Disclaimer: The Loud House and associated characters belong to Nickelodeon and Chris Savino.

Your Saving Grave is Here: Don't worry. All your questions will get answered within the following few chapters. And yes! How Lana got home is suspicious.

U. N. Owen: Lola plays the final girl type, Like Sidney in Scream or Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween, not the ditzy type who dies early by making dumb choices. Who knows? Maybe I'll write one of her Slice movies as fan fiction one day.

Restless

By LolaPresents (Editing by Catspeaker)

Chapter 5

Lori woke the following day to her phone vibrating on the nightstand. Rising slowly, it took a moment to remember where she was but quickly adjusted. Picking up her phone and answering it, she pleaded with the universe that Bobby hadn't messed up the morning routine.

Thankfully, it wasn't her husband, but Lana, who had called to give her a report before heading to work. While Lori was excited to hear that Lola would be arriving that day, Lana's account of her experience after they left burned deeply within her.

Lori was now more convinced than ever that something paranormal was happening. Not only were they experiencing unexplainable things during waking hours, but Lisa's experiments had also revealed absolutely nothing, which was a rarity for the accomplished scientist.

The sun was only beginning to rise, and Lori could hear her sister getting ready for her day. Sluggishly, she got up and changed into fresh clothing before heading out. Arriving in the combined living room, dining room, and kitchen, Lori saw Leni by the stove while Abby babbled in her high chair.

"Good morning, Leni," Lori announced herself, slipping into one of the wooden chairs around the circular dining table.

"Oh, hi!" chirped Leni as she wandered over and placed some pre-cut pancakes onto Abigail's tray. "Num-num's baby," she purred. "Eat up!"

Lori watched as the toddler grabbed a few bites, one-handed, and shoved them in her mouth. Abby reminded her so much of Lily her thoughts returned to her youngest sibling, whom she had intended to visit that day. But maybe she could wait, as something more was pressing on her mind.

Leni proved to be a gracious host, providing servings and hot cups of cocoa for them both before joining everyone at the table. Her husband had either left already or was still asleep. Lori wasn't sure which, but she wasn't going to pry.

"Mmmm..." hummed Lori, wincing slightly after taking a sip of her cocoa. "That sure is good, Leni."

"Thank you!" piped Leni. "But, it's dad's recipe. Of course, it's good. So, what are your plans for the day?" she asked, digging into her short stack.

"I was thinking of seeing Lily," reported Lori, turning her attention to her breakfast. "But I heard from Lana this morning. She had a waking vision last night after we left. I'm convinced there's something paranormal going on. So..." she murmured. "I thought I'd hit the library before seeing Lily."

"I see," acknowledged Leni. "Well..." she signed a moment later. "Chaz would have a conniption if I let somebody else drive our car, so I guess I'm taking a paid day off."

"I'm sorry," apologized Lori, swallowing some pancake. "I don't mean to be a burden."

"It's not that," Leni informed her sister. "I have plenty of time saved up.

Chaz only gets nervous when others drive his car. It's not a problem. Really! Besides, I haven't seen Lily in a while either."

"What about Abby?" Lori inquired, looking at her niece as she stuffed her mouth.

"I'll drop her off at the daycare on our way to the library," answered Leni as she finished her plate.

Lori nodded and stuffed the remainder of her food in her mouth before downing it with her cocoa. Sighing in resignation, Lori fetched her pumps and purse while Leni got Abby ready. In a way, it felt like old times when they went shopping or ogling cute boys together.

Abby had gotten wound up from the sugary syrup and wouldn't sit still in her car seat. Neither of the women got an opportunity to discuss much until they dropped her off at daycare. Even afterward, there didn't seem much to discuss. Go to the library, then see Lily.

Lori welcomed the sight of the old public library. Not because she studied much, she didn't, but because it gave her an excuse not to engage Leni in conversation. She loved her sister, and there were a million things they could talk about, but until she knew more, there was little point.

The place hadn't changed much since Lori's and Leni's childhoods, save for the old wooden card catalog getting replaced with a computer index. It did the job of looking through possible sources of information much easier and faster.

"Hey, Lori?" purred Leni, seemingly staring into the distance. "You know that libraries aren't my thing. So, I'll browse the magazine rack while you do your thing if it's alright with you."

"Sure, Leni," Lori muttered, her fingers flying on a free terminal's keyboard. "Knock yourself out."

"Why would I do that?" asked Leni, puzzled at her sister's suggestion.

