#mechanical lullaby

Piper woke up the next morning to yet another grim day. Frankly, at this point, she was starting to get the feeling that the world was going to drown in its own tears within the week. She didn't even bother to look for her dad as she made herself another peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich. She was sure he had just left her another note she wouldn't want to read. She figured she didn't have to worry about him breaking his promises if she didn't let him make the promises in the first place. 

When she got outside, however, she was surprised and disappointed to see that Leo wasn't waiting for her like he had been yesterday. She decided not to think about that too much, and started wandering through the yard on her own, looking for her friend. She considered going into the woods, but she still got too turned around when she was in there on her own, and she wasn't confident in her ability to find her way back if she did.

She was in the middle of looking through some bushes (Leo was a weird kid, and she wouldn't put anything past him) when a loud, gruff voice called out to her, "Pippy? What are you doing over there?"

Piper straightened and whirled around on her heel wide-eyed. "Mr. V! Why are you out of your house?"

Mr. V furrowed his brow at her, and she resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him again. He lifted the brown bags in his arms that Piper hadn't noticed before. "I had to go grocery shopping. What are you doing here? Why aren’t you at school?"

"I'm looking for my friend, Leo," she explained. "He's a little shorter than me with really curly black hair and pointy ears. Have you seen him?"

Mr. V scoffed. "I don't have time to look for your imaginary friends, Pippy. I have work to do."

"My name is Piper and Leo's not imaginary!" Piper said, crossing her arms. "I'm too old for imaginary friends anyway."

Mr. V squinted at her like he was trying to find a manufacturing date on her so he could figure out how old she was before he let out a huff. "Never mind all that. If this boy you're talking about is real-" Piper got the feeling he didn't believe her- "then he's going to be at school. Which is where you should be. I know your father is working, but that doesn't excuse truancy."

"I'm not enrolled in school yet, so even if I went, I wouldn't be allowed to go inside."

Mr. V furrowed his brow even deeper, and Piper wondered if maybe his eyebrows would get so big and bushy that they'd eat his whole face. "When does your father plan to enroll you?"

"I dunno," Piper said carelessly. "We were supposed to do it last week, but my dad had to go into work because the costume department needed him for an emergency fitting. I don't mind; I don't want to go to school."

"You have to go to school. That's what children are for."

Piper rolled her eyes. "I'm not for anything. I just do stuff."

Mr. V let out a snort like an agitated horse. "Very well. Go 'do stuff,' then, by all means. I will be having a chat with your father.

And then he was gone, carrying his groceries up the rickety staircase to his apartment above Piper's. She watched as he fiddled with the door for a moment before pushing it open and stepping inside. She sort of expected the wall to magically expand to swallow his massive frame, but he just ducked his head and shuffled inside like a normal, boring person.

That, unfortunately, left Piper back at square one: bored and without any friends. Actually, she was worse off than square one because her friends were at school, so she couldn't even entertain herself looking for them because she knew they wouldn't be home for ages. She let out a frustrated huff and sat down on the ground, then immediately regretted that decision. She ignored the chilly mud seeping through the seat of her shorts and thought about what she was going to do now. She could go inside and watch TV, theoretically, but the only channel they got that was even remotely interesting was PBS Kids, and that one came in all fuzzy unless she played with the antennas a bunch, which she hated. She could read a book, but all of her fun books were still in boxes that she would have to unpack, and those boxes were hidden in and amongst the many, many untouched boxes of her dad's stuff. She supposed she could just lay down right there in the mud and perish, then let the ground swallow her up and keep her for thousands of years until archeologists found her and decided she was a princess.

Just as she was considering the pros and cons of becoming a bog mummy, she heard a little squeak at her feet. There, bold as anything was a mouse, staring up at her with eyes that glittered like buttons. It put its tiny little feet on the toe of her rainboot and let out a shrill squeal, followed by some very insistent chittering. "Uh, hello?"

The mouse seemed pleased to be recognized because it jumped back from her and ran around in a little circle like it was doing a dance before darting off. It got a few feet away, then stopped, got up on its hind legs, and squeaked at her like Well, what are you waiting for? Come on!

Figuring she had nothing better to do, Piper got to her feet and followed the mouse. It led her on a little tour of the back yard, squeaking and squealing the whole time, and Piper laughing right along with it. As they went on their trek, they were soon joined by some other mice that scurried over Piper's boots and squeaked at her in light reprimand any time she stopped. She just did as they asked and kept moving, though she had to keep her eyes down to watch where she was stepping in order to avoid crushing her new friends.

It wasn't until she felt a branch scratch against her cheek that she looked up and realized she was deep in the woods. Her eyes widened, and she came to an immediate halt, fear making her heart thump high in her throat. "I can't be here. I have to go home."

