The Shedding Skin Two

By the time that they dragged a teacher into the gym, the girl was gone. And so was the 'wishing well' that she had sang to. Both girls told the teacher what they had seen. How she was just there a moment ago. Covered in realistic vomit and glowing like a lightning bug. The teacher, Mrs. Hawkins wasn't amused. Her eyes scanned both girls' faces a moment with a thoughtful look on her face. In a soft voice, she said,"There's nothing here. I don't appreciate pranks, girls. I have a lot to do before the dance and I'd like to get it done."

"But Mrs Hawkins it isn't a prank!",Tish protested. Her hands thrown up in exasperation as she frowned. But Mrs. Hawkins didn't seem to believe her. Settling her hands on her hips, she instructed,"Just finish up decorating the gym and go home."

"But-""I don't want to hear it. Just get this done and go.",Mrs Hawkins interrupted sharply. Her tone suggesting the girls do as they were told. Turning back, she hurried away muttering something about kids and imaginations. Raven rolled her eyes in annoyance as she said,"It's not like we're trying to bug her."

Tish nodded her head in agreement and sighed. Mrs Hawkins wasn't exactly wrong for thinking it was a prank. They essentially showed her an empty gym with no proof of a little girl. No signs of dried vomit or even a well. It was like she had never been there at all. But she could've listened to them. In a soft voice, she said,"Let's just hang up the dance posters and go home before she has a conniption. "

They got the dance posters up in a few minutes. Then they got their things and headed towards Morticia's home. It was a long walk so both talked about their costume ideas. Raven was going as Michonne from The Walking Dead. She couldn't get her hands on fake swords. So she planned on having some friends dress up as walkers instead. Not the ones Michonne had on a leash but just two ordinary walkers.

The costume still sounded pretty cool to Morticia. And she said,"Huh. I was planning on going as a girl version of Negan."

As they walked she told her that she was going to be wearing her Dad's leather coat. And the scarf was going to be borrowed from her older sister. Then she said,"I was also thinking of to get my hair cut shorter so It'll be easier to tell who I am."

"Why not just cross dress as Negan?",Raven asked. Glancing at her girlfriend, she shrugged her shoulders. She answered,"Mom wasn't going to let me get a binder for it."

"That sucks.",she sympathized. Morticia's Mom was against most things that were fun. It was a miracle that she was being allowed to do anything. Especially after what happened that summer with the corpses. Her Mom got increasingly more protective of her. Despite the fact that nothing really bad had happened to her. She still was grounded for not calling her and telling her what had been going on. Not that it would've been easy to tell her the truth. An outlandish story of a ghost getting her to help with revenge on his asshole murderous Father. Morticia had lived through the ordeal and somewhat didn't believe it.

As they reached Morticia's house, Tish debated on going home or not. Everything was stifling in her home now. She couldn't use her laptop because her Mother took it. Or listen to music on her MP3. And her phone was so old that she couldn't use it for anything anymore. As soon as they got into her house, she called out,"Mom? I'm home!"

"Why did it take you two so long to get here?!",her mother shouted from the kitchen. Checking her phone, she saw that it was only 5:30 PM. A half hour past the time that she said she would be home. Frowning, she answered,"Sorry, Mom. I lost track of time while setting stuff up in the gym. It won't happen again!"

Coming out of the kitchen with pizza boxes in her hands, her Mother said,"It better not young lady, you're on thin ice as is."

"Okay, Mom.",Morticia said in a soft voice. Doing her best to not antagonize her Mother further. Visibly relaxing, her Mother held up the boxes and asked,"Raven would you like to stay for dinner?"

"Sure, Mrs. Gossamer.",Raven answered. Trying to keep on her girlfriend's Mother's good side wasn't easy. And she smiled politely when Morticia's Mother said,"I told you before, Raven. You can call me Peggy."

"Sorry, Peggy.",she said. Peggy set down the boxes of pizza and sat down on the couch. Opening them up, she asked,"Tish can you go get the paper plates for me?"

"Yes, Mom.",Tish answered. Hurriedly going to the kitchen to search for them. As she searched around the kitchen, Peggy and Raven started talking. Mostly about things they were doing to the gym for the dance. And what they were going to do for it. Peggy told her that she was planning on chaperoning the dance. Raven didn't say anything on this and asked,"Why do you wanna chaperone some Highschool dance for?"

"I just wanna see what you girls did to the gym is all.",Peggy answered. With a smile, she continued,"I mean if you guys were this late getting home, it has to be good."

Merely nodding her head, Raven picked at her shirt. Morticia wouldn't like that. She had been planning on going to the dance to get away from her Mom. If she found out that Peggy was going to be there? It wouldn't go over well. As she thought of ways to break it to Tish, she heard her walking back in. Morticia asked,"Hey Mom, is Dad still at work or something?"

"Unfortunately, someone quit so he's going to be staying later to help.",Peggy explained. Setting out the paper plates, Morticia said,"That sucks. I can't believe how many people are just quitting there."

Morticia gives Raven a plate and grabs a slice of pizza. Cheese with lots olives, her favorite. The other one was Canadian bacon with pineapple. Her older sister's favorite. Raising an eyebrow, she asked,"Is Steph home?"

"Yes, I thought she heard me call out to her.",Peggy said. Glancing at the hallway,she frowned a little bit. She hadn't even heard Stephanie since she ordered the pizza. Getting up, she said,"She must be on her phone. I'll go tell her that dinner's here."

Setting the plate on the coffee table, she hurried off to her oldest daughter's room. While she was out of earshot, Raven said,"Your Mom is planning on chaperoning the school dance."

Morticia's face turned blank as she stared at her for a moment. Then she frowned as she sighed and said,"Of course she is. She can't trust me anywhere anymore it's not fair."

"She's so-",she trialed off when she heard her mother scream. Putting her plate down, she ran off to her sister's room. Eyes wide with fear as she stopped in Stephanie's doorway to see her laying on the floor. Her face was as white as a sheet and she didn't seem to be breathing. Peggy was holding her as she talked into her phone. She cried,"We need an ambulance. My daughter isn't breathing, I think she might be dead!"