Before I begin, I'd like to thank SimonxJeanette, aka Rose, for making this happen.
While helping her with her story Insanity, we agreed that so much could be done from so many ideas; and with her permission, I could write an adaptation with the ideas that didn't go into her story.
Let it be clear that I am not plagiarizing or stealing from anyone, and that the original story belongs to SimonxJeanette.
Apart from that, happy reading and please review! Feedback will be much appreciated.
Chapter 1: The Invitation
Brittany Miller hated the library.
In fact, it was the last place she wanted to be – on a Saturday morning, of all days. Why would she, when she could be at the mall with her group of cheerleaders, or practicing new songs for her next gig?
Or better still, she could've been hanging out with her boyfriend; the chipmunk of every girl's dreams.
Thoughts of Alvin filled Brittany's head: Alvin with his trademark red cap, Alvin with his irresistible smile, Alvin with the grin-and-wink combo that had all the girls screaming for him–
Then she remembered why she was here in the first place. Apparently, spending so much time with Alvin and her other priorities had earned Brittany her umpteenth ticket to the principal's office. As much as nobody wanted to admit it, Brittany was slipping in her grades – so much that she was on the brink of flunking several classes.
Her solution came down to two choices: Saturday school, or being forced to stay back another year. Inexcusable, even for a pop princess like Brittany.
And so it was that Brittany found herself buried under a pile of textbooks, with a History remedial test next week looming over her like a dark cloud.
This is so unfair! Brittany thought as she scribbled away furiously. Everyone gets to sleep late and enjoy the weekend, but what about me? An extra day of school and more homework! There should be a law against going to school on Saturdays!
She thumped the textbook in front of her, sending up thin motes of dust particles. Now she was punching holes in her notebook, filing the pages with countless pencil-marks that she didn't notice a shadow lingering in the corner.
A light tap on her shoulder caused Brittany to shriek, as though someone had put a pin under her seat. She jumped up, glancing around to find the culprit. "Geez, don't do that, you creep! You scared me!"
Standing behind Brittany was a girl, towering over her slightly, though not in an unthreatening manner. In a way, she reminded Brittany of her sister Eleanor, as this stranger had blonde hair tied up in pigtails. But the resemblance ended there. Unlike Eleanor, this girl had little black ribbons plaited in her hair, and even on her neck. And she was a rather skinny thing, if she could fit into a tight old-fashioned petticoat, complete with stockings and black shoes.
In fact, she was dressed almost… like a doll.
"H-hi! You've got some dirt on your nails," the girl pointed out.
Brittany rolled her eyes as she spread her nails. "Duh, it's not dirt, it's glitter!" Seriously, where's your fashion sense? Or did you come out of a time capsule, Little Miss House on the Prairie?
"I'm… I'm sorry." The girl's bubbly voice dropped to a quavering whisper. "I didn't mean to upset you. I'll just… go then." She started to back away.
"Wait!" Even if the library was putting her in a bad mood, it didn't seem right to take it out on someone else. Brittany let out a sigh.
"Are you new here?"
The other girl was silent. Instead, she held out her hand with a smile. "I'm Lily. Lily Perkins."
"Brittany Miller." The chipette looked down at Lily's hand, wondering if she should shake it. "How come I've never seen you before?"
"Dunno. But I've always been around here. I'm always around…" For some reason, there was something unsettling about the way she said it, as though she took pride in that fact.
"Anyways," said Lily, her voice growing excited with each second, "guess what? I'm having a slumber party tonight, and you're invited!"
"Really? Who else is coming?"
"Just a few of us. There were some girls in your class… I think they might be cheerleaders."
"You mean Amber and Sarah?" asked Brittany, but Lily didn't seem to hear her. "Gee… I don't know. I mean, I have to study and all–"
By now, Lily had leaned in so close that Brittany could almost see herself in the girl's china-blue eyes.
"It'll just be for one night! A-and we'll do each other's makeovers and have tea parties and truth or dare… Come on, please? I promise we'll have a great time!"
"Wait a minute," said Brittany, backing away slowly. "What's the catch?"
"Nothing, honest! I really want to get to know you better? It's just that I… I don't have many friends…"
Brittany watched as Lily's head drooped a little, her puppy-dog eyes on the verge of tears.
Why am I suddenly feeling so guilty? I don't even know this girl in the first place! And I have a freaking History remedial to prepare for!
But deep down, another voice was screaming at her. You shouldn't have acted all accusing towards Lily. She was only trying to be nice! Besides, what's wrong with a little sleepover? Unless you're chicken.
Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all, thought Brittany as she looked more closely at Lily.
If she's really inviting Amber and Sarah, then hey, I'll still have some close friends to keep me company. And I'm sure Alvin will understand if I make up some lame excuse to cancel our date tonight…
Besides, a slumber party certainly beat having to study for a test she knew she was going to fail anyway.
"Okay, fine. Count me in."
This can't be it, thought Brittany as she held up the scrap of paper in her hand.
Scrawled in Lily's cursive, archaic-like handwriting was the address she'd jotted down. At first, Brittany thought she might've made a wrong turn. But there it was again – written on the mailbox on the side of the curb to confirm her suspicions
There was a sharp, sudden scream as the mailbox door clattered to the ground. A spider scurried out of its black gaping mouth.
Brittany jumped, her heart skipping a beat as she stared in horror at the sight before her.
