Believe What You See Ch. 1

         "Oh, no...This is it..." Janet thought. "The past repeating itself...In my head..."
         She opened her eyes to see herself back in time as a child, frightened and powerless attempting to defend herself and her three younger sisters against Lord Shadowcraft. Before her were her beloved mother and father, nailed at the shoulders to a sacrificial wood plank. Lord Shadowcraft, with just a wave of his hand pushed the four children against the wall, putting great force agaist them to ensure that escape was impossible.
         "Your powers are useless against me! You can defend your sisters, but can you defend your parents!?" With that, he stuck out one bony finger and slowly murmured some words in Latin. Suddenly, a cross was carved into her mother and father's foreheads, an hourglass shape carving over it. Blood began to drip slowly down their faces as they screamed in agony. Janet opened her mouth to scream, but not a sound would pass her lips. As their power left their bodies and entered Lord Shadowcraft's, they became weak and limp. Soon, he was full of power, and her parents were dead. With a crackling laugh, he released the sisters from his magic hold. He charged his magic and a burst of light filled the room, blinding Janet and her sisters.
         With that, Janet gasped for air as she jumped up from her bed, looking around to see that nothing had change. Her notes stacked neatly on the desk against the wall that overlooked the rose garden in the back of the manor. Her crafting table, cluttered with strange plants, liquids and stones. Her panther cub, Wicken, still curled up next to her broomstick in a little fluffy ball. It was all the same. She finally caught her breath and began to relax. She remained sitting upright and rubbed her forehead, remembering the gruesome sight. She then stood up, struggling to keep her balance as she grabbed her wand. "Lux." She said. A pail light emerged from the tip of the wand, filling the room with light. She approached her mirror. There she stood, seventeen again, her green hair flowing elegantly to her lower back. Her green eyes, large and full of hope for the future of her and her sisters. She looked out her window to the sundial in the courtyard. 2:30 A.M. She sighed. "Maybe I should go check on the girls." She whispered to herself as she proceeded out of her room with her wand pointed out for light. Suddenly, she felt a soft, furry sensation along her leg. She knew it wasn't her tail. Startled, she looked down to where the sensation was coming from, only to see her panther cub, following her down the hall in curiosity. "Oh, it's just you, Wicken." She whispered as she scratched the back of the little panther's ear. Wicken purred in delight, then followed her master down the hall.
         Janet first approached the twins' room. On the door were two self-made signs: One reading "Taylor's Room" in elegant red cursive. The other, torn and crumpled, reading "Mandi's Room" in scratchy purple writing. Janet opened the door quietly and saw Taylor's closed coffin at the end of the narrow room. To mortals, the idea of an individual casually sleeping in a coffin would seem outlandish, but for those living in the Nightmare Realm, it's as common as brown eyes. Janet lifted the lid of the coffin to see the little vampire sleeping soundly, motionlessly, lifelessly. She brushed a thick part of Taylor's ebony hair from her pail face and she yawned, revealing sharp long fangs, sharp enough to pierce flesh, (As they were made to do.). The fangs disappeared behind her thin red lips as she exhaled, closing her mouth. Janet closed the coffin, then looked to the spiral-staircase leading to the top floor, where Mandi slept.
         She quickly ascended into Mandi's room, stepping over everything on the floor, like books, candles, and empty vials. At the end of the room was a large window that started from the floor, reaching all the way up to the ceiling. In front of that window hung Mandi's web, where she slept. Janet noticed Mandi shivering up in her web and she stood by her, checking her to see if everything was okay. She felt a draft coming from the right corner of the room. She approached it, noticing that a panel was loos on the window. She kicked it closed and the room was almost instantly warmed. One of Mandi's thick tarantula-like legs twitched as she took a deep breath. Janet alighted down the stairs once again, exiting the room for the rest of the evening.
         As she closed the door behind her, she looked down the hall to Little Lisa's room. "No, no, I don't need to check on her. I'm overreacting." Janet told herself. She glanced back at the door again, convincing herself that every possible despicable thing could be happening to her poor sister at that very moment. Janet ventured down the hall to the nursery, anticipating what could be wrong. She opened the door, only to see that everything was as it seemed. She walked over the chewed up toys and ripped books covering the floor, drawing near to her bed, which too was torn up. There she was, Little Lisa nestled up in her bed with her large wolf ears flattened, pointed to the side in tranquility as she slept. Janet smiled and picked her up, rocking her back and fourth. Lisa's little wolf tail began to wiggle as her hug tightened.
         "You had a bad dream?" Lisa's light voice sounded from behind Janet's head. She brought them face to face.
         "Yes. I was just making sure you were okay." Lisa laughed in a drowsy manor, then became quit again. Satisfied with the fact that Lisa was okay, she gently placed her back in her bed, then covered her up.
         "You dreamed of him, didn't you?" Janet looked at her perplexed.
         "Who are you talking about?" Lisa sat up, raising her eyebrows to reveal sparkling, deep blue eyes.
         "The man! The man that hurt mommy and daddy! The bad, bad man! Don't you remember!? Remember the bad man!?"
         "Of course I do, Lisa, and yes, I did dream of him." Lisa gripped her dark blue quilt.
         "He's not gonna hurt us, Janet, is he? Is the bad man going to hurt us? I don't want him to hurt us! I want him to go away! I want him to go away forever and ever!" In a fit of frustration, Lisa began ripping her blanket apart. Janet promptly held Lisa's hands together in an effort to calm her down. She was finally relaxed.
         "Listen," Janet said, releasing her hands. "He's not going to hurt us." Lisa grabbed her big sister's hand.
         "Do you promise?" Lisa asked. Janet's hand closed over hers.
         "I promise. Now go to sleep. Tomorrow is your first day of kindergarten!" Janet said excitedly. Lisa eagerly fell to her pillow and closed her eyes. As Janet began walking out of the room, Lisa called out to her sister one last time.
         "Janet?" Lisa asked.
         "Yes, Lisa?" Janet replied.
         "I love you!" Lisa chanted.
         "I love you too, Lisa." Janet gently pushed the door closed and returned to her room, exhausted. What if this was some kind of sign...? What if he is coming back? What if they're all coming back...!?" Janet thought. She threw her covers back, climbed into bed, and drifted off to sleep, uneasily.