The mice all just turned as one and looked at her curiously, not comprehending what she could possibly mean.

Piper turned around, only to be met with the hollow tree she and Leo and Jason liked so much, but this time it looked odd. Now, the little arch seemed to shimmer and shine with invitation. She felt her chest loosen and her heartbeat slow as she approached it carefully to get a better look at it. The mice were obviously delighted by this choice because they let out a chorus of delighted squeaks and all surged forward as one to dart past Piper and into the glittering mist of the tree. Piper waited for them to come out the other side, but none ever did. Then, it was just her and that very first mouse who invited her on this adventure. They locked eyes for a moment, then another before the mouse scurried forward and vanished beneath the tree.

Figuring she had nothing better to do, Piper fell to her knees and followed the mouse. 

As Piper crawled, she couldn't help but notice that the path seemed a lot longer than normal. She crawled and crawled for several seconds before she tumbled out the other side, blinking in the brilliant light. When she somewhat got her bearings, the first thing that she noticed was that the ground was dry. That was weird because she was pretty sure that in her entire time of being at Laketown, it hadn't stopped drizzling long enough for the soggy, spongey ground to ever properly dry out.

Stranger still, all of the trees around her were dazzling shades of yellow and red and orange, like jewels. For one moment, Piper actually wondered if she had somehow managed to find her way to the Southern Hemisphere. That was obviously a very silly, nonsensical idea, but Piper knew that seasons worked differently down there, and at the moment, she was finding it difficult to come up with another idea. She turned back to the hollow tree as if it could offer her some sort of insight, only to find that the once-ocher leaves had turned a soft spring green. The arch that Piper had originally crawled through was no longer there.

Then, the wind blew, crisp and cool with the promise of future snow, just like fall winds were supposed to be, and Piper shivered. She was still dressed for the wet, sticky warmth of spring, and her shorts were still damp from her earlier tantrum. She looked around to see if maybe there was something she could use to get warm, and discovered that she was on a very clearly marked path, the trees parting before her like royal guards welcoming their princess home. She considered trying to crawl back through the tree, and thought about squishy, muddy ground and friends who were still at school and grownups who only acknowledged her to fuss and an empty home that offered her even emptier promises.

Feeling more confident now that she had her mind made up, Piper started down the clearly marked path before her. 

Within moments, she was out of the woods, and the Pink Palace was standing proudly before her, though now it wore its name with grace. Gone were the crooked shutters and shabby shingles and peeling, faded paint. The building before her was a daring shade of fuchsia with pops of other colors on the rainbow of doors and windows. There was a big wrap-around porch with swings and everything was decorated with delightfully creepy Halloween stuff.

"Good afternoon, Piper!"

Piper whirled around to see Mr. V standing a bit away. He was wearing his big, heavy work apron and his face was hidden by a welding mask, but Piper could hear the smile in his voice. "Uh, hi, Mr. V."

"Come over here, Piper, I want to show you something."

Piper did as he asked, and he stepped back to proudly reveal an intricate metal sculpture of a mouse on a unicycle. When he flipped a switch the mouse started whirring like machines liked to do, and the mouse sculpture started pedaling, moving back and forth to keep its balance, and began juggling. Piper laughed in delight and clapped her hands. "That's awesome! What did you make it for?"

"For?" Mr. V repeated, sounding amused. "Why, it isn't for anything, Piper. It just does stuff." 

Piper frowned and was about to protest when Mr. V placed his hands on her shoulders and gently guided her towards the front door. "Now, as much as I'd like to show you all of the things I've made, I'm afraid I can't. Your father is waiting for you inside, and you shouldn't keep him waiting."

Piper immediately backed away from him, frowning and shaking her head. "No, he isn't. My dad is filming today. He's gonna be gone until dinner, at least."

Mr. V let out a soft  chuckle. "That may be true about your dad,  but as I said, your father is inside."

"What's the difference?"

Piper could feel more than hear Mr V's amusement as he urged her forward, towards the slightly cracked door. "One way to find out."

Piper was about to say something before she heard a sound that made any and all thoughts of Mr. V totally vanish from her mind. Someone on the other side of that door was whistling, and they were whistling the exact same tune that Grandpa Tom had taught her dad, which he then taught to her.

Without another moment's hesitation, Piper pushed through the front door, and as soon as she did, her senses were flooded with the warm, rich aroma of chili. Without even thinking of taking off her boots, she scrambled towards the kitchen, and her face lit up with delight and shock in equal measure when she saw her dad standing there, whistling to himself as he stirred a cast iron pot on the stove. As if sensing her (or possibly having simply heard her rambunctious entrance, he paused what he was doing and hummed. "Piper, you really should take your boots off before stomping through the house. You're going to get mud everywhere. Don't worry, though, we can clean it up together, later."

