Author's Note: Lynn had the moment of her life, and not the positive kind most would figure. There comes a time when one refuses to believe something, no matter how hard others work to convince them of the truth. Sometimes, the realization of the truth can be shocking, bewildering, even comforting, or downright horrifying. Thinking back on the terror the Louds have witnessed, every realization they make. Well, you can guess how they felt.

Also, some of you wished for Lynn to die. First off, I feel she faced enough in the latest chapter. Having an experience similar to her siblings is what some of you desired, so that's what she received.

On that note, let's see how those at the house are doing.

Also to OverratedManiac, good point regarding your PM about the Louds needing therapy. Sounds realistic, but there's certainly more to come for this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Nickelodeon. No copyright infringement intended.

Chapter 12: Hard Times with Swollen Eyes

Stress. A state of mental and emotional strain resulting from challenging circumstances. Factually, stress symptoms can affect your feelings, body, thoughts and even behavior. If severe, it can lead to rapid ageing, health issues and even worse things people don't wish to speak of.

Yeah, stress is pretty bad, but it's much less severe than the immense pain the Loud family was experiencing. Their mental strain and responses to the happenings in the house was taking it's toll on their state of mind. The simple desire to forget the tension in their lives by embarking on a vacation didn't only make them assume someone wished them bad luck, they ultimately felt cursed. Sleeping became much more than a chore. Things that could haunt an adolescent child's mind was witnessed more than once. Their beloved father was missing. They did more than hope Lana and Lisa were safe with him, wherever they may be.

Those who remained at the vacation house sat quietly in the living room without incident. Tears were shed and emotional issues were expressed. They feared Lynn was now among their missing family members. They waited for her return for nearly four hours, spending the last hour searching the area for them. It seemed useless, as they wouldn't be missing if they were near, but they simply didn't know what else to do. Once the sky screamed with thunder and the cold rain began, they returned indoors with only one bone chilling thought in mind.

"How could you say something like that?!"

"I'm sorry."

"No you're not, Lincoln, you meant it!"

"Don't you think she would've told us where she went if she planned on returning?"

"I..I don't know! We don't know why she left, but I know she's coming back. Never say that your sister isn't returning."

"Okay, but be logical. Where would Lynn go? Honestly. Where would she go?"

"Lincoln please! Just..please be nicer to mom. She's worried just like the rest of us."

Lincoln sat between his mother and Lori while taking deep breaths, allowing his fused frustration and anger to subside. He lowered his tone.

"I'm sorry, mom. I guess hearing you mention Pop-Pop being unable to arrive really touched a nerve." Is all he said before he exited the living room.

Lori, Leni, Luna, Luan, Lucy and Lola watched him leave before tending to their mother. They saw the abundance of alcohol she drank over the past day. She wasn't drunk at the moment, but the six girls were well aware of the pain she was facing. Imagine being unable to protect your family. Besides a home to live in, safety is among the most vital things a parent assures their child. She felt like a failure for not living up to those standards.

A moment like this made her ponder her past decisions. The times she called herself "allowing her kids to settle their issues on their own", exiling Lincoln from the comfort of their home over a nonetheless vacuous superstition, agreeing with her husband to spend time at this house...

"That's it, just let it all out." Luna voiced before signalling Leni to enter the kitchen to hide the remaining alcohol. They deeply cared for their mother.

"Girls, I.." Rita's words were somewhat incoherent due to the tears she was shedding, her soaked eyes glistening. "All I wanted to do was give you guys a decent vacation *voice crack* and I can't even do that. Every night, someone wakes to the spirit that haunts this house, and I can't rid myself of the thought of one you getting hurt, or worse."

"Mom-" Luna covered her mouth with tears in her eyes.

"Lincoln hurting his foot in Royal Woods was a sign and I simply dismissed it. We were never suppose to come here...and now, I can't even protect my babies!"

As her sobs began to amplify, the girls around her consolingly hugged her tight, fighting tears in the process. They knew she meant well. She simply didn't deserve the immense suffering, the distress, the agony. At a time like this, they could all relate. Comforting her was the least they could do.

It was all they could do.

"Mom!"

Rita sniffed before everyone's attention turned to Luna. Still in their embrace, she pointing at the front door with paranoia written all over her.

"What is it?" Lola asked, now sitting up.

"I heard a noise...f-from outside."

Did they all immediately sit up to listen carefully? You betcha.

"What?! What noise?!" Leni yelled before she was politely told to shut up.

"What did it sound like?"

Luna raised a finger before saying, "It sounded like-"

Those in the living room immediately jumped from the couches after hearing a loud BANG near the front door, as if something was thrown towards the house at full force. This was quickly followed by Leni walking to the door.

"Someone's at the door...okay, I'll get it."

They hysterically called out her name and even tried to grab her, but none of this stopped Leni from unlocking the door. It was then that someone flung it open, the mahogany solid wood door painfully slamming into Leni's face. She fell back, and so did the rest as they saw who came running into the house.

No longer in deep thought due to the sound of instant yelling, Lincoln exited the neighboring library room to lay eyes on Lynn. Just like his sisters and mother, he found her in a fetal position at a corner of the living room wearing torn clothes. No one could see her face, as she kept it hidden in her arms, but one quick glance told them something went horribly wrong. She shook more violently than a nervous Chihuahua during an earthquake.

