I blink lazily and rub the page between my fingers. My feet hanging over the side of the chair, I begin to kick them, bored.

"Al" I drag out

'That's not working. Let's try brain telepathy.' I think
I stare at Al.

' i

. NOTICE ME! NOTICE ME SENPAI!'

"Yeah, Evie?"

'Success! Brain Telepathy works.'

"Evie!" Al's voice snaps me out of my thoughts

I look over to him to see an irritated look on his face, his phone clutched in his hands.

"Oh, , I was wondering if you wanted to go explore the attic or the woods?"

"Why?" Al says annoyed.

'That tone is not going to get you anywhere in life dear. I mean besides single and jobless.'

"Well, because I'm finished with my book, it's the last in its series and Mommy dearest said I wasn't allowed to go to the library anymore" I explain while fiddling with my hands.

After a few moments of silence, I look at Al again. He's looking at his phone a faint smirk on his face.

"Al!" I say

"Hmm?" He says texting

I scowl and cross my arms.

'I need to get his attention.'

I look around for something to grab his attention with or to throw at him. After looking around and finding nothing but books and glass trays I sigh.

'Books aren't meant to be thrown and Mom would kill me if I broke one of her trays.'

I plop down in my seat, with a sigh. It's then I feel the pillow under my bottom. With an evil grin, I pull it out from under me and chuck it at Al. It hits him square in the face.

AH YEAH! BULL'S-EYE! VICTORY IS MINE!'

"HEY!" Al exclaims glaring at me. "What was that for?"

I smirk at him.

"For not paying attention. You asked a question so expect an answer sonny boy!"

Al shakes his head with a sigh, a smile plastered on his face. I narrow my eyes and say suspicious.

"What?"

Al burst into a fit of laughter

"Your vocab is hysterical. Sunny boy?"

I purse my lips and raise an eyebrow.

"We have been together since birth." I begin "For these long fifteen years,"

"Sixteen" Al corrects monotone "As of next week"

"For these long sixteen years and you just noticed now?" I correct myself

I shake my head with a sad sigh.

"I'm disappointed you didn't notice soon…. SINCE WE'RE TWINS!" I tap my head with my forefingers flabbergasted "Aren't we supposed to know everything about each other?"

Al rolls his eyes muttering

"There she goes again."

"Esqueaze me, aren't I supposed to be the sassy one?" I ask an eyebrow raised

"It's excuse me your almighty sassiness." Al snorted

I smile and say.

"So are you gonna come with me?"

Al shakes his head.

"No, Jasper and I are on a roll right now."

"With what?" I snort lying down in my chair, my legs thrown across the arm

"Puns."

I sit up bolt right.

'MY TIME HAS COME!'

"Need any help?" I ask an evil smirk on my lips

"Oh, heck no. Last time I asked you for help with puns you didn't stop for the next week, there were so many cheesy puns."

"But, I thought they were gouda," I say trying not to smile

Al pauses then turns to me, shooting me another glare.

"It's cheddar if you don't get mad," I say smiling

Al rolls his eyes

"I swiss you had the same humor as me." I try not to giggle

"I won't provolone this anymore, after all, I Havarti taken this to far." I giggle

After a few moments of silence, I say.

"I mozzarella feta stop before you marscapone me."

Al shakes his head and he snorts.

"I Colby a better parmesan and stop all these cheesy puns but I ricotta continue." I howl giggling

"Brie the way do you want to join me in my adventure? I saga know."

Al sighs a smile on his face.

"Stop the cheese puns, and I don't know Mom doesn't like us in the Attic or the woods."

"Well whether or not." I hop up from my seat. "I'm going"

'Off to Neverland!'

'No, to Narnia!'

'Hogwarts here I come.'

'But, Camp Half-Blood is not that far away!'

'The Lost Cities aren't very far either.'

'There's also the Institute. It may be farther away but, I get to hold a bow and arrow.'

'Camp Jupiter has a college.'

'And the BAU is practically around the corner.'

