THE MORNING AFTER

Valary woke with a start, confused at first because she had been dreaming vividly. In her dream she had been attacked by serpents of bandages that grabbed her, winding their way up her arms and legs so tightly she could feel blood coming out from the bruises, but then flying science books whose pages were sharp and ragged snapping open and closed as if it were a mouth attacked her head, and white spectres with rattling chains clanged around her, shoving her and shrieking so violently Valary thought her ears might start bleeding too.

Thankfully the text books had disappeared and the ghosts weren't for real, but the bandages that she had been wearing around her head and neck like a scarf had come down over her face and pulled tight around her neck as she had thrashed out whilst in her dreams.

Disentangling herself, she looked over at the fireplace to see Siana sprawled on the ground before it, curled up like the cat she dressed as, her breathes heard between the sharps of her teeth.

Valary lay back sighing. She had hoped that this had all been a dream. They have to find Annabelle before midnight then get back, and then...

Then what? She thought to herself. Will we be friends after all this? Will we just forget that this happened?

Valary wasn't blaming anyone for getting stuck in Halloween. To her it was a big roller coaster ride, but now the ride's become really freaky. There's a chance they'll never get back, and they'll have to live the rest of their lives in Halloween. What would that be like?

She tried imagining herself making a living as an artist, marrying a zombie and having zombie babies. She snorted and said, "over my dead body." then laughed at the irony of it.

"What's so funny?"

Valary leaned on her elbow and looked into the corner of the room where the light of the coals cast deep shadows. She made out the outline of Riks leaning against the wall, the whites of her eyes glowed from the darkness as she stared back at Valary.

"Nothing."

Riks eyes disappeared as she yawned widely. Valary noticed a pair of sharp fangs before they disappeared behind her lips. Creeping out from the shadows, Riks plopped herself next to the bed, and watched Siana's sleeping figure.

"Riks?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you really think of this place as your home?"

Riks looked at Valary, her eyes seemed to bore into Riks and she looked away. Slowly she answered, "I feel like I...belong here."

Valary had noticed something about Riks, but she continued with the conversation.

"You wished to see you dad. Have you- well- have you found him yet?"

Riks craned her head up at Valary, and Valary saw it again. Riks' eyes. At first Valary had thought they were a deep brown, but now she saw that was only her right eye. Her left iris was the colour of the sea in a storm, that grey-turquoise hue that could either be peaceful or raging.

Riks smiled and opened her mouth to say something, but then she stopped, her pupils snapped around to the stairs, her smile dropping. She got up.

Valary jumped as she saw Jack appear from the stairwell. The skeleton had made no sound, but Riks seemed unfazed.

"Good morning," she said.

"Hello," Jack said, surpirsed. "Who're you?"

"My name's Riks," she replied holding out her hand.

"Jack Skellington." They shook hands.

"Riks is it? Strange name," he added frowning.

As she shrugged Siana yawned and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"I'm guessing you haven't found Annabelle," Valary stated.

"No ones seen your friend," Jack said shaking his head. "We'll take one last look around town and then we'll search the outskirts. But first you lot need something to eat."

"Great! I'm starved," piped Siana who had jumped up quickly.

Valary raised an eyebrow at Riks who had a look of amusement on her face.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing."

She grinned at Valary, and followed Jack and Siana downstairs. Valary- growing suspicious of Riks- made a note to herself not to eat anything until someone else tastes it first.

-

That was a boring chap. I'm trying to speed up the story's pace cos it seems to go a bit too slow. Expect more excitement in the next chap!

Sorry for irregular update, started school again sigh