Chapter 15

POV Lori

December 24th: Lori Crystalation's Birthday

I sighed as Millard took my hand and led me through the dark house. He had blind folded me and made me promise not to look. My American friends had left the day before my sister had died, secretly I was relieved. I just hoped Millard hadn't done anything for me as I had asked but it was hard to think he wouldn't. This would be my first birthday away from home, and I just wanted to be alone. I had gotten used to not celebrating it at all, and it was fine by me. I just don't like to celebrate it, memories of my past years have swallowed my sane mind, or what was left of it to be exact. I wasn't mad, just traumatized. And it had felt like that for years now.

"Ow." I whispered as my foot banged on a piece of furniture. " Almost there." Millard said. He had been telling me this many times now, so I didn't know what to believe. "We're here." Millard announced as he untied the blindfold. I wasn't surprised at all, we were in the dark dining room. "May I go suffer somewhere else please?" I asked him but he shook his head. Millard wore a sharp, elegant suit. I myself looked at what I was wearing, just some blouse and pants. I didn't wear the dresses I was given anymore, just grew bored of them. Of being lady-like. I wore simple clothing, just what I had always wanted. Then I heard people say," Happy birthday Lori!" And that's when I looked around. The lights were on. Almost everybody was here, and I meant almost. I covered my face with my hands and turned away from them.

"She doesn't seem to like it at all." Emma said. Memories came into my head, the way they always did when I remembered the bad things. I sighed and walked out of the room, not even bothering to thank them all. "What happened?" Millard asked as he tried to keep pace with me. I was walking up the stairs now, sprinting up them to be exact. "I told you I didn't want anything like that." I said. "Are you sure? Not even after all we had to do." He asked a little hurt. I turned to face him, he was a little bit taller than me though. "It's not that I don't like it, I really do appreciate it. But I lost all hope on my birthdays long ago, they just don't interest me. It's just one more year alive to you, but to me, to me it's one less year until I meet my fate. And I do not wish for it to be that way. I stopped looking at them as fun, now they just make me feel like I'll soon be a corpse in a graveyard." Millard sighed and said," Will you at least... pretend you like it." I nodded and said," I never said I hated it. It's quite lovely but at least let me wear something proper." Before he could respond to me I ran to my room and dressed in a light blue dress that fell below the knee.

I walked into the dining room and took a seat. "How old are you today?" Claire asked me. " Thirteen." I answered politely. "Congratulations Lori." Cindy walked up to me. She shook my hand and so did her sister. I smiled, embarrassed by all the attention I was getting. " What did you do on previous birthdays?" Bronwyn at some point in the celebration asked me.

" Cry." I answered.

"Why?"

"Because I was locked in a basement and it really isn't pleasant, trust me."

"Who would do that to you?" She asked.

" My demon parents." I answered while eating a spoonful of soup.

I was congratulated many times it started to annoy me dearly. "Happy birthday Lori!" Millard drew me aside from the other kids. "Thank you." I answered a little bitterly. "Don't be bitter, I got you a present." He drew a box from one of the suit's pockets. He put it in the palm of my hand and said," Open it." I opened the small box and peered inside of it. Inside was a beautiful seahorse pin. "Millard!" I smiled, I hugged him and he embraced me as well. "I love it!" I cried into his suit. "Thank you ever so much." I was crying tears of joy.

"You are very welcome ma'am" He kissed my cheek. I took the pin from it's box and pinned it to the strap of my dress. "How dose it look?" I asked him. "Beautiful." He answered and kissed the tip of my nose. I hugged him and we went to join the others. "How's it going?" Olive asked me. "It's starting to be one of the best days of my life." I told her. She smiled and wandered somewhere else. "Are you happy now? That I tricked you?" I looked at Millard and smiled. "Happy birthday Lori." Hugh and Fiona came to me. "Thank you both."I answered. Fiona handed me flowers and I said," Thank you so much. "It's from the both of us." "Then thank you both." They smiled and they walked off.

"People are so nice to me today." I pointed out to Millard. "Why wouldn't they?" He asked. "I really don't know." I admitted. I yawned and said," I'm gonna go hit the hay." Millard nodded and I walked me to my room. I put on my nightgown and pulled the covers over my head. "Happy birthday Lori." I whispered. And as those words were let out, my eyes closed and I slept.

I woke up and dressed in simple clothes, just a blouse and some pants. I felt kind of free, no one was telling me what to wear or do. I didn't even bother to brush my hair, it was okay anyways. I walked into the dining room and sat in one of the chairs. The room was empty and it was actually okay. I smiled, but felt no different than the day before yesterday. I was thirteen years old. Lori Crystalation has been alive for that long. I laughed and heard a shift of movement close to me. "Hello." I whispered to them. I looked back to see Echo. She smiled and sat next to me. "Hello." She said.

"What's up?" I asked, forgetting about her peculiarness. "...up." she said.

Nothing, and you Lori?

" Oh God! What was that?!" I yelled. Echo giggled and said," ...was that." I looked at her, suspiciously.

I can look through your memories and talk into minds, it makes up for only echoing.

I nodded and said,"I feel violated then." She giggled. "So..." I said. "I got nothing good to say." "...to say." Echo sighed. "Dose it bother you, to echo?" I asked. "...echo." She replied, nodding. " Do you sometimes wish you didn't echo?" I ask. She nodded her head but said nothing.

Do you want to talk via mind?

" I can do that?"

Yes

AMAZING!

That's what Millard said about it. What did he give you for your birthday?

A seahorse pin, it was quite beautiful.

I helped him with it.

