them

Prologue

“Oh. My. Gosh!!” “No way” “I didn’t believe it was true “Neither did I” “help…me…” “I need help too. But its only you and I.” “We have to stick together.” “I know.” “NIKKIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Then she was dragged away, by one of them…



1. Frankie and Nikki


Francesca and Nicole were both 15 years old. They both lived in California, and they both were attacked by them. They never knew each other, but they were connected in some way. In a way that you would think maybe their dads’, grandparents’, uncles’, fathers’, mothers’, youngest nieces’, nephews’, brothers’, dogs’, moms’, owners’ was one of their ancestors. But that wasn’t the case. They were not related in any way. Frankie Alturas was 5 foot 8, only a little bit taller than most 15 year old girls, while Nikki Mariana was 5 foot 3, mostly on average. They met at school, and they never knew that that a single game would only lead them to their ever so fateful night.

The Alturas family and the Mariana family have never met before, and yet Frankie and Nikki looked so much alike. Beautiful, radiant, long, scarlet red hair and a face so fair, you’d think they came out of a story book fairy tale. Frankie was just a bit tougher than Nikki. Nikki was girly, Frankie was, well… Frankie. Frankie had no definite description except beauty. She has attitude one moment and the next second she’d be quiet and sweet as a lamb. Nikki was the daintiest little girl you’d ever imagine. They were shocked when they crossed paths.


2. Paths

Nikki and Frankie go to the same school, Loyalton High. They always wondered why people called them the opposite name. Nikki became Frankie and Frankie became Nikki. They did not have any classes together, nor did they live within seven miles of each other. They never passed each other in the halls, but they did this day. On the week of Halloween, they both had to go to the bathroom, at the same time. At the bathroom, they see each other, and they were shocked. “ADM! You look like me!” Frankie Alturas practically yelped like a puppy. “OMG! What do you mean I look like you? You look like me!” Nikki was just as surprised as Frankie was. As they’re beautiful, melodic voices flew throughout the bathroom, it all started to sink in...
“You’re... Frankie aren’t you?” Nikki questioned. “Yea. I’m Frankie. You must be Nikki.” Frankie replied, instantly remembering the name games with everyone in the school. “Yea.” Nikki had an excited smile on her face, and she giggled. Frankie did the same. “I already believe this is going to be the beginning of a GREAT friendship.”

3. The dare

At lunch, Nikki and Frankie saw each other once again. “Nikki! Frankie!” called one of the girls’ best friends, Jessica. “Come over here!” As Nikki and Frankie walked, Nikki felt a strange presence, but decided to brush it off. ”We’re playing truth or dare. Wanna join?” Nikki and Frankie looked at each other for less than a second and said “Sure. We’d love to!” The game went on and on and it was Frankie’s turn to ask. “Hmmmmm… OK. Truth or dare… Nikki!” Frankie chose excitedly. “Oh! Frankie! Why me?” Nikki was upset at her choice, but Frankie didn’t care. “You heard me! Truth or dare?” Frankie laughed. “OK…Dare!” “Good choice Nikki. I dare you, to come with me to the old Lucifrens’ house. For the night!”

Everyone knew that the old Lucifrens house was haunted by the ghosts’ of the family that died there… over 3,000 years ago. No one’s ever gone in and came out sane. Only ½ of those people came out at all. Nikki considered these facts, and than decided, “As long as your there! Deal?” Nikki offered. “Deal.” Frankie agreed. What they don’t know is that this is more than just a simple game of truth or dare. This was a game of life or death. And they are the next contestants. Chances are, they won’t win.

