"Len, you look so tired!" Kaito babbled. He had the awful tendency of never shutting up. Len shrugged and sighed.
"What else is new?" he slung his backpack over the back of his chair.
"Did you dream about that girl again?" asked Kaito, pulling his notebook out of his own backpack.
"Yeah, every night, It feels so real…you know?" He looked up at the blue haired boy, trying to see if he thought he was crazy. But Kaito was already onto the next topic.
"We should go to that haunted house after school, Lola said that whoever goes inside never comes out again!" Kaito waved his hands around for dramatic effect.
"Do you know how cliché that is Kaito-san?" Asked Len, burying his face in his arms.
"So what?" said the blue haired boy
"Cliché is more fun."
X~X
Len dragged his feet on the way home. He didn't want to be bombarded with questions and he knew that Kiyoteru would be disappointed in him for only getting average marks on his reading test. He kept his head down and his hands shoved in his pockets.
Len? That voice! It was the girl. He jumped and looked around, thoroughly startled.
"Where are you?" he asked, ignoring the strange looks he got.
Do you believe in ghosts Len? He trembled, the words were packed with emotion. His feet seemed to move on their own. Down through the thick thorn bushes and out onto the lawn of the "Haunted House"
"A-Are you a ghost?" he stammered, his feet drawing him nearer to the house.
"Are you the one I keep dreaming of?"
I am. The voice sounded satisfied, he was at the door now, his hand was on the knob.
Welcome home Len. He turned the knob and tumbled into the house. Then, there was nothing but blackness.
X~X
When he came to the first thing he noticed was the sweet smell of roses and honey, very soft, but definitely present. The second thing he noticed was that he was sprawled out on thick mahogany floorboards that were cool and smooth against his chin. Far off, there was the sound of running water. Groaning loudly he sat up, and looked around. He was in a bare room, well, and mostly bare room. In front of him was an old fashioned, floor length mirror with intricate engravings on it's tarnished silver frame. Behind him was a beautifully painted portrait of a girl in period dress, long yellow and black. Her hair was blonde and short, curled upwards at the end. Her face had been scratched away however. Len turned back to the mirror.
"Where am I?" he was startled by a loud, pleading meow. he jumped and got to his feet, turning his head left and right. Two cats emerged from the shadows. One a strange blue-gray color, and the other a fierce gold. The gold cat's eyes shone piercing blue.
"H-hey kitty." Len coughed. The steady glare of the two cats was making him nervous. The golden one opened her mouth revealing rows of needle sharp teeth.
This is what I am Len. He heard that familiar voice say.
Once a beauty, now a beast.