Chapter 12: From The Pan, Into The Pit
Luan sat with her feet up on the van's rugged chair drearily, her head slumped against the door's window as she lazily trailed her eyes along the sidewalk.
Luna put her hand on Luan's shoulder, "You okay?" Luna asked, putting on a supportive smile.
Luan tilt her head towards Luna "Yeah, I'm okay, guess I'm just worried about stuff…" Luan answered, pushing Luna's hand off her shoulder and slumping her head back on the windshield.
"What kind of stuff?" Luna inquired as she frowned disheartenedly, retracting her arm meekly.
"*Sigh*, I dunno Luna… just- stuff… in general…"
"Does it have to do with, me? Or you or maybe…" Luna paused, swinging her head around the van's passengers, with Lori and Leni on their phones just behind the front row, and the twins in the middle that were probably busy sleeping considering how quiet they were.
With confirmation that the van wasn't listening. "Lucy?" Luna whispered, making Leni perk up.
"Lucy?" Lori bellowed, causing Luna to turn pale in surprise.
"Dude! Could ya keep your lid on? I'm tryin' to have a private conversation here!" Luna barked in a hushed tone.
"Yeah well, Lucy is like, an us thing... and I guarantee everyone else is trying to figure her out too, right Leni?" Leni didn't respond, she had her hand over her face in assumably fear.
"Leni?" Leni inquired in a comforting tone.
"Huh?!" Leni sputtered as she tore her hand from her face, snapping her head towards Lori.
"You alright Leni? You're a bit… jumpy…"
"I know, and I'm sorry it's just… j-just look at this conversation with Lincoln I had…" Leni stuttered, searching through her phone vigorously before stopping at displaying her conversation with Lincoln.
Bearing a worrisome frown as lightly snatched Leni's phone out of her hand, scrolling all the way till there was a strange looking video. It's thumbnail being Lucy on top of some blond haired girl.
"Did you watch it?" Lori asked softly.
Leni nodded. "Two words of advice… brace yourself…" Lori warned.
Leni turned her attention to the video, her anxiety growing the longer she refused to press play on said video. But eventually, Leni gritted her teeth, and pressed play...
The video itself was a frontrow view of Lucy's rebellion against Kristy, starting from the point Lucy stomped on Kristy's hand and all the agony that sound came with. Another highlight was Lincoln getting kicked square in the stomach. And well… the rest…
The rest making Leni and Luna who joined in to watch from behind Leni just as if not more sick than when Lincoln got kicked in the stomach.
Luna snuck behind Leni to see this video she had to brace for. Advice Luna brushed off as Lori just being a pushover, course you could imagine this paid off in the end… "Lucy what the f-"
"What's going on back there?" Lynn Sr cut off, keeping his eyes on the road.
"Y'know about what went down at Lucy's school?"
"Yes Luna, I know about how Lucy went all vigilante on some bully. In fact I had to go to her school about her getting expelled for it… now could we please stop talking about it for now?" Lynn Sr requested.
"Huh?!" Luan blared, while Luna sat completely speechless as she tried to stutter something out. "But pops!-"
"Please? I'll explain everything at home with everyone sweetie but for now, just-"
"She kicked Lincoln in the guts!" The van screeched to a halt as Lynn Sr took in what he just heard. Narrowly avoiding an oncoming car as he slid onto the side of the road, the van turning a dreadful shade of silent.
Lynn Sr's face glistening red with hate, he readjusted his grip on the wheel. Keeping his boiling wrath in check with a hardy breath in and out. "Well… I… I didn't know about that…" Lynn uttered.
"I'll uhm, keep that in mind for the family meeting. *Phew*, sorry about the sudden stop gang I just, needed a moment… now as I was saying… please don't talk about Lucy right now, okay?"
Luna shifted her eyes "Uhm, o-okay dad…" Luna heeded.
"Thank you…" With that, Lynn continued on driving the van. But Luna looked around the van, as Luan, Lori and Leni all looked back at Luna with the same concerned look.
"I'm scared Luna…" Luan uttered.
"Me too…" Luna replied, with those three words bouncing around the group's head for a good minute, before Leni broke the ice.
"You think dad will bring it out again?"
"Bring what out?" Lori inquired.
"The belt?" Leni finished, with the group turning pale upon suggesting it's return.
"I think she's still got the scars-"
"Stop talking about her…" Lynn warned, cutting Luna off yet again.
Back at the not-so-loud house, Lucy and Lincoln were watching TV together, well… it was more Lucy was there making Lincoln watch TV so that she was able to. But as he sat there, he realized something.
"Hey Luce, dad was the one who grounded you right?"
"Yeah? Why?"
"Well, I mean- he's not really here right now is he? So… you don't really need me to be stuck here! Right?"
"Hmm, yeah you raise a good point Linc, but mom's as big a stickler for rules as dad…" Lucy sneered.
"Huh, then again, shes always busy writing with her 'bottles of inspiration'..." Lincoln frowned annoyedly. "In fact, I'm willing to bet she's pretty drunk right now…" Lincoln pointed out.
"We don't know that… yet"
Lincoln raised a brow. "Yet? Oh… you're gonna make me do it aren't-"
"Go" Lucy demanded curtly.
"Why me?"
"Because if you don't, I'll smash that lamp over you..." Lucy pointed over to a nearby lamp while eyeing Lincoln down.
"Oh, right…" Lincoln glowered fearfully. "*Gulp*, I-I'll go check on mom-"
"Now…" Lucy pressed.
"I'm going! I'm going! Sheesh…" Lincoln muttered as he rushed up to the bedroom door, turned the latch and peered inside.