'But, Wonderland is just perfect!'

'Is that the Tardis I hear?'

'Wait, there's been a murder at 221b bakers street?'

'The Winchester need help?!'

I run a hand through my hair.

'Oh, dear. I need to get a life.'

I blink and sigh.

After a few moments, I hear footsteps and Al comes to my side.

"Ah, so you decide to join me?" I tease.

'Finally, the prude decides to lighten up!'
"Not necessarily. I'm only going to make sure you don't do anything stupid." Al says.

'Darn it!'

"Like?" I asked crossing my arms across my chest as I walk.

"Like, collapsing the attic." Al snorts.

I scoff putting my arms to my sides.

'How, dare he think that! I know I'm not the most graceful girl. But what a thing to say!'

"That could never happen-" I begin.

"Remember Old Auntie Elsie's Shed?" Al says raising an eyebrow.

' I was seven years old, Uncle Frank was teaching me how to use a hammer. And I tried to put a nail onto the last sturdy bar. Holding up the shed. I failed and collapsed it.'

"Oh, yeah," I say in realization.

'Frick! I hate it when he does that.'

"Who made it collapse again?" He questions

'Guess, I'm going to have to admit defeat.'

"Me," I mumble
"Yes, you. You're Sixteen years old and you act half your age." Al scolds me.

'OH NO HE DIDN'T!'

"You're also sixteen and you act twice your age. We both know the real reason you didn't want to come. You're scared!" I exclaim

"Scared? Scared Of what? The attic?" Al scoffs

I back down realizing he was making fun of me.

"I was nine and you told me the attic had monsters that ate little red-haired girls!" I say accusingly

Al burst into laughter. I swat at him and we head up the stairs.

"I was also nine years old and pranking my sister with my best friend was the best thing ever!" Al chortles

"I know but don't go teasing me about that junk. I still believe there is ghost up there."

"You just might be going insane like great grandmum Alice." Al snorts

'Me? Insane? Never.' My internal sarcasm was spot on.

"She was insane for the longest time"

"Yeah, I know."

"It's crazy isn't it," I say smiling as I climb the winding stairs. "That she was alive for over a hundred years."

Al snorts with an eye roll. "Yeah, I guess."

I raise an eyebrow in suspicion

"What?" I ask

"I find it hard to believe that she was alive for a hundred and- was it thirty?"

"Twenty-two as of last month. Right before she died" I correct, making my way up the last few steps

"A hundred and twenty-two years old, and she wasn't in a nursing home," Al states frustrated

I smile and shake my head.

"Well, it might have to do with the fact that she didn't have any records till nineteen -twenty. She was twenty-four." I inform him

"Wait really?" He asks

I nod as I turn the knob on the door I walk into the apparently dusty attic.

"Woah." I cough.

Al chokes on the air and begins gagging. I burst into a fit of giggles and choke on the air. I too begin to gag.

"HA." Al chokes

I stick my tongue out at him, slamming a hand to my chest.

"Ah, now that's over with." I state turning to Al "Wanna explore?"

"What no?" Al said suddenly

I roll my eyes turning away, a set of pegs catches my eye. I walk over to the pegs and slide the only key of a peg.

"I wonder what this opens."

"I don't know maybe a lock?" Al snorts

"Alexander!" I scold "Sarcasm doesn't suit you!"

I hear Al chuckle, and I smile. I turn to him.

"Wanna help me find what this goes too?" I ask

"Uh." Al looked reluctant

"Please? It's all I want to do?" I say softly

Al sighs and shakes his head.

"Fine, but we got to hurry Mom, will be home within the hour."

"Ok!" I smile

I spin to face the nearly empty, dusty, humid room. It seemed to hum with excitement… or maybe that was just me.

"Let's begin."

"Come on Evie." Al sighs "We've gone through every box, and have been up here for an hour and a half, yet still nothing."

I sigh disappointed, my shoulders sagging, I begin to rise. The room still seemed to hum, though, like me, it too seemed disappointed. I stand up and walk towards the door when Al says

"Wait, Evie… what's that?"

