Purple Despair (NaNoWriMo)

Chapter 1: Strange Beginnings

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

I woke up to someone thumping on the ceiling over my head.

“What in the—“

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

“Agh, what is going on?! It’s 5 in the morning and I should be sleeping.” I said after I glanced at my alarm clock.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

It sounded like it was coming from above me. I’d say it was in the attic, but we don’t have an attic. I think we should though. My family and I just moved here. It’s an old and musty three story house. It didn’t need a lot of work, but the musty smell is staying. This is our first night here. We each got our own rooms, with our own bathrooms. When we got here, my adopted twin brothers(who I love like they’re my real brothers) started running all over the house (they’re only 5), and they would’ve kept going if Josh hadn’t fell through the floor and landed in my Dad’s arms (it was a lucky catch). Chase started crying because he wanted to be caught too and before anyone could stop him, he jumped through the hole and landed in my Dad’s arms—on top of Josh who also started to cry. Which started Chase up again and when two twin five year olds boys start crying, it’s an ear ache times two. In order to calm them down, Mom went back in the car to get her Big Bag of Sweets to get them to be quiet. The Big Bag of Sweets started when the twins were about 2. If one cried, they both would cry, and when they both cry we’d get some really dirty looks from people around us. Eventually, Mom couldn’t take it anymore and she went to Walmart and bought a HUGE bag of different candies. It’s used to keep the twins quiet, but sometimes it’s a reward. At first, the twins couldn’t pronounce it right and they always said Bi Ba uh Sweats. Mom thought it was cute, but I really don’t want a candy bag labeled “Bi Ba uh Sweats”. Anyway, back to the present. Mom finally got the candy from the mass of boxes in the car and gave them each one piece which got them to quiet down. Although, I’m pretty sure I’m already half deaf.  We unpacked everything and then put it away. I got a new bed, a bunk bed in case I have sleepovers or something. When they set up my bed, I started jumping on it to break in the new bed but my Dad didn’t like that idea. He had said “Amber! If that bed breaks before we’re even in here for a week you’re going to pay for it! You’re 15, you should know better.” and when my Dad says that, he means it. After that we ate some leftovers heated up using our microwave we went to bed since we were all really tired from the move, which brings me right here at the moment where I’m hearing thumps above my head.

I leaped out of bed—ok maybe I shouldn’t say leap. I trudged from bed and looked out the window. The thumps were louder outside than inside.

“Grreeeaaaatt, just what I need, crazy raccoons to keep me all night while they party.” I muttered.

I slipped on my shoes and walked outside. That sounds pretty crazy to walk outside with no one knowing you’re out there so before I went out, I got one of my Dad’s metal baseball bats. If I’m attacked, my attacker is going to get a couple of their teeth knocked out. I walked outside and breathed deeply. At five in the morning, it smells like—well to be honest it smells like sleep—if you can smell sleep that is. There was some light dew on all the grass and everything was really quiet, which was weird because it was supposed to be thumping on the roof. I was standing on the porch, listening when the door behind me opened making me jump.

“Amba? What are you doin out hehre?” Asked a five year old voice.

“Yea, can we cwome out too?” Asked another five year old voice.

“What are you two doing out her?!” I hissed. “Get back in bed!”

“No! I want to cwome out with you Amba! Why do you get to go out?” Said one of them after stamping his foot.

“Fine, come out, but no noise or I’m telling Mom.”

“YAY!” They both whisper-shouted before scrambling out the door.

“I’m going to regret this.” I muttered to myself.

“Now listen I want—“

THUMP!

THUMP!

THUMP!

There it is again!

“What is that, Amba? Is that a robwot?” Asked Chase (he’s obsessed with robots and machines).

“No Chase, it’s a dwagon! Right Amba?” Corrected Josh (he’s obsessed fairytales that have knights and dragons).

“No! It’s neither! Now be quiet!” I whispered. “Stay down here, I’m going to climb the ladder and see what’s up there.” 

There was a ladder there from yesterday when Dad took us to see the abandoned nest on the chimney, before he took it down. I slowly climbed the ladder, and a couple of rungs from the top, I peeked over the roof’s edge and saw someone with their back turned to me. He (I guess it was a he) was wearing all black and was hammering something on the roof. I started to climb down to get Dad when I heard giggling and the sound of someone on the ladder (besides me). I cautiously looked down and saw two five year old figures climbing up the ladder after me! I slowly let go of the ladder with one hand and tried to get them to go back down, but by the time I got my hand off (I went really slowly) Chase or Josh had already latched himself to my legs.

“Josh!  Or Chase! Let go of my legs, you’re going to make the ladder fall!” I hissed.

There was a giggle and a muffled “No!”

I peeked over the roof’s edge again, but the figure had taken no notice of this commotion.

“Let go!”

“No!”

Then the ladder started shaking.

“Joooshhhh, let go of my feet!”

“No! I don’t wanna fwall.”

Oh this is not good. The ladder started shaking even more as Chase, being the 5 year old he is, started to kick his feet to get Josh off. Then the unthinkable happened. Chase kicked his brother free, but caused Josh to lose his balanced and end up hanging onto Chase’s night pants and they both started screaming. After that the figure spotted us and started to run towards the edge and at that exact moment the ladder fell backwards.