Episode 1: "New Blood"
The SUV creaked as it turned onto the winding street, its tires crunching through a bed of fallen autumn leaves. Orange and red trees lined the road like an honor guard, their branches arching overhead. At the far end of the lane stood a towering Victorian home, ivy crawling up its stone face like veins under pale skin.
The Morgans had arrived.
Daniel Morgan parked in front of the house, turning the engine off with a satisfied sigh. “Well, this is it,” he said. “Our new beginning.”
Rachel smiled, already picturing new curtains, fresh paint, a garden. Their daughter, Lily, stepped out slowly, taking in the neighborhood. Everything looked... antique. Quiet. Still.
Too still.
The neighbors emerged one by one as if summoned by the sound of new life. They waved politely from their porches. Their smiles were wide and oddly perfect. Each house looked like it had been plucked from a postcard and preserved in amber.
“Welcome to Hemlock Lane,” called a woman in a black lace shawl. “We’ve been expecting you.”
She approached with her husband—tall, poised, and impossibly graceful. The Thornes, they introduced themselves. Evelyn and Sebastian. Their home was directly next door, a gothic beauty that somehow managed to look regal and foreboding all at once.
Evelyn held out a pie wrapped in cloth. “A family recipe,” she said. “We always bring one to new neighbors.”
Lily stared at the pie’s filling—dark red and glistening. “What is it?” she asked.
“Just... a little taste of tradition,” Evelyn replied, her voice like silk. “You’ll get used to our flavors.”
---
That Evening
As the Morgans unpacked boxes and opened windows, the house creaked and settled like an old beast waking from hibernation. Lily wandered through the attic, drawn to a tall mirror veiled in a dusty cloth. When she pulled the fabric off, the glass shimmered—but her reflection seemed delayed, a second too slow.
She touched the glass.
Her reflection didn’t move.
Lily recoiled. Then, as if nothing had happened, her reflection snapped back into sync. She shivered.
Downstairs, Daniel and Rachel were laughing with the Thornes over a glass of wine. Lily joined them reluctantly. Mr. Thorne’s eyes lingered on her just a beat too long, his smile never quite reaching his eyes.
“It’s lovely to see such fresh faces,” he said. “We don’t get many new arrivals on the lane.”
“Why not?” Daniel asked.
Sebastian’s smile widened. “Because no one ever wants to leave.”
---
That Night
Rain tapped at the windows. Wind moaned through the chimneys. Lily lay in bed, unable to sleep. Her room was freezing, even though the heat was on. She got up to close the window and paused.
Across the street, five neighbors stood silently on their lawns. Unmoving. Staring up at the house.
She blinked.
They were gone.
Morning
The family woke to find an envelope slid under the front door. Thick black paper. Wax seal with an ornate letter "H".
Lily opened it.
> “You are cordially invited to the Annual Hemlock Lane Halloween Gathering.
October 31st. At the stroke of eight.
Come hungry.”
Lily’s fingers trembled as she handed it to her parents. Rachel laughed, brushing it off. “That’s cute. Very old-school.”
Daniel looked intrigued. “Guess it’s how they do things around here.”
Lily didn’t speak. She looked out the window again—at the Thornes’ house. At Evelyn’s silhouette behind gauzy curtains.
She wasn’t watching them.
She was watching her.
And smiling.
