- 5 years ago -
A man named Sebastian is sitting at the far end of a long table where the 'head of house' usually sits when it comes to these types of statuses and not far from him on his right is his wife, Rain and further down from them, but on the other side of the table is one of their children, Owen.
"Owen! Where the heck is Shelby?! I can see that she's not here in her seat next to Harriet." Yells Sebastian to Owen and lastly, Harriet.
Sebastian sits up, realizing that he's leaning over slightly above his plate which is made from the finest gold, a knife and fork set to match. His plate is covered in bacon, eggs, toast with fried tomato and pancakes with maple syrup alongside a chalice filled with freshly squeezed orange juice. His mood and expression sours, pushing his plate away. "Where is Shelby?" He snaps again.
"Relax Dad, I'm sure Shelby will be along soon. She might have just overslept a little. She's young, you know. You were once as young as her and I am sure you liked to-" Owen says in attempt to calm down his dad, but before he can finish his sentence, Sebastian cut's him off.
"Harriet! Can you go rouse, Shelby?" He demands.
"Ah! Sure, sure, Sebastian. Will do!" Responds Harriet who almost fell out of her chair that is located to next to Owen's.
"Of course, I get the runt jobs! I sware one day I will leave this place and never look back. Ever." Mumbles Harriet to herself as she walks down the hall, far away enough that no one hears, heading towards Shelby's bedroom.
"Knock, knock!" Harriet calls through the door of Shelby's room when she reaches it. Harriet receives no response from the other side of the door.
---
Shelby
"Knock, knock!" I hear a voice calling.
"Your presence is requested... I don't want to receive another lecture from Dad that we should aim to eat together at all meal times."
That voice! It's Harriet's I realize. I'm lying on my stomach in bed and roll over to look at my bedside clock. It reads 8:30 a.m.
"Oh, shiitake! The time!" I cry, racing out of my bed to open the door as I keep it locked at night so no one can walk in freely. I see Harriet standing there with her arms crossed, foot tapping and looked slightly cross.
"I'm awake, I'm awake!" I cry.
"About time cause Dad is looking for you and you know how he gets when..." She speaks.
"I know, I know, Harriet! I'm sorry." I tell her and thus cutting off her sentence while she was midway. Her face softens and posture drops.
"I know... Whatever! I don't care for your excuses, Shelby. None of us do. Just get dressed and come down stairs to breakfast." Is her final sentence before turning to leave. She seems angry about something. I wonder what is eating her up inside...
I notice Harriet turn back to face me. "Open your curtains too, Shelby because it's dark in here. It will ruin your eyesight. You need sunlight."
"I like the darkness!" I yell out at her by mistake and ignoring the fact that I actually wear glasses as I'm short-sighted...
"Whatever, Shelby." Is her response to my rudeness.
I think something else is bothering her and it's not just my tardiness. I lean against my door frame. "What's up today, Harriet?" I ask. She just shrugs her shoulders, which is her typical answer for most conversations when people attempt to talk to her.
"Is it... This place?" I ask her. She looks away and I sware I see a tear slide from her eyes.
"If you truly hate this place, Harriet, maybe you should leave? I wouldn't wanna see you go because you're my best friend and sister, but if you are truly unhappy who I am to hold you back? That would just be selfish of me"
"You know it's not that simple, Shelby!" Harriet says angrily in response to what I suggested.
"Try." I tell her.
"Get dressed, Shelby! We'll be downstairs waiting for you. Rain and Sebastian have no problem starting without your presence." Is the final thing before she walks away completely from me.
I roll my eyes. "Fine!" I shout whilst slamming my bedroom door to take make a loud noise. "Ah!" I hear come from the hallway. "SHELBY, WHAT THE FUCK!" I hear Harriet shout at the top of her voice. I walk over to my cupboard to pick some clothes for today to wear.
When I have picked something, I slip it on and head to my dressing table and pick up a can of deodorant.
"Strawberries and French Vanilla?" I murmur, narrowing my eyes. Rain knows I'm not girly and that I love simple stuff, but she insists on buying me fancy stuff. Makeup, perfume, pink clothing, everything. "Well, it'll have to do until I go into the nearest city one day." I grumble, spraying it on and leave my room, pulling the door, closed behind me to head off downstairs and see everyone.
