PAST :DAN AND AMY CAHILL AND THE STRANGE GUESTS WITH PEARLS

That night, Amy and Dan Cahill were sitting in the couch together, drinking hot chocolate with marshmallow and ice cream, listening to their mother. Dan was half-asleep and the only thing that kept him like that is the hot chocolate.

"Hey!"

"What's wrong now?" asked Arthur Cahill. "Dan, what did you do to your sister?"

"Nothing," said Dan innocently. "I was … I was… I don't do nothing, Dad," said Dan.

"Yes you did," complained Amy. "You took my hot chocolate!"

"No I didn't. I drank it," Dan grinned.

"That's my hot chocolate. Not yours!"

"Okay. I said sorry. But still … what are you going to do about it? Cry?"

"Please! I'm big, not small like you."

"Okay you two. Go to bed," Hope pointed to Dan and Amy. "And speaking of which, I'm going to have guests."

"Who? I want to see!"

"No Daniel. "

"But usually you let us see your guests! Is it Mr. Freddie? Or Mrs. Joyce?"

"Not the two of them. This time it's secret."

"Awww …"

"Bed, now," said Hope Cahill sternly. "Amy, you took your brother to bed, now. I mean now."

Amy took Dan. Dan didn't budge. "Come on!"

"Fine," Dan sighed. He lets Amy drag him to bed. But in the coridor…

"Wait," Amy whispered.

"What?"

"We wait here. I really wanted to know who's the guest," Amy said. "Usually mom lets us see, but today …. Who could it be?"

But suddenly Dad closed the door to the living room. Usually it was open, even if there is a guest in the house.

"Dad closed the door, Amy," said Dan. "Come … uhuk..!"

"What's wrong?"

"Ashtma," said Dan, coughing. "I smell fire," he said again.

Amy sniffed the air curiously. Then she coughed. "Yes. I smell it too, Dan. Where is your inhaler?"

"E … empty..," Dan coughed again. "Let's go to Mom," said Dan.

But too late. The door opened again, and Amy drag Dan to the living room. But mom and dad isn't there. There was a lady with pearls. She was looking fiercely at the shelf.

"Who are you? Where is my mother?" Amy asked.

"I'm… wait… aww … are you Amy? Come here … shushh … It's gonna be alright. Your mom and dad are in the kitchen, making me hot chocolate. Delicious… let's get you to bed," said the guest. "My name is Isabel. What pretty little bears in your pyjamas."

"They're koalas," Amy corrected. "Koalas are from Australia, while bears not."

Isabel looked like thinking, then she drops Amy in the corridor. "Go to sleep."

"I can't! I smell fire!"

"I don't smell it, actually, Amy."

"But me and my brother do! Dan? Where are you? In the living room! I forgot!" Amy rushed back to the living room. Dan is crouching in the corner, sat next to him, holding his hand tight. "Come on, Dan. Get up!"

"Fire," Dan said hoarsely, pointing to the kitchen. "

"We have to go! Where's mom and dad?"

Mom suddenly came and took them out. "You guys stay here. Grace is right in the corner."

"Where's Dad?" asked Amy.

But mom didn't listen. Amy and Dan stay and looked at the fire. There's a fire engine already. "It's gonna be alright," said Amy, hugging Dan. Dan nodded, he wrapped himself in Amy's arm, and then he slept, with the moon right on his head.

"Dan, wake up," said Amy. "Where are we?"

"Grace's house," said Dan. "Look. There's Saladin. This is Grace's house. In her bedroom actually."

Grace woke up, she was sleeping between them. "What's wrong? It's already late," said Grace.

"Where's mom and dad?"

"They … they … they're already dead," said Grace again.

Amy shook her head. "You're lying, Grandma."

"Call me Grace, my angel. Your parents … they were found dead in the kitchen of your house. Now go back to sleep."

Dan cried. Grace sighed. "Come on, now, my robot. You have to go to sleep."

"I want my mom."

"Well, now your mom is me. I am actually a mom. I am mom of your mom."

"I want Amy," said Dan, moving between Grace and Amy. Dan hugged Amy, and Amy hugged back. Dan cried again in the cuddle. Amy tightened her arms and go back and forth. Then Amy can hear Dan snore slowly. Amy smiled, then Dan asked something in a whisper. "Amy?"

"Yes, Dan?"

"Do you think … it has something to do with the lady with pearls?"

"I don't know, Dan. And I don't want to know. Go to sleep. You must be real tired, right?"

"Amy?" Dan said again. "I want you to promise me."

"Promise what?"

"I want you to promise … you will never-ever leave me, like mom and dad. I lost both of them, but I don't wanna lose you too."

Amy smiled, then she kissed Dan in the forehead. "Night, Dan."

Dan and Amy

It was so cheery at town, but for The Cahill Siblings, nothing is cheeryful to cheer. Everything seems dull and dark. And yet it was about to become too dark.

"Dan! Can you do it quietly!" said Amy, shouting from her room. Dan was thumping and whatever-ninjas-do di his room.

"SORRY!" yelled Dan from his room.