"It's an expression, Leni," sighed Lori, slightly amused in her state of mind. "Go on. I'll be fine."

With Leni dismissed, Lori began listing the books she wanted to check out and their locations within the library. Once she'd recorded no less than three volumes each on dream interpretation, occult manipulation of dreams, and demonic presences, she wandered among the shelves.

Strangely, the first few books Lori intended to read seemed to be missing or misplaced. A few rows down, she encountered more missing books. It wasn't until her last search that Lori grew frustrated. All of the items on her list seemed to have gotten checked out, which was odd to her.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" Lori asked the librarian, presenting her list of books and ISBNs. "Can you tell me anything about these?"

"Sure, I'd be happy too," replied the middle-aged woman behind the desk as she accepted Lori's hand-written list. "Now, let me see..." she requested as she entered the numbers.

"Are they misplaced?" Lori inquired impatiently.

"Hm, no..." hummed the woman. "I'm sorry, but they're all checked out. However, they are overdue and should get returned soon. Would you like me to put you on a waiting list for them?"

"Um..." murmured Lori, her mind racing. "Can you tell me who has them?"

"No, I'm afraid not," the librarian informed Lori. "That's confidential."

"I thought as much," Lori grumbled as she considered her options. "Can you tell me how long overdue they are? Say, twenty years?"

"Oh, my! No," chuckled the woman in glasses. "We'd have considered them lost by now, were that the case, and replaced them. However, I can tell you that they were all checked out by the same person just over a month ago."

"A month ago?" stammered Lori before regaining her composure. "Alright. Thank you for your time."

"How about that waiting list?" the lady offered again. "These books seem unusually popular."

"No, thank you," hummed Lori, excusing herself to locate her sister.

A few moments later, the sisters were back in Leni's car, headed toward the middle school they both attended when they were younger. It looked the same except for a fresh coat of paint and different landscaping. A few more mobile classrooms had gotten added over the years, however.

"Okay," announced Leni as she parked the car. "We'll need to check in at the office. Then I'll show you where the new art studio is."

Lori nodded but hesitated. Seeing Lily after all this time would be stressful. The little girl she remembered as her sister had always been so easygoing and happy, and the thought of her deteriorating due to the past made her reconsider.

Even if Lily didn't remember anything, she might have distanced herself from her siblings over the years as they disappeared. Then, there was the possibility that whatever was happening to them affected her, as innocent as she was.

Either way, Lori began to feel that her presence would upset the girl. However, Leni sensed the conflict within her sister and reassured her that everything would work out, explaining that despite everything, they had each other's backs.

"Alright," sighed Lori, finally unbuckling her belt and leaving the car. "Let's do this."

After signing in at the office and getting permission to visit during school hours, Leni led her sister down a long hall, turned a corner, and finally stopped at the last room on the left. Students' artwork adorned the door, and a nearby display case held some pottery.

Peering into the room, they saw a woman sitting at a desk, with Lily opposite her, handing her various pieces to grade. Though she'd undoubtedly sprung up, Lily was still quite petite for her age. Wearing ratty old jeans, an oversized white tee shirt with multiple stains, and a short wavy bob, she looked as they imagined.

Opening the door and entering, Lori and Leni were surprised to find the two women alone. The seats were empty, possibly indicating a free period, which would explain their grading session. Either way, neither had the time nor the compulsion to question it.

"Hi, Lily," announced Lori, struggling to sound cheerful. "How are you?"

"Friends of yours?" asked the teacher as she regarded the new arrivals.

Lily looked up in shock as she saw her two eldest sisters appear before her. They had long left the house far before she could remember. The two were almost more like Aunts than real sisters to her, considering their age difference. Yet Lily lifted her jaw from the ground and responded.

"Uh, yeah," stammered Lily. "Something like that. They're my sisters."

"Oh, I see," responded the older woman as she rose. "In that case, I'll give you some privacy. Though I'd appreciate it if you didn't take too long, or we'll never get through this pile."

Nodding curtly, Lily stood and greeted her sisters, though she maintained her distance. It wasn't that she didn't love them because she did, they were family, after all, and Lily loved every member of her family. Her pensiveness had more to do with her relative unfamiliarity with them.

Lori and Leni had forged their own lives far before Lily was even aware enough to appreciate their presence. Sure, she saw them on holidays, but a visit out of the blue like this was very unusual. That was just the nature of all her older siblings. They all seemed eager to leave home and start lives away from the rest of the family as soon as possible.

