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LEAH GOT BACK DOWNSTAIRS as Nina and Amber rushed off to the table where the cake was. She glanced around the room to see Jerome with a girl and Alfie dancing around. Leah sat herself on one of the unoccupied sofas as a brown hair boy joined her, it was Ethan

"Hey" He spoke, sitting himself down next to Leah

"Hi, enjoying the party?" She asked him as she noticed out of the corner of her eye, Amber being giddy seeing them two sitting next to each other.

"Yeah it's good. I'm glad to see those two back together"

"Yeah" They sat and spoke for a bit when Alfie's voice could be heard, "Hey! Guess what I am!" He came running in, wearing the stag head that sat above the staircase, "I'm a party animal!" He ran around everyone.

"ENOUGH!" Victor's voice boomed through the room, causing a sudden silence, "Turn that racket off!" He demanded.

Fabian quickly pressed the pause button on the music player as everyone stared at Victor, "Anyone who doesn't live here, OUT! The party's over" Everyone began to make an exit, leaving only the Anubis residents left standing in the living room

"You," He snapped, pointing his cane at Alfie who still was wearing the stag's head, "How dare you mess about with that. Take it off!" Alfie tried to pull the head off, upon realising he was stuck in it

"I- I can't. It's stuck!" He frantically spoke, creating a wave of laughter from his housemates which made Victor extra annoyed then he already was, "I have had enough of you vermin! Who has the spare attic key?" He questioned, walking around the small group, "I know someone has been up there, tonight as a matter of fact! Now, WHO HAS IT?!" He demanded

"It's really hot in here. I can't breathe" Alfie complained. Victor snapped his head over to him, "Well then, we shall just have to saw it off!"

"Saw?!" Alfie exclaimed as Victor grabbed his wrist

"The rest of you, wait there!" Victor demanded as he dragged Alfie off to the office to get rid of the animal head.

"What do we do now?" Fabian whispered to Nina and Leah

"I don't know but we could be in big trouble"

"We might not be... Give me two minutes" Nina spoke. She raced out of the room and quietly walked up the stairs as Victor tried to force the head off Alfie as Trudy walked across the landing and into the girls corridor. Nina crawled over to the door and placed the key down before crawling back and down the stairs as Trudy exited the girls corridor once more with a bowl of water in her hands

"You left it on the floor?" Jerome scowled at Nina's comment when she arrived back to the living room

"I know it's not the best idea in the world but if he has it, he can't search us for it. Trust me, guys" Nina justified as the group crowded around her

"And why should we take the blame for you?" Jerome questioned, pointing at Nina and Fabian

"Why? Because you lot got Nina into this mess in the first place" Fabian retorted

"Oh yes!" Victor's voice sounded as he entered the living room, "Very clever. Very clever indeed! Who put this on the floor outside my office? Who?!" Victor asked, looking around the group

"Was it you?" He asked Jerome

"No" Jerome answered

"You?" He pointed his cane at Fabian

"No"

"You?" He stood in front of Amber

"No" Amber spoke, sweetly

"I'm losing patience"

"Mick?"

"No"

"You two?" He waved his cane between Patricia and Mara

"No" They both answered simultaneously

Victor then turned to the brunette, "Leah, was it you?"

"No," Leah spoke, quickly changing her mind, "Yes!" She shrieked as Victor snapped his head around and everyone looked at her

"Aha!" Victor exclaimed

"No!," Fabian called out, "Leah's covering for me. I did it" Victor turned to face Fabian as Leah gave him a questionable look

"You?" Victor asked.

Fabian replied with a nod, "Guilty as charged"

"No! They're lying! It was me!" Nina retorted

"Make your minds up! Who was it?!" Victor spoke, frustrated

"Me! I did it. Total key thief" Mick spoke up

"Actually, hes lying. It was me, Victor" Mara spoke, taking the blame from Mick

"Oh yeah! I mean no.. It wasn't her. It was me" Amber exclaimed, "I love to steal keys so much!"

"Actually... It was me" Patricia spoke, causing Nina, Leah and Patricia to share a small smile between each other knowing they had wound Victor up so much

"Stop playing me for a fool! Jerome, I know I can rely on you.. Who was it?" Victor spoke, stepping in front of Jerome. Jerome looked over at Leah who was now silently begging him to lie for her

"It was me" Jerome spoke, through his teeth

Victor slammed his cane against the floor, growing more frustrated, "That. Is. It! That is it! You are all grounded for the entire weekend!" Victor shouted before storming out of the room. Everyone let out a ecstatic laugh as Jerome huffed to his room

"Ah! Don't tell me! You did it too!" Victor spoke as Alfie, now with no animal head on, and Trudy walked down the stairs

"No way!" Alfie exclaimed, "Did what?"

