WRITTEN BEFORE THE MOVIE CAME OUT
Y/n POV! ↵
Summer. Finally, the bell had rung and the day was over. I hadn't wasted a minute of my time signing yearbooks. I grabbed my shit and left. I walked through the doors of our large school. I was one of the first out. Then, a large crowd pushed and shoved their way to the busses. "So it begins." I mumbled, throwing my backpack next to a dumpster. I quickly ran across the street and into the thick woods. It would take me moment to get to a nice clearing but when I did see one, I slowed down, no one was around, no reason to run. I walked slowly for most of the way to my house. Leaves crunched under my feet. Despite it being 'summer', here it was always winter and fall. We didn't get hot summers. We got snow and rain. Today was a light drizzle. I'm sure that soon the rain would pick up and it would pour. I looked up to see the houses lined up next to each other. I started to run again, despite the fact I had no reason to, quickly opened the back gate, and opened the back door. "I'm home!" I yelled. "We're in our room!" My mothers voice echoed. I made my way down the hall. "Good afternoon." I said, peeping into their large room. "Hey, how was school?" My parents were packing, where were we going? "I'm a freak-show dad, everyday is a bad day." I started to help fold my mothers clothes. "You are not a freak-show, you just use big words and dress appropriately ." My mother tried to help. I just shrugged, I was a freak. Did I care? Absolutely not. "Where are we going?" I finally chimed in. "Your mother and I have an emergency meeting in Moscow, we'll be gone all Summer." My eyes widened. "What about me?" I was suddenly full of emotion. Not knowing how to label it. "You're going to be staying with Kate and her kids. Remember Kate?" I had only a few memories of her but, I nodded. "She has kids?" She had never seemed like the kids type. "Well- no... She's a nanny." I scrunched my face, she's just a long term baby sitter for kids who's parents abandoned them. I sat on the bed. "How old are they?" If they went to my school, I was screwed. "I think one is your age and the other is five." I let her words process. One of them was my age. Was it a boy? Or a girl? Were they weird? Did they go to my school? Would they think I was weird? The questions came nonstop. "You should go pack." Was the last thing I heard. I just nodded and left to my room. I was confused, was I excited or nervous? Well, I knew I was mad. Mad at my parents. Why couldn't I come? Russia's cool! I would've been fine with coming. Did they not want me with them? No, they just couldn't bring me. I got my suitcase from my closet and carelessly threw clothes into it. I had nice clothes. We weren't rich but we had spare money so I often got nice clothes. I preferred black because it was easiest to match. Did anyone ask me why I wore all black? No. They assumed I was emo. My mind switched subjects, not knowing what to focus on. I rushed to the bathroom and quickly picked up a fluorescent orange bottle. I struggled to get the cap off, my hands were shaking. I tried to calm down. My parents loved me, everything was going to be okay, I was okay. I couldn't calm down. I got the cap off and poured out a handful of pills. "Shit." I muttered dumping all but two back. I quickly shoved the two bright red pills into my mouth and swallowed them dry. They left a sour taste on my tongue and I quickly filled a cup and drank that. I tried to slow my breathing. When I had, I slowly made my way back to my room. I continued to pack. My thoughts calmed down. I no longer thought about how people thought of me for wearing black. Instead, I focused more on my breathing. When I had enough clothes, I added a few books, my camera bag, and some of my paints into a separate bag. "Hey, you ready?" My mother said from outside my door. "Almost!" I yelled back. I ran back into my bathroom and grabbed a toiletries bag. I scooped everything off my sink into the bag. In a second bag, I put my medication in carefully one by one. I zipped the two and placed them into my suitcase, finishing the packing by closing it. I hauled it to my door, where my father took it from me. "Thank you." I quickly went back to get my other bag. It was a nice satchel I had gotten for my birthday two years ago. I walked with my mother to the door. There was an unfamiliar car out front. We stepped out the door and she turned to kiss my head. I issued her a small smile and waved goodbye to my father. The door of the car opened and I slowly approached it. Curious to see the