"Mom! Dad! I'm going off to Kelly's house! I'll be back later!" I called up the stairs to my oblivious parents who were looking over some things in their bedroom.

"Alright, sweetie, be careful." I heard my mom's shaky voice call. Had she been crying? I shrugged it off and entered the garage to grab my bike. Putting my curly hair into a ponytail, I got on the bike and headed out into the overcast. I didn't think it was going to rain, but it looked like the sky was going to open up at any second. I sped off down the road to Kelly's house.

Before long, I realized I had taken a wrong turn somewhere and I was going down a creepy road that I'd never seen before. This spooked me a little and I pulled over and took out my cell phone to check on my GPS. It had no signal. "Damn trees," I mumbled, shoving my phone angrily in my back pocket. I got back on my bike, careful not to squish my phone, and rode further on. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, it started to rain. And when I say rain, I mean pour. I was soaked within five minutes.

I rode faster and faster to try and find somewhere to get out of the rain. I didn't see anything but an endless road and some trees. It's a good thing it was warm out. Suddenly, I saw the silhouette of something that looked like a castle in the distance. I booked it toward there. It sure wasn't Kelly's house, but it was somewhere that could get me out of the rain. I slowed and grabbed the brake handles softly as I pulled up to the old-looking castle. I demounted my bike and rolled it over to the door, slamming the knocker on the deteriorated wood at least seven times. I was soaked to the core by the time it creaked open. A balding butler with long blonde hair stepped forward. He wore a suit and looked old, but not extremely old. He was hunched over and spoke in a monotonic voice. "Hello?"

I shivered. "Um… Hello."

"You are?"

"Kyara. My name is Kyara Majors."

The man seemed suddenly interested as soon as I said "Majors." "You're name is Majors."

"It is."

"What is your purpose?"

I looked around. Was it not obvious? "I'm cold and it's raining and I was hoping you could offer directions or at least a place where I could use my phone to call my parents."

"Your parents." He repeated.

"Yes, my parents. M-may I come inside?" I inquired, shivering again.

"Yes ma'am." The strange old man stepped aside and gestured inward. I carefully treaded in and looked around. The castle's interior was almost as strange as the old man. It was old and had a mix of plenty of different curiosities lining shelves and walls. The butler took my bike into a different room. I had a strange feeling I would never see it again. He came back and sidled over to me again.

"Thank you, sir. May I ask your name?" I asked as polite as possible.

"Riffraff." He responded. What kind of a name was Riffraff?

"Oh… Thanks." Suddenly I heard two female voices chatting and giggling from a hall. They were getting closer.

They appeared in the doorway, arms linked, giggling about something. They hadn't noticed me. The first one had frizzy red hair that stuck out to the side with a maid's headband and a short, maid-style romper of sorts. The other had red hair as well but it wasn't frizzy at all, it was combed neatly in a boy-short style on the top of her head. Her outfit was made of purely sequins and she had a matching red sequin bowtie with a gold sparkling top hat. She looked like an entertainer. Suddenly, the sparkly lady saw me and gasped. "Magenta!" She rushed over to me and put an arm around me, bending down slightly to my five feet. "Is she not the cutest thing you've ever laid eyes on?"

I felt myself blush as the other woman came over and inspected me. I, too, looked at myself. Water was dripping from my clothes, ponytail, and fingertips and was gathering at my feet in a large puddle. My dark yellow sweater had absorbed all of the water, and the rips in my jeans had let the liquid soak my legs and sneakers.

"I don't think so." spoke the maid, whom the bedazzled performer had referred to as Magenta. "I've seen cuter."

I was at a loss for words. These three looked as though they belonged in the circus. I opened my mouth and nothing came out of it but air.

"What's your name, darling?" asked the sparkling one, looking at me enthusiastically.

"K-K-Kyara…" I mumbled. "Kyara Majors…"

The two women gasped. "Majors?" they exclaimed at the same time.

"No wonder." Magenta grunted in her thick accent, crossing her arms. "Stop hugging her, Columbia, she's soaking wet."

"Sorry." sighed Columbia, detaching herself from my shoulders. I shivered and wished she hadn't.

"Riffraff," Magenta looked at the butler. "What were you thinking bringing another earthling into the castle?" Earthling?

"She needed to use the telephone."

"Déjà vu!" shouted Columbia.

"Well let her use it and get her out before the master finds out!"

"He will not, Magenta." Riffraff assured.

"What will he not, Magenta?" a soft, male voice cooed from the top of the stairs.

"Oh no."

"This is your fault!"

"Don't blame me, blame the earthling."

I looked around. I was genuinely freaked out fight now.

"Now now, it's no one's fault. Who is she?"

Riffraff stepped forward. "Kyara Majors. Thirteen year old daughter of Brad and Janet Majors." How did he know my parents, or that I was thirteen? I wanted to get out, but something was telling me to stay.

"What is her purpose?" the unidentifiable voice spoke.

"She needed to come in to use the telephone." squeaked Columbia.

"I-I can leave." I said shakily, shivering. "I don't want to be a bother."

"Let me see her."

I turned around and saw a caged elevator heading down toward the ground floor. I was suddenly nervous and found myself backing up, finally running into Columbia and Magenta, tripping over Columbia's boot and falling on my backside.

My eyes grew wide as the owner of the voice stepped out of the elevator. A transvestite with jet black hair, a black corset, black fishnets and stiletto heels was staring me down, looking me over. He had makeup on and he made me feel very uncomfortable. I was clearly shaking.

"What is it?" he cooed. "Haven't you ever seen a transvestite before?"

I shook my head. I really haven't. My parents have told me that they're freaks. I know that's a terrible thing to say, but I believed them. I took their word for it.

"Well. Now you have."