---
"I'm here!" I announce, walking into the lavish, banquet hall.
"About damn time!" Sebastian mutters under his breath. "Your seat is next to Harriet." Sebastian mumbles, not even looking at me. Harriet looks really annoyed. Is the final straw for her today? I hope it's not and doesn't break the camel's back. I prop my feet up on the table in front of me and my hands behind my head as I just want too for a few minutes and rest my eyes, leaning on my chair.
"Feet off the table, young lady! It's bad manners." Rain warns me. Her hand hits my right leg from across the table and I sit properly. She's glaring.
Geez, it's tension central here today. I laugh to myself inside my head.
"Hey, Shelby. I squeezed you some juice." Harriet tells me, holding a glass out and she passes it to me.
"Thanks!" I tell her.
"No problem, Sherbet." She responds, smirking. That's my nickname. She's the only person who calls me by it. Her mood seems slightly better now. I see Harriet turn back to her side of the table and taking a sip of drink she has. It's a latte with lactose free milk. It has some foam on top. So, she's not having juice? Either-how though, she always loves a good foamy latte that has lactose free milk in it. "Heh." I giggle.
And then I see Sebastian has finished his juice and now a tea cup of black tea is in-front of him while Rain has a glass of water infused with some lemon and a hint of strawberry, having also finished her Juice. Owen has green tea, likely also having finished his Juice. I like a nice glass of water with a hint of rosemary sometimes. Infused water is one of the few things I actually have in common with Rain even though we don't get along now really...
I would say that the person I get along most with here is Harriet. I and Owen don't really talk. It's mostly just awkward glances and no conversation at each-other across drinks.
Take care of her for me, please, Owen.
I and Hadrian? HA! That's a real barrel of monkeys! So much fun!
"SHELBY!"
I hear my name called. I turn my head to see Rain in front of my face at my eye level, having come to over the other side of the table.
"Did you hear what your dad said? Hmm!"
"Uhhhhh, no!" I growl and flick my long red ombre hair with dark purple toned streaks halfway over my shoulder. She hates it when I do that. It gets on her nerves real good.
"Ugh! You're impossible, Shelby, but I still love you at the end of the day. Sometimes..." Grumps Rain, sitting back down in her seat. She swipes a pastry off the tray in front, throwing it down onto her place. Yep, she's clearly angry now and it's best I don't get on her bad side, again.
"Ahhh!" I hear a small scream from somewhere. I lean back into my chair and grab a hold of my drink that is on the table in front of me. After a few seconds of holding it, I take a sip.
"Ooooh, I just LOVE you, my early morning, freshly squeezed juice. Mhmm...! Marry me, please!" I say out loud to it.
"What in god's name?!"
I turn my head to see Owen looking at me. Everything feels really awkward now... Just great! We are staring at each-other across our drinks like we normally do. I note that this is often a daily occurrence for me and Owen anywhere from three to seven times a day. I don't have much of a relationship with Owen so I often feel lost for words and we usually just end up playing this 'Let's stare at each-other game!'
Should I break eye contact and take a sip of my drink again or will I end seeming looking like some kinda jerk if I do that? I ask myself. I see Owen pick up his Green Tea again, bringing it to his lips to take a sip. Thank you! For the love of, never mind... I let a slight smirk crawl across my face.
"Is there a problem?" Interrupts a gruff voice. I quickly turn my head to see Sebastian is leaning forward in his chair looking at me and Owen, hardly through his breakfast. Rain is also leaning forward in her chair to have a look at what's going on. Her dark blue and light aqua hair in a long ponytail swaying.
"Well, I am waiting, snollygoster." Sebastian comments after a few seconds of earning no response from me or Owen.
"Not enjoying your drink, Shelby, love?" Rain asks me.
"Uh..." Is all I manage and Rain hands me some infused water as she has spares on a tray behind her. "Hey, I'm back you, four. So sorry! I just had to go the bathroom real quickly." I hear Harriet say, appearing out of nowhere. When did she leave? How did it not occur to me that she was missing?
"I wondered where you went, Harriet." Rain says, before turning back to her drink and food.
"Can we continue eating like a family?!" Snaps Sebastian. He looks as if he is getting angrier by the minute and clearly running out of patience with all our various interruptions.
