“JEFF!”
Hilary shot up in bed, his horrified voice echoing in her brain, along with a steady rhythmic tapping. “That…that witch! That…evil…how could she? How could she?”
“How could she what?” Betty was already awake, dressed in her dotted blue wool day dress and shapeless gray sweater. “Hilary, are you all right?” She ran over to her sister, her eyes wide and concerned.
“Oh, Betty.” Hilary rubbed her hands over her throbbing head as the girl settled next to her on the bed. “I had…I had the worst dream. Jeff was there, and all three of us, and two men…they were so familiar, but I couldn’t really see them. They were in the dark. Jeff…he kept saying not to be deceived by appearances…”
Betty’s eyes widened. “Hilary…this sounds like my dream last night. The biggest of the men…” She closed her eyes, trying to hold on to that elusive feeling, the man’s warm, strong arms folding gently around her. “He was so charming…that wink…I’ve seen him before.” Red spots appeared on her cheeks as she remembered how they had gone after her and him. “And Hilary…he was the one Pavla and her monsters attacked first. Him and me. Not Jeff.”
“Probably trying to get his goat.” Hilary made a face. “Jeff always was loyal to his friends. Attack them, and you attack him.”
Maple continued to snore on the couch, her silk-clad arms clutching Walter. “There has to be a reason you and I had the same dream.” Hilary nodded at her middle sister as her eyes roved to the clock by her bedside. “Much as I hate to disrupt her beauty sleep, it’s almost 8, and we need to talk to her. I have the feeling we had these dreams for a reason.”
“Right, Hilary.” Betty went to Maple and shook her shoulder as Hilary got out of bed and dug into one of her many suitcases. “Maple? Maple, we need to get moving. It’s almost 8 AM.”
“Already?” Maple pushed her sister’s hand off her shoulder. “I’m awake! I ain’t really slept all that much last night anyway. I had the craziest dream last night.” She pulled the sleep mask off, revealing tired eyes under those long, thick lashes. “Hilary was with Jeff, an’ you had a big, cute guy, an’ I…oh, Betty, he had these beautiful brown eyes, an’ the cutest little smile, and he gave me flowers!” She sighed, holding Walter tighter. “Until Pavla and her walking horror show turned up an’ ruined everything! I was so scared. They grabbed him n’ Betty, an’ I couldn’t…I couldn’t stop ‘em. I tried, but I couldn’t.”
“I couldn’t, either.” Betty sighed. “Maple…I had the same dream. So did Hilary.”
“You did?” One of Maple’s perfectly sculpted copper eyebrows nearly hit her forehead. “How did that happen?”
“That’s what I want to know.” Hilary emerged with her best winter day dress, the red wool with the braided trim. “There is something going on in this house, and I’m going to find out what it is.”
“Hilary, we all will.” Maple’s eyes widened as soft organ music seemed to almost float in the air. “Hey, do you guys hear that?”
Betty nodded. “The music. I think I heard it last night, too, and in the dream.”
“That’s it.” Hilary stepped behind the changing screen. “We are going to get some answers today, at breakfast. Whether those dreams were just dreams or telling us something, the fact of the matter remains that we are in a very large old house surrounded by walking, talking animals.”
“Ehh, at this point, all I want is breakfast. Hope they make good waffles.” Maple grabbed a ruffly green plaid dress out of her luggage and very high green heels before heading to the bathroom.
Hilary had just come out from behind the changing screen when they heard the knock at the door. “Betty, please get that. Tell them we’ll be along in a minute, when Maple finishes dressing.”
“Yes, Hilary.” Betty opened the door…to discover a slightly doddering old man with white hair, soft white cat’s ears, drooping whiskers, and a fluffy, flickering tail. “Um, hello, Mr…”
“Oh, Mr. Cat is fine, young lady.” He wore a dapper black sweater and shirt with a tie and black trousers. His wrinkled white paw wrapped around a dusty broom. “The Master sent me to bring you to breakfast. Mrs. Fox has already made your requests, and they’re waiting for you on the table in the kitchen.”
Betty raised an eyebrow and let the old man-cat in. “Um, Hilary, this…er…cat is here to take us to breakfast.”
“Oh, good.” Hilary pulled on her two favorite red and blue celluloid bracelets. “You seem like a sensible, er, cat. Maybe you could give us a hint as to what all of this is about.”
“Well,” the old feline shrugged, “I think it’s about breakfast. That’s the most important meal of the day, you know.”
“No, sir…er, cat.” Betty frowned. “There’s something strange going on here. We want to know the truth.”
“The truth?” The old man-cat shook his head. “I’m sorry, but that’s something he says you’ll have to find out for yourself.”
Hilary was about to press him when Maple finally emerged, tugging on one green heel. “Sorry I’m late! Sorta had a long night. Hey!” She hurried over to the gentleman with the broom. “You’re a cute old kitty! If I scratch you here, will you purr?”
“Oh! Well…” Maple scratched him behind his neck. “Oh my, miss, that does feel nice…”
“Maple!” Hilary rolled her eyes. “Could we continue this at another time? We need to get to breakfast and find someone who will tell us just what’s going on around here!”
“Oh, there’s many things going on.” Mr. Cat opened the door for them. “We just can’t talk about it.”
“So we’ve noticed,” Betty said dryly as they followed him out the door.
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