to apologize.&nbsp; This living alone was going to take some getting used to, but she was totally ready to make it work.<br><br>Sitting on her sofa, after making sure the blinds were closed, Kristi kept getting the feeling she was being watched, and checked the room several times.&nbsp; The movie she was watching was pretty boring, and she couldn't find anything else on worth watching, so she called it an early night and went to her room.<br><br>A quick shower, and drying of her now clean hair, Kristi pulled on a long t-shirt she had been given by an old boyfriend as a remembrance.&nbsp; The t-shirt was very soft, though slightly tattered, and looked like it had seen better days, but until she had someone to impress with her nightwear, she would continue to go for comfort rather than style.&nbsp; </em>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>22-12-2008, 23:03:37</strong>
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				As she covered her mouth and apologised, Kristi was reminded of how quiet the house actually was. The only answer came from the black-and-white movie playing on the TV, showing a young couple heading out to avoid their parents' notice.<br><br>...<br><br>Morning seemed to come very early - There was a gap between the curtains, allowing daylight to pass through, hit the covers and let the glare shine up into her face. <br><br>In the kitchen, the dishes she had left to dry were now ready to be put away. Nothing else appeared to be out of place...
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				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>22-12-2008, 23:20:46</strong>
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				<em>Kristi awoke with a huge smile on her face, and the sun shining right into her eye.</em><br><br>"Ok...bed facing east, not a great idea."<br><br><em>She stretched, and moaned in delight to be in her own bed, of her own house, then scampered out and threw open the curtains seeing the bright and shiny new day ahead.<br><br>Dressing in jeans again, as well as a light yellow sweater with a 'v' neck, Kristi padded barefoot to the kitchen, to make coffee, and put away the dishes from the previous night.&nbsp; Once the coffee was dripping she poured a bowl of rice Chex, added milk and sugar, then set a cute little place setting at her breakfast nook table.</em><br><br>"I need to cut some flowers later, and put them around the house!"&nbsp; <em>She almost squealed in excitement.&nbsp; One thing about her little house was that it sat on a lot with TONS of flowers, giving it a definite English cottage feel.&nbsp; And Kristi loved fresh cut flowers, so she also planned to have them all around the house for as long as they lasted.<br><br>Breakfast over, flowers cut and arranged, and the last of her things put away, Kristi pulled a book off her shelf, and began to read on the living room sofa.&nbsp; She only intended to read for about an hour, because then she wanted to go to town to pick up some invitations for her housewarming.&nbsp; But within minutes she fell asleep under the clock that read noon.&nbsp; The book on strange phenomenon laying on the floor beneath the hand that dropped it.</em>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>23-12-2008, 04:43:31</strong>
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				She was awoken by the sound of the TV, as the theme tune to a black-and-white sitcom started up. The book must have landed on the remote control, somehow turning the TV on in time for the start of a show about a young married couple moving in to their first home. A brief establishing shot showed a house not unlike Kristi's new home.<br><br>The book lay on the floor on top of the remote, having fallen open at a section on ghosts. <br><br><em>Poltergeist (from German poltern, meaning to rumble or make noise, and Geist, meaning "ghost", "spirit", or "embodiment") denotes a demonic spirit or ghost that manifests itself by moving and influencing objects.</em><br><br>Before she could reach the book, the pages turned in a sudden, cool draught. The side door, that lead into the kitchen, creaked in the breeze.
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				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>23-12-2008, 04:51:16</strong>
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				<em>The sound of the television shocked her awake.&nbsp; She had been having the most delicious dream about that new actor in that new horror movie, and he was just about to rescue her from a horrible monster when she was rudely awakened.</em><br><br>"Well damnit!&nbsp; That just wasn't fair."&nbsp; <em>She said most seriously, then giggled.&nbsp; She stopped&nbsp; giggling when her eye caught the page her book opened to, and she reached to pick it up.&nbsp; She shut off the television, and sat up completely, about to find the page she had seen when she noticed the open door.</em><br><br>"Now I KNOW I left that closed...and I'm pretty sure it was locked even."<br><br><em>Kristi got up off the sofa and went to the door, examining the knob, lock, and faceplate in the door jamb.&nbsp; Nothing looked amiss, and when she shut the door it locked in place firmly.&nbsp; Kristi shook her head and tried to come up with an explanation.<br><br>Had someone come into the house while she'd been sleeping?&nbsp; The thought gave her a bit of a shiver.<br><br>She set down the book, page forgotten, and turned on lights as she walked through the house checking for burglers, or rapists.</em>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>23-12-2008, 05:06:23</strong>
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				As she moved through the house carefully, the sitcom carried on, the young husband proudly describing each room. <br><br>It almost seemed that he was discussing each of the rooms in Kristi's house as she entered them.<br><br>"And here's the living room, where we'll be able to watch television, listen to the radio, play records, see the neighbours -"<br>"If we like the neighbours," the wife interjected, drawing the exaggerated laughter of a recorded audience.<br><br>"The study," the husband went on as Kristi searched one of the bedrooms, which may well once have been a study. <br>"Where you'll be hiding from doing the dishes."<br>"Oh yes I will!"<br><br>Just then, over the canned laughter, she heard a creak above her. Like someone moving in the attic.
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				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>23-12-2008, 05:11:12</strong>
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				"I must be losing my mind for real now."<br><br><em>The television was on again!&nbsp; Kristi listened to the show, and found it more than a little peculiar that the theme of the show seemed to coincide with her house!</em><br><br>"Ok Kristi, now you're just being silly."<br><br><em>As she spoke she heard someone upstairs and froze.&nbsp; But she only remained still for seconds before she ran to the stairs that led to the attic door, and up to see what was causing the noise.</em>
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				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>23-12-2008, 05:16:57</strong>
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				"And there's an attic big enough to -"<br>"Set up a card table and invite all your friends over?"<br>"Would I do that?"<br><br>Kristi's bare feet on the steps covered the sounds of a decades-old audience laughing, before she pushed the attic door open, to reveal - nothing.<br><br>The boxes she had stored up here were exactly where she left them.<br><br>Except... in the corner, where the former tenants' boxes had been left behind, there was a box sitting there again.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>23-12-2008, 05:26:32</strong>
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				"Okay, this is just nuts!"<br><br><em>Where in the hell had that box come from?&nbsp; She had taken all those old boxes down to the garbage yesterday, and was sure the only boxes that remained in the attic were those she had things in.<br><br>She stood in the attic was looked the box over, not knowing if she expected it to move, disappear, or what.&nbsp; After about five minutes of watching nothing happen, Kristi walked to the box, moving some of her own out of the way, and opened it to see what was inside.<br><br>It never occurred to her to think anything sinister was going on...at least not yet.</em>
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				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>23-12-2008, 05:51:29</strong>
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				The box was closed but the tape was already cut. <br><br>Opening it, Kristi found soft pink fabric. The same skirt she found yesterday? But looking at it, perhaps it was a little smaller, closer to her own size.
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				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>23-12-2008, 06:01:56</strong>
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				<em>She took the skirt out of the box, and found a blouse beneath it.&nbsp; The blouse was white and seemed to be the type a person would wear with a pink poodle skirt.<br><br>Standing, Kristi held the skirt up to herself, and pulled the waistband close, thinking, somehow, the skirt looked like it would fit.&nbsp; Not really understanding why, she decided to try it on, and took the blouse too, down to her bedroom.<br><br>Removing her jeans and sweater, Kristi put the skirt on, then the blouse, and tucked the blouse in.&nbsp; An idea struck her and she went to her closet where she found a wide black belt that she wrapped around her waist too, thinking it might be just the right touch.<br><br>Closing her closet door, Kristi looked into the full length mirror and admired the way the skirt and blouse fit, and looked on her.&nbsp; For a second she wished she had long hair that she could have put into a ponytail, but had to settle for the curls that covered her head.<br><br>Walking about while looking into the mirror, Kristi could almost imagine herself back in the 50s, when this type of clothing was popular.&nbsp; How fun it must have been going to a sock hop, and dancing the jitter bug to rock and roll.&nbsp; She danced around her room to her own music before falling onto her bed in a fit of laughter.<br><br>How odd to find these clothes, and even odder how normal she felt wearing them.</em>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>23-12-2008, 06:18:39</strong>
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				The blouse fit perfectly, but the waistband of the skirt was a little tight, so she couldn't quite fasten the top button. The wide circle skirt hung around her legs, cool and soft, flaring out slightly as she moved. The size of it would probably be enough to add a crinoline underneath. <br><br>She could see and feel how the skirt moved before she bounced onto the bed and looked up at the ceiling. <br><br>And then she heard the doorbell ring.
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				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>23-12-2008, 06:44:11</strong>
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				<em>Bounding off the bed, with a renewed energy, and excitement, Kristi ran to the front door and pulled it open wide.&nbsp; There before her was a quite good looking guy, who appeared to be about her age, give or take a year or two.</em><br><br>"Hi there!&nbsp; Can I help you with something?"<br><br><em>She really wanted to invite him in, show him her new house, and find out all about him, but then she recognized that he might be selling siding, or insurance, or merely be lost and seeking directions.&nbsp; Or...he might be a kidnapper!&nbsp; Her mind was full of all kinds of ideas, and most she knew were absurd and ridiculous...but fun!<br><br>Straightening herself, Kristi transformed into a much more serious adult, and waited to hear what the man wanted.</em>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>25-12-2008, 00:11:04</strong>
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				The young man blinked, then smiled. "Well, I was actually wondering the same thing. Er, um... I'm Martin. Dewar. I live across the street, number 237." He pointed with his thumb to the similar house opposite. "And I saw you were in the process of moving in, so I thought I'd see... if you need a hand with anything." He paused, looking at her, visibly trying to regain his train of thought. "Oh, and I brought brownies. My mother always did that when someone moved in when I was growing up, so it seemed like a good call." He held up a somewhat transparent plastic tub with small brown objects inside.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>25-12-2008, 00:33:41</strong>
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				"Well aren't you so very thoughtful!&nbsp; Please, won't you come in?&nbsp; I can make coffee...or tea...or have a couple bottles of stronger stuff if you'd like!"<br><br><em>Her first guest!&nbsp; Her first neighbor!&nbsp; Kristi was so excited!</em><br><br>"I'm Kristi...Kristi Turlington...but no..."<br><br><em>She frowned...then realized perhaps she was speaking out of context and might have inadvertenly said something to confuse Martin.</em><br><br>"I mean yes...well no..."&nbsp; <em>She laughed and found she was a little nervous.</em><br><br>"I'm all unpacked, and really, there isn't anything else to do, but thank you for asking!<br><br>Won't you please sit down?"
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>25-12-2008, 00:51:19</strong>
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				He watched her shifting reactions curiously, then finally nodded and smiled as she asked him to sit. "Thanks. And I think coffee goes well with brownies? But whatever you're having, that's fine."<br><br>As he went the way she pointed, he looked around with interest. "So, ah, looks like you're decorating. Going back to the original 50s style?"
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>25-12-2008, 06:54:15</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				"Coffee it is then!&nbsp; I'll just be a sec...please, make yourself at home."<br><br><em>Lucky the living room and kitchen were in close enough proximatey that Kristi could continue to talk to Martin as she got the coffee ready.</em><br><br>"Is that when this was built...the 50s?&nbsp; I'm such a dunce when it comes to that kind of stuff.&nbsp; I am decorating, but mostly with the few odds and ends I've picked up since I moved away from home.&nbsp; This is my first house, and I don't want to go out and just by a bunch of junk to fill it with...I do want it to look cohesive."<br><br><em>Getting the coffee ready, Kristi pulled out a couple of her new plates, and napkins, then remembered she hadn't taken the brownies from her neighbor!</em><br><br>"I'm sorry, I forgot to get these."&nbsp; <em>She blushed softly when she returned to Martin, and took the container.</em>&nbsp; "Blame it on the excitement of having my first visitor!"<br><br><em>Back in the kitchen the coffee had started to drip, and Kristi arranged the brownies on a large plate, grabbed the two smaller ones, and napkins, then placed them all on a cute little tray she had picked up from an antique store.</em><br><br>"So how long have you lived in the neighborhood?"
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>25-12-2008, 14:44:33</strong>
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				"Yes, the whole street was put up in '53-54, part of the whole suburban expansion along with the campus..." He trailed off as she returned for the brownies. "Oh, sorry. I would have just taken them out of the container, save you the washing-up."<br><br>He looked around again as she discussed her plans. "This is a good start - looks like a lot of this is original, or fitting in with the style. My place was pretty much reworked in the seventies, so everything's kind of cobbled together."<br><br>As Kristi took out the tray and called through to ask how long Martin had been here, a white half apron slipped off a hook inside the cupboard. Not one she remembered putting there.<br><br>"Oh, about a year now. I'm slowly but surely doing the place up..."
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>25-12-2008, 16:22:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Oh I don't mind washing dishes, and I do like having a reason to use them." <em>She smiled at her new friend, being quite honest.&nbsp; Any excuse to play hostess...<br><br>Seeing the apron fall, from the corner of her eye, Kristi reached over and picked it up and wondered where it had come from.&nbsp; She looked it over,&nbsp; and didn't recognize it at all, but saw her broom, and dust pan standing next to it.&nbsp; She had put things in the cupboard earlier...wouldn't she have noticed a stray apron then?&nbsp; How very odd.<br><br>But she didn't spend any more time with the apron.&nbsp; Her guest was waiting in the livingroom.&nbsp; She hung the apron back up, and went to pour the coffee.</em><br><br>"You sure seem to know a lot about the area for only being here a year.&nbsp; Did you research it?"<br><br><em>With the tray now holding the coffee and mugs too, Kristi returned to the living room, and placed it on the coffee table.&nbsp; She took a seat on the sofa, and began to pour the steaming brown liquid.</em><br><br>"Oh where is my head!?&nbsp; Do you take cream or sugar?"<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>26-12-2008, 04:23:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The soft, frilled cotton apron went back on its hook and stayed there.<br><br>Martin called over as she poured the coffee. "Professional hazard, I'm an architect. So I can assure you that the place is structurally sound," he added with a chuckle.<br><br>He watched her sit and pour. "Oh, a little milk, one sugar. I can get it if you like." He pushed himself up from the chair across from her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>26-12-2008, 06:52:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"An architect?&nbsp; How exciting!&nbsp; Then I hope you won't mind if I pick your brain sometime in the future.&nbsp; I might like to add on to the house, for I'm planning on living here a long time, but would really like a second bathroom.&nbsp; I'll certainly pay you, if you wouldn't mind?"<br><br><em>Kristi didn't mind Martin helping himself in her kitchen, but followed him in case he needed to know where anything was kept.</em><br><br>"I know it was built well because I had a friend look it over before I signed the papers...the foundation is good, and the load bearing supports are, as you say, structurally sound.&nbsp; It is funny though, as I do occasionally seem to feel a draft, but its not consistent.&nbsp; It may be that I'm imagining it too...being the first place where I've lived on my own...maybe I still need to get used to that."<br><br><em>The milk was easy enough to find in her refrigerator, and as for the sugar, Kristi got the sugar bowl down from a cupboard over her counter, and handed it to him with a spoon.</em><br><br>"I was lucky this house sat on one of the larger lots, there should be room to build a small bath, don't you think?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>26-12-2008, 22:16:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Oh, well, I'm only a junior in the firm... I can probably help with an extension like that, though. And it shouldn't take so long that I'd feel like I should charge you, anyway."<br><br>Martin looked around for a moment, raised a hand and moved it slowly through the air, then shrugged. "Hmm, I don't feel a draught myself. It could just be the heating circulating the air, it's never entirely constant with big rooms like these... Want some milk yourself?" he added, holding the carton towards her as he took the sugar bowl.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>27-12-2008, 03:05:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Junior?&nbsp; Well that still must be something.&nbsp; You don't look very old...that should be an accomplishment I'd think."<br><br><em>Kristi was impressed anyway.<br><br>Seeing Martin had his milk and sugar she made a mental note to get cream the next time she went to market, and went back into the living room to sit.</em><br><br>"No thank you...I either drink it black, or with lots of chocolate and cream.&nbsp; I forgot to get the chocolate and cream at the grocery last time I went."<br><br><em>She shrugged, and hoped the milk would suffice for him.</em><br><br>"We'll see how long it takes, and then decide.&nbsp; Maybe if you won't take money I can do something for you...cook you some dinners, or other things you might not have time or skills for."<br><br><em>Kristi wasn't above bartering, and was already thinking if she got some of her friends to come over and help her paint, she would treat them to beer and pizza.</em><br><br>"Are you married Martin?&nbsp; Any kids?"<br><br><em>She was being nosy, without doubt, but didn't neighbors ask such things?&nbsp; If he did have a wife waiting at home, she didn't want to cause problems having him stay too long.&nbsp; If he didn't, she didn't have to rule him out as possible date material.&nbsp; Unless he was gay, of course.&nbsp; That was something that would take a bit longer to find out, but Kristi selfishly hoped not.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>27-12-2008, 05:29:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He smiled self-effacingly as she looked impressed at his title.<br><br>"Ahh, no, just me," Martin answered her last question. "And I'm always partial to a home cooked meal." He smiled broadly as he followed her back to the living room. <br><br>"So how about you, what do you do?... Try one, see what you think," he added as he leaned over and picked up a brownie before sitting opposite her. "They're the best thing I cook, I admit..."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>27-12-2008, 06:25:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>She took the brownie, a napkin, and a bite of the chocolate sweetness before she responded.</em><br><br>"Well, to be honest, I really haven't been cooking very long, but I have found I can follow a recipe well, and seem to have a natural knack for it.&nbsp; I'll have to try something out on you first, and then you can decide if its worth helping me for."<br><br><em>She didn't know Martin well, but already liked him.&nbsp; He was easy to talk to.</em><br><br>"I work for Halston Insurance...have you heard of them?"&nbsp; <em>They were one of the most well known and prestigious insurance companies across the nation, but that didn't mean EVERYONE knew of them, so Kristi always asked.</em>&nbsp; "I was lucky, and got hired on right out of school.&nbsp; I started out in customer service but soon worked my way up and now supervise twenty property adjusters."<br><br><em>She liked her job, and felt she was doing good with it, but didn't expect many others to find it interesting.&nbsp; So she didn't belabor Martin with many details.<br><br>Taking a sip of her coffee, she smiled.&nbsp; Sitting in her living room as she was...it was just like she imagined it would be having guests over, and being a hostess.&nbsp; She thoroughly enjoyed it...at least until she was struck by another draft of cold air, which made her shiver.&nbsp; She tried to ignore it though, not wanting to disrupt her nice little visit with her neighbor.</em><br><br>"How did you get into architecture?"<br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>27-12-2008, 16:53:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I'm sure if you can do better than defrost a pizza it'll be worth helping you," he assured her with a grin.<br><br>He nodded as she named Halston Insurance. "We do estimates for them at times. You might have seen us - Carson Moore and Associates. I'm one of the associates," he added with a self-deprecating smile.<br><br>As she suppressed a shiver, the draught seemed to lessen, becoming a cool breeze over her exposed calves and feet.<br><br>"I started with Lego," he chuckled, then looked over his cup at her. "Are you alright? You look a little cold."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>27-12-2008, 17:06:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Of course I know Carson Moore...and Associates.&nbsp; I'm glad to meet the Associates!"<br><br><em>She giggled at the 'Legos' remark, almost able to see the younger Martin playing with the toys.<br><br>But her words were true, even if it wasn't her job to deal with architects or contractors directly.&nbsp; Her impression of Martin was raised higher hearing he was employed by such an impressive and prestigious firm.&nbsp; Not that she would have liked him any less had he been with a lesser known firm, but it said a lot about him knowing he worked there too.