3/7/10

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ROSE RED, IT'S CONCEPT, ITS IDEAS, ITS CHARACTERS, NOR ITS LOGOS. THEY/IT BELONG(S) TO STEPHEN KING. THANK YOU.

.....

I glanced up from my place towards the group. I could feel a strange presence that didn't belong to any of them .. it was cold. And it seemed to be growing ... My eyes shifted from the group towards the fire that burned brightly. I swallowed in silence, watching a soft blue dot appear. It swirled and turned, growing larger and larger. It grew to a darker blue, then in the center appeared a white light, shining brightly. The room turned colder, the fire blowing low until it was just

crackling wood. Everyone looked up and over.

I felt a smile spread across my face, watching the light grow again. It spread over the air, sucking in oxygen and expelling light. It grew longer and taller, streaks of white throughout much like a gemstone. Then I heard soft singing, much like humming. The sound rose and the words began to become clear. I watched in silence as a face appeared. Soft, gentle and kind. Her lips moved with the words, her bright curls pulled back into draping pig tails. She reached one hand out, engulfed with the aura. I heard a name, calling out not towards me, but to ...

Annie ..

I turned my head to the brunette girl. She sat up, her eyes trained on the light. Her lips pressed together in a soft smile. She stood, her dress' hem falling around her knees. She began to cross the room towards the light, clutching her doll to her chest. I felt the sides of my head compress, like I was holding my breath. I closed my eyes, envisioning the two girls together. They fit, hand in hand. Sisters.

Annie.

And April.

My eyes snapped open with the low humming of wind. I could feel it along my arms and the back of my neck. I felt my hair stir, brushing across my face. I continued to stay silent, watching Annie approach the specter.

"A-Annie! Stop!" Sister called out, her eyes filled with worry. She jumped to her feet, but Joyce stepped in front of her, holding her back with a hand.

"Go ahead, Annie," the woman said, grinning. "Go ahead .. it's fine."

The girl did not turn to look at them. Instead she kept her gaze on the ghost, her hand reaching out. She wanted to touch it. She wanted to see it. She wanted to go to Rose Red. She wanted to go home.

Annie ... came the soft child's voice. Please come home ... Annie ... home ...

I watched, my heart pounding softly, almost stopping. Suddenly the light fixtures above us exploded, sending out embers of electricity. Then another exploded. The room filled with yellow, gold and white light. Sparks rained down on us, and the wind grew. It became a soft grumbling that turned to a loud roaring, much like a storm. The room began to shake. Softly at first, sort of like a tremor. Then it grew stronger until it was moving violently. I sat in my chair, my hands in my lap.

Annie approached the ghost still, her eyes trained. She never looked away once. I turned my head to see Joyce was covering her face with her hands, trying not to get hit with flying debris.

"Wh-What's going on?!" she screamed. Sister let out a cry.

"Annie!"

I didn't hear anyone's reply as I turned to look at the girl. I could hear her thoughts. They circled around her mind like a pinwheel does in the wind. Only when you take the pinwheel and stop it can you read what's written inside. She was no idiot. Not a retard. She was brilliant. I smiled softly.

Go Annie, I thought, my voice soothing and kind. I sounded much like Ellen. Go to her ... she's going to show you all of Rose Red ... she's going to show you the Billiard Room ... and the bedrooms ... and the Solarium ... and the Tower. At this the entire room went white. Everything was so deafening, that there was no sound. Then came the deep rumbling and then a crash.

"No Annie!" Rachel screamed. Joyce threw her arms down, staring directly at the younger girl, the wind blowing her hair about.

"Yes!"

I realized what was happening for the first time. I opened my mouth to protest only to find I had no voice. So I thought. I thought deeply, searching the minds of everyone until I came to the one I needed.

Don't do it Annie, this time it was my voice, and not Ellen's, don't do it. She doesn't want to play. She'll take you away. Away from me and from Nick and from Steve. And from Sister.

Annie's arm dropped, her face going pale. I could see her grow angry. Her brow furrowed and she opened her mouth, screaming. "No! Bad place!" Her voice came over the sound of popping lights, fizzing electrics and roaring wind, "Bad!" She stomped her foot and glared into the apparition, "Bad April!"

Then came a loud shriek, filling the room. Everyone covered their ears. Everyone except for Annie and I. I stood up as the wind cut short suddenly, like if you had turned off a fan, and everything settled to the ground. The noises stopped, the lights stopped. Everything .. as if it hadn't happened. Annie stood there in silence, staring at the now dead fire. Then she turned. Slowly at first before looking straight at me. I could see her eyes were not blank as usual, but angry. She continued to glare as I stood there in silence.

Bad, I heard her say, my mind being thrown from her head and back into mine, making me step back once, Bad Emily. Bad ... bad person.

I could not help but smile, feeling glad that she realized this. I was a danger to her and to everyone else, and to myself. But she didn't seem to realize that she, too, was also a danger. Ellen would use both her and I to get what she wanted. Even if that meant killing us in the process. Which was, in fact, what she wanted. At least partially.

Joyce exhaled, her eyes wide. She looked around the room. It was cluttered with papers and items. She ran over to her equipment, stepping over glass and wood. Kneeling down, she began to read through the chirping and beeping coming from monitors which was spilling out into numbers, letters and words onto paper. I continued to stand in silence as Sister ran over and hugged Annie, crying softly.

Annie looked over her sister's shoulder at me. Her eyes were hard and cold, but then slowly softened. My smile had fallen and I was now staring as blankly as she did. I was not going to let this girl get the best of me. I was not going to let her be angry at me just because Ellen had controlled me. Because, point in fact, Ellen had controlled her too.

Steve stood from the couch and walked over to the two, kneeling over. I couldn't hear his words as everyone was nearly deaf from the wind and shrieking. But finally Steve stood and began to walk over to Joyce, passing me in the process. Though he never spoke, his lips never moved, I could hear his voice clear as if directed towards me. I read his thoughts.

Annie .. might not be the problem.