Lacy was invited over for dinner, but left quickly afterwards. She gave Lisa a firm handshake, calling her cooking "equilateral," to which Lisa laughed. "See you, Libster!" Liby chuckled as Lacy let herself out, actually booking it once the skies began to darken.
"I see you're already making friends on your first day of school," Lisa said, adjusting her glasses. "Tell me about her."
"She's really cool, and knows much about sports. She gave me this, too," Liby pointed at her forehead. "Although it wasn't intentional. She's pretty nice, as well."
"You sure know how to select these juveniles, don't you? Speaking of, are you freshly accommodated in school?"
"You mean if I'm comfortable? Yeah, I liked it. There's more kids than I'm familiar with, maybe a bit too much."
"I am delighted to hear such news, Liby. Have they left you homework assignments?"
"Yeah, I'm just supposed to read and study for the next lessons and such. Simple stuff."
"If there's something of your homework in which you seek assistance, don't hesitate to ask. I'll be in my workshop in the basement. Knock if you need something," Lisa regulated. "This is rule number one as I've mentioned before. Agree to that, and we shall have no altercation of any kind." She smiled casually and got up from her seat at the table, taking her finished plate of spaghetti to the sink.
Liby was okay with whoever ended up with her, as long as they fit her personal qualifications, which were tendencies and the personality of the nice people she had spent the majority of her life around.
Lisa Loud wasn't much for clear emotions, but that was likely because she was a woman married to her work. She'd be gone by mornings and return at late afternoons, sometimes even night. The fridge was loaded with frozen and pre-cooked food, so Liby wouldn't be starved to death. Between them, they had only a handful set of rules, some of them being unorthodox ones to Liby. They were;
1. Never go into the workshop in the basement.
2. Whenever in recreational activities away, always let me know where and with whom you are.
3. Sleep by nine o'clock tops.
4. No parties allowed.
The rest of them were simple ones that she could easily regulate. Liby agreed to it, but was a bit curiously drawn to whatever was in the basement. She didn't want to ask out of rudeness, ao she just nodded and simply said yes.
The sheet it was written on hung on the door inside of her new room. She had a queen size bed rather than a twin size one she was used to, which she deemed a bit excessive to find. She also had a desk, taken up by a computer. It seemed she had her own Wi-Fi as well, and none of this was what she expected at all. Was she secretly the VIP of some program or something she didn't know about? Not that she didn't like it, but she couldn't get over the possible trouble, if there was any, Lisa went through to arrange this. All to keep Liby entertained endlessly.
Liby was worried that Lisa might've been upset with her about letting a friend stay over for awhile. Sure, there was no rule against it but then again, clarifications were to be in order as of yet. Lisa didn't display any sign of anger on seeing Lacy, so all seemed good at the moment. She definitely did not want to break or rebel against the person who had paved the way for a change in her life.
Even though she was, and felt she had to be, grateful at the luck that dawned on her, the hard part was saying goodbye to them.
Here she was, going around YouTube for videos that guaranteed giggle fits. In ten minutes, she came across something that didn't seem spooky at first; Luan Loud's old channel popped up as a recommended channel, so Liby decided to see how good this girl was.
All the dates they had been uploaded were years ago, stuff of a past generation. Three videos of over a thousand or so, and this Luan cracked up a hell lot of glorious golden moments. Liby laughed at the many pranks Luan was pulling on her sisters in the background. It all stopped when Lynn was egged directly. Liby paused, noticing the uncanny resemblance she and Lacy shared.
At first glimpse, it was just a random Easter egg. There were a lot of lookalikes walking about, so she dismissed it- At least until another so-called coincidence popped up. She didn't bother even reading the descriptions.
Luan Loud delivers a different yolk to tell her sister Lynn!
Luan Loud. Luan... Loud...
There was that last name again, but that wasn't all; her own name had four letters just as they had. Lisa's was as well. Was Lacy's name spelled with an E or no?