By the time Lily was ten, only three of her siblings had remained in the house, and even they eventually left. Most people didn't become self-aware and start forming long-term memories until they were between four and five years of age, and most of hers were rather bleak.

Of course, she'd heard stories of the family's past and had seen pictures in the many albums her parents kept. But she experienced a much different reality, far more lonely than the one that the family photos and stories she saw communicated.

It seemed her siblings were extremely close at one time. But she had grown up in a different reality altogether. While she had no clue what might have happened to turn their once tight-knit family into strangers, perhaps their visit was related.

"It's good to see you both," Lily said, clasping her hands a few feet distant from her sisters, seeming afraid to touch them. "Can I help you with something?"

"Look at you..." sighed Lori, an intense feeling of guilt filling her. She grasped her tentative sister by the shoulders. "You haven't changed a bit."

Lori had to wonder if Lily was the biggest victim in all of this, having to grow up separated from her siblings in a way the others had never experienced.

"That's not true," sighed Lily, lowering her gaze. "And I don't believe you came all this way for small talk."

"No, I suppose not," muttered the older of the three as she wedged herself into a front-row seat. "We need to talk."

Once more, Lori and Leni relayed everything they'd experienced, along with their sister's tales. Watching Lily's expression change as she listened was slightly disconcerting. The young woman made too many nods of recognition to ignore, and finally, they gave her the floor.

"Lily?" inquired Leni, peering at her sister from under her brow. "Have you experienced anything odd recently?"

Lily finally released her self-imposed grip on herself, turned, and silently walked over to one of the large windows that displayed the school grounds. After a moment's silence, she turned and leaned against the radiator that lined the walls under the windows.

"Sometimes..." she cautiously admitted, "...I see things that I can't explain."

"Like, what kind of things?" Leni continued questioning her sister as Lori watched. "Scary things?"

"Sort of..." muttered Lily, wandering over to a metal cabinet, opening it, and pulling out a zippered portfolio. "Here," she said, placing it on Lori's desk. "This is some of my most recent work. Take a look."

With reverence, Lori unzipped the container and opened it. Inside were multiple sketches of dark and mysterious figures. In some, the being got drawn rather androgynously. In others, it appeared as a misty or blurred figure, despite its surroundings being quite distinct.

"These are terrifying, Lily," observed Lori. "Where did you see it?"

"Everywhere," the anxious girl replied. "Here, at home, in my dreams."

"Geez..." Leni sighed, holding one up for closer inspection. "You must've been scared out of your mind."

"Not really," chirped Lily. "I never sensed any hostility. It was just there, staring at me like it was watching over me or something."

"Really?" queried Lori, scratching her chin. "Any idea who or what it is?"

"I'm sorry, but no," sighed the petite woman. "I know that doesn't help you much, but that's all I have. What's this all about, anyway?"

"Lily, it's probably best if we don't say anything yet," Lori informed her as she stood. "But, if anything happens, something that scares you, don't hesitate to call us. In the meantime, don't let your guard down."

"We're going to see Luna and Luan next," Leni added. "Is there anything you want us to tell them?"

"Only that I love them and miss them," Lily offered, still maintaining her distance.

"Oh, Lily..." cried Lori, hugging her sister tightly, despite her awkwardness. "We love and miss you too. And I promise, as soon as we figure things out, we'll let you know, alright?"

"Fine," muttered Lily, scooping up her things. "But please..." she continued, putting them away. "Don't stay gone so long next time."

After saying their farewells and watching her sisters leave and close the door, Lily turned and faced the window again. There it was, standing near the edge of the school grounds, staring at her as it had been all day. Smiling faintly, Lily gave it a little wave.

It was hard to comprehend what her sisters had told her. The figure had become a comforting presence to Lily. It had only appeared recently, but it didn't scare her. She didn't know why. It only made her feel a melancholy she couldn't quite explain.

As it had many times before, the shadowy figure waved back before disappearing again. Lily furrowed her brows and placed her hands to the window, wondering what it wanted with her. What mystified her most was that neither Lori nor Leni had seen it.

"So?" chirped Leni as they entered the car again. "What did we learn?"

"We learned that Lily has no memory of what happened," Lori told her sharply, "and that whatever is after us has left Lily alone. For now."

"You think it might hurt her?" Leni asked as she started the car, backed out, and pulled into traffic.