Observing the usual for Rita's standards, what with being sprawled out on the bed in lingerie. Her laptop sitting just on the edge of her bed. Complete with two bottles of chardonnay. One bottle next to her head being empty, and the other in hand, seeming to have just been opened.
"I'm guessing mom's being mom?" Lucy inquired.
"*Sigh* Yep…"
"Hmm, well alright then, I guess you can go now…" Lucy decided, with Lincoln silently celebrating before starting to go up the stairs. When only just then did the others turn up, and with it, Lynn Sr's return.
Course Lucy didn't care, flicking through channels as flipantly as her fed-up attitude. Up the stairs though Lisa and Lynn got out their rooms simultaneously, the two exchanging the same grim looks…
"Dad's back…" Lynn remarked.
"Hmm…" Lisa hummed gloomily.
Meanwhile as Lynn Sr just pulled in.
"Alright, everyone out! And could someone make sure to wake up the twins? Oh also when you all go inside, just know I'm calling a family meeting so y'know, just wait in the sitting room along with everyone else." Lynn requested, with everyone except Lori and the sleepy twins making their way out as instructed.
"Hey, wakey-wakey…" Lori whispered, getting the duo to creak up.
"Hm, huh?" Lola muttered in a confused tone as she slowly got up.
"Nah… I'm good…" Lana refused, rolling over to hide her face.
"No, we're here, also there's a family meeting dad put together-"
"Dad?!" The twins sat up instinctually, setting aside their stubborn sleepy nature.
"Well why didn't ya say that earlier?! Now I'm gonna get busted for being late..." Lana bellyached.
"Don't worry, you're not late, yet…" Lori smirked.
"Duah!" Lana sputtered, clambering out of her seatbelt and over Lola, much to her annoyance as her seatbelt web wasn't untangling any less the more she struggled.
"Hey! Watch it meathead! Ugh! A little help here?!" Lola cried agitatedly, while Lori just reached into the seatbelt-web, unbuckling the buckle. The seatbelt web of toil and annoyance unraveling right before Lola's dumbfounded eyes.
"I… I-it was hard for me okay?!" Lola protested.
"And that's why you got me around, anyways run along now, I'm sure the others are waiting…"
Lola took one last glance at Lori before folding her arms at her, and stomping out the van in a huff. Much to Lori's short-lived amusement, as now the twins were inside Lori's cheery demeanor defaulted back to the fact there was a family meeting.
"*Sigh*, I hope dad's not gonna get up at me being 'late'…" Lori scowled, stepping out of the van and following the path all the way up to the front door.
But as Lori was about to open the front door, she could see the entire family besides Rita altogether in the sitting room. And by what she heard, it sounded like some sort of news broadcast.
Judging by the wide range of being outright mortified from Luan silent fury from Lynn Sr, it seemed to be pretty serious.
So serious that no one seemed to notice Lori's entrance, being too transfixed on what was on TV. But after hearing the name royal woods elementary. All the stars began to line up. And pretty soon Lori herself joined in to witness Lucy's vengeance on full display. Being up to the point she was exacting her justice against Kristy (yet again now…).
Justice that certainly didn't come off that way to the rest of the family, with the twins shuffling as far away from Lucy as they possibly could. With both Lynn Jr and Sr developing foul scowls at Lucy, maybe not Lynn Sr since he already had one the moment he walked in...
"Oh, c'mon! She deserved it!" Lucy justified.
"Dude… You ripped, her finger off… With your bare hands!" Luna reminded.
"Yeah! And even if she did deserve it... (which is an entirely different discussion) that still doesn't excuse you for kicking poor Lincoln! I just... where do I even begin with that? Where do I even begin with you! Like, I've grounded you into oblivion, so like… what am I supposed to do with you? How am I supposed to teach you, to give the slightest-" Lynn Sr paused, frowning as he surveyed the frowns given by the younger siblings, before looking back up to Lucy.
He knitted his brow together fiercely, delivering his piece. "To teach you, how to give even the slightest shit, about anyone in this family! *Sigh*, why… just, what happened, what made you this… thing… I-I can barely even call you my daughter!" Lynn admitted, particularly stinging the family, even though it wasn't aimed at them, even managing to attract Rita's attention. Well, everyone except Lucy.. who was getting real tired of Lynn Sr's grating voice.
"Do you hate us, or something? I-is that it-"
"Yes…" Lucy cut in, with zero hesitation. "I hate you, I hate Lisa, I hate Lori, I hate Lincoln, I hate mom, I hate Leni, I hate Lola and Lana! I hate Lynn." Lucy spat, staring Lynn Jr right through her eyes making her sink into the seat timidly.
"I hate, everyone… equally… admittedly some of you have been more charitable to me than most, but there is no one, not a single human being that's made my life more hellish then it burns right now… and that, one special lad..." Lucy paused, grabbing and muting the TV with it's remote lying on the coffee table.
Steadily approaching Lynn Sr up to the point the tips of their footwear touched. "Who just so happens, to be my. Great o'l. Dad…" Lucy finished, with a very harsh prod into his leg.
"Touch me again, and you won't like what happens…" Lynn Sr cautioned, his voice very calm, yet his threat very clear. Though in case he wasn't obvious enough, his glare was an excellent indication of how he felt.
The siblings sat still with bated breath, for this could have ended either very quickly and painlessly. Or, very quickly, yet very painful. Or very long, and much more painful for all to witness.
Lucy glared right back at Lynn Sr mirroring his hatred, as she readied her finger to see what she wouldn't like to happen. However Lucy retracted her hand straight away for Lucy. She knew she was playing with hellfire when it came to taking the piss at this length. Her forearms and calves learned that the hard way.