4. Getting ready

Frankie invited Nikki over her house to get ready. “So… Lucifrens’ house is, supposedly, haunted … right?” Nikki was worried. “Yea… So? It’s just an old rumor right? And it’s not like we’re moving in! It’s just for a night or two…” Frankie sounded annoyed…Nikki had been acting like this all week. Since the dare was made official. “A night! Or TWO!!! Are you kidding me!?!?” Nikki was……… there’s no word to describe her at the moment. Frankie was nonchalant when she said, “Yea… what’s the big deal? I’ll be with you.” “Well…Fine,” Nikki gave in easily. “Alright then! Let’s pack!” Nicole and Francesca were packing everything they touched. They made sure to pack at least 10 pounds worth of underwear as well as 30 pounds of clothes, and five pounds of shoes. They even had a total of, maybe, 45 pounds of makeup, accessories, deodorants, and fragrance perfumes. They had fit all of this into three separate duffel bags. They both also had to sit on two suitcases and one luggage to fit the “Just in Case” things. “ADM! I LOVE this purse! Where’d you get it?” Frankie Alturas was holding up a beautiful Vera Wang name-brand purse. It was black with very distinct detailed feathers, or at least they looked that way, in a contrasting silver thread. “I got it at Macy’s.  But… WHERE did you get this!?” Nikki Mariana held a simple red dress made out of some sort of silk. Also from Vera, this dress was long and had one single white ribbon, tied right under the chest. It looked like a prom dress, but Frankie explained, “I just got it to get it. Thought it was pretty, you know?” “Yea…” breathed Nikki, “I know.” “Well. You ready?” Frankie was tired of packing. “Yea. Hold on.” Nikki got her fave teddy bear, an adorable sad Sam puppy, and then, off they went to the old Lucifrens house.


5. Lucifrens’ legends

From Frankie’s mansion of a house, worth $1,595,000 with three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, they left to the old Lucifrens house. Old and broken down, this house hasn’t been lived in since Lucifrens family died in the basement. Legends say, the old man of the house started everything. Saying “We’re all going to die! We are GOING TO DIE!” Of course, the family didn’t believe him. But then, after a few weeks, he stayed in the basement for over a month. Nothing to eat or drink. People even say he never slept, that the family could hear him walking and talking all night long. “We will die,” he says, “we’re going to die… and no one is listening to me. Well curse them! I shall live, and I shall dine on the great feast for believing the words in which I have heard.” He swore multiple times in his nightly speeches.

He eventually became nuts. At night, the family declared him saying, “I’m going to kill them. I shall revive them after that, and then kill the little ones! Then, I will revive them, and kill them all! Once more! They don’t believe me. I’ll show them…”  He was found one day, sharpening a knife, an axe, and loading a gun. When his wife offered him food, he screamed, “YOU WITCH! YOU DARE DISTURB ME?! I’LL KILL YOU FIRST! JUST YOU WAIT! I WILL FIND THE TIME ON MY OWN!” She ran out of the room and cried.

The next week, her children started acting strange. They would linger outside of the basement. One of them, Lisette, went downstairs once, and never went anywhere near the basement again. She became mute, traumatized by her fathers behavior. She drew pictures, horrible pictures. Pictures of her fathers bloodied face, clothes, and hair. Bodies on the floor and table were also found within her pictures. Weeks after that, her brother, Percival, was found about to go downstairs. Lisette spoke. “NO! PERCIVAL DON’T! YOU DON’T KNOW WHATS DOWN THERE!” Percival was shocked when she spoke. He forgot how beautifully magical her voice was. He was obedient, though she was 4 years younger than he. She cried and cried, until Percival said, “Tell me about it,” in a whisper so soft you wouldn’t think Lisette would be able to hear. Lisette shook her head, not wanting to talk anymore. Instead, she showed the pictures. His face was horrified as his little sister showed gruesome, detailed drawings of things she saw down in the basement. She whispered to him, “We’re next…” Those were the last words she ever spoke.

“LISETTE!” Dorian, Lisette’s older brother yelled her name because it seemed she was having a nightmare. She woke up, angry with him. She threw a tantrum screaming, not words, just screaming. Yelling really. She drew pictures to describe things now. Its been 4 years. Ever since Lisette walked into the basement to see her father, Bertrand Lucifrens, cutting up human bodies, and even drinking their blood, she hasn’t spoke. Drawing was the last thing she had. She wrote to. But in very bad handwriting, but her artistic abilities are divine. That is why she draws. She drew a path, underground, with her father walking through it. He had a golden key in his hand. And there was a door to the right. She knew this place, she thought. Then, she was about to discover the hiding place in which Bertrand puts his key, but then, Dorian woke her up. 

