In the salon, a vision so fair,
A beautiful black girl with curly hair,
Bouncy, shoulder-length, a crown so rare,
She sits so poised in the stylist's care.

Blandness. 

That's what Lucas was feeling as he watched his literature teacher express the admiration of his favorite piece of reading for the umpteenth time this month.

That dilapidated house in Eastwood made every day feel like a horror film. Its current state more accurately depicts what it was like to live inside. Its paint has long faded. The grass is overgrown and weeds have destroyed a yard that was once so meticulously managed. The windows are permanently shut, with blankets covering them from the inside as not to allow anybody to see within.