Matilda Matisse, Pumpkin Girl...

A little with bright orange hair and brown eyes ran down the path, hurrying to get home.

"What's your hurry Matilda?"

The girl stopped and looked up at a woman with waist length blond hair and brown eyes. It was Miss Cendle. She was always waiting by the fence to make sure she was ok and didn't get lost.

"My big brother's coming home today!" Matilda said, smiling.

Miss Cendle smiled. "You mean Daniel? That's great, you've been missing him a lot since he left."

Matilda nodded. "Yeah, he's always gone saying he has to fight. But he said he gets to stay longer this time!"

"Well, don't let me hold you up, hurry so you can see him."

"Can't catch me!"

"Get back here Mati!" he yelled, laughing. He ran after his sister, who really was faster then him.

Matilda laughed when her finally caught her, lifting her in the air.

"Ok you two, time to get inside to eat," Their mother said. Her brown hair was tied in a loose pony tail, her green eyes were soft.

"But mom…" the two complained.

She laughed.

Matilda Matisse was six years old, her birthday having just past. She was an energetic girl but also unusual. She lived in a small village in England and was the only one with bright orange hair. Not even her parents had that colour, her mother had brown hair while her father had sand colour hair. She used to get teased at school because of her hair colour but after she beat some of the kids they backed off.

"How was school Matilda?" her mother asked.

"Boring, we never do anything fun," she pouted. "And Isaac ignored me all day," she glared at her brother, who shrugged.

"Come on Mati, I'm fifteen, you can't expect me to hang out with a six year old at school." her brother, who looked like their father, shrugged.

"Daniel plays with me and he's 23!" Matilda said. Isaac laughed.

"Yeah but he's weird where is you, you're a freak!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"No I'm not!"

"The why do you have bright orange hair?" her brother asked. Matilda opened her mouth to answer but stopped. Why did she have orange hair and none of her family did?

Turning to her mother, she asked, "Why do I have orange hair?"

Her mom, who had gone a little pale just smacked her youngest son upside the head. "Stop bugging you sister Isaac."

"Ow! What was that for?"

Matilda laughed and stuck her tongue out at him.

Daniel laughed messed up Matilda's hair. "That's my Mati, still getting Isaac into trouble I see."

"Yup!"

The next day their mother said that Isaac had to take her to school since it was raining out and she didn't want Matilda to get lost or anything.

"Mom, it's the same way she always takes, I don't think today will be any different," but under his mother's stern look he agreed.

So now they walked down the path together, both with identical looks of annoyance.

"Go away, I don't need you to take me to school." Matilda complained.

"Yeah right, if I leave you'll tell mom and get me in trouble," Isaac muttered.

"Well, hurry I want to see Miss Cendle."

"huh? Who's that some new teacher?" Isaac looked confused.

"No. she's my friend. She always waits by the fence for me so I make it to school and home ok," Matilda told him.

"huh, really," Isaac walked that way a bunch of time but never saw let alone heard of a person standing there.

When they got there Matilda smiled when she saw her and ran over, leaving her brother behind.

"Hi Miss Cendle!" she shouted. Miss Cendle laughed.

"Your so cheerful Matilda," she smiled.

"So, where's this Cendle woman you told me about Matilda?" Isaac finally caught up.

"She's right here," Matilda pointed at her. Isaac gave her a weird look and looked where she was pointing but saw nothing.

"Uh, there's nothing there,"

"Yes, she's right here beside me," Matilda looked up at her and was shocked to see her gone.

"She was right here…" she said, confused.

"Right…" Isaac looked at her suspiciously.

After school Matilda walked past the fence and this time Miss Cendle was there.

"Why did you leave like that!" she demanded.

"I'm sorry, but your brother can't see me," She explained. Matilda gave her a confused look.

"Why not?"

"Well, you see, I'm a spirit. And normal people can't see spirits."

Matilda frowned. "Does that mean I'm a freak like Isaac says?" she asked. Miss Cendle shook her head.

"No, it just mean that your…special Mati."

