Nina And Other Stories | ✔

Horror High - Arrival

"Don't forget to eat properly sweetie, and if you need company, remember Lucas is there for you," her mother told her as she exited the car.

The mere mention of her twins' name made her roll her violet eyes as she shut the door.

"OK mom. But the only reason I'll look for him is to trip him in the hallway," she remarked bending to look through the window.

"I heard that," Lucas said behind her. "You'd better tell her to behave mom."

"OK, knock it off the both of you. I don't want any fighting. And stay out of the chemistry lab. Wouldn't wanna blow up this one. I'll see you during the holidays, OK? Take care."

Leigh-Ann took a step back and waved as her mom's Toyota backed out of the school's parking lot.

As she waved twin bubbles of apprehension and nostalgia surfaced in her brain.

She turned and took in the various parts of the huge building of Littleton High School. It had been her dream to go here and for her penultimate year in high school she got to live that dream.

She was partly thankful that she and Lucas had gotten into that stupid competition at their last school and totally wrecked the chemistry lab. Bottom line, they were expelled.

"So weirdo, are we going in or are we standing here so you can marry the building?" her twin's mocking voice in her ear caused her to grit her teeth and whirl round to turn to him.

His violet eyes sparkled with mischief and smugness.

"You had better behave yourself Lucas. You're not ruining my stay here, do you understand?"

His lips curled into a smirk. "Calm down, Gerry. That's the least of my worries. I'll be so busy with the ladies that I won't have time for nerds like you." he ran a hand through his strawberry blonde hair and gave her a teasing wink and a lopsided grin.

If she were any other girl she'd be swooning and sighing at the sight but Leigh-Ann was infuriated.

She couldn't decided if it was the fact that he called her a variation of her middle name - Geraldine - or the fact that he called her nerd that made her want to kill him but she went at him with murderous eyes.

Someone clearing their throat stopped her from wrapping her hands around his throat.

"Welcome!" the high pitched voice giggled.

She turned around and was met with a blonde girl. She wore a flowing white dress, her blonde bangs brushed her forehead overhanging the liveliest brown eyes she'd ever seen.

"You must be Leigh-Ann," she said to her. "And you're Lucas, right?" she addressed her brother.

"Sure am," he sent her a wink and the girl giggled causing Leigh-Ann to scoff and roll her eyes.

"I'm Amanda. I'll be your guide. Now, we will start with the main building. Right this way please," she giggled and turned around heading towards the massive building.

"You better not be planning anything with Amanda, Lucas. I will personally kill you," she hoisted her backpack higher and followed Amanda.

"Will you relax, Gerry? I got this," he said falling into step beside her.

"No I will not relax. And stop calling me Gerry! You know I detest that name," she whisper-yelled at him.

"Don't you think she's pretty, Gerry?" he sent her a knowing look emphasising the name.

She grit her teeth and ignored him, instead concentrating on the glowing praises Amanda was giving the school.

She barely remembered how many spelling bee medals the school won as Lucas continued to make her angry at every opportunity.

As much as she adored her twin, he was an aching thorn in her side that constantly reminded her of its presence. He was the only one that deeply understood her and the only one that could chase her demons at night. The guy was useful but at the moment she just couldn't see it.

She was playing with the idea of tackling Lucas to the ground and shoving her shoe in his mouth to stop him from talking when they passed it.

She stopped in her tracks and stared at the buliding from across the courtyard. Amanda had informed them that it was a dorm but the yellow police line around the building piqued her interest.

"What happened there?" Leigh-Ann pointed to the building as she tucked a strand of her strawberry blonde hair behind her ears. She raised her hand to shield her eyes from the glare of the sun.

"Oh," Amanda suddenly looked uncomfortable, fidgeting with the blue tablet engraved with the school's logo in her hands. "It's nothing. Let's go to your dorm."

"Amanda?" Lucas coaxed.

She bit her lip and shifted on both feet, her brown eyes pleaded for them to drop the topic.

"I'm not supposed to tell. In truth no one really knows."

"Come on, Amanda. You can trust us," Leigh-Ann put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

She still looked uncomfortable.

"Come on, Mandy. Please," Lucas gave her a tiny pout and that was all it took. The boy had charmed her.

"Fine. But you didn't hear it from me. If Principal McKleen hears this I'll be stripped of my captain title," she took a deep breath. "This morning the people in the dorm woke up to the strangest thing. Adrien Murphy was found dead - murdered - and if the rumors are true, bloody footprints were found from his body leading up to the Anubis House." her voice went low as she said the last two words, panic and fear flitted across her features.

"What's the Anubis House?" the twins asked slowly. If there was one thing they both agreed on it was that they both enjoyed a good mystery.

Amanda swallowed and looked around to see if they were being watched. Satisfied that no one was about she moved closer to them and lowered her voice. "The Anubis House is an abandoned dorm in this school. Legend has it that it was abandoned after the last people there reported it was haunted. No one goes there because they turn into crazy maniacs. No one knows why or if its true so we all just stay away."

"That's all hocus-pocus. There's no such thing as a haunted house," Lucas dismissed it with a wave of the hand while Leigh-Ann worried her lower lip.

"Tell that to the incessant screaming that comes from there every night. And Abigail Bowers who became possessed after entering. You go in, there's no way out. She's always watching."

Leigh-Ann couldn't decide if it was Amanda's words or her serious expression that scared her the most.