Lucy glanced back to her sheepish siblings cowering by TV, before snapping right back to Lynn Sr's eyes. And she said to herself; Y'know what? I've got nothing left, no friends, no love, and certainly no family. So y'know what dad? I'm gonna carve my own spot out! Starting by pissing you off!
Lucy balled her hands up firmly, building up a little more heat, before letting it all right into Lynn Sr's left shin almost bone-shatteringly hard thanks to her boots. Causing Lynn Sr to howl in calamity as he doubled over.
"Dad!" The siblings cried, with Lori and Leni rushing to his sides instinctively. Lucy tried to get away, but Lynn Sr managed to latch onto one of Lucy's boots, tripping Lucy onto the stairs.
With what little colour in Lucy's face fading even further away as she met Lynn Sr's face brimming unfathomable wrath as he let out a low unruly growl so fierce it rattled every sibling's bone down to the marrow.
Lucy in an act of quick thinking undid the buckle on her shoe. Kicking her boot off into Lynn Sr's face before making a mad dash up the stairs.
"Ohohoho! Now you've DONE IT!" Lynn Sr yelled, pushing against Lori and Leni as he bolted right up the stairs at Lucy as he undid his belt. While yes his injured shin killed him to walk upon, the fire in his eyes burned too bright to even acknowledge it...
Lucy was about to get inside her room, but Lucy made the rookie mistake of turning around. Her eyes sinking deep into her skull as she saw the flaming bulwark that was her father ramming straight into her door.
Luckily Lucy managed to get inside, but unfortunately as Lucy was about to lock the door. The door in question flung open as a result of the bulwark's momentum. Managing to throw Lucy back a good few feet straight into her dresser back first.
And in the middle of Lucy's doorway stood Lynn Sr high and mighty. And a loose belt in hand.
Lucy began panting like the cornered animal she now was, regret spilling through her veins like a fresh adrenaline shot. "I- I take it back! I'm sorry! Please! I didn't mean any of that stuff-"
"Oh I don't know about that Lucy, I don't think I believe you at all…"
"I… I-"
"Look Lucy, I know you're scared…" Lynn Sr began while closing the door behind him.
"No, no please, dad-"
"But you brought this upon yourself…" Lynn glared as he cracked his belt at Lucy. Cold shivers running up and down Lucy's spine as Lynn began to approach her.
"Dad, I mean it! I'm sorry!" Lucy insisted, accidentally pinning herself between her bed and dresser, preemptively sobbing for the oncoming pain. Raised her hands over her face in a cowardly attempt to hide it.
"I- I'm sorry dad, *sniff*, I- AGH!" Lucy screeched, her hands stinging in unbearable agony. Lucy raised her shaky hands up to inspect her palms, squealing tearfully at the sight of a large gash on her palms. Blood beginning to leak onto the carpet, painting it cherry red.
Lucy daringly tilted her head up to face the beat before her in the eyes. "Dad, p-please…" Lucy begged weakly.
But Lynn Sr just shook his head. As down several more strikes came crashing down, each hit becoming more brutal and swift then the last.
The beating grew so intense that it brought Lucy from her knees down to the scratchy carpet. Where Lynn Sr continued his assault on Lucy's back. Leaving Lucy nothing left but to continue wailing for salvation upon every hit before blacking out from the pain.
Luckily Lucy's cries were not in vain, as downstairs Rita picked up some rather… distressing sounds from outside her room. Pulling Rita out of her drunken state, and into getting into some fresh clothes.
Down stairs, the siblings were all very… conflicted with Lucy. As while they all agreed that Lucy was quite mean. So mean that she would outright hurt one of them if they got in the way. But god damn that belt sounded so painful…
"He… he- pushed us…" Leni muttered shakily, with Lori keeping a close hold on her.
"I know Leni…" Lori comforted, wincing at the sound of yet another belt crack. Sliding her head up the stairs all the way up to Lucy's door, knitting her brows together. Lucy may have been cruel and heartless, but to think their "gentle and kind dad" would stoop to that level as well? Maybe Lucy's hatred wasn't misplaced, at least for one person.
Luan sat on the ground against the sofa's seat cushions. And on her sides she could hear quiet sobbing from either side, she gently pulled them right up to each other. Luan flinched at the sound of yet another crack upstairs, letting her face sag into a solemn frown.
"*Sigh*, I just hope Lucy's okay enough to talk to…" Luan hoped, though the more she dwelled on the idea, the more that she doubted she wanted anything to do with anyone for a long while.
Lincoln sat on the right side of the TV couch. He didn't know what to do, everything was just too much! He wanted to get away, crawl into a shell and never come out. And the longer he wasn't able to do that, the higher his anxiety climbed...
As while yeah Lucy was gone, she'd be back… possibly with vengeance.
Luna sat just on the ground just in front of the sofa, finding it odd that Lily was one of the more composed siblings out of everyone. Maybe cause she hadn't felt what it was like to be around dad when he's uber crazy.
Truth be told Luna really wanted to just march right up there and put an end to Lucy's suffering, yeah Lucy hated her and stuff but that didn't matter, just so long as that goddamn belting finally stops. But Luna knew better than to try and stop him… that's what Rita was for.
Luna swivelled herself around to see her parent's room, sighing at the door still being closed "C'mon mom… just make a move…" Luna begged.
Lisa sat silently on the sofa in uncertainty, keeping herself huddled together all the while flinching at every crack like everyone else. She was just begging for it to be over for everyone's sake, especially Lucy's…
Lynn sat rigidly up against the far left of the TV couch hunched over in overbearing consternation. "I thought I did a decent enough job loving Lucy… heck I think I was the only one who actually said 'miss you'... guess I missed a step somewhere… *sigh*, god- I, miss when none of this crap between us and Lucy was there… we were at least somewhat functional, now?
