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Description
Shelly Hinkle loved a challenge as strongly as she hated her judgmental brother Henry Hinkle.
So, when he teased her AGAIN about Interior Design being "not a REAL job" and joked that she "prove it" by making the old house on the edge of town look warm and friendly.... well, there was no way she was going to let that smug grin win.
She drove to the mansion three days later, still fuming over her brother Henry's taunts. The shabby dwelling looming darkly before her only made Shelly hesitate for a minute before her need to prove Henry wrong pushed her forward. The overwhelmingly huge structure swallowed her the minute she closed the door. Only the excitement of a new design challenge spurred her forward.
First project was the living room. A good sense of Feng-shui always started with a balanced living room because it sets the mood for the entire house. Shelly immediately got a focused, organized state of mind and started creating a comfortable place to live out of old, gloomy furnishings available. An ugly portrait got taken down from the wall, a lumpy couch got re-fluffed and placed opposite the fireplace, things were really coming together.
Before long, it was time for a lunch break. Shelly went out to her car with a feeling of extreme satisfaction of the morning's progress. After a short lunch of a ham and swiss cheese sandwich washed down with a Pepsi, Shelly went back to work... but stopped as soon as she saw the room. This wasn't right. No way. Everything was the way it was before she started. The chairs and couches crooked and covered in years of un-disturbed dust. That stupid portrait was even back up on the cracked wall. She let out a nervous giggle to the empty room and ran her hands repeatedly through her oak brown hair. She wondered if there was any way she just didn't accurately remember how she had arranged things. It was possible, but why did that feel false?
With a heavy sigh,s she rolled up her sleeves and started arranging things the way she thought she had pictured in the first place. It didn't seem like the floral patterned chairs had been quite as heavy before, but that was probably due to being more physically exhausted this time.
Couch should face the fireplace as the natural highlight of the room. Let's see, chairs can go around the small table to encourage conversation. Take down that picture, I'll need to get a better one. Shake out the rug. Dust off the furniture. Couch should face the fireplace, get rid of that ugly portrait that looks kinda like my brother Henry, should've done that first... hold on...
Shelly stopped her racing thoughts and paused to take a good look at the room. Something didn't feel right. She HAD already done that. The picture was the thing she'd almost tripped on when she went outside to lunch. and that couch.. she KNEW she had moved it before, maybe a few times, and it somehow was back where it started. The air suddenly felt cold and heavy, a giant iceberg on her chest. Shelly ran to the door to get some air and sort out what was happening.
The door was locked. She tried the handle again. It wouldn't budge. She felt herself panicking. This had to be a prank from Henry. Her brother would just love to see her freak out. He probably planted that cheesy portrait of him and hired someone to quietly work behind her and put the furniture back. It was far fetched, but the most likely possibility.
"Ok haha! Come out!" Shelly called, "I have to admit you got me, but I've figured it out now."
Not hearing a response, she moved deeper into the house.
"HELLO!! I said you got me. Tell Henry it was well played with the th-the furniture and the... the p-p-p..."

Henry was just pulling up when he heard his sister's frantic cry. All thoughts of making sure she wasn't chickening out fled his mind as he stumbled up the uneven front steps. He grabbed and pulled on the door frame to further propel his body into the dark building as he called out to the one person on his mind.
"Shelly? Are you in there?"
"Stop it."
"Good! You're ok! Henry caught his breath and headed toward the source of his sister's voice. As he rounded the corner, he saw that she wasn't talking to him, but to something on the wall. Henry's curiosity became cold horror as he realized what Shelly was doing.
"STOP IT" She was screaming now, "I don't know how you are making the eyes move but it's NOT FUNNY!" She grabbed the painting and hurtled it across the room. She wildly punched and kicked at everything in sight as if the need to destroy was as important as breathing.
"Not funny not funny not funny not funny not funny not funny..."
She turned and saw her brother standing there, mouth wide open. With an animal sounding cry, she picked up an old umbrella and lunged at him. He gave a short cry of pain and was dead before he hit the ground.
With the eery calm of a mind that had completely snapped, Shelly dragged the fresh corpse to the front porch.
Let's see, a hanging body would look lovely next to some basket planters. Sweep the porch, purchase a porch swing, maybe the hanging body would look better on the other side.. to the left a little... Perfect!