Double Trouble

The air was unnervingly quiet. Only the sounds of dried autumn leaves dancing over the naked sidewalks could be heard. Skipping and plundering around until the hands of the soothing wind would pick it up gently, cradle it for a while then place it once again in a new surrounding. Or if you directed your ears to the west and listened hard enough you could be able to catch the sound of warn objects at the local play ground, groan in protest as the breeze past on through their rickety floor boards.

It was a bitter evening. Thunder clapped over head and dark storm clouds rolled throughout the evening sky, threatening to drench all with its tears. Although it was concealed firmly behind blankets of rain clouds, the moon still hung in space, showering down upon the earth with its entire splendor. Permitting anyone who glanced upwards long enough, could possibly catch a shying gaze at the pale pearl, only to once again be reverted back behind a dark swarthy curtain.

Everything and everyone seemed to be put to rest within the contentment of their homes, snuggled close to the mattress with a nice feather comforter pulled around them selves.

Whether entangled between bed sheets or their loved ones, it was only a matter of time before both hazy eyes drifted shut. Swept away into dreams and fantasies...

All but one.

One mortal foolish enough to disobey the laws of the night, stooped low beneath the comforts of her quilt, snaked above and around herself to keep the glow of her flashlight at bay. She hovered over the small warn pages of a red leathered booklet. Nose brushing slightly against the weary pages soaking up every sentence and paragraph her young eyes could take in. she sighed engrossed into the mood within the leaflet, jumping slightly as a great boom thundered in the distance.

Her gaze instantly shot towards the window, switching off her light to glance wonderingly out the rain stained glass. The sky was an obscure mixture of grays and muddy blues, anything passed the green blanketed yard was instantly swallowed up by an immense on poor of dense fog.

Silently leaving the enjoyment of her bed, the young women snaked across the room and settled once anew on the plush cushions of her window seat. How she enjoyed the sounds of the rain droplets pelting down upon the warn tills of the roof top. Running down to collect in the gutter then fall down a pipe and drain to the ground. She held a pillow close to her chest by wrapping two long arms securely around each side. She stifled a yawn leaning her head against the fogged reflection of herself. Her curly auburn locks slipping from her back onto her shoulders framing her soft complexion.

Her cheek brushed up against the clouded cool glass, bringing a shiver to her lips. As much as she wanted to forget the sensation it was beginning to numb her. Slowly she brought up her knees and rolled into a tight ball, she was soon lulled to sleep by the sounds of the winds picking up. Howling their way through the limbs of trees and pounding on the sides of houses. Causing the old weary house in which the girl slept in to creak and mourn for the weather to withdraw from its treacherous bullying. Her last thoughts before her head hit the soft cushions were of a snow white object that soundlessly flashed passed her window. Of course the girl by then was so far gone that she really couldn't tell her mother from a bed post, she seemingly paid no mind and drifted off into a dream filled with goblins, wishes and crystals.

But what she didn't know was two mismatched eyes stooped in the shadows of a tree watching thoughtfully through the wind and the rain, a dark and mischievous smirk played upon his pale face... some how he would get his revenge and what better way then to do it by influencing the second generation of the Williams...

Morning came to the girl with a jolt. Snapping her deep green eyes open to see two small dark curly haired boys jumping up and down at the end of her bed, chanting her name over and over again to wake her from her slumber.

"Tweebs what are you doing in my room?" she asked hissing through her teeth and glaring non end at her small twin brothers.

"Wizzy mommy toed us to get you up fo breakfas," the one on the right squeeked happily jumping slightly and raise his hands in the air. The other nodded while doing the same as his big brother, by five minutes, and added, "Yeah daddy says to toos."

Elizabeth sighed while falling back in her pillow. The two boys proceeded jumping up and down on her bed.