"Oh, Sebastian, darling!" Rain says, scootching her chair over a little closer to him so she can run her fingers through his beard. He seems to relax at Rain's gesture.
"Yuck, love!" I say under my breath while letting my tongue stick out a little. This earns a small giggle next to me from Harriet and Owen.
"Let's just continue." Sebastian says, cutting into a strip of bacon and tossing into his mouth.
"Harriet..." I whisper.
"Yah, Sherbet? Uh, Shelby... Which would you prefer I call you?" Harriet asks me.
"Eithers fine." I mumble. "Okay, Shelby..." Is her response.
"What is up with Rain today? She is too happy, cheery happy today..." I whisper quietly so Rain doesn't overhear. She is still playing with her Husband's beard at this point.
"Yeah, I noticed. Maybe she is just having a good day?" Harriet suggests to me.
"You're probably right." I tell her. I see that Owen is staring at me and Harriet, having our little secret conversation.
Out of nowhere, I feel I feel a seizing pain travel up my leg. It's as if my leg is on fire. I start crying. I'm pulled from my chair by Harriet. My right foot clinks the side of my drinks in the process which sends them flying.
"No!" I cry out.
I feel myself being dragged across the floor by my sloppy jumper. After a short distance, I stop getting pulled along on my butt and someone moves down to almost next to me as well as pushing me into a semi sitting position.
"Harriet?" I question.
"Yeah, it's me." She responds. Dad's suit is stained with a food and drink.
Further back behind him is Rain, bent forward, brushing food and drink also off her dress.
Rain stops brushing her dress to look at me and Sebastian drops his arms, taking a step towards me. And Owen? He's just staring as usual no doubt, but I can't see him now as I am looking at Rain and Sebastian.
"You, okay? You just screamed for no reason." Sebastian asks me with a slightly softer voice from his usual gruff tone of voice.
"Yeah, I think... What happened?" I ask.
"I'm not sure..." Answers Owen for Sebastian who is still behind me and Harriet.
---
"Ahh!" I scream, moving into an upright, sitting position, my leg aching badly. Where am I? I look around for a few minutes at my surroundings till it sinks in that this is just my bedroom and I'm in my bed. What on earth happened? How did I end back up here? But then it all comes flooding back to me. I hate that this keeps happening...
I throw the bed covers off of me and swing around to the side of my mattress.
The time on the clock beside me shows the evening. I conclude that I must have been passed out for several hours.... I climb out of bed properly this time and use my bedside table to steady me. This shooting pain through my leg is horrendous, but I stifle a scream as I don't want to wake anyone up.
I need a drink of water. My throat feels parched so to the kitchen I go. As I make my way to the kitchen, I began to smell a smokey smell. I stop short of the kitchen door and open it slightly to look around before fully going in. I see Dad in his Pj's sitting on a bar stool at the kitchen island. He is smoking a cigar and an open can of beer is sitting nearby on the island, but his eyes are closed.
Doesn't he know an open can of beer, a lit cigar and a sleeping person is a bad combination? Oh well, not my problem. If I don't tell him what to do, he won't tell me what to do. It's kind of our unspoken agreement between each-other. I walk over to the sink and get a clean cup to fill up with water.
"Huh? Who goes there!" Shouts a deep voice from behind me. I spin around quickly which hurts my leg more and I drop the plastic cup I filled with water.
My eyes lock with dad as his now awake. The smoke from his cigar gets right into my nose and I let out a cough. "Oh, sorry!" He mumbles, putting out his cigar. "Shelby."
"Hmmm?" I let slip out. "Come sit, yeah?" Dad says, but he says it in a way that is indicative that this is more of an order I have to obey and refusing is not an option. He slides out a bar stool that's opposite to him with the end of his foot.
"How is your leg?" He asks me with a curious tone of voice and a raised eyebrow.
I take the offered seat. "It's fine... I think." I respond. I just woke up in my bed and came down for a drink of water. I don't really know how I got there to be honest."
"Yeah, we know. But does it really matter?" Dad responds to me.
"A little..."
He doesn't answer me.
"You look tired still. You should go back to your bed, Shelby. I'll see you in the morning." Dad extends his hand out to me to shake it. I kind of just sit there staring at the floor.