"You are grounded, the same as the rest of them and as for your other little escapade," Victor spoke, rifling through his jacket and pulling out a toothbrush in front of Alfie's face

"No, not the toothbrush!"

"I want to be able to see my face in that toilet bowl!" Victor scowled, shoving the toothbrush into Alfie's hand before stomping back upstairs.

"I'd love to see your face in that toilet bowl" Alfie retorted, causing Trudy to laugh quietly

"Alfie, don't be so disrespectful"

THAT WHOLE WEEKEND dragged since they were grounded. Amber and Patricia spent that weekend swapping rooms and it felt like a good thing to Leah and probably to Nina as well. Leah also spent that weekend working on an art project. Jerome and Alfie peeked from around the door at Leah who had her headphones on, doodling away on her notebook

"Dude, I hate pranking Leah... Why can't we prank Amber or Nina?"

"Alfie, we've never targeted Leah before and we can get the other two girls later on." Jerome reassured one of his best friends as they sneaked up to Leah's room. That afternoon, Leah had showered and she went to pick her brush up to detangle her hair when her hand became stuck to the brush handle

"That's it!" Leah stomped down the stairs, her hair still wet and she was wearing track pants and an oversized t shirt

"Jerome Clarke and Alfred Lewis!!" She screamed as she walked into the living room where the two pranksters sat

"Oh dear Lee, got yourself into a sticky situation" Jerome questioned, sarcastically

"That does it! Come here!" She shouted. The two boys stood up and bolted for their bedroom as Leah chased behind them. They slammed the door behind them as Leah banged on the door, "Fine! Stay in there, but watch your backs!" Leah called out through the door. She headed back into the kitchen where Trudy had arrived, upon hearing the commotion

"Trudy... Can you help get the hairbrush off my hand" Leah asked

"How on earth did it get on there?" Trudy questioned

"Jerome and Alfie. They glued the handle" Leah spoke. Trudy filled a bowl up with warm, soapy water and she was careful to pry the hairbrush handle from Leah's hand, which unfortunately left it red and irritated.

MONDAY MORNING CAME and everyone in Anubis House felt relieved to be out of that place, even if they were only 5 minutes down the road in school

"So, since we were all grounded.. Guess who had time to study those hieroglyphics" Fabian spoke as he walked into school with Leah and Nina

"And?" Nina questioned

"Nothing," Fabian responded, causing Nina to slump slightly. That was not the answer she wanted, "Its a total dead end.. It's as though they don't exist"

"I was hoping they would be like the last clue we had... Leading us to the 8th step. It was so much easier back then─" Fabian spoke

"─Wait.. Fabian, your uncle still lives around here, doesn't he? The one who's the antique expert?" Leah interrupted

"Yeah, why?" Fabian questioned as Nina looked at them both

"Maybe he could help?" Leah mentioned

"You're right! Great idea Leah! How about this lunchtime?" Fabian exclaimed

"I'm in!" Nina responded. Leah looked at her two friends as they exchanged cute looks

"You two go.. I have to get dumb and dumber back from this weekend" Leah spoke

"Good luck" Nina and Fabian spoke as they moved off to lessons.

"Thanks, I'm going to need it" Leah smiled

LEAH HAD SPENT her entire lunch break planning a prank on Jerome and Alfie to get them back. She was now sat in French next to Amber as Mara walked around, handing out headphones for the listening test they were about to do. Mara sat down in her seat as Leah around the room, noticing Nina and Fabian had not returned from his uncle's yet.

"Are we all ready?" Mrs Andrews asked as the two bundled through the door, "You're late" Mrs Andrews voice spoke

"Sorry" They said together

"Get to your places, we're about to start" Mrs Andrews instructed. Fabian and Nina clambered over to their desk, "Have you seen Patricia on your travels?"

"No" Fabian responded

"Right, she will be getting an F then. We'll start the test" Mrs Andrews set the recording off and the voice spoke into Leah's ears. She was terrible at french and she knew she had failed the test before she even wrote any answers. Mick soon interrupted the test as he raised his hand

"Miss─"

"─The test has already started, Mick. Quiet please"

"Yeah I know.. I'm sorry but it's just I didn't quite catch the last bit of the first question. Can you start it again please?" Mick spoke as Jerome Jerome chuckled, looking down at his paper

"You know the rules" That's all Mrs Andrews had to say as Mick admitted defeat with his request. He popped his headphones back on and continued the test. The bell rang and everyone rushed out of French and off to their school houses

"Hey Lee! Wanna walk with us?" Alfie's voice spoke from behind her

"I would but I have to go do something. I'll see you both back at the house" Leah spoke before dashing off

"She's avoided us all weekend and now she doesn't want to walk with us. This is your fault, Jerome. I told you I hate pranking Leah" Alfie whined

"Alfie, she'll get over it. Come on" Jerome spoke. He and Alfie headed home, unaware of what was to happen later that afternoon

LEAH HAD RUSHED HOME before everyone else and set up her prank in Alfie and Jerome's room. She completed it before everyone got back and she waited for them to be attacked.