</em><br><br>"Yes, I just felt another one of those air pockets...if I didn't know better, I might think this house was haunted.&nbsp; You know how you hear about haunted houses, and the way there are cold places in them."<br><br><em>She was teasing about the haunting, but the thought did lead her to remember her earlier event in the attic.</em><br><br>"That does bring up another odd occurrence I witnessed today though."<br><br><em>Kristi went on to explain how she had moved the boxes from the attic, yet found one of the boxes had somehow materialized there again.&nbsp; And while she still thought she had just probably forgotten it, it did lend a bit of interesting mystery if she could now equate it to a haunting as well.</em><br><br>"And let us not forget that apron!"<br><br><em>Shaking her head in jest, it seemed it would take a lot more than that to convince Kristi anything was amiss.&nbsp; She nibbled the brownie, and sipped her coffee but her thoughts of hauntings vanished.</em><br><br>"Have you met our other neighbors?&nbsp; Are they all as nice as you?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>27-12-2008, 20:34:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"So some boxes and an apron have appeared mysteriously? Hmmm..." Martin looked thoughtful for a moment, then shrugged and smirked. <br><br>"Well, if you <em>are</em> worried, you could set up some security cameras. I can probably borrow some from our resource centre." He paused, seeing that she wasn't concerned.<br><br>Asked about the neighbours, he nodded. "Well, there's John and Alice on your left, Frank on your right... no, none of them are as nice as me." He grinned at the joke.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>28-12-2008, 01:21:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Though she did admit it was odd, Kristi wasn't quite yet convinced her home was haunted, nor even that curious.&nbsp; She would take what Martin said under advisement, and if further things were found to occur, she might take him up on his offer.&nbsp; For now she put those thoughts aside.</em><br><br>"John and Alice, ok.&nbsp; Frank?&nbsp; Is he single?&nbsp; Even if he isn't as nice as you...maybe I have a friend."&nbsp; <em>Kristi laughed, then realized what she had said.&nbsp; She hoped she didn't scare Martin off, having him thinking she was setting her sights on him.&nbsp; Sure she thought he was good looking, and sure he was very friendly, but she wasn't in any hurry to rush into anything.&nbsp; Right now her new home was keeping her plenty busy.&nbsp; She couldn't help the light pinkness that rose in her cheeks though.&nbsp; She was a little embarrassed for speaking out like she had.</em><br><br>"Can I get you a refill on your coffee?"<br><br><em>Moving on to other topics...</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>28-12-2008, 02:40:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He chuckled at her comment, then his smile softened as he saw her start to blush. "Maybe you do." <br><br>He gave a slight nod and handed over his cup as she changed the subject. "Sure. And, honest opinion, what did you think? Of the brownies," he added after a moment's pause.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>28-12-2008, 04:57:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Pouring him more coffee, Kristi topped her's off too, before sitting down again.</em><br><br>"Oh I'm such a horrid hostess!&nbsp; Those brownies are delicious...really...made just the way I like them.&nbsp; Some people make them too cakey...and some make them too gooey...but yours seem to be just right.&nbsp; I love the way they're kind of chewy along the edges too.&nbsp; I'd ask for the recipe, but sometimes its nicer having somethings only others can do.&nbsp; They remain special like that, don't you think?<br><br>Honest!"<br><br><em>She laughed softly when she added her confirmation.<br><br>And then Kristi remembered how she was dressed, and squealed slightly.</em><br><br>"Well for heaven sake!&nbsp; You must really think I'm queer, dressing like I've dressed.&nbsp; These are the clothes I found in the box in the attic...the box I swear I took out to the curb yesterday."<br><br><em>Kristi stood up after placing her coffee on the table, and gave her skirt a short spin.</em><br><br>"Funny, don't you think?&nbsp; That someone would leave behind a perfectly good poodle skirt, and nice blouse?"<br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>29-12-2008, 00:16:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I'm glad you like them. And yes, a magician should keep some secrets," he chuckled as she reviewed his brownies.<br><br>He watched her spin around as he got up, as the full skirt flared slightly with her twirl. "Well, ah, I didn't think it looked that odd, really. It doesn't actually have a poodle on it or anything, it fits you, and you don't have the whole costume. That <em>would</em> be kinda strange. But, um, as it's just the skirt and top, it... looks nice on you." He smiled gently. <br><br>Then he frowned thoughtfully. "I don't know what it'd be doing here, though. The guys who moved out last month were all, well, <em>guys</em>."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>29-12-2008, 00:41:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Kristi blushed again at the compliment, even if she practically solicited it herself.&nbsp; She also thought Martin was going out of his way to make her feel at home, and good about her house.<br><br>At least until he made his last comment, which gave Kristi a little shiver up her spine.&nbsp; She sure was shivering a lot lately.</em><br><br>"All guys huh...even weirder.&nbsp; But I suppose this box could have been in the attic for several years...you know, the style and all."<br><br><em>Her mind considered things thoughtfully, and she tapped her bottom lip with her finger as she considered alternatives.&nbsp; Eventually she came up empty of ideas, so she returned her attention to Martin.</em><br><br>"Don't mind me.&nbsp; I'm sure there's some totally reasonable explanation.&nbsp; It's all probably part of living alone, in my own house, and a house that undoubtedly has some kind of history as well.<br><br>Do you know anything about the people who had your house before you moved in?"<br><br><em>It seemed best to change the subject, and turning it back to Martin seemed easiest too.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>29-12-2008, 01:01:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Could be," he nodded in agreement to her suggestion that the box might predate the students.<br><br>"Well, I bought it from them, so I met them, oh, four whole times. They needed somewhere bigger because they had their first child on the way. They assured me that the guys here were pretty quiet. Which they were... they had a few girlfriends over now and then, but not a lot of wild parties or anything."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>29-12-2008, 01:22:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Now that news made Kristi smile.</em><br><br>"I'm glad to hear you had a good, normal couple.&nbsp; That was something I thought the first time I saw this house, and the neighborhood.&nbsp; It just struck me as a nice, quiet family type street.&nbsp; I could see myself just starting out, newly married, and even raising a baby here.&nbsp; It would be too small for more than one though.&nbsp; Not that I have it in my mind to have a dozen, or anything like that."<br><br><em>Kristi grimaced, but then laughed.&nbsp; She did want children, but right now was thinking more along the lines of one...or two, with three on the very outside.<br><br>She was old fashioned enough too though, to want to marry first.&nbsp; Having grown up with both parents, and having those same parents still, she had seen that even though things could get hairy sometimes, staying together and being happy could happen.&nbsp; It just took extra work.<br><br>But again she got distracted, and made herself focus back on her guest.</em><br><br>"And how do you usually keep busy during the weekends?"<br><br><em>She wanted to know about Martin because she liked him, and hoped to get the chance to see him often.&nbsp; But suddenly her questions sounded more like a job interview.</em><br><br>"Please forgive me if I sound like I'm discussing your resume.&nbsp; I really do have better manners than that."<br><br><em>She shook her head, and rolled her eyes at herself.&nbsp; She'd be lucky now if Martin ever even waved hello to her.&nbsp; She was being such a goof.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>29-12-2008, 01:32:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He chuckled at her last comment. "It's fine, really, I don't mind at all." He sat back. "I suppose I do a few different things at weekends. We tend to hit a couple bars on Friday nights, depending on what the guys at work are doing. Not too much, though. Saturdays tend to be a bit quieter - stock up, read the paper, I try and mow the lawn at least once a month. How about you?" he added, looking genuinely curious rather than just askign out of politeness.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>29-12-2008, 01:59:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Kristi thought Martin was being kind, but accepted it gladly.</em><br><br>"My parents rent a houseboat in the summer, so I spend quite a bit of time on the lake, and in the winter, well they have a cabin in the mountains, so..."<br><br><em>She waved her hand as if to indicate he could tell where she went in the winter.</em><br><br>"The spring, well this coming spring I want to start a garden...I've always wanted a garden, and have just the perfect place for it."<br><br><em>She thought she was rambling, so Kristi took another sip of coffee.&nbsp; Sometimes she would get to talking to, or about her family, and others would have a rough time getting a word in.&nbsp; So over time Kristi had learned to always have a drink around, so she could pause and give those around her time to say something.</em><br><br>"But I also like music, and read a great deal, and even sketch a bit, though I'm by no means an artist."<br><br><em>And when he spoke of mowing his lawn, Kristi remembered something.</em><br><br>"Speaking of lawns, do you think I might be able to borrow your lawn mower until I get one?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>30-12-2008, 06:43:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He nodded as she asked about the lawnmower. "Absolutely. And then I can bore you about the kinds of soil and the best sorts of plants for the shelter in various places. I could probably design a planting plan if you don't stop me." He chuckled. <br><br>"But we'll face that danger when it arises. Any other supplies you need in the meantime? I'd suggest the vaccuum cleaner, but this place is spotless."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>30-12-2008, 08:14:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I may take you up on that as well.&nbsp; I have some ideas about the kinds of vegetables I want in my garden, but not a lot of knowledge about what will grow best here.&nbsp; A planting plan might be a bit ambitious for me though.&nbsp; We'll see."<br><br><em>The conversation seemed to flow as if Kristi had known Martin for a long time.&nbsp; It led her to wonder if there was something to 'kindred spirits'.&nbsp; But the idea seemed too far fetched to ask him about it.&nbsp; She didn't want him to think she was completely wacko at least until he got to know her better.</em><br><br>"Thanks, but I think I've got everything I need to clean house.&nbsp; My mom bought me a vacuum as a sort of house warming gift.&nbsp; If you knew my mom that would make complete sense to you, and you'd also know why the house is clean now.&nbsp; Although I did just move in...haven't really had much time to get it too messy."<br><br><em>Involuntarily Kristi stifled a yawn, covering it with the palm of her hand.</em><br><br>"Well excuse me.&nbsp; I didn't think it was getting THAT late."&nbsp; <em>She was a little tired, having been up so early, and with all the unpacking.&nbsp; She didn't really want to ask Martin to go though.&nbsp; It was just so pleasant having company in her little house. </em><br><br>"More coffee?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>01-01-2009, 21:15:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I managed to make my place look a mess before I was done unpacking. I think it's a skill..." Martin chuckled with a self-deprecating smile.<br><br>He nodded to her offer of another cup of coffee. "If you're having some, but I should let you get some sleep." He smiled gently as he stood up to carry the mug back into the kitchen.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>02-01-2009, 01:06:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>She laughed at his joke, understanding completely how such a thing could happen.<br><br>Kristi also didn't really want Martin to leave, but she was growing tired.&nbsp; At least he was her neighbor, and she was now counting on both getting to know him better, as well as seeing him more often.&nbsp; To make sure that happened, Kristi decided to invite him over for dinner, later in the week.</em><br><br>"I suppose I really should get to bed, as much as I wish I could avoid it."&nbsp; <em>The comment came out of her mouth before she realized it, and Kristi stopped to consider what was behind it.<br><br>She had been sleeping alright since moving into her new house, even if she woke up a little more often.&nbsp; Funny though, she now recalled how she'd had the feeling of someone watching her as well.&nbsp; The sensation had occurred just after she woke up, so she probably forgot about it for the most part.&nbsp; But now the feelings came back to her, and she began to understand some of her apprehensions.<br><br>Kristi decided not to bring it up to Martin, since it sounded absurd even to her.</em><br><br>"I would like to invite you over for dinner this week though, if you happen to have a free night?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>02-01-2009, 02:13:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Martin raised an eyebrow at her comment about not wanting to go to bed. "Still a lot to get done?"<br><br>He smiled at her offer, and nodded. "I'd be delighted. I should have Tuesday free after six-ish, or Thursday if that's easier. Should I bring anything? Wine at least - don't say no."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>02-01-2009, 02:22:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>She almost told Martin about her eerie feelings, but decided to wait.&nbsp; If they continued she might bring it up over dinner on...</em><br><br>"Tuesday is perfect. say seven?&nbsp; Unless that's too late.&nbsp; And wine would be very nice...something white, and dry, if you insist."<br><br><em>She had a decent hand when it came to chicken dishes, and white wine would go with anything she might come up with.&nbsp; That would also give her plenty of time to plan a menu, and get to the grocery store to pick up what she needed.&nbsp; It should also give her time to finish all her unpacking, cleaning, and even allow her to add some extra touches, like fresh flowers.<br><br>She wasn't going to read anything into what little familiarity she already felt for Martin, and wasn't going to read anything into the possibilities that now existed.&nbsp; All she was going to do was look forward to making a nice dinner, and having someone to share it with.&nbsp; And Tuesday, being nearer, would be perfect!<br><br>She followed him into the kitchen carrying the tray, and set it on the counter.&nbsp; Again she yawned, and again she covered her mouth with her hand.</em><br><br>"Oh excuse me please...I really must be a lot more tired than I thought."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>02-01-2009, 02:30:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I do insist. Seven, and a dry white it is. Fish or chicken? Or if you're a vegetarian - I'll eat anything. And do my best to clean my plate too." Martin smiled.<br><br>"Darn it, I put too much hash in the brownies again." Then he grinned, clearly joking. His grin fading to a warm smile, he added "you keep them, the box should keep them fresh. And I can get it back on Tuesday."<br><br>"Anyway, I should let you get some rest."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>02-01-2009, 05:45:12</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>How very lucky Kristi was, to meet someone like Martin the minute she moved in.&nbsp; The girls at work had kept telling her how lonely she would be, and how her neighbors would all probably be married, or senior citizens.&nbsp; They kept saying how single men only owned homes if they were gay, or married.<br><br>Kristi looked at Martin again, but mentally shook her head.&nbsp; She didn't think he was gay.&nbsp; Of course it wouldn't matter, not really, not yet.&nbsp; She liked him, but it wasn't like she expected anything of their relationship, other than friendship.<br><br>But he was cute, and he was so nice.<br><br>She giggled when he joked about the drugs in the brownies.&nbsp; She had tried a few things in her life, but tried to keep as legal as possible, and didn't keep any pot, or hash, or anything similar in her house.&nbsp; Again it wouldn't have mattered if Martin liked to imbibe on occasion...it was his life.<br><br>Kristi was also happy he was kidding.<br><br>Nodding, she walked him to the door, and opened it for him,</em><br><br>"I'm sorry I'm such a party pooper.&nbsp; I'm usually a lot more lively.&nbsp; It must be the moving.&nbsp; I promise on Tuesday I won't fall asleep in the soup...and it's chicken, unless you'd prefer fish?&nbsp; In either case you should be safe...especially if you'll eat anything."<br><br><em>She had so enjoyed his company, and was looking forward to Tuesday more and more with each passing minute.<br><br>Hugging the box of brownies to her chest, Kristi held out her hand.&nbsp; It was kind of a formal way of saying good bye, but she didn't think a kiss would be appropriate this soon.</em><br><br>"Thanks again for the brownies, and thank your mama next time you talk to her too.&nbsp; See you Tuesday!"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>02-01-2009, 06:27:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Chicken's fine," he assured her. He took her hand gently, giving it a light squeeze. <br><br>"I will. See you soon."<br><br>He stepped out, waving before she closed the door.<br><br>Inside, the house seemed warmer, more welcoming, certainly easier to sleep in than the strangely draughty and cold way it had been earlier.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>02-01-2009, 07:03:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Cleaning up the dishes, Kristi straightened up the livingroom, took a shower, and slipped into bed.&nbsp; She really was tired.&nbsp; So tired in fact that she didn't bother to dig pajamas out of her dresser.&nbsp; <br><br>The feelings of being watched were gone, or forgotten.&nbsp; Kristi checked the heater's thermostat before going to bed, turned it down, opened her bedroom window a couple inches, THEN slipped into bed.&nbsp; Snuggled beneath her sheets, and quilt, Kristi was asleep in minutes, and dreamed of buildings designed by marvelous architects.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>02-01-2009, 22:04:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				When she woke it was morning again, although it had not been that late when she went to bed - she must have slept a good eleven hours.<br><br>The pink skirt and white blouse were folded neatly on a chair near the bed, with one of her pairs of shoes sitting under it. Black slip-ons with a kitten heel that she hardly ever wore and could not remember unpacking...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>03-01-2009, 01:00:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Kristi woke, and stretched.&nbsp; She felt wonderful!&nbsp; Taking stock of things around her she saw the sun was shining outside, and could even hear birds singing.&nbsp; She smiled.&nbsp; She had a new friend, and hadn't felt watched last night at all.<br><br>Once she climbed out of bed and went to the closet to get clothes to dress in, she notice the skirt and blouse she had tossed in the hamper were now sitting pretty on the chair next to her dresser.&nbsp; Had she not tossed them into the hamper after she took them off last night?&nbsp; Had she really been that tired that she would forgetting folding them and putting them on the chair?&nbsp; She looked at the clock and noticed she had slept a full eleven hours, something completely unheard of for her, and guessed maybe she had been just that tired.<br><br>Shrugging, Kristi was about to leave the room, feeling her stomach grumble in hunger, when she saw the shoes.</em><br><br>"Whoa...okay...I KNOW I didn't put those there."<br><br><em>She was talking to herself, but right then needed to hear the sound of a familiar voice for comfort.&nbsp; There was something going on in this house and she was going to need to figure out what.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>03-01-2009, 03:38:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The skirt and blouse appeared to be quite clean and ready to wear again. The belt hung over the back of the chair as well, just like she would do with it if she had not had time to wash the outfit. The shoes, however, had definitely been moved. Nothing else seemed to have been disturbed at all...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>03-01-2009, 04:57:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Kristi had no desire to wear the skirt and blouse again, even if it looked perfectly fine.&nbsp; It was fun to wear once, but today she wanted to go into town and get some things at the grocery, and maybe even walk down Main Street, and check out the other shops, and meet some of the locals.&nbsp; <br><br>She also wanted to get everything she would need for dinner with Martin, even if she still had a few days before he would show up.&nbsp; Just in case she got really busy at work, she would feel terrible if the time came and she had no chicken!<br><br>And lastly she was going to call her mom, and invite her family to dinner on Saturday.&nbsp; She wanted to talk to them about what she'd seen, and been feeling in the house.&nbsp; Maybe they would have some fresh ideas about what might have been happening.<br><br>But she wanted to wear jeans, a sweater, and her Uggs, and NOT the poodle skirt and blouse.&nbsp; And certainly not those shoes, since they had pinched her feet since day one, which was why she rarely wore them.&nbsp; <br><br>After she had dressed, brushed her hair, and eaten breakfast, Kristi returned to her room and picked up the shoes.&nbsp; She couldn't think of a time in the future when she would want to wear them again, so she was going to get rid of them, once and for all.&nbsp; <br><br>When she grabbed her purse and headed to her car, Kristi dropped her shoes in a box she was going to take to the Goodwill, and put the box in the trunk of her car.&nbsp; Backing out of the driveway she saw Martin in his yard and gave him a friendly wave, as she drove off.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>03-01-2009, 05:20:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The jeans in her drawer were buried by several skirts and softer tops, but she was able to find them. Similarly, her plain bras and panties seemed to be hidden under her sexier and dressier ones, which she seemed to have more of than she really should. Her Uggs were still in their box, like the kitten-heeled shoes should have been.<br><br>Martin waved back with a cheerful smile as she drove off. <br><br>Reaching the charity shop, she handed in the closed box.<br><br>The town, now effectively a suburb after the city expanded around it, still had plenty of stores around the town hall square, dating back from the post-war expansion that preceded that. There was a coffee shop on one corner which must have been a malt shop when it was built half a century ago, for example, and the market had probably sold food for generations. Kristi was able to gather everything she needed easily.<br><br>When she reached home, Martin wasn't in his yard.<br><br>Opening the door, she felt a chill breeze as soon as she reached the kitchen.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>03-01-2009, 05:31:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Hi Mom?&nbsp; Yea...didn't take too long to find I needed a motherly voice, and advice, yea, I know."<br><br><em>Kristi laughed, and her mom had as well.&nbsp; They were quite close, and Kristi had been a little frightened when she first decided to buy a house and move out.