"Where were you?!" They all anxiously demanded in unison.

They all starred at her, but not a solitary person knew what to say. What do you say to a person who looked like they were attacked by a bear? Never in their lives have they seen her more scared. Rita nodded to her kids before squatting down to face her traumatized daughter. Lynn rocked back and forth with her knees to her chest, producing a heart-moving whimper every few seconds.

"Lynn...talk to me."

Rita placed a hand on her daughter's head when the 13-year old yelled out in response. She was reliving the horrible moment all over again, something common among those who suffer from war neurosis, aka, shell shock. As she yelled and whimpered in fear, everyone noticed a large gash across her left cheek, including her broken ankle and missing shoe. For the sisters and brother that surrounded her, it was very difficult to watch her in the state she was in.

"Baby please, talk to me. Tell me what happened to you. Who did all of this?"

After a moment of silence, Lynn looked into Rita's swollen eyes, as if she could see into her soul and reveal all her biggest and darkest secrets.

"The girl, a-and her f-face..."

Nobody could've braced themselves for what they heard next.

"The ghost...she tried to kill me.."

A group of guys with semi-automatic rifles could be invading the house, and no one would've noticed a thing. The shock and horror that ran through their nerves paralyzed them to the core. They knew they saw the door open and close on it's own right after she left hours ago, and now they knew why. All they could do is stare at what was left of their sister. She gave them a hard time for the past few days, but no one deserved this.

"Wha..how..oh my god..." Was the only words Luna could muster.

Rita looked wide-eyed. She massaged her temples and rose her hands to her face. She looked up towards her kids with a worried look. All she could do was tightly embrace her. Lynn wasn't one to always accept a hug, but she was willing to remain in her mother's arms for hours.

"What do we do?" Lola anxiously asked.

You could hear a pin drop.

"What do we do?!" The 6-year old gripped her mother's wrist tightly.

Rita looked down at the ground, then at her fifth oldest progeny.

"Your sister and I need some time alone."

A couple hours passed as Lincoln sat in a chair near his sister's bedroom. Lynn was inside with their mother for the time being and the sky grew dark, but the 11-year old patiently waited. As he sat really still with his back straight, he entertained himself with the thoughts of what his sister revealed. The ghost that was terrorizing them for days tried to kill her, and he didn't know how to feel about it. He felt terrible for his family and himself for days, but it wasn't helping anyone. Feeling pity only made the rate of him losing his mind increase it's speed. Anyone would lose it if they were constantly running from the paranormal, and he found himself more and more irate by the hour.

The whole situation was beyond unfair. Rita blamed herself for the pain they were facing, but she didn't do a thing wrong. He knew she was wrong because he blamed himself once. The entire time he was waiting for an opportunity to speak with Lynn, he knew they were talking, but couldn't hear a word. All he heard was Rita yell out in shock ever once in a while. A simple glance at his sister told him she was no longer incredulous and went from hell and back, but he couldn't think of an explanation for her physical condition. Thinking back to the time at the clothing store, he hoped Rita was helping his sister the way Lori helped Leni. It would take a little stress off his shoulders.

But it would barely ease his mind.

Albert couldn't arrive to take them back to Royal Woods while Rita waits for Lynn Sr, Lana and Lisa's return. He'd give almost anything to know what was going on with them. No solution or explanation seemed to be in the horizon. Bearing the thought of something else unforgettable and horrible happening, he could hear the clock ticking. Wishing for safety, he was keeping his fingers crossed.

At last, the door opened. His mother stepped out of the room alone, her face pale as if she exited a hospital room. For the first time, he noticed her messy appearance. The alcohol indicated how bad her stress was, but she looked as if she hadn't showered in days. She didn't stop to take a look around and instead walked passed Lincoln, fighting back tears.

"What happened? What did she say?" He asked, hoping for a positive answer.

This drew no response from the matriarch as she made her way down the stairs.

Thinking to follow her, he instantly remembered why he waited as long as he did. Turning to face Lynn from the hallway, he could see her through the slightly opened door. She sat at the foot of her bed, looking down with a box of tissues accompanying her. She looked so alone while slowly rocking back and forth with rapid breathing. She didn't blink once when Lincoln quietly entered.

The large gash on her face couldn't nearly explain how awful her experience was. Neither could her injury, but Lynn's subzero facial expression came close. With an elevated heartbeat, he knew her talk with their mother wasn't much effective. He sat next to her, looking down.

You might as well make a pot of coffee, Lincoln. It's gonna be a long night.

"Lynn."

"Lincoln!" She moved towards him, hugging him tight. Feeling empathetic, he immediately returned the jester. They needed to be in each other's embrace.

"Don't worry, I'm here for you." He could feel tears draining from his eyes. Helping his sister was going to be more difficult than he thought, but despite being the younger sibling, he took the initiative to act as an older brother.

They sat in each other's well-needed embrace for a while longer before they separated. After closing the door for privacy, he once again sat by her side.

"Your ankle..you need a brace for that?"

For the first time, Lynn examined the exposed bone and torn skin. Once she became aware of it, the pain began. The nervous system was a bitch. If anything else was to happen to her, she couldn't even run or put up a good fight.

"Oww.." Lynn grimaced.

