American Horror Story: Second Chance

It had already been a year since the last family had abandoned the ''hauntingly'' beautiful mansion located in one of the most prestigious neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Once again the unluckiest real estate agent in the whole world, Marcy, was trying to figure out how to get rid of it. Whatever she did the Murder House's reputation failed to appeal to any respectable family. No one was desperate or ignorant enough to occupy a house with a long history of residents not making it out alive.

Finally, on September 13th, a cute, orange 1960 Volkswagen Beetle parked outside the mansion. The moving services' truck followed a minute after. Marcy was waiting for them on the porch radiating with relief. She dared to feel optimistic for this family. The new occupants of the Murder House were far from intimidated by its reputation. Kat and Angelique Irving actually found its ''bloody'' reputation to be its major advantage. This freaky little family left Scotland, where they had remained for the past 2 years, with the sole purpose of inhabiting this very house and they were super excited for it!

Mother and daughter stood for a while behind the iron fence, holding hands and looking at their future home. Then they smiled at each other and walked confidently towards the front entrance. Marcy handed them the keys and before she left for good she said:

-'' Take care…I wish for you to have a happy and peaceful life in this house… I'm sure you'll be the exception….''

Kat had already rushed in to help the movers, but Angelique, this tiny spit image of Audrey Hepburn (if Audrey used to be a Goth 11 year old), looked up at Marcy with a furious expression on her cute little face and said in a very calm, yet creepy tone:

-'' Yeah…. Because clearly we traveled all those fucking miles to have the once in a lifetime chance to live in this appallingly pretentious neighborhood and have a common, uneventful life! You are…surprisingly insightless for a real estate agent.''

She walked in the house and before she slammed the door behind her she shouted '' Bye, Bye Marcy! I wish you a long, boring life!''

Katarina Irving

Kat is a bestselling author of paranormal literature. The love for the paranormal is obviously in her DNA since she's told to be one of Washington Irving's descendants, the worldwide known author of ''The Legend of Sleepy Hollow''.

She started travelling when she was only 16. Visiting places which were rumored to be haunted was the source of her inspiration. In one of her trips to Denmark (in order to visit the Dragsholm Castle) she met Ange's father. He was a Greek, named Alexis, who was an exchange med student. Alexis was the exact opposite of Kat. He was very practical and found the idea of ghosts and haunted houses completely hilarious. Kat wasn't annoyed by that at all. She enjoyed their little arguments and thought of changing his mind as a very entertaining challenge. Their short, yet….passionate, relationship resulted in Kat becoming with child. When she found out, she had already left for England and Alexis had left from Denmark for good.

Kat named her little girl Angelique (after her favorite character from the ''Dark Shadows'' series). She had planned for her and her little witch a pretty adventurous life. Of course in Ange's first years they couldn't travel so often. But pretty much after her 8th birthday their life had been mostly on the road. Leaving Scotland for Los Angeles was yet a huge decision since building a life on the other side of the Atlantic was kind of a big step. But Ange was very excited to live at the Murder House after accidentally finding out about it on the internet. She managed to convince Kat who at the time was desperate for new ideas.

So there she was… Finally in her new house… Sitting exhausted in the kitchen after she had finished unpacking and cleaning up the bedrooms. It was only 9 p.m. and all she wanted was to eat a freaking sandwich and go to sleep. But unfortunately she'd have to wait a bit longer for at the time a certain redhead who comes with the house chose to make an appearance. Moira knocked on the kitchen window twice and Kat turned in surprise to look at Murder House's most loyal ghost. Kat walked in a tiresome manner to open the window and as Moira was ready to introduce herself Kat broke a smile and said '' Well…It was about time….''

Angelique Irving

You could say that Ange, as her mother, was deeply interested in the paranormal, but the truth is that she had been raised in such a way that her perception of what is normal and what is not was entirely different from others. Ange showed complete apathy in the face of events where other 11 year olds would have been traumatized for life. Sometimes Kat was concerned by that fact since even she in the age of 34 caught herself having nightmares about some of the ''strange'' things they'd encountered. She had asked Ange many times if she wanted them to stop…to settle down… to find a way to be like every other family. But Ange cringed only in the thought of being like everyone else. Truth be told, she sometimes felt lonely and craved for the presence of a friend… A breathing, living friend… A companion for her travels. But that was only for a while because afterwards she would get carried away by their next adventure. Like right now… they had so much to do concerning the Murder House. First a good study of the architecture of the house….and then a thorough one of its ''residents''. Their backgrounds, their psychological profiles and of course the conditions under which they died. That way, you can never be surprised… negatively.

That was pretty much what went through her mind now while she was getting ready for bed. That and what shade of purple she would paint her room… She was sitting in front of her antique mirror, untying her ebony braids and there was an unsettling silence in the room. Right by the door, the mansion's most troubled ghost was trying to decide if he would break that silence. Tate was thinking to postpone his visit. It was just her first night in the mansion…no need to bother her already. And then he heard that voice… That voice which shaked his existence to its very core. She hadn't call his name for over a year and now only in the sound of her calling him, his hands started to tremble.

-''Tate….No.'' Violet whispered. She was standing right behind him.

Tate closed his eyes tightly… So many emotions were rushing through his body… He hadn't felt so intensely for so long. He managed to say….'' Say it…again… My name please…call my name.''

-'' Tate…listen to me. This is not an invitation back in my… life. I'm talking to you only because I have to. What the hell are you thinking Tate? Can't you see she's only a child?''

Tate opened his eyes. Violet was now standing right in front of him. He tried to caress her face but she took one step behind. Tate tried to explain himself.

-'' Violet...please understand….it's been over a year. A whole year I've stayed hidden in the shadows of this house… away from you. Because you asked me to. And I'm trying Violet… I swear I'm trying not to lose myself again… To be good…But it's so hard. The house and its prisoners keep getting into my head! I need help Violet!