"I don't know," sighed Lori. "Something seems different this time. She's seen it, maybe more than we have. But it hasn't done anything."

"Maybe it's because she wasn't directly involved in what happened," suggested Leni, surprising Lori.

"That had occurred to me, too," she responded. "But it's too soon to conclude anything. Maybe we'll learn more from the others."

At eleven o'clock, the girls stopped at their favorite childhood restaurant, the Burpin' Burger, and grabbed lunch. With a tray full of burgers, fries, and a couple of chocolate shakes, they found their old booth and sat down, reminiscing about days past.

Momentarily free from recent troubles and the headaches of trying to manage a family or business, Lori and Leni took turns reminding each other of humorous incidents from their childhood. Though, for all their efforts at levity, their tales decidedly avoided a particular sibling.

Life was assuredly different back then. With little care or worry, they tested their boundaries with reckless abandon. One or more were always getting into trouble or going to the hospital for minor injuries, but they never imagined what might happen if they pushed too hard.

They thought they were invincible.

But life had a way of teaching people the harshest of lessons. And now, they had to live with the consequences of their actions. Of those, alienation and distancing proved prevalent over the past twenty years. However, more disturbing, recent events took precedence.

With an awkward silence that had befallen the sisters, Leni pulled into the Laugh-n-Lunch lounge where Luan worked. Nestled between two larger businesses downtown, the Laugh-n-Lunch was a modest diner and comedy club that sprouted about thirteen years ago.

While Luan honed her skills and became quite well-known around Royal Woods and the surrounding areas, her career never took off. Over the years, numerous talent agents introduced themselves and offered her career opportunities elsewhere.

However, Luan could never bring herself to leave Royal Woods, much less move to someplace like Vegas or Los Angeles. No, her heart was in the quaint town she grew up in, where she could aid her siblings and parents when needed.

For most of the day, patrons were allowed to take the stage and try out their brand of comedy for the others. However, the breakfast, lunch, and dinner time slots got reserved for one of the employees. That's when the lights dimmed, and the stage got everyone's full attention.

Luan was one of several employees who entertained people during the meals, but when she wasn't doing that, she bussed tables, cleaned up, and restocked the chef's supplies. And as Lori and Leni wandered in and took their seats, their sister finished her noontime act.

"...and you're ugly," Mr. Coconuts barked.

"That's horrible!" Luan gasped. "You should apologize right now!"

"Fine," grumbled the dummy. "I'm sorry you're ugly."

The crowd laughed, and a few people clapped.

"Oh, come on..." sighed Luan, sensing the lack of enthusiasm in the crowd. "You're making me look stupid up here."

"Like you need any help with that!" laughed the dummy at Luan's expense.

"Speak for yourself, Mr. Coconuts," Luan barked, brows furrows but a smile still on her face.

"I wish I could, toots..." sighed the dummy, shaking its head. "I wish I could..."

"That's my time, folks!" cried Luan to the patrons' applause. "Enjoy the rest of your meal, and come again!"

Luan stashed her puppet in a nearby box as the lighting returned to normal, putting on an apron as she left the stage. Luan still had it and seemed to be a crowd favorite, though her routine was slightly off. At least the bit Lori and Leni caught.

"Hey, sis!" chirped Leni as her sister strolled by on her way to the back.

Luan stopped where she was, looking surprised, an even bigger smile than usual crossing her face at the surprise visit of her sisters.

"Oh! Hey, guys!" Luan cheered, taking notice of her siblings.

Letting her tenure speak for her, Luan put off returning to work and took a seat at their table. The last time she'd seen or heard from either was at their annual Christmas party. Even then, not everyone always attended. Time and responsibilities often got in the way.

"So?" she prodded, blushing slightly. "What'd you think of my act?"

"Well, we only showed up a few minutes ago," Lori informed her, "so we didn't catch the whole thing, but it seemed a little, I don't know..."

"Self-deprecating?" Leni interjected, finishing Lori's thought.

"I'm sorry..." apologized their younger sister, resting her head in one hand, propped up on the table. "I've been in a bit of a slump lately. I don't know what's wrong with me."

Lori and Leni traded glances, noticing the bags under Luan's eyes and the prominent crow's feet. None of them were old by any means, but they knew the signs of stress when they saw them. Adult life, among other things, had a way of marking one as its own.

"Luan?" prodded Lori, not wanting to waste time or risk an awkward silence. "You wouldn't happen to be having bad dreams, would you?"

