Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.

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The first thing I noticed was the dull ache in my left foot. It had been sore ever sense I tried to kick down the door a couple days ago. As my muddled thoughts drifted onto the subject of the grandmother I sat up quickly.

Which was apparently not a good idea, I quickly laid back down in an attempt to keep my head from spinning. It was a terrified couple of moments as I tried to recall my last memories. Suddenly I grasped them, although they did nothing to quench my fear. I had been searching through the attic trunks to find a tool to break open the attic door.

I had found a flimsy piece of metal, but decided to pocket it anyways out of sheer desperation. It was shortly after that that I had begun to feel nauseous. My memory ended there, only fuzzy shapes and the feeling of being weightless remained.

I took a deep breath and tried to sit up again. I gasped when I realized that I was not in the attic or in our room. I had seen this room only once before...it was the trophy room. Dark green carpet coated the floors. A thick massive desk and leather chair to my right. A small bookshelf directly ahead. It was the walls though that held the most interest. Heads of animals hung beside other hunting paraphernalia that my grandfather had managed to collect over the years.

I tore my eyes away from the scene as a thousand thoughts ran through my mind. However, one thought dominated them all,

"Where was Cathy?"

I had spent every moment with her for the past four years and now she was gone? The pain of her absence spurred my movements as I stalked the room like a caged animal. The heads of the beasts still somehow managed to glint in the darkened room. I felt a moment of sympathy for them, I knew what it was to be trapped. It was then that I spotted the portrait of the grandfather once again.

I knew that I now looked much like him, just as my father had. Except for his eyes. My father's eyes were a deep comforting blue. Where this man's eyes were steeled and gray, almost shinning maliciously.

Suddenly a rush of anger flew through my veins. He was the one that caused everything! I didn't know how, but he had turned momma against us. I picked up a heavy rounded paperweight from the desk, one of the few trinkets that adorned the surface. In a fit of rage, I threw the piece of glass against the portrait.

The paper weight connected with the portrait with a thud and fell limply to the floor. Nothing unusual there, but the sound was somehow off. I walked forward to the portrait and knocked on it.

It sounded...hollow.

I hated this house! Everything was so deceptive! Remembering the piece of metal, I started to hack at the portrait feverishly.

Behind the portrait was only smooth wood, yet it still sounded hollow. I pounded my fist into the frame in frustration and gave a gasp of surprised as the frame disconnected from the wall. I pulled the right side away from the wall and rotated it open on it's hinges.

Inside, deep in the wall I saw a thick lever.

Without thinking I pulled on it. After a moment of resistance it gave way. I jumped as I realized a noise from somewhere by the book shelf. I walked tentatively over to the bookshelf and pushed on the side of it. I was surprised to realize that the bookshelf rotated on an axis. I turned it so that I was able to walk through the opening hoping that maybe this would lead me to Cathy.

The hidden entry way was dark and made of stone. Once I walked into it fully my nose was assaulted with the smell of decay. I coughed, my body wanted to return to the light and relative fresh air of the trophy room. But I pressed on, determined to see if this passage way could lead me somewhere else, anywhere but that damn trophy room.

Unfortunately, the air only became more rank as I continued to walk down the corridor. I lifted my shirt to cover the stench. I turned sharply and stood facing a single doorway. And suddenly I was afraid.

Afraid? I had been beaten, starved, and imprisoned in this house. What more was there to be afraid of? And yet the feeling I had as I stood in front of that door was infinitely greater than any fear I had felt before.

My soul screamed at me to back away, to go back into the trophy room. But I couldn't, that curiosity that had fueled my determination to become a doctor for so many years was still present, even then. I faced the doorway that made my blood run cold.

My hand move to turn the knob. I watched with detached eyes, as if it were someone else that was moving.

Even now I can not explain how I saw such exact and excruciating detail in such a dark room.

I numbly realized that this was what was creating such a nauseating stench. The decaying bodies of Carrie and Cory lay curled up next to each other in the far corner of the room. I fell to my knees, unable to stand any longer. Here before me was proof of momma's betrayal. I stared at my beloved siblings, that had become more like children to me. I swallowed my revulsion and crawled over to their hunched forms.

Again my hand acted of it's own will as I saw it reach forward and tuck a stray strand of Carrie's hair behind her rotting ear.

I then turned my gaze on my little brother, my Cory. My Cory who wanted nothing more than to sing and make music.

I didn't realize I was crying until I felt the tears fall on my outstretched hand. I blinked and tried to regain my vision. The forms of Carrie and Cory drew my eyes back to them. I wrenched away, I could not be distracted now.

Cathy was still out there and she needed me. I had time to grieve later, now was my time to find a way out of here and back to the one person that I could trust.

It was oppressively dark here. But I was still able to make out a bed in the opposite corner...a child's bed? Were Carrie and Cory starved here? No, the bed looked unused for many years. The carpet was a faded pink and as I stood I realized that the shelves were absolutely crowded with dolls.

A chill ran up my spine as I realized all the dolls had their eyes plucked out. Each doll had gold cornflower hair and I would bet my life that they each had momma's shade of sea blue eyes before they were...mutilated. I reached out to a shelf and grabbed a random doll, the dress was ripped. I dropped it as if it burned and grabbed another and another and another. Every single dress was ripped. I started snatching them by the handfuls, desperate to find one dress that wasn't ripped.

It was useless, all the dolls were the same. It was then that I spotted another door on the opposite side of the room that I had missed in my frenzy. And without a second thought I bolted from that tiny room. As I raced down the corridor I tried to catch my breath. And had just barely succeeded when I burst from the damnable corridor and into a new room.

I pushed the door open and realized that the door was actually a full length mirror on the other side.

I stopped in my tracks once more. Oh please God, I prayed. I couldn't take anything more that day. But it seemed my luck had run out.

The room I walked into was pink like the one I had just left. However, this one was much better kept and although covered with dolls, held none of the menace the previous one did.

I turned and looked at a faded photograph standing innocently on an elegant looking bedside table. A young girl waved at the camera as she sat side saddle on a stunning horse.

It was with a sickening feeling as I realized this was my mother's room as a child. My mother's room that was secretly connected to her father's trophy room. I had no doubt of the purpose of the hidden room now. I almost retched in disgust. My mind couldn't take anymore and I stumbled towards the door. Just trying to get away. I needed to get away from this house.

But first, Cathy. It was the thought of her that kept me going. I finally reached the door and almost let a sob of relief escape as I realized the door was unlocked.

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O.k. short, I know, but a lot happened and you know what happened to our two favorite butter cups now. So tell me what you think, I look forward to reviews more than the rising of the sun, plus they help me update faster. So thanks to all my previous reviewers and thanks for reading.