Liby reached for her phone, finally getting the reason to shoot Lacy a text;
About what you told me earlier, any of your aunts have names exactly four letters long? And is your mother named Lynn?
She felt an intense wave of fear flow over her. The young prankster was facing a frightening type of the unknown, after agreeing to help Lacy uncover the mysteries that seemed to be digging out from a surface. There was no telling what they would find at the of the journey, and there was no telling how long it would be. What Liby didn't know was the main key point that could have made pieces fall faster; Lacy intentionally left out the part where she was the product of incest, and also the theory of Liby herself possibly being another.
Her phone buzzed heavily onto the surface of the desk, making a hellish noise that hurt her eardrums.
...HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?!
That was Lacy's reply to her, which confirmed the girl in the red and white jersey really was a young version of Lacy's mother. It also told Liby that Lisa Loud had a higher chance of turning out to be Lacy's relative.
Then, Luan Loud, who undoubtedly loved humor, bore identical resemblance to Liby herself in many ways, even having braces, was enough to make Liby wonder if this was actually her own birth mother. She replayed the part where Luan threw the egg at Lynn. She paused around, squinting as hard as she could at both of them. The same freckles seen on Lacy were also on Lynn Loud's face, so this definitely was Lacy's mother.
But the variable that was inconsistent was that Liby was pulled from a random place, not around them. Then again, so was Lupa, and Lacy revealed their relation to each other. Maybe all three of them were related.
She replied to Lacy's text;
There's a YouTube channel I think you have to see. Even I can't believe it...
Liby closed the tab on the screen, deciding it was enough on her plate. She mildly blamed Lacy for bringing her into whatever the hell she could call this. She noticed time had gone by rather quickly. It was less than an hour away from nine o'clock. She decided to head to bed after seeing Lacy's last text for the night;
You found something?!
She turned off her phone, leaving it on the desk, and switched off the computers. Liby yawned widely, covering her mouth while at it. She flicked off the lights and tucked herself in. There was no need to notify her mother she was heading to sleep. She had two warm covers, both a mixture of white and yellow; the exact color scheme as the prankster she learned about five minutes ago.
But with the ton of evidence presented, Liby felt like it could be nothing. She didn't know what to make of it. If Lisa was indeed her aunt, why had Liby been given to Rennis if she would've been returned to them?
Unless...
Lacy did say Lupa was with her mother again. So maybe that's where this was going. Liby was going to meet her mother, or even both parents! She stretched out a wide smile, hoping this was the case. It wasn't luck with her, it was a holy blessing by The Man Upstairs.
She closed her eyes, letting her body do all the talking as she cozied up. The moonlight infiltrated through the corners of the windows, sparing the room from an eternal darkness. By then, she brushed away her thoughts, engulfing in beautiful, beautiful sleep.
There was a faint clattering and banging coming from below. Liby turned on her side, hoisting herself up at the eerie sounds. This was the fourth time she had heard it since she moved in here. Could've been rats running around within the walls. Liby was thirsty for some water, so she slid off of her covers.
The floorboards creaked with every step she took, and she wasn't even in the hall yet. She tiptoed her way out, hoping Lisa was asleep. She was unsure of the time it currently was, but she assumed it was midnight, or maybe even after. If only she had telekinesis to float down undetected.
She peered into the hallway, seeing the other used room closed, but a light shining underneath the door. Liby moved quickly but slowly, crouching down until she reached the end of the hallway. Luckily for her, the stairs presented no challenge.
The second she made the first step down, a muffled scream wailed more closer than the clattering. It didn't sound like a rat, but a person.
Liby listened for more sounds, but nothing came, so she kept venturing down for her water. She turned on the kitchen lights, going for a water bottle inside the fridge. She closed it quietly, and rushed to turn off the lights, but another disturbing cry gnawed at her.
The place it seemed to be coming from was... Is that the basement?
