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Returning home after spending only a few hours in this curious sorry mansion felt strange and wrong for some reason. Even though it was getting dark, the girls hadn't had their picnic completed anyway, thus, they used that excuse to stay a bit longer.

Accordingly, as per Em's suggestion, they sat on the stone staircase and munched on sandwiches.

"You see, I have a very bad feeling about this house," Lucy said in between chewing.

Katie turned around to have a look at the house.

The staircase leading to the entrance of this stone mansion was a set of double doors with the arched top decorated with ornamental corbels, but it was all hidden deep within desiccated creepy ivy and roots of many running plants. It's as if the earth wished to conceal this house from the world. Looking up and sideways, it was evident; that this mansion was once a very beautiful architectural design of its time.

What happened here? Katie couldn't help but wonder out loud.

"I have no idea Katie, but I do have the tingles when I am here. I have no logical explanation for this feeling but I did hear something moments ago." Em said with her mouth overloaded with grilled cheese and chicken sandwich.

"And you are telling me to be mat" Lucy said with a soft scowl.

"But, I am not making up stories and acting all gooey eyed as if I saw a 'ghost'." Em deadpanned.

"Well, I am not as brave as you, to act as if everything happening around me is some game of wind and chimes. I am thinking rationally and don't you dare say I am being a child." Lucy said standing up from the staircase, ready to leave.

"Oh, so you are telling me, that ghosts and as such exist. I am not a fool to believe that." Em said, growing angrier by the second as Lucy continued to make her allegations right.

In midst of their quarrel, Katie was humming to herself as she munched, paying no heed to the girls. This happened quite often that Katie has lost count on how many occasions had she played the peace maker amongst them. Thus, today, she decided, she would not do that despite the fact that; their quarrel was snaking out of comfort zone.

"So you are saying the door banging inside has something to do with the wind, again?" Lucy asked mockingly.

"Like I said before, look at the state of this house, a window or two might have been broken somewhere and yes, drafts can make a door bang shut," Em explained.

"So, who opened the doors in the first place?" Lucy asked.

"Who should have closed it? This house has been forgotten for a very long time as I can see. People could have come here and do whatever they wanted to. What if the doors were opened and it got closed by some forceful wind? It can get windy at times especially this house sits on a hilltop. Look, what is the point here? Why are we even arguing about? Oh, let me see; you want to declare your point of ghosts existing, huh? Listen to me very carefully dear Lucy; writers with extremely over imaginative muse did a very good job in painting none existent love story. So don't you think that they even created exciting horror stories to lure people in? I mean, who doesn't love a good pickled horror story? I know, I do," Em said, with shrugging her shoulders and stretching her arms apart, to prove her point.

"If such books never existed, people would have died a gray death rather than seeing the sunshine mellow. So, dear Emily, don't mock your ancestors." Katie said, packing up the basket.

"Oh Katie, please, stop your nonsensical chatter. You know what I mean. Poets do have a weird way of describing love. If I fall in love, I will simply say, I fell in love with you. I won't say, I have loved the way your eyes shine and your lips widen as you smile like a flower in the morning sun, o dear rose. Pah! Humbug."

"Ah, so you have a way of explaining things poetically," Katie said with an amused glance and Em just shrugged her shoulders.

Looking at Lucy, Em saw a very angry girl. "What has got in your knickers, Jolly Lucy?"

"Coconuts," Lucy muttered under her breath. Em laughed hearing her answer.

"Lucy dear, what are you trying to say?" Katie asked after she picked the basket, ready to leave.

"Nothing, I am trying to prove nothing. Let's just go home."

Katie nodded her head in approval with Lucy's icy voice knowing well that Lucy won't break down until she has settled the steam. With that in mind, she gestured Emily discreetly to say nothing and moved forth, leading the way.

How did they not realize the darkness was eating up them as a whole? It was way past twilight and the half moon was shyly up in the sky; slowly sailing up its way into the star. It was Lucy who exclaimed about the time but Katie said it wasn't a problem.

"You do know you, father..." Lucy stopped unsure if she had to go forth with her explanations. It wasn't necessary since Katie cut her short, "I do know and I don't care. End of discussion. We will return to our decision."

Katie only uses her harsh acid voice when she was cross or necessary to prove her point. Concluding that she was cross about the concerned statement by her; Lucy didn't press the issue any further.

Their horses were halfway in the road, waiting for their masters impatiently. Upon seeing the girls, Goldie neighed softly and hit his head on his master's shoulders. Smiling to them, the girls mounted the horses and rubbed the horse's neck.

With glimmering eyes, Em hollered, 'let's race into the night'. And all that was what the horses needed after a healthy bite and a leisure nap.

The closer they got to Livinggood mansion; Katie grew apprehensive for what may greet her in her house. She knew it very well that it was not something she could predict.

Patrick had always been the man of few words. How Lydia; a sweet soul who was always restless to help and give out; fell in love with such a curt man was a total mystery to Katie and pretty much everyone. Ever since Katie was born, Patrick grew more distant being a man in his own bubble. Katie never complained as she grew up seeing her uncles, spoiling their only children with love and unwanted attention.

It must be the reason that the others cared and loved Katie as their own but she yearned for her own fatherly figure.

As years went by, Patrick grew into a grumpy old man, and Lydia quieted down. Katie understood her mother was lonely without the company of her man whom she had vowed until death does us part. Realizing her mother's desperate needs, Katie became so much more than a daughter for Lydia.

