Julia Epstein had a long standing invitation to go and visit her best friend, Francesca Griffith, at her home in Windenburg. As this was a day off for Julia, and she was feeling bored at home with her medical textbooks, she decided to take Francesca up on her offer and go across town to visit her.
It was a bright, sunny day and the wide open spaces, the trees and the often rural feel of Windenburg too her back to her childhood. She'd grown up here, but her parents had moved to a bigger house just outside of Sim City so she hadn't been back to this part of town since she was 12. Francesca and her family lived in a modest sized house in Windslar...and when Julia arrived she saw her friend playing catch with a little girl outside the house.
"Francesca! Hello, how are you?" said Julia, going up to her friend.
"Julia, how nice to see you? Have you met my daughter, Stefanie?" said Francesca, pointing to the little girl.
"Very briefly and only once...how nice to meet you, Stefanie" said Julia.
The little girl smiled "Are you mommy's friend from the hospital?" she asked.
"I am, well remembered" said Julia, noting how pleasant the girl was in her manner.
"Come inside and I'll make us all drinks...Rod's home so you can get to meet him too" said Francesca.
They went inside and there Julia got to meet Francesca's often talked about, but hitherto never met, husband Rod.
"So you're the new doctor who my wife has kindly taken under her wing?" said Rod, a very outgoing man with a warm, easy charm about him.
"I am...your wife's been amazing at helping me settle in" said Julia.
"Yep, she's a pretty amazing woman all round" said Rod, looking proudly at his wife.
"Daddy" said Stefanie "will you tell us all one of your stories?"
"Now which one would you like? Funny, true or SCARY?" he replied, pretending to look mysterious.
"Ooh one of your scary ones! I know, tell us the story about the old Von Haunt estate!" said the little girl, enthusiastically
"Not....the story of the Von Haunt estate!" said Rod, hamming it up by pretending to sound shocked. "Very well....but be warned, what I'm about to tell you is a tale of terror, a story of suspense and a saga of sadness....well it all began one hundred years ago at the old Von Haunt estate....you see they say that behind every window on the old Von Haunt estate are secrets....signs....and....threats!"
Everyone was started to get a bit creeped out at the way Rod could tell a scary story, complete with sinister voices and elaborate hand gestures and facial expressions. Even Julia was starting to feel rattled.
"And they do say..." continued Rod, warming to his theme "they do say that on a certain night, when the moon is full and the cock crows 13, that something terrible lurks in the very walls of the Von Haunt estate! So do you know what I did? On one night...when the moon was full and the cock crowed 13 times I went to the oooolllllldddd Von Haunt estate, I went into the oooooollllld Von Haunt estate and DID YOU KNOW WHAT I SAW AT THE OOOOOOOLLLLLD VON HAUNT ESTATE?"
"What did you see?" said a now terrified Julia, who noticed that Stefanie was biting her knuckles in anticipation.
"Absolutely nothing" said Rod, in a plain, matter of fact voice. Stefanie burst out laughing and Julia didn't know what to say or where to look. Rod slapped his thigh and laughed too.
"He does that" said Francesca, whispering in Julia's ear. "I apologise for my husband's strange sense of humour"
"My dad's so funny, did he fool you too?" said Stefanie.
"Yes he did....and I must warn you, Rod, that I am a member of the Dishonourable Company of Pranksters so watch out in future!" said Julia.
Rod made everyone a coffee and provided Stefanie with some milk and cookies. Julia enjoyed the company of the Griffiths and when Rod went outside to play with Stefanie for a bit, it gave her and Francesca a chance to talk.
"You've a lovely family, Francesca" said Julia, watching Rod and Stefanie play from the window.
"Thank you. Do you ever think you'll one day have a family of your own?"
"I don't know" said Julia with a shrug. "That would mean having to find a husband first and I don't think I have the time or inclination"
"No one on the horizon, then?" asked Francesca.
"None whatsoever" replied Julia. She looked out the window again and saw Rod, a fine figure of a man and ideal husband material. "Have you and Rod been together long?"
