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When Eden left her apartment the next morning, she took in a huge breath of fresh air. It had begun to feel like she’d never go out into the world again. Her head ached, and she was exhausted from a late night of speaking with the police and convincing her landlord not to kick her out. She’d filed complaints against both men, and the officers had advised her about the best way to proceed. Even if she got a restraining order, she wasn’t sure if Colin would ever leave her alone. But another glance around her street told her that at least he wasn’t here now. He must have given up long enough to go to work.
Eden hurried to her car with one hand clutching a breakfast bar and her purse dangling from her elbow. She’d slept through her alarm, and was running a few minutes late for work.
It was a few minutes that one angry coworker was happy to draw attention to. She was the first person Eden saw when she rushed into work, and she announced Eden’s tardiness with relish. She made good on her promise too, before Eden had even had a chance to discuss the situation she’d texted about. The peace and quiet that had seemed like such a relief at the beginning of the day had taken on a menacing feel, and Eden noticed cool glances from more than one coworker.
The hostile work environment made it hard to focus, and by the end of the day Eden was a mass of coffee stains, paper cuts, and missed deadlines. By the time she burst into her coworker’s cubicle for a long overdue conversation, she’d already left for the day. The words Eden didn’t get the chance to say soured in her mouth like curdled milk.
Eden stalked out of the office and to her car. The traffic was already clogging up the street, and Eden turned right, since she didn’t have the patience to attempt a left turn. It was going to take extra time to get home, and yet as eager as Eden was to put her feet up and forget her day, she found that she wasn’t in any hurry to get back to her apartment. For all she knew, Dirk and Colin and her landlord were already waiting for her.
Eden was so distracted by the thought that she took a wrong turn. She sighed heavily, her eyes following the lane of traffic leaving town. Leaving town sounded like a very good idea. Eden turned the radio up, her fingers punching the buttons until she found a song she could sing along with.
Before she knew it, Eden was taking the exit. She didn’t think about where she was going, but in the back of her mind was the image of a blue house with white trim in a tidy little Lincoln suburb. She was halfway there before she pulled over at a rest stop and put the address into the navigation app on her phone.
Eden reached Pleasant View Estates before she technically entered the city of Lincoln. One moment she was passing green cornfields, the next her navigation was telling her to turn right. Before she knew it, she’d passed under the large white sign inviting her to Pleasant View Estates.
She took a deep breath. Of course the line at the bottom of the card was just intended to grab her attention. It wasn’t meant for her, specifically. The realtor wasn’t going to greet her at the door and tell her why her grandmother had never talked about her childhood or where she came from to anyone, not even to her mother. She wasn’t going to explain to Eden why she’d always felt a little different.
Eden pursed her lips, irritated with herself for coming all the way to Lincoln with the deep down hope that a stranger who wanted to sell her a house would know anything about who she was. She should put her money towards a therapist, not a house.
She eased her foot off the gas, and she crept down the road, staring at the subdivision spread out before her. She tried to put a finger on what was so unusual about it. The homes weren’t various shades of neutral, like most subdivisions she’d seen, but nothing stuck out like a sore thumb, either. Every home was the perfect shade of the color it was painted, and every color complemented the one next to it. Each garden boasted a bright selection of early fall blooms. Each hedge was neatly trimmed. There wasn’t a bicycle or broken car or oversized RV in a single driveway. From the state of things, she would have guessed the neighborhood was new, but the trees had grown up to nearly full maturity, making it feel so much more homey than new subdivisions. In short, it was ...
“Perfect,” her phone intoned.
Eden jumped, frowning at her phone. “You can say that again,” she mumbled.
“Perfect.”
Eden laughed, glad to have something to relieve the tension, even if it meant talking to the virtual assistant that came with her phone. “You’re funny, Gabi.”
“I wasn’t designed to be funny, but for you, I’ll make an exception.”
Eden raised her brows. “They’re getting better and better at those programed responses, aren’t they?”
“I don’t understand.”
Eden nodded. “That’s better.”
“Turn right.”
A face peeked out a curtain as Eden took a right turn. Was it so unusual to have a strange car drive by? Where was everybody? As if on cue, she passed a couple of kids shooting hoops in a driveway. She gave a sigh of relief. That scene, at least, looked relatively normal.