Dad touches my shoulder which jolts me from my numb state of mind. "Yeah?" I ask. He stands up and pats the top of my head like I'm some puppy or something. "You should go back to bed; I'll return to my bed too." He tells me. I nod and stand up to walk back to my room, albeit a bit limping as this leg pain I experience happens a-lot with no answer and I see him down the last of his beer and he throws his cigar in the bin after it's put out properly.
I feel someone nudging me in the side of my shoulder. "Huh?" I say sitting up and rubbing sleet from my eyes. It's Mum. "You're not Harriet..." I whisper. "Or Owen."
"No. No, I'm not."
"Why are you waking me?" I ask. "What time is it?" I glance to my bedside clock. The time that reads is 3:34 a.m. I feel Rain take a hold of my wrist and pull me up from my bed. "What are you doing?"
"I'm sorry, love."
I try to pull my wrist from her grasp, but she has a firm grasp upon me. She drags me from my room, but on my way out, I only just manage to grab my glasses of might nightstand with my other hand, putting them on and then she leads me to outside our community. The world around is blurring and I feel nauseous.
"Mum, what are you doing? It's early and I would love to be able to go back to bed! You should too." I say in an attempt to reason with her, but she just ignores me and carries on pulling me by the arm. I turn my neck to look back at our home and I see Owen upstairs in one of the windows, where his room is located.
He has his hands behind his back and with one grasp of his hand, he pulls closed the curtains which blocks my view of him. I turn my head again and face Rain to try and reason with her again. "Mum, stop, please!" I beg with tears in my eyes, but she keeps dragging me till we reach a glowing light just floating in the middle of nowhere and after we've entered, the way we came in is no longer behind.
She let's go of me and I fall over. I look up.
"Dad? You're here too?!" I gasp in shock of his presence. "What is going on? I want answers!" I yell. The expression that's plastered on his face shows how angry he looks. Why is he angry? What did I do? I notice his arms are behind his back and he is trying to maintain an upright, tall posture. Mum is standing a short distance away from him trying to not look at me. She appears to be uncomfortable and nervous about something.
A minute passes between us, before I get any answers or something that I am seeking.
"So young lady. Why do you think I had Rain bring you here?"
"I don't know!" I yell at him because I have officially run out of patience now with whatever this is, that's happening. "Follow me." Is his response to my little outburst at him. Rain follows him and I guess I have no choice, but to follow also.
"Tell me, Sherbet. What is your biggest fear?" He asks me. I see Mum goes to say something, but he shushes her and she backs down. "Um, what? Dad, look. You are obviously a little drunk and heavily sleep deprived from today as well. Why don't we just forget this and all go back to bed, yeah?" I ask.
Mum goes to speak again, but once again he shushes her. "Well, I am waiting."
"I don't know! Okay?! There are a million things that could be scary, but what is an ultimate fear in reality? Is it one big thing or heaps of little things? Who really knows! There multiple ways one could answer such a question!" I yell out in frustration.
Dsd claps his hands together in front of him. "Smart girl! You certainly have the brains. I just wished you used them more often. I really do. You're sooo... Oh, well, how should I say this? Childish."
"Sebastian, stop! Please! Shelby's done nothing wrong. She's only a young girl!
Let's go home, we'll take her with us. It's only Harriet's wild ideas that are the problem. Shelby's not a natural born troublemaker, she's likely not in on Harriet's plans. So why would she start now?" Mum says, butting in.
"Enough, Rain! Enough! Just shut up for once!" Sebastian grumps back at her. I roll my eyes and go to walk away. "I'm going home, but whatever argument you two are having... Sort it out here, please for the love all the known life in this universe!" I grumble, turning to walk away in search of how to exit this place.
"Oh, no, no, you don't, missy!" I feel Dad grasp my arm and fling me across wherever we are, I feel like I've hit a wall. My back aches.
"Hey, watch it! What do you think the big idea is?" I snap.
"Sebastian, stop! Shelby obviously knows nothing, has nothing to do with this! Let's just go home and bring her back with us and nothing has to change." Rain says in an attempt to help me out again.
"Enough! Keep your mouth closed, Rain or I WILL hurt you!"
She backs down. "Okay, Sebastian..."
"Rain?! I cry." Sebastian walks up to me grabbing a hold of my shoulders, thus lifting me up off the floor. "Dad, put me down!" I cry. "Begging will do you no good." He tells me.