A few months after that dream, she had it again. She locks her room at night so that no one can disturb her, because she knew she would eventually have the dream again. She found the spot. Downstairs in the basement, where her father never moves, never sleeps. The key was hidden where he stalks the nights, possibly killing people and drinking their blood, saving the cut up body parts on a table, or in the basement fridge.  Lisette knew only one person could go down there to persuade her father into giving her some keys to play with, and that was her youngest sister, Octavia. She was at age 3, with chubby ivory skin with a faint pink blush on her cheeks. She knew how to talk, almost fluently. She was scared at the thought of going down there. “No! Lisette, No! I don’t wanna go! Daddy is scary down there! He’ll hurt me!” In a calming voice, Percival said, “No, Octavia. He won’t hurt you. Daddy loves you very much, too much to hurt you.” Octavia looked up at him with big, sad, cerulean eyes. “You liar” she whispered. Then she ran away. The two children tried very hard to convince her, but then, they were desperate. They called on to their strangest, loudest, and oldest brother Thaddeus. Thaddeus was also the most persuasive of them all. They told Thaddeus what he must do, and he agreed. “If it is the only way to save this family then I will! But to risk my youngest sister… But you are correct. Daddy loves her, and always has. Even more than us…” Thaddeus went to Octavia after this and with bright sapphire blue eyes, he smiled at her. He was quiet, when he was persuading someone, or contemplating something. Right now, he was contemplating whether or not to risk his three year old sisters’ life, over an escape from his fathers’ insanity. He decided he had to. “Octavia.” She looked up, and after a few moments, she gathered her paper dolls and walked away. “Octavia! Come back! Stop please!” “I know what you're doing! You're going to tell me to go down to daddy! But I can tell you that I’m… not… going… down… there…” She slowed her pace because Thaddeus’ eyes were suddenly a velvety black. Angry at himself for even attempting to do this, He stormed off. But then, he stopped.


Legend says he heard a voice, telling him, “You must. For the life of you’re family, learn to sacrifice something. No matter how precious it may be. Even a sibling…” Hearing such an angelic voice, one that he recognized, though he’s positive he has never heard it before, more beautiful than can ever be imagined tell him such things, he turned back. “Octavia. Listen to me. Do you remember all those times daddy got you things that he wouldn’t dare give to us? Like one nickel, or even a dollar? Do you?” Octavia nodded her head. “He’s still the same person, you know that, right? No matter how much his mind has changed, his heart is still the same. It beats the same, it looks the same, and it is even in the same place. He is no different than any other father. He cares the most for his youngest child. Especially the daughter. He will always love you. Now, I, Lisette, and Percival need you to help us. We need you to go to the basement and—” He was cut off. Octavia swore at him, and he slapped her. “NEVER SAY THOSE WORDS AGAIN!” NOW! YOU ARE GOING TO GO DOWNSTAIRS AND ASK FOR WHAT WE WANT!” Octavia cried, but obeyed. She did not want to be hit again.

6. The basement

Octavia went downstairs to the basement, and there she looked up with now steel-blue eyes at her father. He looked at her, his face hard. It started to sink in who this strange, little girl was. ‘My daughter,’ he thought. “Octavia.” His voice softened though his face was still hard. “Daddy… I want keys. I want to play with some keys.” She was shocked as he denied her. “No. No keys for you tonight. They are too far.” “I’ll get them, Daddy!” She said in her most childish innocent voice. “NO! NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! NO KEYS! I NEED THOSE KEYS! THEY ARE MINE! ASK YOUR MOTHER FOR KEYS!” She started to cry. “I asked—mom—my—al—read—y!” She said between breathes. Her father just looked at her. However, his heart filled with guilt. He walked to the spot, and gave her the keys. She almost immediately stopped crying. She quickly scanned the keys for the one that fits Lisette’s’ drawings. It was there. “Thank you daddy!” Then she ran off, before Bertrand could say a word.

Octavia shook the keys in front of Lisette and Percival’s face. “You did it!” Percival exclaimed. Lisette gave Octavia a bear hug, meaning “Great job, little one! You bring happiness to us three children.” Their mother died the night before. On there front yard, they have a gravestone that said “Gladys Lucifrens———Loving Mother———1673-1705——Died Young——Murdered, By Her Own Husband———” She was the voice in Thaddeus’ ear.

7. Door

Lisette took the keys, and led the way. Octavia followed, then Percival. Thaddeus stayed in the attic of the house. She found the door, unlocked it, and there sat her father, an axe in his hand.

