All around Marisa, the deteriorated walls of the mansion left gloomy shadows. Marisa could barely see where she was going through all the dust, but from the small bit of light in the room she could make out that she was in a main atrium of sorts. The window in the ceiling had fallen in on itself and there was wood sticking out in many places. The mansion had obviously seen better days. Marisa continued to investigate her surroundings. Suddenly, she heard the laughter of children come from behind her. Turning around swiftly, all she saw was a statue with it's head sliced off. Not much help. Marisa's teeth started to chatter. She wasn't cold, but for some reason they wouldn't stop chattering. She pushed her jaw up with her hand, but now she felt a chill run up her spine. The laughter continued and a door down a hall to her left crept open with a loud creak. A bright light could be seen coming from the doorway, even though the lights of the mansion should have been non-operational. Voices could be heard coming from the room. Marisa crept along the wall of the hallway and craned her neck to hear what the voices were saying.
"Layla!" The deep voice of a man called out to an unknown girl. "What did I tell you about running off by yourself?"
"I'm sorry Father."
"You listen to me, Layla. The Prismriver family is not for the frivelent. You need to focus on your studies, you hear me?"
"Yes Father, I'm sorry Father."
"Good, now practice your piano for me."
Marisa heard the scoot of a stool and wood cracking. She assumed this was the girl getting ready to play. All of a sudden, there came a loud slam from the room and the lights went out. The wind had slammed the door shut. Marisa felt a shiver run down her spine. This was weird, but she had to press on! Marisa stood tall, and then she took a deep breath and swung the door open. Inside the room was the remains of a piano. Half of the keys were missing and the stool was knocked over. There was a very old carpet on the floor that had been eaten away by moths over the years, and the wallpaper was peeling away.
"What a dump..." Marisa said aloud, but as those words escaped her lips, the music began to play once more. This time, the piano was all that could be heard, but it was the same song as before. It came from outside of the room, away from the Atrium. Marisa ran outside of the room as fast as possible and ran down the hallway.
"I won't let that music get away from me this time!"
Marisa turned a corner, almost slipping on the dust-covered carpet, and made a break for a door with light coming out from under it.
"Aha!" Marisa said, as she swung the door open. Her large smile turned into a confused frown as, in front of her, she saw a perfectly brand new room. A small girl was staring at her hands, her tears flowing from her eyes like rain.
"Mommy...Daddy..." She cried, "Wake up Mommy..." The girl pulled at the shoulder of the dead parent, whom was laying on the ground. No response. Blood began seeping from the bodies and onto the girl's knees.
"Please, I love you Daddy. Please..." The girl began pulling at her dad now, but only with the same result. "I'll practice anything you want, Daddy. Piano, Violin, Trumpet... anything you want!" The girl began ranting at her dead parents, the tears still not stopping their descent down her cheeks. "I know I'm nowhere near as good as my sisters...but they're just laying around, cant you see?" The girl pointed to a corner of the room. Marisa suddenly noticed the pile of bodies in the corner. Three young girls were laying in a pile of their own blood. Marisa took a step back in disgust and then looked back at the girl. She was looking straight at Marisa now, as if she could see her.
"Please...give them back...please...Marisa." Marisa screamed.