Tickle Monster

Chapter 1

    Jade's POV

The deep darkness of the closet in my new room seemed to be choking me. The dust didn't help. It seemed to hang heavily on my skin, seeping into my very being. It needed to be cleaned before I put my stuff in one way or another.

I noticed something shiny in the corner and I was surprised I hadn't seen it during my "violently shove a duster into all the dark and creepy looking recesses" phase of cleaning. I felt cramped just on my hand and knees with my backside sticking out into the room.

Curiosity consumed me and I quickly grabbed the hard, rectangular object. I clutched it gently in my hands as I stood and backed out of the closet.

The springs complained loudly as I settled my weight on the bed. I sighed and started to look over what appeared to be a Polaroid camera and suddenly I had a brilliant idea.

My identical twin Teegan and I had a little ritual in which each time we moved we would give each other a small gift. Sometimes they were heartfelt and sometimes they were just plain out meant to be funny. But one thing I knew was that Teegan loved old things and whether or not it worked, I don't think she'd care.

Our family had just moved from a neighborhood we'd lived in for 2 years, which was the longest amount of time we'd ever stayed somewhere. Then suddenly one day father came home and said "I've found a new job" and off we went to a creepy deserted-looking town where our closest neighbor might have been a mile away.

Why were the only people in the family to share a room also to get the smallest? And the one that was probably a kid's room?

I was assigned to clean the dust because Teegan was allergic to it. Of course, she would do most of the unpacking. That doesn't mean I was happy about my side of the deal.

"Ooh is someone slacking?" My 17 year old brother Taylor taunted as he peered through the doorway.

"Shut up." I snarled back.

Now I know this may seem harsh but he knew which buttons of mine to push to annoy me. I wasn't in the mood today. He shrugged, held up his hands in defense and left, thank god. He had dark brown hair like the rest of the family that hung over his ears. He'd probably spent more time than he'd ever admit styling it and making sure it looked good. Combing every strand into place as if he had an obsessive disorder... with his hair. As if he'd find any girls to impress in this place.

My mother left us when Teegan and I were 4 years old so my father was left to take of 4 children. I have a sister who's 13, then Teegan and I are 15 and finally my brother who's 17. My mom timed her pregnancies to have children every two years right after she and my dad got married. From what I remember, he just always had a sparkle in his eye, recounting stories from our childhood that had seemed  mundane at the time and turning them into magical and magnificent times.

Now it's as if his happy-side had been carved out and left with my mom in the shiny red convertible he had bought her. I still remember the day and how something just felt wrong. We moved out of that house within the next month.

My dad spends most of his time working, but when he's free he's writing stories. He's an amazing writer from what he's shown my siblings and I but he never seems the way he was when my mom was here. She was a free spirit and was getting tired of being a housewife. Now we're struggling to make ends meet and move around a lot for my dad's work even though I'm not quite sure what it is. As long as I have Teegan I'd be fine with anything.

I know her mind like I know my own. I don't need special twin powers to get all telepathic with her, just one glance at her face and I know what she's thinking and feeling. We've always shared rooms and I wouldn't have it any other way, but I do complain to make it seem as if I would. You'll never meet someone so curious about everything, which could be her downfall. At least I try to be cautious.

Oh yeah back to room cleaning. I slowly get up to test a theory but the effort is for naught. The springs seem to announce my movement to not only this house, but the whole world. I tuck the Polaroid underneath my bed so she doesn't see it  until tonight when I give it to her, and guess what?!

More dust under the bed.

I have no idea how this much can be in one space. What I end up doing is opening the window and shoving a broom around until some goes out the window and the rest is on the floor which I sweep up and dump out the window. By the time I'm done, the sky is mostly a dark purple with stripes of pink weaving throughout.

Teegan struts in with her hand on her hips and a comically stern face on, "Is this what you've done with the place in two hours, man I should have suspected you of being lazy." But a smile cracks through the facade.

I can't help but jump a little and hit my head on the window frame. I didn't even realize I had been staring and thinking for that long but the sky had turned a darker blue.

"Sorry sis, gotta run. Tell me when you've finished unpacking." I flash a smile and a wave and then I'm out the door.

This place is giving me the creeps.