Eden passed one charming home after another, nodding at the occasional resident looking up from their garden or grabbing the mail. The utopian-suburban tone of it all was sweet, and at same time unnerving. Could she live in a place like this after being so accustomed to city life? Not that she was really considering living here. But could she?
“Turn left.”
I must be in the heart of it now, she thought, as if the neighborhood was a living, breathing beast. Eden noticed a woman kneeling in upturned dirt in the middle of her garden, and for a moment she imagined it was her plucking the dead heads off her flowers, making them ready to bloom once more before the cold set in. It was then that Eden became aware of a sensation that was more than just intrigue and uncertainty. It was a tugging in her chest. There was something about this place that called to her, just like the postcard had in the middle of the chaos of her apartment.
“Your destination is on your left.”
Eden pulled up to the curb, keeping her eyes averted from the postcard house. She was half-afraid that she wouldn’t like it and half-afraid that she really would, and she hadn’t quite worked up the nerve to find out. Besides, the house on her right was practically shouting for her attention. Eden found herself unable to look away.
It was a charming house like all the rest, but that’s where the comparison ended. The grass was a good two inches above standard. The flower beds were void of any rock or wood-chip fillers. They were stuffed full of so many beautiful flowers, along with a few weeds, that there wasn’t any need. Morning glory vines packed with big purple blooms even wrapped around the porch, making it look like a cozy hideaway—one where you could see without being seen if you wanted. Eden had a feeling that in a suburb such as this, that would be a welcome advantage.
The house was out of place. It was untidy. At the same time, it was captivating. All that green. All that life. If there was one thing that that could compel her to pack up and move out of the city, it was the idea of having her own overflowing gardens.
“I’ll bet that one doesn’t meet regulations.”
For a moment, Eden thought the words were her own. Then she slowly glanced at her phone, perched innocently on the dash. It was almost as if she’d heard sarcasm in the voice that was never quite human, as hard as the programmers tried. She narrowed her eyes at the phone before swiping it up and dropping it into her purse. As if there weren’t enough weird goings-on without her phone acting all un-phone-like.
Eden stepped out of the car, still staring across the street. “It certainly does stand out.” As she glanced at the house again a bush rustled beside it, and an old woman she hadn’t noticed before pushed herself up off her hands and knees. She’d blended in so perfectly, as if she were part of the yard itself, that Eden never would have noticed her if she hadn’t moved. It wasn’t the clothes. She was wearing khaki pants and a faded, light flannel shirt. Nothing that would camouflage her. Eden wasn’t sure what it was. But she knew it was true. That woman belonged in her yard as surely as a bird in its nest or a spider in its web or a cat sunning itself on a front porch.
Eden waved. The old woman’s brow lowered, as if she resented being distracted from her work. She nodded once before her legs, looking stiff from being underneath her for who knew how long, carried her around the house and out of sight.
Eden shrugged. Maybe she wasn’t enthusiastic about having a new neighbor. Not that Eden had any intentions of being her neighbor. She was just here to look. Her little trip was nothing more than a much needed distraction.
Eden took a deep breath and turned, ready to look at the blue house that had captivated her from the front of the postcard. She found herself almost surprised to find that it looked just like the picture. She wasn’t sure what else she’d expected. It was just that, ever since she’d looked at the little card, the house had been quietly calling to her. And here it was, a house in a suburb just like any other house in a suburb.
And yet it wasn’t. It was the feeling the house gave her that made it unusual. Like she was coming home.
Oak trees wrapped their arms protectively around the property. Flower beds bordered the house, crowded with white-blossomed hostas, although she couldn’t help but notice there was plenty of room left in the yard for more flowers. Her eyes traveled up the stairs to the porch with its craftsman-style columns and warm-stained front door. The house tugged at her heartstrings so much she got the feeling if she stood there long enough, she’d drift right up to the front door and it would swallow her up and never let her go.
“Open houses in Lincoln, Nebraska,” a muffled voice inside her purse said in a sing-song voice.
Eden blinked, as if she were just waking up. She glanced around, hoping no one had seen her ogling the house as if a life in the suburbs was all she needed to make her dreams come true. She had no idea what had come over her.
Her eyes scanned the lawn. “It doesn’t look much like an open house, does it?” she said, barely conscious that she was speaking to her phone again. “There aren’t any signs or anything.” She grabbed her phone, glancing at the open house listings that had somehow appeared. “The open house isn’t listed. Is this house even for sale?”
