Snippet #2499891

Johnny kicked the flatpack bed frame in frustration. The instructions might as well have been in Mandarin for all the sense they made. Insert part C in to part D blah blah blah. The whole task might have been easier had the parts been labelled rather than having to rely on poorly drawn diagrams of pieces that all looked the same. Eventually, Johnny managed to slot the final two pieces together and felt an odd sense of accomplishment at putting the bed together. He heaved the mattress onto the bed with a dull thump. Wiping his hands on his sweatpants, Johnny headed downstairs to see Landon coming back in.

"I'm about done out here for the day. Want to head in and fix something to eat? I think that we have enough leftovers that we shouldn't have to spend too long cooking." Landon was smiling. Landon was always smiling. Johnny swore he was the happiest man alive sometimes. It was rare that Johnny saw his friend in a mood that was less than pleasantly cheerful.

"Yeah, food sounds great," he smiled wryly, "I managed to get one of the beds up so only one of us has to sleep on a couch tonight. The next time I insist on flatpack, please tie me up and gag me, then throw me in the cellar until I come to my senses." he said with a half-laugh in his voice, fully intending for Landon to take the bed for the night. His long frame had never looked particularly comfortable sleeping on the couch. He followed Landon into the kitchen, getting plates and cutlery out while Landon 'cooked'. Johnny knocked the draw shut with his hip, the cutlery inside rattling as it did.

"What?" Landon asked suddenly. Johnny looked at him blankly, wondering what had happened. "Did you open the cabinets?" Johnny slowly shook his head, not having been aware that cabinets had been opened other than the one with plates, though that one was now firmly closed, "I guess that I'm just loosing it."

"Something like that. Maybe you should take it easy tomorrow, rest up for a while," Johnny was well aware that he sounded an awful lot like Landon's mother at that moment in time, but if he didn't say anything, he could realistically see Landon working himself to the point of exhaustion returning this place to its former glory. He sat down at the table, thanking God for the invention of the microwave.

"Did I tell you..I did some reading at the library in town yesterday," Johnny looked up from his plate, waiting for Lnadon to continue, "I found out a little more about the deaths that happened in the house. Apparently, some rich family used to own this place. They had two daughters. The oldest blew her brains out because she'd lost not only her son but her husband as well in a span of a year. The other hung herself not long after her sister died. Crazy. Apparently, the parents left pretty quickly after that."

"That's kinda sad. The family losing everything like that. I mean I know they still had their money and that, but that doesn't... 's real sad," he finished, his Southern drawl becoming especially prominent towards the end of him talking. He usually kept his accent light, barely noticeable, but it had a way of almost creeping up on him.

"No one has really stayed here since then. Supposedly, they are supposed to be the ones haunting this place." And that was what had sealed the deal for Johnny. For as long as he could remember, he had had more than a passing interest in the supernatural and the idea of living in a, supposedly, haunted house had been too irresistible an opportunity to pass on. Johnny looked at the pictures Landon handed to him, ""I got these from the library. This is the women that used to live here and then this is what our house used to look like before it became so run down. I think that we'll be able to return it to this with some hard work.I mean, it'll take us some time but I know that we can do it."

Johnny looked up at his friend, an eyebrow raised. He had always had Landon pegged as workaholic, but this was a project on a massive scale, "Yeah, it'll take a while, but you, my friend, are resting up tomorrow. You're already going cuckoo with the cabinets. Even if I have to handcuff you to the bed, you are taking a break tomorrow from fixing this place up."