"Special?" Matilda's eyes lit up.

"Stop talking to yourself freak," Matilda looked up to see her brother. He had his friend, a kid with light blond hair, with him.

"I'm not a freak, I'm special," she said, sound as proud as a six year old could.

"Did that Miss Candle tell you that?" He sneered. His friend coughed to hide a laugh.

"Her names Miss Cendle, not Candle." Matilda stomped her foot.

"Whatever."

When they got home Matilda asked right away where Daniel was.

Her mother and father exchanged a look before her mother said, "Matilda, he got called back to work this morning so he had to leave."

Matilda frowned. "But he said he would stay longer."

"Yes, but when your with the Army if you get called back you have to go," her dad said not unkindly. Matilda looked down sadly.

"Let's go get some ice cream, get your mind of things," her mom said.

"Ok!"

Her father watched, amused, as his daughter and wife left the house.

"Hey dad," Isaac walked over.

"Yeah Son?" He sat down in his chair and turned on the T.V.

"Have you ever heard of a woman always hang out by that fence on the path?" He asked.

"no, not since that accident three years ago,"

"Oh,"

His father looked at him. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Isaac shrugged before going upstairs with his friend. "Just that Matilda keeps thinking someone's there talking to her."

The next week Matilda ran out of her house, angry.

Why were they being so mean? she didn't do anything wrong? Her father didn't have to yell at her and say she was lying when she wasn't.

When they were eating dinner Isaac asked how Miss Cendle was and Matilda answered.

Which made her mother ask who she was and she answered.

Which made her father ask where she met her and she answered.

They asked Isaac if he met her and he said no.

"Well, that's because he can't see her," Matilda said, stuffing her food in her mouth.

"What do you mean Matilda?" her mother asked.

"Miss Cendle said that people can't see spirits unless their special, like me."

Matilda couldn't remember what happened next but next thing she knew her father was standing, yelling at her.

"Never say that again! Spirits are witch craft! I will not hear you say anything like that under my roof!"

Matilda ran out of the house, scared of her father for the first time ever.

She ran until her legs got sore. Trying to catch her breath, she looked around wondering where she was. Then she saw it. The small house. It looked old and it had a lot of pumpkins in front of it. It reminded her of a Hunted House Daniel told her about.

Hesitating at first, Matilda walked over the house, only tripping a few times.

She stopped in the door way and peered into the house. There was dust every where and cobwebs. Books were on the shelves and some candles on a table. There was a chair knocked over and another that was wrecked. There were holes in the walls and ceiling. But for some reason, that didn't bother her. It felt like…like it was a home she'd forgotten about. Another reason why the other kids didn't like her; she liked unusual stuff.

"Wow…" she whispered walking in. she went to go look at one of the books on the shelf when a voice spoke.

"Who are you?" She jumped a good five feet in the air, startled. Turning around, she saw someone sitting in a corner. He wore a thick black trench coat and pants. He was deathly pale and his dark orange hair was in a kind of Mohawk that fell forward and covered his left eye.

Matilda didn't say anything.

"I asked who are you?" The guy repeated.

"You're a-a Spirit!" Matilda yelled.

"Yes I am," He answered. He sounded bored.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I believe I asked you first Little Girl," He grunted.

That made Matilda mad. She hated being called, 'Little Girl'.

"I am not a little girl!" she said, annoyed.

"Really?" he looked amused.

"Yeah, I'm six and my name is Matilda Matisse!" She crossed her arms across her chest. "But call me Mati, that's what my brother calls me."

"I don't really care what your called."

"Then why did you-"

"Why are you here? No one comes here," he said.

Matilda gave him a confused look. "Why not?"

"Because I'm here," the spirit said. "I'm a killer, or was when I was alive."

"A killer?" Matilda tipped her head to the side. She looked curious.

"Yes. When I was alive I was called Jack." Matilda's eyes widened. That name sounded familiar but she didn't know why…

"So why are you here Little Girl?"

"Don't call me little!"

He chuckled.

