In Which Ginny is a Smart Aleck to her English Teacher

To preface this English assignment, I'd like to explain that my teacher is, to put it as nice as possible, completely unprepared to be a High School English teacher. (She's a sub that's taken the job permanently for now since the previous teacher was offered a job somewhere else and the school didn't get a new teacher before school started.) It would appear that she thinks by giving us horribly long assignments and by never answering our questions forthright she can hide this fact. In any case, she gave us approximately 60 vocabulary words to define and write sentences about. I decided I would really give her something to grade and wrote a 4 and a half page story. Now, I know that wasn't too nice of me but I think I'll post it because it was kind of fun to write. Can you find all 61 words? If you can't, then I've done my job correctly. Oh yeah, this story is based on a very weird, very vivid dream of mine.


Ally and Jessica walked through the doorway, mouths agape.

"Though this what you see now is this beautiful manor, you must realize that it has lived through horrible defamation. Conspiring men have spread terrible rumors about this mansion, saying that many deaths have been caused by this house, why I cannot fathom," the real estate agent, Mr. Bostitch, droned on, his voice resonating against the marble foyer.

"Why are you telling this to us?" Jessica blanched.

"He doesn't want me to hear it from someone else and be scared away from buying it, right?" Ally cooly established. "He doesn't need to worry. I'm not scared by superstitious qualms, especially the worries of locals."

Mr. Bostitch looked shocked. "I thought you would be interested in the history of the estate. It is quite notorious for a reason. It's been empty for the last eighty years."

Ally turned around, assessing her surroundings. "You might as well draw up the papers, I'm willing to buy it."

"Let me conjure up the papers," Mr. Bostitch opened the door and began to walk towards the car. "You may look around to make sure this is what you're looking for."

"Sounds perfect," Ally began to ascend the magnificent staircase before her. "Come on, Jessica."

"Are you daft? You have no connections to this town, your nearest relative lives a thousand miles away and this house has a history of inexplicable deaths yet you want to buy it? You haven't even looked at the place all the way! When you asked me to come along I didn't imagine this!" Jessica's dark eyes flashed as she screeched at her sister.

"Stop with your gibberish," Ally seemed unperturbed by Jessica's outburst. "This is exactly what I need. It's secluded and far away from distractions of any kind. I'm including family on this one."

Jessica's response was nearly inaudible. "I know that you're torn up about how it didn't work out with Mark and -"

"Let's go see what's upstairs," Ally evaded the one topic that brought her grief. "I'm hoping that it doesn't need any renovating. I'd hate to have to ameliorate it. I don't have that much time on my hands since my deadline is due in three months."

Jessica took the bait. "Your publishers work you too hard. If only I could get my hands on them, those heathens! Acting as if you're licentious; why, some of those things they want you to put in your books would shock the dead!"

"When you've been in the business as long as I have you're callous to their base ideals. That's why I write. Altec may want me to put in such things but they always see it my way. It's good to know that I'm contributing to better literature, or at least slightly," Ally flinched at the words that tumbled from her mouth, knowing they were pompous. There wasn't much else she could do. She couldn't afford to let her sister choose the topic.

Jessica was still indignant. "And I know for a fact that your books sell twice as much some of the rubbish that Altec publishes. Why must they insist on changing what you do?"

"Only some of it is rubbish, Jess. Most of the other authors are avidly supporting clean books," Ally examined a period tapestry as she spoke. "There isn't one hole! There must be some moth balls around here."

"I can't imagine how an ugly wall hanging can titillate you. If I were you I'd sell it on eBay and buy something nice from Pottery Barn."

"Sometimes I think it's a good thing you're my sister or else I would hate you're guts. You're a valley girl alright, right down to the bleach blonde hair," Ally's words were sharp but there was humor behind them.

"Oh, Ally, you know that my hair is natural. I would never dye my hair, it causes too much damage!"

Ally nodded in reply but her attention towards her sister was dwindling. Around she looked, absorbing every window pane, reveling in each intricate wood carving. Glancing to her left, a peculiar painting caught her eye. It was of a girl, her slovenly hair green and her skin ice blue. Such peculiar features didn't taint the beauty of her golden eyes, filled with sorrow.

"I can almost imagine that this painting is moving. The wind plays with the girl's hair as she blinks tears from her eyes," Ally, still mesmerized, unintentionally spoke aloud.