"Alright!" she yelled startling the two. "Just get out and let me get dressed." The duo obeyed and climbed from the bed, reaching the partially opened door they both had to use their small hands and body weight to clumsily close the door. She listened for a second as their tiny feet covered by feety-pajamas, run down the hall. Rolling her eyes she slipped from her bed, just as she was half way towards her closet, she stopped with realization that she indeed woke up in her bed. She glanced from her window seat to her rumpled mattress. She could have sworn she had curled up beneath the sufficiency of her window setting and was soothed to sleep by the sounds of the storm. She shook her head and looked away from the window. Surely her father had come in to check on her before he went to bed and saw that she wasn't in hers.

Elizabeth pushed her thoughts aside as she pealed the clothing from her skin and into a comfortable pair of warn jeans. Passing her window and bed, she sifted through a pill of dirty odds and ends until she came across a shirt that looked and smelt reasonable to wear and slipped it on as well. Pulling on a pair of socks she found on the ground, Elizabeth sluggishly exited her roomy abode and entered the hall were toys and miscellaneous objects scattered the flooring. She cringed when she thought of what her step grandmother would say and do if she had seen how much the family house was let go.

Finger paintings the twins had done in the past and family portraits old and new lined the walls of the Williams and Green family house hold. Elizabeth made a face at each sour puss appearance of an aunt or uncle and cumbersomely moved along down the staircase and into the living room where another dilemma met her path. Cautiously moving through and over debris of stuffed animals, plastic toy trucks and such, she lunged for the kitchen door which stood breached slightly in its hinges.

Sarah Green Williams looked towards the door in surprise as her daughter inelegantly pushed through the door with one arm and leg, but looked onward when her husband began to speak,

"Bout time luv," he said silkily, not looking up from the challenge at hand. A bowl of cereal had spilled, diffusing across the island's counter. He was busily mopping up the milk and wheat O's with a prehistoric wash cloth that had seen better days. Robert ran a hand through his dishwater blonde hair as he finally tore his eyes away from his work to look at his eldest child. He wore a dark red wool shirt with tan formal pants and black belt with matching dress shoes. His expression was tired giving him an older look about him. "Where?" he asked, choosing his words carefully not to make his daughter upset with him again.

Elizabeth scratched her arm foolishly glancing at the twins, who were seemingly scribbling on paper, coloring books and on anything that was compatible to draw upon. She scowled at the fact that her mother sat doing nothing to prevent Jonathon from highlighting words into her cook book while Jareth sat making stick figures in the dictionary.

"Elizabeth Lynn," her father probed. Her green eyes snapped towards his brown ones.

"I was with Tiffany," she said flatly moving passed her mother wordlessly and reached up to pull a cereal box from the cupboard.

"Tiffany," her father replied just as flat, "was at her sister's dance recital." Elizabeth stopped the process of pouring the contents into a bowl to gaze at her father dumbfounded. Her stupidity quickly turned to rage as she slammed the cereal box to the white tilling counter.

"You've been spying on me!"

"Elizabeth you were two hours late! What were we suppose to do?" Her mothers emerald eyes sparkled with concern.

Elizabeth glanced her way and gave her a sour look, "I said I was sorry."

"Please let me finish." Her mother stated giving her child a stern face. "Your father and I put great confidence into you. You get good grades, you're incredibly talented. What's gotten into you Elizabeth? We raised you better than this. The least you could have done was told us what you were up to or even called to tell us you were alright. We were worried sick."

Elizabeth looked from one parent to another, her face solemn as if she were about to break down and cry while saying how sorry she was and that she never meant to worry either one of them. "Can't I do anything right?" she asked quietly, staring at the ground. Leave it to her mother to bring on the guilt trip. No matter how much she hated and despised it, her parents always seemed to make her complaints or worries seem dumb and not worth being stressed about.

"All we are trying to say is we'd like to know where your going from now on luv," her father's words were calm, as he brought the rag to the sink. Her mother watched her boys as they spoke joyfully amongst one another. Her eyes softened seeing a slight resemblance within the two from a certain boy with curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

Elizabeth sighed bringing a hand to her forehead and rubbing at the on coming migraine. "So basically what your saying is I've been put on a leash."

"What a horrible thing to say." Sarah exclaimed, "Were only doing what's best for you."

