[ WP ] You 're home from your first year of college , but no one was at the airport to pick you up as planned . You get to your house , and everything is just like you remember - even your bedroom - but your there 's something off about your family and you ca n't quite put your finger on it .

`` Hey, I'm home!'' I hip-checked the door open and dragged my two heavy suitcases inside. `` And it only took a 75 dollar cab ride,'' I could n't help but adding, before I slammed the door behind my massive luggage. `` In 30 degree weather and with no air conditioning.'' 
 I dumped my bags at the door and headed toward the back of the house. I could hear the tv on in the basement, and rolled my eyes - of course, the game, that's what would be more important than picking up your only daughter upon her return from *the other side of the country*. Love you too, Dad. 
 Mom was in the kitchen, by the sink. No surprise, it was her favourite place in the house - the window over the sink looked out over the back garden, her favourite place outside of the house. 
 `` Mom? I'm home.'' 
 `` Oh, is that you, honey?'' she did n't even turn away from her task, `` I did n't know you were coming home today.'' 
 `` So the call this morning... the text when I got off the plane, the unanswered phone calls for the next 40 minutes, waiting at the airport with five tons of suitcase... those were... what, exactly?'' 
 `` I must have missed them. Sorry hon.'' 
 I could only stare. Was this the same woman who had sent me a batch of cookies every week in first term? Who cried *every* time we ended a phone call? She sounded so indifferent, and she was still busily doing... something... in the sink. It was weird, but her doing dishes was such a common thing that I could recognize the sound - and at the moment, it was n't there. 
 Weird. She must be prepping food or something. Maybe a special dinner for the college girl? I could only hope. 
 I glanced out the window over her shoulder. My brother had n't changed much while I was gone, apparently - still obsessively playing basketball. I cracked the back door. `` Hey, loser! You know no-one in our family has gotten to 6' in the past three generations, right? I'm pretty sure the NBA has a height restriction.'' 
 I grinned when Tony looked over his shoulder at me and smiled. `` Hey sis, I did n't know you were coming home today.'' 
 `` You and everyone else, apparently. You want to...'' I petered off as Tony turned back to his oh-so-critical game. ``... or not.'' 
 Mom was still at the sink, and dad, based on the noise coming from the basement, was watching `` I Dream of Jeanie'' now. 
 `` I'll be in my room,'' I called out to the house at large. There was a thud, and a skitter of claws on linoleum, and the first one in my family to show an interest in my presence emerged from the basement. 
 `` Abby!'' I grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and pet her as she did her happy greeting dance. `` There's my good girl, yes you are! Oh and you need a good brushing,'' I sniffed her suspiciously. `` I do n't think you've been washed since I was home for Christmas, have you! Come on,'' I added, louder, so my fails-at-caring-for-animals family could hear, `` Let's get you a bath!'' 
 `` Is that you, sweetie?'' Dad called up from the basement. `` I did n't know you were coming home today.'' 
 I waited a moment to see if he was coming upstairs, then gave up and went to fill the tub, happy dog bounding at my heels. I let her out before giving her a bath, and she acted like she had n't been out in forever. 
 Freshly bathed myself, I decided to take the obviously deprived dog for a walk. `` Hey Mrs Schumman!'' I called. She was in her usual spot, compulsively grooming her shrubs. `` Hedge is looking good. How are you?'' 
 `` Hello, dear. I did n't know you were home today. I'm keeping on top of the gardening.'' 
 `` I see that,'' I replied before moving on. Truth be told, the hedge looked like it could use some TLC. I'd never seen it so shaggy before in my life. She even kept it trimmed on our side of the property line, most of the time. I shrugged to myself - she was at least in her 80's by now. 
 *** 
 `` Hey, I'm back,'' I hung the leash by the door and went to grab Abby's brush from the laundry room. The dog's kibble bin had been knocked over and what was left of the kibble was spread across the floor. `` Dammit, dog!'' I shouted, as Abby bounced excitedly into the room. 
 `` Oh, is that you, sweetie?'' 
 `` Who else would it be?'' I called out from the laundry room. `` Honestly, I do n't think you guys have been looking after the dog while I was gone at all. I mean, this mess looks like it's been here for days.'' I swept up what I could and came back to the kitchen. 
 `` We doing anything special for dinner?'' I asked, hopeful. She was still standing by the sink, and there was a distinct lack of nice cooking smells. 
 `` Sorry, hon.'' 
 `` Leftovers it is, then.'' I took a few steps towards the fridge and changed my mind. ``... oooor pizza?'' 
 `` Sure thing, hon.'' 