"That's one picture to burn," Jessica shuddered in response. She glanced at her cell phone. "Three missed calls. They must be from the kids. And look at the time! I've really got to get going or I might miss my plane! ‘Bye, Ally!" She quickly hugged her sister.

"Tell my nephews that I love them. Hopefully I'll see you guys at Christmas."

"I suppose I'm to have nothing but deference in my heart about you moving here but . . . this place really gives me the creeps! Just be safe okay?" Genuine concern crept across Jessica's normally shallow face.

Ally laughed off Jessica's trepidation. "Don't get superstitious on me! It sounds like my neighbors will have an abundant supply of those! I'll be fine, don't you fret or get you cute kids on my case. That's the last I need. I might not be able to resist their little lisps."

"Good. I'll be sure to do it then."

"I'll find some way to retaliate, mark my words!"

"Ms. Turner, I have the documents for you," Mr. Bostitch interrupted the sisters' banter.
"Oh, where do I sign?" Ally turned to the document.

"See you in ten months then, ‘kay, Ally?"

"I'll try my best! Good-bye, Jessica!" Ally continued to examine the painting with increasing interest. An unintelligible sound behind her drew her attention away and to a figure behind her.
"What are you doing here?" Ally found herself befuddled by a man with a strange, glowing pallor. "I just bought this place an hour ago. If you wanted to buy it, I think you're too late."

The man sadly smiled. "That may have been when my trouble began. I should've known better than to buy this house."

Ally was taken aback. "What do you mean? I just bought it, you can't own this house too," once again she shuddered at her effrontery.

"It isn't too late, you know. You can leave this house now and find happiness."

"I'm not afraid of this house," scoffed Ally.

"You should be. This formidable place is worthy of fear." The man rested his head against the wall with the painting in an act of lethargy.

"You just want me to leave so you can have this house!" She accused.

"What must I do conciliatory? I am a person with probity but whatever I say won't sway you. You cleave to this silly notion that I lie for the sheer fun of it," if the man had more energy his inflection could have been called contentious. "It's an abomination to tell falsehoods."

"My, aren't you adamant? Forgive me," her voice held the intimation of sarcasm. "Were you a puritan preacher in a former life?"

"No, I was a lawyer. Naught could get past me when I was the plaintiff. By the end of the cases I knew the depositions better than the witnesses," a ghost of a laugh fell from his lips.
"That's quite a difference in occupations."

He gave her a sudden look of comprehension, worry on his brow. "I've kept you too long already. You must leave this place. If ever there were a place that was anarchy to your body and soul, it would be this place."

Ally groaned and turned away, ready to keep on looking through the house. "I'm going to keep on going. This is my house. I payed for it and I'm only going to leave to get my things." She turned the corner to find more people, all of them with the same sickly glow.

"Who is this, Michael?" A gaunt older man with graying hair and a stern face spoke to the man behind Ally.

"The new owner," the man, who Ally supposed was Michael, replied.

"Good," a strange smile spread across the man's long features. "It will be good to have this place inhabited again."

"Do you all live here? The real estate agent never said anything like this," Ally was very puzzled and she slightly quailed as a shiver ran up her spine. "It's strange to see a place so immaculate with this many people living together. How much are you paying the maid?" She uneasily smiled.

"Oh, this one is funny. The last few weren't any livelier than us. I think we'll find her very entertaining," the older man laughed weakly. "It'll be good to have some fresh blood about the place."

"If you'd excuse me, Father, I'd like to speak to her, alone," Michael inclined his head towards the empty passageway behind them.

Ally looked once more at the lethargic people and walked down the hallway.

"What can I say to convince you to leave?" Michael's voice was no longer angry but pleading.
"Don't try to beguile me, I'm not inept when it comes to making my own decisions!"

"This place is afflicted with ghosts!" Michael exclaimed, the silvery color around his face showing his rage. "In this house alone there are well over a hundred ghosts, making it one of the largest ghost factions in the world! To stay here is to live in an abyss of the undead! Will you still stay?"

Ally's interest was piqued. "I was wondering why there was such a prodigious amount of people here. I suppose I better leave now."

A smile beamed from Michael. "I knew you'd eventually see my way."

"Well, I must get my things so I can move in."

"You'll be tantalizing death! It won't be long before you can't reprieve your own end." His smile fell as his voice fell below a whisper.

"We'll see," Ally replied. "We'll see."