This was the number one rule in the list Liby kept track of. Lisa's private workshop where she did whatever it was Liby hadn't been given details about. The young girl grew a bit curious, actually. The door that led to the basement had three different locks on it. She pulled on the knob anyways. "Oh..."
"Hello?" Yes, it was the voice of a woman through the door. Liby placed her head alongside the door, holding her breath. Who were the cries belonging to? And why was there someone in there? Was this why Lisa said to not go in there? Was... She holding someone captive?
"I can hear you," she said.
No, it couldn't have been that. Lisa seemed like a noble woman who cared for more than she could bite. But, the answers were behind the door. She fidgeted with the doorknob. "Hello?"
"Help me!"
Liby gasped at this cry, not noticing the silhouette nearing from behind. "Liby! What is the meaning of this?!"
The girl dropped the water bottle, made a full turn and jumped backwards upon being spooked. "I'm- I'm sorry! I just wanted some-"
"Why are you prying around my private HQ?"
Liby stuttered, "No, I'm- I just came for some water is all. I heard a scream behind... There." Liby nodded to the basement while picking up her water bottle. "It's not the first time I heard something though. I thought it was rats or-"
Lisa chuckled, "A scream, you say? Rest assured, there is no one down there." Lisa slammed a fist on the door for show. "My workshop's just me playing around with technology. It's something like a computer lab down there, in case you were wondering." Lisa placed a hand on Liby, an starting act of further bonding. "Didn't think it was important to share. As far as I'd know, you'd be uninterested in what you'd find down there."
"Oh, so-"
"Sometimes I sleep while they're on. That's happened too many times already. Anyways, it's time you returned to proper slumber, so come on." She led Liby out, guiding her back to her room with hands on the girl. Lisa stood watch on the doorway, making sure Liby was going to sleep.
"Well, goodnight then," Liby said sleepily, turning over away from Lisa.
"Sweet dreams, child," Lisa replied, closing the door behind.
The two spent their lunch in the empty class, catching up on Liby's updates on their case.
"So, wait. Let met guess this straight. You found a YouTube channel you claim belongs to one of my aunts? And in one of the videos, my own mother was there?"
Liby played the video for Lacy to see. Young Lynn took an egg to her face, and let out a cry of disgust.
"Wow, yeah. She definitely is my mother," Lacy stated. "I think I need to take notes. Uhhh, give me a pen and paper, will you?"
"Sure," Liby agreed. She placed two sheets on Lacy's desk, wondering why she needed them. "Pen? You have some pencils, Lace! Don't fool with me, shorty!"
"Pffft, I don't wanna waste my lead. Ink me, Libster."
"Fine, here," Liby reluctantly gave up a blue pen, which Lacy snatched up. "What's this about?"
Lacy began to scribble non-stop, writing the names she had seen on the list with the "yes" and "no" answers. "All of my aunts, they literally have four letter names, all beginning with a L, and..." She wrote down the ones she could remember. "Look, yesterday... I thought your mother, uhh Ms. Loud, in general terms, sounded familiar."
Lori Loud; Leni Loud; Luna Loud; Lana Loud; Lola Loud; Lisa Loud; Lily Loud
"Boy, that's a lotta relatives."
"And that's excluding my-" Lacy almost said parents, but had to be careful around that fact. Who knows what that could mean to Liby? Who knows how she'd take it? "My mother."
"Wait, Lisa. That's the name of my mother. So..."
Lacy went ahead to write more.
Rennis; Connection to Liby?
? Reason Liby adopted?
Lupa finds mother, leaves. Mysterious caller notified that there was another daughter (?) around - Liby?
"Up to now, I'm so positive it was Lisa who called my mother about Lupa. The voice was a whisper, so I couldn't really tell. Look, so, like I said, we've met Lupa, and there was something of a dispute. I didn't know about her, and my parents pretended she didn't exist. As of today, they still do. She came looking for her parents, and they tried to kick her out. She did find out who they were, and that's basically it. She's... I hope she's happy..."