"There's a medical kit in the kitchen. I also have some leftover gauze and-"

"No no, save yourself the trouble...I can't be alone in here."

Lincoln nodded and frowned. He grabbed a tissue to wipe his distressed sister's eyes. Including himself, many of his sisters have had an incident with the ghost that terrorized them. They horrifying moments were nearly unforgettable, but no one looked the way Lynn did. Just hours earlier, she called her brother a liar. She blamed him for the disappearance of their dad. Then, she ran away from home and came back a different person. Lincoln knew she was now a believer, but this only made him feel worse.

"Believe me, no one should be alone while were here."

Lynn weakly laughed for a second before paranoia kicked in again.

"Why did you leave?"

"I-" Lynn faced her brother, trying to find the right words. "When I'm under a lot of stress, I try to find a way to seclude myself from everyone else, like the way Lucy does. I guess she's who I get it from. Earlier, I was fine til mom told me about Pop-Pop coming."

Lincoln gulped.

"I guess that was it for me." The blood from her wound trickled down her face. "Like always, I got angry without really thinking about the entire situation. The things you guys said over the days, I finally took a moment to ponder everything. What happened to poor Leni, Lori hearing a voice, the words I saw in that mirror.."

"Wait, you saw words in a mirror?"

"While I went to shower...after you and Luna saw the body in the tree. I thought about it all that night, including how the mirror shattered before my eyes, but sitting on the couch earlier was the first time I began to believe that your discovery could've been more than just a belief. I started to feel unsafe, I just had to leave and thinks things through for a change."

Lincoln nodded. A mirror shattering? That was the norm at this point. He understood needing some time alone, but it created more questions than answers.

"When I hopped on the bike, I just went down the road, far passed that hill we stopped at. I kept peddling til my legs nearly gave out. I don't know how far I gone, but I needed a moment to rest. Maybe an hour later...I tried to cross the street.."

Lincoln placed a hand on her shoulder as she starred at the floor, whimpering.

"I swear, the truck I saw was really far away. I-I tried to cross the street, and that's when the girl attacked me...it tried to kill me!"

Lincoln starred with his mouth agape. Did the ghost seriously follow her down the road to kill her?

"She held me in the street as the truck got closer. No matter what I did, I couldn't move! Right when the truck was just feet away, I was let go." She put a hand to her heart. "I jumped. The truck hit my foot, but if I moved any slower.."

She wouldn't been dead meat. Lincoln thought in shock.

"I hit a tree, a branch cutting into my face like a knife to a slice of cake. I couldn't feel my foot, but I jumped on the bike anyway."

Knowing his sister, he knew she didn't stop once on the way back. He didn't know how to respond. Maybe telling her everything was going to be okay? That would be an unforgivable lie. All he could do was hold both her hands in one of his, thinking about how his sister was a victim. She faced him with watery eyes. Seeing his sibling traumatized was enough for him to want to burn the place down.

"Her face...Lincoln, I saw her face."

This was something none of his siblings were yet to see in person. Lynn was so traumatized by what happened, she almost stopped growing emotionally past that point.

"It was something out of an ungodly..h-h-horrifying nightmare!" Lynn began to sob, letting go of her brother's hand to tightly grip his shirt, crying into his shoulder. All he could do was rub her head and whisper 'I know, I know, I know." in her ear to ease her. One day, Lynn's ankle would heal. She could boast to her colleagues of the scar across her face being a result of a fight she won. She could replace her torn & soaked garments, but her mind would never be the same. She was internally scarred for life.

"I liked this place for it's appearance." He cleared his throat. "It looked way cooler than back at home..I just never imagined something like this happening-"

"WHAT DOES IT WANT FROM US?!" Lynn's sobs continued. "Why does a dead girl want to kill us? We're a nice family!"

Only if they knew of Lori and Leni's discovery.

Lincoln weakly nodded. A moment like this reminded him of his nightmare. Sure, it was just a bad dream, but Lincoln saw it as a premonition, a warning he failed to respond to. He could still hear her cries for help as he tried to find her. At one time, he wanted Lynn to understand the situation they were in, but he would never wish for anything like this.

Just hours ago, it seemed as if nothing was going to drive her away, like she made it up in her mind she was going to stay. To Lincoln, things now were much worse and understanding her pain, he wanted to punish himself for not chasing her down on his bike. He regretted doing nothing about it.

"Aren't we?"

"Yes, of course we are. Sometimes we have our disagreements, specifically us, but we always make things work. Oh geez, it doesn't matter if we were bad people, we don't deserve anything like this."

Lynn looked up at him.

"You're always right. I should've never questioned your reasons for believing this place was haunted. I'm soo soo sorry Lincoln."

"Lynn, it's-"

"You sometimes say things to get your way, but you always mean well. I can't say the same for myself. To think you guys were lying about any of this, I'm such an idiot, I'm sorry."

"Lynn-"

"Soo soo sorry-"

"Lynn, it's okay. I forgive you, we all forgive you. We were worried sick when you left. The arguments, let's just leave them in the past where they belong."

He prayed they could do the same with this vacation. He held the eye-contact, locking her attention.

"Lynn, promise you won't scare us like that again?"

"..Mhm.."

He raised a brow.

"I promise."

Lynn rested her head on his thin shoulder for a little while before she turned to kiss him on the cheek.

