All ten of the movie-watchers seemed fine as the second one, Sinister Sister 2, about a little sister possessed by an evil alien ghost, came to its chilling conclusion. Both bags of chips were empty, although half the root beer (and a can Aist had brought for herself) was left over.

The Twins were the first to leave. They stood up (after removing the silent Adrian and Neil from Two's lap) and stretched, brushing a few chip crumbs off themselves. "Good movie. But we have to go."

"'Kay." Aist handed the nearest twin her can of pop. "Here, have some..." she paused dramatically. "Root beer."

They laughed, and phased through the nearest wall. "Thanks, Aist."

Sydney was next. "It's been fun, but I gotta go too." She, too, brushed chip crumbs off herself (it had been pretty messy when Luca and Tallimine teamed up to get one of the uncooperative bags open) and left, making sure not to leave anything behind.

As the five girls laughed, talked, played games, and so forth downstairs, Mrs. Connor was putting the little twins to bed.

"Howcome we can't stay up, Mommy?" Adrian asked.

"Because you're three, and, well, Linnelly's thirteen. She's a lot older than you."

The small boy pouted. "I bet the big Twins get to stay up."

"Well, they're all grown up, so they can stay up if they want. But you're not grown-ups yet." She turned on the night light. "Do you want me to tell you or read you a story?"

"Tell!" they both shouted.

"Okay."

Several hours later- two AM, to be exact- the wind picked up again, the same way it had when Tallimine and Luca arrived. The windowpanes rattled a little, the house creaked, and an owl hooted a couple of times.

Adrian and Neil were awakened when a branch from the tree near the window was blown into it. "Mommy?"

The branch hit the window again. "Mommmmmy?"

The house creaked. It sounded like footsteps, downstairs. "Mommeeeeeeeeee!" they shrieked.

Meanwhile, downstairs in the living room, the twins' screams had awakened Linnelly and her friends.

"What was that?" asked Kasirell nervously.

"I don't know." Tallimine looked as nervous as her friend sounded.

"It sounded like some tortured spirit... reawakened and roaming the house." That was Aist, who made up the best ghost stories and never got (very) scared by horror movies or scary books.

"Oh, great, Aist, now none of us will be able to sleep," grumbled Luca, hatless for once.

"Come on, it's not her fault she's got an overactive imagination," said Linnelly, trying to stick up for her friend.

"Yes, it is," chorused Kasirell, Tallimine and Luca together, although they all knew those three were joking.

Upstairs, Adrian and Neil were more scared than ever. They clung to each other in the bed, too afraid to move. "Momeeeeeeee..." whined Neil.

He got no answer; evidently, Laurelynne was a deep sleeper.

The branch whacked against the window again. "MOMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" they wailed together.

"What the heck was that noise?" asked the redheaded girl, looking around. "It sounded like..."

"DON'T say it, Aist," warned Kasirell. "I don't want to be any more scared than I already am!"

"Your house is haunted, Lin!" said Luca, wide brown eyes focusing on her friend.

"No, it's not."

Just then, two shadowy, transparent figures came straight through the ceiling.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEAIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" screamed all five girls, clinging to each other in the darkness.

The transparent shapes solidified when they were a foot off the ground, and shot directly into Linnelly's sleeping bag.

"Linny?" asked a small voice from somewhere near her ankles. "Can we sleep wif you?"

She reached in and pulled out the two boys. "It's just my little brothers, okay?"

Wrong thing to say, she thought. Her friends were all staring at her. Finally Aist commented, "Well, I guess that explains why they look like little versions of the Twins."

"You got it." She looked at the closest twin, who happened to be Neil. "Of course you can sleep with me. Just let me get a couple extra pillows for you."