Diary of a Dream Home

When Lindsay and Mark got married, they built a beautiful home on Waterbrook Drive, one of the more expensive neighborhoods in Elk Cove. Charming red-brown bricks and four strong standing columns guarded their house with a two level deck in the back. In the front yard, maple trees lined the driveway and elegant rose bushes were neatly trimmed by the front door. “Our house is by far the best one on the block,” commented Mark. Lindsay nodded. The couple couldn’t be happier.

Years passed and the young couple now had a child. The gorgeous baby girl’s name was Megan. She had blue eyes with a green silhouette and fluffy auburn hair. Shortly after her birth, Mark’s mom was a regular guest. They cooed over Megan for hours and forgot about House’s bath. House didn’t mind though, it preferred waiting another year for the living room window scrub, because usually Mark’s squeegees tickled House.” Lindsay and Mark are just too busy with Megan and work,” House reassured himself, “I kind of enjoy the activity anyway”. After all, the busy family was still happy.

More years went by and the family still appeared happy. Megan, Lindsay, and Mark were all in good health, including their cat Luke. House remained in beautiful condition. However, their perfectly wrapped family was coming undone. Inside their room, the lovely couple fought about everything sometimes even House. While outside the door, little Megan cried grasping her doll. Every night when tensions would rise, House stand tall as it was instructed and would not speak. When the family set out with smiles each morning, House still felt the ugly shadows left behind and still said nothing. Eventually, House lost his voice. Now the family could only be seen happy on the wall by the stairwell.

Even more time slipped by and the house was still considered a dream home to envious neighbors. It was immaculately clean; a cleaning crew came once a year to wash the house’s windows. They never used the ticklish ones. The deck glowed with a weather resistant coating and the lawn care service always did a good job keeping up with the grass. Nevertheless, the beautiful house was alone. Mark “took a job in the city” last year, Lindsay was always at work or something, and Megan ran a lot after school. All the pictures by the stairwell were taken down after Mark moved out and all traces of their happy family were missing. On the outside the house was still great, but the inside was hollow and drafty.