"Dweeb!" mumbled Amy, flipping another page of her book. Then suddenly there's a phonecall.

"AMY! Someone's on the phone!" yelled Dan again.

"Okay!" Amy grabbed the phone from the desk – usually it was in the living room, but Dan said it makes too much noise when he watch Ninja From The Ninjas in the TV. "Hello … this is with, Beatrice's house."

"Um … is this Amy Cahill?"

"Yeah …," Amy said, she sat on the bed. "Who is this?"

"I'm Mr. McIntyre," said McIntyre. "I'm Grace's executor."

"Oh," said Amy. "Is there a proble, Mister ..?"

"No .. but, I'm just going to inform the closest family to Grace … is that Madam has died."

Amy's voice cracked up. "W .. when?"

"Just now … I would like to invite you and Dan and appearantly your guardian, Beatrice Cahill to the ceremony 3 days later …"

"O … okay .. but … is Grace … is Grace dead?"

"Yeah," said Mr. McIntyre, his voice annoyed. "Just a moment."

"O … okay then … I .. I will come," said Amy sobbing a little.

"I'm sorry, Miss Cahill … I know you are close to Madam Grace."

"Yeah … we were close," Amy said.

Meanwhile in the next room, Dan was still thumping but Amy didn't scream at all, and that's when he heard a sob. Dan stayed quiet, then quietly tiptoed to her room.

"Yeah .. yeah … I know .. It's hard too."

Is she talking to her friend? Or to Nellie? Or to Beatrice? No, not Beatrice, Beatrice is hard enough on Amy …

"Yeah ..," Amy sobs again. Dan couldn't help it, he jump up on Amy's bed and sat next to her. "Yeah .. I will try. Thanks, Mr. McIntyre."

"Hey, Ame," said Dan. "Who is that on the phone?"

"Mr. McIntyre … Grace's executor."

Dan didn't know what that means. "Why? Did Grace invite us again?! Cool! I can show her my ninja skills!"

"Noo… No!" Amy started sobbing again.

"Amy .. what's wrong?" Dan said again.

"Grace … Grace …," Amy gasp. Dan had enough, he put an arm around her and said loudly. "WHAT HAPPENED!?"

"Grace's dead," said Amy sourly. "Grace…," Amy sob again. Dan also couldn't bare the news, but he got up, and took a tissue for Amy. "Thanks, Dan …"

"You're welcome," said Dan, he got back to his room. He forgot about his skill, and all in his mind is Amy's sobbing, and the picture of Grace. "Noo!" Dan cried. He pulled his doona up until he's covered in it, and start sobbing, too. Tears streaked under his eye.

Grace … why? Thought Dan. "I was going to show you my skills, Grace," said Dan to himself.

All that can be heard from inside those two rooms was sobbing, and gasping for breath.

Soon, it was already night time,Amy fell asleep after crying for 3 hour no stopping, and she woke up on the night. The cold breeze made her shivers. Amy drank some water, then she pull her blanket until her chin. She was about to sleep again when she heard creaking sound. It was her door.

Amy turned again, this time finding Dan standing in her room. "Dan?"

"Can I sleep with you?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing … can I? Please, Amy?" Dan said.

"Sure. I'll just sleep in the sofa."

"Noo! I mean, I want to sleep with you, like together..," said Dan. The tears are still falling down his cheeks, and it shone in the dark.

"Okay," Amy gives Dan a place.

"Thanks," said Dan.

Amy stand up, and take a tissue from the desk. She wiped the tears off his cheeks, and then gives the tissue to him.

Dan started crying again. "Noo .., Dan… you haven't cry like this in ages," said Amy, hugging Dan. Normally Dan would say 'Eww ..' or 'Gross … you're sister-germing me' or something like that but Dan didn't mind at all today. He slept in Amy's arms, but soon woke again.

"Hey, Ames?"

"Hmm?" Amy opened an eye.

"Even though Grace's dead .. you'll still be there for me right?"

"Yeah … there's Beatrice and Nellie too," whispered Amy. "But I don't think it helps at all."

"Yeah," Dan smiled faintly. "Night, Amy."

"Night, Dan-O."

"Oh, and Amy?"

"What now?"

"Can I show you my ninja skills tomorrow?"

"But I'm not Grace!" said Amy annoyed.

"See .. I have this white wig …"

"Dan!"

They giggled together.

"And then I also have some of Beatrice's old clothes … they are just like Grace's one."

Silent.

"I know it's just a few hours after Grace's died .. but I miss her a lot," whispered Dan again. He starts sobbing.

"Hey, I know, Dan … how about some hot choco?"

"Sure .. and we'll watch Ninjas. It's coming in 8.30 ..," Dan agreed. "My friends said it's soooo cooll …"

"Okay … sure," said Amy. She got up, and Dan followed near her.

Just a few minutes, the hot chocolates are done, and they watch Ninjas together.

"This is not the end. It's just the beginning…"

Yeah .. it's just the beginning …, Dan thought as he falls asleep on Amy's shoulder, and Amy's head on Dan's head. The both fall asleep in the light of the house…