As Lena's voice trailed off, the room fell into a heavy silence. The horrors of her past, the twisted relationship between her mother and Crispin, the spectral inhabitants of the house, all hung in the air like a dark shroud. David sat there, his mind reeling from the revelations, his gaze fixed on Lena.

Lena, her eyes distant, seemed to be lost in her own world. She was no longer in the room with David, but somewhere far away, somewhere in her past. She took a deep, shaky breath.

Her voice steadied, a hint of nostalgia seeping into her tone. "Savannah... it was a different world. A world of Spanish moss-draped trees, of historic homes and cobblestone streets, of ghost stories and mystical lore. It was there that I discovered my abilities, my connection with the spirit world. It was there that I learned to control my powers, to use them for good."

As Lena began to recount her past, her eyes regained their usual vibrancy. The horrors of her past were replaced with memories of her formative years in Savannah, of her journey into witchcraft and the mystical. And as she spoke, David found himself drawn into her past, into the world that had shaped Lena into the woman she was today.

-----

"I was just a baby when we moved to Savannah," she started, her voice taking on a gentle, almost dreamy quality. "My mother, she was desperate to escape the horrors of this house, to give me a chance at a normal life. Savannah was our sanctuary, our fresh start."

She paused, her eyes distant as she lost herself in the memories. "My mother told me that as an infant, I was unusually quiet. I would stare at things that weren't there, cooing and giggling at empty spaces. She thought it was just a baby's imagination, but later, she realized it was the first signs of my... abilities."

Lena's fingers traced the rim of her glass, her gaze unfocused. "I don't remember much from those early years, but I do remember the feeling of warmth, of safety. Our little apartment was nothing like this grand old house, but it was filled with love. My mother, she worked tirelessly to provide for us, to ensure that I had a childhood free from the shadows that had plagued her own."

She smiled faintly, a hint of nostalgia in her eyes. "I remember the smell of jasmine wafting in through the open windows, the sound of my mother's lullabies as she rocked me to sleep, the soft glow of the Savannah moonlight as it filtered through the curtains. Those were simpler times, times of innocence and peace."

As Lena recounted her infancy, David could almost picture the scene - a young woman, scarred by her past but determined to protect her child, and a baby girl, unknowingly gifted with a connection to the spirit world. It was a poignant image, a stark contrast to the horrors Lena had experienced in her later years.

Lena's gaze softened as she ventured back into her early childhood years. "My earliest memories are of Savannah's moss-draped oaks and the sweet scent of magnolias," she began, her voice carrying a note of fondness. "I was a curious child, always exploring, always asking questions. The world was a magical place, filled with wonders and mysteries."

She smiled, her eyes distant. "I remember the old Victorian house we lived in, with its creaky wooden floors and high ceilings. It was a place of endless adventures, of hidden nooks and secret hideaways. I would spend hours exploring every corner, every room, every shadow."

Her gaze unfocused as she lost herself in the memories. "I was always drawn to the unseen, the unexplained. I could sense things, feel things that others couldn't. I would see shadows move, hear whispers in the silence. I knew I was different, but I didn't understand why."

Lena paused, her gaze turning introspective. "My mother noticed it too. She was always supportive, always encouraging. She never dismissed my experiences, never told me it was just my imagination. She understood, in a way that no one else did."

She chuckled softly, a hint of nostalgia in her voice. "I was a strange child, I suppose. But I was happy. I was free to explore, to question, to dream. And that, I believe, is what shaped me into the woman I am today."

As Lena recounted her early childhood, David could see the seeds of the woman she had become - the curiosity, the fearlessness, the openness to the unknown.

Lena's eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief as she delved into her school years. "Ah, school," she began, a wistful smile playing on her lips. "Those were the days of scraped knees and innocent crushes, of whispered secrets and endless dreams."

She leaned back in her chair, her gaze unfocused as she lost herself in the memories. "I was always a bit of an oddball, you see. While other girls were playing with dolls and dreaming of becoming princesses, I was fascinated by the mysteries of the universe, by the unseen forces that govern our world."

Lena's voice taking on a dreamy quality. "I remember spending hours in the school library, poring over books about the supernatural, about witchcraft and the occult. I was drawn to the unknown, to the mysteries that lay beyond the veil of reality."

"Of course, this didn't exactly make me popular. I was the weird girl, the one who talked to spirits and read tarot cards during lunch break. But I didn't mind. I had my books, my dreams, and a few close friends who accepted me for who I was."

Lena paused, her gaze distant. "And then there were the ghosts. Even in Savannah, they were always there, always watching. I could see them, hear them, feel their presence. It was a part of me, a part of my life. It was... normal."