&nbsp; But everyone in her family was so supportive that from that standpoint the move had been a success.<br><br>Not wanting to go into details about the 'problems' she was having with the house, Kristi just asked her mom if the family would like to come over for dinner on Saturday.&nbsp; It seemed to Kristi that once they arrived it would be a better time to talk about the cold drafts, strange occurrences with the clothes, and the feeling that someone was watching her.&nbsp; <br><br>But things were not to go as Kristi hoped, because the family was going away for the weekend, and the plans couldn't be changed.&nbsp; Her mom did promise they would try to show up the following weekend, but would call next week to let her know.&nbsp; After several minutes of catching up, Kristi said goodbye, and sent kisses to the rest of the family.<br><br>Feeling slightly depressed, Kristi put a jacket on over the sweater she'd put on when she got home, and went outside into her yard.<br><br>Walking around the back yard first, Kristi imagined the types of flowers she would plant, whether or not a pool might fit eventually, and if she wanted a wood deck, or a slate patio.&nbsp; Meandering around to the front of the house she also considered the types of flowers she thought would really play up the cottage look of the place.&nbsp; It was cold outside, but she was stalling.&nbsp; She just wasn't sure if she went back inside and found more things amiss, if she would be able to sleep in the house at all.<br><br>Sitting down on her front stoop, Kristi wished Martin had still be in his yard.&nbsp; She was very close to telling him how scared she was becoming in the house, and perhaps inviting him to stay over.&nbsp; But that was something she couldn't agree on for any length of time.&nbsp; One minute she thought it was a grand idea, and the next she knew it was absurd.<br><br>She wondered if she checked the yellow pages if she would find a real place called 'Ghostbusters'.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>03-01-2009, 05:40:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Hi."<br><br>Standing by the fence was a woman in her early thirties with her hair in short corn rows. She waved lightly. <br><br>"Thinking about what to do with the yard? I'm Alice." She gestured slightly to herself. "You must be Kristi? Martin said he met you last night."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>03-01-2009, 07:01:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>The woman's voice was surprising, but Kristi jumped up off the stoop, and walked over to greet her. Putting her hand out to shake, Kristi nodded, and smiled.</em><br><br>"He told me about you and your husband too.&nbsp; It's nice to meet you Alice."<br><br><em>Doing a half turn to survey her yard, then Alice's, Kristi again nodded.</em><br><br>"I think I have plans, but won't be able to really get them in motion until spring.&nbsp; I love what you've done with your yard though...if you have time maybe we could talk about how you got it to look so good some day."<br><br><em>Kristi had time now, but she wasn't going to be so presumptuous to assume Alice did.<br><br>Looking at Alice, Kristi thought she was pretty, but the corn rows made Kristi's head hurt.&nbsp; She had a friend do her hair like that in high school, when Kristi's hair had been longer, and only left it in one day, it hurt so bad.&nbsp; She guessed she must have a sensitive head, since so many people were able to wear them for months on end. </em><br><br>"That Martin, he really is sweet.&nbsp; He brought me brownies, and gave me a run down on the neighborhood...well, somewhat of one.&nbsp; He mentioned you and your husband were neighbors."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>03-01-2009, 11:48:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Alice nodded as Kristi asked about the yard. "I'm happy to. Of course, a lot of what I say will be 'I got that from a gardening show'," she chuckled.<br><br>"Yeah, Martin's a sweetheart. The whole neighbourhood's fairly new and kind of a 'dormitory' for work in the city, so after nine months we only know most people to nod to as they get in their cars on the way to work, but Marty makes an effort to say hi to people. So since I saw you sitting out here, I'm following his example."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>03-01-2009, 16:19:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Kristi liked Alice right off the bat...one of those instant chemistry things, she thought.&nbsp; Which was good, since they were neighbors.&nbsp; She supposed she could live her life like so many others, like Alice herself, just nodding hello as they passed on their way to work or the market, but she wanted to know her neighbors, and have relationships with them like her parents had with theirs, and like Kristi had with the neighbor kids when she was growing up.<br><br>She continued to smile when Alice mentioned 'Marty', and how he said 'Hi' to everyone, but inside she was a little disappointed.&nbsp; For a while Kristi had felt special, but now had to realize she was just another neighbor to Martin.&nbsp; Mentally she shrugged.&nbsp; She had just met him, and really didn't expect that much from the meeting.&nbsp; So if they were destined to just be neighbors too, Kristi would be okay. </em><br><br>"Its a good example to follow."&nbsp; <em>She agreed.</em><br><br>"So do you and your husband work?"&nbsp; <em>And with that thought Kristi wondered if any of the neighbors might be employed anywhere near her insurance company.&nbsp; With the price of gas these days, carpooling really was the sensible way to go.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>04-01-2009, 11:10:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Alice nodded in agreement. If she noticed a hint of Kristi's disappointment, she did not mention it.<br><br>"We're in catering, so we're sometimes very busy and sometimes not, but we always try to do be doing something. How about you?"<br><br>She paused as a car rolled up to the drive, and waved to a man her age with a neat moustache as he got out. "John, come over and meet our new neighbour."<br><br>"Oh, good evening, Kristi is it?" He walked towards them and offered her his hand.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>04-01-2009, 17:31:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Insurance.&nbsp; Halston Insurance?&nbsp; Probably not as fun as catering, but I know it and am good at it."<br><br><em>Her words stopped there as a car pulled up and a man got out, who she assumed must have been Alice's husband.</em><br><br>"Yes, Kristi.&nbsp; Nice to meet you John...sounds like Martin got to you as well?"<br><br><em>Kristi laughed and shook his hand firmly.</em><br><br>"I was just trying to pry landscaping secrets from your wife.&nbsp; Your yard is beautiful."<br><br><em>Without being obvious, or she hoped anyway, Kristi looked at Alice and John, and felt they suited each other.&nbsp; But beyond that, they were ever bit as...well almost as nice as Martin.&nbsp; She grinned when she remembered his comment.<br><br>It occurred to her then, since they were both there, and seemed friendly enough, to ask about her house.</em><br><br>"While you're both here, do you mind if I ask you a question about my house?&nbsp; I don't know how long you've lived here, but...hmmm...well some odd things have been happening, and I was just curious if anyone else who lived here mentioned anything to you?:<br><br><em>She had to approach the subject with some discretion as she didn't want them to think she was completely bat-shit insane.</em><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>05-01-2009, 02:31:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Alice nodded in slight recognition of the company name. "Always nice to know people are good at something like that," she added with a smile.<br><br>As Kristi asked about odd occurrences, they looked thoughtful. "Well, the last people in there were students, but they moved out before we moved in. The place has been pretty much quiet since then - plenty of people looking at it, but just one offer before you. The finances fell through, right?" Alice asked John.<br><br>He nodded. "Then the letting agent did some work on the insulation rather than bump down the price, that must have been before you found it..."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>05-01-2009, 02:58:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"They did say the insulation had been replaced, and upgraded.&nbsp; Which is really funny, because one of the things I seem to notice a lot are drafts."<br><br><em>She wished she hadn't said anything as the words came out of her mouth, because she didn't need Alice and John thinking their new neighbor was crackers too.&nbsp; Kristi was still a little afraid Martin already thought that.<br><br>But she let it slip and would now live with it.&nbsp; At least she hadn't said anything about the clothes appearing.&nbsp; Maybe the neighbors would just think Kristi was the kind of woman who was always cold.&nbsp; She wasn't, but it seemed plausible.</em><br><br>"I didn't realize that so many people were new to the neighborhood.&nbsp; I don't know why but I just assumed it was pretty well established.&nbsp; Kinda nice to know though...like moving into a new subdivision, but instead of brand new houses that lack character, and substance we all get well built homes that scream of history."<br><br><em>Which was the main reason Kristi bought her home.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>05-01-2009, 03:07:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Well, with everything being in boxes, the airflow's bound to be affected," John assured her.<br><br>Alice nodded. "The street's pretty much new since the students left last summer, because of the new housing on the other side of campus. I guess they like being five minutes closer and having wifi in all their rooms." She smirked. "And it worked out well for us."<br><br>John looked up at the sky. "Starting to get dark, I should get in and put the dinner on."<br><br>"Would you like to join us?" Alice added.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>05-01-2009, 05:29:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Wanting to let the subject drop, Kristi didn't tell John that she had already unpacked, and that there were not boxes to disrupt anything.</em><br><br>"Oh no, thanks, that's really nice, but you all go on along.&nbsp; I have a few more things I want to do around the house before I need to go back to work.&nbsp; <br><br>Can I have a rain check?"<br><br><em>Krisit imagined they invited her to be polite.&nbsp; It was short notice, and she knew she'd feel better if they did it some other time.&nbsp; She would be inviting them to her little house warming though, along with Martin, and possibly Frant.&nbsp; She hadn't met Frank yet, but he was also a neighbor, so she wouldn't omit him.<br><br>She turned toward her house and gave the couple a wave.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>06-01-2009, 02:43:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Alice smiled brightly and nodded. "You certainly can. I'm always happy to have an excuse to show off John's cooking."<br><br>They waved back as they headed inside, leaving Kristi alone again in the shadow of her house.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>06-01-2009, 02:51:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Time was going by so fast that Kristi could hardly believe not only was it growing dark already, but soon her vacation would be over, and she'd be back at work.<br><br>Walking inside she noticed the house had gone cold again, so she turned up the heat, and fixed herself a cup of hot cocoa.&nbsp; Taking it into the livingroom she picked up a romance novel she'd been reading, and sat down on the sofa.&nbsp; The book was very good, and Kristi found it even more interesting now than when she first bought it, mainly because of her new house.&nbsp; The story in the book was set in the mid fifties, and a lot of what she read she could now visualize better because her house could have been built just for the book!<br><br>Curling up in the corner of the couch, she sipped her cocoa and began reading.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>06-01-2009, 03:03:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Setting down her cocoa, she dropped the book.<br><br>The page she found it open at - she must have missed a few pages - described the woman preparing for a date in a fancy nightclub, going into plenty of detail.<br><br>'She stood up to check the lines of her girdle and smiled approvingly at the way it accentuated her figure gracefully, before carefully rolling on her black stockings and fastening them to her garters, taking care to keep the seams straight as they ran up her shapely legs.'<br><br>'Jane came in to help her into her gown, admiring the dazzling blue satin, carrying the shoes she had brought for her to try. "These should be good for dancing," she said as she set down the black kitten heels...'<br><br>The steam rising from Kristi's cup twisted in a chill breeze from nowhere.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>06-01-2009, 06:24:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Picking up the book, Kristi quickly read the page it opened to.&nbsp; It wasn't the last page she'd read, but she read it anyway.</em><br><br>"Girdle?!&nbsp; Oh my."<br><br><em>Growing up in the day of pantyhose, Kristi couldn't imagine wearing a girdle.&nbsp; She did think that a garter belt and&nbsp; stocking could be sexy, but a girdle?&nbsp; Apparently the heroine was a little chunky, or had some body image issues.&nbsp; Kristi just shook her head.&nbsp; Then she read about the 'black kitten heels", and froze.</em><br><br>"Well isn't that a coincidence."<br><br><em>And she did find it a little funny how she had just seen her own such shoes that morning.&nbsp; &nbsp;The steam rising from her cocoa distracted her for a second, but not for long.&nbsp; She was getting used to the strange drafts, and had decided if they got much worse she would need to call a contractor out to check the house.&nbsp; While she couldn't find any reason for the drafts, it didn't make sense that there wasn't any.&nbsp; She suspected there had to be a gap in the walls, doors, windows or heating vents...there just had to be.<br><br>Suddenly she was hit with an idea, and jumped from the couch, running to the kitchen.&nbsp; Once there she pulled open her 'junk drawer', and found a pencil an pad of paper.&nbsp; Leaning against the counter she jotted down all the strange things that had happened since she moved in...the clothes, the box in the attic, her shoes, the apron, the drafts...everything she could remember that when thought of by itself didn't seem that odd, but when lumped together with everything else, was beginning to sound...very strange.&nbsp; The first word that came to mind was haunted, but she refused to believe that, or voice it out loud.&nbsp; It could even explain why she often felt like someone was watching her.<br><br>After a while Kristi heated up some leftovers, watched a little television, and went to bed.&nbsp; The rest of the evening was uneventful, and she even managed to read a couple chapters of her book just before falling asleep.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>06-01-2009, 20:13:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				By the time Kristi closed the book and turned off the light, she had found where she was and reached the point of the heroine preparing for the dance. The authoress went on to describe putting on the dress, starched white petticoats, and white gloves and a matching shawl, pearl earrings and a necklace, and the details of her makeup and hair closely enough that the reader could probably do it herself from the description alone...<br><br>Kristi woke to cheerful singing. Chantilly lace and a pretty face and a pony tail a' hangin' down, a wigglin' walk an' a gigglin' talk - &nbsp;(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHLZ2w6XrA8) Her clock radio played loud enoguh to wake her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>06-01-2009, 20:31:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>The sound of the alarm nearly blew Kristi out of the bed, both because she hadn't set it, and because it was very loud, and not on a station she normally listened to.<br><br>It still took her a few seconds to wake up fully and get her head clear though, and when she did she recognized the song.&nbsp; Humming along a bit, she picked up her book and recalled the last couple paragraphs she had read, and how they happened to relate to the song.&nbsp; Then the clothes...again, relative to the period of time all these things seemed to co-exist in.<br><br>And the age of her house.&nbsp; There surely was more here than just coincidence.&nbsp; But her confusion as to how they were fully connected, and why she was being taunted with them was making her angry now.<br><br>Such a cheerful song, and yet Kristi was getting pissed!</em><br><br>"What is it you want of me?!?&nbsp; I know someone is there...are you enjoying this?&nbsp; Are you having fun teasing me with these things of the past?"<br><br><em>She growled as her frustrations heated up further, before she threw the book across the room and darted to the bathroom, afraid some ghostly hand might touch her shoulder otherwise.&nbsp; Slamming the door, and leaning against it while looking into the huge mirror, Kristi began to shake.<br><br>It occurred to her that maybe she needed to talk to someone who could be more objective.&nbsp; The problem that generated was...who might that be?</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>07-01-2009, 00:40:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Nothing responded to her shouts. With the alarm off, the house was completely still and quiet apart from her own deep, shuddering breaths. Her reflection stared back at her.<br><br>A warm breeze slid over her skin, ruffling her hair gently.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>07-01-2009, 00:51:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Well at least its warm air now."<br><br><em>She muttered quietly, as if an afterthought.&nbsp; <br><br>Jumping in for a quick shower, Kristi dressed, and grabbed her purse.&nbsp; She was too angry still to hang around the house, and almost wished she hadn't taken so much vacation time from work.&nbsp; But since she had nothing pressing to do around the house, she was going to check out the local library, and find out what she could ABOUT the house.<br><br>Locking everything up, she decided to take her bike instead of the car, since she knew the library was close.&nbsp; So focused on getting some information, Kristi didn't even think to look to see if Martin, or Alice, or John were out and about.&nbsp; She just hopped on her bike and took off, arriving at the library in under fifteen minutes.<br><br>She spoke to the librarian, and explained the kind of information she was seeking.&nbsp; Old deeds, plot maps, as well as any news paper articles that might mention the house in any way.&nbsp; The young man who ran the library was most helpful, though some of the items Kristi wanted were at City Hall, in the Records Department.&nbsp; So once she had found a few things, she copied them, and slid them inside her backpack, and got directions to City Hall.<br><br>Feeling hungry she stopped at a diner, and asked for a small breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, and coffee, and inquired with the waitresses to see if any of them knew about the house.&nbsp; Unfortunately they were either too young, or recently moved to the city, and she lucked out.<br><br>City Hall proved to be as helpful as the library, and the records she obtained copies of from there went into her back pack as well.&nbsp; She didn't see the need to read all the records there, thinking she would rather be at home...drafts and queer clothing be damned.<br><br>So after several hours out, Kristi finally returned around early afternoon, and plopped down on the floor, emptying her backpack of its contents, to lean up against the sofa and begin reading.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>07-01-2009, 01:37:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The house itself seemed normal enough from what she could find. It confirmed what Martin had told her, that it had been built during the postwar boom, and became de facto student housing when the new campus opened in the mid 1980s. Before that it had been owned by a single man, a couple and their child, and originally by a young couple, Francis and Cindy Stapleton.<br><br>This was the only time the house really garnered any attention. A copy of a faded newspaper cutting from the late 1950s, an obituary for a man on this street. <br><br>As she squinted at the page, the kitchen door opened and a gust of wind pulled it out of her hands.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>07-01-2009, 02:06:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Well, that really wasn't much...Hey!"<br><br><em>She grabbed after the newspaper, but it fluttered to the floor several feet across the livingroom.&nbsp; Crawling to it, Kristi picked it up, then looked a the open kitchen door...the door that she had locked, and not gone through since.</em><br><br>"Ugh...so I really don't know much more now than I did before, with the exception of the sketchy details of the prior inhabitants, and an obit that pertains to some man who just lived on the street."<br><br><em>She was talking to herself out loud, something she hadn't done but rarely before she moved into the house.&nbsp; She knew it gave her some comfort when things got a little spooky, but it wasn't a habit she intended on getting into. <br><br>Kristi knew she needed to talk to someone, but now she couldn't decide if it should be someone from the paranormal department at the university, or a psychiatrist.</em><br><br>"Mom?&nbsp; Do you still have the number for Doctor Craig?&nbsp; Yes, the psychologist that Aunt Sylvia saw last year?"<br><br><em>She had a tiny bit of knowledge about Doctor Craig, and none about the paranormal department at the university, so the former won out.</em><br><br>"Thanks Mom, and no, its nothing serious.&nbsp; I'll talk to you about it when I see you.&nbsp; Give my love to Dad, and thanks."<br><br><em>So now she had another avenue to try.&nbsp; It wasn't her first choice really, because she didn't want to think she was responsible for all the strange things.&nbsp; Yet she wasn't sure the other option wouldn't have been less scary.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>07-01-2009, 02:34:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As she closed the kitchen door the breeze swirled around her, playing across her top and jeans, almost feeling like fingers running through her hair.<br><br>The cutting was nowhere to be seen now.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>07-01-2009, 02:49:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>The warm breeze made her shiver, and with the now missing newspaper article a glaring reminder that things were just not right in the house, Kristi knew she couldn't put off the call any longer.&nbsp; However, with the missing newspaper clipping, she changed her mind about Doctor Craig, and called the university.&nbsp; Fortunately it was still early enough that the school was still fully staffed.&nbsp; </em><br><br>"Hi, yes, can I speak to the head of your Paranormal Department?&nbsp; What? Well, its about a haunted house..."<br><br><em>At least the girl on the other end of the phone didn't laugh, and put Kristi through to the department head's secretary.<br><br>At first the girl sounded skeptical as Kristi described the random things that kept happening, she went into minute detail, and soon the girl seemed to relent.&nbsp; She put the call through to the assistant to the department head, Jack Long, and Kristi was forced to repeat the story yet again.<br><br>Once she told Jack what little she knew about the house, including the year it was built, and how it seemed to have a connection with the clothes she kept finding, and other things, he seemed a lot more interested.&nbsp; He wanted to talk to Professor Roberts, before he set up an appointment to visit, but he assured the frightened woman they would be coming out to see whatever they might be privileged to see.<br><br>Not completely satisfied, and disappointed they couldn't come out sooner, Kristi asked that Jack call her back just as soon as they knew anything, and she'd be waiting.&nbsp; It occurred to her she might have received quicker attention if she had made her plight seem scarier...perhaps intimating she was in some sort of physical danger.