children, I peeked into the car. A small girl, five or six maybe, with two large Victorian dolls by her side. In front of her, a boy. Pale, my age, curly hair. A woman stepped out and walked to me, she smiled warmly then kept walking to my mother. I continued to the car. I awkwardly slid into the seat next to the girl. "I'm Flora." She whispered. I nodded and gave her my hand to shake. She placed her dolls cold glass hand into mine. "This is Miles." I couldn't tell if the doll was Miles or the boy. "Both." She spoke in a hushed tone, an eerie feeling filling the car. I nodded and placed my hands in my lap. I looked down until the car door reopened. The woman who I so vaguely remember pushed herself into the car. "Hey, I'm Kate." She stuck her hand out for me to shake. I could tell she was taking advantage of the moment to study me so I slowly looked from her to her hand. I placed my hand on top of hers and pushed it down. "There's no need for a formal meeting between us Katherine, we've already met." She was speechless, completely shocked. The children attempted to silence their giggles by looking away or putting a hand over their mouth. I looked down, embarrassed. They already despised me. They thought I was stupid. I shut my mouth and redirected my vision to my polished shoes. The rest of he car ride was full of Flora's small hums and occasionally 'Not now.' Or 'Just a little longer.' It wasn't that she was talking to the dolls that unsettled me, no, it was the intense stare from the boy in front of me. I could feel his eyes move from my Y/c hair to my well kept shoes. He and I dressed similarly. It was a long and mentally challenging car ride. I felt like the boy knew exactly what he was doing. I tapped my foot several times until he put his foot over mine. It wasn't a comforting gesture, it was more possessive. It was like my foot went limp under his touch, refusing to move any more. When the car stopped, Flora opened her door and threw her legs over. "Flora, wait." I looked up and saw Miles get out of the car. He held the dolls as Flora got out then handed them to her when she reached out. I set my hands on the sides of the doors and started to get out. The car door slammed shut, crushing my finger tips. I didn't feel anything for the first moments but as the excruciating pain set in, the screams that had been sitting on my tongue rolled out of my mouth. I pushed the door open slightly and crawled back into the car. The boy and Flora both had sly grins plastered onto their pale faces. I looked down at my fingers, some of my nails were torn off, my fingers had all gone from their usual color to a repulsive shade of violet and green. Kate opened the door and I retorted, hitting the door behind me. Kate leaned in, saying that she wouldn't hurt me. Suddenly, the door behind me opened and I fell onto my back, hitting my head quite hard on the gravel below. "Miles!" I heard Kate yell. My nose was now steadily bleeding. The boy swept me up and started to take me inside. "Oh for fucks sake." I rolled out of his arms but he just adjusted his position so I was now over his shoulder. My hand throbbed painfully. I was dripping blood into his sweater. He finally threw me onto a couch. "You're a fucking psychopath." I said as he left the room, closing the door behind him. I should've paid attention to where we were going instead of how I was bleeding on him. Then, it hit me. He closed the car door, then he opened the other one. Fear filled my stomach as I looked for a way out. These people were insane. I'd rather starve for the summer then be in a house with them. I tried to open the window but I fumbled with the latch with only one hand. Another hand reached over me to do the lock. I turned quickly, back pressed to the window. "It's hot." He opened the window suddenly, I almost fell out but he yanked my hand back into the couch. "You're insane! You're all completely and totally mad! Let me go home!" He sat staring at a corner. I looked back at it, what was he looking at? Suddenly, Kate ran in with some medical supplies. "Miles, you're excused. We'll talk later." He rolled his deep brown eyes and looked back at me. We made eye contact for a moment longer before he abruptly turned and left. Kate waited till the door had shut to speak. "My apologies, they have a different sense of humor. They were just trying to make you laugh..." she put small sticks on my fingers then wrapped them. "I have my doubts." I answered. She looked up, her snowy white hair falling over her eyes. She let out a stiff sigh, "They can be