A listing for the house popped up. Since when had her virtual assistant been able to anticipate her every need?
“But there’s not an open house sign, or a for sale sign, for that matter. Shouldn’t there be colored flags and some kind of fanfare? Shouldn’t there be, oh, another living soul in sight?”
Eden searched her purse for the card. It was a little late for an open house. But she could have sworn she’d made it in time. Before she could double-check the date, a high-pitched voice called out to her.
“You came!”
A woman, probably in her sixties, wearing a pink skirt and suit coat began tottering across the grass in heels. Eden turned to look behind her, wondering if another car had pulled up. There was no one else, and the woman’s large blue eyes seemed to be locked right on Eden.
“I—I did.” Eden was sure there was a better response, she just wasn’t sure what it was. Was she supposed to know this woman? “Is there an open house today?” Eden asked.
The woman’s brow furrowed, then she smiled, looking a little embarrassed. “Oh, of course. It’s an open house.” She fingered a string of pearls around her neck. “I sent out so many cards, just lots and lots of cards, but you’re the first to come. I’m so glad to see you—anyone, really.”
“Having trouble selling it, I guess?”
The woman’s face pinched in frustration for a brief moment. “Oh, no. I mean, it barely went on the market. It’s a great house, a wonderf—It’s just that it was really only meant for you.” She smacked her mouth closed. “I wasn’t supposed to say that. Why did I say that?” She abruptly stuck out her hand.
“I guess you mean the house is perfect for me?” Eden asked hopefully as she shook her hand. She was sure the sweet woman hadn’t meant it to sound so creepy.
“Yes, that’s it. It just came out all wrong. I’m Dorothy Shepherd. Dotty, but not that kind of dotty.” She laughed. “Well, maybe I’m a little bit dotty. Get it?”
“Dotty: amiably eccentric, crazy, or mentally unbalanced.”
Eden reached into the bag and quickly shut off her phone. “Sorry, my phone is acting up. Not that phones can act—” She shook Dotty’s hand. Looking into her eager face, Eden knew there should be alarm bells going off in her head. Something was off with this whole situation, and perhaps the woman standing before her. And yet, nothing about the woman inspired her to jump in her car and burn rubber. She was probably just a bit eccentric, like the phone, for some reason, had said.
“You’re the realtor, I suppose?” Eden asked.
“I am.” Dotty looked around the neighborhood, her head held high. “I’ve sold nearly all of these homes.”
“Wow. That’s ... impressive.” She’d wanted to say strange. This didn’t look like a woman with the prowess to push out all the other realtors in the area.
“Of course, most of them were sold as new builds, several years ago. I had a little arrangement with the builder.”
Eden glanced at one of the large oaks. Like, fifty years ago? There was no way these homes were that old.
“We don’t have a home go up for sale very often,” Dotty continued. She started walking across the road toward the house, and Eden followed behind her.
“So what happened to the last resident? Only one way to leave this place?” Eden’s attempt at a laugh died off quickly.
“We’ll just say he didn’t fit in. I was so certain he would, but it turned out he didn’t have much in common with us after all.” Dotty nibbled on her lip a little, her face troubled as if she were doing a crossword puzzle she couldn’t work out. Then she brightened, looking at Eden. “Don’t worry, I already know that you’ll fit in just fine.”
Eden’s smile was weak in return. A dark cloud suddenly moved over the sun. Eden wrapped her arms around herself, glancing back at her car.
Dotty’s expression darkened again as she looked up at the sky. She held a finger out. “Can you wait just one moment?” She scurried past Eden and up the sidewalk, where a couple of women had appeared. The two women looked at Eden with the same eager look she’d seen on Dotty’s face. One of them waved.
“Beverly said to keep her happy,” Dotty whispered loudly. Eden strained to hear. “Everything’s supposed to be perfect.”
“We know. We’re heading over to Lorna’s now with chocolate,” one of the women said. “She’ll be right as rain before you know it.”
The other woman nudged her. “She means right as sunshine.”
“I certainly hope so.” Dotty glanced up at the sky again before hurrying back.
“Something wrong? Is someone sick?” Eden asked.
