Author's Note: I know, another month is how long it took for me to find the time to write this. It's ironic because I truly enjoy writing, but with all the work life gives you, it's hard to make a favorable schedule. But hey, no one said life was easy.
Now, let's see what hell the Louds undergo in this new submission.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Nickelodeon. No copyright infringement intended.
Chapter 14: Poltergeist
In a heartbeat, things went from absolutely dreadful and terrifying to something even worse. Could a word define the feeling a person would have right after a near-death experience? Sure, and it was an experience Rita could quite possibly add to her novels, but nothing can define the shock a parent undergoes when they believe one of their children-a loved one, has passed.
"LINCOLN!" Rita's words surrounded as the smoke exited the house through open windows. She checked her son for his pulse, but her adrenaline and anxiety prevented her from keeping her hand still.
"Mother." Lisa tapped her shoulder. "Let me do it."
Rita's eyes grew wide as saucers before nodding. The 4-year old placed a steady hand on Lincoln's neck, then his chest.
"No need to worry, everyone. He's alive." Lisa said while adjusting her now broken glasses before being smothered by a strong hug from her mother.
"Thank god you guys are okay!" She sobbed. Lynn Jr. and Sr. defeated the fire as Luna and Luan carefully placed Lincoln on a nearby sofa. To say the least, most of them were too blown away by the recent events to muster any words.
"The fire and the screaming and the-" Lori placed a hand over her mouth, visibly shaking.
"Mom.." Leni muttered, her words falling on all ears. "How did this happen? What caused the fire?"
Rita looked at her husband. At the moment, he was consoling Lynn Jr. His reaction to her physical condition opened the floodgates. The walls that kept the young athlete in control of her emotions broke into a thousand pieces. Rita then looked back at the rest of her children. It was then she caught eve of someone approaching her from behind.
"L-L-La" Lola stuttered in surprise before Lana reached out for a hug. It seemed like forever since they last saw one another. With tear-stained eyes, Rita told the both of them to sit beside her.
"When I saw your brother and Lynn sleeping together on the sofa downstairs, I noticed Wendy looking after them and Lily. Around that time, I received a call from you, Leni. I figured a moment to exfoliate wouldn't hurt, it certainly would be safer than drinking. I kept the sauna door open, my phone by my side at all times."
Lori grimaced. She remembered the image Lincoln discovered on her own phone.
"How long were you in there?" Luna's interest was at it's peak. Rita nodded, the mother of eleven still out of breath from what recently transpired.
"About an hour. I reached for my towel and got ready to exit when I noticed my phone was too close to the fire. It was in flames and somehow, it caused a domino effect. Part of the wall quickly caught the flames when I decided to run out. It was the first time in my life a door slammed shut in my face with no one on the other side."
Lincoln's body shook, as if he heard every word, but he remained unconscious.
"I couldn't see her, but I felt the girl's presence. The fire raged..all I could do was cry out for help, the dang lock wouldn't budge."
"The door locked?!" Leni yelled. Even at a time of heartache, they had to give her a look of disappointment.
"Duh." Lori shook her head.
"But let's try and forget the fire. What happened to you three?" Rita questioned.
"The spirit which you are referring to, she has dark hair and a white dress, correct?"
Lisa received nods.
"Did you see her?" Luna asked.
"Lisa and I saw her shortly after we separated from dad." Lana interrupted, everyone no longer analyzing their torn clothing. "The day we left, we reached the other side of the lake. I insisted we stay a while longer, to get to know the area better."
"You idiot!" Lola cried before punching Lana in the arm.
"I'm sorry, okay? I realize how dumb of a decision that was. Dad allowed us to explore and Lisa wasn't suspicious of anything, so things seemed alright. The sun was about to set, but it didn't dawn on us how far away we were til we returned to the boat."
"What do you mean?" Lori muttered.
"The boat's fuel tank was more empty than a vacant house. We tried to make our way back, but soon enough, our surroundings were almost pitch black. We slept the night in the boat. It was the next morning that I woke to Lisa pacing back and forth. I asked her if she was stressing herself out over a science anomoly, but I didn't realize that dad was gone til she said it."
"What the.." Some said, the rest remaining silent.
"I thought he went to search for help or something, but it was like he vanished!"
