Rain against the windscreen reminded Tyler of his arrival to the house. The journey there had been painful but now he had a place to stay, Tyler became confident he would get his life sorted. With the heater on to take the chill out of the interior, the radio played the latest country hits breaking the spell of grey wet skies. Views of lush green fields expanded towards the horizon, and the occasional cluster of trees scattered throughout the area, added colour to an otherwise dull rainy day. The old family home Tyler stayed in had more trees on the property than most in the area, and he wondered if they had been planted to hide the house. Grateful for the isolation the trees created, the last thing Tyler wanted were neighbours visiting if they saw someone living there.

Tyler needed time to reset and plan his future and the house became the perfect place to achieve this. He doubted his parents would come looking for him and the family house long considered cursed meant Tyler would have the time he needed. As his thoughts drifted back to the house, he realised the stories he’d once heard were that, stories. The house was old and neglected and with care and hard work, the place could once more look majestic. However, Tyler wasn’t going to do it. The overgrown yard was a job unto itself. Tyler couldn’t imagine how long it would take to clean, prune and maintain the gardens once more.

Stories told about the house being haunted were likely tales told due to its isolation. Aunt Elizabeth lived in the house for over twenty years before leaving, so it couldn’t be haunted. There didn’t appear to be anything out of the ordinary unless Tyler considered the stray cat. The mannerisms of the cat were odd, and Tyler had his reservations about whether it was real or not. If the haunting of the house was by animals, then Tyler didn’t imagine that being so bad.

When Tyler reached town, he headed towards the town square and in no time found the council chambers. The town was large compared to the others in the state, yet its location meant it was still small enough to contain the country feel to it. Tyler had never visited the town before, nor the country for that matter and the laidback nature fitted perfectly with Tyler’s mood. Upon entering the building, the gentle sound of classical music filled the void of the empty reception area. The lush blue carpet muffled his approach to the long reception desk. Behind the counter a young woman, dressed in a blue shirt with the council logo on the breast pocket, smiled as Tyler approached.

“Good morning. Can I help you?”

Tyler read her nametag and smiled back, flashing his dimples. “Good morning, Emma.”

Emma’s cheeks stained pink and Tyler’s smile grew a little wider.

“I’ve moved into the Kent House on Penrith Road and I want to enquire about services.”

Emma’s faced lit up in surprise and replied, “You’ve moved into the haunted house?”

Tyler laughed and Emma blushed harder.

“Oh sorry I shouldn’t have said that.” Emma apologised.

“No, that’s fine. I’ve been told much the same my whole life. You’ll be happy to know I haven’t come across any ghosts but there may be a possessed cat.”

Emma stared in shock and Tyler laughed again. “Joking. The cat’s jealous he has to share the house with me now.”

Emma’s expression softened and she let out a chuckle.

“That’s good. Are you planning to stay long term?”

“That’s my intention. I need to get the utilities connected. Do you know how I can go about this?”

“If you have identification with you, I can get you on the council register and if you like I can notify the service providers for you.”

Tyler’s face lit up and Emma’s cheeks further reddened.

“Could you do that for me, that would be fantastic. I only need the electricity on. I have water and don’t need a telephone line as I have my mobile.”

Tyler recalled his mobile phone sitting in his glove box of his car as he removed his driver’s licence from his wallet and handed it to Emma. He had made no attempt to check it since arriving to the house.

“I’ll need a copy. Be right back.”

Emma disappeared through a door behind her and Tyler leaned on the counter waiting as his thoughts once more drifted. He’d been avoiding his phone as much as he’d been clinging to it. There would come a time when Tyler would have to make contact. This prospect didn’t make it any easier for Tyler. What he feared most was being rejected again and thought it best to wait until contacted. However, the waiting was tearing Tyler apart.

Emma returned. “I’ve called the electricity company and their going to fax through the paperwork. You can fill it out here and I’ll fax it back if you like.”

“I would like.” Tyler replied although the enthusiasm he had moments before was dying.

“Great, then if you want to fill out these than we can get you registered with the council.” Tyler took the clipboard and pen Emma handed to him and walked over to the chairs to fill in the paper work. No sooner had he sat down, Emma approached him with the faxed forms from the electricity company. Tyler was in the council chambers under an hour before Emma confirmed with the electricity company, power would be on before the end of the day.

Tyler’s next stop was the local supermarket. From the moment Tyler entered disorientation took over. From managing a shopping trolley for the first time to spending more time than necessary on items Tyler wasn’t sure he needed, the experience was challenging. When choosing household items, Tyler found it difficult to decide which brands to buy. When standing in one isle dedicated to toilet paper, Tyler didn’t understand why there had to be so many different brands. Try as he might he could not find the one that looked like the one at his parents house. In the end he chose the one that looked the nicest.

Then there were the cleaning products to navigate and Tyler went with one that claimed to do it all. Down every isle, Tyler cringed at the number of choices and in the end focused on purchasing enough food items to see him through for the week.

At the checkout, Tyler piled his items on the conveyor belt, as the elderly woman sitting on a stool behind the check out scrutinised his purchases.

“Did ya’ parents leave for the month dear to look after ya’ self?”

Tyler gave her a grin and raised his eyebrows, she talked funny and he didn’t want to offend her by laughing.

Martha, according to her nametag, scanned Tyler’s items, pushing them down the counter where Tyler packed them into the white plastic bags available. As Martha continued to chat, Tyler nodded and looked to agree with her rather than attempt to converse. With all his items scanned and paid for Tyler thanked Martha and with his trolley left the store. The steady drizzle of rain continued as Tyler packed his shopping in the boot of his car.

On his way out of town Tyler spied the hotel drive thru and thought to purchase several bottles of wine. Grateful his credit cards still worked, Tyler wasn’t sure what he’d do if or when they were cancelled. Tyler removed cash from his bank account prior to arriving to the house and hoped there would not be a need to use it. On the journey home he tuned the radio on to the local station, anything to distract him from his thoughts.

It was mid morning Friday, and it had not gone unnoticed by Tyler he should be getting ready for his twenty-first birthday party that night. Tyler fought the tears threatening as he wondered what eventuated with his parents and his party. There had to have been questions about his whereabouts. Tyler’s party was to be a huge event with many of his parent’s friends attending. How would they explain his absence, Tyler didn’t know?

As hard as he attempted not to dwell on the situation it hurt neither his parents nor Damien made the effort to ensure he was fine. Tyler had been more than happy to tell people about his orientation, he truly didn’t believe it an issue. Yet Damien had insisted they be discreet. Obviously Damien knew his parent’s better than he did. Tyler turned the radio up, refusing to allow his thoughts to upset him.