 I ordered and grabbed money from my dad's wallet to pay. I got zero response from my dad, who had moved on to golf, from the sound of it, or my brother, who had retreated to his room. Mom had decided that dusk was a good time to garden, so she was out industriously digging about in the back of the yard. 
 `` I give up!'' I snatched the entire pizza box up and retreated to my room to while away my homecoming night with Netflix. Abby trailed after me like she was sure I was going to disappear at any moment. It was nice to feel wanted. 
 *** 
 No-one was up when I got up, surprisingly. Even though it was Saturday, both of my parents were usually up and at-em by 7am, and my jet-lag had me up by 8. 
 I stuck a piece of pizza in the toaster oven and went to grab some milk. The fridge looked like it had been ransacked. All of the lower racks had been partially collapsed. Abby whined behind me, and I could have sworn it was embarrassment. 
 The stench was awful - a combination of sour milk and blue mold on, well, just about everything. I reached out to take one of the oranges out and jerked my hand back when it sank into the soggy flesh. 
 `` What?'' I muttered, backing away and slamming the door. My mother's obsessiveness with doing dishes extended to keeping the entire kitchen clean, fridge included. Obviously something was up. 
 First thing first, I had to wash my hand. It smelled a bit like citrus cleaning liquid and a lot like rotten orange. 
 There were dishes in the sink, in about three inches of scummy water. I had no idea how I had n't noticed the smell earlier - the mold extended to any parts of the dishes exposed to air, and most of the surface of the water. 
 I looked outside in time to see Tony - sneaky bugger, how'd he get outside without me noticing? - make a free throw. Or, at any rate, see him go through the motions of it. He did n't seem to have a basketball. 
 `` Tony! What are you doing?'' I stepped out on the porch barefoot. 
 `` Hey Sis,'' he said, now dribbling a non-existent basketball. `` You're back.'' He did n't pause in his dribbling as he turned his head to smile. I wondered if he'd had a ball the night before, but could n't think straight. 
 `` Uh... yeah. See ya,'' I dashed inside to find my mother, once again, at the sink. I approached cautiously, feeling a strange sense of unease in my own home. *everything will be fine, everything will be fine* i chanted in my mind, trying to keep a pleasant smile on my face. 
 She, too, was going through the motions, scrubbing imaginary dishes with an imaginary sponge, rinsing them without turning on the actual tap, and drying them with a non-existent towel. Abby whined behind me, and barked. 
 `` Uhh... how about we go check on dad, huh?'' 
 Dad was sitting in his usual chair, and was holding the remote, thank god. `` Hey, dad, there's some weird-uh...'' The smell hit me and I knew, with certainty, that the dog had n't been walked in weeks. She'd taken to doing her business on the tiny patch of fake grass my Dad had set up to practice his putting on. She felt absurdly proud of her dog for trying her darndest to keep to the grass. 
 `` Swiper no swi-'' click `` ¡Tanto tiempo sin-'' click `` Now just *look* at that shot, Mic-'' click... 
 `` Hey sweetie, I did n't know you were getting back today,'' Dad said, still riveted to the tv, which was now, apparently at his chosen show - 16 and pregnant. 
 `` Ooookay... um. What'cha watching, there... Dad?'' 
 `` The game's on, sweetie, can it wait?'' 
 `` Sure thing... Dad. I'm... I'm going to take Abby for a walk, ok?'' 
 I ran upstairs, quickly sorted my suitcases out so that all the necessities were in just one, and grabbed the leftover pizza. I grabbed my dad's wallet, hesitated for a moment, and shoved the entire thing in my purse. Abby danced anxiously at my heels as I leashed her up. I handed her a slice of pizza. 
 `` OK, summer's over, I'm headed back to school!'' I called out, hopeful that the joke would shortly reveal itself. 
 `` Ok sweetie, have a nice time!'' my parents called out in unison. 
 I slipped out the front door, leaving it unlocked, and headed down the sidewalk. 
 `` Bye sis,'' Tony called, still dribbling up and down the driveway. 
 `` Bye,'' I said, hearing the strain in my voice. 
 Mrs. Schumman was still out trimming her hedges - based on the dew on her hair, she'd been out all night. Now that I thought of it, she was pretty badly sunburned too. 
 The mailman - despite it being Saturday - was sorting non-existent mail in his underpants at the corner. Mr Reed was, as was his norm on a Saturday, mowing his lawn. The usually pristine carpet of green was a wild tumble of weeds, and the imaginary lawnmower was n't doing the trick. I stifled a hysteric giggle as I walked past and responded politely when he called out a hello. 
 I'd seen enough horror movies to know better than to deviate from the script. I could only hope the used car dealer took credit - or maybe he'd accept imaginary money.