Right now, Piper couldn't have cared less about mud. "Dad, is it really you?"

Now her dad actually put his spoon down and chuckled. "Not quite." He turned around to face her properly and Piper couldn't stifle a terrified gasp. The man before her had her dad's swooping hair and charming smile, but instead of warm, brown eyes he had a pair of big, shiny black buttons. "I'm your Other Father."

Piper scrambled back from him fists clenched at her sides. "You stay away from me!"

The man actually looked concerned, and he put his hands up in surrender. "Now, now, there's no need for all this fuss. I mean you no more harm than your father does."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Your father and I are one and the same," the man, this Other Father, explained. "I'm him, but better. More suited to make you happy. Isn't that what you want?"

"I want to go home," Piper snapped.

Other Father cocked his head to the side curiously. "You could be home. This place, these people are for you, Piper. You could stay here and be happy forever. This is the Other World you so desperately longed for: the world where things are better."

Piper considered that, almost by accident. She thought about the ugly house she'd come to know so well, and her unpleasant neighbors, and her absent father. She chewed her lip hesitantly. "I-I dunno."

"I understand this is a lot to take in all at once," Other Father agreed gently. "How about I show you around the place first, and then you make your decision. Does that sound like a deal?"

"That doesn't sound too bad," Piper said slowly. "But if I don't like it, I can leave, right?"

Other Father laughed brightly. "Oh, Piper, I am certain that you will have no desire to leave once you've seen the true wonder of this place. But yes, if it makes you feel better, I swear on my own mother's grave that I will let you leave if you decide to return to that other place."

Piper still hesitated, but the smell of chili was beginning to wear down her resolve. Her dad's chili took almost all day to make, so he hadn't made it for her since that first week they'd moved to LA. She swallowed thickly and eyed the pot. "Well, I guess I don't have anything better to do."

"That's the spirit!" Other Father cheered. "Now, are you hungry? I'd hate to think I spent all this time cooking, only for you to not even want to eat it."

Piper grinned, any and all thoughts of the peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich she'd made herself for breakfast vanishing at the promise of a home cooked meal. "I'm starving."

"Wonderful!"

Right on cue, the dining table came to life, clopping over to the cabinets where a fleet of tiny little doll-like creatures popped up out of nowhere to start putting out the place settings and hauling the chili pot to the centerfold. When the table was ready, the chairs came to life next, coming up behind Piper and Other Father and knocking them backwards into sitting positions and tucked them under the table. The little dolls had already served her a bowl of chili, and were dressing it exactly the way she liked: a tiny smidge of sour cream and so much cheese. Piper clapped her hands, delighted. "This is awesome!"

"I'm glad you like it," Other Father said warmly. "It was made just for you."

Piper eagerly shoved the first spoonful of chili in her mouth and as soon as she did, she suddenly remembered why she'd always liked it so much. The chili was warm and spicy (but not too spicy) and practically filled her insides with happy feelings. It had been so long since her dad had made it for her that she'd almost forgotten how good it was, but now that she was eating it again she was pretty sure she'd never stop, which was a good thing as the little doll helpers were refilling her bowl almost as fast as she could empty it.

She glanced across the table where Other Father was watching her with unmistakable pride and frowned. "Aren't you going to have some?"

"Oh, no, no!" Other Father laughed brightly. "Thank you for the offer, but this was made for you, Piper."

Piper narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying you can't eat it? Is there something wrong with it?"

"No, nothing like that. I just–"

"What if I wanted you to eat with me?" she interrupted. "You said this world was made for me, right? You said it was perfect. Well, my perfect world includes actually having a meal with my dad."

Other Father froze, and Piper wasn't really sure how he was feeling because of his button eyes, but then he smiled kindly at her. "Then sharing it is exactly what we'll do."

Piper hadn't actually expected that to work, but she was pleased when the little dolls hauled over a bowl for Other Father, and he began to eat. He ate his chili completely as-is, unlike her dad, who used a bunch of sour cream and just a little bit of cheese, but Piper figured that didn't matter too much. The food was good and they were eating together and that's all Piper really cared about.

"So, what's our first stop after this?" Piper asked, scooping up the final dregs of what remained of her soup. The dolls had stopped refilling her bowl without her asking, but that was fine since she was perfectly full now anyway.

"Well, the Chromatic Sisters asked to see you," Other Father said conversationally. "They were really quite thrilled when they discovered you were coming."

