bedtime stories

Aria James

Aria James' school was far from normal. Perhaps, even, it was demented. Aria wasn't sure. But she was fine with it anyways. She didn't matter -the damn school wouldn't notice her- she was as invisible as a ghost, her mother had told her one night. She looked like a ghost too, her father had commented.

Aria did look a little 'ghost'-ish as her father had put it. Her pale skin was definitely the main ghosty feature, as it Was chalk white and deadly pale. Her eyes were a plain navy blue and her brown hair was glistening with the fall leaves.

She quite fancied fall, more over than other peoples company. She enjoyed the quiet hum of the birds scattering around in the tree tops above her, and the crunching sound her boots made when she stepped on the dropping leaves. Aria had spent the day here, reading her favorite book series. Throughout the day the family cat, Pluto, had joined her occasionally for a quick pat.

Pluto was Aria's favorite household member, as she was a quiet and fluffy cat. Aria had named Pluto, it suited her well, as the cat was dark with small blue and white spots. Pluto had a galaxy collar, one that Aria had bought for him last year. She enjoyed the cat's company, and that the cat couldn't speak, for she referred silence to noise.

Aria and the cat were sitting in silence on the wooden bench in her backyard, looking into the open forest that was behind her house. Aria had always wanted to go into the forest, for other children told her that a lake lay in the forest, a five minute walk away.

Aria was seventeen today, and thought that her responsibility had grown rapidly since her reckless sixteenth year alive. Aria made a rash decision to go back inside and abandon the moonlight and coolness of her backyard. She hurried up the stairs of her house as quickly and quietly as possible to her room. She opened the door with her eyes closed and teeth shut, hoping for the old house not to squeal for her.

She shut the door quietly and let out a breath she didn't know she was keeping. Aria crept over to her drawers and opened the top left one, hastily pulling her two piece out and slipping it on. She looked at herself in the mirror quickly before swiftly reversing her previous actions and walking out the house again.

The moonlight greeted her and happily shone on her chalky skin. Pluto sat up and hurriedly sprinted towards her mistress, Aria, who entered the forest soundly and pushed a branch of a looming tree away.

Aria's blood pumped faster as she approached the lake with her towel she had grabbed. The cat followed quickly, pouncing in the air at the butterflies littered in the air.

Aria was one to keep to the rules, so this was a huge stretch for her. But with her sound asleep parents and brother back in bed at her home reassuring her, she jumped into the lake with a quick count down.

When she surfaced again, the cat was peering down at her playfully from the long jetty. Aria let out a laugh and smiled at the cat, since there was nothing left to do.

For hours Aria had gone around and around in the pool, swimming, diving, doing acrobatics in the pitch black lake. The cat had watched her happily with only a hiss from her mouth when Aria reached out to pat the cat with a soaking wet hand. Aria had laughed at this and gone back to the depth of the water.

At last Aria was tired of the dark water and reached for the jetty ladder only to be dragged back down by a slimy hand on her foot.

Aria yelped in pain as the grip tightened and she wriggled and tried to slip out of the slime. The grip held tight and Aria screamed for help, only for her voice to be muffled by the water. She snapped her head down to the hand in panic, and reached for it. She tried to grope it off but it wouldn't budge and she could feel her breath leaving her.