Lena's eyes took on a faraway look as she delved into her teenage years. "Ah, the teenage years," she began, a wistful smile playing on her lips. "A time of rebellion, of self-discovery, of first loves and heartbreaks. But for me, it was also a time of awakening."

She paused, her gaze unfocused as she lost herself in the memories. "I was about fifteen when I first felt it... a presence, a voice in my mind that wasn't my own. It was faint, like a whisper carried on the wind, but it was there. It was my father, reaching out to me from miles away."

"It was... unsettling, to say the least. I didn't understand it, didn't know what to make of it. But I knew it was real. I could feel him, sense his emotions, his thoughts. It was like a door had been opened, a connection forged."

Lena's words heavy with the weight of the past. "It was a turning point for me. I began to explore my abilities, to understand them. I read books on the paranormal, on psychic phenomena, on astral projection. I practiced, honed my skills. I became... well, I became the woman you see before you."

She chuckled softly, a hint of self-deprecation in her voice. "I was a strange teenager, I suppose. While others were worrying about boys and school dances, I was communing with the unseen, exploring the astral plane. But I wouldn't have had it any other way."

Lena's gaze softened as she transitioned into her early adulthood. "After high school, I decided to stay in Savannah. I had grown to love the city, its history, its charm, its mystique. It was a part of me, and I was a part of it. I enrolled in the Savannah College of Art and Design, where I studied art history. It was a subject that had always fascinated me, the way art could capture the essence of an era, the soul of an artist."

She paused, her gaze distant as she lost herself in the memories. "It was during these years that I truly came into my own. I embraced my abilities, used them to help others. I started doing psychic readings, helping people connect with their loved ones on the other side. It was... fulfilling, in a way I can't quite explain."

"I also delved deeper into my studies of the paranormal. I joined a local group of paranormal investigators, exploring haunted locations, documenting our findings. It was thrilling, the sense of adventure, the thrill of the unknown."

Lena's words heavy with the weight of the past. "But it was also during these years that I felt my father's presence grow stronger. It was as if he was trying to reach out to me, to communicate something. But I could never quite grasp it, never quite understand what he was trying to say."

Lena's voice softened as she moved on to her late adulthood. "In my late twenties, I was well-established in Savannah. I had built a reputation as a psychic medium and was working with a paranormal investigation group. We explored some of the most haunted locations in Georgia, documenting our findings, sharing our experiences. It was thrilling, but also terrifying. The more I delved into the spirit world, the more I realized how little we truly understand."

She paused, her gaze distant as she lost herself in the memories. "My life was fulfilling, but also draining. I was giving so much of myself, but I felt like I was losing a part of me in the process. And then, one day, I received a letter from Maude, a neighbor who lived next to our old house in Marietta."

"Maude wrote that my father was ill, that he was having trouble taking care of himself. She thought I should know. I hadn't seen him in years, hadn't spoken to him since I was a child. But the news... it hit me harder than I expected."

Lena's words were heavy with the weight of the past. "So, I made a decision. I packed my bags and returned to Marietta. I left my life in Savannah behind, not knowing what awaited me in Marietta. But I knew, deep down, that it was a journey I had to undertake, a path I had to walk."

"I bought the house across the street from my father's. It was a practical decision, one that would allow me to keep a close eye on him. But as time went on, I realized that it was easier, better even, to move him in with me. And so, he became a part of my daily life, a constant presence in the house."

Lena leaned back in her chair, her story reaching its end. "And so, this house sat empty," she said, her voice echoing in the quiet room. "From 2007 until you moved in, David. Sixteen years of silence, of emptiness. But a house like this... it never truly forgets."

She looked at him, her eyes a mix of sadness and determination. "You moved in, not knowing about the house's history, about the darkness that it held within its walls. You stepped into a story that had been unfolding long before you arrived, a story that you're now a part of."

Lena fell silent, her gaze dropping to her hands. The room was quiet, the weight of her words hanging in the air. She had revealed the house's dark past, a past that was now intertwined with their present.

David sat in silence for a moment, the weight of Lena's revelations pressing down on him. He felt a strange mix of emotions - shock, disbelief, fear, and a deep, gnawing sadness. The house, his home, was a place of darkness, a place where unspeakable horrors had occurred. And Lena, the woman he had come to care for, was inextricably tied to it all.

He knew what he had to do. The bodies, the victims of Lena's father, deserved a proper burial. They deserved justice. And the police needed to know. But Lena... Lena would be in trouble. He couldn't bear the thought of her suffering for her father's sins.

He needed time to think, to process everything. He stood up, his legs feeling strangely weak. "I... I need some time," he said, his voice hoarse. "I need to think."

He made his way to the kitchen, his mind a whirl of thoughts. He was hungry, he realized. He hadn't eaten since breakfast. He began to prepare dinner, the familiar routine a welcome distraction from the turmoil of his thoughts.