A tall girl leaned out the window as the rain fell steadily. She smiled a little bit as she closed the window, her blue eyes sparkling with anticipation. Tonight was the perfect night to tell the Battery Park Lodging House about it's grim history. Lots of things have been going on as of late. Items being misplaced, voices being whispered and the sound of whimpering roaming the halls. The wind was accused of the whispering and the whimpering while the other lodgers pointed their fingers at Mischief and Aki.
Morning Glory knew it wasn't them. She also knew it wasn't the wind but the voices of the past. The voices didn't bother her because she was quite used to them. It was the women in the attic that scared her. The woman that would sneak down to the girl's bunkroom whispering in the girls ears while they slept. Glory remembered one occasion when she was tidying up the bunkroom when she smelled chemicals coming from the washroom. When she went to investigate, the smell was gone.
She shut the window and was going to get some candles, but tripped and fell. She landed on her shoulder and moaned in agony. She was a klutz on a daily basis, but she couldn't see what she could've tripped on besides her two feet. In addition, she felt as though someone put their foot out and intentionally tripped her. As she turned her head to see what exactly she tripped on, a white blur rushed by, running out the door, leaving nothing but an echo of a giggle. You didn't fall down when you were supposed to. Glory sat up slowly, rubbing her sore shoulder, the words reverberating in her head. Before she could even get on her two feet, another laugh was emitted from the empty room. An outline of a figure appeared leaning against the wall. She held a flower in her hand as she stared out the window expectantly. His Spanish accent makes me melt, and the way he looks at me…it's love at first sight, kind of like a fairytale.
Glory was getting a little bit fearful. There was so much paranormal activity in the room and nothing like this has happened before. She buried her heads in her hands, her faded brown hair falling in front of her face. That familiar smell of chemicals started to drift in the air. It was heavy and strong, making Glory's eyelids droop. Ring around the rosey, a pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes we all fall down!
"Glory…Morning Glory…" Glory opened her eyes slowly as someone shook her shoulder. She glanced around the room as two people stared down at her anxiously. "Glory…what the hell happened?" The average sized girl helped her sit up while another girl started picking up fallen sketches. "I…I don't know." Glory stammered, rubbing her temples. "I fell." She said wincing as Aki helped her lean against the bunk. "It was weird…" She whispered, making sure the other girl didn't overhear. "You know how it's the 100 year anniversary of…you know." Aki nodded, pulling the loose strands of her auburn hair back up. "It's getting crazy."
Aki licked her lips in thought. "We need to tell everyone the story tonight." She said quietly. A smile then curled up on her lips as she nudged Glory. "Everything can't always be blamed on me and Mischief." Aki put the back of her hand to Glory's forehead and wrinkled her nose. "You're burning up. Hey Mahogany, can you get me a cool cloth please?" Mahogany didn't look up from the pictures in her hands. Her thin hands were shaking slightly and her brown skin was turning pale. These pictures were graphic and detailed, some displaying a woman with cruel eyes and an evil smirk. Others displaying solemn girls with their hands behind their backs and their heads down. The one in her hand, however, made her speechless. Mahogany broke out of her trance and dropped the sketches on the ground, staring at Glory with her big brown eyes. She got off the ground and walked out of the room quickly, not daring to look back. "Thanks for the cloth!" Aki called out obviously irritated. She started to get up to go get the cool cloth herself but was pulled down by a dumbfounded Glory who handed her the sketches. Aki took one glance and gasped, putting her hand over her mouth and dropping the gruesome sketch. "Shit, Glory…you drew these." She pointed to the picture laying on the ground. N.Novak.
Corner yawned and left the washroom all clean and in dry clothes. She got caught in the storm on the way back from Tibby's but took her time anyways. Tibbys was a bit far from the Battery Park Lodging house and she was a bit tired. Oddly enough while turning a corner, she ran smack dab into Aki and Glory who seemed in a hurry to get to Tibbys. Though Corner cautioned them to hide their papers under their shirts so they wouldn't ruin them, the ignored her and sprinted off.
She tucked her black chin length hair behind her ears and scratched the freckles on her nose. Her light brown eyes scanned the room slowly as she started to chew on her lower lip deciding whether or not she had time to take a nap. She reached in her pocket and pulled out her silver pocket watch. It was only 4pm and Specs wasn't coming over until 7. "A nap it is then." Corner said to herself as she put her boots next to her bunk. She laid down on her flat pillow and closed her eyes.
"Can I braid your hair?"