&nbsp; But that was the one thing she had yet to feel.&nbsp; Irritated, confused, frustrated, and definitely spooked, but never in real danger.&nbsp; So at least she had that to console herself with until someone did arrive to begin to research whatever was going on.</em><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>07-01-2009, 03:13:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The "paranormal department" was part of the physics school, but they looked into local phenomena often enough. "It's almost always nothing," Dr. Long assured her. "Sometimes we can't find the answers, but we do our best. And we don't blow things up with proton packs. Usually."<br><br>The phone beeped as she hung up, and the house was silent and still again. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>07-01-2009, 05:31:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>The rest of her day was uneventful, thank the lord.&nbsp; Kristi really was looking forward to getting back to work, every day.<br><br>Later she did make the call to Doctor Craig, and booked an appointment.&nbsp; She talked herself into thinking it wouldn't hurt, and if nothing else, perhaps the doctor would tell her there really wasn't anything to be concerned with.&nbsp; All women her age imagined clothes appearing from no where, and strange drafts coming from places where air couldn't possibly get in.&nbsp; Oh, and how locked doors always just blew open for no apparent reason.<br><br>Taking a hot bath before bed, Kristi also had a glass of wine, hoping she might fall asleep quickly, and she did.<br><br>The next few days passed again without too much incident.&nbsp; Puffs of air would still appear from no where, and other odd things continued to plague her, but the promise of work loomed ahead, and after that Martin would be coming for dinner.&nbsp; It was much nicer to plan for things like that, than worry about things she had no control over.<br><br>Dinner with her parents went well, and they both loved the way she had fixed up the house.&nbsp; Their plans had suddenly been canceled and they were able to visit after all.&nbsp; Both parents had already seen the house after she bought it and before she moved in, but like her mom said, then it had just been a house, but now it was a home.<br><br>Sunday night she went to bed and hardly thought of what was going on in the house.&nbsp; But where she seemed to have conquered scary thoughts during the day, they now seemed to come out in her dreams.&nbsp; So when she awoke with the alarm Monday morning, she did not feel rested and refreshed as someone coming off a vacation should have.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>07-01-2009, 06:07:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Mister Sandman... bring me a dream..." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odcJ-vS22rI)<br><br>The alarm clock drifted towards oldies stations every morning. <br><br>As Kristi woke, she looked to her work outfit. It was still there on the chair, top and slacks ready to be put on. Looking at the time, she just had long enough for a shower and breakfast before she got dressed and had to go.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>07-01-2009, 06:24:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>She looked at the clock radio and noticed the station had been changed again, but she refused to let&nbsp; it get to her.&nbsp; She knew she had changed it back after the 'Chantilly Lace' episode, to the New Age station she loved to wake up to.&nbsp; But she was going to work, and was excited about seeing some of her friends, so she just shut off the alarm, put the clock back, and went in to take a shower.<br><br>Throwing on her robe, Kristi padded barefoot into the kitchen, and poured a cup of coffee from her automatic coffee maker.&nbsp; She'd set it up to brew a half hour before she woke up, so every morning she would have fresh, hot coffee.&nbsp; Pre-cooked bacon went into the microwave, and a slice of bread into the toaster.&nbsp; So excited to get going Kristi didn't even sit down at the table, but ate as things cooked, standing at the counter.&nbsp; The food tasted as good, and gave her the nourishment she needed, so what the heck.&nbsp; She'd make a point of having a nice relaxing breakfast starting tomorrow.&nbsp; Today she wanted to get to work early, and catch her friends before work started.<br><br>After she had her breakfast she cleaned up the dishes, and smiled at the sparkly kitchen she was leaving behind as she went to the bedroom to dress.&nbsp; She figured if she could get dressed, put on her makeup and brush her hair in fifteen minutes, she'd make it to work exactly when she wanted to.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>07-01-2009, 06:42:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her clothes were gone. <br><br>In their place was a sky blue silk skirt suit, a white blouse, white gloves and kitten heeled shoes with a bow. <br><br>She knew everything waiting here would fit her perfectly.<br><br>And lying on the bed, next to a pack of new sheer stockings, was something white. A bra, and... panties? It looked more like a swimsuit. <br><br>It was a girdle.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>07-01-2009, 07:11:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>The coffee cup dropped to the floor, and spilled what remained of its contents on the carpet.&nbsp; Kristi stood in her doorway open mouthed, and not breathing.&nbsp; Her eyes...she blinked once...twice...&nbsp; She knew what she saw wasn't an illusion.&nbsp; She hoped that the morning would go off without a hitch...be uneventful...like the days before...&nbsp; She should have expected it wouldn't.<br><br>Cursing under her breath when she looked at the clock and saw time was wasting Kristi ran to the bathroom, grabbed some towels then cleaned up the floor of the spilled coffee.&nbsp; Returning to the bathroom she put the wet towels into the tub for now, brushed her hair into a ponytail then wound it up into a bun, brushed her teeth, stroked on some mascara, and lip gloss, and finally returned to the bedroom.<br><br>Without quibbling Kristin removed her robe, and put on her own bra, panties, and half slip, but did also acquiesce, and dressed in the blouse and suit.&nbsp; The kitten shoes were exchanged for a pair of her own heels, and the nylons and girdle...GIRDLE!?!&nbsp; She might have laughed but for the dread that she might not stop.&nbsp; The rest of the clothes were left where they were, and once she had her purse in hand, Kristi gave nothing else a thought save getting to work.<br><br>She couldn't believe how much safer, and relaxed she felt once she was sitting in her car.&nbsp; She also couldn't believe she was wearing the suit and blouse.&nbsp; &nbsp; But the one thing that she found more unexpected than anything else, was the preverse pleasure she got in knowing that the bra, girdle, nylons, and shoes were still at home. </em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>07-01-2009, 07:24:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The waistband of the skirt was tight, but she was able to close the belt. Other than that, the straight knee-length skirt fitted perfectly, and the blouse and jacket could have been made for her.<br><br>As she reached the office, just in time, Tara the receptionist looked up and smiled warmly. "Welcome back, how was moving? Oh, that really looks good on you..."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>07-01-2009, 07:51:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>The drive into work did wonders for Kristi's mood, and by the time she parked her car and entered the building, she was all smiles.&nbsp; She had even forgotten what she was wearing, so keen was she to make sure she saw everyone she knew so she could beam about her new home.&nbsp; She would leave out the crazy details, for now.</em><br><br>"Thanks Tara...moving went extremely well, you're going to have to come to the housewarming, I'm just so excited to show it off!"<br><br><em>She almost ignored the comment about her suit, but just couldn't be rude.</em><br><br>"Thanks so much.&nbsp; The style is a little retro, but it was a ...gift, so I wanted to wear it at least once."<br><br><em>She really hoped she didn't sound ungrateful, but what else could she say?&nbsp; Oh yes, thanks...miraculously it showed up on my bed this morning with...get this...nylons and a GIRDLE!<br><br>No...she would try to ignore it and downplay it if she had to.&nbsp; She was enjoying her day too much already to let anything ruin it.</em><br><br>"Anything happen while I was gone?&nbsp; I hope I still have a team to manage."<br><br><em>Tara, being the receptionist, really was the perfect person to see first thing.&nbsp; She was always a font of knowledge, and a good source for catching up with.<br><br>Watching the door from where she stood next to Tara's desk, occasionally as they talked, Kristi would wave as people came in.&nbsp; Some of her co-workers she would chat with at lunch, and some once she got to her desk.&nbsp; Others she might not see for a day or two, but kept in touch with many there.&nbsp; Not all would be invited to her party, but a good amount would.</em><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>09-01-2009, 02:50:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Tara nodded at the explanation of the suit. "Well, it really suits you. Nobody ever gives me gifts like that," she added with a mock-wistful sigh.<br><br>She checked her notes. "Yes, you still have a team. And most if not all of them are in today."<br><br>... <br><br>At her desk, there was a similar response. Kelly, her junior, looked her up and down. "Wow. That is great. It really brings out your eyes..."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>09-01-2009, 03:25:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>The smile she wore as she approached her desk faded quickly once Kelly also admired the suit.&nbsp; Kristi held up her hand, palm facing the other woman, and spoke.</em>&nbsp; "Stop.&nbsp; Don't say it...I'm not terribly fond of it no matter what it does to my eyes, and am only wearing it because it was a gift.&nbsp; You like it so much?&nbsp; You can have it after today."<br><br><em>Kristi stuck her tongue out for emphasis, but was dead serious about the suit.&nbsp; She and Kelly were about the same size, though the skirt would probably need to be hemmed.&nbsp; Kelly never wore anything down to her knees in her life.</em><br><br>"Okay, why don't you hit me with all the bad news first, messages, what's on the agenda for this week, and then we'll get to the good stuff."<br><br><em>Kristi sat down, and Kelly sat down across her desk in one of her guest chairs, pulled it up and opened up a day planner.&nbsp; The 'good stuff' was what Kristi and Kelly called the gossip.&nbsp; They always had to leave the good stuff for last.<br><br>The rest of the day went by relatively well for just coming back from vacation, and the rest of the week looked very accomodating.&nbsp; Nothing too pressing was scheduled.&nbsp; It looked like it was going to be just an average, run of the mill work week.&nbsp; None the less the day flew by, and before she knew it everyone was saying 'good night'.<br><br>Clearing off her desk, and changing her calendar to the coming day, Kristi headed for home.&nbsp; <br><br>As she pulled into the driveway, and pressed the garage door opener, Kristi was relieved to feel that she still loved her little house, and was glad to be home.&nbsp; Off and on all day she worried that she had made a huge mistake, and really shouldn't have bought the house.&nbsp; But then she stopped and realized...nothing that had happened was terrible.&nbsp; Nothing that had happened was really anything more than annoying.&nbsp; So why was she getting herself so worked up over it all?<br><br>Walking into the house through the back kitchen door, Kristi put her purse down on the kitchen counter, and dropped her keys in a small, shallow bowl behind it.&nbsp; As she walked through the house to her bedroom she began undressing, and by the time she reached the bedroom she was wearing just her bra, panties, and slip.&nbsp; The suit she balled up and tossed onto a chair, intending to take it to the dry cleaners later in the week, then deliver it to Kelly.<br><br>Plopping down on her bed, Kristi just laid there staring at the ceiling, smiling, and thinking about what she was going to fix for dinner, and loving that she was home.</em><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>09-01-2009, 03:49:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The house was comfortably warm, although there was a soft breeze across her body as she took off the blouse. The feeling of something watching her lingered as she stepped out of the skirt.<br><br>As she lay back, she noticed something hanging up on the back of the bedroom door. An evening dress of dark red silk with a full skirt and narrow waist (http://www.fiftiesweb.com/fashion/dress.jpg). She suspected that she would need the girdle to fit into that one.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>09-01-2009, 04:20:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Yes, she saw the dress, but she was no longer surprised.&nbsp; Not moving off the bed, Kristi just rolled her head, no.<br><br>Not only was the dress SO not her style, it looked like it was made for someone with an eighteen inch waist!&nbsp; What was it about these clothes that necessitated a girdle?&nbsp; She laughed and guess it must have been put there by some demented man with a tiny waist fetish.&nbsp; And Kristi only had a 23 inch waist to begin with...quite tiny in today's world.&nbsp; There was no way she was going to wear some contraption, designed by a man no doubt, to fit into a dress she didn't like in the first place.<br><br>Tossing on her terrycloth robe, and tying the belt tight, to show off her waist, Kristi ignored the dress as she went into the kitchen, and tried to find the most fattening food she could find to eat.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>09-01-2009, 04:32:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				In the kitchen, she found that the microwave would not start. She would have to prepare something fresh or put something in the oven.<br><br>The frilled apron was hanging on the hook, in front of the modern plastic apron she'd brought herself.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>09-01-2009, 07:16:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Leftover macaroni and cheese was placed in a bowl, and covered before Kristi put it into the microwave.&nbsp; Pushing the button to start it she then went to fix a salad.&nbsp; Listening for the tell tale sounds of the oven spinning, Kristi looked back and saw nothing was happening.</em><br><br>"Are you kidding me?"<br><br><em>Seriously wondering what was going on she opened the door to the microwave, and then closed it again, and tried the button.&nbsp; Nothing.</em><br><br>"DAMN IT"<br><br><em>Deciding she really didn't want to spend the time trying to see if there was anything she could do to make it work, Kristi took the bowl out, and dumped the contents into a pot, placed it on the stove, poured in some cream, and stirred it.&nbsp; It would take longer to heat this way, but it would heat, and still taste fine.&nbsp; She then resumed fixing a salad to go along with it, and poured herself a diet soda.<br><br>After dinner and cleaning up the kitchen, Kristi looked at the microwave again.&nbsp; It was brand new, and still under warranty so she wrote down the information on the back of it, as well as the customer service phone number, and put the paper in her purse.&nbsp; She'd find time tomorrow to call the manufacturer, and find out what she was supposed to do with it now.&nbsp; <br><br>She also took a pad by the phone on the kitchen counter, and wrote down a few things to pick up at the market.&nbsp; Tomorrow Martin was coming for dinner, and even though she had everything she needed, she had decided to get a couple more things.&nbsp; She was really looking forward to cooking for him tomorrow, and wanted everything to go well.&nbsp; She wished she had his phone number...she should have got it when he was over, so she could have called him just to make sure they were still on.&nbsp; But he seemed the responsible type, and that convinced her he would have called if he needed to cancel.<br><br>The rest of the evening was pretty uneventful.&nbsp; Kristi peeled potatos and boiled them to have them to mash for dinner tomorrow.&nbsp; She put together a simple brocolli slaw salad, and had fresh green beans she'd steam as well.&nbsp; With everything prepared as much as possible now, she would only need to put the food on to cook tomorrow, and she'd have time to visit with her neighbor. <br><br>By eleven she was in bed, and nearly asleep, the alarm on her clock radio set to the New Age station again.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>10-01-2009, 18:35:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kristi woke to something quieter, slower. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQfSOqevEAY) Until the lyrics started she thought the channel might not have changed.<br><br>She could see a white blouse with a bow at the collar and a grey tweed suit with a pencil skirt laid out on the chair by the bed. A black beret and gloves matched the high heels next to them. No sign of a girdle or bra this time... It proved to be in the underwear drawer, next to her own.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>10-01-2009, 19:02:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Kristi awoke from one of her more delicious dreams, but unfortunately forgot it the moment she opened her eyes.&nbsp; It didn't matter.&nbsp; The song on the radio was one of her favorites, so she smiled, and stretched, and felt great.&nbsp; At least she kept the mood of the dream even if she lacked the specific details.<br><br>Leaving the radio on, she continued to enjoy the song, and even sang along a little as her eyes surveyed her room.&nbsp; What she had been looking for was indeed what she found.&nbsp; The clothes.<br><br>Though it really hadn't been that long since the clothes had begun appearing, Kristi had already come to assume they'd be there, and was curious to see them, even if she thought they were just too, too passé.&nbsp; Today she was mildly surprised when she saw the tweed suit.&nbsp; Crawling out of bed, she went to the chair and looked it over.</em><br><br>"Well, at least this one is interesting."&nbsp; <br><br><em>She had always loved tweed, so that part appealed to her right off.&nbsp; She picked up the skirt, and jacket, then replaced them on the chair.&nbsp; The blouse was ok, though she thought it could probably due without the bow.&nbsp; The beret and gloves?&nbsp; Not her style at all, but at least this time the shoes were also something she would wear.&nbsp; And for a moment she'd forgotten...how in the hell did the clothes get into her bedroom?!<br><br>Looking at the clock she noticed she had to get a move on, and went through her morning routine.&nbsp; When it came time to dress she didn't think twice about the suit.&nbsp; She liked this one, so of course she'd wear it.&nbsp; Where it came from was beginning to matter less and less.&nbsp; <br><br>When she opened her drawer to retrieve fresh underwear, and noticed the girdle, she burst out laughing.</em><br><br>"You just don't give up do you?&nbsp; Well my friend, whoever you are, neither do I."<br><br><em>And choosing her own little lacy panties, and bra, she slammed the drawer shut, and finished dressing.<br><br>When she was ready to leave she scooped up the remaining clothes, to toss into a bag for the Salvation Army, but the beret caught her eye, and she quickly took it into the bathroom to see what it would look like worn.&nbsp; She adjusted it several times, giggled, but in the end it too wound up in the bag.&nbsp; She just did not have a head for hats.<br><br>Almost skipping from the house to her car, Kristi felt on top of the world today, and was going to enjoy every minute of it.&nbsp; Tonight she had a dinner date with Martin as well...what could go wrong?</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>10-01-2009, 19:29:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				No-one responded to Kristi's laughing refusal to wear the girdle... <br><br>The blouse and suit fitted her as if made for her, the hem of the skirt sliding comfortably across her knees, and the black patent heels slipped on perfectly as well. <br><br>Looking at her reflection as she tried on the beret, she looked like she wouldn't have been out of place on the set of Mad Men, but apart from the beret it could pass in the present as well.<br><br>And as she stepped out of the bathroom, the feeling of being watched - admired, perhaps - was definitely there. <br><br>The tightness of the fitted skirt and the height of the heels pushed a definite sashay in her walk, but her balance seemed fine with this adjustment. <br><br>Stepping outside, she saw John headed for his car. He waved. "Good morning! Which way are you headed?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>11-01-2009, 01:27:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>She returned the wave, feeling like she was the epitome of professionalism.&nbsp; Sure she wore suits to work before, and quite often in fact, but for some reason today she just felt different.<br><br>Returning John's wave she told him she was on her way to work.</em><br><br>"And you?&nbsp; Got a big catering job today?&nbsp; You seem to be headed off pretty early."<br><br><em>That was always something she had come to envy about people who ran their own businesses...the ability to choose their own hours.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>11-01-2009, 11:06:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He nodded. "Yes, we're serving a charity lunch at the Simpson," he explained, referring to a meeting hall in town. "For the restoration of the town hall, so everything has to be 'classic'. How about you? You look like you're ready to take over the company," he chuckled.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>11-01-2009, 17:49:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Kristi had just been by the town hall the other day when she was in town, and had thought it was a grand looking building.&nbsp; She had also wondered then if the city had any intentions of restoring it, and was delighted to hear they did.<br><br>John's comment about her appearance made her giggle like a school girl.&nbsp; She wasn't that used to getting compliments from men, and on a day like today when everything seemed perfect, it only added to her happy and excited feelings.</em><br><br>"Well, you never know when the opportunity might present itself.&nbsp; You just have to be ready at all times!"<br><br><em>She debated adding that she had a date tonight with Martin, but decided against it.&nbsp; They were all friends, so it wasn't like she thought she'd be letting any secrets out.&nbsp; But for now it was her date, and somehow telling about it before hand seemed...unlucky.&nbsp; What she really hoped was that it would go over really well, and she'd have that to boast about the next day to the girls at work.&nbsp; It had been a long time since she had something llike that to offer over coffee.</em><br><br>"Well, I wish you success on your luncheon.&nbsp; Say hi to Alice too!"<br><br><em>And needing to get to work she waved again, and went to her car.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>11-01-2009, 21:31:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Thanks. I will!" John got into his car in turn, heading the other way.<br><br>As Kristi reached the office, one of the men from administration upstairs stopped to hold the door for her, giving her a smile as he did.<br><br>Tara looked her up and down as she reached the department section. "Did you get a new wardrobe allowance? Because you keep coming in looking great."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>12-01-2009, 02:15:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>The drive to work was uneventful, and for a change even traffic wasn't bad.&nbsp; Not that traffic was ever too bad between where she lived and worked.&nbsp; She even found a parking space close to the building's entrance.<br><br>When Tara started in on her suit, Kristi just smiled and waved, much as she usually did when she was in a hurry to get to her desk and start working.&nbsp; It was nothing new to Tara to be politely rebuffed.&nbsp; She knew Kristi would catch a few minutes with her at some point later in the day.<br><br>Work went well, and the day flew by.&nbsp; Kristi stopped at the market on the way home and picked up some dessert, and a couple odds and ends she would either need tonight for her dinner with Martin, or later in the week.