Lilly
Lilly
You need to come home, Dad.
Dad
Dad
Are you and Mom okay?
Lilly
Lilly
I’m okay. Mom’s not.
Dad
Dad
Is she sick?
Lilly
Lilly
IDK. She seems weird, though.
Dad
Dad
What do you mean?
Lilly
Lilly
She’s different.
Dad
Dad
How?
Lilly
Lilly
She looks like Mom…
Lilly
Lilly
She’s wearing the same clothes as Mom…
Lilly
Lilly
But she’s acting strange!
Dad
Dad
What is she doing?
Lilly
Lilly
She didn’t make me unpack the groceries.
Dad
Dad
It’s your lucky day!
Lilly
Lilly
And she didn’t know where the cereal went.
Dad
Dad
She’s probably stressed and forgot.
Lilly
Lilly
Dad, she put the cereal in the fridge!!!
Dad
Dad
I once left my car keys in the freezer.
Lilly
Lilly
She called me Lilly Anne.
Lilly
Lilly
She never calls me that.
Dad
Dad
I think you’re overreacting.
Lilly
Lilly
She just drank a glass of milk. She hates milk!
Dad
Dad
Hang on, I have another call.
Lilly
Lilly
Don’t go. I’m freaking out.
One minute later, Dad texts Lilly.
Dad
Dad
Where are you?
Lilly
Lilly
In my room.
Dad
Dad
You have to get out of there!
Dad
Dad
NOW!
Lilly
Lilly
Why?
Dad
Dad
That’s not Mom.
Dad
Dad
Mom just called me from the store…
Lilly
Lilly
OMG! Are you sure it was Mom?
Dad
Dad
Yes.
Lilly
Lilly
WTF?
Lilly
Lilly
I don’t understand.
Lilly
Lilly
If Mom’s at the store…
Lilly
Lilly
Then who the hell is in the kitchen?
Lilly
Lilly
OMG OMG OMG.
Dad
Dad
Lilly, breathe. You have to calm down.
Lilly
Lilly
I’m trying.
Lilly
Lilly
I’m so scared.
Lilly
Lilly
Who’s that person in the kitchen, Dad?
Dad
Dad
She’s dangerous.
Lilly
Lilly
How do you know?
Dad
Dad
You have to get away from her.
Lilly
Lilly
Do you know her?
Dad
Dad
There’s no time for this.
Lilly
Lilly
Dad, who is she?
Dad
Dad
Don’t worry about that now.
Dad
Dad
Get out the house.
Lilly
Lilly
And go where? We live in the middle of nowhere.
Dad
Dad
It doesn’t matter where.
Dad
Dad
As long as it’s as far away from her as possible.
Lilly
Lilly
Dad, you’re scaring me.
Dad
Dad
Run and hide somewhere. Now!
Lilly
Lilly
Why?
Dad
Dad
GO! GO! GO!
Lilly
Lilly
Okay.
Dad
Dad
Hurry!
Lilly
Lilly
Okay.
Lilly
Lilly
OMG, OMG. I can’t leave the house!
Dad
Dad
Why?
Lilly
Lilly
She’s at the bottom of the stairs by the front door!
Dad
Dad
Get away from her!
1 minute later
Lilly
Lilly
I’m in my bedroom.
Lilly
Lilly
What’s wrong with her, Dad?
Lilly
Lilly
She was just standing at the bottom of the steps smiling up at me.
Lilly
Lilly
Oh, God…It was creepy AF.
Dad
Dad
Lilly, listen to me carefully…
Dad
Dad
You need to go to my office and lock the door.
Dad
Dad
There’s a safe there.
Dad
Dad
The code is 17835.
Dad
Dad
Inside there’s a gun. Take it!
Dad
Dad
I’m on my way home.
Lilly
Lilly
NO! IDK how to use a gun!
Lilly
Lilly
I’m calling 911.
Dad
Dad
NO!!
Dad
Dad
You can’t!!!
Lilly
Lilly
But you said she was dangerous.
Dad
Dad
DO NOT call 911.
Dad
Dad
Trust me.
Lilly
Lilly
You’re freaking me out!
Lilly
Lilly
What’s going on?
Dad
Dad
The gun, Lilly. PLEASE. I’m begging you!!!
Lilly
Lilly
I can hear her saying my name. Lilly Anne.
Lilly
Lilly
She says she wants to have a tea party.
Dad
Dad
Office. NOW!
Lilly
Lilly
I’m too scared to leave my room!
Dad
Dad
Is she still at the bottom of the stairs?
Lilly
Lilly
I think so.
Dad
Dad
Check. Carefully.
Lilly
Lilly
She’s still there.
Dad
Dad
RUN TO MY OFFICE!!! NOW!