"Well, my dad got mad at me so I ran out." She looked over her shoulder to look out the door she left open. "He gets mad at me sometimes but today he got even more."

Jack didn't say anything. He just watched the little girl as she rambled on about her family and how annoying her brother called Isaac is and how her mother always worried about her going out alone. And how her father didn't seem to like her as much as her brothers.

"well, I should go back before mom starts getting upset," Matilda concluded. She headed for the door but paused just before leaving. "Hey, can I come back here anytime?"

"You'd want to talk to a killer?" Jack said sceptically.

Matilda shrugged. "I like having someone to talk to."

When Matilda got home her mother was sitting in the living room, her head in her hands.

"What's wrong mom?" Matilda asked her. Her mother looked up.

"Matilda, never talk about spirits again, understand?" she said.

Matilda looked confused. "Why?"

"Just because. Now go to bed, you have school tomorrow."

"ok," Matilda muttered. "Can you tuck me in?"

Her mother gave her a blank look before turning away. "Your to old to be tucked in. go to bed."

Matilda fell on the ground as a kid two years older then her pushed her on the ground.

"What was that for!" she shouted. He laughed.

"You're a freak. We over heard Isaac saying that you can see spirits. Don't you know only witches can see them?"

"I'm not a freak!"

"Your right. You're a witch."

"I hate them, their always mean to me." She said, swinging the broom in hand as if she was imagining hitting someone with it. In was October now, two weeks before Halloween. She was in the small abandoned house again, a place she went to let out her anger.

Jack, who hadn't said anything yet, finally spoke. "Why do you have a broom? Are you going to clean this place?"

"Huh?" Matilda looked up at the broom. "Oh, no. a kid from school kept pushing me so I grabbed the nearest thing and I hit him with it." She smiled. "It was actually kinda fun, he even cried. Wimp!" She started laughing.

"Why did he push you?" Jack asked, curious.

Matilda stopped laughing and looked out the window where the sun was shinning through. She was smiling softly. "People don't like me. They call me a freak or a witch, because I can see spirits. Mom won't even hug me anymore because she's afraid."

Jack watched as a small tear fell down her cheek. She wiped it away.

"Your not a witch," he said. "I've met them before in my years, your nothing like them…Mati."

Matilda wiped her tears away.

"Are, are they the ones you killed?" she asked.

"Yes," With that, Jack told her how he killed five women when he was alive in 1888. She asked why and he said he that he was "down on whores and I shant quit ripping them till I do get buckled," He gave no details of how he killed them, since she was a little girl, but when she got mad he promised to tell when she was older. He said that he was training to be a doctor but found the practise boring so he used his medical skills for killing. Because of that, the people rarely went to the Doctors any more because they were afraid, so the police made a statement saying the he wasn't a doctor, and any rumours about that were false.

He said there were Copy-Cats, but the police knew it wasn't him. People pretended to be him but no one believed them. Matilda asked how he died and he said he committed suicide because he didn't want to get caught and thought it would be amusing for the police to get frustrated for not catching him.

All the while Matilda listened, hanging on his every word. She was interested in what he had to say. She liked him, how he would play tricks and send notes to the police to mess with their minds.

Jack glanced out the window, seeing that it was getting dark now. "You should head home," he said. "You shouldn't walk by self at night."

Matilda frowned. "Nothing will hurt me. If something happens you'll just come help and scare them."

He chuckled and told her to go.

"I'm telling you, that's not Matilda!"

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it. She says she can see spirits, she know stuff we don't. and her hair is different from everyone else's." Isaac said.

"What are you saying?" His mother asked.

"well, it either means she's actually a witch or that you cheated on dad six years ago," His mother went deathly pale and sent her husband a nervous look. He had a cold look in his eyes.

"Isaac. Leave, I want to talk to your mother," he said. Isaac nodded before leaving.

There was silence.

"Honey-"

"Did you?"

"What?"

"Is Matilda's father someone else?"

"I-I-I…" Her mother started to panic before some emotion flickered in her eyes. "Yes, but it-it wasn't my fault…"

Matilda ran inside her house, feeling better after talking to Jack. She wasn't a witch, she was special. Maybe she could tell her parents then everything will-

"OUT!"