"The Chromatic Sisters?"

"Why, yes of course! They're our downstairs neighbors; surely you remember them."

Piper's stomach churned, immediately thinking of the three old ladies who lived in the basement of the real Pink Palace. They were going to need a lot  more than a name upgrade to even be palatable. "Do we have to?"

Other Father frowned slightly at her. "Why, Piper, that's a bit rude, don't you think? You haven't even spoken to them."

Piper glanced down at her empty bowl feeling more than a little chided. "Okay, I guess we can go." "There's a good girl," Other Father said fondly. He stood, leaving behind a bowl of chili he'd had maybe two bites of. "Now, let's get a move on shall we?"

Piper let herself be ushered out the front door and down towards the basement stairs. She once again thought of Anger, Tempest, and Wasp and reluctantly quashed the urge to plead with Other Father for them to go do anything else. The new Mr. V of this strange world was nice to her, and Other Father was basically everything her dad wasn't, but Piper figured the only thing magic could do to the Gray sisters was to make them semi-tollerable.

Other Father lifted his hand to knock on the front door to the basement, but was interrupted by a melodious chorus of "Come in!" before his knuckles even touched the wood. Other Father gave Piper a secretive, knowing grin and pushed open the door. As soon as they were inside, Piper nearly squealed with delight.

Somehow or another, the sisters had transformed the windowless basement into a brilliant circus tent of color and light. The walls were draped with heavy, jewel-toned canvases, the floor was a delightful maze of waist-high chairs and vintage furniture, and every free spot held variations of the same advertisement.

All of the posters and signs said some variation of the same thing: Come meet your fortune! The future is bright! A few of them also had pictures of hands holding various cards and fortune-telling equipment that also read things like Easy as a Breeze or Pleasance is a state of mind or Catching the Damselfly.

"What's going on?" Piper asked, looking up at Other Father with wide eyes.

"The show is about to begin," he grinned, ushering her to her seat. Around them, all of the seats were filled with an army of squeaking, button-eyed mice, who stared up at the empty stage with clear anticipation.

Then, the lights suddenly went dark, and a blinding spotlight shone down on the stage, where the curtains had parted to reveal a single table draped with a heavy velvet table cloth. "Thank you all so much for joining us here today," the three-voice chorus rang out from every corner of the room. "The future may be murky, but  allow us to illuminate."

The spotlight shut off, only to reappear, shining up in the rafters where an old lady was waiting. "We are Pleasance," she announced before gracefully jumping down and landing in her place on the stage.

A new spotlight flicked on, revealing another lady, this one emerging from the floor on a slowly raising platform. "Breeze."

This time, the spotlight nearly blinded Piper because the third lady had apparently been sitting next to her the whole time. "And Damselfly," she finished. She shot Piper a wink with her big button eye, then hopped up on the backs of the chairs, practically dancing to the stage with her sisters.

They linked hands and raised them above their heads with practiced showmanship. "We are the Chromatic Sisters, and we foresee that your future is bright!"

There was a cacophony of squeaks that answered them, and Other Father began clapping, so Piper did as well. She wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but the Chromatic Sisters had put on a show well-worth her applause.

"Yes, yes, thank you, thank you," Breeze laughed, quieting the crowd down. Then her gaze fell on Piper and she beamed. "And it seems that our special guest has arrived! Piper, won't you please join us on the stage?"

Piper's eyes went to the size of dinner plates, and she quickly looked to Other Father for guidance, but he just grinned and shooed her up towards the stage. Piper swallowed thickly, reminded herself that the audience was just a bunch of silly, magic mice, so she had nothing to be even a little nervous about. She sat at the table opposite the Chromatic Sisters and lifted her hand in a tiny wave. "Uh, hi?"

"Thank you for joining us today, Piper," Pleasance said warmly. “We have been expecting you."

Much like Other Father, the Chromatic sisters each had a pair of black button eyes, but theirs had an almost crystal-like surface, reflecting and refracting the light into dozens of tiny little rainbows. Unlike Other Father, the Chromatic Sisters watched her with a sort of curious expectance, like they weren't sure what, exactly, Piper was going to do, but they knew it would be spectacular. Piper cleared her throat, ignoring the slight heat in her cheeks. "Uh, what do you want me to do?"

"Oh, don't worry dear, it's really quite simple!" Damselfly assured her. She snapped and the table shot apart, only to immediately snap back together, this time with a big crystal ball sitting proudly in the middle of the table. "We'd like to read your fortune, if you don't mind."

Before Piper could ask, Breeze placed her fingers on the crystal ball and smiled. "Press your fingers here, like I am, and clear your thoughts. Think of nothing but yourself, and allow us to see who that will be."

