Song for this chapter: Neverland by Sisters of Mercy (Please listen to it.)
Chapter 4
"Hey Zara, are you ok?" Luna asked causing me to take my eyes away from the mirror in front of me.
"Yeah I am fine. Why?"
"Oh nothing, everyone was just worried because you've been up here so long."
"Well, tell them I said there is no need to worry."
"Ok I will," Luna stated then she turned to exit the room.
"You know Zander was asking about you," Luna teased standing behind the half shut door. There was a childish glee in her voice that I could not even begin to understand.
"Was he?" I asked finding no amusement in Zander's fondness of me. If anything I found Zander's fascination with me nerve wrecking.
"Yes….he was, and I could tell that he was very happy that you decided to be his date tonight."
"I didn't decide to be his date, I was forced," I addressed to Luna for the one hundredth time. She could not seem to fathom how I did not return Zander's feelings. I didn't have any emotional attachment to anyone especially not after the death of my parents. The very thought of being romantically linked to Zander made me feel ill to the core.
"So you say," Luna continued to tease.
"You sound like Alma," I told her recalling how Alma always swore that I was in denial about my feelings toward Zander.
"I'm sorry, it's not intentional I just really wish that you would give Zander a chance."
Luna had a smile painted on her innocent round, cherubic face, but I knew there was something behind it.
"A chance to do what? This is about Rye isn't? You want me to be with Zander so I can stay away from Rye?"
It was my turn to pester her. "No… Zara how could you say something like that?" Luna questioned entering back into the room. Luna had always been so sensitive, one of the many qualities that made her the exact opposite of Rye. Tears welled up in Luna's eyes showing me that she was hurt by my words even if there was some truth to them.
"You are my friend Luna. My best friend. Rye is like an irritating little brother to me. And Zander. Zander is also my friend. He is my confidant, but that is all he will ever be."
"Right, I get it. You don't love Zander like he loves you. Sometimes I believe I am in the same predicament with Rye. I know he doesn't care about me, but I love him too much to let him go," Luna confessed with her a distinct sadness in her gray cat eyes.
"Rye is crazy about you Luna even a blind person could see that, and he is just too stupid to understand how he feels."
Rye would never stay in a long term relationship with a girl he found irrelevant. Luna was perfect for Rye, she was domestic and submissive, the exact opposite of me.
"I guess so," Luna replied with a weak smile.
"I know so," I assured her returning a causal smile.
"Great, we should go join the others downstairs before they get worried," Luna suggested.
"You go. I will be down in a minute."
"Are you sure? Because Rye swears this house is really haunted."
"I learned to not believe anything Rye says a long time ago. Just go downstairs, have fun, and if I am not down in an hour you have a right to look for me. Deal?"
"Deal!" Luna agreed enthusiastically, then she rushed back downstairs to the party.
I was just happy she was gone, it gave me some time to think.
I stared at my reflection in the oval six foot tall antique mirror with sterling silver embroidery, and I could have been staring at a brown ghost. I didn't really know or understand the person in the mirror. The person staring at me was just a piece of shattered glass, someone who had suffered too many emotional beatings to name all of them.
I had seen my share of suffering and that is why I thought I could confide in the Mellark's because if anyone could understand it would be them. But that was two years ago, and I couldn't believe that I was gazing at a slim, dark brown skin young woman with dark brown eyes and loosely curled dark brown hair. I wore black mascara, a shiny blackberry gloss, and a little red riding hood costume. The costume could pass for just a white and black dress with a red cape if someone was unfamiliar with the story. Little red riding hood was a story that little children used to be told before the Dark Days or at least that's what Alma told me.
The costume consisted of a white dress with a visible black tight corset around my waist. Then there was the long red cape that almost fell to the bottom of my thighs. I wore a pair of long black laced boots and a plain black choker around my neck. I carried a basket as a role playing accessory.
I kneeled down to grab the wooden basket off of the expensive black stone flooring. The haunted mansion Cain selected for the location of the party was without a doubt creepy. The house was sitting behind a large, deep lake with murky swamp water. The air outside of the mansion was thick and humid as a gray mist sat around the house and over the lake.
I was upstairs in the home's master bedroom where the owner of the home used to sleep. The bedroom contained a king sized bed with velvet silk sheets, a holographic television screen that showed an image of the lake, and an antique mirror that contained a silver frame. I was supposed to be using the bathroom, but I was distracted by the mirror when I entered the large, airy bedroom.
As I grasped onto the basket, I heard the sound of my name. "Zara. Zara….," the voice whispered. Then I heard I creaking noise, I turned around swiftly to see that the bedroom's heavy wooden door was opening slowly. There was light coming from the hall seeping into the room, and I stared at the door in wonderment.
Suddenly, I saw someone in a violet colored long night gown run past the half open door. It was a young girl. I approached the door boldly unafraid of what I might encounter.
"Zara follow me," the voice sang, and I didn't hesitate to enter the hallway. The long narrow hallway contained around five bedrooms. The master bedroom was on one end, but there was another room on the other end of the hallway. The door to the room was opened, and there was a light shining from it.
"Hurry!" They called, and I sprinted down the long hall eager to meet the taunting spirit.
When I got closer to the room it sounded like two people were having a conversation. I stepped onto the doorway of the room to find a blond woman in a silk, red nightgown with her hair tide up in a neat bun brushing a little girl's long, reddish brown hair.
The woman was sitting on a round pink bed shaped like a heart, and the rest of the room was decorated in pink and white perfect for a little girl. The women appeared to be close to middle age with thick, snow colored hair and highlights of gray.
Both of them had skin the color of pearls, and they seemed harmless. "Mommy who was that man that stopped by earlier, and why was daddy so sad?"
"No reason honey."
"But you said I should stay away from him."
"Listen to me Rosemary that man that you saw earlier is very dangerous, but thanks to your daddy we will never have to worry about him again."
"So the bad man is gone?"
"Yes sweetie he is gone," her mother assured, then she kissed her daughter on the cheek. It was such a strange, ordinary, yet creepy moment.
The moment was suddenly interrupted by a cold hand on my shoulder. I jumped at the touch.
"I'm sorry, did I scary you?"
I turned my head around to see Zander standing right behind me. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."
"Because I think I have," I finally spoke looking back over to the bed to discover nothing was there.
My eyes must have been wide and crazed. Zander's face seemed to always remain calm and charming. His amber eyes gazed into mine, and it appeared like he understood. He sighed heavily.
"There is something I need to tell you," Zander replied causing me to worry more about him than the ghosts.
AN: Sorry I have been gone for so long! I just completed my sophomore year in college, and now I can call myself a college graduate. Even though I still have two more years to go at a four year college.
It was a long semester for me though. I had eight classes, 24 semester hours, and difficult teachers. But it is over now, and I have a ton of stuff to write. I am currently working on a science fiction book, finishing a novella, and adding onto a short horror story book.
That doesn't mean I am going to neglect my fanfictions though. I really want to finish my other hunger game stories, but I am considering rewriting 111th and 112th hunger games. So that will only add onto my work.
Thank you for the reviews I hoped this chapter was not bad!
Question: Does anyone watch The Walking Dead? I started watching it over Spring Break, and now it is one of my favorite shows.