Chapter 3 *Halloween Fright* Part 1
Diana smiled to herself as she walked up to the door of her sisters house, she had always loved the decorations they put up, her favourite ones were the gravestones, she knew why Alice put these decorations up each year, it was to amuse Iris and Ben, and she knew they loved the stuff put up. Speaking of Iris, it seemed she had noticed Diana, because she was grinning and pointing at her excitedly.
Alice walked up to the door to greet her twin, they were alike in every possible way, and they had to wear different clothes so people could tell them apart. Diana smiled, " Hi Alice " She said.
"Good to see you, sister. I'm really sorry about Chris, but just remember the good times you had, and you'll feel better about it, I promise" Alice said.
Diana smiled sadly, " well that’s a promise I can trust" she said, "Everyone else just tries not to mention it, so thanks".
Alice nodded, "Come on, you must be freezing, come inside before you catch a chill" she said. Then they embraced and for one moment, Diana felt something she hadn't felt for 5 months, she felt safe.
They walked inside and Diana took her coat off, as they warmed up, they started talking, and Diana felt as if the 5 months had never happened. She was warm, she felt safe, she had travelled out of the danger in the outside world and had settled quite happily in her heart, where she could forget about her inner pain, where she could free herself, just for a while and be truly happy, just for a while.
"So where are Iris and Ben? Are they over at a friends?" Diana asked after a while.
Alice simply shrugged" I don't know, guess so, as I haven't seen them you got here...." Alice's voice tailed off slightly, having run out of words. Diana noticed that Iris was standing just behind Alice, but Iris shook her head and brought a finger to her lips. Diana got the message '
Keep it a surprise for her ' Diana nodded, but made it look like she was nodding to what Alice had said, and said nothing herself, while Iris ran off in silence.
"No, they're getting changed honey, you'll see them once they've got into their halloween costumes, they're going trick or treating tonight" Sam said, and Diana jumped, she hadn't noticed him there, but she quickly relaxed, Sam could have that effect on her.
"Ok then, I hope they're not too long" Alice noted
Iris turned up about 5 minutes later, in a short witches dress, and a gorgeous mask. Iris wasted no time in greet her, "Diana!" She cried and leapt on top of her. Diana laughed, out of pure shock and how funny Iris had looked.
"Hey Iris, it's nice to see you again, I love your mask, and where's ben, by the way?" Diana asked, slightly winded from having the breath knocked out of her.
Ben walked into the room a few moments later, dressed quite obviously as one of those ninja turtles, she couldn't remember which.
"Hi Diana, nice to see you, me and Iris were just about to get going, and don't worry, I know a few tricks for this sort of thing, c'mon Iris" He said and walked out of the door.
Iris waved a hasty goodbye then ran out to follow her brother. But Diana couldn't help feeling worried, they were so young, so innocent, she was quite right to feel concerned. Alice looked like she was feeling the same.
After an hour or so, she and Alice heard the tell-tale clap that signaled the start of a thunderstorm. inwardly, Diana shivered, she had never liked thunderstorms and this was no different. She looked at Alice, who was looking fairly terrified. She was scared of thunderstorms and her concern for her childrens saftey was obviously making it worse. Diana placed a hand on her sisters shoulder, and Alice looked at her, the fear was still there but she looked comforted and smiled.
Quite suddenly they both heard a lot of commotion outside and they turned to each other. "What was that?" asked Alice.
"I don't know, probably thunder." Diana replied.
Suddenly the door banged open, their heads swiveled to face the door frame and Diana gasped bringing her hand to her mouth, Alice screamed.
Because there, framed breifly in the doorway, as white as a ghost, illuminated by a flash of lighthning, stood Iris, and in one glance Diana understood that something had happened, and it didn't look good.