"Thanks for all of this, big bro." She shot a weak smile before stuttering. "I-I mean little bro."

He laughed while wiping away their tears.

"Like I said, I'm here for you."

On a sunny morning like this, Lynn Jr would be one of the first to wake. She would do her daily stretches to keep her body from potential injuries while everyone else slept. According to her, the best athletes were the dedicated ones. She never missed a day, so there was no exception today.

But she was still affected by the night terror she suffered the night after spilling her feelings out to Lincoln. Unlike nightmares, she couldn't rehearse any of the memories. Certainly, she could still vividly relive her latest experience, but it's almost impossible to remember night terrors. You simply scream, leaving everyone on edge as they run to comfort you...and with an elevated heart rate and a look of confusion and worry, you have nothing to tell them.

Noticing the absence of her goth sister, she urgently sat up without moving her legs before checking the time.

7:10

A little late for her taste, but she barely achieved any sleep after seeing her siblings as worried as they were. Fighting to get some of her disheveled bangs out of her mouth, she slowly raised herself off the bed. The furniture moaned with the amount of force she exerted into it. Finally completing what required herculean effort, she looked at her dresser. Leaning against it was a lone crutch with a post-it note on it. Hoping her cries of pain weren't too noisy, she limped to grab it for support. Her severely injured ankle was buzzing like tooth pain, and the boot ankle brace Leni made for her was a generous act of kindness, but not very helpful.

Upon grabbing the clutch, she noticed how familiar it looked. With curious eyes, she read the note aloud.

"I know this sounds impossible, but try not to stress yourself out too much over what happened, it will only make it more difficult for the both of us to sleep. Also, I made you your favorite sub sandwich, it's downstairs waiting on you."

Lynn placed a hand over her heart before noticing more wording on the back.

"P.S, this was the crutch I had when we first came here, but I figured you need it more than I do. Hope your ankle heals as quick as my foot did :)"

Cheesy, but sweet coming from an eleven year old. It felt so nice having a brother so comforting and optimistic. She hoped to be more like him one day, but shortly after this, a thought of curiosity came into mind.

Lori mentioned something happening to Luna and Luan.

Without thinking twice, she limped her way out of the room and on to the neighboring room. The door was cracked open with no one inside. Taking a deep breath, she bravely took a step inside with her right hand curled into a tight fist. She may be injured, but she could still do some damage. Her fear settled a little, realizing both beds had messy sheets. She wasn't the only one having trouble sleeping and she now knew why.

"Holy..." She muttered while examining the room. It resembled a crime scene. Dresser on it's side, items scattered along the floor. If she was anymore stubborn, she would've believed someone broke in. However, what induced a loud gasp was the mutilated dresser towards the back of the room. She swallowed hard before closing the door shut.

A few minutes later, she reached the bottom of the stairs, her stomach beckoning for something with high protein. Besides being hungry, she certainly didn't feel like herself, and looking into her sister's room didn't do her any good. Thinking she saw a ghost, she nearly scared herself half to death when looking in the mirror. No matter what she did, whether it was brushing her teeth, changing into a new article of clothing, or simply taking a bite into a sandwich, she couldn't rid herself of that bone-chilling experience.

Lori and Luan sat beside her while she bit into a ham, cheese, chicken & bacon foot long sub with lettuce, pickles, peppers, tomato and an enormous amount to hot sauce and honey mustard. They weren't leaving their heavy gazes on her because they had nothing else better to do, much less because of the concoction she was devouring.

"You ate that pretty fast." Luan said with a weak smile. They saw a face of deep worry.

"...The stomach wants what the stomach wants. I could also use a refreshment."

"Sure, I can get you orange juice, water, freshly brewed coffee-"

"Heh heh, it's cool. I can get it myself Luan." Lynn replied calmly before slowly raising herself with the support of the crutch, letting out a low cry of pain with every step to the kitchen.

Watching her carefully go on one knee to reach a bottle of Gatorade was heart-rending. Lynn without a doubt worried for her sisters and brother, but not nearly as much as they worried for her. After closing the fridge door, she starred at it for a long time with her back to the dining room table. The two older sisters stood in question, but immediately left the table when they noticed her cover her face with her hands. They stood next to her, each placing a hand on her shoulders before hugging her.

"Lincoln told us what happened to you..."

Luan gave Lori a pissed look on that comment. Lynn's sobs reached a higher volume.

"I..I..I saw how messed up your room was..a-and I wasn't even awake to protect you!"

And Clyde thought he needed a psychiatrist.

"Lynn, what happened to Luna and I.." Lori had trouble speaking. "You couldn't have known before it happened, but we're not hurt. We're okay."

Lori tried her best. Though, Luan couldn't speak. She remembered her conversation with Wendy. She wished to never see the girl's face in reality, the very face Lynn saw a day later. A simple glimpse of the 13-year old athlete told them the true definition of trauma.

"No you're not! I know what it feels like to be attacked by something like that, I know the moments just don't go away. They haunt you til the end! They'll haunt us forever, and to think you guys were buying into one of Lincoln's lies..."

