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    Imprint
    Imprint
    Imprint
    Ebook173 pages2 hours

    Imprint

    By Dawn Colclasure

    ()

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    About this ebook

    A house never forgets. And for Maureen Boyd, neither does a vengeful ghost lurking within what she hopes to be a dream home for her new husband and children. After her son’s house-flipping company loses out on a deal, Maureen’s husband buys the house, and Maureen hopes that living closer to her son will help salvage their distant relationship. But living in a haunted house brings up dark family secrets her husband would rather keep buried, plus opening an old wound that Maureen’s long-distant relative could never forgive.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherGypsy Shadow Publishing, LLC
    Release dateNov 24, 2017
    ISBN9781619503212
    Imprint
    Author

    Dawn Colclasure

    Dawn Colclasure is the author of five books, among them BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: How We Survive as Writing Parents and 365 TIPS FOR WRITERS: Inspiration, Writing Prompts and Beat The Block Tips to Turbo Charge Your Creativity. Her articles, essays, poems, book reviews and short stories have been published in regional and national newspapers and magazines, as well as online. She lives and writes in Oregon with her husband and children.

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      Book preview

      Imprint - Dawn Colclasure

      Contents

      Copyright Page

      Dedication and Acknowledgements

      Chapter 1

      Chapter 5

      Chapter 10

      Chapter 15

      Chapter 20

      Chapter 23

      About the Author

      Imprint

      by

      Dawn Colclasure

      All rights reserved

      Copyright © November 12, 2017, Dawn Colclasure

      Cover Art Copyright © 2017, Charlotte Holley

      Gypsy Shadow Publishing, LLC.

      Lockhart, TX

      www.gypsyshadow.com

      Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.

      No part of this book may be reproduced or shared by any electronic or mechanical means, including but not limited to printing, file sharing, and email, without prior written permission from Gypsy Shadow Publishing, LLC.

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      ISBN: 978-1-61950-321-2

      Published in the United States of America

      First eBook Edition: November 24, 2017

      Dedication

      To my sister, Elizabeth, with love

      Acknowledgements

      Thanks to LK Hunsaker and Kathy Gereau for taking the time to critique the manuscript

      Thanks also to Tamara Bates and John Heasly at The Register-Guard newspaper (Eugene, Oregon) for providing information

      And especially thank you to Denise Bartlett and Charlotte Holley of Gypsy Shadow Publishing

      Finally, thank you to my husband and children for their support

      Chapter 1

      Maureen Boyd smiled. She kept smiling even as she saw the dirt, even as the dust filtered into her face from inside the house. Cobwebs decorated the corners of the room and so much dirt and grime covered the framed art piece over the fireplace, she couldn’t imagine what masterpiece it had once been. Then there was the gigantic hole in the wall that she was staring through as she stood atop crates against the side of the house. Maybe it was all a disaster, but that’s not what she saw. She saw new paint, new carpets, patched walls and clean windows.

      It’s perfect, she said, already going over the changes she planned to make in her mind. Gone would be the old pictures and paintings, and most of the living room furniture, now draped with dirty dust covers. In their place would be family photos, candles, a nice area rug on the hardwood floor, and her own brand-new living room furniture.

      She climbed down from the crates, her eyes fixed on the hole in the wall where she’d torn the old, ragged cloth away. She put her hands on her hips and took a deep breath, relishing the Northwestern air filling her lungs.

      Maureen’s gaze fell on her husband Dustin, whose stance imitated her own. He wasn’t content, though, as his sour look showed.

      Perfect? he asked. He shook his head. It’s a mess, that’s what it is.

      Maureen shrugged. We can fix it.

      Dustin shook his head, turning to walk away. Maureen’s oldest son, 21-year-old Clint, came around the side of the house, holding papers in his hand.

      Thanks a lot for doing this, Mom, he said, smiling at her. You’re really helping us out.

      She rested her hand on his shoulder. I’m just glad it’s closer to you and your family. Portland is nice, but home is where all of my children are.

      He grinned, looking down at the papers. He showed them to her and handed her a pen. You guys can sign the deed and I’ll take care of everything else. It’ll take a few months to get it into shape, but my company’s already on the job, so you don’t have to worry about looking for help.

      I’ll take care of that, Dustin said, appearing from behind Clint to take the pen and sign the papers. Maureen watched Clint scowl at Dustin’s back as he held the papers against the side of the house and signed them.

      I need to sign them, too, she reminded her husband, wondering if he even heard her. It was so typical of Dustin to try to take control over everything. He might have done all the work in making sure they got the house, but Maureen was still the wife and should have her name on the deed, as well.

      Right, Dustin scoffed. He moved away and held the papers up and gave Maureen the pen. After she signed her name, he took the papers and stormed off.

      She smiled at Clint. He might have acted sour with his stepfather around, but she was glad he was here. The last time she’d seen him, he and his girlfriend had had lunch with them to discuss the move from Portland. Maureen was glad to live closer to him now, and glad she’d have a chance to see his girlfriend more often too. She adored Janie and hoped to call her a daughter-in-law someday. How’s Janie?

      Clint shrugged, looking at her. Same. She just got a job working at a hair salon, so that’ll be a help.

      That’s good, tell her I said congratulations, Maureen said.

      Here. Dustin appeared and handed him the signed papers. Thanks for everything. I’ll stop by on my lunch break tomorrow and check on the progress.

      Clint stared at him for a minute. Okay, fine.

      Dustin turned to Maureen. Let’s get going, okay, honey? Gotta beat the traffic.

      I was hoping I could visit with Clint some more, Maureen said.

      I can bring her over to your mother’s house, Dustin, Clint suggested to him.

