Chapter Text
August 1st, 1987 - Phoenix, Arizona
Today was finally the day. Lucy filed for divorce from her abusive alcoholic husband, claiming full custody of her three children and no money. Michael Emerson is the oldest amongst the three teenagers, age 18. Amelia Emerson is the middle child and only daughter, age 16. And last but not least Sam Emerson, the youngest of the three siblings. The past year wasn’t the most thrilling for the now family of four, but their hopes of moving to California would be the perfect start to a brand new life, which is what Lucy said to her kids. The sound of a loud roaring engine echoed through the small desert neighborhood as Michael waited for his family to finish packing.
Lucy Emerson steps out of the house with the last couple of U-haul boxes, glaring at her eldest son, “Michael! Turn that off, you’re going to wake up the entire neighborhood”
“Who cares? We’re never gonna see it again,” said Michael, staring at the small houses in relief that he and his family could finally leave this hell hole.
Sam arrives with a box of comics, trying his best not to drop it, “Precious cargo! Comic book collection coming through!”
Amelia was reading her copy of The Phantom of The Opera by Gaston Leroux, bopping her head to what sounds like a Michael Jackson song through the headset of her walkman. Lucy noticed this and gently removed her daughter’s headphone, “Honey, you’ve taken your meds yet?”
“Yes I have, mom” said Amelia, “And for once, can you at least let me put a box in the U-Haul truck?”
“Not a chance! I’m not gonna let you lay a finger on those heavy boxes. It’s not like I’m worried about your heart… Okay I am, but you’re growing up so fast and I’m afraid I won’t have much time before your next surgery”
Amelia sighed, knowing her mother wouldn’t change her mind even if she could. Michael notices this and walks up to his sister the moment Lucy leaves, “Mom won’t let you carry anything again?”
“Nope, not even helping Sam with his comics,” said Amelia
“Give mom some time, you know how she gets after all that’s happened”
“What do you think I’ve been doing, you dingus?”
“And I thought you needed a new prescription, four eyes”
Michael flicks his sister’s thick glasses, only for the middle Emerson to mess with his dark curls. Sam steps between his siblings to stop the playful fight, “And exactly how long of a drive are you talking here, mom?”
Lucy looked at her watch, “Uh if we leave now, we should be there before dark”
“It’s a 10 hour ride, Sammy” said Amelia adjusting the strap of her bag before pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
“So we’re leaving without saying goodbye to dad?” asked Sam
The family went silent for a moment before Lucy spoke up, “That’s right, kiddo. Are you bags in the back of the U-Haul?”
“We’ve got a lot of baggage, mom!” said Michael, placing the last of the boxes into the U-Haul truck, “We’ve got room to fill it up”
“Very funny, Michael. I know you kids are full of mixed emotions. Just wait till you see the pacific ocean view”
Michael glanced at his little brother’s comic collection, “Go ahead and throw it in the back”
Sam looked offended, “Excuse you! For your information, my comics must be stored in a cool dry place. I’m keeping them on my lap”
Amelia giggled, “Sammy, I wouldn’t exactly call your lap a ‘dry cool place’”
Michael chuckled at his sister’s joke, Sam rolled his eyes before joining them in the truck. “Can’t wait to see Phoenix from the review mirror,” he said, grasping his collection tight
“I can finally see that old California view, kids” said Lucy
“Couldn’t get worse than what we’re leaving behind,” said Michael
“Seems like a new adventure worth while,” said Amelia, “I’m honestly pretty excited to see what’s in store”
“That’s my special girl!” said Lucy, hugging her only daughter tight, “Let’s keep an open mind. Any last words?”
“See ya later, Arizona,” said the Emerson siblings, “It was nice knowing you”
With that, The Emerson flipped the bird as a salute to the place that barely felt like home.
Throughout the drive, Michael sat beside Amelia in the back, while Sam took the front seat and their mom drove the truck. The middle Emerson couldn’t help but wonder about the strange dreams she’s been having as of late. She didn’t remember when it all started, but she knew it was around a year ago after she turned sixteen. Sometimes Amelia would also hear a deep sensual voice in the back of her mind. It was like the voice was calling to her from a far away distance. The walkman sometimes helps cancel the strange voices, passing them off as intrusive thoughts. Other times, the music didn’t seem to be enough to ignore. Amelia then thought of the horrifying nightmare she had the night before the move. She remembered it being in an old warehouse where a helpless police officer was being dragged into the air and devoured by strange beings in the shadows.
Amelia didn’t hear her brother Michael calling her name, having been too deep in her thoughts while reading her book. The older Emerson removed his sister’s headphones to speak up, “Mia”
“What?” asked Amelia, snapping back to reality
“What’s going on with you lately? I’ve been spacing out since last year”
“It’s nothing, just really into my book right now”
“You’ve read that book a thousand times”
“It gets more interesting every time I read it, okay? Leave me alone”
Michael rolled his eyes, seeing his sister was still as stubborn as ever. At this point he was getting bored of watching Joshua trees going by, hoping the family would get to Santa Carla faster. The Emersons had been dreaming of this day for years, hoping a new beginning would be kind toward the family of four.
“Hey look, we’re almost there!” said Lucy, looking at the billboard to Santa Carla, California. The sign itself was bright and colorful, welcoming tourists to the small town.
Sam sniffed the air in disgust, “Ugh, what’s that smell?”
Lucy breaths in the air happily, “That’s the ocean air, Sammy”
“Smells like someone died”
Michael glanced at the billboard, noticing something sprayed in the back. In red spray paint was the words ‘Murder Capital of The World’ in all caps. Amelia followed her brother’s gaze and read the strange message, “Think that’s to scare off tourists?”
