Chapter 1

                                    

                                          
My father and I pulled into the driveway of a small house. The outside had some chipped yellow paint, the shingles on the roof were lopsided, and the lawn was in desperate need of a trimming. The street and houses next to us were quaint and much different from our old neighborhood in New York.
"I like it," I tell him, reaching for the car door handle. "It has a lot of character."  
We get out of the car and grab boxes. My dad opens the front door and we are greeted with a small entryway. The walls had crown molding, which I really liked. The living room was small and dusty, however it could easily fit our couch and television. The kitchen and dining room were also pleasantly nice. This house was perfect for us. 
"The bedrooms are upstairs," my dad tells me, pointing toward the staircase. "Pick whichever room you would like." 
I nod before going up the creaky wooden steps. I peeked into the first room, which was incredibly tiny. The closet would not even fit half of my clothes. I close the door and look into the next bedroom. This one was much bigger than the last one, however it was the master so it was already reserved for my dad. The next room was once again small, but cute. It had a large window that looked out onto the street along with a bathroom. 
I set the box filled with some of my things on the hardwood floor before sitting on the edge of my new mattress. Sighing, I lay down and close my eyes. Moving to a completely different state during my senior year was incredibly stressful. I had to say goodbye to my friends and the city I grew up in. It was extremely hard, but I knew my dad didn't have a choice when it came to his job.
I immediately began growing sleepy and wanted to take a nap, but I had to get work done. My father and I spent the rest of the day hauling boxes into the house. We get the kitchen unpacked as well as the living room. I get my bathroom set up and my bedroom partially done. 
Later that day, my dad and I plop down onto the couch. Our skin glistened with sweat from hauling so much. I felt tired and hungry. 
"It looks good," I say, scanning the living room. "It just needs some decorating." 
"You sound just like your mother," my dad laughs. "She was very good at decorating. There was never a time when she didn't come home with something new for me to hang up." 
I smile, thinking about my mom who had recently passed away from cancer. "She was an incredible women."
My dad nods. "She sure was, kiddo," he says before reaching into his pocket. He pulls out a crumpled twenty dollar bill and hands it to me. "Here, go get us some food. I'm starving and I'm sure you are too." 
"From where?" I ask, my eyebrows furrowing. I had no idea where to go. "I don't know my way around town." 
"It's easy. Just follow the road all the way down and you will end up in the middle of town. There should be a pizza parlor or something. It will be good for you to explore the area before starting school. Hemlock Grove is a small and quiet town where everybody knows everybody."
I nod before standing up and grabbing my jacket. It was September, so the weather was somewhat chilly but nice. I make my way out of the house and follow my dad's instructions. Eventually, I end up in the middle of Hemlock Grove, just like he said I would. There were a lot of cute shops, including an ice cream parlor, coffeehouse, general store, and a couple of restaurants. 
I find the pizza parlor and walk in, the door bell chiming above me. 
"Hello!" A girl with tan skin and long brown hair greets. "What can I get for you?" 
"Uh, a large pepperoni pizza with extra cheese, please," I tell her. She was very pretty and welcoming. 
"Did you just move here? You don't look familiar," she questions as she pushes buttons into the register. 
"Yeah, just moved here today actually," I reply, handing her the twenty dollar bill.
"Well, it's nice to meet you! I'm Brooke," she smiles, giving me my change. "Are you going to Hemlock Grove High School?" 
"I'm Elsie," I smile back. I was shy, but if I could make a friend before school then my anxiety would hopefully ease up. "Yes, my first day is tomorrow." 
"Awesome! Well hopefully we have some of the same classes!And we can also totally have lunch together. I'll give you all the inside scoop about everybody and the teachers - especially the hot ones," she exclaims and I chuckle. 
"That sounds like a plan!" I replied with a smile. She genuinely seemed so nice and it gave me hope for how my time in this new town would be. 
"Awesome! Well, I'm going to work on your pizza. It should be ready in about fifteen minutes! You can wait in here or outside if you would like." 
I smile and decide to go outside to wait. I sit on a small bench and look around. 
There weren't a lot of people. I notice some walking down the sidewalk, going in and out of the stores. I look across the street and watch as a tall lady with long tanned legs wearing a teal blue dress gets out of a small red car. The man in the driver's seat quickly hands her some money. The guy watches her walk away before sucking on his thumb for a brief moment. His eyes scan the area and we make eye contact. 
His eyes bore into mine and he has a serious look on his face. I quickly look away, standing up to go back into the pizza parlor. Luckily, the pizza was ready. I say thank you to Brooke and grab the cardboard box and leave. I glance across the street and notice the man was gone. 
-
After my dad and I eat the entire pizza, I head upstairs and get ready for bed. As I am scrolling though Instagram, my best friend Lucy calls me. 
"Hello!" Her cheerful voice greets. "How is Hemlock Grove? Do you like it? What is the house like?" 
I laugh, staring up at the ceiling. "It's alright. Pretty small. Guess what I saw today?" 
"What?" 
"A dude was totally paying off a hooker or something," I tell her, thinking about what happened earlier. "Like in the middle of town." 
"That's gross," Lucy says through the phone. I can imagine her scrunching her face. "Hemlock Grove sounds like quite the hoot." 
"Yeah, it will probably be the only crazy thing I see." 
We talk a little more before I tell her I should probably go to bed. I had to start my new school tomorrow and I was not looking forward to it. We say goodbye and agree to talk tomorrow. I really miss her and my old life. I would give anything to be back in New York. After I loathe myself in pity, I drift off to sleep. 
•••
Thank you for reading! I really hope you enjoyed it. This story does follow the Hemlock Grove series so if you haven't watched it yet, it may make a little more sense if you do!