They all had their own ways of responding to fear. Some people fight when their scared, while others scream and run. Unfortunately, some people also freeze in place, which is the worst response. Lynn had the right reaction in the remote location she rode her bike to, but Luna and Luan didn't respond well the other night. Lynn was suffering deeply and so was everyone else. Some were quiet about it, but taking the entirety of their situation into consideration, it would be a while til the waterworks would stop.

In each other's deep embrace, they hoped what happened down the road didn't happen to Lisa, Lana and Lynn Sr., dreading the worst possibility. It's been almost three days since they saw them, and nearly a week since Lincoln fell from his bedroom window in Royal Woods.

"But on the bright side..Pop-Pop is coming.."

Luan and Lori traded worried gazes.

"Isn't he? Yesterday, mom said so."

There was a long pause before Lori spoke.

"He's not coming. He couldn't make it."

Lynn slowly looked down, holding on tightly to her string of hope.

"I'm going to go sit down now..."

Luan and Lori let go of their little sister. Standing beside her, they assisted Lynn in reaching the couch. The girl could barely sit down when they heard the front door swing open. A gust of wind hit them as Lincoln approached them, red in the face.

"Guys!" He shouted.

"What is it?!" Lori ran to him while Lynn used her crutch and Luan for support. "Did you find them?!"

Lincoln paced back and forth with eyes large as saucers. "No, but I did find something...something you need to see."

Lori and Luan nervously nodded before Lincoln made eye contact with Lynn. Being it was the first time they saw one another this morning, the two looked into each other's eyes with worry, Lynn swallowing hard with many questions in mind.

Lincoln walked far ahead of them on a rocky trail behind the cottage, the one which led to the lake. Lori ever so slightly felt relief, thankful it wasn't the basement he discovered. Though, Luan was to the rim with anxiety. She knew Lincoln was searching for answers behind the haunting, something she wished he'd stop doing.

Halfway to the lake, there was a fork in the trail. They weren't expecting him to take the route of the swimming pool, which was just behind some large hedges. Confusion cut their patience in half when they saw the paving stones and pool chairs. Nothing seemed alarming, but alarmed was an understatement for what Lincoln was when he went to get them. What was the issue now? Patience running out, Lori was about to propose a question when she nearly went pale.

"Is..is that blood?!" Lori said in udder shock. Lincoln nodded with a whimper, hugging an emotional Lynn.

A 8-foot swimming pool that was filled to the top, reflecting the sun rays with a bright blue just a couple days ago, was now drained with blood all over the inside. Feeling nausea, Lori's first reaction was to throw up in a nearby bush, which she succeeded in doing. While she hacked and squealed, Luan examined the inside with Lincoln and Lynn standing close behind. She wasn't by the slightest distracted by Lori when she noticed the blood strokes.

Any attempt to believe the ghost stayed in the woods was shattered when they read the message in blood.

"Dear all my good luck charms, it's another warning." Lynn muttered loud enough for them to hear.

There were red hand prints and scratches across the floor and walls of the pool, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the words they saw.

"Hell is a black hole. The devils are here...be afraid." Lincoln read aloud, unable to blink.

"Why? WHY?!" Luan nearly fumed. Anger was added to her complicated mixture of emotions. "What did we do to deserve this?"

"Maybe it was your pranks.." Lori took another glance at the pool before putting a hand to her abdomen. "Blech!"

"You keep doing that." Luan muttered.

Lincoln instantly thought to comfort the girls. As he expected, Lynn was affected by this discovery. She dropped her crutch, Lincoln and Luan catching her as she fell down. She was aware of her surroundings, but her face went white as a sheet of paper.

"Lynn!"

"The last words..." Lynn blurted out while standing herself up. "Be afraid of the devils. It means-"

"There's more than one." The three of them stated in unison, their uneasiness skyrocketing as they shook in their shoes.

While Lincoln and his aforementioned sisters were busy with their unsettling finding, Luna exited the second floor bathroom with a strong look of trepidation. She let out a long, thunderous yawn due to her lack of sleep, but she could barely think of it after what recently transpired.

She hadn't spoken to Lynn since she came running into the house. She didn't know what to say, or how to help her. However, she could relate deeply. They both had dramatic experiences they wouldn't soon forget, the night Lori leveled the bedroom closet still eating away at her. She didn't think to pick up a single instrument over the past few days. She couldn't ignore the issues they were having, and no song could define the mood of the situation.

She was also well aware of the pain everyone else was facing. Ever since she sleepwalked, Luan seldom spent any time indulging in a meal, which was leading to apparent weight loss. Lola stopped wearing anything related to her obsession with beauty pageants. Rita was resorting to alcohol to lower her stress. Lincoln appeared to have lost optimism, in opinion, and Leni...

It was baffling to the 15-year old how Leni acted as if her big scare never took place, and she had a feeling Lori attempting to recuperate her wasn't the explanation.

"Leni, you in there?" She knocked on her door.

She said something, but it was muffled by a pillow.

"Leni?"

"Come in." She said as Luna entered the bedroom. How was she able to be alone in a place like this?

Her attitude changed big time. Luna thought.

She was met by Leni laying on her bed, her phone far away on a dresser. This was unusual for a girl like her. Luna hoped Leni wasn't too bummed out about her broken nose.

"Drats. You and Lori reaaaally got the best room in the house." Luna took a moment to admire the room's vast size before remembering that dreadful night. Noticing Leni consistently looking in a hand-held mirror, Luna sat beside her.