"Harriet made a big mistake and I heard that you suggested she leave us. You will pay for that mistake!"
And then I see Rain raise her hand, holding hands with Sebastian's free hand.
"Don't do this please! I beg of you!" I cry, not knowing what's about to happen. Tears pooling in my eyes. Rain looks sad and she turns away. "Goodbye Shelby, I love you. I always have."
"Dad?!" I cry. He actually looks beyond angry now.
"Goodbye." Is his last word before he let's go out of me and then it feels like all time has stopped, the temperature like it's dropped below freezing and it's dark. I'm floating in nowhere and for a second see a glimpse of an image. I'm lying on my bed and I see Harriet poke her head into my room, the light off in the hallway, indicating that everyone's asleep.
She slips into my room, hugs me, kisses my forehead, but she doesn't say anything and then leaves. The image blurs and leaves me. I feel numb, like I can't move and then I pass out so I don't see a figure standing behind me with glowing, but also white, glazed over eyes and black skin with sizzling firey cracks between the blackened skin of the figure's body. From head to toe. It smirks, white sharp teeth with black covering them in areas and then clicks its fingers. "Illusion complete."
---
My eyes flutter open and then I'm falling fast through the air, strong winds blowing. I open my mouth to scream, but nothing comes out so I squeeze my eyes shut, preparing for my death and then I feel a warmth lingering around me like I've stopped falling. I open my eyes to see I'm hovering a centimetre off the ground and then I drop, feeling a slight impact against my chest and its spreads across the rest of my body.
"Meowww!'
"Meow?" I repeat in surprise, opening my eyes to look around. Where I am? It's night time still here and then I stiffen, seeing a blood red moon, but it almost looks like it's in the shape of a cracked heart that's bleeding... Like blood is dripping off of it. I look up towards the sky. This shouldn't be possible! Not to mention, there is two moons...
I cry into my hands, tears streaming.
"Meowww!"
"What?" I blink in confusing while stopping my crying and look up. A small ginger cat is there with honey brown eyes and steps forward, nudging my shoulder, then purrs, wrapping its self around me, headbutting me. I cough from its tail tickling my nose.
"Hey, kitty, kitty! You all alone?" I smile, petting it and it lets me pick it up in my arms. I take a look underneath, it's male. "I can take care of you if you like. We can be friends? Maybe best friends? I've never really had friends." I tell the cat, placing it back down again so I can rise to my feet and then I scoop it up again.
"Oh, you're just so soft!" I give him multiple kisses on the top of its fury head. "Meow!" It bites me on my hand. "Hey! What's the big idea?!"
It hisses all of a sudden, but I get a feeling that I'm not the one it's hissing at.
I turn around to see a huge shadow stalking in the distance between the trees, I can't identity what it is, that is heading my direction. "Oh, no, no, no! This is bad! Real bad!" I cry. I see a huge estate not far off distance. "Kitty? We need to run! Unless we want to be murdered!" I run off towards the estate, carrying the kitty while dodging trees, seeing only more creepy figures appear by the minute. The wind is really blowing and the moon like it's only turning a darker shade of red now.
I trip and stumble because of leg, but it's not too bad. I see a figure leap for me and I squeeze my eyes, prepared for my life to end. I hear a meow, feel warmth again, but it quickly turns cold and the cat in my arms, nudges my chin with its nose, looking up at me. I stroke its fur and then manage to climb to my feet again, continuing to carry him. We reach an estate I didn't see before and I run around the fountain that is dried up, across the gravel turning driveway that has dead, black, wilting roses off the sides that smell putrid and head straight for the large mansion with no lights on and kick the door open stupidly with my leg that has been off and on hurting for no medical reason, run in and lower the kitty so I can shove the door closed and I bolt the dead-lock. "Ha, ha, ha! We're safe. Who I am kidding?! That was so scary and now I have locked us in here!" I cry, letting tears fall again. "Meowww!" Says the cat again with its two front paws on my knees as I'm sitting on my knees on the dark wooden floor, covered in a thin layer of dust.
"Thank you boy, I appreciate it!" I say, giving him a smooch. I pick him up in my arms and start to walk around the house with him. "Well, if we're going to be staying here, I guess we need to at least take a look around and make sure nothing is lurking in here with us.
