The Witching Hour

Vivian stared at the clock on her living room wall. Her long brown hair was pulled back into its usual messy bun. "5:50... 5:51... 5:5–"

"Vivian, your friends will get here when they get here," her dad, Frankie, said as he walked into the room. "Now go tidy up your room. I know you haven't, even though I've already told you to do so three times."

"They aren't my friends," she mumbled.

Frankie turned around. "What was that, Vee?"

Vee opened her mouth to speak. She was then interrupted by a knock at the door. Oh shit, she thought. "Wait, Dad! Don't open the door!" Vivian said.

Her dad set the laundry basket he was holding on the floor and walked over to the door.

"It's just your friends, Vee," he said.

He opened the door. A ginger-haired girl with dyed purple tips walked in. Vivian looked up at her, still sitting on the floor. She sighed.

"Hey Harper," Vee said through gritted teeth.

Harper smiled at the brown-haired girl. She's wearing a deep purple shirt. A black cat is printed on it. "Wake me later. I must commit chaos" is written above the cat. 

Her twin brother Nicholas walked in after her, a book tucked under his arm. He glanced at Vivian and immediately looked at the ground.

Frankie closed the front door and then walked into the kitchen.

The three kids just stood in the living room. Nicholas kept his head down. Harper looked around the living room, a smirk on her face. Vivian remained in her spot on the floor.

"Been a while, hasn't it?" Harper said, breaking the silence.

"Yep," Vivian answered. She glanced at Harper and then returned her gaze to the front door. 

Another knock was heard at the door. Nicholas jumped a bit. Vivian stood up, walked over to the door, and opened it. On the other side of the door were a boy and a girl who looked almost identical. Both were wearing matching pastel blue shirts.

"Hey," Nova said with a wave.

The two walked in. Vivian closed the door behind them. Caleb nodded hello to Nicholas.

"What are you reading now?" he asked. He pointed at the book that Nicholas was now holding.

Nicholas jumped a bit. An embarrassed blush started creeping onto his cheeks. 

"O-oh, um, it's j-just some fantasy novel. Nothing crazy," he stuttered out.

Caleb nodded again. “Cool."

"Alright," Vivian said, "are we going to head up to my room or not?"

Harper looked at her, "Why not?"

Vivian walked across the living room and to the staircase in the corner. She walked up the flight of stairs and turned left into a small hallway with a door at the end of it. She opened the door and walked in, walking across the floor and sitting on the bed in the far left corner. The rest of the group followed her in. 

Nova sat down on the desk chair backwards, resting her arms on the back of the chair. Nicholas sat down on the floor. Caleb sat next to him on the floor. Harper lied on her stomach on the floor.

"So, are we gonna talk about... the thing?" Harper asked. She still had that stupid smirk on her face.

Vivian looked at her. Then she looked at the notebook open on her desk, the visible pages filled with shaky sketches of haunting faces and figures.

"Yes."