The little girl

A little girl, hair as dark as the night or as raven wings. Eyes covered by her bangs. With an insane smile she leaned forward above the young man, who was lying on the floor, due to a fall and didn't stand up again. Her lips moved as if she was saying something, but the young man couldn't grasp what she said, as he was distracted due to her hands being bloodied. The dagger was still in her hand. He sweated and tried to crawl away but his body was frozen in it's place. The girl whispered with a raw voice: "Please, stay and play with me." His eyes widened at these words and he started to scream. 


"Young master, it is time to get up and change. Your father awaits you.", a butler said. The young man, who is 15 of age opened his eyes after rubbing them for a while. He sat up and stretched his back. 
"Yes.", he got up from his bed and stood on a stool. He spread his arms. "I am ready." 
"Of course, young master." And the butler started to dress the young man almost directly as he had already taken out the clothes out of a drawer.When he got dressed, the butler brushed the young masters hair and put a hat on his head and offered him some gloves. "Excellent work as always Calvert. Now led me to the room." 
"As you wish, young master." He opened the door for him and bowed until the young master had left the room. He closed the door behind him and escorted the young man to his fathers study. 
"He's waiting in his study for me?" 
"Yes, young master." 
"Then it must be important, go announce me." 
The butler knocked on the door. A heavy but graceful voice asked who it was, on which the butler announced. "It's Calvert, master." 
"Then open the door." 
The butler did as ordered and opened the door. "The young master Davin has arrived, master." 
"Let him in." The butler bowed at the door again so the young man could enter. "Now leave us! I'll ring when we need you." 
"As you wish, master." 


"Son, when is your birthday?" 
"Soon, master, it is in 9 days." 
"Have you seen any preparation go on?" 
"I am sorry, master but I haven't paid any attention to it. I was to busy with exploring, master." 
"I see. Well, young man, it is time for your coming-of-age ceremony." 
"Really?!", he said ecstatic. But then quickly made himself formal again and said: "I mean: Yes, master, that might be the case." 
"Well it is, it is normal for any son or daughter of a wealthy noble house to get it. And as you fit that profile, this will also be the case for you." The young man smiled. "Do you know where we hold this ceremony?" 
"I do, master, it is in a church." 
"Not just any church, foolish boy! In this church the coming of age ceremonies are held in a tradition. And you will have to catch up on what you must do on this very important day. The name of this church is Aingeal. So brush up your knowledge on the church too. All the details are important. And if you dare to mess up, I will cast you out. Understand?" The boy flinched at the harsh words with what his father ended. 
"I understand perfectly, Master." 
"Now let's go to the breakfast table." 
"Yes, master." 
Father and son walked side by side to the dining room, without saying anything to each other. And the silence also continued during the meal. 
After the meal the whole family excused itself. And every member went their own way. Davin went to the library and asked a servant to fetch what he needed to know about the coming of age ceremony.The servant came back with several books and led the young man to a place where he could sit.There he began to read the chapters of the book. Skipping some paragraphs here and there. But quickly his mind wandered off. He thought about the nightmare again. It felt real even though it didn't really happen. He stared off through the window. That girl, who on earth must she have been?  


Before he knew, he was wandering out off the library with the books under his arms. He left the building and wandered into the garden. He placed the books on a bench in the garden and strolled around. He tripped over a little stone that was peeking out the floor. He fell on his front with a loud thud. In the meanwhile his ring slipped from his finger and rolled further. He scrambled to his feet and followed it, running as close to the ground as he could. Which made him trip a lot in the process. Eventually his ring fell through a crack in the ground. He fell right in front of the crack as he tried to grab his ring before it fell. He sighed, shook his head and felt if the crack was stable or not.He was positive that he could break the crack so he would fit through it. He took his dagger and began to break the ground around the crack. Eventually a whole space came down, revealing stairs. This amazed him. He was curious and started to descend the stairs while looking for his ring. At first it was kind of dark but then he saw some light. This was a pleasure in contrast to the dark, which had made him fear that he'd never find his ring again.He looked around on the floor, which was the same kind of earth as what he had broken to get here. He searched the ground thoroughly, finding his ring. When he wanted to pick it up, he got startled by the vision he met. Skeletons and bones, shattered in the corners of the room. When he touched the ring, he accidently touched the bones, a sudden heavy feeling overcame him. 


