Chapter52 Fibs vs. Lies

Today she discovered that the person who befriended her when they first moved into their new home is not who she claimed to be. What Anna doesn't realize yet is that this person could very well be the same serial killer that tried to kill the little girl that he's pretending to be. She's been tossing and turning for the past couple of hours. Anna's uneasy; sensing that Mary's around somewhere. Anna's come to accept this now; and, lies there in bed waiting for the inevitable. She detects a sudden chill in the room as the temperature starts to drop; not too much…but quickly. Reflecting back on their past meetings; Anna wonders why she hasn't picked up on this before…it's happened every time she came to see her. Anna takes in a deep breath, sits up, stares at the closed door and nervously calls out, "Hello, Mary." Anna watches as Mary's apparition walks through the door. "Hello, Anna." She senses something's troubling Anna. Mary slowly walks across the room, and when she reaches the bed, sits down on the edge of the mattress and questions Anna. "It's been awhile, Anna; how've you been?" She meekly replies, "Okay." "Good." Mary picks up Jean-Louise Wadell from Anna's bed and starts stroking her hair. "So; what have you been up to, Anna?" "Nothing." "Nothing, Anna?" "Nothing, Mary." "Oh." Mary continues to brush the doll's hair. While looking down at the doll, she asks Anna, "So; did the Sheriff ever tell you about Jean-Louise Wadell, yet?" Anna sits back against the headboard, bending her legs to tuck her knees into her chest as she wraps her arms around them; and, softly answers, "No." Mary grins as she continues stroking the doll's hair. "She was killed when she was eight-years-old, Anna. Sheriff Faulkner was assigned to the investigation. He lied, you know?" "Lied?" "Yes. He helped them convict the girl's mother; even though they knew it was the nanny who killed her. You know what happened to Jean-Louise's mother, Anna?" "She went to jail?" "For a while…until they executed her for killing her daughter." "But…you said she didn't kill her daughter." "She didn't, Anna; but, they killed her for it anyway. And, you know why; Anna?" "Why?" "Because they lied, Anna. Adults lie, Anna; remember that." Anna's silent for a moment before replying, "What about kids? Don't kids lie too?" Mary grins again. "No. Kids don't lie; they fib." "What's the difference?" "Fibs are fibs. Lies hurt people, Anna. Do you understand now?" Anna picks up on Mary's condescending remark and decides payback's necessary. "Sure, Mary; I understand. So; do ghosts fib…or lie…Mary?" Mary gets a stoic expression on her face before malevolently smirking. "Well, well, well…we certainly are our mother's daughter; aren't we? I'm kind of hurt, Anna; do you realize this is the first time you referred to me as a ghost? I feel like I should be offended; but, I won't be. I won't take it personal…this time." Mary pauses before she continues. "Oh; and, just for the record…we ‘ghosts' do what we need to do. Anything else you want to know, Anna?" "How did you die, Mary?" "I told you, Anna; I was killed." "How?" Mary smirks again. "My; aren't we the little ghoul this evening? Fine, Anna; here it goes….You know that barn that we play out in…I was hacked apart to pieces with an ax by the bad man." "Charles?" Mary gets a stunned look on her face. "What did you say?" "The bad man; his name was Charles, right?" "Why yes, Anna; his name was Charles. So; how did you know that? Wait…let me guess…Cindy?" Anna thinks briefly before answering unconvincingly, "Yeah." Mary doesn't believe her. "Now, Anna; you wouldn't be lying to me…are you?" "We kids don't lie, Mary; remember…we fib." "That wouldn't be a fib, Anna; that would be a lie. Lies hurt people, Anna…remember? Be careful, Anna."