You did? Oh than you deserve credit for it, thank you.

You're very welcome.

How did you help him with it?

I made it, he just told me what to make. He had the idea, but I was the one who made it come true.

Awww. Thank you Echo.

You're welcome Lori. Can I ask something of you?

Sure.

Can I look through your memories? I have nothing else of a hobby.

You mean you haven't seen them yet? I thought you had. Sure.

Then there was absolute silence. Echo closed her eyes, I hadn't any idea why. I waited for a few minutes and then she opened them.

You're life is very interesting. I really cannot believe what your parents did to you. At least you get to live here now.

Thank you, Echo.

Echo smiled and waved goodbye. I did the same and hummed. I grew bored and went outside, thinking soon people would come down for breakfast. I sat against one if the trees and closed my eyes. I sighed and let my mind drift away.

"Hello. I am Catalina." A girl's voice startled me out of my sleep. I opened my purple eyes and saw a blonde girl, around ten she was. " Hello, Catalina." I said back. The girl had gray eyes and wore a navy blue dress. Around her neck she wore what looked like a rope. She also looked sleep deprived. "Are you Lori Crystalation?" She asked me. Her voice sounded raspy. I nodded and she took something from a small bag she tied around her waist. "Mark has told me to deliver these invitations." She said handing me one. In careful hand writing my name was written on it. "What ever for?" I asked. She shrugged and said," He just told me to deliver them. By any chance do you know anybody by the name of Emily Stuart?" I shook my head and Catalina walked off.

"Why was she wearing a rope necklace?" I heard a voice from behind me say. I hadn't really known the owner of the voice, and I was glad due to what people said about him. "I don't know! I don't even know the girl." I said to Enoch. He scared me sometimes, the way he would creep up on you. The way he brought the dead back to life, it scared me.

"Why would you even ask?" I interrogated him. He shrugged and I stood up to get away. I went back inside and saw that breakfast must have ended because plates were already being cleared. I sat in one of the empty chairs and opened the invitation.

It read:

The Morganstar Family Gladly Invites You To Their Annual New Years Eve Party.

You May Bring Along With You Three Guests. The Party Will Take Place 8:00 p.m.

On December 31st

Please Wear Proper Attire And Show Up On Time.

Thank You, For Your Consideration.

-The Morganstar Family

This was one of the first fancy parties I had ever been invited to. "Who are you going to invite?" Millard asked. I looked back and saw nothing. "Millard! You scared me. And I haven't thought of it really. I may show up alone really." I felt somebody else over my shoulder. "What is that?" Emma took the invitation from my hands. "An invitation, from my friend." I answered. "Which friend?" She asked curiously. "Mark." I answered. " He invited you to his parents party? He really must think highly of you. I've heard the Morganstars are stuck up, they say they moved from London to Carinholm." I shook my head and said," I've only met him and his mother and they are quite kind. They aren't stuck up at all." I said defensively. Emma shrugged and walked away.

"So... can I be invited?" Millard asked. I smiled and thought about it." But wont people freak out because of..." I trailed off, afraid I would offend him. He sighed and said nothing for a while. "I'm sorry if I offended you." I apologized. "No, its okay. You're right. I sometimes just wish I wasn't invisible, you know what I mean." I nodded and said," What if you tag along, people just wouldn't know you were there because you would be completely invisible to them." There was a few seconds of silence until he spoke. " Thank you Lori, but I'll think of it." He didn't speak to me for the rest of the day.

I put my head on the table and sighed. "Why are you sad?" I heard Olive ask. "I have and invitation to a party and I don't have anybody to take." Olive sat next to me, struggling with her shoes. "Who were you planning on taking with you?" She asked. "Millard, but..." I didn't continue, and it seemed to be enough for Olive to understand. "That is a bit of a shame." She admitted. "Do you have anybody else?" She asked. I shook my head and Olive nodded in understanding. After minutes of silence Olive stood and left. "What am I to do now?" I asked my self.

"What are you talking about?" Cindy asked. "I received an invitation to a party but don't have anybody to take." Cindy thought about this and said," Can you take Echo?" I smiled and said," I haven't thought of it, thank you Cindy." She nodded while I stood to find Echo.

I found Echo braiding her hair in her room. "Hello Echo." I said knocking on the door. "...Echo." She repeated.

What happened?

I have an invitation to a party and was wondering if you'd like to come. Millard might come as well, just to say.

I actually would like to, but can I ask you a question?

Sure.

How many people are you allowed to invite along?

Three people.

Then can I ask you a favor?

Sure, ask away.

Can you invite this boy I like, please?

Sure Echo, but who?

Horace.

Really?

Don't laugh please.

I'm not laughing, I will invite him along.

Thank you, once again.

No problem.

Echo nodded and I left. Now I had to invite three people, the limit. Well, two visible people.

A/N: Hey Guys! Sorry I Haven't Updated. I Started School On The Seventeenth, But This Chapter Was Already Written So...Yeah I'm Sorry. I Am Currently On Chapter Seventeenth So I Will Try To Make It Really Extra Long For You Guys. I Really Don't Want This To Be An Unfinished Story. And I Am Really Sorry To Say, This Story Will End In A Few More Chapters. Maybe Around Thirty Chapters Long. I Have A Very Dramatic Ending For This.*Evil Laughs* Please Make Sure To Check Out The Preview Of My Next Story. And As A Reward For Your Patient Waiting, I Will Maybe Update One More Time Today. If You Don't Understand The Next Chapter, Or The Preview of Sane, Read The Other One And I Am Sure You Will Understand.