When he opened his eyes he saw a wealthy decorated room. He let his hand go over a table. "What is this?" 
"You came back. I knew you would though. You can't leave me even if you want too.", said a familiar girls voice. He turned around to be met by the girl he had seen in his dream. "You!" 
"Yes, me.", a smile curled her lips and this just made the young man shudder. She took some steps closer to him and he took some steps back. "Oh?", she tilted her head, "You came here to play right?" 
"I-I-I-..." She walked forward a little faster and threw herself against him, wrapping her arms around him. 
"I've been waiting you know.", she said softly while snuggling his chest.His eyes widened and he made himself lose out of her grip. 
"I have no time! I have a coming of age ceremony to attend to!" 
"Oh?", she tilted her head, "Am I invited to this party too?" 
"I don't think so!" 
"WHY NOT?!", she screamed.He backed away against the wall."Don't you like me!", her voice screeched and the whole room began to crumble.Making him fall. He sweated nervously.  
"N-n-n-no. I-i-i-i-it's no-o-ot t-t-t-that." 
Her hands wrapped around his neck and squeezed it. "THEN WHAT?!!!" 
"Only people of 15 and older are aloud to attend.", he said difficultly because of the hands which were choking him.She loosened her grip. 
"You'll have to come back, after the party", she whispered creepily, "Promise me." 
"O-o-o-o-of course. I-I-I-I-I'll come back." She took out a blade and cut in his upper arm. 
"That's to remember your promise." A heavy feeling overcame him again. 


Upon opening his eyes, he was back in the cave with the bones. He shuddered and scrambled on to his feet. He left hurridly.He took the books from the bench and ran into the house. 
"Young master! Where have you been!", shouted Calvert. 
"I had been following my ring... It had fallen into a crack and well... It took some time..." 
"SOME time!!!! You've been away for 2 days!!! We have been searching all over!!!" 
"2 days you say?! How's that possible!", he grabbed his forehead. 
"I don't know what you've done or where you were and god forbid us to know what you've seen! Your parents were worried sick! I was worried!!!" 
"I am sorry, Calvert... I don't even know what happened... And being unconscious for 2 days, is something that would be hard to believe..." 
"What's that?" Calvert saw his ripped sleeve and the blood that was dried around it. 
"I-I-I-I don't know..." 
"Let's clean you up, young master." 
"Yes..."  
Davin was led to his room where he placed the books aside and looked through the window, waiting. Calvert was preparing the young man's personal bathtub, so he finally could get cleaned up.  
"I thought it was a dream... Like that nightmare... How...", he mumbled under his breath while staring out of the window. 
"Young master, the bath is ready." 
"Okay.", he got on his stool and let himself get undressed by his butler. Calvert also helped him getting in the tub, which was stationed higher than ground level. 
"It's fine Calvert. I will wash myself today." 
"As you wish, young master. You'll ring when you're done?" 
"Yes, now leave me." 
"As you wish, sir." 


He ran his hand through his hair. "What on earth is been happening here?" He began to wash himself slowly and thoroughly. All the images of the girl went through his head. He stares at his upper arm. "That cut...", he mumbles. Softly and cautious he washes the wound. It stung and he wrinkled his nose. He sighed, shook his head and laid down in his tub. He put his arms on the edges and rested like that in the tub. The girl appeared and leaned over an edge of the tub. "You said you had a party to attend, liar." 
His eyes widened quickly and he retracted his arms into the tub. "What... How did you come here...?", he shook his head, "No, I still have to attend that party. I just didn't know how long I stayed with you. Apparently I still have time left." 
She grinned."I won't take you to my place, until you have attended that party. If you forget the time around me, you might be late for your own party. We can't have that, can we?" 
"No we can't." He thought for a second and then looked at her straightly. "What do you want from me actually?" 
"But, dear, I've been telling you that all along. I want to play with you.", she stirs the water with a finger. 
"But why me? And why such horrid games?" 
"I like you Davin, you're intriguing. And the only one who can see me now.", she said and bit sadly. "And horrid games... I don't know if it's horrid. The adults always play those kind of games too." 
He stared at her, now knowing what was actually wrong with her. She never knew how to be a real child. "After the party I'll play as long with you as you'd like." She smiled, it was again a rather creepy smile and this threw the young man a bit of guard and then he sighed. "I'll be calling Calvert soon, so you might want to go away." 
"Calvert?", she tilted her head, pouting her lips. 
"My butler." 
"Oh yes. Can I stay? I want to see if he can see me too." 
"Okay", Davin sighed.  