Elizabeth brought up her hands in defeat and looked tiredly out the window, her eyes brimming with tears, "What have you ever done that was best for me," she mumbled. "You hardly ever know what my plans are anymore. You never ask me! You just assume I'll do this, or just assume I do that. What about what I want. Don't you care?"

"You're a strong and out spoken girl. We just assumed you would tell us." Elizabeth nodded her head confirming what she had just said earlier.

"Haven't you noticed that nobody in this home has been the same since those goblins entered the house hold?" a hand was brought to her reddened cheeks as Elizabeth wiped furiously at her skin, beads of tears flowed freely down her face and slipped from her chin and onto her shirt causing a puddle of tears staining the thin fabric in numerous of places.

Ms. William Green's eyebrow rose while pursing her lips. Although she wanted to look stern and unwavering by her daughter's tears, Sarah's eyes gave her away. She slowly walked towards her daughter, "Lizzy," she said placing a hand on her shoulder; the other was lifted to her cheek wiping tenderly at the swollen skin. "Don't cry dear. Just tell us were you were last night and we'll leave it at that."

Elizabeth rose her eyes to meet her mother's searching for any false hopes. All she had found was love and concern. She swallowed and nodded her head. "All right I'll tell you. I was never with Tiffany," both parents nodded their heads. They could recall hearing this part already, yet kept silent to let her continue with her confession. But before she could utter another word, Elizabeth was cut off by the sounds of a great thud and of a babies cry. All heads snapped towards the table where the two boys once had been.

Sarah rushed out the doors immediately fearing the worst possibilities as all mothers do for their children. Skidding to a halt in the living room, she found one crying Jareth and a helpless looking Jonathon glimpsing around for is mother to help his wounded play mate.

He found his mother and gave a look of puzzlement, his big blue eyes watering as he rushed towards his mother.

"Mommy Jay Jay feal down and bwok du bace. I'z tried to tell him no, mommy and daddy wont likes it but be stills went and tried to goes on the shelfses and look at the ball." He began to cry, "and now Jay Jay's dies, he fell and dies mommy!" Sarah pulled her child close as her husband hurried towards their other son to see if he was all right.

He picked his son up nimbly watching carefully he didn't hurt him and placed his head against his shoulder, tears flowing down his pudgy pace staining his father's shirt as well as his own. He curling up in his father's embrace grabbing at the red wool fearing as if he let go his father would drop him. Mrs. Green came up besides her husband and began to coo to each of her resless sons.

"Now babe what happened?" Sarah questioned softly to Jareth, running a hand through his short curly hair while still holding onto the other sibling.

"Being bads as usuals," complained Jonathon rubbing his face against his mother's chest for comfort. "and nows your dies."

"I'm nots dies," Jareth countered shooting his brother a look.

"Yes youse did I's saws you! You feal froms there," he pointed towards the shelf, "then hits the floor and went dies." He waved his hands around dramatically. "And nows youse walking dead like in the's movies!" Elizabeth rolled her eyes at the two as she sat leaning up against the doorframe leading into the living room. How her brother Jareth seemed to be so dramatic at times, and her brother Jonathon so mysterious.

Sarah shot her daughter a disapproving look.

"What!?"

"What have I told you about exposing your brothers to such violence and absurdness as in your monster movies?"

"They're not absurd and I haven't shown them anything after the last time I got into trouble!"

"Elizabeth Lynn Green don't yell at your mother," her father said raising his voice in warning.

"I'm not bloody yelling. And why are you defending her, she yells at me all the time." Elizabeth cried, glaring daggers into her father.

"She's your mother."

Elizabeth grumbled something about how unfare they were and how they accused her of everything and salked off towards her room, giving every member of the house hold a quick disgusted glare before nything she could get her hands on or that was in her way.

Both parents sighed in inuision as they directed therir attention back towards the tak at hand

Giving every member of the house hold a quick disgusted glare, Elizabeth stormed from the room. Her appetite long forgotten now replaced with dripping hot anger. She didn't care how immature she was acting, her mother and father just didn't understand.