"We searched the premises in hopes of finding our beloved father, but nothing surfaced. Eventually, we lost our way and had to train ourselves to ignore our beckoning hunger." Lisa added.
"It was the worst experience ever.." Lana felt her stomach. She watched Lola run to hug her dad. To say the least, Lana wondered what kind of hell her family undergone during the past week. Looking at what was left of them, she didn't need to know.
"After promising each other we would stay together til we find him, we decided it was best we wouldn't return home. It was one of the nights that we saw the girl approach us."
"She tried to warn us about something, but we just ran away til our legs were throbbing. My hat flew off and that was that." Lana tried to fix her braids. She was thankful to see her oldest sister suddenly hand her the hat.
"We'll never forget the spirit we saw out there...but what dad experienced was worse on multiple levels."
"What happened?" At least three voices said in unison.
"After who knows how many days, we came across this metal box. It was buried in the dirt, so I used all my strength to open it." Lana looked up, remembering something. "There was a note inside, the paper was old as well. It was about a girl that went missing a long time ago, how the family never got over the loss. It was similar to Amber alerts seen on the news. The note reminded us of the girl we saw."
Lana visibly shaking while rehearsing the memories told everyone how dramatic the discovery was, but that wasn't the icing on the cake.
"After we closed the box, our hearts jumped at the sound of rustling in the bushes. We stood still as a wall, til I saw dad appear out of nowhere. He looked like he fought a deadly battle and barely survived, but he refused to tell us what happened to him. He told us not to walk in the direction he came from, but my curiosity got the best of me. Under a large pile of dirt was a skeleton." Lana sighed. "Dad and Lisa had to work hard to stop me from having a heart attack, I was so shocked and scared!"
"Everyone remained in an eerie silence for what felt like an hour before Rita nodded.
"Okay sweetie, go to your sister. Lola missed you enormously."
Lisa watched the tomboy nod before walking away. Everyone gave Rita a puzzled look. Odd behavior for a mother after hearing their daughter saw a real skeleton.
"By that point, we didn't know our way back, but I was able to determine the age of the skeleton."
Luna and Luan gasped.
"Skeletons don't age."
"Shut up, Leni." Lori demanded as they watched the young genius take a paper out of her pocket.
"This is from the metal box Lana spoke of."
Lisa didn't move, as she wasn't shocked to see them jump at her for it. After some squabbling, the four oldest daughters and Rita assessed the discovery.
"Have you seen this girl? If so, please bring her back to us." Lori read. They saw the black and white image and sure enough, it was a girl with dark hair, with an innocent smile.
"It says it's from 1946." Luan added, now feeling her skin crawl. Lisa raised a finger.
"Surely. I can also say the age of the skeleton is over 70 years old."
"So the skeleton belongs to the missing girl...the poor thing was murdered, but how?"
"We don't need to know." Luna stated, receiving nods in agreement. "Whatever happened to her, I'm just thankful it didn't happen to you."
"You came just in time. We almost drowned and-"
Rita jumped from her seat. "WHAT?!" The woman just noticed their wet clothing.
"Luan saved us from whatever invisible force that tried to kill us. She found my phone abandoned near a tree, then I saw her dive in. I don't know how she did it, but she managed to rescue Lisa, Lana, Lori and I."
"She's a hero."
Rita was hysterical by this point. Wherever she looked, she heard more news about someone almost facing their demise. She knew what it felt like, but none of these stories explained two key things.
"Why was your father missing for so long?"
"You'll want to ask him that..." Lisa replied before almost being choked by her mother.
"Tell me!" Rita yelled. The girls had to fight to get her away from Lisa. When they finally did, it became evident that Rita was beginning to lose her mind.
"Mom, calm down." They begged. She sat against a wall with a hand to her forehead. "I'm sorry babe, come here."
"You need to speak with dad about the rest." Lisa felt the cuts from Rita's finger nails on her neck. "I don't know where he was all those days, but one thing is for certain. He knows more about this house than any of us. As of now, I need to get some peroxide and cotton balls for my cervix."
Rita was about to follow the 4-year old, but she felt too weak to stand. It was then Leni realized something else.
"If mom was attacked while we were outside, then what threw you guys into the water?"