"Hey, sis. What's going on up there?" Luna asked in a comforting tone with a smile.

"Up there..." Leni looked towards the ceiling, the swelling around the broken skin on the bridge of her nose and the bruising in her vision. She took a hard hit when Lynn flung that door open. "The ceiling design is elegant, but i'm not sure why there are two chandeliers."

"That's..pretty deep, but I wanted to know how you were doing."

Leni turned her body to face the music prodigy.

"Just thinking about this new dress I want to make." She tossed a dirty shirt into a hamper while changing into a new outfit. "..and our dad..and Lana and Lisa...I miss them. Where did they go?"

This was more difficult than any regents exam question she'd come across. There definitely were more than four possibilities.

"I...I wish I knew." Luna stood from the bed and faced a wall to give her privacy. "We've worked real hard to find them. The thought of them not being here, it constantly eats at me, you know?"

"Yeah, I think. Is Lynn going to be okay?"

Luna produced a laugh with mixed feelings. "Funny you say that, everyone thought the same thing about you a couple days back.."

She noticed the sound of Leni changing her clothes come to a pause, then slowly continue.

"That talk Lori and I had at the store..it really helped me." The fashion mogul responded. "Every time we talk about our personal issues, she always finds a way to make me feel better, to-"

"Shine light on something?"

"Yeah. What happened to me does wake me in the middle of the night from time to time, but ever since things began to happen to you guys, I started to think less of that..bad evening. I guess I feel better when I worry and look out for others than when I think hard about my own problems."

Luna had to control her emotions. It was so understandable, but even more relatable. Just like Leni, Luna helped out her siblings every once in a while, and just like practicing music, it momentarily freed her from any personal issues she was having.

"Understood." Luna sighed. "The damage seemed serious with Lynn. Never seen her so scared in my life."

"Maybe when Rita went to talk to her, she helped her like Lori helped me." Leni replied while finding herself one of her new pair of sweats dad brought her.

Positive thoughts. Positive thoughts. Luna repeated internally.

"You mentioned this room being the best in the house. You and Luan's room is nice too."

Luna thought of the dresser, the unfixed sheets, the bottles scattered on the floor, that closet...

"No, not really." Is all she said.

"Well, it's way better than that creepy basement Lori and I found."

Luna's initial reaction was to nod to the blonde's comment before what she said struck her like a meteor from space. She nearly choked on her own saliva as she turned to face her sister.

"Creepy basement? This pad has a basement?!"

"Luna! Let me put on a shirt first."

"Without a bra? Well, we're two different people."

Leni shrugged.

"Look, you're not lyin' to me, are you?"

Leni wouldn't lie, and her silence told her that. Luna sat at the foot of the bed.

"No, of course not."

"Why didn't you think to tell me something like this? Does anyone else know?"

"Yeah, Lori followed me down there."

Down there. Those words only made Luna more fearful of this so called basement. She was about to shake Leni for not telling her sooner, but if a gossips like her and Lori didn't tell anyone about the basement, it meant only two things: Either it wasn't important, or something about it was so horrible no one should live with the knowledge of it's existence.

Luna was bothered, worried and confused, but one thing was obvious and certain. No one should live in bliss of anything.

"What was down there? I need to know."

"Really, really ugly clothes."

Luna produced an authoritative tone. "Leni.."

"I don't know, that's just it. I saw a table and stuff, but that was all."

Luna stood from the bed with a finger to her chin in thought. She couldn't sworn she heard someone throwing up outside.

"Wait!" Leni screeched. This was ear-piercing.

"What?!"

"There was also a cabinet, or a cupboard thingy. That's where the clothes were, but Lori saw something else."

"What was it?" Leni could hear the anticipation and worry in Luna's voice.

"I don't know, she wouldn't let me see what it was. Truthfully!" Leni looked down. "Though, when Lori closed the cabinet, her pupils shrank to dots. Before I knew it, she was yelling for me to run back upstairs. I never saw her so scared..."

Luna looked at her sister as she brought her hands to her face in shock. She sat in the middle of her sister's bed in a fetal position that was now too familiar to Leni. Lynn sat like that when she returned last night. Same with Luan the night she was attacked. It was the way Leni positioned herself in the clothing store when Lori tried to comfort her. Responding to the universal sign of fear, she sat beside her, realizing how bad Lori's discovery could be.

"Should we, like, speak to someone about this?" Leni asked.

"Shush dude, I'm thinking."

Leni remained silent before Luna stood from the bed, a bright bulb shining above her head. Whatever Lori saw, it must've had something to do with the paranormal activity they were facing.

"I got it bruh, let's speak to someone."

Leni placed a finger to her chin.

"Good idea!"

The two walked side by side down the hall when they reached Lucy's bedroom. The door was open. They could see the 8-year old's back facing them.

"Lucy, could we talk for a moment?"

Lucy turned her attention from the rocking chair as she quickly closed her journal.

"Yes. Take a seat."

"Cool, in that rocking chair?"

"..No.."

Leni produced a frown in response as she sat beside Luna on the adjacent bed. They weren't surprised a girl like Lucy would leave the window curtains closed with the lights off, but her voice sounded hoarse, as if she spent the last three hours yelling at a sporting event. However, she was quiet the whole trip. They couldn't tell if she was sick, but that certainly wasn't it.