Corner opened her eyes and turned her had to the side. A little girl stood next to her bunk, her hands behind her back. She looked at Corner with big light blue eyes curiously. Corner rolled over on her side and put her hand behind her head. "My hair's a little short, dontcha think?" Corner had never seen this girl before. Perhaps it was a little sister or a new bunkmate, but she seemed to be about six years old.
"But it's pretty…" The little girl continued, picking up a brush. Corner sighed and slid down on the ground, finally giving in to the girl's request. She felt the youngster's cold hands against her scalp as she brushed it, chills going up and down her spine.
"What's your name, kid?" Corner asked. She was feeling a bit uneasy but at the same time felt that the small one wasn't going to hurt her.
"I'm Gretel." She said proudly. She took two short strands and started to braid it. "Everyone is busy doing homework and I have no one to play with." Her voice turned sad and became distant. "No one ever wants to play with me…" She tied off one small braid and started putting the other side into a pigtail. "But you'll play with me, right?"
Corner arched her brow but winced slightly as Gretel tugged on her hair. "Hey hey…be careful, that hurts. Of course I'll play with you, but what do you mean by everyone?" None of the girls and boys in the lodging house could afford to attend school. Corner started to chew on her lower lip as Gretel laughed.
"All the other orphans, silly!" Gretel exclaimed. She smoothed down Corner's hair and took a step back. "You look beautiful!" She said clapping her hands. Corner felt her hair and smiled, still very confused as she stood up. She inhaled deeply but started coughing. A strong scent was burning her nose and making her feel dizzy.
"What's the hell is that smell?" Corner asked in between coughs. She leaned on the bed post, her hand clasped over her mouth. "What the hell is going on?" Her gaze landed on Gretel. She wasn't affected by the smell. In fact, she was grinning at Corner. She was missing her two front teeth and seemed to think it was the greatest thing in the world.
"Lay down. You won't feel a thing…" Gretel said pushing Corner onto the bed. Corner tried to sit back up but felt a force holding her down. A young girl such as Gretel shouldn't be able to keep her down. Corner was stronger than a six year old and could fight better than most males that were older than her.
"Now listen here, Gretel. I don't know what…" A pillow was being held on her face. Corner tried to squirm and push Gretel off, but failed. She could feel her lungs working hard to produce air and her air supply decreasing. You won't feel a thing…
Corner shot up in bed banging her head against the top bunk. Her face was covered in sweat and she was panting loudly, trying to catch her breath. She put her hand to her heart as she glanced around the room. The rain was still pouring and the bunk room was still empty but slightly darker. It was still empty, but there was some movement downstairs. She tiptoed out to the hall and glanced down the stairs. Mr. Henderson was downstairs humming to himself and sorting through papers. She went to the washroom and filled the sink up with water. Just as she was about to splash the cold water on her face, she glanced at herself in the mirror and screamed. One side of her hair was in a braid, the other in a pigtail…
Bottle Cap let her feet dangle from the table she was sitting on. The table was high and her being only 5'2 gave her enough room to swing her legs. She ran her fingers through her reddish auburn hair and sighed loudly. Dibs had told her to meet him up here in the attic at 4:30pm and he had yet to show up. Just thinking about her boyfriend made a smile appear on her face, but even that smile didn't last too long. She was waiting for about fifteen minutes when the door burst open.
Dibs leaned against the door frame, tossing his bag to one side of the attic. His messy brown hair was sticking to his forehead and his clothes clung to his body because of the rain. His blue eyes narrowed as he closed the door and locked it so there would be no intruders. "Sorry I'm late, bird. The rain's fallin so hard I could barely see." He picked Bottle Cap up and spun her around, hugging her tightly.
"I waited for years, Dibs." Bottle Cap replied as he put her down. She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot impatiently. "I thought you were gonna bail out on me." She gave him a small little pout as she stared into his eyes with her own blue-gray ones. Dibs kissed her pouting lips gently, leaving his arm around her waist.
"I would've been here on time if I could. Though it turns me on to see you shivering with anticipation." He pulled her close to him and gave her another kiss, this time a little bit longer. "Was I missed?" He asked smugly as he sat down in the old arm chair. Bottle Cap seated herself on his lap, her legs rest on the arms. She held onto his hands and rolled her eyes.