Everyone changed and were sat in the living room and at the dining table when a voice shrieked from the hallway, "Leah Penelope Jones!"

"Was that Jerome?" Patricia questioned

"Yeah" Leah answered, holding her arms across her chest and smiling, "I'm in the living room!" She shouted back

The two pranksters walked in covered in glitter and purple dye from the cannons and buckets Leah had set in their room. Everyone burst out laughing at the sight of the two boys

"What have I told you about having a glitter fight without me?" Leah spoke

"Come here Leah" Jerome spoke

"No" Leah refused

"Come. Here. Now" He spoke. Leah looked at him before standing up and attempting to run off when two arms grabbed her waist and picked her up off the floor

"Jerome! Get off me!" Leah squealed

"Now you're covered in purple and glitter" Jerome spoke, putting Leah down. He kept his arms around her waist as he turned her around to face him

"Stop flirting, you two" Patricia's voice spoke

"We aren't flirting" Jerome and Leah both retorted. Jerome turned the girl to face him in his grasp

"That serves you both right from this weekend! I told you to watch your backs" Leah spoke, "Anyway... You both look like you've jumped out of a children's book about unicorns" Leah laughed, until she stopped once seeing the two boys exchanging looks. She raced out of the room and upstairs away from the two boys who had slipped over as they went to chase her.

LEAH HAD CHANGED out her now stained clothing and as she walked down the stairs, Nina and Fabian were stood looking at the banister

"What are you two doing?" Leah asked

"Look at the shape carved into the banister" Fabian spoke. Leah knelt down on the step she was on as she glanced at the banister shape

"It's an eye?" Leah spoke

"Yes! The Eye of Horus! Like?─" Fabian added

"─Oh my god! Like Nina's locket!" Leah exclaimed

"Yes! I always thought it was some sort of an abstract design but now we know. I also did some research on this place and turns out the Frobisher-Smythes had a thing for Egypt and maybe they are the ones who hid those cylinders we found"

"We need to listen to them... Tonight?"

"Yeah, you up for coming to the attic with us, Leah?"

"For sure! I'm quite intrigued now" Leah, Nina and Fabian headed back into the living room.

IT WAS NOW MIDNIGHT and Nina and Leah snuck out of their room as the clock downstairs chimed. Fabian had already made it upstairs and was waiting outside the door. Leah was dressed in a pair of pyjama shorts, Jerome's hoodie (which was technically a dress given their height difference) and a torch as well as her phone which was on silent

Nina pulled out a hair pin and began to pick the lock as Fabian stood next to a tired and scared Leah

"It isn't haunted up there, is it?" Leah asked

"No.. at least we don't think" Fabian responded

"Very reassuring Fabes" Leah said as Nina had successfully picked the lock and opened the door. They carefully trailed up the attic stairs with Nina in front, Leah in the middle and Fabian at the end to shut the door and to basically protect the two girls

The attic was just how Leah thought it would be... 10,000% creepy. Nina and Fabian had sat themselves down in the middle of the room after Fabian grabbed the gramophone and began to play with it, figuring out how it works

"Okay, now what?" Nina asked, drawing Leah's attention back to the two

"We turn this─" Fabian reached for the handle and flipped it. As soon as he turned the gramophone on, an ear piercing scream sounded

"Fabian! Turn it off!" Both girls shouted through the scream. Fabian quickly switched the gramophone off and the 3 of them looked at each other, "What was that?" Fabian asked

"I don't know"

"Me either but that was way creepier than I had expected" Nina spoke

"It sounded like a voice..." Fabian stated

"That was a scream, Fabian" Leah told him

"Or like a deathbed moan?"

"Very descriptive Nina" Fabian looked up at Nina, "This one looks like its blank"

"Try this one," Nina held out another cylinder in her hand as Leah glanced down at her phone. She had been up in the attic for a good 15 minutes and she wanted her bed. Fabian switched cylinders over, "Wind it faster this time"

The cylinder was now in the gramophone and Fabian winded the handle faster however the results came out the same, with the exact same scream

"Turn it off!" Nina demanded

"I don't know how to!" Fabian frantically spoke as he tried to turn it off, "I've only used MP3 players!"

Leah grabbed the gramophone speaker and pulled it off as the sound faded away. The 3 let out a sigh of relief which was short lived as the sound of keys jingling and footsteps ascending appeared from the staircase, "Victor!"

"Quick! The secret room!" Fabian bundled the cylinders into his hands as Nina pressed her locket onto the indentation that was the same shape of the Eye of Horus and they slid into the room with the concrete door sealing behind them as Victor's footsteps grew louder and louder as the three huddled together...