8. Run

“RUN!” Percival yelled. Lisette stood, frozen, wondering how her father got in the room without the key. He walked towards her, slowly. Menacingly. Then, they were all running, Percival holding Octavia. Their father threw daggers, and swung his axe at them. One hit Percival in his arm, he felt no pain. They were close to the exit. It closed shut. They all died a brutal death. Bertrand had gone for Percival first, for he knew he was the smartest of them all. He chopped up his arm, blood splurging from the empty space, the he cut off his head, while screaming loudly with saliva running out through the corners of his mouth. Afterwards, he killed Octavia, because he knew that Lisette would freeze in pain, being alone with her father, her murderous, blood-thirsty father. He gave Octavia an even more atrocious death. He slit Octavia’s throat, slowly. He kneeled by her small, baby body, watching as the blood streamed down her neck, and laughing at the blood splashing at his face. He then leaped towards Lisette but, he did not hill her. He cut the edges of her lips, so that the scars stretched into a smile across her face. Soon after he stopped the bleeding in his secret room, he led Lisette up to the basement, Thaddeus unseen, and whispered “Such a pretty girl…It’s a shame I have to kill you…” Then, he took a sword off of the wall and pierced the sword through her chest and out of her back. Their bodies were never found, and it was thought that Bertrand ran away with Thaddeus by his side. Other legends say he killed himself with his children, and Thaddeus died alone and hungry in the attic.

9. Day one – Rooms and Nightmares

“I don’t think this is such a good idea. You sure you don’t want to just teepee the Mason house instead?” “ADM. Nikki you’re such a baby! I’m gonna be right here!” “OK, then. Fine. I guess its all just legend right?” A weak laugh came out. “Let me guess, Nikki. You believe in the legends.” “NO! I just… doubt that this is a good idea.” “Watev.”

“ADM! I claim this room!” Frankie got up on the bed that used to belong to Gladys and Bertrand. The master bedroom. The biggest one in the house. The one they knew the most. They as in them, not Nikki and Frankie. “I want this one! Its so… me!” Nikki laughed as she playfully climbed into Octavia’s crib. Frankie cracked up, and as Nikki got out of the crib, she felt like someone was grabbing her.

Still looking for a room, Nikki hears a baby’s scream. It came from the basement, and then she heard laughter and a breeze ran past her. “Ummm. OK?” She walked the other way as she looked for her room. She saw Lisette’s room and Percival’s room, and called Frankie. Frankie came and she thought that Percival’s room was bigger. “Thanks, Frankie.” “No problem! I’m here to help!”

They both had nightmares that night. Octavia was calling Lisette as she lay there, bleeding to death. Lisette never answered, she just looked at her with blank eyes. “Lisette! Lisette! Please, Lisette, help me!” Lisette stared ahead. It wasn’t long before Octavia realized Lisette was dead. She cried to death, with pain, agony, and anger. Her soul never at rest.

The two girls woke screaming. They ended up just wandering the house that entire night, much like Bertrand the few weeks after the incident.

10. Day two – exploration

“How about we look around today? For real, not like last night. You know? Search for things, maybe telling us about the legends.” Frankie was feeling especially explorative today.  “Um, Sure, yea. OK.” Nikki was feeling another presence, but agreed anyway. They went to the rooms first. They found clothes from back in the day like bonnets and poofy dresses. The dresses were all long and long sleeved. They had no pairs of pants. Just dresses and skirts with long sleeve shirts. In the guys’ drawers, all they had were pants and shirts. The usual. But, still. ‘Fashion was definitely not “in” back then, was it!?’ Frankie thought. “I don’t know, Frankie. These dresses are kinda cute!” Frankie looked at Nikki. “What?” “I just answered your question.” “But, I never said that out loud. Its like you read my mind or something!” “That’s impossible! I can’t read minds. If I could, I would know your secret crush!” ‘Oh my gosh, I love him! Aaron is just so hot!’ Frankie immediately thought of her crush of 3 years. “Why’d you tell me? I didn’t mean it! And Aaron? He’s not your type. I’ve known him forever.” “There you go again!” “With what?” “Reading my mind! OMG, I hate you for this!” “Maybe it works with you too. Try it out.” “Okay. Think of things.” Silence. “See. Nothing. It’s just you.” “Oh. Well, I’m sorry but this is cool. Think some more! I wanna know your deepest darkest secrets. Ha-ha, just kidding. I will leave you alone.” “Thanks.” The two girls continue to explore the house, when Nikki thought she saw someone. It was a boy. He was dressed in the white shirt and black pants and shoes they found in the rooms. He was talking to someone, yelling. It was a little girl. ‘Oh my,’ Nikki thought. She saw Thaddeus slap Octavia. Then they faded away.

