burning red

- 3 -

The sun seeped through the white curtains made of lace, giving the rose-scented room a natural lighting. Justine hummed to herself as she braided her younger sister's hair.

"I got noticed at school today." Julia spoke, staring straight ahead.

Justine raised an eyebrow. "yeah? By who?"

"not Jess." Julia slouched down and rolled her eyes. "even so, it doesn't matter."

"don't you worry," Justine secured the braid with a hair tie and immediately started on the other one on the other side of her head. "I think I'm practically engaged to Bill Hearst." She half heartedly chuckled.

"he was nice." Julia remarked.

"I guess the bright side is that he hates this stuff as much as I do." Justine stated as she wore a smirk. A knock was heard on the other side of the door and their mother walked in before either of them could answer.

"beautiful braids, Justine." She complimented.

"thank you." Her mother waited until Justine finished doing Julia's hair. She secured the second one and began tying the ends with two pieces of ribbon.

"I'm sure you've heard talk around school that the long lost heiress of the clothing factory has been found?" Their mother sat down on the opposite end of the bed and took Julia's hand, squeezing it tightly before mumbling, "although it wasn't in the papers and it will never be."

"I've heard some talk." Julia replied with a nod.

Justine clicked her tongue. "I don't indulge in gossip."

"well, we're going to the Dubois's place tonight for dinner. I want you two to make friends with her before she starts school on Wednesday." Julia looked back at her sister while their mother left the room. In response, Justine simply shrugged at her as she pressed her lips into a thin line.

Their parents have always been close to Louis Dubois and his wife, but they have never met them before. But she guessed that now that their niece was back, there was reason for them to come along with their parents to Louis Dubois's new home: the Dubois mansion.

Justine has heard rumours about the place; every child in New York had heard it. There was a rumour that the Dubois mansion was haunted by it's former owners, Antoine and Letitia Dubois. It was said that their ghosts roam around the house, taking children, who dared step foot into the house, and keeping them as their own for their daughter was nowhere to be found after their death.

Turns out it was true to some extent.

✧༝┉˚*❋ ❋*˚┉༝✧

Everybody but Justine's father and Louis Dubois were silent at the dinner table. Justine kept her eyes fixed on the table while occasionally glancing above to see a dark skinned girl of her age doing the same. She hasn't met her before, but she looked wildly familiar to her. She scanned her memories for a time that she has possibly seen her, but she couldn't recall.

Having enough of the monotone conversation and the deafening noise of utensils clinking together, that was louder than it should've been, she excused herself to the restroom.

The house was large with rich white walls and a dark wooden floor. The walls had large paintings displayed along it and Justine ran her middle finger through the white drywall, examining each and every painting by detail. She swore that she heard footsteps but when she turned around, there was nobody behind her. Perhaps the rumours were true then; that the Dubois mansion was haunted by the former owners.