D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E, I see things that nobody else sees…
Enoch needed to run. Fast. As fast as he could. Away from everything. Away from everyone.
"EENOCH!" Enoch's blood ran cold. He had outrun the thing! "EENOCH!" The voice called again.
"No…" Enoch's feet stood planted in the mud, as if it were a sticky, fast-drying glue.
"EENOCH!" A dark form pushed away from a spindly tree near the edge of the forest.
"Enoch! I've been looking for you!" The dark presence laughed. It stepped into a misty patch of moonlight, revealing a bedraggled man. If you could still even call him a man.
A manical smile curled up the corners of his mouth, revealing decaying, blackened teeth. The man's right eye was wide open, the left twitching furiously. His dark hair stuck to his forehead, dripping with sweat. Dirt and grime layered him face and stuck under his cracked nails. A yellowish tint defined his thin face, and he licked his lips frequently.
"F-father?" Enoch choked, a bile raising in his stomach.
"We've been trying to find you, Enoch!" His father chuckled.
"W-we?" Enoch whimpered.
"Enoch! I've missed you so!" Enoch snapped his head towards the source of the voice, brown eyes flitting around the forest in fear.
Enoch O'Connor was genuinely frightened.
"How did you forget so easy?" The voice giggled.
Another breathing form stepped out to join Enoch's father.
Her dress, ripped. Her smile, terrifying. Her eyes, wide open. Her hair, clumps had obviously been ripped out with great force.
"Ann-Annabelle!" Enoch cried, staring at his little sister in disbelief.
Annabelle laughed, a sound throaty and chilling. "I brought you a friend so we can all play together!"
Enoch felt hot, wet tears rolling down his pale cheeks, sweat slickening his forehead and flattening his curly locks into a tangled mess. "Please, don't. I doln't wanna know-"
"Aw! But Enoch, I'm your best friend!" Enoch's tears began to flow faster at the sight of fiery red hair. "O-Olive!"
Enoch barely managed to keep the sour taste of puke out of his mouth. "Leave m-me a-alone!"
Olive's grin melted into a frown. "No!"
Enoch licked his chapped lips, tasting the salty tang of tears. "Please…"
"Aw, Enoch! I didn't think you were one to beg." A soft yet broken voice reached Enoch's ears. The voice he sought for comfort…
"Mother." He breathedd.
"Not anymore. You're no son to me."
Enoch let out a heart-wrenching sob.
"No, don't cry, Enoch!" Annabelle squeaked. "We were wondering if you would join us!"
Enoch's brow furrowed. "Join you?" Olive yanked off a glove, grinning and letting a flame dance acrossed her fingers.
Enoch's eyes widened and he put his hand up to his throat, as if guarding it.
"N-No." He stuttered.
Olive frowned once more, but it was more of an ugly scowl. "No? But I'm afraid you have to, dear."
In the split second it took Olive to lunge at him, Enoch's finger brushed against the large shard of glass in his pocket.
Enoch drew the sharp item from it's confines of fabric. And with one swift movement, he thrust his hand forward to Olive's chest.
Olive looked down in disbelief, watching as a thick red liquid seeped from her body, tears threatening to spill over.
Enoch glanced down at his own hands, shaking and covered in a thick, black, sticky substance.
Enoch's throat hurt like fire, burning up his insides. His eyes strayed to the lifeless girl in his arms, a lone shard sticking from her chest.
He felt something wrap around his waist and worm it's way into his eyes. Enoch let out a strangled, choked cry before blacking out.
. . .
Open the walls, play with your dolls, we'll be a perfect family…
Alma Lefay Peregrine hugged her eldest charge close to her chest, fingers getting tangled in his dark curls.
The front of the ymbryne's dress was soaked with tears, but that was the least of Alma's concerns.
An alarming cry was torn from Enoch's lips, inflicting a sqeal from the doorway.
Alma's sharp gaze flickered to the entrance of Enoch's room.
Olive pushed away from the doorframe, silent tears streaming down her face like a river.
Alma's gaze met Olive's, silently suggesting her to take a place on the messy bed.
Enoch's hands grasped Alma's dress tightly, yanking it away from her skin for seconds at a time.
"Shh…" She whispered, rubbing Enoch's back gently. His choked sobs slowed to soft swhimpers before ceasing entirely.
Olive wrapped her pale arms around him, hugging him close as Alma loosened her grip.
Olive whispered simple nothings into Enoch's ear, rubbing his back with a single gloved hand.
Alma glided to the door, smiling slightlyh at her two eldest charges, watching as Olive began to nod off, still holding Enoch to her frail body.
"Sleep well," she whispered. "Sleep well, my children."