Chapter Two…

A week went by before the girls found the time to venture back into the attic. They had been busy unpacking and decorating their new bedrooms. Her mother had taken the bedroom at the end of the hall. Becca had taken the one next to it. Maddie had finally decided on the bedroom right at the top of the stairs. This left Elizabeth the bedroom directly across from the attic door.

Elizabeth was especially pleased with her room, with its high ceilings, built in bookcases and large window seat. She had all ready filled more than half of the tall bookcases with books and stuffed animals. As she unpacked her room, she daydreamed about curling up in the window seat, covered with a blanket and reading one of her favorite books. Her mother had promised that they would make a large pillow to place on the window seat. Elizabeth was looking forward to picking out the fabric for the pillow and the new curtains they would put in her window.

“Hey, Elizabeth!” Maddie exclaimed, as she barged through the door. Becca and Sky followed her into the room. “What’cha doin’?”

Elizabeth looked up from her box, annoyed at this intrusion. “I’m unpacking. What does it look like I’m doing?”

“I’m tired of unpacking!” Becca whined. She threw herself down on the bed.

“Me, too. I don’t think we’ll ever be done,” Maddie said, sitting down next to Becca.

“You’re not going to be done if you’re sitting in my room,” Elizabeth said, taking another book out of the box and placing it on the shelf in front of her.

“Let’s go back into the attic,” Maddie said.

“Yeah,” said Becca. “I want to see my castle again.”

Elizabeth thought a moment. She was torn between doing the right thing – unpacking – and goofing off with her sisters. Maddie and Becca both pleaded by saying come on and even Sky barked his agreement. He wasn’t sure just what the girls had in mind, but he was tired of lying around watching everyone else work. He wanted to play.

Elizabeth placed another book on the shelf and then gave in to her sisters’ pleads. “Okay, but just for a little while. I still have tons to do.” She stood and wiped her hands on her pants, before following her sisters out into the hall.

Maddie had the attic door opened and she led the way up the stairs. Becca followed, with Sky trailing behind. Elizabeth closed the attic door behind them before running up the stairs.

The attic was still the way the girls had left it, with trunks and boxes opened. The clothing items they had tried on were scattered haphazardly throughout the room.

Elizabeth looked around the dimly lit room. “There must be a light switch somewhere,” she said and set about to find it.

Maddie was more interested in finding out what was in each trunk. She would open a trunk and rifle through the clothes. She thought maybe she’d find a clue as to whom these items belonged.

Becca wanted to go back and see her castle. She raced to the far end of the attic, with Sky right behind her. She turned around to glance at her sisters. They had made fun of her for saying that she had seen a castle. Well, she’d show them. She was going back.

Becca stood in front of the mirror. She rose up her right hand and let it touch the mirrors smooth surface. She felt a whoosh and then, she was gone.

Sky blinked and shook his head. ‘Here we go again,’ he thought. He barked and was shushed by Elizabeth. He walked behind the mirror and then in front of it. Where had Becca gone?

Sky turned and looked at Elizabeth and Maddie. He couldn’t believe that they didn’t notice that their younger sister had seemingly disappeared into thin air. He barked again to get their attention, but they ignored him. He knew that he had to do something. He sat down and began to think. This was tough for him, for although he was a very bright dog, he hadn’t spent much of his time trying to solve problems.

Sky thought about what Becca had done right before she disappeared. She touched the mirror! He thought. He stood up and looked back at Elizabeth and Maddie. He wondered if he should leave them alone in the attic. Well, they were safer here than Becca was wherever she was. He took a step toward the mirror and barked, before touching it with his nose.

Elizabeth, hearing Sky bark again, turned toward him in time to see him vanish. “Uh, Maddie,” she said. “Did you see that?”

“See what?”

“See Sky disappear.”

Maddie stopped rummaging through a trunk and looked at her sister. “What are you talking about?”

“I just saw Sky disappear.”

Maddie stood and walked to her sister. “Disappear? He must be here.”

“No, he’s not and I don’t see Becca, either.”

“Becca was just over by that mirror a second ago,” Maddie said, still totally unconcerned.

“Well, she’s not over there by the mirror now, is she?” Elizabeth put her hands on her hips and shook her head accusingly.

“God, you sound just like Mom when you do that.”

“Do what?”

“Put your hands on your hips and shake your head.” Maddie changed her voice and placing her hands on her hips said, “Well, she’s not over there now, is she?”

“I do not sound like Mom.”

“Do so.”

“Do not.” Maddie took a step toward her sister and stopped. She turned around and looked for Sky. ‘Sky would never let us fight,’ she thought. He never liked the girls to fight and would always jump in between them whenever an argument would start. “Elizabeth, where’s Sky?”

“I told you he disappeared.”

“Oh, man. He’s really gone.”

“Now you believe me?”

Maddie began searching the attic, with Elizabeth hot on her tail. Finally, she stopped, convinced that Becca and Sky had really vanished into thin air. “Elizabeth, do you think Mom’s going to ground us for losing Becca and Sky?”

***

¶ 4:36 PM