Sister Spelled

Trespassing

"Where are we doing this at?" Mad's asked, picking up a flashlight from beside the bed and shoving it into her jacket pocket, "It has to be close."

"Still in the orphanage," Annie confirmed, "but in the library. I thought it would be best to be on the other side of the occupied rooms, and that's where I saw Ali- her at. The window also looks out on the spot where Hailey was found. That's the strongest connection I could think of."

Besides the place Alicea died, Annie thought, but she wasn't willing to go there.

"My least favorite room." Gin declared, "Are you positive that we need to go there?"

"Just because you can't read doesn't mean its a bad choice." Mad's gripped the stone in one fist as she raised a brow at Gin, "Or are you just scared?"

"Now you're just being ridiculous."

Gin didn't wait for the other girls before striding to the door, mercifully keeping her steps lighter this time. As an afterthought, Annie grabbed the cards from the bed before following. Thunder crashed outside, booming through the old walls and making all three of the girls jump. The hall was dark, no lights were permitted so late. Sister Margaret was a stickler for keeping costs down, and her budget tight. Still, Gin and Mads seemed to remember the way, their years of living in these same halls guiding them as if they had never left. 

They padded down the stairs, Annie's mouth opening to warn them about the steps that creaked, but both deftly avoided the first one and Annie's mouth closed. She tiptoed past the Sister's room, the snores from within temporarily covering the sound of the storm outside. Her heart leapt into her throat as she strained to hear any change in Sister Margaret noisily breathing, but they passed the room with no incident. 

The hallway of the second floor was lined with closed doors of administrative rooms on one side and portraits on another. Any one who had ever donated or run the orphanage hung in thick wooden frames, the eyes silently following the girls as they crept past. Annie avoided the sight, doing her best to mimic Gin's steel backed posture. 

Finally, they made it to the service stairs, well away from the sleeping children and sisters on the first floor. There was no need to be quiet anymore,  and Mads took the stairs two at a time, exiting first into the kitchen. She hadn't even bothered to turn the flashlight on yet.

"Half hour until midnight." Gin reminded Mad's as she stopped to open the pantry door. 

Mad's groaned, grabbing a bag of cookies before shutting the door and following them out. Annie took the lead this time, first to push out of the kitchen door and down the hallway into the main entrance. They had used the servants stairs to get around the sleeping children and sister's rooms, not wanting to chance anyone being awake at this hour. There was no good excuse for three teenage girls wandering around at midnight, not to mention the fact that only one actually lived at the orphanage. Now, Annie found the staircase curled along the wall, it's old carpet ragged and full of holes. Her feet moved of their own accord, carrying her up to the old wing, set apart from everything else. 

The air here felt closed off, like the walls held their breath for trespassing girls. Annie hadn't been back since she had seen the body earlier that day. She couldn't help but wonder if it was really just this morning that it had all happened, because time seemed to playing tricks. Surely it had been years already. Tears filled her eyes at the thought of Hailey's broken body on the rocks, but she shook her head to get rid of the image. There was nothing to be done for her now. The best they could do was find out why Alicea was here, and what she wanted. 

A crashing sound jarred her, and she swung to see Mads over a broken vase, a sheepish expression on her face. 

"Well, thank goodness we aren't trying to be stealthy." Gin muttered, waving a hand at the broken pieces on the floor, "It's not like we're trespassing."

A chill crept up Annie's spine at the use of the same words. Trespassing. Like the very building they were in did not welcome them. Although, she knew Gin only meant that she and Mads weren't supposed to be at the Orphanage. Not so late at night, and not in the old wing. 

"Mmmf-guh." Mad's tried to say, mouth full of cookies. 

Annie sighed, "Just come on. We don't have time to clean it up, and if someone sees it they'll probably just assume it was a ghost or something."

"Honestly." Gin sent one last glare at Mads before following Annie. 

They arrived at the library without further incident, Annie's blood running cold as her hand met the cool wood of the library door. Alicea's face flitted before her, a memory of earlier today. The owl still stood gaurd, ageless eyes taking the three girls in. Annie got an urge to apologize, to explain why they trespassed in the haunted wing well past the time they should be in bed. 

"Annie? Do you want me to-" Mad's started, mouth thankfully free of cookie. 

Gin huffed before pushing past both of them into the room, "Ten minutes ladies. We need to get this over with."

Mad's eyes darkened as Annie's gaze met hers, "Ready or not."