I turn to find Al pointing to a cloth in the corner of the room. I shake my head and move over to the cloth. I remove it to find a trunk. I blink in surprise. I run my hands along the lid and they move across some initials. 'A.L.' I try to pull open the trunk, but it's locked. With a new hope lighted in my chest, I put the key in the lock. A loud clicking sound echoes through the silent musty room.

'It worked! I wonder what treasure is in here. I'm keeping all of it though. Al didn't want any part of this.'

I look over to Al excited. I grin and my entire body begins to shake, I push open the trunk to find tons of papers and other junk, that I have no idea what it is. I begin to dig through the trunk till I hit the bottom.

'Nothing.' Dread floods into me.

"Evie I'm sorry but that's it." Al looks to me sympathetically.

'Something's off.'

And that's when I realize the bottom is a few inches above where it should stop. I grab the back of the trunk and tip it forwards. The contents side onto the floor. I push the trunk back up and I see another keyhole. I grab the other key off the keychain. I shove it in the hole and twist. Another click echoes in my ears. I pull up the hidden compartment top. Sitting in the compartment covered in fabric is what looks like another box.

'A book!'

"Another one" Al groans.

"No, it's not" I reach in and pick up the object.

'No, too heavy to be a book. Maybe…. possibly …..A diary!'

"It's a diary, Al" My eyes sparkle as I look to Al.

"How do you know you haven't even took the cloth off." Al questions unconvinced.

"Well, I can feel it," I say without a doubt.

I take off the fabric to reveal the diary. I open up it looking at the cover page.

'Alice Liddell'

Is inscribed on the inside cover.

"It's great great grandmum Alice's!" I exclaim.

"Before she was married. Al" I look as Al he is on his phone.

'Why that dirty little….. How dare he not be excited! He was to busy with his phone to care about …..my precious. My beautiful precious.'

"You don't appreciate this treasure." I snarl staring at the beautiful leather book.

"Oh, shoot," Al says.

'What? That wasn't the reaction I was expecting.'

I look up to him, he still has his phone out.

"Mom's looking for us." He says with a sigh.

'Great. Now my happiness for today is going to die.'

"What for?" I ask still crouched on the floor.
"The outfit for tomorrow fittings," Al replies with another sigh.

'Someone's obviously annoyed.'

"You have to be kidding we had one a week ago," I say in disbelief.

"Yeah, she knows." Al says "She believes because of how much you eat you might have gained weight and the dress would look bad on you." Al tries to make it sound less offensive than it really was.

'Mother, a sinckledoop as always,.'
"Lord save me now," I mutter.

I then stand still holding the book.

"Let's go. She might send people looking for us if we don't come." Al says

'I hate my life.'

"You're right let's go." I sigh.

Al quickly heads to the staircase and heads down. I look around the room and mutter

"I'll be back," I mutter.
The room seemed to respond with like that's going to happen. I furrow my eyebrows.

'Strange. That's never happened before.'

A grunt from Al catches my attention. I head down the stairs and go out the door. I find Al staring at Dominic who was on the phone and had not noticed us yet.

"Yeah, Bill. I want to place 500 on Blumin Affair. No, that's all yeah bye."

Dominic turns and sees us.

'Oh, mother is not going to like this!'

"Oh, so that's where you little pests have been. Should I tell Julian?" He smirks.

'Oh, no he did not just pull the I'll tell your mom card.'

'You wanna play sucka. Let's play.'

I shove Al to the side. I hear Al gasp in fake offense. I try not to laugh.

"You tell her that, and I tell her you gamble." I offer crossing my arms across my chest. My giggles nearly bubbling to the surface.
"So?" He asks

'The muggle don't know!'

"So? The last guy who gambled was dumped by my mom. She doesn't like gamblers." I retort on the verge of bursting into pearls of laughter.

'I'm going to win.'

Something flashes in Dominic's eyes.

'Success.'

"Alright I won't tell her but neither can you."