<br><br>At home she splurged on a long relaxing bubble bath, but skipped the wine.&nbsp; She didn't want Martin to think she needed some sort of fortification for there date.&nbsp; Though it would have been nice to help her relax a little more, she knew she'd do fine without.<br><br>Once dinner was all but ready, with just a few minor things to put together, and the table was set, only then did Kristi go to her room to dress.&nbsp; To do so any earlier was always a risk of spattering something on her clean clothes, and she really didn't want to dress herself more than once tonight.</em><br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>12-01-2009, 23:38:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The other women at the office commented on Kristi's new look. "I wish I had the figure for that," Julia lamented. <br><br>As she shopped, it was impossible to miss some admiring looks from men and envious ones from women.<br><br>Getting in, the house was warm. Apart from the microwave, everything went smoothly in the kitchen.<br><br>Finally, it was time to get dressed - Martin would be here soon.<br><br>Opening the bedroom door, she found the outfit she had selected had disappeared. <br><br>Waiting for her in its place was a blue silk cocktail dress (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blast/showcase/submitted/images/gallery/12130985548330106923_1.jpg) that wouldn't have looked out of place at a fashion show fifty years ago... or this season. Matching high heels sat in a box - the box was faded and old-fashioned, the shoes looked brand new. White silk underwear, sheer nylons, and on the makeup table, a jewellery box containing a string of pearls.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>13-01-2009, 04:44:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Making a sort of game of the events that had been occurring lately, Kristi closed her eyes with her hand on the door handle to her room, and then entered.&nbsp; She realized if there weren't new clothes in her room she would probably be disappointed.&nbsp; She needn't have worried.</em><br><br>"Well, your tastes seem to be getting a lot better.&nbsp; This is really pretty!"<br><br><em>Excited to put the dress on, Kristi slipped out of her robe, and didn't think twice about putting on the silk underwear.&nbsp; The nylons she gave a once over glance, then shoved them aside.</em><br><br>"Time has given us the ability to make some things better around here...nylons are a waste of money because they ruin way too easily.&nbsp; But besides that, a lot of women don't wear stockings or even pantyhose anymore.&nbsp; I'm one of them."<br><br><em>And now she was talking to the unseen and not feeling the slightest bit off.&nbsp; She acknowledged that, but kept on.</em><br><br>"Nice to see you finally got the idea about the girdle."<br><br><em>Stepping into the heels, and pulling the dress over her head, Kristi took out the pearls and put them around her neck after checking them out really well.&nbsp; They were expensive pearls, she could tell, by the way they were all individually knotted, and the real gold clasp.&nbsp; And they felt fabulous around her neck.<br><br>She accepted it all, let it just add to the wonderful way her day had been, and was thrilled to see it was continuing on.&nbsp; When the doorbell rang, Kristi nearly jumped out of her skin with excitement.<br><br>But on the way to the door she did have the good sense to stop herself for a couple seconds, and calm herself down.&nbsp; She had put a lot of expectations on the evening, and she knew she had to let them go.&nbsp; It was only a dinner with a nice neighbor that she hoped would go well.</em><br><br>"Hi Martin!&nbsp; Right on time. Please come in, and make yourself comfortable.&nbsp; Dinner will be a few more minutes."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>15-01-2009, 01:09:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The dress felt just right, like it had been tailored for her. The skirt brushed gently against her knees as she walked, especially once she put on the shoes and took a few steps to confirm how well they fit.<br><br>As she sat to slip on the necklace, Kristi could see that her makeup had been rearranged slightly, with colours that would complement the dress for an evening look at the front of the selection.<br><br>...<br><br>As she opened the door, Martin said "Hi," and started to say something else but stopped as he saw her. "Wow. Now I feel very underdressed." <br><br>He was wearing a black suit, white shirt, no tie. His hair was slightly tousled, perhaps from a long day but more likely on purpose, to break up the image.<br><br>"Seriously, you look... amazing."<br><br>He shifted his gaze to look for somewhere to set down the bottle of Pinot Blanc that he was carrying.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>15-01-2009, 06:49:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>The compliments were nice, but they were starting to bother Kristi a little bit.&nbsp; For now she didn't let on to Martin, and politely thanked him, but reassured him he was dressed better than fine.<br><br>Seeing the promised bottle of wine she offered to take it and place it in the fridge so it would be cold for dinner.</em><br><br>"Mmmm...I like Pinot Blanc, and especially this winery. Good choice.&nbsp; Can I put it in the fridge?"<br><br><em>She held out her hand, and again offered him a seat.</em><br><br>"Or you're welcome to join me in the kitchen, and keep me company?"<br><br><em>Walking on ahead into the kitchen, Kristi pulled the ruffled apron from the closet and put it on.&nbsp; She felt ridiculous, but went with it anyway.&nbsp; She didn't want to get the dress dirty out of spite...what would that accomplish?&nbsp; So this time she would wear the apron, and look like Donna Reed for a few hours.</em><br><br>"So how have you been?&nbsp; How was your day?"<br><br><em>She waited for him to begin speaking before she started to put the salad together.&nbsp; It was the last part of the meal to ready before they could eat.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>19-01-2009, 21:19:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"It's pre-chilled, but best to be on the safe side," Martin agreed, following her to the kitchen still holding the cold bottle. <br><br>He looked a little surprised as she put on the apron - which was just her size - but said nothing as he found a place for the bottle inside the fridge. <br><br>"So far, it's been hectic. Sort of chaotic, bordering on tumultuous. So I've been looking forward to tonight... a chance to unwind, enjoy some good company, have the time to actually chew my food..."<br><br>He closed the fridge and turned, just as she turned as well as she reached for something, so they faced each other, less than a foot apart. He smiled warmly. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>19-01-2009, 21:52:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Her nerves must have still been getting to her a little, otherwise she would have known the wine would have been cold.&nbsp; White wine was drunk cold, so chances were Martin wasn't going to bring her a warm bottle.&nbsp; But little to worry over.</em><br><br>"Hectic to chaotic, and then tumultuous?&nbsp; You sound like you had your hands full.&nbsp; I get days like that where I work too, but luckily they're few and far between."<br><br><em>Turning to reach for a box of croûtons in the cabinet, Kristi came face to face with Martin, literally.&nbsp; Only initially startled she returned his smile, and tried to think of a witty remark, but failed.&nbsp; Instead she blushed due to his nearness, and charm, and the way it made her a little weak in the knees.&nbsp; So weak in fact she stumbled a little forward, closing the gap between them.&nbsp; Bracing herself against his chest with her hands, her face was now mere inches from his.</em><br><br>"Sorry."&nbsp; <em>She whispered, her eyes locked on his, before traveling to his lips, so close to hers.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>19-01-2009, 22:08:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Then you're lucky..." he said as they both turned, meeting in the middle.<br><br>He very gently lifted her to stand... not moving her away, his chest still close enough to support her hand. It felt firm under the thin shirt. <br><br>"It's... ah, it's fine..." he replied softly as she looked up at him, meeting her gaze... as hers drifted to his slightly parted lips, his followed suit. <br><br>Then the oven pinged, a reminder of time to turn the dish. <br><br>Not that she remembered setting it to do that...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>19-01-2009, 22:24:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Pulling herself together, Kristi blushed even redder, and jumped a little when the oven timer went off.&nbsp; She also realized she had been holding her breath, and now released it slowly.<br><br>Drawing away from Martin was both difficult, and easy.&nbsp; Difficult because Kristi had wanted him to kiss her in the worst way, but easy since he hadn't.&nbsp; Though her thoughts really were only at the kissing stages, probably because they hadn't yet, it seemed important to her to get at least that far with the man.&nbsp; If he was interested anyway.&nbsp; If not she also wanted to find that out soon, so she didn't make any really bad movements toward him, along those lines.&nbsp; She was going to be living across the street from the man for who knew how long...she didn't want a constant reminder of how foolish she might have been passing her on the streets day in and day out.<br><br>During the course of their last meeting Kristi had changed the menu for tonight several times.&nbsp; Finally she decided on an herb chicken which she now took out of the oven, and set on the butcher block island.&nbsp; Removing the lid to the roaster she let it set for a few minutes while she also took the pot of boiled potatoes off the stove, and drained all the water off.&nbsp; By the time she got the potatoes ready to mash, the chicken was ready to be carved.</em><br><br>"There are some carving knives in that drawer there, would you mind?"<br><br><em>She hoped he wouldn't, and set another plate down for the carved meat to be transferred to.&nbsp; She then added the milk, and butter to the potatoes, and whipped them with an electric mixer well, but not overly so.&nbsp; She liked a few small lumps in her mashed potatoes.&nbsp; She added some garlic as well, deciding not to worry with gravy tonight.&nbsp; The steamed green beans were put into a bowl, and with the salad finished everything was ready.&nbsp; Taking the green beans and potatoes to the table, Kristi asked Martin to do the same with the chicken.&nbsp; The salad and a homemade Caesar dressing was the last thing to go onto the table, before she asked him to sit down, and grabbed the wine and two glasses.&nbsp; The bottle she opened before she set the final items in front of each place setting.</em><br><br>"Well, I really hope you like it all.&nbsp; It's simple, but it should be good."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>23-01-2009, 01:03:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Martin blinked as the timer went off and Kristi stepped away. He looked about as flustered as she did... he definitely looked back as they both turned away, though.<br><br>"Not at all," he said when asked about carving the chicken, retrieving a suitable knife. "What part do you want?"<br><br>He paused and inhaled deeply. "Everything smells great... what should I bring through?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>23-01-2009, 04:03:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Kristi laughed and found the nervous expulsion a relief. </em><br><br>"White meat please, I try to avoid finger foods the first time I eat with someone."<br><br><em>The last thing she wanted tonight was to have a greasy mess of finger prints all over herself.</em><br><br>"Just the chicken is fine.&nbsp; Everything else is here."<br><br><em>Raising her glass in silent toast, Kristi intended to sip her wine, but due to a slight case of inattention she drank it in more of a gulp.&nbsp; To hide her minor flash of embarrassment, she set the goblet down, and dished a small amount of green beans onto her plate.</em><br><br>"So how have you been?&nbsp; Oh yes, you already said you were crazy, hectic, busy.&nbsp; Is this a common occurrence or has something new been going on at work?"<br><br><em>With Kristi's job she only really got busy whenever there was any sort of catastrophe...hurricanes, earthquakes, major firestorms...&nbsp; When things like that happened it took long hours of crazy passion to help the people the insurance company needed to help.&nbsp; &nbsp;Otherwise it was basically just a day to day job.&nbsp; All of this Kristi explained to Martin, and hoped she wasn't boring him.&nbsp; She was okay talking about herself, but wanted more than anything to learn about him.</em><br><br>"What attracted you to architecture...were you young when you knew thats what you wanted to do?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>24-01-2009, 04:19:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Martin did as asked, carving generous slices of the soft chicken for each of them and forking hers onto her plate. He joined her in raising a glass, and smiled slightly at her gulp.<br><br>"Well, sometimes you get a rush of clients. Or a rethink just as you'd scheduled your time really carefully... or someone calls in sick. Or all of the above. But in this case it was only two of the above..."<br><br>He paused to take a mouthful of chicken, savouring it with a smile slowly widening. "Very good."<br><br>"Nerdy but honest answer, I used to make models. I wasn't joking about the Lego, either." He smiled at his confession and took a sip of the wine. "But I grew up from about eight to thirteen in this split-level house we were the second owners of, so that planted the idea that houses were built for different purposes, thought out..." He gathered some mashed potato on his fork. <br><br>"How about you?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>25-01-2009, 03:45:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>She had just placed a small bite of chicken, and mashed potato in her mouth when the questions were reversed.&nbsp; Grinning and holding up one finger she chewed, swallowed, and sipped her wine.</em><br><br>"Me?&nbsp; Oh, well you see, when I was really young I used to watch a television show called 'Wild Kingdom', and it was sponsored by Mutual of Omaha."&nbsp; <em>She didn't elaborate this time, as she had when explaining the insurance company she presently worked for.&nbsp; EVERYONE had heard of Mutual of Omaha, unless they were from some place other than the US.</em>&nbsp; "Anyway, I asked my dad what kind of a company they were and he told me all about insurance."<br><br><em>Kristi waved her hand and nodded her head.</em><br><br>"I know, I know...everyone always says how insurance companies do nothing but try to rip everyone off...they take the premiums, and then look for ways to not pay claims...but it really isn't true at all.&nbsp; I pay claims all the time, when they're for legitimate losses!"<br><br><em>Her voice grew slightly agitated, and a little louder as she defended a position Martin hadn't even questioned.&nbsp; Then she blushed, feeling pretty silly.</em><br><br>"Sorry, I know there are companies that aren't as reputable as Halston, but I can assure you if the policy covers it, we pay."<br><br><em>Still blushing a little, Kristi ate some salad, using the action as an excuse to shut her mouth for a few seconds...and let her embarrassment pass.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>27-01-2009, 00:07:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Martin grinned. "I'm glad to hear it," he assured her, seeing her embarrassed expression. "I guess you get that a lot."<br><br>With that, he changed the subject. "So, you're thinking of an extension in the back. What else are you going to do?" He looked around. "Keep the original style? Just about everything here looks the part, although some of it must be more recent to be in such good condition..."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>27-01-2009, 07:54:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"It's hard to change people's perceptions sometime.&nbsp; I know, I hear the stories about how corrupt insurance carriers are, but..."<br><br><em>Kristi abruptly stopped talking and put her hand over her mouth, totally embarrassed.</em><br><br>"Ok...stepping off soap box now.&nbsp; Sorry, but sometimes when I feel passionately about something, I tend to get a little carried away."<br><br><em>The last thing she wanted to do was get into a silly dissertation on the values of insurance.&nbsp; Tonight was to be fun, and spent getting to know Martin better.&nbsp; Kristi was glad when Martin changed the subject.</em><br><br>"I was thinking about an extension, but now I'm not so sure..."&nbsp; <br><br><em>With all the craziness going on in the house, Kristi was having a few random thoughts about just how long she might keep her house.&nbsp; She loved it madly, but if she had to continue living like she had been, with all the clothes appearing, and the serious sense of not being alone in the house, she didn't know how long she'd last.<br><br>Kristi had also decided to tell Martin about the house, hoping he would be objective, possibly offer her some insight, and support, and not automatically see her as loony.&nbsp; Now seemed to be as good a time as any.</em><br><br>"Martin...don't laugh, but I really think this house is haunted."<br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>29-01-2009, 20:44:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He didn't laugh. He started to smile, but it looked more from sympathy than amusement. <br><br>"Well. You're not the first person I've heard that from." He set down his glass and met her gaze. "Not from <em>here</em>. I would have said something if I'd heard the kinds of things I have about some other buildings. I've heard a few consistent reports from people who are pretty credible, so... so what have you seen? Or heard, or felt?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>29-01-2009, 21:58:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>It was surprising at the pace in which Kristi felt her hackles rise.&nbsp; Fortunately her mouth wasn't working as fast as her brain was, and she stopped herself from reading Martin the riot act.&nbsp; How DARE he, she thought, keep something like that from her.&nbsp; And then he was explaining, and she felt just terrible jumping to such an unwarranted conclusion.<br><br>It was also a little surprising at how his words seemed to have an immediate calming effect on her.&nbsp; It was one thing to know there was a department, or sub-division of a department at the university that studied these things, but another to hear that real people...people Martin knew, and not some crazies on a reality television show confirm their own similar experiences.</em><br><br>"Ok...you did good that time, in not laughing...lets see how long that holds."&nbsp; <em>She grinned and tried to keep the situation lighter than she truly felt it was.&nbsp; Now that it was&nbsp; time for her to lay out her case, she was suddenly feeling very foolish.</em><br><br>"Almost from the time I moved in I've felt like someone is watching me.&nbsp; Not all the time, but often enough to give me goosebumps.&nbsp; And if that was it, I'd probably learn to live with it.&nbsp; But the more concrete evidence is that my bedside radio...someone keeps changing the station to an oldies one, even after I change it back to the station I normally listen to.&nbsp; Stranger still?&nbsp; Clothes!&nbsp; First I found that box in the attic that I swore I had earlier removed, the apron in the kitchen just appeared in the broom closet...not mine.&nbsp; And now...this dress, other dresses, suits for work, shoes...and underthings!"<br><br><em>Her tone when she said the word 'underthings' was a mixture of disgust, disbelief, and frustration.&nbsp; An old fashioned bra, and panties, right out of a 1950's Sears catalog, and...a girdle!"&nbsp; <br><br><em>It was strange to be talking to Martin about this stuff, but then Kristi reminded herself...the clothes might be from the 50's, but she was a woman of the new millennium, and this kind of discussion was completely appropriate between two consenting adults.</em><br><br>"Oh, and things sometimes don't work, out of the blue...like the microwave."<br><br><em>She shook her head, still in a state of belief herself, only emphasized by the retelling of the events.</em></em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>31-01-2009, 12:56:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He blinked, and looked at her outfit again. "Wow. I'm not an expert... I would have said it was new, you bought it yourself... but, ah, have you seen things appear, or are they just there next time you're in the room?Or... does anyone else have a key? Do you have any security cameras? It could be... a very strange prank. Hard to do, but maybe not impossible."<br><br>He reached over and took her hand gently. "But whatever it is, if you need someone to help, watch your back..."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>01-02-2009, 06:48:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I suppose it may be new in that it was never worn before...but don't you see...I just don't know!&nbsp; I swear to you I didn't buy it...I don't even know where they sell this style of clothing...I don't know anything about it, other than one minute it wasn't there, and the next it was!"<br><br><em>Kristi was trying to be calm, but her voice kept going up and down the way her emotions were.</em><br><br>"I haven't seen anything just...appear, like out of thin air? No.&nbsp; And no, no one else has a key.&nbsp; I was meaning to give my mom one, but when they were here I forgot."<br><br><em>Shaking her head Kristi had thought of everything Martin was suggesting now...except for the security cameras, and for that she thanked him.</em><br><br>"First thing tomorrow I'm going to call someone, and find out what all it would entail to have cameras installed, and how expensive it would be.&nbsp; That might a way to start."<br><br><em>The idea of a prank was impossible, even if Kristi had thought of it already.&nbsp; She couldn't help but feel slightly depressed.&nbsp; Martin hadn't come up with anything new, except the cameras, and even those seemed a little far fetched.&nbsp; She'd still check into them, but she didn't have a tremendous amount of hope.<br><br>All that disillusionment started to fade at the touch of Martin's hand on hers, and Kristi looked up from the table at him.&nbsp; Her eyes were sparkly from tears that hadn't completely formed, but when she grinned at his offer, one managed to slide down her cheek.<br>Embarrassed, she quickly swiped the droplet away with her free hand, and sighed.</em><br><br>"Thanks Martin.&nbsp; You're incredibly sweet, and it helps a lot to know that.&nbsp; I just don't know why this is all happening to me..."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>03-02-2009, 20:27:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Martin let go of her hand with a gentle squeeze, and retrieved a small pack of tissues, giving it to her before taking out a small notebook and writing an address, number and email on it. Contacts for a security company. "I've used these guys before, they're pretty fast and they're fair."<br><br>Pulling out the page and handing it to her, he took her hand again and spoke in a soft, reassuring tone. "We'll get to the bottom of this. And I've never heard of anyone being hurt in something like this... but if you get scared, I'm right across the street, and John and Alice are just next door. And Frank on the other side during the day, he works nights."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>03-02-2009, 21:56:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Taking the tissue, Kristi wiped her cheek, and felt incredibly silly.&nbsp; She really appreciated the information Martin gave her though.</em><br><br>"Thank you Martin, again.&nbsp; I'll call them first thing tomorrow, once I get to work.&nbsp; It will be worth it to me if I can find out anything at all.&nbsp; That's the scary part, I think, just not knowing."&nbsp; <em>Of course there was always the matter of once she did find out what was happening, it could be even scarier, but for now she couldn't worry about that.&nbsp; One worry at a time.<br><br>It was also comforting for him to offer her safe haven.&nbsp; In a pinch she probably wouldn't hesitate going next door,&nbsp; at least to John and Alice's, since she hadn't met Frank yet.