Elise woke up around 5 in the morning. She couldn’t sleep much that night, with her father telling her he loved her and all. So after sketching for an hour and a half she headed downstairs, decked in her dark gray silk pajamas.
Kensi had started breakfast and Elise could smell the spices and hear the oil sizzling on the pan as she cracked eggs into it. She wanted to sit and wait but it would be all to tempting, so she decided to explore a little.
Elise wandered around their large house; looking at each knick-knack and the title of every book. She stopped in front of every piece of art in the house. She wondered why her father called art a waste of time. He had plenty of it, and all of them caused Elise to stare with eyes as large as saucers, and a grin from ear to ear. Art excited her the way perfection and order excited her father. She especially enjoyed the Van Gough replicas and a Monet that looked very close to the real thing.
She had made her way to two large, red wood double doors with golden handles. “Fancy.” She said with a grin as she opened on door very quietly and slipped in. She walked further in and noticed a boy sitting in a chair with a bowl of cereal.
“Hey Kirk.” She whispered and sat in the chair across of him. “What is this place?” She looked around at the shelves full of books.
“Huh?” Kirk said through his mouthful of cereal. He closed his book and swallowed. “This is the den.” He said as he rested the book on a small table near him.
“There are so many books…” Elise got up and walked around the room and looked at each title. They were organized and shelved neatly, much like a library. “So neat.” She muttered as she made a complete circle. “Do you have to check them out like a library?” She asked, a little embarrassed by the fact that she was asking a serious question. Kirk just let out a small laugh, thinking she was joking, leaving her question unanswered. Elise giggled, trying to cover up her embarrassment.
“Yeah, our father wanted a personal library.” Kirk’s eyes looked all around the room. “So he made this den into one.” Kirk looked at Elise who was marveling at a book full of classical artwork. “I think he said he’s read every single one of these books.” Trying to get a reaction out of Elise who was too engrossed in the pictures before her.
“Beautiful.” She muttered as she closed the book slowly and put it back in the empty space on the shelf. She took a deep breath and inhaled all the scents of breakfast. “So, who else works here besides Kensi?” She was referring to the voices she heard earlier. Elise was determined to prove to herself that she was sane. She had rationalized that she was overhearing other maids or butlers talking.
“No one, just Kensi.” Kirk knit his eyebrows together. Was his sister crazy? Then again he did just have a picture talk to him. “Why?” He squinted slightly.
“Just Kensi?” Elise sighed and sat back in her chair. “Do you promise not to send me to an asylum?” She looked at Kirk with worried eyes.
“It depends.” Kirk sat up right, setting his bowl of cereal next to the book. “What is it?” He raised an eyebrow at Elise.
“I hear voices. Well, heard voices.” She waited for Kirk to jump up and call her crazy but, he just sat there, soaking in every word. “I first heard them when I left to be with grand-dad and grandmum. Then I heard them again on my way here and last night.” Kirk just stared at her.
“Oh.” Kirk managed one syllable. Maybe he wasn’t crazy after all! If Elise had really been hearing voices like she said she had, then the talking picture was real! “Who was the voice?” He probed.
“It sounded like a woman I met on the train.” Elise’s body tensed. The woman on the train, had she followed Elise? “She was really pretty and very, dark. If that makes sense.” Elise let out a huge breath, something she had unintentionally been holding in. She told Kirk about the conversation she had with the woman. She also told him about the lipstick stain on her drawing and the peculiar way she had exited. “She kind of…” Elise fiddled with the ends of her shirt, avoiding Kirk’s gaze. “She kind of just disappeared.”
“Disappeared?” Kirk was giddy inside. Disappeared like the drawing had ‘disappeared’ in front of his eyes. “Curious.” He said with a calm expression. He really wanted to pick Elise up and hug her. She had just confirmed that he was not insane! Or…maybe both of them were insane. Then he began to wonder what father would do if both of his children were insane. Disown them? Kick them out?
“Well what do you think?” Elise was dying for a reaction, something to tell her that she was not crazy. Considering her story, she really only expected Kirk to tell her she was crazy.
“I think,” Kirk started, causing Elise to sit on the edge of her seat. “I think you haven’t had enough sleep.” Kirk cracked a smile, trying to cover up all the things going through his mind.
“Not enough sleep?” Elise didn’t know what she was thinking. “Right, you right.” Kirk was right. She had only gotten around two or three hours of actual sleep. Still, something kept bugging her.
“You are not crazy Elise.” Right when she thought she had any possibility of being sane, there was the voice again.
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