Otherwise, I don't know where else we can go. They're sure are a-lot of rooms here, huh, boy?"
"Meow." He answers me. "Oh, you are just the cutest thing ever! I don't know how anyone could think cats aren't cute!" I tell him with a cheeky grin while giving him a rub under the chin. After some time exploring the house, me and the cat have concluded it's safe. It's just old, no one lives here and the floor could use a good mop and the cobwebs littering the nooks and crannies, plus the windows for me to clean also, and for me to find the circuit-break and see if I can get the power on. I enter a simple room with just a bed covered in just a blanket, night-stand, a dresser with a chair off the side, a small cupboard and an en-suite off the side next to a small window with a torn rag for a curtain.
I sit down on the bed, place the kitty down and start stroking he's head, ears and tails. "What do I call you?" I ask him and then it hits me. "You look like a Declan. Are you a Declan?" I smile.
It mews back at me. "Is that a, yes?" I ask with a giggle. "Shelbyyyyy..." I hear a whisper come from deep in the house. "Huh?" Is my response. I turn around on the bed, looking to the door. "Come here, Sherbet."
"Okay, what the heck?!" I shout, standing up and see a rusting shovel leaning against the wall near the bedside table next to the bed. I arm myself and start walking down the hall with it. Declan follows me, looking worried, but doesn't speak. "Declan, stay behind me. I don't know who is here and I don't want you to get hurt!" I whisper.
As I'm walking, I come to a stairway that leads to a basement and start to go head down it. As I'm walking down, I feel something snap on my contact with my hurting leg and I look down. Trip wire... "No!" Is all I manage to say before the floor below me and Declan collapses.
We both let our variation of a scream and then it's dark.
"Meow!"
"Huh?" I blink my eyes a few times looking around and move into a sitting position. Declan is right in front of me, one paw on my hand. I wrap my arms around him, hugging him to my chest. "Thank you for protecting me, checking up on me and being brave, Declan!" I tell him.
"Meow!" He responds. I stand up, carrying him in my arms while walking forward. Right in front of me is a narrow room. I see a figure in front of me just up ahead, but it doesn't appear to be moving. I place Declan down and arm myself with the shovel again as I walk towards him or her? I get very up close to them.
"Huh?" Oh... It's just some Halloween costume on a mannequin stand."
"Shelbyyyyy!"
I hear that voice calling me again. I look to Declan. "Do you hear that boy?" I ask. He looks scared. I step closer to the costume and lay my shovel on the floor beside me. I pick up the mask off the stand. It's one of those cheap masks people where when they play serial killers in crappy-budget, old horror movies. I'm about to try the mask on for shits and giggles, but before I can do this, I feel Declan, biting my ankle.
"Ow! Declan, please no! My leg is hurting already!" I tell him, trying to shake him off. I turn back around to continue putting on the mask. Should I put it on? Because that is what you do with costumes, it's all their good for. I place it down over my face and turn around.
Declan slowly backs away in fright from me, letting out a soft, timid, mew.
"Declan, my servant. How do I look?"
"Wait, what I am saying?" I wonder, realizing I just said something I had no control over.
"Thank you for putting on the mask, Sherbet."
"Huh? Who are you?!" I scream, but my words and voice don't come out of my mouth.
"I'm now a part of your mind. We'll have such fun together now."
"No!" I scream, in trying to rip the mash off my face, but I can't will my body to move.
"Honestly, you idiot, Declan. Using what's left of your powers while you're stuck in that stupid, pathetic little cat's body I transformed you into to prevent this human from getting hurt. Do you really think you can stop me? Because you can't.
Well, run along now. Behave like a good little kitty and when I need you later, come to me and serve me, I'm not playing around because I can and I will hurt you like I hurt Elsie and Prudence."
"Meow!"
"Oh, don't worry. I won't hurt this baby girl, but I need her body for a while. You see, considering you burnt mine to a fucking crisp, Core burns. Walking around in it... Is rather painful. Now shoo, I have guests coming that I need to prepare for.
I just need to remember where the cleaning cupboard is now, this place is a mess as we haven't inhabited our home in such a long time."
And Shelby rubs her hands together, smirking in a sinister matter.146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdm9VqjGIeh