Katie had seen the stolen glances at Katy and Julie when they spoke of their love life and fun time with their husbands. She had seen her mother sigh ever so longingly into the autumn breeze, winter frosted oriel windows, summer heat and spring's fresh fountain. However, Patrick was always in his own bubble, going to work, coming back from work, retiring to the room, having supper and being rude to his wife plus keeping away from everyone.

Katie has never been close to her father. Never had she heard her father's laughter, nor has she heard his proper voice other than his grunt of approval or penetrating stare of disapproval. Katie practically lived a life as if she was fatherless though she knew he was there providing for her well being. But, Katie yearned for appreciation and adoration.

Moving out to college gave her a blind hope that he will hug her and wish her luck. But, all that he gave was a handshake. A mere handshake that Katie rejected and walked away with tears welding stubbornly that Katie forcefully rubbed from her vision.

Now, after she reached back, she had never seen him, just like before. However, that would not be the case if she or the others disobeyed his rules. Somehow, he has fixated few rules and everyone was obliged to agree.

Everyone did, but Katie. It was just an effort in seeking his attention. Nevertheless, he didn't so much as bat an eyelid upon her defiance but Lydia was given a nice hearing because of Katie. So she stopped being the rebellious child.

Now that she reached home, she couldn't ignore the feeling of being scared. However, with chin held up high, she walked forward after giving the horses to Joseph.

Walking to the house, she couldn't see anyone. Blowing out in relief, Katie and her sisters were about to climb the staircase when a booming voice resonated through the echoing hallways where the drapes were shut for the night. The chandelier shone a soft glow that reflected such a beautiful shade from the Amethyst drapes just like Katie loved.

Katie stood still with her feet still hovering over the first stair landing. Lucy was visibly trembling while Em stood still with a dilemma whether she has to cross her hands or not.

"What time is it?" his voice boomed into the night.

There was only a grandfather clock that ticked silently from the end of the hallway, too far away for Katie to peer and the tick tock felt as if the clock was mocking her.

"Well?"

Katie remained silent because she didn't know what time it was.

"I demanded a question and you are bound to reply." Patrick bellowed.

"I am only to give a reply if I know the answer; I may choose to remain silent if I don't know the answer," Katie said, surprisingly without a crack in her voice.

"Always the talkative; don't you know you have to be back before sundown. Should I state that over and over again to you every time you go out? You are here in time for supper and missed dinner. Do you take everything so carelessly?"

'What is he getting to? Katie thought in utter confusion and dread. "Well, I am sorry I got carried away in nature's persistent beauty. I never realized the moon was hinting that I should return home."

"Choose your words wisely, young woman. I have made certain rules not to be taken lightly and mocked on."

"Well, I didn't intend to mock anyone, I just..."

"Enough!" his scream, shook every bone in Lucy that she started crying and Em was too stunned to do something. They have never heard him this angry before. "I don't want to hear a word more from you. No supper and breakfast for you."

"No thank you and understand that we are not children anymore." Katie was as furious as her father now.

"I said enough." He bellowed once more with his hands on the volute that held a ceramic flower vase about to push it down but stopped himself.

Katie descended the stairs and looked at him, "No, you stop it. What is wrong with you Patrick? Why don't you just talk to me like a normal civilianized man would? You and your stupid rules; I haven't broken anything. I have just as right with my own decisions. You should stop being a complete jerk and behave like a man."

Patrick has never been thus humiliated before in his entire life. For a woman to talk back to a man of the house and that too by the tongue of an offspring was as shameful as having his mustache shaved.

"Katie..." her mother shrieked unable to keep it down when she saw the two most important people in her life arguing for the first time in her life. With tears in her eyes, she came forward to punish Katie but, Patrick raised his hands and Lydia stopped instantly from coming to Kat.

A slap resonated through the household and Julian was immediately by Patrick to stop him from doing further damage. Peter was right behind saying something to Emily but Katie was rooted on spot without rubbing the sting away. She looked at her father bewildered.

"Ever since I saw you, I knew you were not mine; you wretched thing and now as I provide you, this is how you talk to me? How you repay?"

Several gasps then aroused in the house as if they were land mine breaking on impact. But Katie was still in shock. Patrick was going on saying things that no one wished to hear. The man's heart was being poured out at the moment and Katie only heard one thing, 'she wasn't his.'

"Is it true?" Katie's voice was for the first time in her life: weak, cracked and soulless. She had her gaze fixated at her father who looked ugly by the turn of seconds. "Is it true?" she screamed to Lydia who was crying to Julie's hands.

"No... no..." she was keeping on saying this to Julie's shoulders. "No, your father always doubted me for no reason." her voice was cracked, sodden, and tearing Katie to bits.

"Then why didn't you leave him?" Katie screamed angrily at her mother and Patrick only slapped her again.

"DO no raise your voice in front of me, under my roof. Your mother was pathetic and a worthless hag who was on my waist ever since I married. I provided for her and she licked my feet as a loyal dog."

A slap echoed in deep rivulets through the household, silencing everything. This time, it wasn't Katie's face that stung but it was Patrick's pride that stung.

"If ever a man is worthless... then it is you, you swine, you wretched man who belongs to the lower pit of hell." Katie's voice, in the beginning, was shallow, slow and unhurried but as she continued what she wished to say, she was practically bellowing her hurt, pain, betrayal and everything into Patrick's face as she ended her sentence with that unholy word in a booming electric shock that shook the Livinggood family like never before.

Then she ran off into the night.

_________________________ 

They dont realize, the damage has begun. 

Where did Katie run off to?

Should she have slapped her father?

What will happen now?

Katie is on her own going to have some adventure of her own, going to learn something shocking and something new!

Wait for my next update :D 

A little bit long chapter :) Enjoy.

DO share your comments please, I live on them literally :)