The Curse of the Osirians

House of Phobias

Layla's POV

"I don't know who I'm more scared of, the spirit or my dad!" Amber cried out.

"Here. These'll cover it," I said handing her a pair of long socks.

"Okay. So I just have to wear long socks for the rest of daddy's life. I'll look great around the pool," Amber said sarcastically.

"I'm so sorry, Amber. I didn't want this for you.
I just I feel so powerless against this thing," Nina said.

"I know. It's okay. Hey, I was with you anyway.
Now I'm just really with you," Amber commented.

"What do you call this?" Patricia exclaimed as she stormed into our room.

"Membership?" Amber said as she showed her foot.

"You too?" Patricia said surprised.

"Who else?" Nina freaked out.

"I'm freaking out! I just acquired a tat overnight. I'm too young, it's illegal, and if I had the choice, I would have gone for some sort of fire-breathing dragon," Alfie exclaimed.

"Not my name?" Amber said.

"We broke up!" Alfie cried out.

"Does this mean we're cursed? Are our lives at risk too?" Patricia asked.

"So you've met the spirit?" Fabian asked as he joined us.

"Met? Stamped," Patricia showed him.

"Wait! They've all got them?" Asked Fabian.

"Well, what about you?" Alfie asked.

"Fabian already had one. After me," Nina said.

"What? And you didn't think it was important to tell us it was kind of contagious?" Patricia hissed.

"But when Amber never got one, we thought it was just us, and Layla never got one, so well, we decided," Fabian said.

"Well technically Fabian and Amber decided against Nina and I. Also, if it makes you feel any better the only reason I don't have one is because I'm pretty sure I'm doomed to die before my 18th birthday along with either or both Eddie and Jerome," I told them. "And I may or may not be the reincarnation of an Egyptian pharaoh..." I mumbled the last bit. Everyone stared at me in surprise.

"From now on, we make all decisions together, okay!" Patricia said as she and Alfie left our room.

*****

"Jerome. Hi. Um, sorry I got mad with you before," I said.

"It's fine. Really," he told me.

"What you tell you your sister is your business," I continued.

"Thank you," he stated.

"And if you don't want to tell me the big, top-secret reason why you won't tell her about your dad, then you don't have to," I said.

"Okay then."

"I won't ask."

"Good."

"Oh! Why won't you tell me?" I begged.

"Okay. Between you and me strictly! He wants me to come back and visit him next time alone.
Insisted. Said that he wants me to do something top-secret for him," Jerome explained. "And."

"And?" I prompted.

"Not without risks, to use his words," Jerome added.

"Well, that doesn't sound too bad. If it wasn't for," I said slowly.