*Sigh*, I swear, if it weren't for that stupid little four-eyed gremlin. None of this would've… happened…" Lynn paused, ratcheting all the way around, glaring right through Lisa.
"You…" Lynn muttered. Getting Luna's attention, plopping Lily beside her.
"Huh?" Lisa replied.
"You started all this you little fuck'n gremlin!" Lynn cursed, attempting to lunge at Lisa, but Luna put a swift stop to that as she lept into action, tackling her against the couch.
"*Grunt*, get off me Luna!" Lynn demanded.
"Get a goddamn grip first off, it's not Lisa's fault this is happening!" Luna protested.
"Well then who's it?! It's gotta be somebody's!" Lynn snapped, until she paused, hearing a door behind them open, and a rather powerful motherly voice booming out.
"Loud family, what the hell is going on here!" Rita paused, hearing another crack upstairs, her eyes widening at the lack of Lynn Sr and Lucy's presence.
"Where's your father?" Lori gestured upstairs, before flinching at yet another belt smack.
Rita trailed her eyes up the stairs, picking up Lucy's cries, she gasped in realization. "Oh, no, no, no this is not happening, not on my watch! " Rita uttered in a deeply perturbed tone, as she herself got up the stairs as quick as a flash.
She opened the door into Lucy's door, being blasted by the sound of pure suffering as Lynn Sr struck her again.
"Lynn Loud Senior, that is enough!" Rita bellowed, but he didn't even acknowledge she was there, having the audacity to raise his hand for another strike. But as far as Rita was concerned, that would be his last, Marching right behind him, grabbing the belt as he was about to strike. Holding it in place firmly as he struggled to move his whip.
Confused as to why he couldn't move his arm, until he turned his head behind him, bearing witness to his very upset wife.
"Get. Out…" Rita almost yelled, extending an arm to the door.
"But-"
"DON'T, argue with me right now mister" Rita protested fiercely.
With a huff through his nostrils Lynn Sr made his leave as Rita let go of his belt, making sure to slam the door on the way out. Once the beast made his leave, Rita turned her attention to the now broken mess before her.
Rita knelt down to Lucy. Using her hands to gently part Lucy's bangs apart. "Are you alright?" Lucy harshly sniffled in response.
"Aw, there, there, Rita's gonna patch you all up…" Rita comforted, digging her hands under Lucy and heaving her up high, off to the bathroom to get all patch up as promised.
Dinner was about as awkward as ever, what with the family (excluding Lucy) sitting down waiting for dinner. Only to realize that there was no dinner due to well… anything possibly wrong going wrong, going very wrong. With pizza being offered up and accepted by all except Lucy, something that came as a big surprise to Lynn Sr unsurprisingly.
The siblings didn't really feel hungry, but after some 'encouragement' from Lynn Sr, they caved in. Along with any other ungodly rules he made, like not being allowed to even acknowledge Lucy whilst at the dinner table. Rita would have contested, but even she had her limits when it came to dealing with Lynn Sr's crap.
As there was one thing all the siblings could now agree on. Lisa may have been bad, Lucy proved to be worse. But neither of them, compared to Lynn Loud, Senior. While yes Lucy may have been on the same level as Lynn, but at least she was somewhat justified. But Lynn? Pfft, sorry! Nothing's saving that joker's reputation now…
But speaking of Lucy, she had felt absolutely crushed, nothing was going her way. Standing up for herself at dinner? Never had a meal at the table since… try to stand up against a bunch of bullies who crippled her? She gets scolded and ridiculed by literally everyone for being a bloodthirsty psychopath.
And probably worst yet, trying to stand up against her loathsome father? How about getting so badly beaten, that if she were to step outside a police investigation would be filed against her family.
Every turn she made led to complete disaster on Lucy's end. Including physical turns, as now even the slightest movement stung at least a teeny bit. Lucy paused her wanderings, catching a glimpse of her siblings dining on their pizza slices like the piglets they were. And at the very front of each table stood the fattest of the pigs Rita and Lynn Senior respectively.
The longer Lucy stared at Lynn though, the more her pent-up wrath built up. Manifesting itself in Lucy's balled up fists unconsciously, acting like she was stabbing a really fat pig's stomach and ripping it wide open-
Lucy froze, as her mind delved down a very dark place… no, no she couldn't possibly conceive of trying that. That would be outrageous! Then again… hmm… we'll see how she feels tomorrow morning…
Despite Lynn Sr's vigilant eye, Lisa managed to catch Lucy's little fantasy live. Growing very frightened yet confused of what was going through Lucy's head. Heh, y'know that mind reader could come in real handy if it wasn't all dinged up right now. Then in that same train of thought, a simple revelation came to mind, what if that mind reader… wasn't in shambles?
She had built it up and destroyed it enough times to know how to build it back up again rather quickly. Just a matter of making sure the machine didn't overload and Lisa would be set! All she had to do was get started...
So right after dinner, Lisa grabbed a few tools and headed outside to fix up the mind reader once and for all. The only real problem was figuring out why it just kept on overloading! Even in the simulated trials she had built in!
"*Sigh*, let's try to think backwards. I always made sure to have small test subjects, and they were quite willing to participate in the experiment. Well, that was until they got inside, and started stressing out... sending more information to the mind reader than necessary.
After all, I just want what's inside Lucy's head, not out. Hmm…" Lisa hummed, pacing back and forth in aggravated thought, taking a micro-break with a small yawn, after all, she had been working her little four-year old body for a good…
But it wasn't done, as in that same train of thought, Lisa's eyes widened in enlightenment. "What if Lucy was asleep? That would solve everything! Cause if she was asleep, then I would get a smooth view right into her brain, without all that nonsense from being awake!" Lisa theorized.