Breaking the silence, Nikki said, “Frankie.” Nikki and Frankie were in Frankie’s room, in other words, Bertrand and Gladys’ room. “Yea, Nikki?” Frankie replied. “Did you see that? In the hall?” Nikki was referring to Thaddeus and Octavia’s incident. “No. See what? You're not gonna talk about any ghost stories this late are you?” “I guess not. I’ll tell you in the morning, if I remember.” “Okay then. See you in the morning.”

Nikki didn’t go to sleep. Instead, she roamed the house. Hearing voices, but only seeing Thaddeus and Octavia in the hall, then fade away. She sat in front of them. Then she heard “Nicole Mariana,” in a ghost-like voice. It was not Frankie.
11. Day three – Ghost stories

“Frankie. Frankie are you up?” Nikki was impatient because Francesca has been sleeping for a few hours longer than usual. Groggy, tired and irritated, Frankie says, “Yea, uh-huh. I’m up now… What do you want?” “All night I stayed up, I didn’t sleep AT ALL! So I was looking around the house to see if the things that happened before would happen again. And they did! I wanted to tell you now, but you were asleep. Can I tell you now? I’m extremely scared.” “Nikki. Calm down. Can it wait for when my brain functions right again?” “Nope.” Nikki looked at Frankie with big, browns, puppy-dog eyes. “Fine. I’ll listen. But if I get gray hair, wrinkles and bags, I’m blaming you.” “I don’t care.” “Go ahead then.”

“Okay. So since we came here I’ve been hearing voices and seeing and hearing things. Like on the first day, when we were looking for rooms, I jumped into the crib. When I tried to get out, I felt like something was grabbing me. And when I was walking closer and closer to the basement, I heard a baby screaming, after that I felt a rush of air, like someone ran past me! The next day, yesterday, I continued to hear voices and screaming, but then I saw something! I saw a boy and—” Nikki was cut off, “Was he cute?” “FRANKIE! This is HARDLY the time! But, he looked a little older than us anyway. Around 18 or 20? I don't know. But back to the point. So I see this guy and he’s talking, or yelling at a little baby, then he slaps her! I was shocked, and then they just faded away! I stayed up ALL NIGHT in that same hall. I heard the screaming, felt the breeze, saw the slap and fade. And I think I even heard old man Bertrand walking in the basement. And…another thing… I heard…my name. My full name. A voice said, Nicole Mariana! It was not you either. I’m really scared.” “I’d be scared to. But, I don’t understand what you are trying to say.” “Uuuugh! I am trying to say that this house is really, REALLY HAUNTED!  I am seeing and hearing things. I’ve had nightmares; I haven’t slept fully since we came here. This house could kill us.”

“Whatever, Nikki. I know that you’re just trying to scare me. Lets go back to sleep.” That night, neither Nikki nor Frankie slept. They just lay there in bed, crying silently.

12. Day four – Problems

“Nicole. Nicole, can you help me? I need your help. Or I will die… again…” Nikki gasped, but she still lay in bed, trying to see if she is sleeping or not. She was not sleeping. “Hello? Who’s there?” Nikki’s voice was trembling, out of either fear or cold. Maybe both. “It’s me. Mother. Its mother and I need your help. Nicole… Nicole. Nicole. NICOLE! HELP! NO. I DON’T WANT YOU HERE! Stay away from me! Go away! NICOLE, HELP!” That was the end. Mother was dragged away by some unseen being, spirit, ghost, or something stronger. Scared and curious, Nikki unwillingly explored the house, trying to hear mother again. She went outside. It was rainy, snowy, and windy. She roamed around, not hearing mothers voice. “Mother! Mother! Mother where are you?!” This was not Nikki’s voice. This wasn’t even Nikki. It was Lisette, her soul in Nikki’s body. Lisette was looking for her mother. Longingly, she roams the land, just missing a pile of leaves, covering her mother’s gravestone. She spies the pile, rubs off the leaves, and screams “MOTHER! Noooo!” Her screams faded away as she left Nikki’s body. Dazed and confused, Nikki looks around, rubs her eyes and says, “Whoa. Where am I? How did I get here?” Nikki then sees the grave that says “Gladys Lucifrens———Loving Mother———1673-1705——Died Young——Murdered, By Her Own Husband———”  “Oh, My, God. FRANKIE! GET OUT HERE!”