      Dustin turned around to look at him. Thanks, but she’s got some things to do. He turned back around to smile at Maureen and hold her shoulder. Got to get the kids their dinner and showers.

      Maureen stared at him and saw that usual look of dominance in her husband’s eyes. She also knew that tone of voice he’d used with her just now. Keeping him around Clint any longer was asking for trouble.

      Well, I… I guess I’ll visit with Clint later, she said.

      She smiled at him. Bye, sweetie, she said, kissing his cheek as she walked past him.

      See you later, she heard Dustin say to him, then listened as he followed behind.

      She climbed into the car and put on her seatbelt. She looked over to where Clint stood next to the house, watching them leave. She smiled at him and waved goodbye.

      He returned the wave, but didn’t smile back. He was frowning.

      ***

      Eight-year-old Ann took one look at the bathtub in her grandmother’s bathroom and flinched, clutching Maureen’s leg. No bath! she cried, whimpering.

      Maureen sighed. They’d just arrived at Dustin’s mother’s house the day before and now her stepdaughter was throwing a fit about taking a bath. When they had lived in Portland, Ann had never protested taking a shower. But now she was going to take issue with getting cleaned? She knelt over to caress Ann’s back. Sweetie, don’t worry, I know you don’t like baths, she said. It’s okay. It has a shower head in it. See?

      She pointed up at the shower head.

      Ann tilted her head up to see the shower head, then looked again at the bathtub. She started crying, shaking her head.

      Maureen turned. Dustin!

      She looked behind her and saw Ann’s twin sister, April, frowning at them from a bedroom doorway.

      What’s up? Dustin asked. Maureen turned to see him reach the top floor and walk over to them.

      She doesn’t want to take a shower, Maureen said, pointing at the bathtub. Because of the bathtub.

      Dustin looked in the bathroom, then tenderly knelt next to his shaking daughter.

      Honey, don’t be afraid, he gently whispered, running his hand through her blonde hair and looking into her eyes. It’s not a bath bathtub. It’s a shower bathtub. Remember when you took showers at our apartment? This is a shower, too, but it has a bathtub with it.

      No, Daddy, Ann cried, still clutching Maureen’s leg. She shook her head, tears on her cheeks. No bath.

      We won’t give you a bath, I promise, Dustin assured her. Just a shower. And April will be with you. She’ll keep you safe.

      Ann turned her head to look at the bathtub, then shuddered. She swallowed more tears as she turned to her father again and shook her head.

      Dustin sighed, standing up.

      What are we going to do? Maureen asked. This is the only bathroom.

      He shook his head. We’ll have to give her a sponge ba—I mean, uh. Wash her off.

      Why is she so terrified of taking a bath?

      Dustin was silent a long time, staring at his little girl clutching at Maureen’s leg and crying as she looked at the bathtub. He sighed, shook his head, then turned to walk away.

      Chapter 2

      I want the yellow one, Ann said, reaching out her arms for the teddy bear on the window seat across the room. It sat next to her sister’s, a pink one.

      Okay, I’ll go get it, Maureen said, tucking Ann into the bed next to her sister and turning to walk over to the window seat. She heard the girls giggling behind her and frowned. She shook her head and bent over to pick up the bear.

      Underneath the bear sat a giant black tarantula.

      Oh! Maureen screeched, jumping backwards and grabbing her chest.

      The twins burst into laughter, sitting up in the bed. Got you! We got you! they sang, pointing at Maureen as they laughed.

      Maureen looked at the tarantula again. What she had thought had been an actual tarantula was only a plastic toy. She looked at them and laughed, shaking her head. You sure scared me, she said. She pointed at them with the bear, moving its head up and down as she spoke in a masculine voice. That thing looks very real.

      But it’s not real, April said, climbing out of the bed. She ran over to the window seat and picked up the toy spider. She dangled it in front of Maureen. See?

      Yes, I see, Maureen said, sighing as she nodded. She took the toy from April and patted her bottom. Come on. Back into bed.

      She grabbed the other bear from the window seat and went around to April’s side of the bed. She tucked her in and handed each of them a teddy bear. Now, enough fun and games, she gently warned, rubbing her hand over their foreheads. Be good girls and go to sleep.

      Goodnight, Mommy, April said.

      Goodnight, Mommy, her twin repeated.

      Goodnight, Maureen said, bending over to kiss their foreheads.

      She stood erect then turned and walked to peek into the playpen next to the doorway. Her two-year-old son, Avery, was sound asleep under the covers. She switched off the light and tiptoed out, leaving the door open just a bit.

      She sighed as she walked down the hallway, listening to the TV playing downstairs. She slowly walked down the stairs and saw 16-year-old Danny sitting on the couch, watching a reality show on TV.

      Not too much of that crap, she teased him, running her hand over his head as she passed him. It’ll rot your brain.

      He didn’t respond as she walked into the kitchen. She saw Harriet Boyd at the stove, cooking.

      Anything I can do? she asked.

      Harriet shook her head. Thank you, no.

      Maureen nodded, then turned around. A frown came to her face as she saw tiny specks of dust on the kitchen floor. She grabbed a broom and dust pan and started sweeping it up, then moved from there to sweep up the rest of the kitchen.

      Behind her, her mother-in-law, Harriet, said, So, how do you like your new house?

      Maureen shrugged. It’s big. That’s all that matters.

      It’ll be nice to see the grandkids more often.

      Maureen stopped sweeping to turn and smile at her. They sure miss seeing you.

      Harriet nodded, not looking at her as she stirred the soup in the large pot on the stove. And I have missed them, too.

      Maureen sighed, looking down. I really appreciate what you’re doing for us, Harriet, she whispered. She looked at her mother-in-law again. I’m sure it won’t be too long for them to get the house fixed up enough for us to move in.

      Harriet turned to look

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