They contemplated the question. Lori felt her neck hair stand.
"The warnings we've received in blood...the worst of what this house has to offer is coming."
Those who remained near the sofa were about to freak, but that was interrupted when Lincoln began to open his eyes. He looked dazed and almost fell off the sofa, but he soon was cognizant of his surroundings. Like he was experiencing a hangover, his head was buzzing. The girls smothered him with "Are you okay?" and "Lincoln's awake!" But he looked passed them, which they noticed. They turned to see what held his attention.
"What the fuck?" Lincoln muttered in a deep voice. "Dad, is that you?"
Night arrived, but no one planned to sleep. Almost everyone in the house begged their dad to answer their burning questions, one being:
"Why can't we leave?!" Luna yelled.
"Yeah dad, you look like absolute trash right now. You refuse to tell us what happened, your pants are torn, your vest and shirt is gone and..." Lynn Jr. put a finger to her chin. "Just tell us why we shouldn't leave. Give us one reason!"
"I can't tell you." Lynn Sr. spoke like a drunk person. "They're always listening."
Lynn Jr. and Luna couldn't bring themselves to say another word. Simply too shocked to even speak, they went to their separate rooms to pack their stuff. Everyone else proceeded up the steps, leaving Lola downstairs in the living room alone with him. She walked up to him.
"Listen to me, mister. We missed you and searched for you everyday, and this is the way you act?!" She stomped her foot.
The father of eleven starred at the wall across from him, his mind clearly elsewhere.
"Daddy, do you hear me?!" Lola yelled, receiving no response. They could've simply left him alone in the house and return to Royal Woods. Screw dying, but they loved him too much to leave him behind. Lola assessed him a while longer before she decided to act. With steady fingers, she locked her index fingers and thumbs on each of his nipples. What the hell did she plan on doing? That's right, inflicting pain was her method of getting his attention.
"Hey...OWW!" He screamed before jumping from the couch.
"We have to leave now daddy!"
"Go to your room, NOW!" He rubbed his pecs as Lola stormed up the stairs.
Lana placed a few more shirts in a drawstring backpack before placing one more item inside. She examined the newfound holes in her hat. Just like her, it's been through some hell.
"Meh. I'll just ask for a new one, or maybe I could show it off to the kids I make mud pies with." She said before putting it away. Of all the kids, she brought the least luggage with her. Some t-shirts and underwear is all the tomboy needed for her stay.
Perhaps the phone number of a psych therapist as well.
She was ready to kiss the place goodbye when her twin slammed the bedroom door after entering.
"Did someone piss you off?"
"Dad won't let us leave!" Lola cried before burying her face into her pillow. It was the first time Lana noticed the absence of anything even remotely representing a princess or fashion. Lola had no makeup on, and she wore sweats with a plain white tee.
"Did he tell you why?" Lana sat next to her.
"No, he refuses to speak. It's like, whatever happened to him, it changed him or something. I don't know!"
"You were in the other room when we spoke to mom, but we found a skeleton out there." Lana informed her. Lola sat up, almost ready to puke. "You did?"
"I wouldn't make up something like that." Lana threw her bag to the floor. "So we have no choice but to stay, huh?"
The two stood at the same time to sit near a window to watch the night sky. They needed some tranquility, some time together.
"You know the window opens, right?" Lola asked.
"Yeah, we could sit on the roof if you like." Lana suggested.
"True." Lola responded. Lana looked around.
"You won't open the window and sit on the roof without asking mom." Lana dared her.
"Oh what the hell." Lola opened the tough window with one hand, all to Lana's surprise. She then laid on the roof, starring at the stars as Lana joined her.
"I like the way you're sporting your new look." Lana elbowed her.
"Hey...what do you mean?"
"The less uptight princess, more laid back look."
"Is that a pun?" Lola sat up from her laying position. "Cuz I hate those."
"Unintentional. Anyways, stay like that. You'll make more friends if you just blend in."
"Whatever." Lola sighed as they both took in the clean air. The breeze was comforting.
"Do you think we'll ever see our friends again?" Lola asked, Lana remaining silent for a good minute.
"I hope so."
A few hours later, Lola woke up to the sound of owls hooting in the trees. She gasped as she realized where she fell asleep.