Nikki ran back to the room to wake up Frankie to find that she isn’t in bed. She looks through the house, and she sees the basement door, wide open. “Frankie…” She ran downstairs to get to Frankie, only to find her, wide-eyed with a gaping mouth, looking into one of the refrigerators. “Frankie? Are you there? Air head!” Frankie swung around with a knife in her hand, just missing Nikki’s throat. “FRANKIE! IT’S ME! Nikki! Your friend…” “I don’t need friends…” Frankie coldly replied, but once again, it was not Frankie’s voice. It was Bertrand’s.  Nikki bravely shook Frankie out of her state, and Frankie was just as confused as Nikki when Lisette left her body. “Frankie, we have a problem.
Back at the grave, Nikki reads the tombstone out loud. “Can we leave now?” Nikki begged for the last time. “NO! We can’t leave! We are in the middle of a murder mystery, we are the stars! We can win!” “Yea, Frankie, but we can also lose! Can’t you see? We could die here!” Nikki pointed at Gladys’ grave. “But don’t you want to try?” Frankie was desperate, suicidal in Nikki’s eyes. “No. I don’t want to try to die! I don’t want to try and look death straight in the face, Frankie, but by staying here, that’s what we are doing! If we stay here… we could die. What are you not understanding?!”

Nikki was on the verge of tears when Frankie said, “I want to stay. I want to try to fix this. To try and put these souls at rest, if that’s really what’s wrong here, but—” cut off, Nikki said “OF COURSE THAT’S WHAT IS HAPPENING! I do not come from a bed to a grave without realizing it! I don’t hear voices, or see people! No one normally does that! That only happens if someone is either a ghost-whisperer, which I am not! Or if they are being haunted! I want to know why you feel the need to help what wants to kill! The voice that I heard. It was calling my name. ‘Nicole’ it said. And it kept telling me ‘I’m mother. Help me, Nicole. I’m mother. It’s me, mother. Won’t you help mother?’ Then the voice was yelling, like someone else was there. That’s when I blanked out, and next thing I know, I am in this graveyard, looking at Gladys Lucifrens’ grave.Then I run for you and… You almost kill me. But you weren’t you. You were someone else. You were a man; your eyes were blank too, so I knew completely it was not you who almost killed me.” “How did I almost kill you?” “You almost slit my throat with a knife. And now, here we are, talking about our death in a graveyard. It’s a bit silly though… This whole thing. The dare, the house, even just us meeting! It all seems like umm... I don’t know… fate, I guess? As if somehow we were bought together by an unknown force. I’ve never even seen you around school.” “Neither have I.”

Back at the house, the girls witness even more things. Their worst fears coming true.


13. Day five – Nikki’s Nightmares


Nikki was fast asleep, but she was speaking clearly, as if she were awake. “No. No, don’t. Go away. NO! NOOO! OW! Father no! No! Father, why me? Why now? Why is this the way it has to end? No! Don’t bring out your collection. I never wanted to see it! I don’t know why I came down here! Please no! Father!” Then she woke up, sweat trickling down her face. In her dream, she saw Bertrand. Though, she did not know it was Bertrand, because this was not Nikki once again. It was Lisette, taking over Nikki’s body. She dreamt of what happened that night in the basement. What she saw, what she said, but nothing of what she heard.

Nikki woke not knowing what happened, or whether she was having a dream or a nightmare, since it was not her own. It was Lisette’s nightmares, giving the girls a clue that they were coming. They were all going to come soon, and they don’t know anything about it. Not yet. They will come back because, in a few days, it will be the Bertrand Families Anniversary... the anniversary of their death.  They as in them, not Frankie or Nikki, or anyone else. The family that died over 3000 years ago still comes back, every year on the day of their death, to relive their dying days. Nikki doesn’t know that now is just the beginning.