"I guess so…" Bottle Cap answered with a dramatic sigh. She bent down and let her lips linger on Dibs, but Dibs had something else planned. He wrapped his arms around her tighter, the innocent kiss turning into something more passionate, more fiery. His hands rubbed her sides a little bit before reaching under her shirt to rub her bare skin. Bottle Cap couldn't help but shiver under his touch. She moaned quietly as his kiss became more intimate and his hands started going up the front of her blouse.
"What in Heaven's name is going on here?!?" A shrill voice screamed in the attic. Bottle Cap pulled away from Dibs but didn't get off his lap. Dibs glanced around the attic but saw no one. "I asked you a question, girly!"
A dark figure emerged from the shadows of the corner. Her hair was a bright red and frizzy and looked as though it was made with straw. Her cold blue eyes glared at the two as she approached them slowly yet smoothly. She stopped in the middle of the attic and put her hands on her large hips.
"Who the hell are you?" Bottle Cap asked, placing her own hands on her hips. This woman wasn't a part of the lodging house and surely she wasn't Mrs. Henderson. Not only was Mrs. Henderson no longer with them, Mr. Henderson has very good taste in women, and this woman was a wreck.
The redheaded woman clucked her tongue and took one step forward. "That is no way to talk to your Headmistress." She pointed a crooked finger at Dibs. "And who is this young man? Don't you know it's against the rules to have boys here at any time of the day?" The "headmistress" hissed. Her cold hands pulled Bottle Cap up and dragged her to the far corner of the room. "How DARE you talk to me like that! You impudent girl!" She took her large switch out from behind her back. Bottle Cap glared at her and sized her up.
"How DARE you talk to me like that! Who the hell do you think are anyways? In case you didn't know, this is a lodging house ya dumb broad! We ain't got a head mistress!" Spit rolled off her tongue and into the woman's eye. The woman wiped her eye and blinked a few times. Bottle Cap's hands were immediately shown, palms up.
Dibs leaped out of his seat and started towards Bottle Cap. He was instantly stopped by some sort of invisible barrier. "Bottle Cap, I can't move!" He shouted at the top of his voice. His arms were glued to his sides and his feet were planted on the ground as he stared helplessly at his girl.
"Now girly, I think we'll make that 25 lashes for talking back, having a male up here and doing unthinkable things with this…this street rat." She smiled, exposing her rotting teeth and her horrible breath. Bottle Cap inhaled deeply and wrinkled her nose, the smell of chemicals burning her nose and her eyes.
"Add another five for commenting on your horrible smell…"
Mischief hopped off of Bumlets back as the entered the empty bunk room. It was still early but they both managed to sell all of their papers and make it back before the storm. Mischief sat down on the floor and pulled an apple from her bag, handing it to Bumlets.
"When did ya get that?" He asked accepting it. His black hair fell in front of his dark eyes as he took a bite. The juice from the apple dribbled down his chin a tiny bit but he wiped it off with the back of his hand. Mischief just smiled innocently and took another apple out. "I will not share my secrets, darling." She answered in a fake British accent. She didn't bite into her apple, but just set it on top of her satchel. Instead, she started to fix one of her black braids. "You know, we're having a lodging house meeting tonight. Apparently Aki and Glory want to tell us something." She took a bite of her apple and set it back down. The taste was awfully bitter and sour tasting so she spit it in her hand. "I guess you got the good one." She got up from the floor and gave him a kiss on the cheek before walking to the washroom.
Bumlets laughed a little bit and finished off his apple. "Regrese pronto, mi amor." He shouted after Mischief rolling up his sleeves. He could hear Mischief laughing in the washroom.
"What does it mean?" She hollered back filling her cup up with water and swishing it in her mouth. She stared at herself in the mirror and looked closer. Her blue green eyes were brighter than normal and she seemed to be flushed. Bumlets usually had that effect on her. She spat the water out and went into the stall.
Bumlets sat back against the wall and closed his eyes. "It means hurry back, my love." He said with a small smile. Everyone always assumed he was Italian, but really he was Latino. He was attempting to teach Mischief some Spanish and she did know a few words, just words that wouldn't be used in a civilized conversation. He took off his cap and laid his stick next to him.
"I didn't expect you to be here."
Bumlets turned around, thinking it was Aki sneaking up on him. He was surprised to see it was a girl he's never met before. She was quite plain looking with dark blue eyes and straight blonde hair which fell in front of her pale face. She knelt down next to him and beamed as she stared at him.
"Are you new here?" He asked her, looking back towards the bathroom. Mischief never told him that there was a new lodger. Normally she's full of gossip about new girls and how she would initiate them into the lodging house. Unfortunately she was indecent at the moment and didn't want to disturb her while she used the bathroom.