The tone Liby sensed in Lacy's voice sounded like she didn't mean it; there was a quieting slowlness that told Liby another story. "Do you really?"
"W-what? Why would I lie?!" She accused.
"No, I mean... Ugh, I don't know. I'm a bit freaked out about this. So, I might be a Loud, right? What are we looking for? I don't underst-"
"Libster! We're just looking... Or, I'm looking at least, for why this has been happening. Lisa played a part in warning my parents about her escaping, and then- And then, she calls me, like she wanted me to find-" Lacy took a step back from once again venturing into deep territory.
"Find what?"
"Uh... Nothing, nevermind."
"Lacyyyy..." Liby shook the latter by her shoulders. "What don't I know?"
"Nothing I don't. Look, we know the what's now. Lisa was keeping track of the both of you, it seems. But... Why was she? There's-"
"What are you saying? There was a reason she adopted me? Are you... Joking?"
"Lib...-"
"Lacy, I get the feeling you're holding out on me. What happened between your parents and Lupa? The way you go on about it, it doesn't sound like it was good. So, you gonna share what this dispute is?"
"Geez, I don't know. It's... It's more complicated if you knew everything. Complicated and hard to bear. It... It could affect you, involve you further than this, so I don't know-"
"Oh, come on! Lay it on me," Liby demanded. This was by far scarier than yesterday's events. Lacy had something horrendous to share, and Liby wanted everything, regardless if she was ready for it. There, the prankster felt the intend to sweat, trembling a little now that she had seen how serious Lacy had graduated to.
"I thought you brought me to help you, Lace. What don't I know, Lace? What don't I know?"
Lacy folded her written sheet, placing it away inside one of her notebooks. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."
"Oh, come on. If you weren't going to be honest with me, why even bring all this up?"
Lacy faced her head away from her, letting out a disgruntled exhale.
"Will... Will you ever tell me? I'm entitled to the full truth. Why was there a fight? Lace?"
The shorter girl nodded mindlessly, looking back at Liby. "Okay... Okay, yeah. But..." Lacy looked over Liby's shoulders, "Promise me you'll keep this to yourself..." Lacy went ahead to vastly write on the other piece of paper.
"I will," Liby agreed, still worried about what it was she was about to learn. "I pinkie promise."
Lacy chuckled once Liby poked out her pinkie. "What year do you think we're in?"
"Fair enough. Look, I don't know what to think of this, but our basement is locked. Like, it's a bit creepy, but I'd like to know what's inside. I didn't really think much of it until last night."
Lacy slowed her writing, listening closely. "Oh?"
"I heard a woman's scream, but mother tells me it was just a computer I've heard. She begged for help, when I said I could hear her, then nothing."
"You think there's someone mommy dearest is torturing down there?"
"I didn't say that, but she is definitely hiding something, and that I know for sure. With that said," Liby gulped hard for a second. "Help me break in?"
"Break- Really? It's locked for a reason. Not sure if I can invade privacy, not after-" Lacy wrapped up her quick essay. "Alright, I've witten everything here."
Liby made an effort to snatch it but Lacy extend it out of her reach. "Not so fast, you'll read this after school. Not now, not during class, not even as you walk in the halls. Do this when you get home. And then shoot me a text afterwards, alright?"
"Yeah, that's fine with me, Lace," Liby saod quietly.
Lace folded up this sheet as well, slowly handing to the prankster. "Here you go..."
I can't believe I'm writing in this dumb paper. So, I can almost remember it fully. My parents freaked out, and I didn't know why. Someone named Lucy was mentioned, and I wanted answers. This is the same level of fear and alertness that I've never seen from them before. And... I did some snooping and found out about other family members, when believed I had none whatsoever.
But that wasn't all I found. Liby... My mom and dad are... Actually siblings, they're brother and sister. As in... You can fill out the rest. They didn't want Lupa around because she was the same as me, and...