"Lana, wake up, wake up." She repeated before her twin finally woke. "This is rad, we slept on the roof."
Lola frowned. "No it isn't, we could've slid off."
"But how tho?" Lana starred at her.
"I don't know, but you saw Lynn's ankle! I just don't want to get hurt."
Lana thought for a moment. "Huh. Wait, how did she injure her ankle and get that cut on her face?"
"Uhh..."
"And how about Luan? She lost, like, ten pounds since the last time I saw her."
"That's because she barely sleeps or eat."
"And Leni...she's acting, well, normal now. She was on mute and freaking out a week ago."
"A week is a long time sis, a week is a loooooong time."
"I know." Lana said before a brief moment of silence. Lola then slowly held Lana's hand. They both held eye contact.
"What is it?" The tomboy questioned.
"Please don't leave me the way you did, okay? I suffered here without you. Waking everyday to see an empty bed...I didn't know what to do and-"
"It's alright Lola. I'm sorry it happened, but everyone's here now and that's most important."
"Yeah, but for how long?"
Lana frowned. There was no telling how long it'd be til someone figured out what was wrong with Lynn Sr. The two were ready to go back inside the room when they heard a bloodcurdling scream from inside. In just seconds, the twins found themselves in their room, running for whoever was in distress.
When the twins reached the hallway, their eyes meeting Lynn Sr. and Rita running for Lori's room. Everyone else exited their rooms in a hurry to see what was up. Right when someone was ready to barge in the room, Lori opened it from inside.
"She's in here!" The 17-year old yelled as they entered to witness Lynn Jr. screaming uncontrollably. Leni huddled in a corner as Lori comforted her. The young athlete shook violently in the bed as they knew attempting to wake her would only do harm. Instantly knowing what to do, Lynn Sr. and Lisa moved any dangerous or sharp objects from the neighboring nightstands.
"She won't stop!" Lori was worried for her sister's life.
"We can't do anything! We can only wait for her to stop, then sooth her." The father of eleven responded, everyone shocked to hear him even speak. Lisa backed away from the girl.
"One of the most dangerous forms of Parasomnia. Street name: Night terrors."
They starred helplessly as Lynn kicked and thrashed with high-pitched screams reaching their inner ears. Everyone present stood with their hands over their mouths in shock, including a fully recovered Lincoln.
"This is sick. We can't just leave her." Lincoln ran to wake Lynn before his father grabbed him and lifted him from the floor. He struggled to get away and help his sister, but all he could do was watch her as tears ran down his face. Thankfully, the terrifying episode only went on for a few more seconds before Lynn sat up with a frightened look. Her forehead was laced with thick sweat as her heart raced.
She sat confused with little to no memory of what she was fighting in her dream. It was nonetheless alarming to see her entire family surrounding her bed in the middle of the night. She gazed at them with dilated pupils.
"What's going on? What am I so freaking sweaty?" She yelled with heavy breaths before tearing her shirt off.
"Whoa there, sis." Lori threw a towel over her. There was consolation as she quickly received hugs from her siblings and parents.
"Dudes, is there seriously no way we could've helped her?"
"No Luna, our father and I already explained how sleep terrors could end horribly if mistakes are made." Lisa informed.
"Why wasn't she in her room with Lucy?" Luan asked, only one person hearing her question.
"I just want to go back to bed and go to sleep." Lynn Jr. irritably muttered, rubbing the scar on her face.
"I experienced what she's going through." Everyone looked at Lincoln. "Although she just woke up, she feels as if she hadn't slept for days. Unfortunately, her terror was worse than any of the ones I had. She just needs some space."
"But she was screaming and-"
"I'll keep an eye on her for the remaining hours." Lincoln interrupted, everyone knowing they couldn't change his mind. He made himself comfortable in a chair as he watched his family carefully kiss Lynn before leaving. Lori and Leni remained on the other side of the room in the other bed, trying their best to fall asleep.
When the door was closed shut, he watched Lynn close her eyes with a blank facial expression. She recovered quick, but Lincoln wanted to act as her guardian angel. As he watched her drift into a deep sleep, something one of his sisters said earlier made his eyes widen with question and surprise.
Luan is right. Why did Lynn decide not to sleep in the room with Lucy?
