Skulduggery Pleasant- Daughter Of Darkness

LITTLE GIRLS, ALL ALONE P2

When Roselyn looked up again she was surprised to find that it was almost midnight and the rain had stopped, She blinked, her eyes sore, then stood up and lightly nudged Stephanie to get her attention, who then stood up with her as they made their way downstairs to the kitchen.

The bread was stale and the fruit was a bit too ripe, but there were biscuits and there was cereal, and the milk in the fridge was still good for one more day.

Roselyn and Stephanie made themselves some snacks then wandered to the living room, Roselyn sat down on the couch as Stephanie flicked on the TV sitting next to Roselyn when the house phone rang. The girls looked at it, resting there on the table at Roselyn's elbow, Who would be calling? Anyone who knew Gordon had died wouldn't be calling because they'd know he had died, and neither of the girls wanted to be the one to tell anyone who didn't know. It could be their parents, but then why didn't they just call either of their mobiles?

Figuring that as the new owners of the house, it was their responsibility to answer their own phone, Stephanie picked it up and held it to her ear, "Hello?" as Roselyn sat closely next to her, close enough to hear the person on the other end of the line.

"Hello?" Stephanie repeated.

"Who is this?" came a mans voice.

"I'm sorry," Stephanie said, "Who do you want to speak to?"

"Who is this?" responded the voice, more irritable this time. Roselyn frowning as she glanced to Stephanie who also seemed to frown.

"If you're looking for Gordon Edgley," Stephanie said, "I'm afraid that he's - "

" I know Edgleys dead," snapped the man. "Who are you? Your name?"

Stephanie hesitated, Roselyn shaking her head at Stephanie, something was weird about this she thought.

Stephanie hesitated again. "Why do you want to know?" Stephanie asked.

"What are you doing in that house? Why are you in his house?"

"If you want to call back tomorrow - "

" I don't want to, all right? Listen to me, Girlie, if you mess up my masters plans, he will be very displeased and he is not a man you want to displease, you got that?

Now tell me who you are!"

Stephanie's hands started to shake, Roselyn quickly snatched the phone from her and put it to her ear. "Her name is none of your business," Roselyn said, her voice sharp.

"If you want to talk to someone, call back tomorrow at a reasonable hour."

"You don't talk to me like that," the man hissed.

"Goodnight," Roselyn said firmly.

"You do not talk to me like - "

But Roselyn was already putting the phone down. Suddenly the idea of spending the whole night here wasn't as appealing as it had first sounded to the girls .

She considered calling her parents, Then scolded herself for being so childish, No need to worry them, she thought to herself, no need to worry them about something so -

Someone pounded on the front door.

"Open up!" came the man's voice between the pounding. Roselyn and Stephanie got their feet, staring through to the hall beyond the living room. They could see a dark shape behind the frosted glass around the front door. "Open the damn door!"

Roselyn grabbed Stephanie and backed up to the fireplace, Roselyn's heart was pounding in her chest as she held Stephanie close. He knew they were in here, there was no use pretending that they weren't, but maybe if they stayed quiet he'd give up and go away, They heard him cursing, and the pounding grew so heavy that the front door rattled under the blows.

"Leave us alone!" Stephanie shouted as Roselyn held her tighter.

"Open the door!"

"No!" Stephanie shouted back. "I'm calling the police! I'm calling the police right now!" Stephanie shouted at the man.

The pounding stopped immediately and the girls saw the shape move away from the door. was that it? had that scared him off? "Is the back door locked," Stephanie asked Roselyn quietly. I think so.. It has to be right?" Roselyn replied, but the sisters weren't certain. Stephanie grabbed a poker from the fireplace, Roselyn walking beside her.

just as Roselyn reached for the phone a knock on the window beside them made her jump back in fright, Stephanie yelped as she jumped back. The curtains were open, and outside the window was pitch-black. you couldn't see a thing.

"Are you alone in there?" came the voice. It was teasing now, playing with them..

"Go away" Stephanie said loudly, "Piss off" Roselyn also yelled, Stephanie holding up the poker so he could see it. She heard the man laugh.

"What are you going to do with that?" he asked.

"I'll break your head open with it!" Stephanie screamed at him, They heard him laugh again.

"I just want to come in" he said. "Open the door for me, girlies. Let me come in."

"Not happening!" Roselyn said loudly

"The police are on their way," Stephanie said.

"You're a liar." the man said.

Still they could see nothing beyond the glass and he could see everything, Stephanie moved to the phone, snatching it from its cradle.

"Don't do that," came the voice.

"I'm calling the police."

"The road's closed, girlie. You can call them, I'll break down that door and kill you both hours before they get here."

Both the girls froze in terror, Roselyn pulling Stephanie behind her, She could see Stephanie was going to cry, her eyes were big with fear. "What the hell do you want?"

Roselyn said, "Why do you want to come in!?"

"It's got nothing to do with me, girlie. I've just been sent to pick something up. Let me in. I'll look around, get what i came here for and leave. I won't harm a pretty

little hair on any of your pretty little heads, i promise. Now you just open that door right this second."

Roselyn could see Stephanie grip the poker in both hands as she sook her head, she was crying now, tears rolling down her cheeks, Roselyn felt anger bubbling in her chest at how scared her little sister was right now, it almost made her want to cry, but she would not cry, no, she had to be the strong one here now.

"Go to hell!" Roselyn growled, Stephanie screamed as a fist smashed through the window, showering the carpet with glass. Roselyn's heart beat wildly as the man started climbing in, glaring at her with blazing eyes, unmindful of the glass that cut into him. The moment one foot touched the floor inside the house Roselyn grabbed ahold of Stephanie's arm and was bolting out of the room, over to the front door, dragging her sister beside her, fumbling with the lock.