The comedienne's mouth fell open, and she stared at her sisters in disbelief. She had told nobody about the things she'd experienced over the past few days, utterly amazed at how easily her siblings had deduced her situation.

"H-how..." stammered the confused girl. "How did you know that?"

"Well, for starters, it's been happening to all of us," Lori stated.

"And it's written all over your face," added Leni, offering an apologetic smile.

"Please..." begged Lori, leaning in and lowering her voice. "We need to know what you've seen and what you think it might mean."

Luan's gaze moved from Lori to Leni and back, assessing them. With Lori seemingly entirely serious and Leni appearing more focused than ever, Luan furrowed her brow, leaned back in her chair, folded her arms, and began explaining.

"It all started a few days ago, during my evening performance," she began. "I started seeing a shadowy figure among the audience. At first, I didn't mind it because the spotlights make it hard to see clearly," she continued. "But it kept staring at me," she said, shivering, "and I felt so cold..."

"That sound familiar," Lori reassured her. "Please, go on."

"Anyway, that night, I began having the worst dreams," Luan admitted, not one to complain about nightmares. "I'd find myself lost in the woods at night. It was dark, cold, and creepy, and no matter which direction I ran or for how long, I'd never find my way out."

"Luan!" called someone from behind the counter. "Five minutes!"

"I'll be right there!" called Luan before turning back to her sisters. "I had the same dream for the next few nights. Only they got worse. The second time, the shadow person was chasing me but never seemed to catch me," she informed her listeners. "It was like they were guiding me somewhere."

"Any idea where that might be?" asked Leni, on the edge of her seat.

"Well..." sighed Luan, looking at her lap and lowering her voice. "Last night, while I was running, I stumbled on something. When I stopped and looked down, there was a mound of dirt covered in leaves," she said quietly.

"That's when the figure vanished. So, I leaned in to take a closer look," Luan whispered. "That's when Mr. Coconuts burst from the mound and tried pulling me into the ground, laughing maniacally."

"I see," replied Lori, nodding her head in acknowledgment. "Now, this is going to sound stupid, but..."

"Did your dreams ever leave anything behind?" asked Leni seriously. "Like, in real life?"

Luan's face drained, and she looked as if she'd seen a ghost. Surmising she might not have been sleeping well or had disturbing dreams was one thing. But guessing a physical reminder remained was unbelievable to her.

"Y-yeah..." murmured the stunned and terrified girl. "There were leaves in my bed. What's going on?"

"Listen, Luan..." Lori revealed in a low whisper. "I just visited the library to do some research, and someone had already checked out every decent book on dreams and the occult. I think someone knows what happened and is trying to guilt trip us into confessing."

"We can't let that happen," demanded their younger sister. "What can we do?"

"I'm not sure yet," admitted the eldest of them. "But I've already talked to most of us, and so far, we've all had similar experiences. Lana should be picking Lola up from the airport about now, and I still have to see Luna. After that, I think we should all get together and discuss this."

"How is Luna these days?" chirped Leni, having missed her sister.

"Luna?" sighed Luan, looking distressed. "She's not doing so well, especially lately. Luna lost her job driving a cab due to drinking on the job. After that, she fell apart and lost her apartment. Right now, she's staying with me."

"That's sad," Leni fretted. "She had so much potential."

"Yeah, well..." groaned Luan. "After what happened, her wings got clipped. She hasn't been the same since, especially in recent years."

"I can imagine," Lori agreed before standing. "If it's okay with you, we'll meet you at your place when you get off. Alright?"

"Sure, though I don't think you'll get much out of her," retorted Luan as she stood and flattened her apron. "But, it's worth a try. I'll see you then. Bye!"

"Later, sis!" called Leni as the group disbanded.

After picking Abby up from the daycare, the trio headed to the park and spent the rest of the afternoon letting the little girl run around and play. While the tot played in the sand, digging holes or making mountains, the girls discussed their plans.

"Do you think getting us all together is a good idea?" inquired Leni, fearful about tensions rising. "You know how sensitive this topic is, and I'd hate for fights to break out."

"I know..." conceded Lori, leaning back on her hands. "But if we're going to get to the bottom of things, we need to do this. We need to sit down and clear the air. Shake things up and see what falls out."

"What if we don't?" prompted Leni, sitting cross-legged as she watched her child play.

"Then we'll have no alternative," Lori whispered, "but to see... them."