"Now all I've gotta do is test it-" Lisa paused, her face plummeting in dismay, as the last test subject was burnt to a crisp. Lisa darted her eyes back to the mind reader in doubt, yet against her better judgement she trusted in its ability to perform its task.
Whether or not that trust would pay off was yet to be seen. All that could be done was figuring out how Lisa could get Lucy outside, while asleep? It's not like Lisa could just move everything inside… then again, after one look up to Lucy's window. Maybe she could just bring Lucy to the mind reader instead of the other way around. But that would've instantly woken Lucy up, unless.
"Perhaps there was something in the lab?" Lisa pondered, running straight up to her lab cautiously, passing by Lily who patiently awaited Lisa.
"Lila!"
"Yes, greetings Lily- I'll read you a bedtime story later!" Lisa dismissed, wrapping around her work desk and stopping in front of the wall next to it. Lisa pressed her hand firmly against said wall. Her handprint on the wall glowed blue before the glow dissipated. And the wall swung open with a wave of cold blue light washing over Lisa.
A blue light that housed a moderate stockpile of various chemicals, acids, and alkalis all neatly stored in one test tube per sample, she wished she could have more, but… that costed money, money that only came from science competitions… that weren't available...
"*Brr*, okay, let's see here…" Lisa murmured to herself, trailing her finger around, stopping her finger on a small solid grey test tube. With the chemical formula for Cyanide displayed in a thick black sharpie. Lisa shuddered at the sight, before continuing on her search for a nice test tube of-
"Melatonin! That'll…" Lisa stopped, investigating the test tube a little closer. Her eyes widened anxiously as she noticed the entire tube was empty. And like said before, one tube per sample…
"Well that idea was a bust…" Lisa remarked, slamming the wall door shut, about begin pacing around the room before her eye caught her room's door, frowning in premonition for the only option she had left.
"*Sigh* I think a few meetings are in order..." Lisa said to no one in particular, stepping just outside her room surveying the halls.
"Bye bye Lila!"
"Farewell Lily…" Lisa replied, "Now, who's least likely to bite my head off…"
First things first was to rule out anyone who would be a waste of time trying to convince. Leaving only Lincoln, Lori, Leni, Luna, and Luan. Admittedly Lisa was hesitant to ask them since they could be quite feisty once someone ticked them off.
Then again, Lisa only needed two siblings to assist her, so she figured it didn't matter if it went too poorly, right?
Lisa tried Lincoln's door first, figuring his man of the plan reputation would pay off. But as she knocked on his door, it moved slightly ajar revealing Lincoln's clearly troubled eye.
"Y-yes?" Lincoln stuttered out.
"Oh… uhm, salutations dear brother! I was just wondering if-"
"Is this another favour?"
"Well… yes?"
"Has it got anything at all to do with Lucy?"
"Uh…. a little?"
And just like that, Lincoln slammed his door shut. Lisa sighed in disappointment, hoping that this wasn't a sign of things to come as she creeped over to Luna and Luan's, room knocking daintily, receiving an answer mere moments later.
"What now Lori…" Luna said groggily, getting confused at Lisa being down there instead.
"Oh… it's you, y'know you've got a lotta nerve coming here at… what time is it?" Luna asked Luan, who was still in bed.
"Two to one…" Luan answered.
"Yeah, that time little dude…"
"Yes uhm I'm aware of that, c-could you help me with something?" Lisa asked meekly.
Luna narrowed her eyes at Lisa in distrust. "Is this another one of your favours?"
"Perhapes?…"
"Yeah… alright Lisa, I'm going back to bed, later-"
"No wait! I-it's about Lucy!" Lisa got out, just as Luna was about to close the door on Lisa's offer. Lisa managed to pique both Luna and Luan's interest.
"What's about Lucy?" Luna questioned, with Luan poking her head just over Luna's shoulder.
"Well, Luna, do you recall that mind reader I made?"
Luna frowned in apprehension "Yes…"
"Good! Because I've worked out all the kinks now!"
"And that's supposed to mean it isn't gonna fry em this time?"
"In a word; yes, but that's beside the point, because the point is that I can finally figure out what's wrong with her, and in order to that, I'm gonna need you two to help me carry her out while she's resting, that's all! Nothing more, nothing less!"
Luna frowned, in unassurance. "I dunno Lisa, I saw the damage that thing did, how am I supposed to know it won't happen again?" Luna questioned, making Lisa sweat a bit, as even she wasn't sure how...
"I… I-I just know okay! *Sigh*, look you're just gonna have to trust me on this one!"
"Mmm…" Luna hummed in unassurance, Lisa's little saddened face making it too hard to just say no "*Sigh* I'm sorry Lisa, I just dunno, what about you Luan?"
"Well…" Luan paused. "On one hand I trust you about the damage it may have caused, but honestly?" Luan stopped, looking back at Lisa, who's saddened look turned to that of hope.
"*Sigh* I'm gonna trust Lisa on this one..."
"Yes! You won't regret this Luan!" Lisa cheered squeakily, while Luna sat in disbelief at Luan.
"W-wha- Luan! What about that thing you said in the van about just talking to her?!"
"I know what I said Luna, but after what happened today? Yeah, talking to Lucy just isn't gonna happen…"
"I-" Luna stopped. "*Sigh*, alright, fine! Just, be careful dudes… alright?"
"Don't worry, we'll be fine…" Luan confirmed throwing a comforting smile at Luna while she closed the door.
"So… now what?" Luan questioned.
"Now! We'll try to get either Lori or Leni…"
"Alright, lead the way!"
Like Luan said, Lisa led all the way up to Lori and Leni's room.
Lisa knocked three times in rapid succession, to no answer initially, making them glower in worry.
