Chapter Three

Annabel woke up yawning, her eyes slowly blinking open. It was dark outside now. The moon shone a bit of light in, making the furniture cast eerie shadows everywhere. Blue glowed from the television where the movie had ended and no one bothered to turn it off. The little girl slid off the couch, rubbing an eye sleepily as she looked around. Julia was missing from the chair she'd fallen asleep in. Probably in her own bed. Sighing, she turned and saw all of her siblings asleep on the couch. Max's head was propped a little on the couch and a little on his shoulder, no doubt he'd have a sore neck when he woke up. And one of his ankles was rested on his knee. Hayden's head had fallen onto Max's chest with his legs stretched out in front of him crossed at the ankles. And Sora's head was rested on Hayden's shoulder and her legs had fallen open but her feet were together. She looked the most uncomfortable in Annabel's opinion. And Kal was on Hayden's lap, his mix matched button eyes staring at her in the darkness.

She pulled Kal off and pushed on Hayden's leg hoping to wake him. He sniffled and stirred before relaxing back into the couch, folding his arms across his chest. It had a domino effect almost. Making Max's head drop fully on the back of the couch and Sora's arm fell from her leg onto Hayden's. Annabel scrunched her nose and pushed her hand off the jean covered leg. Sitting Kal on the table, Annabel drug the damask fleece blanket Julia had used to cover up with and draped it long ways, covering their laps. She picked Kal up and headed up the stairs.

She was exhausted. The day had been filled and action packed. What with going into town for the first and possibly last time. And then her birthday party. Her little legs struggled to drag her up the steps. She had half the mind to just lay on the first landing. But no, her bed would be much more comfortable. When she got to room 217, she noticed the two shadows again stretching abnormally long down the hall and up the wall. Her hand dropped from the doorknob and she slowly turned, gulping. At the end of the hall were two little girls, twins. They were in matching dresses and their hair was up in pigtails. They seemed about her age, maybe a year or so older.

Annabel smiled brightly, sleepiness forgotten for a moment as they disappeared around the corner. She took off after them.

There were other little girls there too! They must have been the ones she saw before. Maybe she could befriend them and she'd have people to play with. She loved playing with Hayden and Sora but sometimes they were too busy playing with each other and wouldn't let her join. And Max was too old to play with her. And she was the most uncomfortable around him than the other two.

Turning the corner, she saw them walk into a room.

Smiling, she smoothed out her shirt, touched at her hair, and opened the door. In the room there were walls cover with shelves, books jammed onto every available service. And there was a desk and a big piano facing the bay windows. But she didn't see the little girls.

"Hello," she called out, carefully stepping into the room. "I'm not going to hurt you." She groaned at her choice of words. "Which is dumb and all the killers say that in scary movies, but I really mean it!"

She walked further into the room and turned to the side. They were stood in the darkest corner, away from the moon light.

"There you are! I noticed you were kids too. I'm also a kid. My name's Annabel. And this is Kal," she introduced, holding up her bunny. "Don't worry. He won't hurt you either. He's isn't real. No matter how much he wishes he was." She glanced at him before dropping him to her side, sighing. "He's mad at me now." She let out a little laugh as if she'd just told a joke. She looked back at the girls. Their facial expressions were unchanged and they hadn't moved. "What are your names?"

They didn't answer. They just blinked at her. Annabel chewed on her lip.

"Okay, well I guess if you want to play sometime come find me. My room number is 217. I would very much like to play with you." She yawned again, covering her mouth. Her body felt heavy with sleep again. "I'm going to go there now and sleep. But hopefully I'll see you around!"

With that she left that room to go back to hers. As she laid in bed she wondered why she'd never seen them before. Their shadows one time didn't count. She came to the conclusion that they were just shy. Maybe if she went around them more, they would know she was an okay person. She flopped onto her side and smiled sleepily at Kal.

"Don't worry so much," she said through a yawn. "They're not going to try to kill me."

She curled into a little ball, her head barely sticking out of the blanket.

"Just go to sleep, Kal," she pleaded. There was silence. "Thank you. Good night, Kal."

She yawned again before drifting back into dreamland.


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When she awoke a second time, sun light showed through in tiny rays where the burgundy curtains didn't meet all the way. She heard her door creaking open, slowly. Her mind immediately thought of the twins. Maybe they'd come to play.

Rolling onto her back, she sat up quickly and deflated. It was Julia and she was putting her gift bags in the rocking chair.

"Oh, you're awake," Julia observed as she turned around.

"The door creaked," Annabel explained, laying back down.

Julia sat on the edge of the bed, resting her hand on Annabel's leg through the blanket. Annabel stared at.

"Did you have a good time yesterday?"

"It was fine," she answered shortly before looking at the woman.

Her smile was small and her eyes seemed tired. Taking care of an entire hotel with little to no help probably helped with the tiredness. Annabel sighed.

"The cake was delicious and it look awesome," she offered with a little smile of her own. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, dear," she said, kissing her youngest daughter on the forehead.

Julia left the room, not closing the door behind her.

So maybe Annabel felt a little sorry for Julia. She was only one person taking care of four. But was she really? Annabel shook her head, hard. All of the sorry she'd felt for just a moment fled away. She didn't take of them. They took care of each other. Hayden and Sora took care of her. Watched after her. Made sure she was okay. Bathed her. Fed her. Read her to sleep sometimes when she was brave enough to ask.

Speaking of them. She realized then she should probably tell someone about the two little girls that lived there too. She still didn't understand how they didn't know about them. The man had said they would be alone. Where were their parents? Were they orphans?

Her stomach grumbled as if responding to her questions.

Sliding down from the bed, Annabel changed her clothes from her costume she'd slept in and put on a dark purple dress that flared at her waist and hit her kneecaps. She then put on white lace socks and buttoned her black mary janes.

"Okay, Kal. I'll be back in a little bit. Hold down the fort," she ordered, closing the door behind her. She knew he'd protest so she cut him off before he could say anything.

Her stomach grumbled again as she walked through the hall.

"Okay, okay. I'll feed you a minute," she chastised her stomach. "Sheesh."