"You always tease me." She said laughing, resting her cold hand on his bare knee. Bumlets moved away from her, feeling slightly uncomfortable. "Don't worry," She continued scooting closer to him. She leaned close to his ear and whispered, her voice airy and her breath cold. "Mistress Mary is at the market…"
Bumlets got to his feet, running his fingers through his hair. He walked away from her and crossed his arms over his broad chest. "Listen, my girl is here and quite frankly I have no idea who you are." The young girl frowned but turned her head towards the washroom, hearing the toilet flush. The wind blew through the open window, shutting the door to the washroom.
"You don't remember the love of your life? I'm Emily…you gave me the free apples and your heart…" She stood up and ambled over towards him. "Remember that time you snuck me out of here and we made love underneath the stars in the park?" Emily said grinning. Bumlets took a few more steps backwards, tripping over his feet but keeping his balance.
"I remember sneaking MISCHIEF out and making love to MISCHIEF under the stars, but definitely not you." He emphasized Mischief's name, praying that she heard him.
Mischief heard commotion outside the washroom and started towards the door but it slammed in her face. She was about to open the door when she noticed something strange. The air was visible and wavy and she had a horrible taste in her mouth. Something was burning her throat and slowly burning her insides. She fell onto the floor coughing and stuttering, but soon passed out.
Bumlets rushed to the door but stopped mid step as Emily blocked his way. "Don't you remember that long walk we took to Brooklyn? You wanted to show me the garden over there. It was beautiful." She whispered with a small sigh. "I still have the rose you gave me. I sleep with it every night, close to my heart." Bumlets put his hand out to push her aside, but his hand went right through her.
"Holy mother of…" Emily disappeared. The door to the washroom opened revealing Mischief laying on the cold floor. He took her into his lap and started patting her cheek gently, saying her name and pleading for her to wake up. He reached up towards the sink and grabbed a cup that was by chance, filled with water. He splashed the cold water on her face and she immediately opened her eyes, gasping for breath.
The bunkroom was crowded with anxious lodgers and visitors, wondering what was going on. Apparently Morning Glory was drawing pictures of graphic murders and not understanding where they're coming from, Holiday was smothered with a pillow by some young girl, Bottle Cap had red marks on her hands by a woman who claims to be a head mistress of some sort of orphanage, Dibs was stopped by some invisible wall that made his legs numb, Bumlets had a strange encounter with a girl who claimed to be his lover while Mischief claimed to had something crammed into her mouth making her throat burn.
Aki walked into the chaos, her arm around Mahogany. She was still in shock over the pictures that she saw. One burned into her mind especially which made tears stream down her cheeks. Aki had to tell her that Glory wasn't going to kill them and if she wanted to, she'd think of a clever way of doing so. Unfortunately that didn't go over well with Mahogany, who locked herself in Tibby's bathroom for a good hour. Aki placed Mahogany on her bunk below Mischief and stood in the middle of the room. Glory sighed and started clapping her hands to get everyone's attention.
"I know that today has been very strange, but we have an explanation for this." Glory said with a small sigh. Bottle Cap rolled her eyes as Dibs tied the bandages around her hands a bit tighter. "The explanation is not logical but it does explain a lot of the strange happenings going on today."
Aki nodded and glanced around the room. Most of the people had experienced these odd scenarios and though she did not like them hurting their lodgers, she didn't mind them hanging around. Regrettably if they were to hang around, the Headmistress would have to stay too.
"This lodging house used to be an orphanage. Something very tragic happened in this very room." Aki continued, walking from one end of the bunk room to the other. "And this very day marks the 100th year anniversary of this event…"
"What you have experienced today was the activity of these girls and their headmistress. They're feeling particularly anxious and angry because of what happened. Most of them are actually quite pleasant." Glory said smiling.
Corner laid her head on Spec's chest, her hand resting on his lap while he played with her hair. "Are ya gonna tell us the story?" She asked. Everyone in the room started whispering at once, begging them to tell the story.
"Alright…but if you don't believe us, ask Mr. Henderson. He has all the records." Aki said with a small smile.
The thunder rolled as the lightening flashed. The gray clouds began to weep onto the earth and would not be comforted by the blowing wind who, in defeat, howled in frustration and screamed out the clouds to let it all out. Everyone needed a good cry and the heavens were no exception. With one last drum roll from the thunder, the rain began to fall in sheets, pattering loudly on the cobblestone streets and throwing itself against the closed window of the Battery Park Orphanage.