"Hold on, lemme try" Luan offered, with Lisa standing back as Luan knocked on the door twice firmly. A shrill voice coming from the other side.
"Sorry, I'm sorry! Just- gimme a sec!" Leni cried in a shrilly hushed tone. Quickly revealing herself afterwards in a minty green nightgown, and rather messy hair.
"Hey guys *yawn* I only just got done with helping Lori cope with a pair of these" Leni explained, tapping on her earbuds, before taking them out and depositing them into one of her nightgown pockets.
"They're pretty good for blocking stuff out, Lori always puts them all the way up! anyways, something up?"
"Uhm, actually I was just wondering if you wanted to help with an experiment?" Lisa asked, putting on a cheery smile.
Leni hissed in unassurance. "I don't know… didn't mom say like no more experiments? Cause of uhm reasons?" Leni asked concernedly.
Lisa froze, for she had let that warning from her completely slip her mind. And seemingly Luan's as well since she developed her own frown in response to the question.
"Yeah but… see i-it's about Lucy, and Lisa made some sort of mind reader thingy so we could see what's up" Luan explained jovially.
Leni narrowed her eyes. "Hmm, but you don't need a mind reader to figure that out!"
"Uhm, actually, we do…" Lisa answered meekly, puzzling Leni.
"Why? Just talk to her!" Leni replied.
"*Sigh*, Leni, do you honestly think it's a good idea just talking to Lucy, after everything she's said and done?" Lisa pointed out.
Leni opened her mouth about to say something, only to glower in deep hurt as the image of Lucy kicking Lincoln square in his gut flashed by.
"A-actually, maybe talking Lucy's kinda out of the question…" Leni admitted.
Lisa glowered, feeling bad for reminding Leni about Lucy's actions. "So… does this mean you wish to assist me?"
"I… I guess so…" Leni confirmed reluctantly. "Are you sure this will work?"
"Well… like I've said before, yes, I'm sure"
"One-hundred percent sure?"
Lisa honestly wasn't, but for the sake of Lucy. "Yes, one-hundred percent…"
"*Phew*, sorry, just gotta make sure…" Leni made sure.
"That's alright Leni, I'm putting my best foot forward here…" Lisa reassured, pressing her said foot forward to Lucy's room ever so gently. Ushering Leni and Luan forward as the trio approached Lucy's door.
"Uhm Lisa? Do we have to get her while she's sleeping? That's kinda weird even for me" Luan pointed out.
"Yeah… and how do ya know she's even asleep?" Leni inputted.
"Well Luan, would you like to be put into a mind reader against your will?"
"Uhm, no?" Luan said dubiously, starting to grow uncomfortable with the whole plan.
"Exactly, now as for Leni's question…" Lisa lightly knocked on Lucy's door, pressing her ear against the door, hearing nothing but rustling covers and Lynn Jr's mumerings.
"All clear…" Lisa confirmed in a hushed tone, gingerly creaking Lucy's door open before she paused. Growing confused as to their whereabouts, only to jump out of her skin at the sight of Leni and Luan appearing behind her.
"Okay, before we go in, a couple of things first; follow my lead, for the love of all things scientifically well and good, be quiet… got that locked in?"
"Yep!" Luan confirmed.
"Keep it low-key, got it!" Leni interpreted.
"Yes, low-key… now stick behind me!" Lisa ordered, pushing the door open, trying not to make the door creak as she pushed onward inside.
They stealthily squatted in a small line all the way up towards Lucy's bedside, with Lucy resting soundly on her back. And more importantly on top of a blanket.
But Leni noticed something. "She's not using a pillow?" Leni pointed out, making Lisa raise her brow in confusion.
"So? Just makes it easier…" Lisa acknowledged.
"I know but like, how the heck could anyone sleep like that? I know I couldn't" Leni elaborated, making Luan widen her eyes.
"Yeah… how can she…" Luan added, narrowing her eyes down at Lucy's 'sleeping body'.
"No… you two can't possibly be implying. No, no, I'd know if Lucy's pretending to be asleep or not! A-and she is definitely asleep!" Lisa cried, getting shushed by Luan and Leni.
"We'll take your word for it just, relax… kay?" Leni defused, making Lisa steam at the blatant patronisation in her eyes.
"Thank you… now one of you takes the left, and the other takes the right side. We're gonna bring her around outside" Lisa instructed.
"Wait, outside? But, that's gonna be real cold…" Leni complained, making Lisa falcepalm in annoyance.
"Just… of all things to worry about…" Lisa muttered. "*aggravated sigh*, if we make the trip quick, you can come back, and bring your warm and comfy things, for now just… grin and bear it please?" Lisa begged.
"Okay..." Leni accepted begrudgingly.
"Lovely… now please pick your sides" Lisa instructed. With Luan taking the right side, and Leni taking the left, with the two heaving Lucy up rather easily. It was as if Lucy was just a thin burnt stick. Lisa ran shotgun, guiding them through any obstacle with relative ease.
When they got outside standing on the front porch. The cold Leni mentioned started to knaw on Luan and Leni's fingers. A fact that Leni began stressing to Lisa, she dismissed their concerns out of determination to get to the mind reader in time, forcing them to press forward.
Once they were right around the corner of the machine a strong gust of cold went straight by Leni and Luan...
"Lisa… m-my fingers are s-slipping… *brr*" Leni warned.
"M-mine too…" Luan added.
"But…" Lisa paused, "Y'know what… j-just run to it! Don't worry if she shakes a bit!" Lisa instructed, with the Leni and Luan speed walking almost all the way to the machine, till Leni and Luan stopped in their tracks right next to the machine. Producing it's whirring mechanical noises rather loudly now they were up close.