"Raise your left hand."
"Again, Lisa?"
"Yes, Lynn. It's a quick procedure."
Shuteye was out of the question for the remainder of the night as morning soon made itself known. Bright flowerbeds with blue skies that characterized the very first day they arrived to the house, was the same weather of this new morning. Normally, this would be the perfect start to a good day, but you know how that isn't always true. The excitement and positive energy that once filled their hearts was almost instantly replaced with anxiety and downright horror after the events that followed the arrival. Weather couldn't change their view on anything.
However, what plagued them that morning wasn't only the possibility of another attack, but the amiss behavior of one person. For a man that was lost without their kids for a number of days, Lynn Sr. seemed very tense, but showed no apparent signs of fear or caution. This baffled those in the living room with him.
"Can I stop repeating the alphabet now, Lisa?" Lynn Jr. asked, saying her sister's name in a mocking tone.
"Yes, I believe that is the last of the memory test. I can officially inform you your incident last night did not have any impacts on your mental state."
"Ugh, that's what this was about?" Lynn lowered her tone and relaxed. "I'm glad your just looking out for me, heck, I should be looking out for you. But when I tell you I'm okay, just take my word for it, please?"
Lisa scanned her notes before making eye-contact with the athlete. She immediately frowned.
"You're right. After all, you know yourself better that I do." Lisa stated, inducing a smile out of Lynn.
"Does that bother you?" Lynn joked before patting Lisa's back. "Lose the long face though. I really missed you."
"That makes the two of us, but I've got pressing matters at the moment. I need to make a diet survey for Luan and some kind of test for Leni's cognitive skills." Lisa stated before exiting the room with a smile. Lisa couldn't deny being thankful for reuniting with her family.
Lynn Jr. waved before remembering how Rita lashed out on Lisa. The 4-year old was making sure her siblings were okay, but maybe it was time to apply some of those impeccable science skills to making sure their mother wasn't close to a mental breakdown.
Before Lynn could think to change the bandage for her facial wound, she saw her dad facing a corner of the room, his back turned to anyone present. Rocking back and forth was out of the norm, but she could've sworn something shiny was in his hands. It was apparent whatever he truly experienced in the wild, it consistently had him in deep thought, pondering what to do next.
Wouldn't returning to Royal Woods be the golden solution?
Absolutely, but the father of eleven had something far different in mind.
"There's no way a skeleton was his worst discovery." She muttered before exiting. She wasn't pleased to find Rita quietly crying on the stairs.
"Mom, c'mon. Please don't cry." She said in a weak voice.
"Y-Your father..."
"Did he say something to you? Anything concerning why we're still here?"
"Shhhh." Rita placed a finger to Lynn's mouth, making her nervous.
"What is it?"
"He's crazy now. He's completely out of his mind. Earlier this morning, I found him alone on the front porch, so I went to talk with him. The second he felt my hand touch him, he jumped up and started yelling."
"Like I did?" Lynn grew more nervous.
"Nothing like your night terror sweetie, and Lincoln told me you were okay by the way. I'm glad."
"Thanks." Lynn mumbled sarcastically. "You're a fantastic mother."
"But he was angry and acted like he didn't know me at first... he was violent. Maybe after thirty seconds of this, he froze. He slowly acted himself again, but more confused."
"Sounds like concussion symptoms." Lynn stated.
"He was crying."
"Nope, doesn't sound like concussion symptoms."
"I'm afraid he needs help, but I can't get him a therapist til we leave."
"Yesterday, he refused to tell us why we couldn't do that." Lynn remembered.
"That's the problem. He refuses to leave."
This newly acquired knowledge sent Lynn running back downstairs, completely forgetting her injured foot. Those that were in the living room just minutes ago decided to leave, a result of their steadily increasing anxiety. Lori sat in the dining room with a lot on her mind concerning her father.
"Okay, we literally cannot sit in silence for much longer."
"Well, we're not anymore." Luan giggled.
"Very funny. I'm talking about dad. Things will only worsen if we stay any longer."
"Yeah, sis is right you know." Luna said. "For such a problem, I have the perfect song, but not a single word that would convince him to leave."
"I do." They turned at the speed of sound to see someone in the doorway.