&nbsp; Yet knowing Martin had specifically made the offer gave her an even stronger sense of relief.</em><br><br>"It's always something it seems, that I'm bothering you with.&nbsp; At this rate I'm going to owe you a dinner every night of the week, to repay your kindnesses."<br><br><em>Smiling a genuine happy smile, Kristi finished eating, and spoke to Martin about an interesting case of arson she had been dealing with at work.&nbsp; Odd how something so heinous could be somewhat less important when compared to the immediate fear of what might be going on in her own house.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>10-02-2009, 00:23:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As she mentioned owing him dinner again, he smiled warmly. "Well, I wouldn't mind that at all. This is all great, and I am a sucker for a good home-cooked meal." He set down his fork on the cleared plate, and his smile brightened as she smiled as well.<br><br>As they discussed the arson, he listened with clear interest. "I haven't had any of my buildings burned down, so far... fortunately... but one of them was built on the site of a burned building that <em>might</em> have been an insurance fire..."<br><br>He finished his glass of the wine and set it down. "Is there dessert? We can go out for something if you'd like."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>10-02-2009, 02:31:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>The rest of the dinner went along amicably, and Kristi really enjoyed how easy the conversation flowed between her and Martin.&nbsp; While she did like to cook, working all day didn't always lend itself to making her a happy chef.&nbsp; However, sharing meals with Martin was something she knew she could get used to without any trouble at all, even if she had to pick up some Chinese, or barbecue on the way home from work.&nbsp; She'd suggest it later in the evening, but didn't want to appear as desperate now as she might truly be right now.</em><br><br>"Dessert?&nbsp; I did get something...an apple pie...but...I've no idea how good it is, I'm sorry to say.&nbsp; I wanted to make something special, and knew I couldn't compete with your brownies."&nbsp; <em>She smiled coyly, but now really wished she had at least baked a cake or made cookies.</em>&nbsp; "I wouldn't mind going into town for something else, if you'd rather?"<br><br><em>There was a ice cream parlor in town, and a diner, as well as a pretty nice restaurant, but Kristi had no experience with any place besides the ice cream parlor.</em><br><br>"It could be fun walking around town..."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>12-02-2009, 20:44:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Alright then, if you're not willing to risk the pie, which I'm sure would be good, let's go out." Martin smiled warmly. "My treat, since you did all this for me." <br><br>He straightened up, then offered Kristi a hand to help her stand. <br><br>"Ice cream, or pie from somewhere else, or something to drink?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>12-02-2009, 22:09:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kristi laughed.&nbsp; 'Risking' the pie wasn't exactly how she might have put it, but it would do.<br><br>She was also about to argue that he couldn't treat her, because the dinner was a treat to him, but rather than get into some crazy debate she let it go.<br><br>Taking his hand she excused herself to get her coat, and returned ready to go.<br><strong><br>"Why don't we go down to the gazebo in the center of town where you can park, and then we can walk a bit and decide.&nbsp; Maybe we can just go to the first place we encounter?"<br></strong><br>Never having been a big drinker, outside of a glass of wine every other night or so, and an occasional cocktail, Kristi wasn't familiar with any of the local places to go to drink.&nbsp; She might find out tonight though, since she as feeling a bit adventuresome.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>16-02-2009, 20:03:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Martin smiled as Kristi laughed at her comment about 'risking' the pie.<br><br>Waiting for her on the coat rack was a short black silk-lined wool coat that would go perfectly with the dress she was wearing, with her own coat at the back of the rack.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>16-02-2009, 20:08:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kristi didn't even falter when she saw the strange coat.&nbsp; It was almost as if she'd expected it to be there, and only wondered if she might have been disappointed had it not.&nbsp; She couldn't just let it go though.<br><br><strong>"And they struck again!"</strong><br><br>She held the coat up for Martin to see.<br><br><strong>"This...is NOT my coat.&nbsp; What it is however, is further evidence of the kinds of things going on around here.&nbsp; I mean really..."</strong><br><br>Holding it out and away from her, she looked it over.<br><br><strong>"Whoever is doing this had very nice tastes...for someone from the nineteen fifties!"</strong><br><br>Shrugging Kristi slipped her arms into the coat, and then held up her hands in surrender.<br><br><strong>"No point in making a federal case of it now.&nbsp; Its a good coat, and will keep me warm...why not."</strong>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>16-02-2009, 20:24:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Martin blinked in surprise at her outburst, then again as she slipped the coat on. It fitted her as if perfectly tailored for her figure, and the silk and cashmere were soft and comfortable. <br><br>A little self-consciously, he reached around and helped her with the collar. <br><br>Catching sight of herself in the mirror of the coat rack, Kristi saw that she looked like she could be on her way to a formal restaurant tonight, with a few hints suggesting it could also be fifty years earlier. <br><br>She could see Martin looking her over as well. "Well, yeah, why not." He looked like he was consdiering something else, but said no more as he shrugged on his own coat. It wouldn't have looked out of place fifty years ago either, but men's fashions are like that anyway...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>16-02-2009, 20:44:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It was sweet of Martin to straighten Kristi's collar, and she briefly considered she might have let him help her put her coat on.&nbsp; She wasn't one of those truly 'liberated' women who scowled when a man opened a door for her, or was chivalrous in other ways, but she also wasn't accustomed to a lot of that kind of attention either.&nbsp; Was all this focus on an earlier time now having an effect on the way she thought of things?&nbsp; She assumed probably.<br><br>Catching a glimpse of a look on his face, Kristi wondered what Martin was thinking.<br><strong><br>"You don't believe me?&nbsp; You think this really has been my coat all along, but now I'm just trying to convince you otherwise?"</strong><br><br>Her tone wasn't angry, or even suspicious, but honestly inquisitive.<br><br><strong>"Seriously...what are you thinking right now?"</strong>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>18-02-2009, 22:14:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He pulled back slightly, letting her see his open face more fully. "Ah, no, it's not that... why would you make something like this up? I just thought..." His gaze lowered, taking her in completely. "I was just thinking it looks good on you." <br><br>His gaze moved back up to meet hers. "I guess I was worried you wouldn't want to hear that..." His brow furrowed slightly as he explained his pause, visibly concerned at possibly causing offence.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>18-02-2009, 22:26:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kristi waved off the matter, now feeling bad that she'd made Martin feel self conscious.<br><strong><br>"Yes, I know...I'm sorry...I didn't really want to hear that...every time I wear something I find I get nothing but rave reviews and compliments.&nbsp; I just don't get it!&nbsp; Flattering or not, these things are OLD...my gosh but they were in style back when my parents were small.&nbsp; It's just cra</strong>zy!"<br><br>Reaching a finger up to stroke his brow, Kristi smiled into his eyes.<br><br><strong>"Don't fret Martin, I'll try harder not to let it get to me.&nbsp; Whatever though, you're not responsible, and have no reason to feel bad about it."</strong><br><br>Stepping through the front door, Kristi locked it behind her once Martin joined her on the front stoop.<br><br><strong>"Shall we?"</strong>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>18-02-2009, 22:37:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Well, I guess they're classic rather than dated. And it's more you than them," he added with a lopsided smile. <br><br>His smile strengthened as she reached up to touch his face.<br><br>Outside, the evening was starting to cool comfortably, and the light chill moved across Kristi's legs as she walked. <br><br>He nodded. "Let's." He offered her his arm.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>18-02-2009, 23:03:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Again Kristi vowed to let go of the whole clothing ordeal, and just enjoy the evening with Martin.<br><strong><br>"Shall I drive?&nbsp; My car is just there...no point in going after yours unless you really want to."</strong><br><br>She didn't mind driving at all, but knew some men were loath to assume the position of passenger.&nbsp; Having already spoke out of turn and possibly slighted Martin's feelings, Kristi wasn't about to do the same now.<br><br>And as for walking?&nbsp; If it had been late spring and the air not so cold, she would have liked walking down the tree lined road, across the river and the bridge, the scant miles.&nbsp; But the breeze tonight was just too cold to suffer the trip to and fro.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>24-02-2009, 01:44:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Martin looked over at Kristi's car. "I don't mind if you don't, although I figure you've earned the chance to sit back and relax after dinner. It's not just me trying to be chivalrous... yes, part of it is me trying to be chivalrous, but not all of it," he added with a soft chuckle. "Besides, I'm only a minute further away." he nodded towards his own garage across the street, then looked to Kristi for a decision.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>24-02-2009, 02:16:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She was truthfully relieved that Martin made the offer as well.<br><strong><br>"Honestly?&nbsp; I only offered since the idea was partially mine.&nbsp; I'm quite happy to be a passenger."</strong><br><br>Smiling broadly, Kristi took Martin's arm in both of hers, hugging it to her in true delight.<br><br><strong>"So be chivalrous...its been a long time for me."&nbsp; </strong><br><br>Suddenly a little shy, Kristi laid her head on Martin's shoulder, but looked away, not wanting him to see her blush.<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>24-02-2009, 02:22:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I don't believe that for a moment," he said in a reassuring tone as he walked her to his car, going at a comfortable walking pace for her, not forcing her to take too quick steps in her high heels. <br><br>He moved his head to lightly touch on hers in turn, then stepped away, opened and held the passenger door for her. <br><br>"Ma'am," he said with a smile, pulling the brim of an imaginary chauffeur's cap.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>25-02-2009, 21:46:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kristi moved into the car and sat down, grinning from ear to ear as Martin attended to her.&nbsp; Once he sat down on the driver's side, they were off.<br><br>The drive into town went by quickly, even in the companionable silence.&nbsp; Occasionally one or the other would comment on a building, car, or the people they passed, but Kristi enjoyed not having to talk all the time, and guessed Martin must feel the same way, because he didn't appear concerned about the silence any more than she was.<br><br>As luck would have it they did find a place to park, close to the gazebo.&nbsp; Once they had, Kristi wondered if she should remain seated and wait for Martin to open the door, or just get out of the vehicle.&nbsp; The latter decision won out, as she considered waiting was just a little silly.&nbsp; The man obviously wasn't a barbarian, and had offered her every bit of courtesy that seemed appropriate...she could forgo this one this time, and hope he wouldn't mind.&nbsp; <br><br>She stood on the sidewalk next to the car, and smiled at him as he joined her.<br><br><strong>"This way?"&nbsp; </strong>She asked, pointing toward an antique store she had passed by but never gone into yet.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>28-02-2009, 02:16:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"It's as good a way as any, depending on what you fancy," Martin agreed. "Coffee, or ice cream and maybe cake, or something stronger... not too strong for me, of course, I'm driving," he chuckled.<br><br>The antique store window showcased a variety of items. 19th century clocks and lace fans, books with faded gold lettering on the spines, a pristine Art Deco lamp with a stained glass shade... and as Kristi caught sight of her reflection, she could see items from the 1950s in there as well. A portable record player and a selectin of 45s and albums, cat-eye glasses...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>28-02-2009, 07:19:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kristi giggled but wondered what Martin would be like if he ever drank a little too much.&nbsp; She saw him as being a little slower, a little softer version of himself, maybe.&nbsp; Certainly not a mean drunk, and probably not someone who'd put a lampshade on their head...though possibly...<br><br><strong>"That's okay...I'm sure I could get us home if I had to."</strong><br><br>Taking his hand again, seeing he wasn't going to, Kristi walked along side him until they reached the store, and then she let go of him putting both hands on the glass like a little kid looking into a toy store, eyes alight with awe.<br><br><strong>"There's so much history there..."&nbsp;</strong> Her words stopped at the sight of the glasses...black, cat's eye shaped, much like she'd seen some actress wearing in a movie from the 50s.<br><br><strong>"I've got it!&nbsp; It's someone who works here!!&nbsp; They're sneaking into my house, and when my back is turned they're placing things for me to find!&nbsp; I wonder...maybe they really wanted to buy my house, but when it was sold to me they got upset...so now they're trying to 'Gaslight' me!"</strong><br><br>There wasn't an ounce of seriousness in Kristi's theory, but she found it easier to joke about everything than to worry.&nbsp; Taking Martin's hand again, she looked up at him and grinned.<br><br><strong>"Maybe I'll pack up the clothes and bring them here...maybe they can sell them?"</strong>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>03-03-2009, 21:23:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Martin grinned as she joked about this strange idea, then nodded as she suggested selling the clothes. "You could certainly try, might as well get something out of all this... apart from the new wardrobe, of course."<br><br>His gaze lowered slightly as he mentioned it, looking at her, at the dress and ensemble she was wearing. He could not conceal his interest in how she looked as he talked about it.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>03-03-2009, 22:54:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Why was it every time she decided to get rid of something, the clothes specifically, something came along that threatened to change her mind?!&nbsp; Right now, as she explained her idea to Martin, she could feel his eyes on her, and could tell by that look that he wasn't as approving of her idea as he let on.&nbsp; Did he really find the outfit all that attractive?&nbsp; And if so...why?&nbsp; Weren't styles from the fifties gone because they wore out?&nbsp; <br><br>Mentally shrugging, Kristi decided as much as she liked Martin, the man was just a bit odd when it came to fashion, and thought no more about it.<br><br><strong>"My closet is small enough as it is, with clothes I really like.&nbsp; About the only other thing I could do would be to box it all up and put it back in the attic.&nbsp; Something tells me it wouldn't be there long."&nbsp; </strong><br><br>She laughed, knowing her assumptions would undoubtedly be true.&nbsp; Keeping the clothes in the house anywhere would just make then more accessible.<br><br><strong>"It looks like the store is still open...did you want to go inside, or keep walking?"</strong>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>03-03-2009, 23:34:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Whatever you like." He went to the shop door and held it open for her.<br><br>Inside, a woman in her late thirties, wearing a woollen sweater and skirt, looked up at the ringing of the door chime, itself probably older than anyone inside the shop.<br><br>"Good evening, hello..." She smiled politely.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>04-03-2009, 04:32:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Following him to the door, then walking in as he held it for her, Kristi gave the woman a quick wave, and acknowledged her greeting, just as her eyes scanned over a very interesting globe.<br><br><strong>"Hi, we were just out enjoying the night air, and thought now would be a good time to check out your store.&nbsp; I think every time I've driven past here lately, it's been packed.&nbsp; Its nice to know people are still interested in keeping history alive."</strong><br><br>Trying not to appear totally oblivious to the woman, Kristi couldn't pull her eyes away from the globe.<br><br><strong>"Martin?&nbsp; Isn't this lovely?&nbsp; Its in such great condition, and looks authentic."</strong>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>07-03-2009, 16:37:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Absolutely. So much nowadays isn't built to last," the woman agreed.<br><br>Martin nodded as Kristi pointed out the globe. "You're right..." He looked to the manageress.<br><br>"You have a good eye. It was made in 1928, right here in town. The first from the series is in the town hall, and others were shipped to schools and colleges right across the eastern seaboard. This was from a former geography teacher's collection."<br><br>She looked between Kristi and Martin. He looked to Kristi, gauging her interest.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>07-03-2009, 17:34:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Not sure why, but Kristi knew she had to have the globe.&nbsp; For one thing it was crafted before the 1950's, which in itself was intriguing, but there was more to it.&nbsp; <br><br>Letting her fingers move across the small maps, turning the orb on it's axis..."<strong>You really don't realize just how much the world has changed in the past hundred years, until you see old maps of it.&nbsp; &nbsp;Countries in Europe, and Asia, that were one thing back then, and are now something completely different.&nbsp; This globe is full of so much history that goes beyond the fact that it was created so long ago."</strong><br><br>Breaking out of her self imposed interest, Kristi blushed when she saw both the proprietor and Martin watching her.<br><strong><br>"How much is it?"&nbsp; </strong>She inquired, holding her breath in the hopes she might be able to afford it, but not so expecting to.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>07-03-2009, 17:50:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The manageress nodded appreciatively as Kristi spun the globe around in its frame. "It's always a pleasure to meet someone who appreciates the worth of history."<br><br>As Kristi asked about the price, she smiled again. "It's eighty dollars. About one for every year. We can deliver it anywhere in town for another ten, if you don't have your car." She looked to Martin now, clearly thinking that they were a couple.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>07-03-2009, 18:55:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>"Oh my gosh!&nbsp; You're kidding right?!"&nbsp; </strong>Kristi couldn't believe it was less than a hundred dollars, but not wanting to appear to enthusiastic, or overly eager, she quickly calmed, and nodded.<br><br><strong>"I'll take it!"</strong><br><br>Bubbling over with delight at having made probably the most significant purchase of an inanimate object in her life, Kristi latched onto Martin's arm again, as a means to try and hold herself to the ground.<br><br>The globe didn't appear at all unwieldy,&nbsp; and Martin's car was near by that Kristi hoped he wouldn't mind if they took it now.&nbsp; Besides, the extra ten dollars would pay for another dinner, and was already planning on asking Martin over again.<br><strong><br>"Do you mind if we take it now, and put it in your car?&nbsp; It should be safe there for now, don't you think?"</strong>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>07-03-2009, 19:26:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Sure, that's fine," Martin nodded, smiling at Kristi's happy, seemingly impulsive decision.<br><br>"Let me find a box for you... Cash or charge?" the storekeeper asked cheerfully.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>08-03-2009, 05:16:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				While Kristi had sufficient funds in her bank account, she didn't have that much cash on her then.&nbsp; Instead she handed the woman her credit card, and again smiled at Martin.&nbsp; When the woman left to look for a box, she turned to her friend.<br><strong><br>"So do you really like it?&nbsp; You don't think I got ripped off, do you?&nbsp; Antiques are like cars with me...if someone tells me something about them, I really have no choice but to trust them, since I have such limited knowledge of my own.&nbsp; She seems awfully nice though, and honest...doesn't she seem honest to you?"<br></strong><br>If Kristi hadn't love the look of the globe, she never would have bought it, but there was something about it that had captured her heart the second she laid eyes on it.&nbsp; Still, she hoped it was at least worth the eighty dollars she paid for it.<br><br>The woman returned then, and packed up the globe in the box, making sure to put enough padding around it to offer the best protection during the transfer to Kristi's home.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>09-03-2009, 15:07:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Martin nodded. "I do. It's in really good condition... you probably got a bargain because it's local. Where are you thinking of putting it? The middle of the living room would probably be best for avoiding direct light, or maybe upstairs?"<br><br>The manageress returned, setting the box down on a low table and slowly moving the globe into it, packing it well, and adding a sepia-toned flyer for the store at the top before closing the box and going to the desk for a roll of tape to secure it.<br><br>Martin went to open the door wide and the manageress held it as he carefully picked up the box. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>09-03-2009, 18:27:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Oh, I don't want to hide it.&nbsp; I think the corner of the living room, over in the corner between the window and the television...it shouldn't get direct light there, but still be visible.&nbsp; I want to be able to see it, and I think it will give the living room a little bit of a conversational prompting, if need be."<br><br>The truth of the matter was that Kristi had been thinking of Martin when she bought the globe.&nbsp; The problem with that was that she still didn't know him very well, and giving him a gift like that would be inappropriate at this stage of their ... relationship?&nbsp; Plus, she had no idea what his place looked like, since she'd never seen it.&nbsp; For all she knew his tastes could run ultra modern, in which case the globe would look terribly out of place.<br><br>So for now she would house it, and love and appreciate it.<br><br>Following behind him, Kristi waited until the box was securely inside his car, and then started to drag him down the other side of the street.<br><br><strong>"Okay, now that I've spent way more money than I had intended, I'm really in the mood for dessert."