Her fathers loud voice scared her so bad she fell backwards. He was glaring coldly down at her. Her mother and brother were standing behind him. Her mother looked sad and Isaac looked…happy?

"Da-Daddy?" Matilda looked scared.

"Out, I will not have a witch under my house poisoning my family. OUT!" Matilda's eyes widened.

"I-I-I'm not-I'm not-"

"Mom told us the story, you're a witch," Isaac said. Matilda looked at her mother, who refused to look at her.

"Mom-mommy?" she whispered.

"Don't call me that. You are not my daughter." Her mother said, tears running down her face.

"I said out witch!" her father started towards her. Terrified, Matilda got up and ran out as fast as she could.

'why…why do they hate me?' she thought. 'Am I a witch? Am I a regular person? If not, then…what am I?'

He walked into the old house, looking around. It was darker inside then it was outside. But there was a single light coming from a back room. He walked over, curious and found who he was looking for. A little girl with bright orange hair was wrapped in a dirty white blanket, hiding in a small cabinet. She gazed up at him with sad brown eyes.

"Who are you?" she asked. 'Is he going to yell at me like them?'

The boy, who couldn't have been much older then her, smiled gently. "I'm here to ask if you want to come with me. I know a girl who was treated just like you, she was called a witch also."

"I'm not a witch," She said. "I-I don't know what I am…"

"You're a Shaman, someone who can work with spirits." He said.

"A shaman?"

"Yes." the boy nodded. He glanced at the spirit next to her. "There are others like you and you can meet the girl I mentioned so you won't be alone."

The girl didn't say anything at first. After a while she stood, still holding the blanket to her. "Jack, will you come with me?" she whispered.

"Of course Mati," he said. He'd grown fond of the little girl.

She nodded. "I will come."

When she got to the camp where the others were she was hesitant at first. The others were all sitting around a fire, talking. They went quiet when the saw her.

"Whose that Hao-Sama?" a man asked. He was wearing a white robe that even covered his face.

"Her names Matilda Matisse, she will be joining us for the same reason Mari did." the boy answered, sitting close to the fire.

While they talked, Mati walked over to a girl with blond hair who looked like she was the youngest there. She was also the only girl there.

'Is she the one he told me about?' she thought.

"So, you were called a witch too?" Matilda asked her.

"Mari isn't a witch. She's a Shaman, just like Hao-Sama," she said quietly. She was holding a doll close to her, starring at the fire that was burning.

"Hao…Sama?" Matilda looked confused. Was that the name of the boy that helped her. and what did 'Sama' mean?

"Who are you?" Mari asked her.

"Um, Matilda, but I like being called Mati," She said. She thought of her brother, Daniel, and suddenly felt sad,

"Ma…Macchi?" Mari asked.

Matilda felt her eyebrow twitch. "No, Ma-Ti! Not Macchi."

"Macchi."

"Mati!"

"Macchi."

"Mari likes Macchi better,"

Matilda sighed. "Why?"

"Because even though Macchi-"

"Mati!"

"Said she like being called 'Mati' she looked sad." Mari said. "Mari doesn't want to see her sad so her new name is Macchi."

Matilda starred at her, speechless for once. Was this girl really only a year younger then her? She seemed so…smart or something.

"She's a strange girl Mati," Jake said, appearing beside her. Glanced at her and felt surprised to see a smile on her face. The first one since she was chased out of her home,

"You know what?" She said, sitting beside Marion. "Your right Mari, I like Macchi better."

Ah, I had nightmares after writing this. That bit about Jack was a brief, no detailed, history lesson of Jack the Ripper. I spent a whole night looking up info on him and could not sleep. Scary stuff kinda. Anyway last minute I decided to add when Mari and Macchi meet and how she got the nickname Macchi. The next chapter is about Kanna and it's going to be kinda hard since I can't find much info on her past. If you know anything tell me, it'll be a great help.

Anyway, R&R plz!