"How long have you been standing there?" Lori asked.
"Not long, I takes a while to travel with this crutch." Lynn reminded them.
"Does it feel better, the ankle?" Leni asked in curiosity.
"Never mind that, I have an idea on how we can leave this place, despite dad's behavior."
The four older girls were all ears.
"Dad will depart with us, correct?" Lori spoke.
"Yes, of course! You're starting to sound like Leni now."
"But I didn't say that." Leni responded with a finger to chin. "Although...wait, maybe I did."
Everyone face-palmed.
"I just need two of you to come with me, you know, if he acts violent again."
"Why would dad act violent? Lynn, what are you saying?" Luna was perplexed.
"Just..I'll explain later, but promise me you won't say a word til I give you my signal?"
No one was quite sure what her plan was going to be, but like anyone else on the planet would, they were desperate to leave and return home. They promised to never complain about their home in Royal Woods again.
"Alright. Luna and I will come with you." Lori said before she exited the room with Luna by her side, the both of them cautiously following Lynn.
The three girls felt their spines tingle after seeing their father was still seated by himself. Lynn Jr. stopped when she was just a foot behind him. She took a deep breath.
"Dad?" She said in a clear and crisp tone. He slowly tilted his head, but there was no verbal response. She was going to take another go at it, but decided to go with a plan B. She yelled for the two girls to get a sleeping bag that was near a couch. According to her, she was going to get everyone out of that house, even if it was against her father's decision to stay.
"Why?" Luna yelled in panic while helping Lori.
"Just open it, we can put him inside of it and finally leave!"
"This is literally kidnapping!"
The second the three girls nearly attempted to place the bag over his head, he jumped from his seat to face them, immediately causing one of them to fall to their back. The look in his eyes was the definition of pure terror, as if the devil himself recently spoke with him. However, what made them scream in shock was the object he pulled out.
"DON'T HURT ME! STAY AWAY FROM ME!" He screamed, a gun tightly gripped in his trembling hands. His finger was on the trigger as he aimed the revolver at his three daughters.
Never in their lives have they imagined being held at gunpoint. It was something they've seen on television, but their family didn't even own a gun. Their blood ran cold as they each found themselves starring into the barrel of the powerful .44 magnum, only able to muster a few words.
"Dad, please..." Lori said over their tears of fear. "Please don't do this.."
"STOP IT! JUST STOP IT!" He yelled, this time placing a hand to his temple before grunting as pain shot through his head.
"What is wrong with you?!" Luna yelled in fear. Lynn slowly turned around to see Leni and Luan enter the scene. They both yelled in surprise as their father continued to shout, this time showing more fear in his anger.
"DON'T MOVE ANY CLOSER OR I'LL SHOOT!" He whimpered, causing stirring on the second floor of the house. Luan and Leni slowly dropped to their knees with both hands up. It was only a matter of time before the entire family would find out about this.
"Dad, we can work this out, w-we just want to leave, w-we kind of hate it here. Don't you also want to leave and be comfortable at home?" Lynn begged, carefully moving closer to him. She moved back when he gripped the weapon tighter, his hands and face going red.
"YOU'RE ALL OUT TO GET ME! I SAID DON'T MOVE!" Sweat dripped from his chest as the five girls were now frozen in place. Any wrong decisions and this situation could escalate in ways it never should.
"Honey." Rita reached the bottom of the stairs after telling the younger kids to remain upstairs. With every five seconds, she took a step towards him. His eyes locked on her, then his gun did the same as the five girls starred at their mother. Their hearts were ready to beat through their chests. Was she out of her mind?
"It's me, Rita. Don't you recognize me? C'mon, put the gun down." She spoke in a soft tone, fighting the stutter her fear tried to create. He carefully loosened his grip, his bloodshot eyes still widened with multiple emotions.
With every deep breath, Rita took a step towards him. He didn't seem to notice until Lynn Jr. began to fear for her mother's life. Without thinking, the 13-year old jumped at her father, pushing the gun's barrel away from her. Because of her immense force, he stumbled back, but kept the gun in his hand before it fired it's first round.
Then another.
