• Tick... tick...tick... The faint sound of the old grandfather clock was the only sound in the large room. Flashes of lightning would light its dimmed lighting, illuminating a tiny girl whom sat in the center, her small arms wrapped tightly around her little stuff bunny.

    Thunder clapped outside the large stained glass window, rattling it and distracting the little girl from the door that opened on the far side. In entered several people; all much older than her. The group of five studied her quietly as the girl turned slowly to see them, her porcelain face confused at the bunch.

    "Elizabeth.." one of the many people called as an older woman stepped forward. Her face was aged and her peppered hair was tied back tightly in a bun, sharp eyes already in a scolding glare. "What are you doing here?" she hissed lowly to the girl.

    The little girl named Elizabeth simply looked to the woman, an angelic smile slipping onto her face as her deep grey-blue eyes watched her. "Oh Madam Lenore, I came to give you a visit." she said, her voice soft and just barely above a whisper. "You see, Mr. Shivington asked me to come to you. He tells me the Others have much to say."

    The lady straightened, her eyes locked onto the little rabbit in Elizabeth's arms. Its beady glass eyes almost seemed to stare back at her as the members of the group made their way onto the couches before the girl. "And who is this Mr. Shivington?" Madam Lenore asked, her eyes never leaving the rabbit's eyes.

    "Oh, but of course my little friend!" Elizabeth giggled, rubbing the rabbit on her face, tangling its long white ears into her curly blond hair. "He spoke to me before I went to bed." she insisted.

    Madam Lenore simply nodded as she took a chair from a nearby desk and sat in front of the little girl who continued to smile happily. It was all a game to her, a game between her, Mr. Shivington, and Madam Lenore. "Elizabeth, what did Mr. Shivington say?"

    "He said the Others had much to say."

    "And who are these 'Others'?" she dared question.

    The little girl stood, her long silky white nightgown flowing just above her tiny ankles, the sleeves to her wrists. She sat Mr. Shivington on the couch--upright and staring idly. She walked to the piano located not to far from where they sat, giggling as she walked. "Oh Madam Lenore, your quite funny." she said. "Mr. Shivington said you would say that. He said it was because you didn't like the Others."

    Lenore glanced at the other members, who sat watching the girl, note pads in their laps already scribbled on and waiting for more. "Now, I would I not like them? Who are they?"

    Elizabeth rose the cover from the keys of the large Grand Piano, revealing the pearly white and sulfur black keys. She touched the keys one by one as she laughed to Lenore. "Oh, your quite funny Madam. The Others are the ones before me, of course."

    Lenore paled noticeably, her dark eyes narrowing in order to upkeep her dominate psyche up. "I don't know what you are talking about." she hissed harshly.

    "Yes, you do Madam Lenore. The girl that fell in the well... the one on the roof.. even the one that plays the piano every night.. you know them all Madam Lenore, you scream at them all the time, we can hear you." Elizabeth said, pressing the keys, the awkward notes soon become soothing and calming.

    Moonlight Sonata. Lenore thought unconsciously. She watched as Elizabeth swayed softly to the music, her smile never faulting as she close her eyes and let the music flow from her fingers, its sweet melody dancing around the room in a quiet and soft ballet. Lightning flashed and she kept playing, slowly the tempo just right as she repeated the melody over, and over again.

    "Such a pretty song, don't you think?" Elizabeth questioned, her sway never faltering, as if the music pulled her from side to side, her eyes closed in a romantic revere. "The girl said you taught her this song. You played it for her all the time." She continued quietly, as if any moment she would stop playing.

    Shivers ran through Lenore's body as she gripped her hands together till the knuckles turned white. "Yes, I know." she said breathlessly, as if the song was taking away her energy. "It took weeks--months probably--to teach Young Diana." her mouth shut as the words slipped out. She glanced at the others who simply stared between her and the little girl. The silent question drifting among each of them.

    "Who are they talking about?"

    "Now Elizabeth, please, would you mind going to bed now. The grown-ups have much to speak about." Lenore said, standing up slowly and walking to the girl.

    Elizabeth turned in the chair, facing Lenore, the keys continued to press. The luring music still playing even though the girl's fingers rest in her lap. "Madam Lenore." she spoke, her voice no longer that of a little girl's but much more older--possibly the early twenties, maybe slightly younger. She rose with the grace of a dancer as stepped around the piano, her fingers skating on the dust that had gathered on it. "Do you remember the nights we would spend playing this song? Over and over till I got every note spot on perfect." she whispered, her eyes turning to the older woman--whom froze in her place.

    The once soft child like eyes that had first shown to her that night were now deeper, darker. A blue reserved only for the deepest of the ocean. She stared dead straight into Lenore's eyes as she spoke, voice soft and just above a whisper. "It was never quite perfect though, was it? Not for you. Never for you. Over and over I played until my fingers would not move, till they throbbed with pain that I never knew that was possible." her voice in mourning. "Do you remember my last night here? I played it perfectly. You even said so yourself. You told me, 'play it again Diana'. And I did. I played it again. But I didn't do it perfectly." she sighed and slumped into the Piano's chair, half her body resting on the continuing keys, her eyes following them as her body against the new keys made no sound as the crescendo came and died and the song continued.