Elizabeth had dropped to her bed in a heap. Her cheeks red with a passion and her golden-brown locks flayed out in all directions molding to the shape of her face and the folds and creases of the frilly blue pillow that her head was cradled upon. They had nothing to worry about she was just at the park as usual reciting lines from the little red book she found in the attic. Like sand the hours had slipped through her fingers and before she knew it the sun began to set, casting golden yellows, warm reds, and ginger oranges flooding across the sky.

Birds seemed to be no where in sight as she ran down the streets, turning and zig zagging in and out of alley ways to get home on time. It smelt of rain by the time she stepped through the back door, gray gloomy storm clouds slung over head, killing any one in high spirits in hope of a nice warm peaceful evening.

She closed her eyes and tried to relax. Even if it sounded so much easier to recite these words to her self in front of the mirror or repeat it none end in her mind, it didn't change the fact that her parents hadn't grasped the concept that she liked to keep to herself. Tiffany had been a girl that she made up to get her parents off her back about not having any friends. Well being parents and after a year of no show of the spurious best pal Tiffany, one tends to get suspicious. Later on in the week Elizabeth's mother brings up the subject of Tiffany. Turns out she called the school looking for the girl's last name and phone number. Imagine to Elizabeth's surprise when she came home to find a total stranger sitting in her room, waiting with a white toothed grin that would make anyone sick and ending up spending three hours after school every day with the girl waiting agonizingly for her father to get off work to pick her up. Fortunately Tiffany was horrible at remembering things and had to be reminded of when they met. Which was never, but what nobody knows can't hurt them. Right?

She narrowed her eyebrows in frustration while racking her fingers through her tangled locks. Ripping out any hair that came in contact with her fingers. She rubbed her fore head and let out a long needed sigh.

For the rest of the morning and afternoon Elizabeth Green stayed in the contentment of her room. With the exceptions of bathroom breaks, no other mortal soul laid eyes on the stubborn opinionated mortal girl.

Well almost everyone.

It was night fall by the time Elizabeth seemed to stir from her room. Between the frustrations of parent problems and the lack of anything to do plagued the girl for the first couple of hours. Gradually as the minutes ticked on her eyelids began to feel like weights and soon she drifted off into a dreamless sleep, where nothing but blackness came to comforts her.

The clouds from the night before had effaced themselves but in return for their relinquish, they left a few unfortunate people in a muddle, and as the news caster predicted, more clouds moved in from the West taking their rightful place in the sky. A screech of an owl sounded not far away as Elizabeth was jerked awake by the earsplitting crash of what seemed a heavy object hitting up against glass and shattering it to pieces. Elizabeth began to breathe hard as she scrambled in the dark blindly for the switch of her bedside light. Just as she began to lose hope she caught an object with her shaky hands. Its basin felt cool and smooth underneath her finger tips and as she traveled upwards she found that it steadily becomes smaller topping it with a wide rimmed clothed canopy that could have only been the lamp shade. She smiled in triumph as she searched the body of the lamp for the wire. Finding it she rolled the knob between her thumb and fore finger, expecting the flash of the light to blind her she shielded her eyes with the light with her free hand. But with every click of the light nothing not even a flicker happened, this set a chill running down the back of her neck. The power had been knocked out. Slowly reaching under her pillow she produced a yellow flashlight. Her hands glided along the surface until she caught the knob and pushed down. Half expecting the flashlight to die out she didn't bother to point the bulb away from her face. Instantly a brilliant flash of light incased her upper torso, snapping her eyes shut she was met with many blurred dots dancing just beyond her vision. She sighed in relief feeling the comfort of heat against flesh, illuminating her soft peach skin and rosy red lips. Her eye-lashes fluttered open to the sounds of struggling and scratching over head. Swallowing hard at the lump that had been forming in her throat, Elizabeth left the security of her room, her destination the hall closet, the only possible way of entering attic. Discomfort of not knowing what lay beyond the door was unnerving to the young women...

To be continued. . .