-'' Go away, Tate. I won't let you mess with this child's head! Please…''

-'' I NEED this Violet! I can't do it alone. I'm starting to feel like before when everything seemed clouded and confusing. For so long all I felt was emptiness and the sense of being… paralyzed. So I became this house's mindless puppet. But when you came here I finally started feeling the way i was supposed to… I felt guilt, sorrow, the need to be forgiven….loved. All the anger and resentment were almost washed away…and I felt free… that the house had no longer control over me. And then….''

-'' And then you messed up Tate…again. More people were hurt because of you! I was hurt because of you! You tried Tate…but you can't change! It isn't just the house! It's you!''

-'' Don't…say that.'' Whispered Tate with a broken voice. ''I can change… I will…for you.''

Tears were now streaming down Violet's face. Talking to Tate after all this time was more painful than she had expected to. She was always reminding herself of the monster he was but it was so hard. Not one day had passed that she didn't think of the way they connected. She especially remembered her last breathing moments. He had held her so tight… In all her agony and pain, she remembered feeling protected. What he once said was true… She died loved.

She took a deep breath and she continued, determined to close this conversation as quickly as possible and go back to her family.

-'' Whatever Tate… The point is that there's no logic behind what you're trying to do. She's just a kid. You'll probably scare her away. And even if you don't, she's not a therapist… nor a priest…. nothing… just a kid. Look…I'm going to talk to my father, maybe after all this time he'll agree to help you.''

-'' I tried… So many times…But he doesn't want to help me….and maybe he can't.''

-''Neither can she!''

-'' YES SHE CAN! Violet… She can. She may help me beat this thing for good. I thought I wouldn't get this chance but now that she's here…. There might be hope.''

Before Violet could answer back in confusion, Ange decided that maybe it was time to interrupt. She closed the book she'd been pretending to read for the past 15 minutes and without turning around to face the tragic couple she said with a firm and kind of arrogant tone:

-'' He's right Violet. I can help Tate…Tate Langdon if I remember correctly?'' she saw Tate through the mirror nodding his head '' I mean… I'm going to try, since he's admittedly a very complicated case. But if I can't make it, then your father definitely won't.''

-'' You knew she could hear us?'' Violet asked Tate with her eyes full of anger and bewilderment.

-'' Well…'' Ange started explaining '' you can call it an annoying habbit of the job…. overhearing private conversations. I'm sorry….kind of.''

-'' How the hell can she see us? Is she….what is she?''

-'' I thought you understood'' Tate told her '' But maybe it's hard for new ghosts. You see… she is a medium. Like my mother's friend, Miss Dean.''

-'' Yeah… Medium... I don't think it fully covers my range of abilities but… you can call me that. Until I come up with something better.'' said Ange now standing by her bed '' Anyway, Mr. Langdon, it's nice to meet you. I'm Ange Irving. I understand you need my services and I cannot do otherwise but try to help you of course. As any other ghost in this house. But right now I'm very, very tired. So if you could move your little argument in another room and return back tomorrow… at say 11…no, 11:30 am…. I would be grateful!''

Ange crawled into her bed and closed her eyes. Before she slept for good she told them to turn off the lights on their way out. Violet did so and then she quietly closed the door behind her.

-'' Do you maybe want to… talk about it?'' Tate asked Violet as they were standing alone in the hallway.

-'' No, Tate. All I have to say is be careful. She's a little kid…. She may not sound like one but she is. If you even try to hurt her…''

-''I won't hurt her Violet!''

-''I DON'T TRUST YOU TATE!'' and then she said in a lower voice, since she remembered Ange was trying to sleep '' And I'm going to look over her. Remember that.''

Then she turned her back on him and walked away in a hurry. As she was climbing down the stairs she kept asking herself if she should say what had just happened to her parents. What if this girl could actually help Tate? She sure did sound very confident for her abilities. Maybe she should wait for a while and see where this was going.

Tate, on the contrary, hadn't left the hallway yet. He was just standing there, blissful in the thought that after a year of acting like he didn't exist, Violet finally acknowledged his presence. And it seemed that she might still care. And he suddenly felt like he could do anything. He would definitely change and then he would find a way for Violet to forgive him. A faint smile lighted up his face and he ran quickly to the attic. He had left Bo alone for too much time and lately Hayden thought of finding ways to torture him as her main way of entertainment.

In the meanwhile, three women were discussing quietly in the kitchen. From time to time you could hear a little laugh or a sound of surprise. And then suddenly a baby's cry. Violet listening to her baby brother crying rushed to the kitchen where unexpectedly she found her mother, Moira and the house's new resident sitting around the kitchen bench, talking like old friends. Violet was too surprised to walk pass the kitchen door.

-'' Violet! I was just starting to worry. Where have you been?'' Vivien asked, but Violet couldn't speak a word.

-'' Well… Don't just stand there young lady.'' Moira said '' Come to meet the new lady of the house, Miss Irving.''

-'' Oh, it is just Kat for you Violet'' the woman said cheerfully '' Please, come in… Moira made tea for all of us.''

Violet walked in the kitchen and stood by the corner of the bench. Moira offered her a cup of tea and then Kat added some honey in it. She then moved a bit closer to her and asked full of excitement:

-'' So have you met my daughter yet? I'm sure you're going to be great friends!''

-'' You do know I'm…dead. Right?'' Violet replied kind of hesitantly.

-'' Oh…Don't worry about that. Ange doesn't discriminate! Actually… the deader… the better!'' Everyone but Violet started laughing their hearts out…even Moira.

Violet had gotten an idea when she met Ange but now she was certain. Finally she had met a family which was even more screwed up than hers. The impossible had now become possible.

-to be continued-