14. Day five – Frankie’s nightmares

“What. You… You want me to do that? I could never! For the feast, yes! The major feast that you have promised me for weeks and weeks! But, why do I have to do that. They are my family, I—I love them… But, if you are honest with me. That I will see them again… I will? Then… of course. I will do that for you. I will warn them though! You don’t care, eh? Fine. I will cause a fit! A worry throughout the family, have them turn on themselves. Especially Thaddeus, he was always strange, yet trustworthy. He will be involved!” Frankie woke, sweat, slowly dripping off of her face. She did not remember anything in her dream, except that it was 1.) A nightmare, 2.) Had nothing to do with shopping, 3.) Had nothing to do with boys, 3.) Had nothing to do with her life or hobbies, and 4.) Was not her in the dream. She knew all of this, so she knew there was something wrong. It felt like a warning to her, but she didn’t listen to it. She just lay awake in bed, thinking about the dream that would not come back.

Frankie’s dreams were not her dreams. The dreams were Bertrand’s memories. His memories of the night before the incident were finding their way into Frankie’s mind. This was another warning that said, “We are coming, get ready for your worse nightmares to come true.”

15. Day six – Discussion

“Umm, Frankie, are you up?” “Yea, I am. Why?” “I need to ask you something about last night. I heard your screaming. Is everything OK?” “Yea I’m OK. I just had a nightmare, that’s all. “Oh. OK, then. Me too. What was yours?” They stayed for hours on the couch discussing their nightmares, comparing and contrasting ghoulish visuals and ghastly vocals. They have never been more scared in their lives. They prayed and prayed, but the feeling that someone ghostly was watching them never left. That’s right. Now both of them can feel the presence when it used to be only Nikki. Now Frankie can read minds and see ghosts, but Nikki can see, hear, and feel the presence of ghosts.

Downstairs for the first time in almost a week, Frankie and Nikki are sitting in the old fashioned living room, talking over a bowl of cereal, “Wow. I’m actually scared for the first time in, like, forever! I know how you feel now, always complaining like you do.” As Frankie babbled on about her feelings toward the house and to Nikki, Nikki spots something. A movement in a chest they sat on in the living room of the house the first time they entered. Nikki blankly stares at it then unconsciously walks to it and picks it up. When she moves back to her original place on the couch, Frankie is looking at her strangely. As if they have left their bodies once more. But that may be because they have.

16. Flashbacks
“Lisette! Lisette wake up! Dear sister wake up!” Lisette did not speak because Lisette was not Lisette. Lisette was Nikki and Nikki did not know that. “Huh? Who’s Lisette? My name isn’t Lisette…” Dorian carried her downstairs where Percival laid waiting for Lisette to help fold Laundry. “Hello Lisette. How are you this morning? “My name… is not… Lisette. How do you SPELL that anyway?” “Poor sister… You’ve gone crazy. But you haven’t spoken in months! Why the sudden use of the vocal chords, eh?” “What do you MEAN I haven’t talked in months? And what are you wearing? Is it the 18th century or something?” Percival just replied calmly, “Actually, it is. You are 13 years old, Lisette. I would’ve thought you knew that much already. What have you been learning in school, eh? Ha-ha.” “Umm, I have been learning about the Pythagorean Theorem in school. I have been learning about the Collapse of the Soviet Union. I have been learning about writing term papers. I have been learning more than you and your precious Lisette. No, can you tell me what is happening here?” Nikki was extremely aggravated now. She has never been so aggravated before, with exception from being called “Frankie” all the time.

Meanwhile, in the basement…

Chop, Chop, Chop. Splat, Splat, Splat. Heavy Breathing. Groans. Bertrand was busy chopping, then, all of a sudden, he screams. “Ay Dios Mio! What am I doing?!” He looks around wanting to cut up these bodies on the inside, but refusing to. He refuses, only because he is not Bertrand. Bertrand is Frankie, well, Frankie is Bertrand, anyway. Frankie takes it in faster than Nikki does. “No Way. I'm……a……MAN!!!!!!!! Uuuugh! This is SO unfair!”

Upstairs…

“So, you're telling me, that you're mother died, and we have been taking care of every one? But I’m not a very motherly figure. And, is he really doing all of that? It seems wrong. As if this were all just a fairytale horror story.”