Chapter 2

Loudly Doubting

It didn't work. Not by a long shot. Luna drifted away back into her mind, embracing the fake day where she, her band, and all her family got to climb up to that stage with Mick Swagger, at last pouring out the rock bursting through their souls. It was magical, practically heaven. But as soon as that guitar of hers strummed the solo she practiced so long on, her eyes filled with tears. The lights faded away, along with the rampant crowds cheering her name.

Her happiness was depleted, and she fell into a blur. The white room, with its phosphorous lights looking down with devilish delight, taunted her against her untimely will.

She heard the cries, and then the man spoke. "I'm sorry, ma'am, I'm... I'm truly sorry."

It sickened her that she was getting used to this. She had a promise for Luan not to shout again, and she wasn't about to break it. She punched herself in the chest, preventing that trademark scream from leaving her lips. She still shot off from her pillow, gasping for breath, feeling disgusting sweat stick tight to her weary body. Eyes began darting about, making sure her surroundings were all safe-and-sound. Her bed looked normal, as did her walls of posters. Sunlight peered from the blinds, staining her drab room with light she felt both comforted by, as well as annoyed.

Coast was clear. She slapped herself against the temple. "Just another stupid dream, Luna," she told herself, feeling her tongue grow sore after repeating it ad nauseum. "Get over it! Seriously, you're losing your rocker's edge!"

She hopped down to the floor, feeling her stomach grow woozy. With her bare feet against a familiar rug, she swore she should feel better, but even awake she saw that dream in the back of her mind. A woman crying, a mysterious man, a void never to be filled; how the heck could there be so many questions? Was her head trying to tell her something? If so, then what the heck was the message, and couldn't it be bothered to make it less frightening?

A sigh brought her to her door, where her ears realized the usual Coconut-laden pun that greeted her every morning was nowhere to be found. Luan must've left by now. A hint of loneliness filled Luna's heart, and she gripped her night-shirt tightly. Her sister promised she'd be there to help her; guess it couldn't be all the time. Then again, the young rocker knew herself well. She didn't like making her siblings worry about her. Felt selfish, even if she was in desperate need.

"Well, then just ignore it," she motivated herself, knowing full-well that was an impossible endeavor. She entered the hall, once more noting how quiet it was. Was she the late one this time? Never mind that. "Nothing good comes from worry. Mom never lies."

Even when quiet, there was always someone in the bathroom. Typical; that's what she got for waking presumably late. As she waited to shower, she tried composing a song in her head. An unusual thing to do so early in the morning, but it put her nerves at ease.

"One flew over... no, two flew over... uh, maybe make it three?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am, I'm... I'm truly sorry."

Another courtesy slap to the temple. "Seriously? Come on, not now!" she complained. She leaned hard against the door, sighing in defeat. Guess it can't be helped; bothering subjects can't leave the head so easily. She pondered on the room again, hoping for an answer that would never come. Maybe if she was like Lisa, she'd figure it out instantly, but as it stood, she was scrambling all over the place.

"Do I know the place?" She asked herself, scratching her chin. "I mean, a white room, but no black curtains, so not that one..."

Even failing that spot-check, she had to admit, something did feel a little familiar about it. Even with all the blur, she swore she knew that place. How? She had no idea. Just something about it felt so nostalgic, like a lost childhood memory she couldn't hold back any longer. Did that make sense? Thinking on it, she didn't have too many things she wanted repressed. Okay, a few things here-and-there, but who doesn't have a few skeletons in the closet?

"Gah, you're just losing it, Lunes. Now you think you know the freaking place! That's not right!"

Whatever anger she held against herself was interrupted by her head getting bashed by the door. Leaning against the entryway was a poor decision, and Luna found herself tumbling back, more annoyed than anything about losing that train of thought. "Yikes, harsh dude! You gotta open the door so fast?" she complained to the occupant.

She expected Lori, her eldest sister, or perhaps even Leni. Heck, based on the sun's position, there was a good chance Lincoln was already awake. Yet, opening her eyes, she didn't see any of those choices, but rather the face of her second-youngest sibling. With a face filled with uncaring and bullishness, Lisa Loud could only smirk at her sister's dilemma. She rolled her tongue, as if that was her only way to sigh. "Well, technically, I opened the door at the exact speed anyone would, complete with resistance not even aided by your foolish decision."

In her moments of peril, Luna truly didn't need to hear her sister's smart-alec responses, even if she was correct in doing so. Then again, when was the last time she encountered Lisa in this bathroom? Honestly, she feared the young kid didn't even use it. On a normal day, she would've inquired, but right now, she realized the little brat was the perfect person to see. Even while only approaching five, she was the smartest person in all of Royal Woods. Heck, the world for that matter. Maybe she held answers?

Luna quickly grabbed Lisa by the shoulders, chuckling nervously while doing so. "Hey, sis, uh... you got a minute?" She asked politely. Her younger sister glared at her, staring her down as if she was prey trapped in a basic harness. It was enough to make her older sibling shake.

"Well, I do. Plenty of minutes. You, however, are late by exactly two. I'd say you'd do better by not showering this morning. A light precipitation should occur in roughly-"

Yikes was all Luna could feel. "W-Well, that's cool... I think. Look, I have a serious question for you!"

Lisa folded her arms. "Fine, I'm listening, but if this has anything to do with your amplification device, I want to let you know that for once, it was Lana, not me."

She'll inquire later. "No, not that! Listen, you're very smart and such! Like, super smart and all that!"

The smile nearly broke her younger sister's glasses. "Hmph, so I've been told, but I'm not doing any favors."

"Well, then don't! I was just wondering if you knew anything about dreams! Y'know, their meanings and stuff? Like, if they're warning me about something, or maybe they're just stress or... something?" She held her hands together, hoping her horrible attempt at puppy-dog eyes would convince her sister with anything.