Michael glanced at his sister, “Yeah probably”
The Emersons arrive at a cabin just outside of town near the boardwalk. The area itself looked like something one would see in a horror movie with wood carvings, chimes, and strange charms decorated in the porch. If the outside wasn’t creepy enough, the interior was no better with taxidermy and weapons on display.
“Holy Texas Chainsaw Massacre!” said Sam, shocked by the choice of décor.
Amelia couldn’t help but ask, “You sure this is the right place, Mom?”
“You kids wouldn’t think I know my dad’s cabin?” asked Lucy, “Your grandpa was eccentric”
“There is ‘eccentric’ and there’s ‘serial killer’” said Michael
“Your grandpa didn’t kill ‘em, he just stuffs them… I think”
Amelia pops a pill into her mouth before looking around the living room, “Should I be concerned that there’s a crossbow on the wall?”
The middle Emerson points to the crossbow on display over the mantle of the fireplace
Lucy holds onto her daughter’s shoulder, “Like I said honey, ‘eccentric’”
The woman kissed Amelia’s curly hair before pulling out an urn from the U-Haul box, telling her kids that grandpa always looked out for his family and still is, even in death.
“Thank you, Dad” she said, placing the urn on the table, “You’re home now”
Sam raised a brow, “Congrats Mom, you somehow managed to make this place even creepier”
Michael smacks his brother on the shoulder, “Make yourself useful”
While the older and younger Emerson starts to unpack, the middle Emerson takes a seat on the couch to read her book in peace.
Lucy sighed and walked up to her daughter, “Mia sweetie, I told you to stop reading those horror stories.”
Amelia looked up from her book, “It’s not horror stories, mom. It’s classic gothic literature, remember? The story of a man from the shadows, yearning for love and to be loved in return by a beautiful angel of music”
Michael and Sam shared a disgusted look and pretended to gag, earning a glare from their sister.
“I saw that, you jerks!”
Sam chuckled softly until he noticed a remote on the dining table. “Where’s the TV?” he asked, turning on what appeared to be the stereo at full blast.
“God Sammy, my ears!” yelled Amelia, dropping her book to cover her ears”
Michel does the same, “Turn it down, Sam! Make it stop!”
Sam quickly turned off the music with disbelief, “A stereo? What am I supposed to do with a stereo?”
“I don’t know, listen to music?” asked Amelia
“It’s gotta be upstairs, I’ll be in my room”
Lucy stops her kids, “Oh I forgot to mention. Michael, Sam, you two are sharing”
“What?!” asked Michael and Sam, disbelief in their eyes
“It is what is”
Michael was the first to speak up, “I don’t wanna share my room with a fifteen year old!”
Sam steps in, “Mom, Michael and I have entirely different décor aesthetics"
While the brothers bicker about living arrangements, Amelia walks up to her mother and whispers, “Does this mean I get the room with the boardwalk view?”
“You’re grandfather wanted the best for you, honey” Lucy whispered
Just when Michael was about to pick up a deer head, he groaned softly in pain.
Amelia was the first to notice, “You okay there, Mike?”
“I’m fine”
“Are you sure?”
“I said, I’m fine”
Lucy stops her daughter before Amelia could say anything, taking over the conversation, “I was thinking we can order some takeout. Chinese or something?”
Michael didn’t seem all that interested in talking with his family, heading to the garage to take care of the taxidermy. Sam returns looking frantically around the cabin, “Where is the TV in this house?”
“Here we go,” said Amelia and Michael
“I don’t think there’s a TV, Sam” said Lucy
Sam looked at his mother in shock, “What are you saying?”
The woman tries to cheer her son up by showing the TV Guide, telling the younger Emerson that when you have a TV Guide you don’t need a TV.
The Older Emerson couldn’t sit around the house anymore, not wanting to deal with his family. Amelia seemed to notice and walked up to her brother, “You going somewhere?”
Michael looked up at his sister, “Just heading out for some air”
“I’ll go with you then. Wouldn’t kill me to live a little”
Before Michael could stop Amelia, the girl was already grabbing her bag and book. Somehow he couldn’t say ‘no’ to his only sister. A part of him wished that he could, but knowing his sister’s condition, he let it slide. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to have a little company. “Alright, come on” he said, leaving for the door.
Lucy notices Michael and Amelia leaving, “Um where do you two think you’re going?”
“Out to see the Boardwalk with Mike” said Amelia
“No way, we have a whole U-Haul to unpack. It’s a total disaster”
“We’ll unpack tomorrow,” said Michael
Lucy goes on saying the two teens could leave the house anytime they want like they used to. Things have to change around here now that they left Phoenix behind. Sam steps in to complain, “How am I supposed to entertain myself in this ‘Murder lounge’?!”
“There’s no TV, Sam” Michael hissed, “Deal with it”
Lucy didn’t seem to like her son’s attitude, “Hey, a little help here”
Amelia steps in, “You know, Sam. Before TV, people often entertain themselves by reading books or going outside”
“Ew,” said Sam in disgust, “Mia, do you know what happens when there’s no TV? No MTV, don’t you see something wrong with this picture?”
“Not at all”
Amelia grabs her handmade cardigan Lucy made for her sixteenth birthday, joining Michael at the door.
Lucy steps towards Michael, “You’re the man of the house now”
“I didn’t ask for that,” said Michael, clearly pissed by the sudden change.
Amelia placed a comforting hand on Michael’s broad shoulder, signaling to calm down since this is a lot to deal with right now. Once the older Emerson was calm, Michael grabs his denim vest to leave with his sister.
“No way, I do not want you two to leave on that bike tonight”
Michael hands his mother the keys, “Fine, we’ll walk. I’ll be right by Mia’s side”
Amelia sends her mother an apologetic look before finally leaving the cabin with Michael, following down to the brightly colored Boardwalk.