Dotty rolled her eyes. “Probably just misplaced her cat again, or ran out of baking powder. Lorna’s moods change as quickly as the weather around here.” She laughed, looking at Eden as if she shared the joke. She cleared her throat. “Sorry. Ready to see the house?”
The two of them headed towards the front steps, but as Dotty was unlocking the door, a car pulled up behind Eden’s. A man stepped out. He eyed the house as if trying to confirm an address. “I was told this house was on the market. Do you know anything about that?”
Dotty looked at him disapprovingly, but before she could say anything a woman hurried down the sidewalk across the street. She waved at Eden and Dotty. “I’ve got this. You two go on ahead,” she called, leading the man back to his car and speaking in low tones. Eden caught only a snippet. “... afraid it isn’t really for you. You know, I heard of a great house ...”
Eden backed away from Dotty. Suddenly following this woman inside seemed like a bad idea. Maybe Eden was some kind of offering, the reason everything ran so smoothly in Pleasant View Estates. Fine. That was a little dramatic, but there was definitely something going on. Something that made the unpleasantness of her apartment building not seem so bad. Her life wasn’t exactly normal. It was only a couple of days ago that she’d had to call the cops to remove the two men who wouldn’t stop shouting her name, and grovel to keep her landlord from throwing her out. But this place gave a whole new meaning to the word weird.
“On second thought,” she said, “I don’t think I’m ready to buy a house.”
Dotty’s eyes widened. “At least give it a look. I live right next door, you know, and it would be so nice—”
“I really don’t think—”
Dotty reached out to touch Eden’s shoulder. “You may not understand right now, but believe me, you belong here, Eden.”
Eden took another step back. “How do you even know my name?” She turned around, heading to her car. She’d already decided not to wait for an answer.
“I remember your grandmother,” Dotty said, desperation in her voice.
Eden stopped short and turned around.
Dotty smiled, relief flooding her face. “She was beautiful. So much like you.” She stepped forward, lightly touching Eden’s hair. “I was just a little girl. But I remember how she looked, her hair tumbling around. Her eyes were like yours, too.” She cocked her head to the side. “Even her nose.”
“You knew her?”
“Of course. We all did.” Dotty looked around. “Well, the older generations, at least.”
Eden followed her gaze. Heads poked out of doors and faces peered through windows.
“She was one of us. And so are you.”
“One of us?” The phrase brought to mind some kind of mind-warping cult or mutated species.
Dotty nodded. “Have you ever noticed something special about yourself? Something that made you different from other people?”
Eden stood there staring, unable to speak. She wouldn’t call anything about her special. Different, maybe.
“Think about it, dear. Of course, not all of us have one.”
“One what?” Eden’s voice was thick with suspicion. The shock that the idea of being one of anything had brought on was beginning to wear off, and she was coming to her senses again.
“An inheritance. Your Romani inheritance.”
“Romani? You think I’m a gypsy?”
Dotty shook her head. “That word’s not very popular anymore, and rightly so. We prefer Romani.”
“And an inheritance, that’s another word for super power? I suppose you want me to join forces with you?” Eden laughed, opening her car door. “I’m getting out of here.”
Dotty hurried after her, her face pinched again. “Of course not. We just wanted to band together. Like it used to be. And they’re not super powers. Not exactly. We just have certain ... enhancements.”
Eden knew she should be slamming her car door by now, but curiosity got the best of her. This woman truly believed the crazy she was spouting. “And yours is ...”
Dotty smiled. “When your grandmother left, no one ever heard from her again. But I found you. I find people like us.”
Eden sighed, shutting the car door. She’d come this far, and she didn’t really get the feeling anyone here wanted to murder her. Maybe this woman was crazy, but what if she really had known Eden’s grandmother.
Whenever Eden had asked Grandma Clementina questions about her youth, she’d say something like, “If we keep looking behind us, we miss the beauty that’s around us right now.” Eden knew that for some reason, her grandma didn’t want to dredge up whatever she’d left behind, but now that she was gone, Eden couldn’t resist the temptation to unbury her secrets. If nothing else, it would give Eden a better sense of self, knowing where she came from. She just hoped Grandma hadn’t made all that effort to escape from a cult of crazy people just for Eden to walk right back into it.
She’d stay for a few minutes and find out what Dotty knew, then she’d get out of here and back to her normal, stressful life. It wasn’t like she was going to let Dotty rope her into buying a house.