3 minutes later
Dad
Dad
Are you in my office?
Lilly
Lilly
Yes.
Dad
Dad
Did you lock the door?
Lilly
Lilly
Yes.
Dad
Dad
Gun?
Lilly
Lilly
Yes. But I wouldn’t know how to use it.
Lilly
Lilly
Why do you even have a gun?
Lilly
Lilly
You and Mom hate guns.
Dad
Dad
It’s for protection.
Lilly
Lilly
Protection from what?
Lilly
Lilly
Her?
Lilly
Lilly
Dad?
Lilly
Lilly
WHY R U NOT ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS?
Lilly
Lilly
What the hell is going on??????
Dad
Dad
It’s complicated.
Lilly
Lilly
OMG!
Dad
Dad
What’s happening?
Lilly
Lilly
She’s standing on the other side of the door.
Lilly
Lilly
I can hear her breathing.
Dad
Dad
Get into the cupboard and lock it.
Dad
Dad
HURRY!
1 minute later
Dad
Dad
Are you in the cupboard?
Lilly
Lilly
Yes, but it doesn’t lock.
Dad
Dad
There’s a baseball bat in there. Do you see it?
Lilly
Lilly
Yes.
Dad
Dad
Grab it.
Dad
Dad
If you need to, swing as HARD as you can at her.
Lilly
Lilly
WHAT?
Lilly
Lilly
Why? Who is she?
Dad
Dad
She’s dangerous.
Lilly
Lilly
You’ve said that. BUT WHO IS SHE???
Lilly
Lilly
Dad?
Lilly
Lilly
If you don’t tell me right now, I’ll go out there and find out for myself.
Dad
Dad
Alright.
Dad
Dad
Your mom has a twin sister.
Lilly
Lilly
No she doesn’t.
Dad
Dad
She does. Her name is Greta.
Dad
Dad
She somehow got into our house.
Lilly
Lilly
So I have an aunt?
Lilly
Lilly
Why don’t I know about her?
Dad
Dad
We decided not to tell you.
Lilly
Lilly
So you guys have been lying to me?
Dad
Dad
It was for the best.
Dad
Dad
She’s not mentally well.
Dad
Dad
She’s very jealous of your mom, too.
Lilly
Lilly
Where has she been all these years?
Dad
Dad
In asylums.
Dad
Dad
On the streets, on drugs.
Lilly
Lilly
Why is she pretending to be Mom though?
Dad
Dad
She’s insane. I told you.
Lilly
Lilly
She’s even wearing Mom’s clothes.
Lilly
Lilly
How did she get them?
Lilly
Lilly
OMG, is Mom okay?
Dad
Dad
She’s fine.
Dad
Dad
She’s going somewhere safe.
Lilly
Lilly
Oh no, Dad!
Dad
Dad
What?
Lilly
Lilly
She’s knocking on the door!!
Lilly
Lilly
She’s calling my name!!!
Dad
Dad
Ignore her. I’m on my way.
Lilly
Lilly
She says she wants me to be Alice.
Lilly
Lilly
And she’ll be the mad hatter.
Dad
Dad
Don’t listen to her.
Lilly
Lilly
She says she wants to have a tea party with me.
Dad
Dad
Lilly, she might say things to you…
Dad
Dad
But you MUSN’T believe them.
Dad
Dad
Do you understand me?
Lilly
Lilly
She’s singing a nursery rhyme now.
Lilly
Lilly
Mom used to sing that to me when I was small.
Lilly
Lilly
How does she know that?
Dad
Dad
I don’t know, Lilly.
Lilly
Lilly
Dad…are you sure she’s dangerous?
Dad
Dad
Yes. Very.
Lilly
Lilly
Then why hasn’t she tried to hurt me?
Lilly
Lilly
Why hasn’t she tried to get in?
Lilly
Lilly
She just seems sick or something.
Lilly
Lilly
Shouldn’t we call a hospital?
Dad
Dad
NO!
Dad
Dad
Don’t call anyone.
Dad
Dad
No one can know she’s there.
Lilly
Lilly
Why? I don’t get this!!!
Dad
Dad
You have to trust me.
Lilly
Lilly
I DON’T!
Lilly
Lilly
You and Mom have been lying to me.
Dad
Dad
It was the right thing to do.
Lilly
Lilly
Lying is never right…
Lilly
Lilly
Isn’t that what you guys always tell me?
Dad
Dad
It was right in this case.
Lilly
Lilly
WHY????
Lilly
Lilly
Dad, tell me. PLEASE!!!!
Lilly
Lilly
Why can’t anyone know she’s here?
Dad
Dad
Because your mother and I tried to kill her.
Lilly
Lilly