Lisa, meanwhile, looked at Luna dumbfounded. "Seriously? Dreams? And your rampant use of the word 'something' leaves a lot to be desired." She pushed her glasses closer to her face. "Besides, I regret to inform you that right now, science is dictating that they don't even exist, so no, I got nothing for you. Maybe a fantasy book, but not me." She was ready to walk away, but her older sister quickly grabbed her again.

"W-Wait! I totally get it! It's just...," she knew she was going to regret her next statement, but what choice did she have? "... I'm scared, little sis. Like, really scared. These dreams are haunting me, and... I don't know where to go or turn to. Not even music's helping!"

She sounded so pathetic, it nearly made her gag. Lisa, for once, actually looked shocked. It wasn't common for Luna to look so vulnerable. She stroked her chin, lost in a deep thought. Her elder sister looked at her impatient and worried. Was she wasting her time with this? She truly prayed she wasn't.

At last, Lisa sighed, looking off towards the stairs. "Well, if it's really bothering you, All I can say is your first ponderment might be correct. Stress tends to make bizarre apparitions from the mind. Tch, teens these days. Always stressed out before adulthood. If only they knew the truth." She snickered, before regaining her tough look. "All I can say is just distract your mind. Be calm, be relaxed, and it should go away. If that doesn't work, then you know where to find me. Just don't wait until the middle of the night. That's my personal hour!"

Luna couldn't even think of what an almost-five-year-old needed to do at midnight, but that wasn't the topic of concern. Like Luan, she gave that same response. Don't worry, and everything would be okay. If only it was that easy, right? Still, maybe she was stressing out. School was getting annoying, adulthood was right around the corner, and her aspirations for the future were always in doubt. She sighed. Probably the only answer she could get.

"Yeah, maybe you're right. Well, thanks a lot, Lis. I... guess I just needed to hear that."

"Tch, whatever. Now, if you'd excuse me. By the way, you are now six minutes overdue. If I were you, I'd, as the kids would say, get cracking!"

And cracking she did. No matter the dilemma, time was an unmistakable fact. All that worrying made Luna late for her day. She hadn't been tardy yet this year, and she refused to let those dreams tarnish her semi=flawless record. Taking a deep breath, she puffed out her chest, and got through her routine as fast as humanly possible. "Just don't stress, girl. The dreams are just distractions. They want you to fail, man! Don't let them!" She splashed water in her face, and turned back to the one subject that brought her peace. A rhythm played in her head, stretching a smile across her face. "Gotta play good tonight. That'll bring me back!"

Her motivational speech almost worked. She felt stronger and enlightened, almost as if she could do anything now. Luan and Lisa may have given roughly the same responses, but maybe it truly was that simple: Just fight off the stress and enjoy the rest of her day. Simple. Maybe a rousing calculus course would do the job. Then again, maybe school was the root of all evil. Yeah, probably that.

But all that faded away when she looked at the mirror. Some dust clung against the glass, with its reflection showing a dim variation of the real world looking back. Luna finished brushing her teeth, spitting away her pain, before at last staring at herself with a carefree grin. Her other form gave the same look. Same look, same Luna.

In the blink of an eye, she saw herself leave. Her reflection had all but vanished, leaving nothing behind. Her eyes opened wide at the sight of the room behind her, completely undeterred and vacant. The door looked back, the bath shifted its gaze, and even the sink seemed amused. They were the only occupants there. Nothing disturbed them. Unoccupied, as it should.

Luna held back her scream as she fell towards the wall, huffing and puffing. Her fingers scrambled for something to hold, ultimately failing in their futile search. She crumbled to her knees, feeling every muscle ache, prompting her to stay down for as long as possible. Nevertheless, her eyes refused to leave the mirror, teeth gritting hard as she slowly scrambled back up.

She closed her eyes, finding her feet wobbly, struggling to keep her up. Only with a deep breath did she finally force herself to look. Her eyes caught nothing. Just an empty room looking back at Luna, practically enjoying her mixture of confusion and dread.

An open window brought forth a diabolical breeze. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I'm... I'm truly sorry," she heard it call.

For sixteen years, she had never been more scared in her life. She quickly turned to the door, finding its knob almost impossible to turn. "Come on, open! Open!" she screamed, nearly shoving the poor slab away from its hinges. The wind picked up its pace. Did she feel herself staring back at her, or was she alone in that bathroom, comforted by no one aside from her ailing mind?

"I hope you find peace," The wind whispered silently in her ear.

With another scream, the door swung open, revealing a hallway she knew rather well. The entrance to her room remained ajar, with all other rooms fully open and vacant. Normal; it was a normal morning in the Loud house. Against her body drenched in a fearful sweat, it all felt surreal, yet pleasant.

She took a minute to breathe, before slapping herself hard against her face. She turned back to the mirror. Another Luna looked back, just as confused as the real one. As if to check, she rose her hand up-and-down. The pattern matched. She saw her reflection.

Like nothing happened. Another slap.

"Get it together! Now you're really losing it!"

Down the stairs, she heard her father call. "Luna, hurry up! You're gonna be late for school."

And even further away, she heard Lisa. "Ten minutes now. You'd think somebody around here would listen!"

Luna leaned against the door again, sighing. She felt a tear running down her face, but she quickly brushed it off. If she had to be scared, she refused to cry about it.

"You're losing your mind, girl. Just... go to school. Yeah, that should help, right? Jeez, Calc sounds fun all-of-a-sudden. Yikes."

She departed the bathroom, hanging her head low as she went down the stairs, all the while feeling the lights from that room still haunting her. Just stress, she concluded. Just evil, stupid stress.