Calvert had helped Davin out of the tub. Drying him off with a towel and dressing him. But Calvert hadn't noticed a girl being in the neighborhood at all. So he couldn't see her. The girl had watched the full process though."You can go, Calvert.", he waved with his hand. 
"As you wish, young master." 
After the butler left, Davin tapped on his bed to indicate that the girl could sit besides him. "He couldn't see you after all." 
"Indeed, he could not. You are special" 
"I guess.", he shrugged. "I am going to bed though." 
He laid himself down on the bed. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep. If not real, he'd fake it. But the girl did not leave. She inspected his room and after that she crawled in the bed and laid herself down besides him.  
"You're my special friend and we'll play a lot.", she whispered before falling asleep. The next morning she was gone. Davin was relieved.But he found a bandage around his arm with a childish heart drawn on it. He sighed. "Calvert may not see this." He took the bandage off and rang the bell for his butler so he could get dressed.After that he began to read the books that he had intended to start days ago.He had still 6 days to prepare. 


He prepared himself thoroughly in those six days. He wouldn't want to mess up and get the rage of his father on his neck. the girl hadn't shown herself in those 6 days either. He was dressed in a full white suit. There was no other color in it. He smiled at his butler. This was it. He was going to be seen as an adult from now on. He strode along the white carpet that was lain out before him. He reached his father and knelt before him. His father spoke the words as it was stated in the book. Then he laid his hand upon the head of his son and granted him "a new life". Then he had to stand up, up his hand on his heart and vow that he will do no harm. As soon as he spoke the vow, the building became entangled with black. All the people were laying on the floor, they were murdered, so was his father. He stared around in panic and horror. Blood was on his suit. He breathed heavily and then a familiar chuckle resounded in the whole building. 


The girl reappeared behind him. "Was this the party?", she smiled, "This must have been fun." 
"This was no fun!", he said with a panicked voice, "Everyone is dead! My father, my butler, my family, friends, everyone!" 
She grabbed his hand and tilted her head. "But this is how the adults played?" 
He pulled his hand out of hers. "Have you done this?!" 
She chuckled. "No silly, the adults did this." 
"The adults?" 
"Yes, the adults." 
Suddenly candles lit up the whole building. "See, the adults." 
Davin sank to his knees, crying heavily, covering his ears as he screamed. The building crumbled and disappeared. She putted her hand on his back. "Don't worry, Davin. It's all okay." 
"How can you say that?! Everyone I knew is dead." 
"Everyone?", she tilted her head, "I am still alive?" 
"You're not real!" 
This made her upset. "NOT REAL?! I'LL SHOW YOU HOW REAL I AM!" 
The ground under the boy crumbled and he began to fell. The girl followed him and he putted her arms around him. "We are going to play, just as you promised." 
They came down on their feet. The floor was checkered and the room was a hallway. She grabbed his hand firmly and led him through the house. Until she stopped for a burgundy colored door. She wrapped her hand around a gold doorknob and turned it. The room they entered had a high ceiling and the shelves were filled with all kinds of doll and plushies, some new, some old, some covered in dust and other bloodied. There were also dolls dangling as if they were hung and others were beheaded.Some had no eyes and others had lost another limb. There was also a bed, a typical girly bed. "Welcome in my room.", she turned around, "We'll have a lot of fun playing in here." The doors locked itself and the dolls began to move and talk. 


"Sush, girls. Don't startle my friend. He's going to stay here for a while." Fear was crawling into Davin's body. In his opinion this girl was just sick in the head, completely crazy, mad! "Come sit on the bed, Davin." She said. He had never introduced himself and he didn't knew if she had heard it in his environment, but she knew his name from somewhere and this creped him out more. But he listened to the girl in fear of his life. He sat on the bed and she smiled at him. "You know, you made me angry." 
"I didn't mean to." 
"I don't know, but you deserve punishment." The dolls grinned, spilling black liquid out of their mouths awaiting for the spectacle.
"Please, I am sorry." She didn't listen and started to tie him to the bed. "See, Davin, when one makes me angry or doesn't believe that I exists, they are going to feel that I am here. And so will you. Isn't that right?", she turned to her dolls and plushies, they grinned eagerly. She crawled on the bed beside him and started to cut a bit in his flesh. "Isn't this a nice familiar feeling? Remember the promise?", she smiled.  
"Y-y-y-yes.", he answered with difficulty, gulping. 
"But don't you worry, you won't doubt my existence anymore after this. She grinned widely with her creepy smile as always. 


"What's wrong with that boy?!" 
"I don't know, master." 
"He had ran off before." 
"Yes, master, that took 2 days." 
"What did he had to say to that?" 
"He didn't know that it was that long. He couldn't grasp it himself and couldn't say anything about what happened, master." 
"Go look over there, Calvert." 
"Yes, master." 
Both split ways and searched for Davin around the whole mansion and then: "CALVERT!!! HERE!!!", the master screamed. They had found Davin. His whole body was bloodied and he didn't breath anymore. 
Not far away there was a girl giggling and jumping around, bangs covering her face. She hugged a ragdoll and kissed it's head: "We'll play for ever, Davin."