</strong>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>10-03-2009, 17:22:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He nodded in agreement with her decision, managed to almost completely hide a grunt of discomfort as he straightened up after loading the globe into the car, and followed along as she started to pull him sideways.<br><br>"Well, I had best pay for it, hadn't I?" He smiled cheerfully.<br><br>The evening air was starting to cool, most notably against Kristi's exposed lower legs. <br><br>These also seemed to draw a few surreptitious glances from some of the men they passed on the way to the restaurant.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>11-03-2009, 03:14:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>"I think that was the deal."&nbsp; </strong><br><br>Kristi didn't really care if she had any ice cream at this point.&nbsp; She was just enjoying Martin, the little town, and the unseasonably lovely weather.&nbsp; The glances she got from a couple of the men who passed by had to make her smile too.&nbsp; &nbsp;Compliments like that were not so common that Kristi could be blaze' about them, nor was her head turned by them...she just accepted them, and appreciated them.<br><br>More interested in Martin than any strangers on the street, Kristi pulled Martin's arm around her shoulders, looked up at him and grinned.&nbsp; Her own arm went around his waist, and they companionably walked to the ice cream parlor.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>11-03-2009, 03:33:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As she moved into his arm, he rested his hand on her shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze to show his agreement, then kept it there. He slowed his pace to let her walk more slowly and comfortably, as he looked down at her and smiled warmly.<br><br>"Here we are," he said after a few minutes' walking in comfortable silence. The parlour was a hybrid of ice cream and coffee store, and had probably been a malt shop fifty years ago and various other things in between.<br><br>He opened the door with his free hand and held it for her. The parlour was quite busy, but it looked like they would manage to get a table.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>12-03-2009, 18:39:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				They were shown to a table by the windows, toward the back of the eatery, and Kristi took a chair facing the front of the establishment, and accepted the menu the hostess gave her.&nbsp; Waiting until Martin was seated, Kristi turned to the dessert section and perused it quickly.<br><br><strong>"I think I'm going to have either a root beer float, or...depending on what you want, this special sundae looks fun."</strong><br><br>Pointing to a rather large boat shaped dish of various flavors of ice creams, and toppings, the concoction was advertised as the Sundae for Sweethearts, and was obviously been meant to be shared.&nbsp; Not knowing Martin's tastes, she mentioned the root beer float first, as an out for him if he chose.&nbsp; Truly, either choice was fine with her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>13-03-2009, 16:54:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He looked where she was pointing, and nodded after a moment. "Yeah, I could go for that, if you don't mind me taking most of the strawberry," he said with a chuckle.<br><br>He leaned back slightly, shifting his feet under the table, and his shin tapped the toe of one of Kristi's shoes. He pulled his leg back, just past there, but not out of reach.<br><br>"Ah, so, are you planning on filling the house with period furniture?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>13-03-2009, 17:17:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The waitress brought them both ice water and took their order, then left them to their own devices.<br><br><strong>"No...I don't think so anyway, not consciously.&nbsp; My tastes kind of follow a more eclectic theme I think...I like a lot of styles.&nbsp; What I hope is that when I'm done furnishing my place, that everything has a special thought or meaning to it...so when I look at it I will remember a time, or event, or...person, and associate those happy thoughts with it, rather than just seeing a couch, or rug...&nbsp; Does that make any sense?<br><br>The globe will remind me of all the places I'd like to see, as well as this town, and you..." </strong> Blushing a little, Kristi hoped she didn't sound sappy, or that by thinking of Martin, she was implying something he might feel uncomfortable with.<br><br>Sipping her water, Kristi again thought to herself how lucky she was to have met Martin, and found herself so easily drawn into their friendship, but equally concerned that she might scare him off with her attentions.&nbsp; So far he hadn't given her any impression to that effect, but she knew you also couldn't take anything about guys for granted.&nbsp; She had seen them freak out for a lot less.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>13-03-2009, 17:34:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He nodded along with her explanation. "The house as scrapbook," he said with a gentle smile. "Most houses get that way, but might as well try and make it work."<br><br>As she explained the globe and mentioned him, his eyebrows rose slightly, then he smiled again. "I'll try to be worth remembering well," he said.<br><br>The waitress returned, her notepad open. "Hi, can we get the, ah... Sundae for Sweethearts?" He grinned at the name, seeming a little awkward using such a term.<br><br>The waitress smirked, looked at him, looked at Kristi and nodded. "Coming right up."<br><br>He thanked her, then looked back to Kristi with a sheepish grin. "Hope you don't mind that I just labelled us like that..." He looked genuinely hopeful as he said that.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>15-03-2009, 04:42:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>"As long as the scrapbook isn't a hodge-podge, but yes, I know what you mean, and it can be difficult to make that sort of thing work."&nbsp; </strong>Kristi shrugged. <strong> "But I've got time, and I don't normally impulse buy, so I think I'll be good."</strong><br><br>Grinning, and wrinkling her nose as if she wasn't as convincing as she wanted to be, Kristi paused when the waitress appeared again.&nbsp; Hearing Martin, and imagining his use of the sundae's label, she felt a twinge of some emotion that was new to her.&nbsp; Smiling at the waitress, feeling a little smug to have such an adorable date, Kristi shook her head vehemently when the waitress left, and Martin explained.<br><br><strong>"Mind?&nbsp; Heck no.&nbsp; I thought it was adorable."</strong><br><br>Putting a hand over his, as it rested on the table, Kristi's smile grew.<br><br><strong>"I'm really glad you live across the street Martin, and that you brought me those brownies.&nbsp; I...like you a lot."</strong><br><br>Gah!&nbsp; Hearing the words as they left her mouth, Kristi was embarrassed to hear herself sound like a sixteen year old.&nbsp; Scrunching up her face, as if to protect herself from the blows that might come, she opened one eye after a couple seconds, and hope he didn't mind her admitting her feelings, and in such a juvenile way.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>17-03-2009, 01:51:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As she opened one eye, Kristi saw Martin smiling brightly.<br><br>"I'm glad. And flattered. And, for the record, I... like you a lot too." He grinned as he echoed her phrase, but as well as joking with her he obviously meant it.<br><br>"So... would you like to go out sometime? More 'out' than out for ice cream, I mean, like a movie or an art show or... something?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>17-03-2009, 03:29:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She still felt a little like a silly school girl, but it did help, a lot, when Martin returned her feelings.&nbsp; Kristi sort of had the feeling he liked her, but it was ALWAYS good to hear.<br><br>Before Martin finished his question, Kristi had answered, but then let her voice drop so he could finish what he was saying.<br><br><strong>"Of course I'd...like...to...go...out."&nbsp; </strong>Smiling, and shrugging in apology for interrupting, she couldn't help but be enthusiastic.&nbsp; <strong>"But I have to be honest with you...tonight?&nbsp; Dinner?&nbsp; Well...that was kind of my definition of a date, but you're right, in that we didn't go out.&nbsp; And I guess it doesn't count as a date if we both don't know that's what it is!" </strong> Rolling her eyes this time, before closing them, Kristi decided she just needed to stop talking.<br><br><strong>"You're going to need to come visit me at work some day, and see how intelligently I really can speak."</strong>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>17-03-2009, 04:46:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't want to, y'know, with the babbling in the workplace. Uh, and, we all know how that can get." There was a hint of an embarrassed blush about him as well. "Ah, anyway, what are you doing Thursday? We could see the new show at the Barton..."<br><br>The waitress returned, setting down the sundae. It was a pretty impressive construction, with strawberry and vanilla scoops, strawberry sauce and more.<br><br>"Well, where would milady like to start?" Martin asked, trying to sound jokily gallant.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>17-03-2009, 20:35:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kristi nodded, and realized it wouldn't be prudent to be seen with Martin just yet...not with their 'dating' being so new and all.&nbsp; She hoped he wasn't TOO embarrassed by the suggestion.<br><br><strong>"Thursday...Oh, yea...well I do have plans that night..."</strong><br><br>Getting serious, and a bit sad, she looked at Martin beneath her eyelashes, and didn't let the rouse go on too long.<br><br><strong>"Thursday I'm going to be seeing the new show at the Barton..."</strong><br><br>Grinning, Kristi winked at Martin, but returned to her more public persona upon the arrival of the waitress.<br><br>Picking up her spoon, Kristi posed over one end of the oblong trough.<br><br><strong>"I say we both attack from the ends, and meet in the middle...it won't stand a chance against us!"</strong><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>18-03-2009, 15:38:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As she mentioned plans, he started to speak, probably a counteroffer judging by his expression of concern. Then as she explained her plans and grinned, he smiled back, visibly relieved. <br><br>"Sounds like a plan," he agreed to her suggestion. "Let's go to work." He raised his spoon, then paused. "Ladies first."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>19-03-2009, 17:23:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kirsti didn't hold back at all, and dug right in to the sundae, scooping the icy, creamy, sugary concoction into her mouth, with a relish that showed just how much she loved ice cream.&nbsp; But the spoonfuls she took were small, as she had no intention of winding up with a brain freeze, and making a spectacle of herself, which had been known to happen with the throbbing head pain.<br><br><strong>"Mmmm...this was a wonderful idea, thanks for the thought."</strong><br><br>Her eyes sparkled at Martin, and she leaned closer, using the sundae as an excuse, but just wanting to be nearer to him.<br><br><strong>"Maybe next time I'll stock up on ice creams, syrups, and toppings, and we can see what kinds of epicurean constructs we can come up with."</strong>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>21-03-2009, 01:53:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He smiled broadly and warmly as she dug in, watching her go for a moment, then ventured his spoon into the battlefield as well.<br><br>He leaned a little closer as she did. <br><br>"We could certainly try that," he agreed. "Although then how could I take you out for dessert afterwards?" He looked thoughtful, smirking as he did. "I'd probably have to just take you to dinner beforehand, wouldn't I?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>24-03-2009, 16:48:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>"Not that you need to return my offers, dinner would be nice.&nbsp; Then too...don't forget I plan on utilizing your 'handyman' techniques...and have been thinking of painting a couple rooms."<br></strong><br>Kristi wriggled her nose and grinned, hoping Martin wouldn't be upset if she sort of assumed he might help her around her house.&nbsp; Of course only if she asked him nicely, and offered to compensate him in some way.&nbsp; She really wasn't a 'user' type person.<br><br><strong>"I'm sure between the two of us we should be able to come up with some adequate arrangement that works for us both."</strong><br><br>Her gaze lingered on him just a moment longer, before she returned to decimating the sundae.&nbsp; Though a couple more mouthfuls found her sated, and unable to continue.&nbsp; Sitting back in her chair, she shook her head, and took on a very languid look.<br><br><strong>"I can't do it...I just can't eat another bite."&nbsp; </strong>In reality Kristi hadn't even finished one scoop of the ice cream, but she really was too full to eat another.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>25-03-2009, 19:22:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Martin nodded in agreement to her suggestions of needing help, smiling warmly as she did the same. "I'll see what I can fit into my busy schedule..."<br><br>"Well then," he said as she put down the spoon, "it's up to me..." He looked at the remaining amount of ice cream. "Hmm... might take a while, maybe we should get another drink. Still, can't return a half-full plate, can we? What would that say about us?" He gave her a mischievous smile, and took a big spoonful of the strawberry scoop.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>25-03-2009, 20:05:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Resting her chin in her hands, with her elbows impolitely sitting on the table, Kristi just smiled as she watched Martin finish the sundae.&nbsp; Giggling, she shook her head in question as he commented on the half eaten bowl of ice cream.<br><br><strong>"No, what would that say about us?&nbsp; That I eat like a bird, and you eat like a horse?"&nbsp; </strong>Giggling harder, she sat up and shrugged.<br><br><strong>"I couldn't put another thing between my lips now anyway...I'm stuffed." </strong> Something about that statement made Kristi blush, but she said no more.&nbsp; The last thing she wanted was for Martin to think she was some sort of hussy.&nbsp; Not that she couldn't be assertive, but not knowing him any better than she did, didn't allow her to be quite as brazen as she might become should they continue to date.&nbsp; And she did hope for that.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>29-03-2009, 20:46:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I meant about us being... well, ah, sweethearts." He smiled casually as he took another bite.<br><br>He nodded with her comment about being full, glanced at her reaction, but said nothing about her phrasing. "Well, ah, we can walk it off, or drive back. What would you like?" By now, the plate was a lot nearer to being cleared.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>31-03-2009, 17:31:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				When what Martin said dawned on her, Kristi blushed.&nbsp; It was cute...being thought of as half of a pair of sweethearts, but she mentally cautioned herself into not reading any more into it.<br><br><strong>"I don't think it would be a good idea to leave your car in town...you never know yet what the morning will be like, and I'd hate to think of you having to trudge through the rain to get it."</strong>&nbsp; Of course Kristi could always take him in her car, but that would mean she might have to risk Martin seeing her without makeup...and she didn't think she knew him well enough for that yet.<br><br><strong>"I'm sure I'll be fine." </strong> A surprise burp almost caught her off guard, but she managed to cover her mouth just in time.&nbsp; <strong>"And that helped a lot!" </strong> She giggled.<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>01-04-2009, 03:56:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Martin blinked, then grinned, at her almost-concealed belch. "Well, ah, I just meant round the block. Stop at the bandstand, I show off my knowledge of local boring architecture..." He smiled self-deprecatingly. "But your wish is my command, milady." <br><br>He rose, took a moment to puff and pat his stomach, then smirked suggesting her was joking... mostly... before walking around to pull her chair out for her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>01-04-2009, 18:02:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Blushing again from the slight misunderstanding, Kristi shook her head.<br><br><strong>"Oh no, I mean yes, a walk around the block would be nice!&nbsp; And I'd love to hear anything you have to say about the local architecture...or anything else for that matter."</strong><br><br>Feeling truly special when Martin pulled out the chair, Kristi took his hand as they walked from the diner.&nbsp; Once they began walking she couldn't help but snuggle against the man's side just a little, enjoying the extra warmth, and the closeness.<br><br><strong>"Okay, shoot!&nbsp; I'm ready to be tutored." </strong> Her eyes were bright and her smile beamed at Martin.&nbsp; What a truly delightful evening she was having.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>01-04-2009, 21:59:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Martin smiled warmly at Kristi's words, held the door for her, and when she pulled in close he put an arm around her waist.<br><br>"Well, ah, where to begin... the clock tower, I suppose, it dates back to 1876... still works, too, although they only ring the bells for Christmas and the Fourth of July..."<br><br>He walked slowly with her, his arm close and warm around her, his leg making the skirt of her dress swish quietly with each step.<br><br>"The rest of the time they're in the museum section of city hall..." He gestured with his free hand to a neo-Classical building opposite the clock tower.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>02-04-2009, 00:13:43</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The walk was leisurely, comfortable, and overall very nice.&nbsp; Kristi couldn't remember having such a walk with a boyfriend, ever, and she caught a couple glimpses of people that passed by, who also seemed to think she and Martin were...close, and possibly lovers.&nbsp; Her grin grew, and she snuggled closer even after he put his arm around her, just because it felt good, and she could.<br><br><strong>"That's pretty amazing when you stop to think about it...that a clock over a hundred years old, would still work like that, and especially when it's subjected to the elements like that one must be."</strong><br><br>She hoped she would be able to hear the bells this July fourth, since she'd missed them this past Christmas.<br><br><strong>"Fascinating." </strong> Kristi murmured, paying attention, but having difficulty understanding.&nbsp; Perhaps it would have been better had she been looking at the building and not Martin.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>02-04-2009, 00:26:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Yeah," he nodded. "They built things to last back in the day. These days, we have to design obsolescence right in... and I'm boring again." He grinned, then looked to the city hall. "I'll have to let you see it sometime during the day, it shuts at six... maybe Saturday?" he asked, a hopeful look on his face. "Just if you're not busy," he added, to relieve her of possible guilt in case she was going to refuse.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>03-04-2009, 19:04:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>"I know, and that doesn't really make any sense either...I mean with all our technology, you'd think we'd find ways to build things BETTER.&nbsp; In truth, I think we can, but we don't because we'd make less profit.&nbsp; People just need to get over their greed, and needing to have everything they want...tomorrow!"</strong><br><br>Whoops!&nbsp; Kristi blushed as she started getting a little animated, and loud.&nbsp; She didn't get riled up about a lot of things, but the things she was concerned with did get her going at times.<br><br><strong>"On the other hand, that's another reason why I really love the construction in this area...its built to last...my house, your house...the clock tower.&nbsp; I love touring old houses...seeing the way architecture has changed, and imagining the people who lived in the homes when they were new.&nbsp; To think someone might do that in my home some day...its crazy, I know, and I'm not the original owner even..."</strong><br><br>Shaking her head and grinning, Kristi stopped talking.&nbsp; Martin was an architect after all...she was preaching to the choir, and suddenly felt a little silly.<br><br><strong>"Oh! And I'm not at all busy on Saturday!"</strong><br><br>She'd almost forgotten to accept his invitation, but could have kicked herself for being quite so excited, and ...available.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>08-04-2009, 04:50:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He nodded along, saying "I agree" in a reassuring way as she blushed after her declaration. It was obvious that he did agree as well as wanting to make her feel less self-conscious.<br><br>He nodded again at her idea. Then he grinned as she added being available on Saturday. "Alright then... anything else you'd like to include? Maybe lunch out by the bandstand?" He pointed to a cluster of picnic tables. "Or one of the other places around the square?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>08-04-2009, 19:01:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She guessed he might be patronizing her a little, but Kristi didn't mind at all.&nbsp; The way Martin spoke was not at all condescendingly, so she appreciated his responses as being gracious, and comforting.&nbsp; <br><br><strong>"Lunch in the square, or around it...I'm happy with either idea.&nbsp; Why don't you surprise me?"</strong><br><br>Just to be with Martin again, and having him to share her day was really all she wanted.&nbsp; How they went about it was a secondary thought, and one she would gladly relinquish to him to decide on.<br><br><strong>"I'll even wear one of my new...old...retro outfits, and pretend like its 1955, so I should be ready for anything you choose."</strong><br><br>At least that seemed to be something the 1950's clothing had.&nbsp; Women back then, when they left the house, all seemed to dress as if they were going to tea, even if they were only going to the market!&nbsp; Kristi smirked good naturedly.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>10-04-2009, 00:05:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Well, apart from a few desserts and an adequate pasta salad, I don't do a good picnic, so indoors it is..." <br><br>As she joked about wearing a 1950s outfit, she was reminded of how entirely comfortable she was in the dress she now wore.<br><br>"And if you're going to get dressed up, I should definitely take you somewhere fancy. Not that you have to to look amazing..." He gazed down at her, his lips staying slightly parted, subconsciously moistening them.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>10-04-2009, 00:18:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Indoors, outdoors, Kristi didn't mind either, just as long as she got to spend the time with Martin.<br><br>Feeling totally impetuous, and struck by the way his lips looked so ... tasty ...&nbsp; when he licked them, Kristi gave in to her impulse, and quickly kissed him.&nbsp; It was meant to be just a quick, fun loving bit of affection, and didn't last long at all, but it lasted long enough for her to want more.&nbsp; <br><br>Unfortunately, the fast buss on the lips was pretty much the extent of her ardent action.&nbsp; Surprised at her bold move, Kristi looked away, and tried to gather her wits.&nbsp; When she had them she quietly continued to walk alongside Martin, and wondered what he thought about her now.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>10-04-2009, 01:04:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He put his lips together thoughtfully for a moment, then smiled brightly, keeping his arm around her.<br><br>"Alright then. It's a date."<br><br>The streetlights were fully on by now, and the sky above was properly dark.<br><br>"We should probably get going soon," he noted.