Craig Douglas was happy that he had made the choice to remain in the family home, the oldest in Bayside Flats. Although his wife, Fiona, was an intellectual, she agreed with him that a small town would not have the bad influences of a big city. Their teenager, Ian, took after his father; proud of his Irish heritage, he loved the old stone house. But he wondered if he would ever even kiss a girl. The twins Leslie and Sarah had each other to play with. Leslie took after her mother, bossing her older sister around, insisting on things being put away "properly". She always did her homework promptly, and carefully laid out her clothes for the next day.
It was a typical pleasant, quiet day, and the Douglas family was enjoying the park..


The peace was suddenly shattered by a gun shot, and Fiona's scream. Craig, just a moment ago joking with Ian, lay dead.
Ian could not help joining Leslie in a stomping fit

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


The Murphys had been at the park earlier, where the usually unsocial Constance Sinclair was seen talking to teen Ian Murphy. After returning home, Aisha decided to pick up just one more thing for the nursery she had prepared for the baby she was carrying. In the parking lot across the streat from the park, she heard the shot. As she stood by the car she called the police. She had seen someone in the trees, someone with brown hair, wearing black, and sunglasses. And with that another shot rang out, Constance crumpled to the ground, and another family was shattered.

The sadly empty nursery would remain closed up for years.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


At the time of the first two murders there was only one other family living in Bayside Flats, the O'Deths. Damion and Angel had chosen this town due to the low land costs; they built a large house for their three children and hired gardeners and housekeepers. They also bought other lots in anticipation of other families and businesses moving there, and expected "money to follow money". They would be the family that threw parties for all the best people; every one would envy them.
Something woke Rose up in the middle of the night. It was a warm summer night and her bedroom window was open. "Maybe I'm just hungry", she thought. She was an active teenager, and often went on midnight raids in the kitchen. But as she entered the kitchen she froze as she saw a shadowy figure float through the back door. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes; "Was that misty stuff a person?". She checked the door; locked. "That was a GHOST! Wait, nobody ever died here. Are we haunted? By who? WHY!?"
She heard a whimper and the rattle of Lily's crib. "Crip", she thought, "she'll wake mom and dad". "Are you hungry Lily? Did something scare you?"
She picked up her little sister and headed back to the kitchen; "I'll get you a bottle, and eat some cookies with you". But as she passed her parents room she glanced inside. They always left the door open, in case Lily woke up. She didn't see them in their bed...something was on the floor...she began to tremble as she realized something was very wrong.
Damion and Angel O'Deth had gotten out of bed, something must have woken them up; now they lay dead. Under their bodies the rug was wet, but it wasn't blood; there was not a mark on them.
Now there was only Rose, hardly more than a child herself, left to care for her little brother River, and Lily. And a big, empty house.



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