"Alright, I'm s-stopping here Luan!" Leni announced, abruptly letting go of Lucy.
"Careful!" Lisa squawked frightfully.
"Look I'm sorry, but I can't, I l-literally cannot do this right now!" Leni chattered out, ducking her hands into her sleeves.
"What!? You can't quit now! We're right there!" Lisa bemoaned, feeling a strong gust of cold run through her.
"*Brr*, okay, maybe it is a little chilly…" Lisa admitted, digging her hands into her elbows.
"See? Now I'm gonna go b-back up, and grab some winter s-stuff. And you're both gonna th-thank me for it!" Leni prophesied, her teeth chattering intensely.
"We c-certainly will" Lisa replied sardonically, her mind gravitating to how loud the machine was upclose. "But before you go, could you p-pass me those n-noise blockers?" Lisa requested.
"S-sure, but why?" Leni inquired curiously.
"Uhm... blocking noise?" Lisa answered.
"Oh, w-well okay then, I-I'll put on something relaxing" walking up to Lisa and handing her the earbuds, before starting to run back inside.
"I won't be long!" Leni called out.
"Better be! All this s-stuttering is s-starting to g-get on my n-nerves…" Luan stuttered irritably.
"M-my thoughts exactly…" Lisa sympathised.
In the wake of the ambient silence, ignoring the machine of course. As she laid her eyes upon peaceful Lucy, a thought came into her mind. "She looks cold…"
"Hm?" hummed, looking to Luan in slight confusion.
"Lucy…" Luan answered, with Lisa looking down at Lucy.
"Oh…" Lisa walked up to Lucy, inspecting her interlocked hands laying on her stomach. Lisa reached out to touch her hand, recoiling at the frostburn. Without thinking she grabbed the loose blanket and ran around wrapping it all over Lucy's body nice and snug like a neat little mummy, Lisa's affection making Luan smile down at Lisa.
"I think that would've made Lucy smile…" Luan remarked.
"Smile?"
"Yeah… well, almost..." Luan joked.
"Hehe, yeah…" That was, until she looked up to Lucy's blank face. "Almost…" Lisa murmured, placing the earbuds from Leni into Lucy's unfeeling ears, before stepping away observing Lucy from afar in bitter sweetness. Growing a bit curious as to what it was that Leni was listening to
Until Leni made her entrance. "Hey guys! I'm back with blankets and warmer clothes!" Leni announced.
Luan hissed in awkwardness "Oh uhm, that's okay Leni, I kinda forgot about the cold hehe" Luan admitted, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.
"Me too now that I think about it, guess it really is mind over matter…" Lisa added.
Leni glowered in slight disappointment. "Oh… well if you guys change your mind just, come to the pile!" Leni announced, dropping the pile of fabrics at her feet.
"Noted, now let's get the ball rolling!" Lisa ordered, but as Leni was about to spring into action alongside Luan, she noticed how nicely Lucy was wrapped up.
"Hey, did you do that Luan?" Leni inquired as she pointed to Lucy.
"Do what?" Luan replied in a puzzled tone, trailing Leni's finger down to Lucy. "Oh! No that was all Lisa…" Luan enlightened proudly.
"*Gasp*, aw, that makes it way more adorable!" Leni gushed, making Lisa blush in embarrassment.
"Well I mean, she seemed to be getting cold so I figured… why leave her like that, y'know?" Lisa rationalized.
"Hehe, oh-kay Lisa…" Leni smirked, with Luan and Leni together placing Lucy on the dentistry bed.
Leni and Luan stood back as they let Lisa work her pedantic fingers. Lisa manually lowered the chair down, as she placed the bowl device upon Lucy's sleepy head. Dashing over to the master console, switching switches and turning dials as well as pushing buttons and keys.
Resulting in the monitor above the console to display a grey ring at the center of the screen. with the ring filling overtime with a light blue.
"Now if everything goes according to plan, the blue should fill up the empty ring without trouble. Resulting in the entire screen turning light blue. After that, I will press the big red button in the middle of the console.
Then, and only then should the home screen show up… as it's intended " Lisa educated, the trio watching the monitor above the master console in overbearing anticipation.
With Lucy starting to wriggle and squirm around in her blanket confines. seeming to interfere with the loading circle's progress, making the trio panic slightly. Only for Lucy to cease her movement, letting the circle turn blue, and with it, the rest of the screen.
The trio cheered and hollered in celebration, with Lisa stopping shortly after shushing the other two.
"Alright, all I have to do now… is just press this, button…" Lisa narrated while walking over to the control panel, and pressing the big red button in the middle firmly.
Shortly after it displayed small white emboldened text in the middle of the screen reading as is; 'CONVERTING DATA TO MANUAL MP4 FORMAT, PLEASE WAIT…'
"What does mp4 mean again?" Leni questioned in a confused tone.
"It's a video file, Leni…" Luan explained.
"*Gasp*, cool! I'll go grab those blankets for you guys to relax on!" Leni relayed, darting over to the nearby fabric pile to fetch three blankets while the dreams loaded in one by one.
The dreams being displayed in a sort of wheel format. The dreams themselves being shown as thumbnails that you could cycle through via a joystick next to the big button on the console. With the joystick itself having a small red button at the tip.
Under thumbnails were the dream's file names, and the date of the memory's initial occurrence above.
"Alright! Okay, now to find the one that matters…" Lisa muttered, cycling forward to the latest file, with the date being replaced with 'recording'.
"What does recording mean Lisa?" Luan queried.
"That? Why that dear siblings means she's having a dream right now!" Lisa answered giddily.
"Ooo! C'mon Lisa, let's watch it!" Leni added.