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>13-04-2009, 16:30:43</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kristi was loathe to end the evening but knew it had to be done.&nbsp; She also had work tomorrow and wouldn't do well on just a few hours sleep.<br><br><strong>"You're right...I guess we do need to get back to reality."</strong><br><br>Giving Martin a bittersweet smile, Kristi snuggled against him a little closer, but made no move to head toward the car.&nbsp; Instead she just grinned, and enjoyed the light scent of his clean smell, and beat of his heart, which she could feel through her cheek pressed against the side of his chest.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>13-04-2009, 17:47:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"It can wait a few minutes longer," he murmured softly, his words running up through his chest as she leant her head against it, as he put his hands together around her waist.<br><br>A bell rang twice from the clock tower. "It's starting to get colder," Martin said, after what felt like seconds but was in fact a good few minutes according to the chime. "I should see you home."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>13-04-2009, 18:42:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>"Yes, Martin...I know...I've put you off too long already...I know."</strong><br><br>Kristi said a little contritely, but moved out of the man's embrace and split off toward the car.&nbsp; Had she been about ten years younger she probably would have stomped her feet, and given her date a pouty frown, but she was a young woman in her mid twenties, and stoically behaved as such.<br><br>When she reached the car she looked at him and smiled.&nbsp; She wasn't angry at him, but rather the circumstances...the situation...and even then she wasn't truly angry, but more just a little miffed.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>13-04-2009, 19:50:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"It's not that... I don't want the night to end. But it's ending all the same..." <br><br>There was hardly any traffic as they drove back, and soon the car was pulling up into Kristi's drive.<br><br>"Here we are... so, can I call you tomorrow?" he asked as he walked around the car to open the door for her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>15-04-2009, 21:52:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kristi was being foolish, and knew so.&nbsp; Drawing upon her normally well behaved, and responsible side, she nodded and smiled, totally understanding it was time to call it a night.<br><br>The drive home went much too quickly, even if the two of them were somewhat quiet.&nbsp; Kristi was reflecting on Martin, and the evening, and the crazy things in her house couldn't have been farther from her mind until they pulled into her driveway.<br><br>Climbing out of the car, Kristi smiled, nodded again, and leaned forward to give Martin a quick, chaste kiss on the corner of his mouth.&nbsp; She would have loved to have kissed him more soundly, but didn't want to get into something more involved...not tonight anyway.<br><br><strong>"Of course, please do.&nbsp; I'll be looking forward to hearing from you.&nbsp; And Martin?&nbsp; Thank you so much for the lovely evening.&nbsp; I enjoyed myself immensely."</strong><br><br>With that parting, Kristi walked up her steps, and let herself into her house.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>16-04-2009, 14:10:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As she kissed him, he placed his hands gently on her waist, steadying them both. He held her a moment longer before they parted. <br><br>"So did I. Good night..."<br><br>He backed away, his eyes lingering on her until she was inside.<br><br>The air was comfortably warm and still inside the house. Nothing moved.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>20-04-2009, 16:42:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Once inside the house, Kristi leaned against the door, and hugged her arms around herself as if to keep the feeling of Martin's hands on her body in, where she could enjoy it.&nbsp; It had been so long since such a kind, and good looking guy had given her such attention...she missed it, and wanted to cherish everything about the way it made her feel.<br><br>Oblivious to the dark, she didn't even turn on a light as she almost floated across the floor to her room.&nbsp; The hour was late so she put off her shower, deciding to take it in the morning, and instead dropped her clothes on the floor, falling into bed totally nude.&nbsp; As if intoxicated by drink, Kristi smiled, snuggled into the bed as if she were snuggling against Martin's body, and fell asleep in a matter of minutes.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>20-04-2009, 19:24:30</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kristi could almost feel manly arms around her as she woke...<br><br>Waking fully, she realised that she was alone. A shaft of sunlight shone through a gap in her curtains and had crept up to her face, waking her early.<br><br>The sunbeam illuminated the near-bare light walls of her room, bathing the room with a pale glow.<br><br>Her closet was open, and empty.<br><br>Laid out on the chair by the dressing mirror was a gleaming white satin longline girdle, and black seamed stockings.<br><br>There did not appear to be any other clothes in the room at all...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>20-04-2009, 19:39:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Waking was a slow process most mornings.&nbsp; Kristi loved the first rays of sunshine, on dew covered lawns, and the early, soft chirping of birds which she could hear, see, smell and feel upon waking.&nbsp; &nbsp;But she became more animated during later hours, so she often thought of herself as a night owl, even loving mornings so much.<br><br>This particular morning she felt even more in tune with the day, and remained snuggled deeply into her bed, as if she were still in Martin's embrace.<br><br>However, once she knew she had to get up and get ready for work, a half scream - half gasp flew from her lips as he eyes scanned the empty closet and clothing articles laying about.<br><br>Tossing back the covers, she was out of the bed in seconds, double checking the closet, then pulling open her drawers, one after the other, searching for clothes.&nbsp; Standing naked in the chilly room, she mentally cursed herself for not having put on a nightgown the night before.&nbsp; <br><br>The girdle and stockings were glared at.<br><br><strong>"So you think THIS is going to work, do you?&nbsp; Take all my clothes so I have no choice but to wear that monstrosity?!"</strong><br><br>A laugh erupted.&nbsp; So if she put on the girdle, and stockings...then what?&nbsp; She couldn't very easily go to work dressed like THAT!&nbsp; And she had no intentions of wandering around the house dressed that way.&nbsp; The idea of either was just preposterous.<br><br>Going into the bathroom Kristi was relieved to find her terrycloth robe on the back of the door, even if her hamper was also empty.&nbsp; Not only did she have no clothes to wear from her closet, she didn't even have anything dirty she could put on, or wash to wear.&nbsp; How was she going to get to work, she wondered, irritated beyond belief.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>20-04-2009, 19:53:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As she left the bathroom, she glimpsed a hint of colour in the bedroom, like there might be something in the closet after all. <br><br>Sure enough, a navy blue jacket and pencil skirt suit waited on a hanger, a pretty white blouse lay on the bed and a pair of matching 2" heels sat by the door. But as she approached, the closet door swung shut again.<br><br>And inside, the hanger was now empty.<br><br>The girdle, stockings, blouse and shoes remained.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>20-04-2009, 20:51:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Whether it was because she had been experiencing these strange occurrences for some time now, and was getting used to them, or possibly because aside from being annoying, and presenting minor irritations, the events weren't really any big deal, Kristi seemed a lot less phased by this turn of events than she might have in the past.<br><br><strong>"So now we're really going to be playing games, are we?&nbsp; You giveth, and you taketh away?"</strong><br><br>Without the suit there was still no way that Kristi could go to work, so for now she'd call in and take a personal day, then call the store in town and see if some other clothes could be delivered that would see her through this day.&nbsp; She was really growing quite tired of this unknown entity taking over her life in this respect, and had to figure out a way to take it back.&nbsp; Rather than call the school, Kristi was now determined to go there and speak in person to the one in charge of the paranormal department.<br><br>Once she'd called work, and confirmed she'd check back in the afternoon, she called the small department store in town.&nbsp; The told her they had a couple pairs of pants in her size, as well as some pull over shirts that they would deliver to her, and she could keep what she wanted and return what she didn't.&nbsp; Ah the joys of small town living, Kristi thought.&nbsp; Underwear, and two pairs of tennis shoes would accompany the order.&nbsp; With that out of the way Kristi called Martin, and left a message on his answering machine, giving him a low down on the antics she was dealing with, and then turned on the television to watch the news till her clothes arrived.&nbsp; Nothing in her bedroom was touched by her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>22-04-2009, 02:53:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The TV only seemed to be broadcasting five channels - all showing programs from the 1950s, in black and white. <strong>I Love Lucy</strong> was the only one Kristi recognised offhand, everything else being obscure. One channel showed a cookery show with a perfectly-attired lady in an apron explaining how to make a pie for the family to share, that looked like a live broadcast from fifty years ago.<br><br>The doorbell rang soon after.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>27-04-2009, 17:28:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The television situation only made Kristi that much more annoyed, though at this point she was becoming less concerned with the fact that the situations presenting themselves to her, and undoubtedly her alone.&nbsp; It did occur to her to call the cable company, to see if there was some problem, but being pretty sure what was being televised on her TV wasn't the cable companies doing, she elected not to.<br><br>So she stood up and began to pace.&nbsp; <br><br>Unable to come to any rational or reasonable explanations to anything that had been going on in her house for the past weeks, Kristi started to realize if things didn't change pretty soon she might truly be forced into selling her house and finding someplace else to call home.&nbsp; No matter how vehemently she tried to convince herself, she now knew there was no way she'd be able to go on like this much longer.<br><br>When the doorbell rang, it took her a few seconds to recall where she was and what she'd been doing, but then quickly opened the door to see who her visitor was.&nbsp; She was expecting the delivery of her clothes, of course.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>28-04-2009, 17:55:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Pacing around, Kristi seemed to notice all of the old-fashioned fixtures and fittings in the house all the more. Apart from the modern appliances, including the TV currently showing flickering black and white images of years gone by, the only thing that did not seem to belong in the 1950s was the antique globe, which of course predated the house.<br><br>As she opened the door, a young man and woman, each around twenty, smiled at her. Both wore the colours of Barton's the department store, and both carried garment bags and boxes.<br><br>"Mrs. S... no, wait, that's crossed out. Ms. Weaver?" the young woman asked, checking her clipboard. "Three tops, two pairs pants, pantihose and sneakers. Want to see and check the sizes?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>04-05-2009, 19:23:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Pulling the robe tightly around her, Kristi opened the door more widely and gestured for the two delivery people to enter.<br><br><strong>"You can just put the things down there on the couch.&nbsp; I'll try them on and what I can't use I'll return to the store on my way out this morning."</strong><br><br>Finding her purse Kristi pulled two five dollar bills from her wallet and handed one to each of the people standing in her living room.<br><br><strong>"Thank you so much for your promptness."&nbsp; </strong>She smiled and then ushered them out the door.<br><br>Quickly Kristi opened the boxes and pulled out each garment, checking sizes and choosing the ones she imagined would fit best.&nbsp; It didn't take her long to see that the store missed her request for panties, yet for some reason they did send pantyhose!&nbsp; Growling under her breath, Kristi pulled off her robe and soon found a pair of pants, a top, and a pair of tennis shoes that would do.&nbsp; Deciding she'd just go 'commando', she had chosen the top that would work best with her braless figure, and then returned all the remaining clothes to their boxes, and bags.<br><br>Feeling a lot better now, she poured herself a cup of coffee, and sat back on the couch just long enough to finish it.&nbsp; She would then take the things to the store, pay for what she kept. and head over to the campus to see what she could do about ridding herself of this annoying spirit.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>04-05-2009, 19:51:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The pants that best fit were cut to flatter her legs, and the top was soft peach cotton, trimmed with a narrow band of white lace. It was still a flattering outfit despite its simplicity - with the right jacket she could wear it to a date.<br><br>Lying at the bottom of the bag as she replaced everything, she belatedly found a small underwear box. The photo on the box showed a plain white sports bra and matching panties... but inside was a concoction of white silk, a conical bra and high-waisted knickers in a half-century-old style.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>06-05-2009, 16:54:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Once she finished her coffee, brushed her hair and added a bit of mascara to her lashes, Kristi was ready.&nbsp; Gathering her purse and the clothes she had to return, she couldn't help but glare again at the bag.&nbsp; &nbsp;At first when she'd put the remaining clothes back in the bag and found the box she'd missed with the underwear in it, she was happy.&nbsp; Once she opened the box she let out a yelp of surprise that could probably be heard by the next-door neighbors.&nbsp; In fact she was so startled the box ended up on the floor, clear across the room.&nbsp; The 'Madonna' bra and 'Little House on the Prairie' pantaloons were beyond belief, but it no longer mattered.&nbsp; Somehow Kristi was going to resolve this craziness in her house, or perhaps die trying!<br><br>The sales woman at the store couldn't have been more apologetic for the mix up, and even gave Kristi a store credit for the next time she wanted to buy something.&nbsp; Kristi assured the girl everything was okay, but didn't refuse the credit.&nbsp; <br><br>With all that out of the way, Kristi drove across town to the university, and parked in the faculty lot.&nbsp; Not that she was faculty of course, but she was a guest, and there was no guest parking...or any available anyway.&nbsp; Once she'd spoken to the information desk, she set out on her short trek to the Paranormal Department, reassured to hear there was someone there awaiting her arrival.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>07-05-2009, 00:00:43</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As the girl in the store opened the box, she looked puzzled. What was wrong with a plain sports bra and panty set, she wondered...<br><br>The Psychology Department played host to the "Theoretical Psychology" section. The Ghostbusters mug on top of the first PC in the cramped office was the best sign that this was what the faculty had decided to call Parapsychology.<br><br>Sitting at that PC was a dark-haired young man in a Sunnydale High T-shirt, staring at the screen through glasses.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>07-05-2009, 00:26:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kristi scanned the map the girl in the office had given her, and eventually found the building that housed the Psychology department.&nbsp; Because in Kristi's mind anything having to do with psychology seemed to reflect back onto her mind, and possible aberrations there, she only referred to the department as dealing in the Paranormal.&nbsp; That there might be a part of it dedicated to psychology was another issue.<br><br>Walking into the tiny office, Kristi hoped this wasn't indicative of the seriousness of the subject, and hoped this trip didn't turn out to be for naught.<br><br><strong>"Hello?&nbsp; The office sent me here.&nbsp; I spoke to a man last week about some odd goings on in my home, and hoped I might discuss the matter in more detail...things are getting worse, and I don't know who else to talk to about it."</strong><br><br>Her statement wasn't completely clear, but at least she got out the gist of her concerns, and hoped now she could just answer questions.&nbsp; She knew what she was experiencing was real, but that didn't make it sound any better when she spoke about it.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>07-05-2009, 01:49:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The young man looked up, blinking to make his eyes focus on her rather than the screen. "Ahh, hello. Odd things?" He got up. <br><br>"Hi. Daniel McCall. Professor Simons is hosting a lab at the moment. Should be back in about ten minutes though... Come in."<br><br>He moved a pair of well-stuffed ring binders off a swivel chair and offered it to her. <br><br>"So, ah, what kind of odd things?" He moved to a shelf of equipment, found a dictaphone, checked there was a tape inside, and turned it on. "Oh, ah... It's 11.48 AM, Thursday the Seventh..."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>07-05-2009, 03:14:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Right now Kristi didn't really care who she told her tale to, as long as they had some knowledge of the kinds of things that plagued her, and were able to do something to stop them.&nbsp; The young man looked very young, but he was a student after all, so she would trust that he had been chosen for his position with good reason.<br><br>Sitting down in the offered seat, Kristi took a minute to collect her thoughts, and calm herself so that when she went over the details they would be equally coherent.<br><br><strong>"I bought this house recently, and just moved in a couple weeks ago.&nbsp; I wasn't there an entire day before things began happening."</strong><br><br>With her introductory out before Daniel, Kristi elaborated on each occurrence since she'd moved in, and paused only long enough in between to make sure she hadn't forgotten any details.&nbsp; Once she got to what happened today, she sat back in the chair, folded her arms around herself, and paused again, before she asked the sixty thousand dollar question.<br><strong><br>"So...can you help me get rid of this spirit?"</strong><br><br>Her voice was full of both hope, and concern, as well as a little bit of fear.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>07-05-2009, 03:59:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As she was recounting her experiences, a middle-aged man with chestnut skin and a greying beard entered. <br><br>"Ah, Professor. This is Miss - Ms. Weaver. Professor Simons is our head of department." <br><br>"Our department, really," he said with a self-deprecating smile as he offered her his hand.<br><br>"Ms. Weaver was in the process of explaining... a rash of poltergeist activity in her home."<br><br>"I see. Is there a focal point, or a common factor to the events?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>07-05-2009, 04:48:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kristi smiled at the older man, feeling considerably less apprehensive since she'd unloaded her burden to Daniel.&nbsp; She eagerly shook the professor's hand, and relaxed even more.<br><br><strong>"It's good to meet you sir, and I'm not sure what you consider a focal point, but everything seems to revolve around the 1950s.&nbsp; The clothes are all of that time, the music, even the television shows that were being televised this morning.&nbsp; I get the impression this...poltergeist thinks I need to appear to be from that period of time as well."</strong><br><br>Kristi shook her head in disbelief, for even though she had come to that conclusion, it didn't make any sense to her.<br><br><strong>"The only good thing I can say about the whole experience is that I haven't been harmed.&nbsp; I was scared at first, but once I saw nothing dangerous was happening, my fear changed to annoyance.&nbsp; As harmless as it is, I really don't want to wear these clothes, or to have someone I don't even know insisting that I do.&nbsp; Then too, if I were to give in to these 'demands', who's to say he won't ask for more."</strong><br><br>Shaking her head again, this time more resolutely, Kristi wasn't about to do either, and she voiced that decision as well.<br><br><strong>"I wouldn't even mind sharing the house, if this...person, would just let me be, but if he doesn't stop pestering me I'm afraid I'm going to have to sell, and move."</strong><br><br>That prospect didn't appeal to her at all, but what she was going through now appealed even less.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>07-05-2009, 04:59:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Simons studied her as she spoke, adjusting his glasses and peering through them at her. As she stopped, he nodded.<br><br>"Hm. Well, to begin with, we should research the history of the house. Particularly the late 1950s, but any manifestations since then as well. Hopefully that'll give us some clue as to what we're dealing with. Do you know about any previous owners or tenants?"<br><br>He thought for a moment, then added a further point. "And you're right, it may demand more... but equally, it may be seeking to use you to deal with unresolved issues from that time, and the way to dispel it is to help it." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>07-05-2009, 06:29:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kristi listened, and nodded, since what the professor said seemed reasonable.&nbsp; She wondered how long it would take before they could find the truth, and how she would handle whatever it was.<br><br><strong>"I'm afraid I don't know a lot about the house, other than it was built in the earlier 50's.&nbsp; My friend Martin is an architect and he said 53, or 54...&nbsp; As for the prior residents, just before I bought the house a couple young guys lived in it.&nbsp; Before that, well I have a couple names I found at city hall, but they didn't lead me anywhere I'm afraid.&nbsp; I never found any forwarding addresses, or any other way to follow up."&nbsp; Shrugging slightly, Kristi frowned.&nbsp; "And my neighbors are all fairly recent as well, and just as in the dark about the owners as I am.&nbsp; But what I did find interesting is that none of them told me anything about any similar occurrences with the prior tenants, and I'd think if anything like what's been happening to me had happened to them, they would have certainly mentioned it."</strong>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The House Of Shadows (Aysleen and Beatrice Black)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Beatrice Black</strong> on <strong>07-05-2009, 06:40:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"All the same, best to make sure, to rule it out if nothing else. The effect might have concentrated on you as a single woman alone in the house."<br><br>"Or maybe it just thinks you'd suit it," Dan suggested.<br><br>The Professor gave him a stern look. "... I'll start by checking the town records for ownership and leasing documents. I'd suggest you talk to the most recent residents, see if they have any knowledge. Do you have addresses for them?"
			</dd>
		</dl>
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