Hi.

Huh. You're still here.

Most people would have gone already.

If I'm honest, I don't really care whether you stay or not, as long as something interesting happens. And until a few weeks ago, nothing happened. Well, nothing worth talking about happened. But I guess you'll understand as we go.

Maybe I should introduce myself. My name is Lotta Fieldings (I know, even the name sucks) and I'm fourteen years old. And no, I'm not even close to fifteen. I don't get why everyone says Oh, I'm twelve-and-three-quarters or I'm eight-and-a-half years old! Who cares how far you are into the year, as long as they know your age? 

Logic, people.

My story starts like most other, on a warm, sunny day when the grass was green and the birds were a-singing... Just kidding. It starts on a miserable, chilly winter's evening, and you could hear the soft patter of rain on the window. And it was cold. Very cold.

I sat on the side of my bed, wrapped up in a blanket and my head resting on the window. A book rested in my lap and a mug of hot chocolate sat on the window ledge next to me. I was reading Anne of Green Gables, a book my teacher had suggested I read. You may think it's cringe or nerdy, but reading is genuinely one of the best things in my life right now. And, of course, Taylor Swift. But mainly reading.

Vaguely, I could hear my parents arguing downstairs. I frowned slightly at their furious voices. They were always arguing nowadays, either because of my siblings, or of our financial problems. And trust me, there were loads. 

I closed my book and silently walked to the door, pressing my ear onto it. They were arguing in their bedroom, and the door was open, so if I opened my own door they would catch me listening. Honestly- they didn't even bother concealing their 'disagreements' from us anymore; they had them so often. 

Today, they were arguing about my siblings. Maybe I should explain. My brother Jamie had autism, ADHD, dyslexia, OCD and a bunch of other things, as well as going to a horrible school (I went there too, but did they care? Nope!). My sister Sienna had brain cancer and had some sort of leg desease, so my parents were also worried mad about her. Quite frankly, Jamie was a spoilt pain in the neck and Sienna used to be fun before she got cancer, but now she just cried all the time, and was rarely in a good mood.

My mom was an architect (although currently she wasn't not going anywhere with work- I heard her and my dad discussing it last week) and my dad was a pharmacist (although I heard that his pharmacy was going to close down due to lack of money). So those two were miserable and cranky all the time, not to mention having to do a load of work with my siblings. If you could call it that.

What a fun family I had.

I mean, they weren't always like that. Before Jamie was born and before Sienna got cancer, it was the best time ever. My parent weren't stressed with work at all, and something fun happened every day. I wouldn't have admitted it now, but Sienna was the best older sister anyone could ask for. 

It all started going wrong when I was five. Jamie was born, Sienna got cancer, my parents' jobs started going horrible askew. And everything is still the same to this day.

Wonderful, right?

And it ain't gonna get any better from here.

Okay. Let's just get this thing straight. I know what you're thinking: I'm the World's Biggest Pessimist. Everyone's told me at least twice. But I'm really just a realist. Before you object, there's a difference- a pessimist thinks the worst out of nowhere, but a realist thinks the worst with a reason. Or so I read.

Anyways, where was I? Sorry, I should stop blabbing and start telling. While I was trying to listen into my parents' argument, Sienna walked out of her room (I could hear her footsteps-she would make a terrible ballerina and a perfect elephant) and knocked on my door, much to my surprise.

Almost immediately, I opened it. I didn't bother greeting her. "Well? What have I done wrong this time? Set something on fire? Killed someone?" was the first thing that escaped my mouth.

She didn't take notice of my sarcasm. "Mom and dad are arguing."

I clapped slowly. "Thank you, Master of Stating the Obvious. Anything else you would like to add?" I held up my book, which I was still holding. "I'm trying to read."

"I know." she said simply, then added, "Can I come in?"

I gaped at her, my jaw wide open. "Who are you and what have you done to my sister? Screw that, I'm calling 911."

She furrows her eyebrows at me. "Are you fourteen, or four? Just let me in- I've got something important to tell you."

"Unless someone died, I couldn't care less. It probably isn't, so au revoir!"

I began to shut the door, but she put her good foot in front of it. "No. Just hear me out. It's about Brynne."

I stopped, and let my arms fall to my sides. Brynne Lawson, most popular and bratty girl in the school, had tormented me for years, whether that be posting embarassing secrets and videos about me on every social media platform there is, or throwing my phone out of a second-storey window. You name any bad thing, and I could guarantee Brynne's done it at some point.

But if it was about her, this could be my chance for revenge. I decided to let Sienna- and she was in a gold mood today as well. I still scowled though. "Don't touch any of my things, or mess up my room."

She rolled her eyes and limped into the room, sitting herself onto my bed. I sat next to her, and gestured with my hands. "Well, what's the news?"

"Give me a moment." She pulled out her phone and began to scroll across random apps, muttering under her breath.

 I took a look at one of them, and smirked. "Aren't you a bit old for Roblox?"

She gave me a look. "I'm literally only two years older than you. Aren't you a bit young for it?"

That shut me up.

But not for long.

"So what is it?" I asked, after what felt like an eternity, but was probably only a few millisenconds.

Sienna shows me her phone. "She posted this on TikTok a few hours ago. It's wierd, and slightly creepy, so you should take a look. After all, that is your speciality."

I'd almost forgotten how sassy and sarcastic Sienna could be when she wasn't crying her eyes out ever two minutes. And honestly, when she got going, she could rival anyone is sass- even me. I know; amazing.

I pressed play on the video and watched it. Brynne was sitting in what seemed like a dark alleyway, and, unlike usual, her blonde, normally-perfect hair was straggly and hung around her face. Her blue eyes, which were usually smug and covered in fifty layers of mascara, were bare and filled with fear. She was wearing a damp, dark grey t-shirt that was torn in some places and clung to her shoulders.

Basically, she looked like she has been dragged through a wet hedge. Backards. If she wasn't the mother of all evil, I would have felt sorry for her. 

But what she said next was the wierdest thing of all. Her voice was scratchy and hasty, like she hadn't used in a while and was in a hurry. "Guys, whoever sees this, there's something you need to know: do not, under any circumstances, trust them. The V.O.I.D- they're evil. Please-"

Suddenly, there was a scream of pure terror and the video went black. It ended there.

Sienna looked at me. "Well? Any thoughts?"

I thought for a few moments. What the heck did I just see? "Well, it's can't possibly be a lie because Brynne never acts like that- joke or not."

Sienna nods. "I know that. But what does it mean? Who are the V.O.I.D?"

I shrug at her and make a face. "You just showed me the video. Before now, I didn't even know where Brynne was. How on this beautiful and morally complex planet am I supposed to know?"

She scowled. "Jeez. Think about it, and try to find anything that would help. Then tell me."

Sienna put her phone in her pocket, got up and began to walk for the door. I followed her and held the dopr open for her. "I'll try to find something interesting. Can't promise anything though."

She rolled her eyes and walked off, shutting the door of my room behind her. Meanwhile, I was left to ponder what I just saw.

Brynne was the one girl everyone knew would never, ever, be crouching down in an alleyway, looking how she did now. And her voice seemed so different; usually it was smug and arrogant, but now... something really wierd was going on.

And I was going to figure it out.

Word count: 1513