The Solstice family were an odd bunch; murder, witchcraft, and funerals were integral parts of their everyday life. Elvira Solstice was no exception. Her parents married out of pure loathing, and spent their lives slipping poison into each other's f...
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"Were you responsible for this, you miserable wretch?" I hissed as Larry floated down the staircase with an amused grin. "I thought I made it exceedingly clear that you were to stay in your quarters until Sabra departed."
"And now she has, so here I am." Larry made a rather obnoxious twirl in the air and leaned himself against the ceiling, so that I had to crane my neck to see him properly. "For the record, cuz, I didn't leave my room. She's the one that found me."
I crossed my arms, not even remotely believing his words. Larry had always been a trickster, a devious and insatiable little-
"He speaks true, sister," Aurora spoke, appearing at the very top of the stairs. A dark green cream, made from hornet guts and cockroach droppings, had been applied thickly to her face. "The cunning vixen was snooping around the castle. Looking for bodies, no doubt."
"Until I scared her off, that is," Larry added.
Aurora's ghoulishly green face broke into a grin. "You did? Oh, that is wonderful!"
"No, it is not wonderful!" I yelled for the first time in what must have been years because both Aurora and Larry were knocked back a few paces in shock. My family didn't raise our voices in anger often. Truthfully, there was never any need to, but I was so incredibly frustrated that it could not be helped. "Mortals do not enjoy being frightened! Why would you do that to her?!"
"Geez, calm down a little. A scare's good for the heart." Larry was trying to hold back his laughter, as if there were a steady flow of steam shooting from my ears.
"What has become of you, sister? You used to adore scaring people away..." Aurora took a few steps down the staircase so she could scowl at me properly.
"Not her."
"Not to worry, she will soon realise that it was all in good fun."
"You do not understand. I have been researching this and-"
Aurora gasped so harshly, she could have inhaled the entire castle straight into her lungs like a giant vacuum.
Larry may have done the same if he had any lungs left, but instead he simply made a face of mild disgust. "Why would you actually want to read about these people? That's just...yuck."
"You worked with them, cousin, and you dare judge me?"
"That's different, I was getting paid to like them."
"Oh, so you liked them now?"
Larry's eyes narrowed, and a thick aura of ectoplasm quivered around his ghostly form in irritation. I could tell that any second now, he was going to shoot right through my chest, take possession of my body, and throw me out the window - just like great grandfather Slash did to Auntie Pen (short for Pentagram). Not a bad way to die, certainly more exciting than anything I could have planned for my Death Day...but there was something horribly wrong. Suddenly, I found that I did not want to die. At least not yet. The thought of leaving this plane of existence, moving forward without seeing Sabra for just one more moment, was strangely unnerving.