    "No, I didn't. I don't know how I didn't. I was more than sure I got it perfect." she sighed almost as if in longing. "You smashed this dear little cover down on my fingers. You broke them all."

    Lenore stepped back, as if hearing the news for the first time. "I never--"

    "Oh, you did. I remember, because I cried and you slapped me. You told me: 'You dare make fun of the greater pianist? The greatest composer of all time? You shame him with this wrecked playing!'. I remember. You were very mad at me. You hit me several times." Elizabeth--or Diana?-- said, standing and hugging the piano."I remember mother and father came next and they cried very much. I wasn't sure why until you said someone broke in. Broke in and killed me. You lied to Mommy and Daddy. You are very, very bad." her eyes stared over at Lenore, who stood frozen in place, her body stiff as a board as she stared in horror at the little girl.

    "Oh Madam Lenore." Elizabeth said, her pretty grey-blue eyes staring at her as the music died. "I know that was tough to hear. Mr. Shivington said it would be. But he said there are the other girls too. And they all want to say something."

    Lenore gaped at the little girl, her eyes wide with fear as she tried to reign in her composure. It all seemed to come at once as the little girl stepped closer and closer to Lenore, around and around her in a perfect circle. The blues ranging from sky blue to the deepest blue you would mistake it for black if it weren't for the lightning. The only other sound other than the several voices coming from the little girl was the heavy breathing of Lenore and the thunder that clapped over and over, closer and closer.

    "Don't you remember me? I didn't have rhythm. I missed that one step, and I fell off the roof. You never came to get me.. you said it was an accident.. you never knew.." a whinny voice came from Elizabeth.

    "No, me! Do you not recall? I couldn't get that one note right... I played the violin.. You got so upset. Minute is harder than I thought. And the bow.. so sharp.. I couldn't see my Mama or Papa when they came that last time.. I still can't.. Why, oh why can't I see Madam Lenore?" a soft voice asked, curious yet afraid.

    "And me! I was so tiny.. I could never do anything right without tripping over my tinniness. I'm so sorry Madam Lenore. I swear it was the boys that pushed me in the well though. I never let go of that wall. Not a bit! But the moss was so slippery. Why did you not look for me?" a quick squeaky voice asked defensively.

    "How about me?"

    "Me?"

    "Why not me?"

    Voices echoed off the walls, no longer sounding as if they were coming from poor little Elizabeth who stood, her back facing the glass as the voices sang with their stories; their questions.

    Lenore fell to her knees, her hands clamped over her ears in attempt to block the girls' calls, the certain tugs on her dress she was beginning to feel and the cold of their touches on her hands and face. She threw herself to the group that had long since risen and stood far from her. She clutched their pants, her eyes wild. "Help me! Can't you hear them?" she cried hysterically, the voices seeming to get loud and louder still, more and more voice coming in, new ones over older ones, young and old.

    "I was a chef.."

    "A singer.."

    "An artist..."

    "Madam Lenore, there are no voices." one dared to say to her, his face nervous. "No one is talking but you."

    "No! I can hear them! I know I can! Are you deaf? They just won't--won't shut. UP!" she cried, tears springing from her eyes.

    "What are you talking about?" they asked her, stepping away from her hands as she clawed at them.

    "Oh Madam Lenore, Lenore. Tsk tsk. Only the the truly Evil can hear their Sins." a voice laughed.

    She turned to stare horrified at the rabbit that stared back at her, a smile sewn into its soft white fur, its glass eyes staring at her without movement. "Only Sinners hear their Sins." it called to her, its sewn lips l barely moving.

    "The Devil!" she cried. "Quite! I did nothing wrong! Nothing!" she scream, throwing her chair at the doll, watching it contact with the little couch and slamming against hard enough to move it slightly.

    "Yes you did and you know it... we all know it." Elizabeth whispered, her eyes watching. "We all know."

    "Shut! UUP!" She screamed, racing for Elizabeth, her eyes blazing as she reached for the girl's neck.

    Elizabeth screamed as she dropped to the floor just as Madam Lenore tumbled over her unexpectedly crouched body and crashing through the window and down.. down she went three stories to the end.

    ....

    "Read all about it! Crazy Fine Arts Teacher Plummets To Death! String of Murders Solved!"

    Two old women sat waiting as their tea steamed warm in their porcelain cups as they looked to each other. "What is all this news about Madam Lenore?" one questioned as the other looked at her surprised.

    "You mean you didn't know?" the other asked.

    "No, not at all! She was such a talented woman! What happened?"

    "Oh dear." the other woman leaned back, her face set with worry. "Well, you see, she was killing the students. Claiming accidents or suicide. Two nights ago she was speaking with some councilors about her school being haunted when one of the little girls came in and spoke to her using the voices of all the dead. She went to kill her, but ended up tumbling out of the window instead."

    "Oh goodness gracious!" the woman said, shocked, gripping her cross tight. "How terrible!"

    "Indeed." the woman said. "People these day.. you never know by looking at them.." she said as she leaned back against her seat.