"You look better Leni." Lucy impassively stated.

"Was that suppose to be a joke?" Luna asked. "Cuz that's not cool dude."

"I meant she doesn't look as hurt and melancholy as she did before. Though, I don't wish to comment on her nose.."

"I know right? It's hideous now!"

"Leni.." Luna closed her eyes for a few seconds, responding to her stress. "Lucy. Lynn tell you anything after we left?"

"If you're referring to last night when everyone huddled around her as if she was a wounded puppy, then no."

"You didn't see the gash on her face? How she was whimpering? The look in her eyes? It was way frightening, and her yelling reminded me of..well, myself."

"I understand." Lucy looked away. "It would be more conventional if we talk about this later, I'm occupied at the moment."

Luna was confounded. "Occupied? Dude, we're having a serious conversation and you want to read?"

"I've had night terrors before and no one thinks to react, but do you hear me complaining?" Lucy controlled herself. "I apologize. *Sigh* After everyone left, Lynn struggled to return to a state of unconsciousness. She fell asleep again around, maybe 6:30? I don't know. While she was awake, I assured her everything would be okay."

Luna was all for optimism, but telling Lynn everything would be okay? That was a blatant lie in her book. Lucy couldn't assure anything would be okay, and unsettling enough, the young goth didn't seem to care much either. When Lucy pointed towards the door, Luna decided she had enough with her careless attitude.

"Listen mate, I came in here to speak with you for a reason. In case it hasn't sunk in for you yet, our family is in deep, deep trouble. Telling by what I saw, Lynn almost got killed! Things are heating up, and I get you're the goddess of darkness and all that, but act like you care about what's been going on. We're in a terrible position, don't you see that?"

Luna found herself having a strong feeling of displeasure when she responded to the sound she heard behind her.

"Good job, Luna. You made Leni cry." Lucy's back was once again facing them, her gaze heavy on the rocking chair.

"This is the closest you've come to acknowledging someone's feelings in this house..." Luna retorted before putting an arm around her older sister. "I just..." Luna's voice cracked, not fighting back tears, but searching for the correct words. "..want to know if you have a solution. You're a clairvoyant, can't you do something?"

Lucy continued starring at the chair, much to Luna and Leni's dismay.

"Can't you stop looking at that chair for one bloody moment?!" Luna scolded.

"Yeah, like, stop it Lucy."

Lucy turned her attention from said chair, now facing the two girls with a look of boredom. However, Luna could sense the traces of annoyance. Every sound had a melody, and to Luna's perfect-pitch hearing, Lucy's sigh was a response to feeling agitated.

"You're sitting on Lynn's bed, and the sheets aren't fixed." Lucy stood.

Luna raised a brow.

"Lynn isn't going to like this."

"Dude...what?" Luna was confused, but neither her or Leni noticed the chair begin to rock back and forth.

"Try to forget what's been going on, I'm sure things will return back to normal."

"Lucy, why are you walking towards us like that?" Leni asked, scooting to the wall behind the bed.

"Get up and leave, both of you."

Luna noticed how nervous Leni was becoming.

"Lucy, stop it."

"Luna, grab Leni and leave now."

Were those the words Lynn saw in the mirror?

Luna folded her arms. She was going to get an answer out of Lucy on why she acted so reserved and what she could do about their unthinkable situation.

"No can do. I'm the older sister, you don't give me orders."

"Luna..." Leni mumbled.

"Leave now!"

"No."

Lucy began to vibrate nervously, an emotion she rarely portrayed.

"Leni, tell her to leave. Your're.." Lucy thought the idea of authority going to the older child was silly and irrational. "You're the older one."

"Just relax Helena." Luna responded with a hand on Leni's shoulder, giving Lucy a gaze of vexation. However, this didn't last for long, considering Lucy and Luna both noticed Leni's facial expression.

"Leni?" Luna asked as Lucy stepped away.

"T-T-The-"

"Spit it out!"

"The chair! It's moving all by itself!"

Luna turned to face the chair. At this point, it was rocking back and forth a such a speed, the three of them could feel the air coming from it. Leni gripped Luna's hand, the both of them starring at the chair in unpleasant surprise. They were witnessing the impossible. Luna gripped Leni's hand in response and swallowed hard, being a little more familiar with shit moving by itself and other crazy things. However, no one could acclimate themselves to such an unpredictable situation.

However, what would forever strike the two girls was Lucy. She simply stood in the middle of the room, starring at the chair with a poker face. She began to walk towards it, each step feeling like a minute. Finally when she was about three feet away from the piece of furniture, she stretched both arms out in front of her with both palms facing it. Luna and Leni were frozen like popsicles as the chair began to slow down. It came to a stop. There was a long moment of silence when Luna slowly scooted towards the edge of the bed to stand up.

"Lucy?" Was the only thing Luna could mutter before the chair flew passed her face, making Leni produce a scream loud enough to echo throughout the room. It missed her by nearly two inches. Before Luna could even react to the cry of fear by comforting her sister, she looked at Lucy, then grabbed Leni by the arm and ran out.

"And the healing begins..." Lucy whispered before a look of anger dawned on her.