Rita stood stiff as a fire hydrant. She had no idea where he got the gun from, but it was her worst nightmare to see it fired at someone. Lori ran for them as the other three girls did the same. Lynn Sr. held a hand to his temple before he shook his head for a second. The episode he was having finally came to an end as one look at Lynn told him what he had done.
"Oh-oh my-" He whimpered as tears rushed out of his eyes. "I'm sorry! I'm soo sorry!" He yelled as he tightly hugged all five of them in unison, Rita also joining to make sure he never saw the gun again. It became evident that exact moment that he began to suffer mentally. Their damaged father had no idea what he was doing when he held the gun in his hand.
As his heart was broken from the terrifying fear he put his family through, he quickly examined Lynn. She was barely awake from the bullet that grazed her. This wound was smacked dead center of her chin. Afterwords, he looked at the ceiling and saw the two bullet holes.
"Junior, something like this will never happen again, I swear by it!" He hugged her for the longest he could.
"You need therapy dad, it's for the best." Luan told him. He looked at her and nodded with a frown.
"I thought you were those demons, those evil monsters that tried to kill me out there! The thoughts of them...my mind is changing."
"She needs a bandage. Leni, medical kit, kitchen, now!" Lori ordered.
"On it!"
After Leni returned with a paper towel roll and scotch tape, which was somewhat suitable for the wound, Lynn gained enough strength to sit up. She could barely move her neck, as every attempt caused her to cry out in pain.
"How did it feel to get shot?" Luan asked.
"Not as bad as how your face will feel if I punch it." Lynn grunted before turning cold at the sound of footsteps near the stairs. It was Lincoln who was about to witness the whole scene.
"So, this is going to sound crazy, but two bullets came through my floor and..." Lincoln's jaw dropped. "What happened?!"
It didn't take long for Lincoln to put the clues together. He saw Rita hurriedly run the stairs with a gun in her hand. The gun residue on Lynn Sr's hand was also apparent, and there was Lynn.
"What happened to face? You shot Lynn?!"
"Lincoln, it was all an accident. He was having a psychotic episode or something." Lori replied.
"What the hell." He muttered. "Does all of this mean we're finally leaving?"
Lincoln stood over them, confused as to why their faces went completely white.
"Hello? Are we?"
"Lincoln.."
"Yes Luna?"
"She's right behind you." Luna muttered in a high-pitched tone as everyone nodded in fear. Lincoln slowly turned around, but it was too late. Before he could blink, he was thrown to the ground and dragged out of the front door. They saw everything this time: The door open on it's own, Lincoln's face smack the rug, the dead girl throw him down and drag him as he kicked and gripped any nearby furniture, but to no avail.
Leni yelled for Rita to come downstairs as those who were in the living room chased Lincoln out the door. They tried to keep up with him as he was dragged down the street-in the middle of the street. He cried for help, the begging for mercy defining his fear.
"HELP!" The ghost continued to drag him til Lynn Sr. finally caught up with him. Once he grabbed his son, she disappeared.
"WHERE ARE YOU?! CAN'T YOU LEAVE MY FAMILY ALONE?! Please..." This time, he wasn't having a psychotic episode. He carried what was left of his injured son back to the house as the girls walked beside him. They were a few house lengths from the cottage, Rita looking down the road with Lola, Lana and Lily with her.
Rita stood in deep thought as she held the girls close to her, hoping it was enough to protect them from another vicious attack. She looked up at the house, thinking of how much of a curse it was, then her eyes met Lucy peering at her through a window. It finally dawned on Rita that Lucy was never around when any of the events occurred. All tempers flared when she made another realization.
"LUCY!" The birds in the trees scattered. "GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT YOUNG LADY!"
Lucy gave a blank stare, unaware that her face went tomato red with nervousness.
"NOW!" Is all Rita had to say to finally make the young emo budge. For certain, she was in for it.
Author's Note: As I've probably said more than once, dramatic experiences like the ones in this story could scar a person and not only affect them physically, but also emotionally and psychologically. Lynn Sr. believing his wife and daughters were threats is a prime example. Though, there is always a road to recovery.
It seems like someone found out Lucy had been keeping quiet about some things. It was only a matter of time before Rita would remember how much of an expert Lucy is on the paranormal, and the young girl definitely does have some secrets. Wouldn't a clairvoyant want to help her family deal with a haunting? We'll see.