The Third Floor Closet {DRAFT}

Chapter 2: Rodger, Oreo and a Room Full of Animals

The floor inside the mansion is awfully creaky, which I guess is a good thing if there was ever a robbery to take place. I creak up the stairs, drop my bags in my room and flop down on my bed. I am startled by a sudden crumbling noise downstairs, and then a thump, thump, creeeeak! The sound seems to be getting louder and louder. Thump, thump CREEEEAK, thump, thump CREEEAK! I sit up in the bed and slowly tip-toe towards the door. Out in the hallway the noise seems even louder.
"Hello...?" I whisper, grabbing onto my old softball bat. I hear the noise again, this time coming from the direction of the stairs. Thump thump CREEEAK, thump thump CREEEAK! I see a shadow appearing at the top of the staircase and brace myself for whatever is coming. The noise gets louder as it gets closer and closer to the top of the stairs. As it reaches the final step I tighten my grip on the bat and swing.
"AAAAAAHHHHH!" I scream but I also hear an automated screech coming from the intruder. Robo! I think as my muscles relax. It wasn't an intruder at all, just Papa's one of a kind robot we call Robo.
"Sorry Robo," I say, dropping the bat.
"What was that for?!" He says.
"I thought you were an intruder,"
"Humans these days," Robo shakes his head. We hear a knock at the door.
"I'll get it!" I call, racing down the stairs. That must be Steven, he hates being late. I twist the doorknob and welcome him inside, as a second car pulls up, and Hunter races over.
"Hey guys!" He says
"Where's Fiona?" Steven looks around.
"She's not here yet, why don't you guys pick out your room upstairs while we wait. Just on the second floor though, third floor is off limits until Fiona comes." I figure I'd wait to tell everyone about the closet rule, instead of repeating myself. That's one of my pet peeves. 
"We get our own rooms? Sweet!" Hunter calls as he races Steven up the stairs. He's the middle child of 5 kids so he has to share a room with his older brothers.
As the others get unpacked, I go back upstairs to my room to check the forecast. I click on the tv and within seconds is the usual grumble of Lily Waterson, the weather lady.
"And now for a weather update, the snowstorm will not be starting until 3 o'clock, as the temperature is too warm to snow. If this continues, the storm may turn over to freezing rain, or rain for tonight creating dangerous travel conditions. We advise that you do not travel after 4:00 pm or until 10:00 tomorrow. Th-" as fast as it went on, the tv went off. Stupid warm weather. I think. I take a look out the window. The clouds are light gray and puffy, it has to snow. Maybe Lily Waterson is wrong. My thoughts are interrupted by another knock at the door. Here's Fiona. I check my watch. 9:15. Not too bad...for Fiona.
"Hey Fiona!" I say opening the door. She looks disheveled. Her hair is a wreck and her jeans are ripped, and they weren't made like that. She has a bloody gash on her hand. "What happened?"
"That creepy old lady...what's her name? Oh right mrs. Grumble, her cat chased me all the way here!"
"You walked here?" I ask. I'm surprised for a moment, but then I realize that Fiona's house isn't too far from here. Mrs. Grumble (her name is really Mrs. Grunkle but we call her that because she's always grumbling) is an old lady who lives down the street from Fiona. She has 8 cats and her house has a creepy flare to it.
"Oh god. Come on in, there's bandaids in the medicine cabinet."
"Thanks. She really needs to control her cats...and grumbling" we laugh and I call Hudson and Steven into the living room.
"What's up Liv?" Steven says once everyone is settled.
"Papa asked me to tell y'all the one rule he has for us while we're here. We're not allowed to go into the closet on the third floor, next to the bathroom." I explain.
"Why? What's so bad about the closet?" Hudson asks confused.
"He says he has some lab equipment in there and he doesn't want us getting hurt."
"Well that sounds like a hella bologna to me! I say we check out what he's hiding in there. Maybe it's a...Zombie!" Steven says, doing his best zombie impression.
"Seems legit to me," Fiona says brushing her dirty blonde hair back into place.
"Hey there's a cat outside!" Hudson calls from the window.
I look at Fiona "Don't you dare let it in," she glares.
Hudson looks confused. "Why not, he looks hungry."
Fiona rolls her eyes "Yeah, for my blood."
"Alright now, let's not argue over Mrs. Grumble's cats." I say sternly.
"That's Grumble's?! What's it doing here?"
Fiona shrugs innocently "Long story."
"Hey! I have an idea!" I say, my face gleaming. "Let me show you Papa's collection of specimens!"
I run upstairs to my Papa's 'Hall of Specimens', my friends trailing behind me.
Once we get there, I say in my best movie narrator's voice "Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, welcome to the HALL OF SPECIMENS!"
Steven plays along and claps. "This is so cool!" He says running towards all of the tanks of animals and insects.
Somewhere behind me I hear a shriek. I whip my head around to see Fiona, to scared to move away from Hudson which is holding one of the insects.
"Hudson put that back in the tank!" I yell. "Don't worry Fiona, its just a millipede."
"Then why is it so long!" Fiona shouts.
"Millipedes can live to be 15 1/2 inches long. This guy is a 12 incher my Papa found while exploring the Amazon in Brazil. Fun fact: millipedes only hatch with 6 legs!"
"I don't care how many legs it has, just keep that thing away from me!" Fiona has a big fear of bugs, so I'll make a note of that.
"Woah an eel!" Steven shouts from one of the fish tanks.
"Actually Steven, that is a hagfish. However it is often called the 'snot eel' because of the gooey slime it releases when it feels threatened," I say.
"Snot eel? Rad!" Hudson calls from the other side of the room.
"Aww," I hear Fiona squeal with delight behind me. I turn around to see that she is holding a big fluffy rabbit.
"Oh, I see you've found Rodger," I say petting the rabbit. "He's an English Angora rabbit Papa got in England. Cute isn't he?"
Fiona doesn't seem to be paying attention to what I'm saying. "He has a sister too, her name is Oreo, because of her colors."
"They're adorable!" Fiona squeals, rubbing her head against Oreo's.
"Papa also has some other breeds from rabbits over there," I point to the other rabbit cages. "But I must say, Rodger and Oreo are my favorites!"
As my friends run around the Hall of Specimens I think to myself this is going to be one long break.