Inside the orphanage was a different story. Two girls sat on one bed, their heads pressed together with their hands cupped over their mouths as the whispered about their Headmistress. Two other girls were squealed with delight, ignoring the gossiping two as they began to hit each other with pillows. A little girl, afraid of being hit, hid under the bed and watched the action from her safe haven while three older ones sat in a triangle braiding each others hair and gossiping about the cute apple vendor and his beautiful Spanish accent. The bunkroom was full of life which is something new. The thought of Headmistress Mary getting fired was a reason for celebration.
"I do declare," whispered a brunette girl to her friend sitting opposite of her on the bed. "I bet I'll have scars from those lashes she gave me yesterday." She opened her palms towards her brown eyed friend and showed her her hands. They were red and swollen, some of the scratches had puss flowing very slowly from them. "And all because I couldn't spell Mississippi. I ain't ever gonna go there, why should I learn how to spell it?"
Just before the girl could spell it out, the door slammed open. A particularly large women took one step forward but the creak that her foot made against the wood was inaudible through the sounds of laughter. Her cold blue eyes narrowed as she glared around the room. Her gaze, though cold and heartless, could burn a hole through a brick wall. The woman's frizzy red hair was knotted and almost looked like straw on fire. It nearly matched her red hands which were always red from her rough grip on her switch or from grabbing a young one's braid.
"Do I hear laughter?!" The headmistress yelled. Her voice was shrill and could make anyone cower in fear. The mole on her upper lip twitched as the girls stood up straight and in front of their bunks, their hands behind their backs and their heads bowed. No one dared answer her rhetorical question.
Headmistress Mary walked down the rows of girls, looking at each and every one of them. "Just because I will no longer be your headmistress tomorrow, does not mean I am not tonight. The rules still apply." She turned on her heel and walked back to the door. She took her key out of her pocket and locked it so none of the girls could escape. "Now Emily…I want you to remind the rest of the girls of the rules of the bunkroom." A timid girl around the age of 16 stepped out of line. Her head was still bowed and her hands were still behind her back. Only part of her braid was done, the rest were straight falling over her shoulder. "There will be no talking in the bunkroom. No laughing in the bunkroom. No pillow fights and no screaming…" She winced as she felt a hand tug on her unfinished braid.
"And what did I hear?" The headmistress asked a little bit too sweetly. The girl just shook in her shoes and didn't say anything. Repulsed at the little thing, Mistress Mary pushed her back into line. "Now all of you…onto your beds now! Lay on your stomachs. And do NOT question me." She added with a big grin. Her plan was going into action. If she couldn't be headmistress, then no one will…
The girls obediently went to their assigned bunks and laid down on their stomachs. The younger ones were whimpering slightly as tears ran down their cheeks. All the lights were turned out as Mary smiled maliciously. She grabbed three of the older girls and led them into the bathroom. "Now my lovelies, it's time for your medicine." She removed a bottle from her pocket and a tablespoon. She poured the clear liquid in the spoon and held it in front of one of the girls. Though she clinched her mouth shut, Mistress Mary pried open her mouth and shoved the liquid in her mouth. The girl immediately got to the ground and started pounding on it, crying as the liquid burned her throat. The rest of the girls watched in horror as the girl laid limp, tears streaming down her face. It took her about twenty minutes, but each girl had swallowed the poison. To finish them, she filled the bucket with ammonia and bleach, leaving it in the middle of the washroom. She blocked the cracks of the door with towels so that none of the aroma and chemicals would leak out.
Mistress Mary walked back out into the bunkroom, her rotting teeth exposed. Without hesitation, she grabbed the pillow that lacked a wet cheek and walked to the far end of the room. She placed the flat pillow over the girl's head roughly, pushing it down on the ends so she couldn't breath. The squirming lasted for a minute until the girl laid still. One by one the girls squirmed and then became limp until the last one took her last breath. Mistress Mary stared at them all on their bellies and started laughing. Her plan was just about done. She just had to check on the girls in the bathroom. Mistress Mary covered her nose and open the doors. She was very satisfied with the results. With a loud sigh, she unlocked the door and left the room. It was her time now. She walked up the creaky steps and into the attic. It was dusty and dark but everything was in place. She stood on the chair and put the rope around her neck. "I'll see you all in hell…" She whispered as she kicked the chair over. The orphanage was silent. All that was heard was the rumbling of the thunder and the sheets of rain who mourned for the children of the Battery Park Orphanage.