Tara Langer joined the Crain family two years before they moved into Hill House, her mother and Olivia Crain had been best friends their entire lives so when Lucy Langer passed away from breast cancer and without a father in the picture, the Crain's...
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Tara sat up suddenly in her bed clutching at her pounding chest; she took several deep breaths trying to calm her racing heart.
"Pst Tara." Luke Crain tired voice whispered as he sat up from the bed next to her, "Are you okay?"
Tara turned to look over at the older boy, "I th-think so, it was just a bad dream."
Luke rested his head back on his pillow, "What was it about?"
Tara gave the boy a confused look, "I don't remember."
Just as she finished speaking the bed on the other side of the girl squeaked as Nellie sat up with a gasp and began to cry while staring at the end of her bed.
"What is it, Nellie?"
"What's wrong, Nellie?" The other two occupants of the room asked the crying girl, but they received no reply.
It didn't take long for the children's bedroom door to open with Steve standing on the other side, "You okay, Nellie?" He asked stepping into the room.
Nellie shakily moved her head side to side,
"You scared?" again she didn't reply with words, just a nodding of her head.
Steve walked further into the room and stood between the girls' bed, "That's okay. I get scared too sometimes." He looked over at the other two children, "Why are you two awake?"
"Bad dream." Tara murmured sadly, she had been having bad dreams ever since they moved into the house, but she could never remember what they were about.
"What about you Luke? Why are you awake?"
"'Cause Tara and Nellie's awake." The younger boy replied.
The older boy nodded in understanding, before turning back to his little sister, "What was it?"
"The Bent-Neck Lady." Nellie tearfully answered, clutching her teddy bear closer to her.
"Oh, her again?" Hugh Crain spoke up from the door way. He walked into the room and asked, "Where was she?"
Nell raised a shaky finger and pointed to the end of her bed.
"Oh, boy." Hugh sighed, "Guess we better take a look." He walked over to where she pointed, "Here, huh?"
"Mhm." Nell nodded with a whimper.
"Your big brother must have scared her away. Big brothers are good like that." Hugh told his youngest daughter trying to comfort her.
"What if she's hiding?" the small girl asked fearfully
Her father shook his head, "She's long gone." He reassured her with a smile before turning to Steve, "I guess everybody can go back to bed now."
Steve walked over to the door and stood there watching his father sit at the edge of Nellie's bed.