The events of the early morning left the entire family on mute for the remainder of the day. After she cleared her stomach, Lori spent the day cleaning off the blood in the pool. Since the day she heard a whisper in her room, she always felt better outside of the house. When the sun set and it was time to ever so slightly attempt to drift into a good night sleep, she brushed her teeth and changed clothes before noticing Luan was the only one awake.

"Hey, how are you holding up?"

"Cleared my mind a bit while I was out there...maybe...who am I kidding, I kept watching my back every second. I don't even know what to do anymore." Lori told Luan, noticing the absence of two. "Weird. I literally haven't seen Luna and Leni since this morning."

"What's weird is how mom drinks liquor instead of margaritas. Get it, M-MargaRitas?" Luan stuttered.

Lori shook her head while giving the young comedian a serious glare. "Your worst joke yet."

"I'm sorry, I know. At this point, I'm willing to do anything to keep my mind from what's been plaguing us. It's best we try and call it a day."

"...Yeah, I guess. Well, night sis." Lori responded before receiving a sincere hug.

"Could I quite possibly sleep with you tonight?"

"I was literally about to ask you the same question."

Luan smiled before jumping to the sound of a breeze brushing against a window.

"I just gotta get my meds. Be with you in ten seconds or less." Luan said as Lori nodded.

Upon entering the room, Luan took a deep breath. Thinking of puns and jokes weren't doing the job. She thought back to how Lynn reacted later on when hearing that Albert couldn't make it. Plane flights often cancel at the worst possible times. The 13-year old later became hysterical at the thought of the silver lining becoming non-existent. Another attempt to comfort Lynn was anything but impactful after the pool incident. Poor, poor girl.

That dreadful pool incident. It swarmed Luan's mind all day. Nothing indicated the message in blood in any of her nightmares, which worried her even more. Were they yet to face the worst of what's to come? Also, how did blood of all things get there?

"What the hell.." Luan whispered at the thought of it. She opened her bedroom door and turned on the lights to witness the surprise that awaited her. She also didn't see Luna and Leni for a good portion of the day, so watching them lay together sound asleep in Luna's bed opened the floodgates of questions.

How long have they been asleep? Did one of them see or hear something that made them fear sleeping alone? How are they sleeping in this house? She thought while urgently tiptoeing to her bedside table to grab her pills. Placing them in a robe pocket, she watched her two sisters for a few seconds longer. She hoped nothing bad happened to them.

Lori looked around her room with a worried look when Luan quietly entered and closed the door.

"Leni's not here. We need to check if she's downstairs with mom or-"

"She's with Luna. They decided to sleep together."

"Really? Why didn't she tell me?"

"Probably didn't want to hear you tell her not to."

Lori rolled her eyes, soon becoming tense at the thought of her two latest discoveries.

"But they looked okay." Luan didn't want to increase her sister's anxiety.

"What do you mean by okay?"

"Laying in each other's embrace, asleep. That's an accomplishment, gives me confidence we can sleep too."

Conversing like this was done for the sole purpose to clear their stressed minds of how bad the night could possibly go. High optimism was like warmth in Antarctica. Nearly nonexistent.

"Heh. We can only hope.." Lori nervously mumbled as they simultaneously climbed into the queen bed. Memory foam, silk sheets and a thermostat nearby, the perfect sleeping environment, but is it enough for them to rest without incident.

Sadly, it wasn't up to them.

Because Luan made the risky decision of taking Benadryl with her meds for her sleepwalking problem, she went to sleep without a word.

Hours later, Lori found herself still awake. It was the third night in a row she sat at the head of her bed, stressing over the possibility and probability of something terrible happening. Feeling irritable and tense as ever, she tried to listen for noises that indicated trouble. Feeling she had the most knowledge of the hauntings, in her opinion, she served as the guardian of the family, a protector.

The oldest sister.

Allowing the curiosity and anxiety to beat her, Lori took a deep breath and stepped away from her bed. The sound of Luan's snoring resonated throughout the room, but she ignored it. She disregarded the sound of crickets coming from the balcony, the owls calling, the wind smacking against the windows.

Are those animals literally awake right now? Nothing is consistently disturbing them every night, so why won't they shut up and sleep? Lori thought while sliding into some slippers.

Maybe it's because they're nocturnal? Sleep deprivation was really beginning to affect her.

Cringing as she felt the bags under her eyes, she ignored every sound, except the whispering from the other side of the door. What would Bobby think if he saw his girlfriend with huge bags underneath her eyes? Lori didn't care, not at the moment. Her heart was beating hard, a feeling all too familiar as she glanced at Luan before grabbing Lynn's baseball bat. Huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf, she flung the door open and jumped out, the bat tightly gripped in both hands.

Author's Note: I know, another cliffhanger. I would've let Lori face what was behind that door, but I didn't want this submission to be too long. Anyways, what will Luna and Leni do after what they witnessed? Will they confide in anyone on the event? Luna acted pretty rational when she ran out of Lucy's room, but seeing the goth in the state she was is difficult to forget. Makes me wonder which character would have the highest chance of surviving the terrifying events alone.

A large family with multiple personality traits can result in an abundance of chaos in a situation like this. In a house like the vacation home with only one Loud to protect you, which one would you choose? I'm still torn between Lori and Lincoln. Moral guidance and a good swing of the bat helps.