"I intend to…" Lisa smiled, selecting the inprogress dream and pressing the button on the joystick. And sitting down on her own finely patted down blanket to watch the show.
The screen cut from black to what looked like the middle of the Royal Woods street in the middle of a severe blizzard. Thick wind throwing around snow that covered every inch of what little they could see.
Immense trees of foggy ice sprouting through the roof of every house on the street. Permafrost branches tangling and weaving together with other crystalline branches.
Guardians the size of a fully grown adult made entirely out of blizzard wind. Utilizing lofty meter long sheers to trim down the unruly glacial hardwood.
Lucy abruptly stopped in the middle of the street, spinning around to face the loud residence. Ramshakled and abandoned, it's original tree rotted and suffocated by yet another glacial tree reaching for the heavens. A blindingly white door decorated with gleaming gold highlights.
A door that the trio watching had never seen before. Yet the design was quite similar to a certain ancient tome's cover...
Lucy lightly strolled on through the cracked pavement, crunching through the poor wood planks of the porch. Until Lucy stopped right in front of Leni's still shredded welcome mat.
Creaking her right arm forward and stretching out her fist that was encased in thick ice. Ice that cracked and shook until it exploded rather violently. Revealing Lucy's ghoulishly pale hand stretching it's skeletal fingers before reaching out to the door's golden knob.
Twisting it in a controlled yet brutal manner, pushing the door forward by the knob. Being greeted by the doppelganger on a red velvet chair in all their swagger, hanging their legs over the left arm while resting their back on the right arm. Grinning expectantly at motionless Lucy.
"Two Lucies?" Leni muttered.
"That's not Lucy…"
"Hm?"
"Make no mistake Leni, that is not. Lucy…" Lisa responded strongly.
"Oh, oh-kay…"
The doppelganger extended their hand out to Lucy. Whom began journeying up the regal red carpet all the way up to the doppelganger, and grabbed their hand, without hesitation.
In response, the doppelganger let their grin turn into an absolutely vile toothy smile. "Excellent choice! I'm sure your family would agree… right Lisa?"
The doppelganger uttered forebodingly as thick ice encompassed everything in the room, gradually creeping up the doppelganger's vermillion eyes lingering a few seconds after the entire room turned pitch black. The screen flashing back to the mind reader's home screen.
Leni gulped nervously. "What was that?"
Luan sat in disturbed confusion at the home screen. Bearing a strong feeling that whatever that dream was didn't mean anything good. "I… I dunno Leni… what about you Lisa?" Luan turned to see what Lisa had to say, growing puzzled at Lisa's blank state.
"Lisa?" Luan repeated, waving her hand in front of Lisa's ghostly pale face. Not an inkling of movement, scaring Luan.
"What's wrong Luan?" Leni pried, frowning in concern.
"She's not responding…" Luan replied feverishly.
Leni narrowed her eyes down at Lisa, blinking at Lisa's gleaming paleness. She looked alot like that weird… Lucy-double all pale like that, and then it hit her. "Luan… I think that… Lucy double like, freaked her out too hard..." Leni explained.
Luan furrowed her brows in slight doubt. "You really think so?"
"Well Luan, that 'Lucy' literallyjust name-dropped her with that creepy smile. So I'd say Lisa's allowed to be a little freaked out…"
"Hmm…" Luan hummed in agreement, keeping her eyes on paralized Lisa. "I think it's a safe bet that Lisa's seen enough… you know how to turn that thing off?" Luan inquired.
"That, dream thingy? Uhm..." Leni droned as she slowly approached the master control panel. Being intimidated by the sheer amount of buttons and dials and other bits and bobs on the panel.
"T-the button, Leni…" Lisa mumbled.
"Huh?"
"P-press and h-hold it…" Lisa elaborated weakly.
"Uh…" Leni droned, inspecting the control panel for any button that stuck out. "which one?"
"Th-the big one…" Lisa further explained.
Leni inspected the panel methodically, till her eyes widened at the rather obtuse red button in the middle.
"Oh… that button…" Leni uttered, carrying out Lisa's command to a tee, resulting in all the lights on all the mind reader's tech switched off. Blanketing everyone in complete darkness.
"Great job Leni…" Lisa congratulated, making Leni all giddy, frowning in worry at Lisa stumbling onto her feet wearily. "Now- bring *huff*, Lucy back-" Lisa cut off, falling onto the grass back first.
"Lisa!" Luan and Leni squealed, rushing to her side.
"Are you alright? How many fingers am I holding?" Luan held three digits over Lisa's face.
"*huff*, three…" Lisa answered, with Luan and Leni sighing in immense relief.
"Don't fret over me… just let me lay here for a bit… though in the meantime, put Lucy back to bed, *phew*, I'll come inside when I'm ready…" Lisa instructed, the colour slowly returning to her face.
Luan and Leni exchanged looks. "Are you sure you can walk yourself in?" Luan quizzed, with Lisa nodded.
"Positive, just make sure Lucy's in her room…" Lisa reinforced breathily.
"Well… alright Lisa, we'll leave the door unlocked for you… goodnight Lisa" Leni advised.
"Good night…" Lisa replied, her face finally returning to it's natural pigment.
About an hour later with all said and done, Lisa entered her bedroom without turning on the light, dragging her feet along till her knees made contact with the edge of the bed frame. She collapsed onto the mattress face-first. Rolling over onto her back, resting her hands together on her stomach, staring at the ceiling as her legs dangled over the side.
She was glad she saw that dream, no matter how intense it proved to be for her. But after thinking it over, Lisa knew how vile Lucy's doppelganger was. So why did she shake their hand? Oh well… that was a mystery Lisa didn't have the energy to solve. As she let her eyes finally take a very long and well rest.
That was, until around five am, when Lucy woke up...
