Aya was awoken to the ding of the clock as it struck midnight. She wasn't sleeping very well anyway. It's midnight… Today's the day that mom went to heaven. Aya thought to herself, staring at the ceiling. Mom… Aya had once again found herself unable to sleep. She doubted she'd be getting any more rest tonight. Aya rose from her bed and approached the photo of Monika she kept on her dresser. "Mom… What should I do, mom? I do love Father, I do but… she scares me... She's always looking at me with those strange eyes…" Aya shuddered at the thought of Maria's gaze. "I hate her. But I know Father likes her. I guess if they got married, she'd be my new mom." Aya definitely didn't like that idea. "I don't want a new mom. I don't need a new mom. There's only one mom in the world for me." Tears began to form in her eyes. "Mom… why did you have to go?"

Aya decided she could use a distraction. She walked over to the bookcase and selected The Red Eyed Stranger, an old favorite of hers. When she picked up the book, a small object fell out of the book. Aya knelt down to pick up the object. What's this? She thought to herself as she held it up to inspect it. It appeared to be a clear gemstone, though she couldn't tell what kind. It was clear, like a diamond, but it gave off far more light than one should. It was almost as if it was emitting it, like a torch. She absentmindedly slipped the gem into her pocket; maybe her father would know more about it. She'd ask in the morning.

She sat back down on her bed, eyeing her favorite doll, which sat on a wooden chair beside her bed. It had seen better days, but it still held a special place in her heart. A wave of nostalgia washed over her as she remembered the day her father first gave her the doll. She remembered thinking it almost looked alive. The Doctor did always love dolls. It was one of those hobbies people always thought were strange. Aya didn't see the issue; weren't dolls supposed to be fun?

She noticed her pet rabbit Snowball had been woken up by her activity. She walked over to the rabbit and began gently stroking his fur. Suddenly, she felt a rush of cold. That was odd, since her room didn't usually have a draft, and she didn't feel any air blowing past her. She shrugged it off and headed back to bed. She was starting to feel drowsy again, having recovered from being awoken earlier.

She dreamt of a time when her father took her out to play in the flower fields near her home. He'd fashioned her a crown made of flowers, while she sang an old folk song her mother had taught her. She still knew it by heart, In Stiller Nacht. It was one of the few times she could remember where he was free to play with her. Her mother greeted them just after, and complimented her crown. Her father suggested she join in next time. Sadly, the memory was soon soured when she had another coughing fit. So many memories of her would be forever tainted by the ultimate cause of her passing.

Her death had been a rather sudden one. Sure, it was unlikely that she could recover from such a condition, not even the Doctor was capable of doing much for her, but she was expected to last much longer. When news got out that her condition had suddenly worsened one night, and that she'd died after choking on her own blood. It wasn't impossible, but it seemed far too unlikely. The famed Dr. Alfred Drevis would certainly never be so negligent as to allow such a thing to happen to his own wife. The numerous rumors surrounding her heath didn't make the grieving process any easier for Aya.

Aya was awoken for a third time by a loud scream that sounded like it came from her father. Aya immediately bolted towards her door, ignoring the nervousness that washed over her. If the Doctor was in trouble, she had to help him. She opened the door and quickly made her way into the hallway.

Aya suddenly came to a halt as the candles illuminating the hall snuffed themselves. A shrill, indescribable noise echo through the hall. It was almost like scream mixed with laughter, and distorted by an unnatural reverberation. Suddenly the walls were covered in bloody handprints, and the floors with similarly bloody tracks with no apparent source. Aya was knocked off her feet as two figures appeared out of nowhere, as though conjured from the void.

The figures resembled women, albeit ones decidedly past their expiration date. One was blonde and wore a black gown, the other was brunette, and wore a red skirt with a white, baggy top covered in a black corset. Their skin had turned a deathly purple color, and their expressions were completely blank, save for their eyes, which were full of hatred and fury.

The one in the black gown was bent over backwards at an unnatural angle, seemingly getting around on all fours. Her neck seemed to be broken entirely, and hung permanently to her side. Her face had what looked like a crack running down diagonally from her left forehead to the other side of her head, as though she were made of porcelain. Tears seemed to stream down her face, against the will of gravity.

The brunette stood up straight, but had stitches across her mouth and neck, as well as a third set on her forehead near her left eye. The ones on her mouth kept it fastened shut, and ran along her cheeks as though they'd once been cut open to reveal the teeth and gums beneath, while the ones on her neck seemed to hold her head onto her shoulders. She too had cracks along her face, one that seemed to pass diagonally through her right eye without actually appearing on the ball itself, and one on the left cheek, above the stitches. Dark circles around both eyes gave them the appearance of having sunken into her face.

Aya slowly inched backwards as the two ghouls advanced, ready to pounce on their prey. "No… don't…"

"This way!' a voice came from down the hall.

"Who said that?" Aya turned towards the voice.

"Come this way." The voice repeated.

'Is somebody there?" Aya asked, more to herself than anything. Aya scrambled to her feet as soon as the question left her lips. The voice seemed to come from two doors down. She didn't recognize the voice, but it sounded oddly familiar for some reason.

Aya bolted down the hall, towards the red velvet couch that sat towards the end. The hall ended in a round room with a large staircase with wrought iron railings leading downward perpendicular to the hall. The room at the end was engulfed in darkness. Standing beside the staircase was a tall blonde boy with short, messy hair wearing a white linen shirt, brown suspender shorts, and brown shoes. Aya could swear she'd seen him before, but she couldn't remember where.

"Who are you?" Aya cautiously approached the boy.

The boy simply glanced sideways towards her. "This way." He repeated again, as though he were incapable of saying anything else.

"But who are you?"

"Stay with me." The boy spoke in a hurried tone. It didn't sound like a command, more like advice. Still, she didn't know who this boy was, or what he was doing inside her house. She wanted answers. Why did all the lights go out? Why were there monsters in the hallway? Where was her father? Aya stepped back a bit, unsure of whether to trust the strange boy.

"I said this way!" The boy turned to face her, revealing that his right eye was missing, a black void filled the empty socket.

"No!" Aya screamed, and ran back down the hall, only to be confronted again by the two ghouls. How did she forget about those? She threw open her bedroom door and hurried through, slamming it shut behind her. She pressed her back against the door, arms spread out. A million thoughts ran through her head. Who was that boy? What happened to him? Why was he trying to lead her down the stairs? Where have I heard that voice before? Was he with the others? What was going-

Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed that she wasn't alone in her room. In the corner was a man in black business suit and a matching bowler cap. "Who's that?" She asked, nervously. She reluctantly stepped towards the man; she couldn't exactly run anymore.