Behind a rusty iron gate that hung half-torn on its hinges, there stood an old, Victorian mansion – the kind most people would recognize from old-fashioned photographs. It must have laid at the mercy of years of fierce sun and harsh rain, for Brittany could see flakes of white paint – now greying – hang in sharp, jagged curls off the walls.
Tonight was a pale moonlit sky, and it cast the place in a huge shadow. More mouths appeared in the forms of empty windowless panes, as though the house was screaming a warning at would-be trespassers.
There were no other houses in sight. No cars, no fences, not even a playground. Nothing stood next to this mansion, and for good reason – in the middle of the barren lawn, a dead tree stood guard; its rotting, distorted branches like limbs waiting to grab and ensnare any unfortunate soul that wandered close by.
As she inched closer to the gates, Brittany stumbled on a crack, nearly falling flat on her face. She was starting to regret her decision, wondering if she could turn back and run away.
Now remember, you promised you'd give Lily a chance. Just get it over and be done with.
With a half-hearted sigh, she gave the gate a gentle push. It creaked; a slow, sad wail as its edges scraped against the rough earth. Taking great care to avoid the creepy-looking tree, Brittany almost ran up to the front porch, gasping in relief as she rang the doorbell.
The sound of the bell from within the house was just as welcoming as the iron gates. It took three more tries before the door swung open, revealing Lily in a creamy white nightgown with little pink flowers dotted along the hems.
"Brittany! You finally came!" She was still wearing her hair in ribbons, her pigtails bouncing with delight. "I'm so glad you could make it!"
"It's nothing, really," said Brittany, faking a smile. "Thanks for having me. Are the others here?"
"Oh, about that… Amber just called. She can't make it because she's sick with the stomach flu. And Sarah dropped by earlier to tell me she has some last-minute babysitting job tonight. So I guess it's just the two of us!"
Maybe it was just the moon, but Brittany could have sworn Lily's face was glowering as she finished the last sentence – it was almost as if she didn't want the other girls to be here in the first place.
Alarm bells and whistles were going off in Brittany's mind.
Too late to drop out now.
Her feet felt heavy, yet they were dragged over the threshold and into the living room. Behind her, the doors swung with a resounding crash, any possible chance of an escape now sealed away.
"Come on! I'll show you to my room!" said Lily. Taking her guest by the hand, both the girl and chipette went up a winding staircase.
On the first step, a creak like a high-pitched scream burst under Brittany's feet. She jumped, half-expecting the staircase to break apart and swallow her whole. The hallway was narrow, and once or twice Brittany caught sight of a few stern-looking gentleman glaring down at her from their prisons of portrait frames.
Even with a candle held by Lily to guide them, Brittany felt as though she was walking in complete darkness. Everything loomed over her with an ominous presence. She wanted to tear her eyes away from everything in sight – everything except the dim outline of Lily leading the way. And everything – even the walls – seemed to be covered in a thin layer of dust.
What the heck is this, the Addams Family? I thought she was just freaky, but so is her house! She's got the whole creepy package!
"Wow, I really like your house, Lily. It's quite… big!" said Brittany, trying to break the uncomfortable silence.
"Thanks. I'm sorry if the place looks a mess, but we usually get our servants to tidy up."
"You have servants?" Dang it, now she's rubbing it in my face!
"Yeah, but Daddy fired them last week. He couldn't trust them anymore."
"Oh. Where are your parents anyway?" asked Brittany, suddenly realizing no one else was here.
"My parents?"
"Uh, yeah? You know, a Mom and Dad?"
"I… I don't have a Mom. She left us when I was still a baby. Daddy takes care of me now, but he's gone away on a business trip." Lily stopped mid-step, turning around as she smiled. "You'll like my Daddy. He always gives me hugs and kisses. Sometimes, I think he loves me more than he loved Mom…"
"Okay…" Why on earth would she tell me that?
They arrived at the top, where a passage like a yawning mouth greeted them. After walking through another hallway, this time lined with mirrors on both sides, the girls finally reached the end.
A door, much like the one Brittany saw at the house's front. Tarnished it was, complete with a rusty handle and holes that could only have been made by termites, or something worse.
Undaunted, Lily turned the knob and led them in.
Brittany couldn't believe her eyes. At first, she thought she was in the wrong house.
The room she now found herself in was covered in all shades of pink – from a light baby hue on the ceiling, to a darker, cotton candy floss spreading across the entire floor. Even the little patterns of white flowers that decked the walls were traced in faint pink outlines.
Somewhere inside Brittany, she fought against the triumphant smug of her own inner voice. See? What did I tell you? And you didn't want to give Lily a chance. Shame on you!
There was an antique four-poster bed that stood in the middle of the room, but something else had grabbed Brittany's attention. It lay at the foot of the bed.
A wooden chest – much like the ones she saw in those pirate movies, complete with a key and a lock.
Lily was all smiles, as though she could read Brittany's thoughts. "Oh, that's my toy chest! Would you like to see my secret collection? I've never shown it to anyone."
"Um, sure. Why not?"
As Brittany watched, Lily knelt down until she was level with the chest. Turning the key, the lock snapped open with a clack. She pushed the lid up, standing aside proudly to let Brittany lean forward.
The chipette took a peek. Immediately, she recoiled in horror, trying to fight back the scream bursting from her throat.
There, in the chest below, lay Brittany's childhood demons.
To Be Continued...
~ Wind