I shouldn't be talking about this at all. It hurts to know I've been lied to all my life, just so they could protect themselves. Do they care about me? I wonder...
Liby cupped her mouth as a reaction of what may have been pity fot little Lacy. "Oh, God..."
If she thought things were bad, this had just made it worse. Way worse. Liby clicked the reply button on her phone, after going through the sheet a few good times. She had locked herself in the bathroom, breathing heavily.
There was the chance, the possibility she was the same case, if it was confirmed she was Loud blood as well. If so...
"No, no, no!" She ripped the sheet to smithereens in an angry fashion, and then locked into a stare down with the mirror. Not only did she see herself, but also Luan Loud in there as well. "It's not a coincidence, isn't it?"
Lacy's text came inbound after however long she stared; No, don't mush on me now. I'm coming over, get the crowbars ready.
At the same time, Liby didn't want to go through with it. It was a 50/50 chance that Lisa may have indeed lied to her, but maybe there was another reason for it. There could've been, but all things pointed to something going on, something Lacy caught miraculously, and maybe the contents of the basement had clues.
What was the real reason Lisa took her in, if not for the plain and simple reason of liking her? Most of them were Loud relatives, even her roommate, by some holy coincidence. Now, she was sure even she was one. And that was really why she was here.
The minute Lacy arrived and stepped foot inside, she was welcomed by a long hug from Liby. "You're not a freak, Lace. You're my friend," she eased.
Lacy sniffed, but wasn't allowed to easily cry, due to the genes passed on from Lynn. "Yeah, yeah. 'Nuff said, let's get on with the breaking and entering."
The two girls surrounded the basement door. "Here it is. Three locks, so how are you-"
Lacy karate kicked the center of the door, making a crack.
"Oh..." Liby gulped silently. "Aw, geez."
Lacy continued to repeatedly kick in the wood out of place until a hole was made. "Told you to get the crowbars ready."
"We don't have some... At least, I think we don't."
"Thank God for my marvelous feet, right?" Lacy laughed victoriously. She disappeared through the hole and turned on the lights. "Let me take a look around, alright?"
"Sounds like a plan, sure." Liby leaned back, staring into the bright hole. Whatever Lacy was going to find would mean either everything ot nothing. If nothing was there, and this was just a legitimate private place, then mounts of grounding punishments would pile all at once exclusively for Liby. She briefly played around with her shirt before Lacy's terrified scream motioned her forward.
"What? What is it?" She had to crouch further than Lacy, which was a disadvantage. She moved her way down in this unfamiliar room. Unlike the regular stairs upside, this set creaked away non-stop. "Lacy?"
She came across a computer setup on her left, which checked out Lisa's story of leaving it on idle and forgetting. There was a group of six white tables mashed in to form a perfect rectangle. Over them, were tools, empty glass containers, and other gadgets Liby was unfamiliar with. "Whoa..."
At the end of the basement, was a curtain that covered up something behind it. Lacy stood in front of it, completely blue to the core. "Oh, my God... Oh, my fucking God..."
"What? Lacy, what's that?" Liby walked up to the curtain. "Lace?"
Lacy simply shook her head, taking a few steps back. "Who the hell-?"
Liby reached her hand out, making contact with the curtain. She pulled it. "Oh, my God..."
The sunlight deprived, scrawny Luan Loud was tied to a stretcher. The bags underneath her eyez were a decayed black. Her skin so coldly pale, she might've been an actual corpse.
"It's her, it's that girl from the videos. It's Luan Loud..." Lacy commented.
Liby touched the bony woman's face, and stroked gently from there. Yes, this was the same girl she found out about in the prank videos. Looking at her in person, Liby found it somewhat of an honor to meet her, but this was just a creepy occasion to do it on.
"She... You look like her..." Lacy uttered from behind. "Even the same hairstyle."
After everything that they have come across, it was clear as daylight. There was no denying it. The coincidences, the evidence, the theories, they led here, all of them, to the same destination.
"M-mom?"