Alexandra and Rowan

Chapter One: The Strangers and the House

Alexandra Goranson looked out of her bedroom window at the giant orange moving truck next door. Her mother had told her that a family was moving here to Ravenhearst from a town called White Rapids. Alexandra was very eager at the prospect of new neighbors. Her current neighbors were all elderly and retired. She hoped she could make new friends. This place was dull during the summer.

Alexandra wondered what the family would be like. All she new was that they were moving into the first house ever built in Ravenhearst, named simply, the Ravenhearst Manor. Anthony Ravenhearst had built it numerous years ago, for his younger wife, Isabella. Isabella was rumored to have killed Anthony and then commit suicide. Isabella Ravenhearst, as legend goes, was a witch who put Anthony under a spell.

That was about the only remarkable thing about Ravenhearst. Otherwise, not much happened nor ever happened. It was a malaise town. Alexandra was not sure how many children the family had or if there were any. She decided to investigate her inquiry. She ran downstairs and into the kitchen where her mother was sitting drinking coffee and reading the newspaper at the small circular table.

“Hey, Mom,” Alexandra greeted Mrs. Goranson joyfully. “So, they’re moving in today?” Alexandra sat down and poured herself a glass of orange juice.

“Yes,” Mrs. Goranson answered. “I believe they are just getting settled in. All the furniture is in, but now they’re organizing.”

“That was fast,” Alexandra said, her eyebrows shooting up. “I thought they would take a little longer.”

“They must be fast paced people,” Mrs. Goranson noted sensibly. “Unlike our family, however. We are slow turtles.”

“We are,” Alexandra laughed. She sniffed the air. “Cookies this early?”

“I thought the neighbors could use a welcoming gift. What better gift than food?” Mrs. Goranson spoke very free-spirited.

“Definitely,” Alexandra said delicately. “When are you taking them over?”

“I’m not,” Mrs. Goranson said gleefully. “You are.”

“Uh, why?” Alexandra said dolefully.

“Because I’m busy,” Mrs. Goranson said quickly. “Your little sister will be waking soon. Paul is out, so he wont be able to take them over. Your father is at work. Thalia will certainly want breakfast when she awakes.”

“Fine,” said Alexandra quietly. “Are the cookies done yet?”

“They’re on the tray over there,” Mrs. Goranson pointed to a red platter with chocolate chip cookies on it. “Just plastic wrap them and you can head on over.”

Alexandra listened to her mother and got out some plastic wrap and put it firmly around the plate. She picked the plate up and left through the door. She went over next door and used the knocker to knock on the giant, repellant old door. The door was green and had vines crawling up the middle and sides of the doors. Alexandra thought it utterly creepy and she wanted to leave as soon as possible.

The door suddenly flew open and a disgruntled man with fiery red hair looked out at her. He seemed about forty-five years old and had square glasses sitting upon his beaky nose. His lips were thin and he seemed very irregular or eccentric.

“Yes?” he barked at Alexandra.

“Uh, yeah,” Alexandra was overall timid and alarmed. Why had her mother make her go over there in the first place? She regretted ever going over there. “I’m from next door and my mom wanted me to bring over these cookies.” She shoved the plate at him. “Here.” Alexandra turned to leave, but the man spoke abruptly.

“Wait,” he said. “What kind are they?”

“Chocolate chip,” Alexandra said humbly.

“Okay,” the man said. “Would you like to come in so you can have your plate back?”

Alexandra thought it would not be a good idea to go in the house. That man was purely peculiar and mean. She thought she shouldn’t linger.

“No thanks,” she said pleasantly. “My mom told me that you can just give it back when you’re ready.”

“Alright,” the man said looking suspicious. “I’m Mr. Reagan by the way. My son will swing by later to drop the plate off, um-?”

“Alexandra,” she said rapidly. “Bye!” And she ran away promptly. When back in her own kitchen, Alexandra looked around at her mother. Her mother looked a little curious and asked why she was so fast.

“I don’t know,” Alexandra said huffily. “Does it matter?”

“Not really,” Mrs. Goranson said inattentively.

Alexandra went into her bedroom and looked over at the Ravenhearst Manor. It certainly was unnerving, but in a way, it had a sort elegance that she couldn’t explain. The house looked a bit grand, even though it was dirty and had vines crawling up the sides. It looked like the type of house that would be seen in a scary or mystery movie.

“Alexandra!” called her mothers voice. “Get down here please!” Alexandra followed her mother’s order and ran downstairs quickly. “I’m going shopping with Thalia. Would you like to come along?”

“Not really,” said Alexandra honestly. “When are you going?”

“When your sister wakes up,” Mrs. Goranson said briskly.


When Thalia awoke an half hour later, her mother quickly got her dressed and ready to go. After being upstairs for ten minutes, the two reappeared at the foot of the stairs in front of Alexandra.

“We’ll be gone for about an hour and a half,” Mrs. Goranson told Alexandra hurriedly. “We got to go to the grocery store as well as a few other places. We wont be too long. Be good. Bye.”

After saying good-bye to her mother and little sister, Alexandra decided to relax a bit. She went into the living room, sat down on the loveseat, and turned on the television. She was flipping through all channels, looking for something to watch. Nothing was really catching her attention. What she wanted to watch was one of those old horror movies from the sixties. She loved those.

She turned the channel to the classic movie channel and read the info:
Isabelle Black stars as the enchanting Janelle, a young evil sorceress who is utterly bored with her witch life and decides to marry a mortal. Soon after her new husbands finds out what she is, she murders him and she haunts the house he built her. (1963)


Alexandra thought the movie sounded oddly familiar, but watched it all the same. She watched as Janelle was plotting murder in the attic of a mansion. Janelle went downstairs and choked her husband to death and--
KNOCK!

Alexandra was suddenly jolted back into reality and was in a stupor. When she figured out that someone was knocking, she went to the front door and looked through the small window on the side of the door. Standing outside was a teenage boy around Alexandra’s age, fourteen or fifteen. She opened the door.

“Hello,” she greeted the stranger uncertainly. She noticed the he was holding her plate. Must be the neighbor’s son, thought Alexandra.

“I brought your plate back,” he said in a bored voice. “My father insisted that I did so. So here.” He thrust the plate forward at Alexandra. He had crimson hair, like his father. His features were also like his father’s and his voice was detached and unexciting, like it had no tone whatsoever. “My father mentioned you were pretty, but that was quite an understatement.” He reached out for a handshake. “My name is Rowan. You are?”

“Alexandra,” she said shaking Rowan’s hand.

“Well I have better get going,” Rowan said. “My father will wonder why I am taking so long. Good-bye!”

“Bye,” Alexandra said quietly.

“Oh, wait, one second,” Rowan a little more excitedly. “I was wondering if you would like to come over one day and hang out. Want to?”

“I’m not exactly sure,” Alexandra said truthfully. “I’ll have to ask my mother when she comes back.”

“Alright,” he said. “I’ll come back later then. Bye again.”



I HAVE ONLY COMPLETED THIS CHAPTER; TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK AND RATE SO I KNOW IF I SHOULD CONTINUE WITH THE STORY.