"Childhood sweethearts...we married after he graduated from College and then little Stefanie came along 18 months later"
"You're very fortunate" said Julia. "I wouldn't know where to start to look for a man...well, one that would want to be with me anyway"
"Don't put yourself down, Julia" said Francesca "you're a catch"
"I'm a nerd" said Julia. "Plus...well, I'm building a career and I don't want to have to quit to settle down and have babies just when I've got started"
"You're the type of person with the drive to make anything a success...if you want to be a top doctor, I've no doubt you'll do it. Likewise, if you want to find yourself a husband I'm sure you could achieve that as well"
Julia stayed for lunch with the Griffiths but then decided to head home. But she had an idea....she knew the Von Haunt estate was nearby so she went and had a look at the place for herself...she hadn't done so since she was a little girl. The place had been restored beautifully and looked better than she remembered. Walking around, she saw a fine carved chess set and a frantic looking man standing nearby.
"Excuse me, you haven't seen a little girl around here? She's my daughter...she's and orange and red playsuit and her hair's in braids" said the man.
"No I haven't" replied Julia "did she run off?"
"I don't think so...she likes playing hide and seek but this time she's doing too good a job"
Julia helped the man search for his daughter when, all of a sudden, they felt a sharp prong in their backs. Julia spun around in an instant and saw a little girl who matched the description of the man's daughter
"You little scamp!" said the man, hugging his daughter in gladness. "Thank you, Miss, for helping me track this little minx down!"
"Your welcome" said Julia, who went back to contemplating her game of chess. Soon she saw a familiar face approaching her: Yuki Behr.
"Yuki, how are you doing?" said Julia, pleased to see the young teenager who had been going through a rough time personally.
"OK....actually, are you using this chess table because I'm supposed to be playing a game with a friend soon?" replied Yuki.
"Oh, no, I was just musing here...no, go ahead. So who's this friend?"
"I can't really talk about it because it's part of this club I'm in and I'm not supposed to talk about it"
"Sounds mysterious..." said Julia, as a rather intense looking blonde haired teenager approached Yuki.
"Hey there...shall we play?" he said, diffidently.
"Yeah, sure....well, it's nice seeing you again, Doctor Julia" said Yuki in a tone that suggested dismissiveness. Julia got the hint and walked on, noticing that Yuki was taking a keen interest in her opponent. Love in the air? Julia thought that such speculation was pointless and moved on. Maybe it was time to widen her social circle? She headed off to the Blue Velvet to see who was in.
The music was playing, but not from over the speakers....there was a double act at the microphone and at the piano. The woman was a statuesque blonde lady with her hair worn in a very long ponytail but the man playing the piano she recognised...that publisher and editor of the titillation magazine, Lothario...Alan Cuffe.
They finished the song to a warm round of applause and Cuffe went over to the girl and gave her a firm kiss on the lips. Julia recoiled in disgust but as she did so Cuffe noticed her and turned to talk to Julia.
"Now I never forget a pretty face...you're the Dishy Doctor, aren't you?" he said, with a smile.
"It's Doctor Epstein" replied a cool Julia. "And is she one of your 'kittens'?" said Julia, indicating Cuffe's musical partner.
"Jolene? Why yes....A very talented girl in many ways. Now I take it you're not married, are you Doctor?"
"Not that it's any of your business but no, I'm not" said Julia.
"Well, any attractive single woman is eligible to join the Kitten Club...have you considered becoming a member? Let your hair down, lose the glasses, I think you'd certainly be an asset" he said, emphasising the first syllable of 'asset'.
"Mr Cuffe...not only am I NOT interested in joining your Kitten Club, I will NEVER be interested in doing so" said Julia, indignantly.
Cuffe shrugged his shoulder and headed off towards the bar where with his friend...whereupon he met another attractive young woman he seemed to know well and bought everyone at the bar drinks. Julia saw a man sitting on his own at a table and, her empathic side kicking in again, she sat down next to him.
"Hello" she said "may I sit here?"
"It's a free country" the man replied. "Unless you've just been kicked in the teeth by your work and your girlfriend in the same day, then it isn't!"
Oh boy, Julia thought to herself, this is going to turn into a long evening!