odd but get to know them. You'll get along." She was trying to comfort me. "Bullshit." I huffed as she wiped the blood off my face. "Well, if you say so. Just talk to them- er- Flora. Start with Flora." She ruffled my neatly kept hair and stood up, collecting her stuff. I stood up and the small girl jumped into the room. Her dolls were no longer with her. "Y/n, come play!" I was fearful of what would happen if I said yes but even more afraid about if I said no. So, I simply nodded my head and followed her. "Uh actually, can I get to my bag first?" I asked her as she grabbed my good hand. "Sure." Her voice was quiet, creepy rather than calm. She led me down a long hallway with many doors. "Here's your room, Miles put your bag in it. I'm this door," Flora pointed to the door to the left of mine. "so come over when you're ready." I nodded and slowly turned the handle to my room. It was dimly lit with the light from the windows. The room had a lovely wooden dresser, a vanity, a queen bed, and a bathroom. I opened my bag and grabbed the smaller bags. I shut myself in the bathroom and turned the light on. It flickered, refusing to illuminate but eventually, it did. I tore the smaller bag open. My several pill bottles had fallen on top of each other. I took them out, looking for the anxiety medication. I was only supposed to take two a day but a little more wouldn't hurt. I found it and struggled to open the bottle, as per usual. The lid finally popped off and I poured two into my palm. I swallowed them dry as I had with the first dose. I took a few deep breathes to calm my nerves as I waited for the pills to work their witchcraft. It would take another five or ten minutes and I didn't have that time so I composed myself and opened the door. I walked as slowly as I could while making it look normal. But, as I approached Flora's door, the pills still hadn't started to work in the slightest. I took deep breathes, trying to slow my heart rate. How did this little girl make me so nervous? I knocked lightly on her door. Within moments, it had swung open. I stepped back as I saw all the expensive dolls. She invited me in but I hesitated. "Well, we're waiting." She whispered pointing back at the dolls placed carefully in a circle. They were in impeccable condition. She pointed at a seat between two dolls. I sat down cautiously, not to touch any of the of them. "Everyone, this is Y/n. Say hello." There was a silence and I gave an awkward smile. "Hello." I whispered back. Flora smiled, pleased with herself for some reason. "Y/n, they want me to introduce them." I nodded, there were four dolls. "This is Flora, Miles, Kate, and Nameless." I looked at Nameless. "Why doesn't she have a name?" The pills were staring to set in, I was more comfortable. "She doesn't want you to know. She doesn't like you." I shifted uncomfortably, my heart was beating quickly again. "That's okay, she doesn't want to be here anymore." Flora stood up and took the doll from its place, holding it carefully under its arms. I looked down as she put the doll away. "Okay, would you like some tea?" Flora had taken her seat without me noticing. It sent shivers down my spine. "Yes please." I picked the tea cup up. It was real, expensive, china cups. It had violet and blue flowers around the rim. She pretended to pour tea into my cup and I proceeded to pretend to take a sip. "It's very good Flora, thank you." She smiled and 'sipped' her own tea.
For the rest of the afternoon, Flora and I played together. She became quite comfortable with me in the few hours and I felt the same with her. I couldn't tell if it was my medication or if I had made a friend. Eventually, Kate came into her room and told us that Flora needed to go to sleep. "Okay, goodnight Y/n." I hugged her, careful with my fingers. "Goodnight Flora." I left with Kate so Flora could dress into her night outfit. "Do you want to stay up? We can tour the house." Kate offered in attempt to make me comfortable. "I'm fine, thank you. I think I'll shower and go to bed." Kate nodded and hugged me. I gave her a light hug back and walked into my room to prepare for bed.
As I was brushing me teeth, I noticed a shadow in the small crack under my door. It started to walk away and I quickly ran to the door, opening it and looking out. No one. I quickly shut my door and kept my back pressed to the door. I was fine, just tired. I finished brushing my teeth and quickly got into bed. After 20 or 30 minutes of my eyes tightly shut, telling myself everything was fine, I slipped into an uneasy sleep for the night.