'No, no, no. We need something more'

"I also want to be able to leave before the reception tomorrow. Along with Al."
"Deal kid. Now go before Julian finds you."

'Yes! The deal worked.'

I nod and Dominic leaves.

"We get to play in the woods tomorrow!" I giggle in delight.

"Yes," Al says he then receives another text.

'Into the woods'

'it's time to go'

'I hate to leave'

'I have to go'

'Into the woods'

'It's time and so'

'I must begin my journey'

'Into the woods'

'And through the trees'

'To where I am'

'Expected ma'am'

'Into the woods'

'To grandmother's house'

'Into the woods'

'To grandmother's house'

'You're certain of your way?'

'The way is clear'

'The light is good'

'I have no fear'

'Nor no one should.'

'The woods are just trees.'

'The trees are just woods'

'I sorta hate to ask it.'

'But, do you have a basket?'

"Miss Eve?" Helga's voice broke my internal song

I look up to see her smiling at me.

"It's time for your dress fitting," Helga says

"Oh, yeah." I say with a tight grin "See ya tomorrow Al."

"See ya, Evie… oh and good luck." Al says remorsefully

"Thanks, night."

"Night."

Al walks away and I turn back to Helga

"Alright which way again?" I ask her

Helga shakes her head with a smile.

"Right this way."

With a shaky breath, I follow Helga, one last glance behind me. I watch as the attic stairs grew further and further away until I couldn't see them anymore. A sinking feeling in my chest I clutch Alice's diary to my chest and turn back towards Helga. I find her stopped in front of a door.

"Just in here, Miss Eve."

I move to the door, and I move to open the door, but Helga stops me. I look at her confused.

"Let me take that book, I'll place it in your room. And I'll pack a bag for your adventure after the wedding tomorrow."She says smiling softly

I blink in surprise

"How did you-" I stop myself. "You were there the whole time?"

Helga chuckles

"Yes, I assumed your curiosity would get the best of you and you'd eventually end up in the attic."

"Oh," I state softly

I hand Helga the diary and enter the room. Heidi looks up and smiles when she sees me.
"Miss Eve, I'm glad you're attending this time," Heidi says a sly smile on her face.

I snort and nod

"Did you miss me last time?" I tease.

"Very much so." Heide sighs "Mrs. Julian was hysterical and stressed so it made me stressed. And it was a rather big mess."

I smile and let out a laugh. Heidi hands me my dress bag and says.

"You have to put it on. said she wanted to see you in it before tomorrow"

"Ah, She finally decide which one she liked?" I inquired

"Yeah, She said that the maroon one was fine," Heidi says nodding

I unzip the bag and pull the lacy maroon dress out of the bag. I quickly undress and pull on the dress, with Heidi's help. I spin around to face the mirror, and I bite my lip.

"You look…" Heidi trails

"Decent." Mom's voice rings out.

I turn to see her standing in the doorway.

"This will have to do. Now take it off her before she rips it." Mom snaps, turning to leave.

"Yes, Mam," Heidi said.

Once Mom is gone, Heidi helps me out of my dress. I quickly throw on my clothes and wave goodbye to Heidi. I head off to my room, upon making it there I find the diary sitting on my bed. A small backpack next to it. I smile and move the pack off my bed and pick up the diary. I open it again and flip past the first page. There to my great surprise, I find a simple necklace with a compass charm. I pick it up and examine it after a few moments I find the words engraved on the charm 'You are my direction'. My fingers brush across the charm, and I unclasp the necklace and put it on. I flop onto my bed, open the diary and I begin to read. Heidi. I head off to my room, upon making it there I find the diary sitting on my bed. A small backpack next to it. I smile and move the pack off my bed and pick up the diary. I open it again and flip past the first page. There to my great surprise, I find a simple necklace with a compass charm. I pick it up and examine it after a few moments I find the words engraved on the charm 'You are my direction'. My fingers brush across the charm, and I unclasp the necklace and put it on. I flop onto my bed, open the diary and I begin to read.