"Uh, okay," Piper agreed, feeling a bit hesitant. Still she pressed her fingers to the cold glass and closed her eyes. She tried very hard to clear her mind, but that wasn't exactly easy when so much was going on. How in the world was she supposed to be thinking about boring old Piper when there was a whole new world to explore? She got to think about Piper every day. She wanted to be here and now.

"Don't wrestle with your thoughts, merely coax them," Pleasance instructed gently. She also had her fingers on the crystal ball and was humming softly to herself.

"Yes, even if your thoughts are clouded, we can see through them," Damselfly assured her. "Just allow yourself to be."

Piper considered that hard for a second before allowing herself to relax and just let her mind drift. Her thoughts went a little fuzzy then, like in a dream, only to be interrupted by a squeak. She looked down and there was that mouse again, watching her with obvious anticipation. When it scurried off, Piper instinctively followed it, letting it lead her through the maze of her own mind.

"Oh, we're seeing the woman you become, dear Piper," Breeze said eagerly.

"Oh, look at her, she's so pretty," Pleasance cooed.

"More importantly, look how happy she is!" Damselfly finished. "Surrounded by friends and family. Oh, she is the master of her own fate."

"What am I doing?" Piper asked breathlessly.

"Why, you're doing precisely what you want!" Breeze announced.

"A life of joy and whimsy," Pleasance added.

"And of love and determination," Damselfly agreed.

"Are my friends there?" Piper asked.

"For as long as you want them, they will remain your loyal companions," Breeze told her.

"At your beck and call."

"Ready for anything."

Piper's frown only deepened. "But what about–"

Suddenly all the lights in the room blazed to life, bringing the show to an end. "Oh, I'm afraid that's all the time we have for you today, my dear," Pleasance said sympathetically.

"We'll be here for another show tomorrow, though," Damselfly assured her. "We'll always be here for you."

Then, the stage was flooded with a thick cloud of shimmering rainbow smoke. Piper coughed, waving her hands in front of her face but when her vision finally cleared, she found herself on the stage alone, the sisters replaced with three pairs of crystalline buttons. She whipped her head around to look at Other Father, eyes wide. "Where did they go?"

"They do have a flair for the dramatics, don't they?" he laughed. "Unfortunately, their shows can only last so long."

"But where did they go?" Piper repeated, brow furrowing.

Other Father just shrugged casually. "I'm afraid I cannot say. You saw what they were like. Very unpredictable." He smiled at her and offered his hand. "Now, come along, there's nothing for you here. No sense in dawdling." "Okay," Piper agreed, somewhat reluctantly. She took his hand and let him escort her off the stage. "Are we going to see Mr. V now?" she asked hopefully, thinking of the delightful mouse statue.

"I'm afraid not, Other V has a project that requires his full attention," Other Father said. "However, he did make something for you. He left you a gift upstairs on your bed."

Piper's eyes widened with delight. "Really?"

Without waiting for a response, she darted off, Other Father's laughter following close behind her. She tore up the stairs leading to the bottom floor of the Pink Palace, and was relieved to see that the layout mirrored the house she'd reluctantly come to know to a tee. The only difference here was that none of her dad's moving boxes were piled up along the brightly papered walls, and pictures of Piper adorned every nook and cranny.

She almost ran past her bedroom door, having not recognized it. Instead of the stained white wood she was used to, this door was the same shade of bright yellow that her rainboots were, and it was covered in all sorts of carefully carved and painted stars and constellations. She pushed her way inside and almost squealed with delight at what she saw. The room was an absolute wonderland, filled with her favorite books and boardgames, with whimsical stuffed animals on every surface. She looked up at the ceiling and gasped, eyes shining at the sight of a whole night sky lovingly painted above her in intricate detail. For one perfect moment, she felt like she was back in Oklahoma watching the universe she loved so much glitter above her.

"Do you like it?"

Piper turned to see Other Father leaning in the doorway with a fond smile on his face. She beamed at him. "It's perfect. Is this Other V's present?"

"No, no, this was my own doing," Other Father said modestly. He gestured at the bed. "That's Other V's gift to you."

There, sitting on the bed, propped up against the pillows was a doll. But not just any doll, it was a perfect miniature replica of Piper, wearing her favorite outfit, down to the boots. She picked it up and cradled it to her chest, running her fingers over the tiny little details and the big black button eyes. She looked up at Other Father, blinking quickly. "Other V is really nice."

"He is, and he likes you a lot," Other Father agreed gently. He ushered Piper to sit on the edge of the bed and sat down next to her. "Breeze was right when she said everyone here likes you. We just want you to be happy."

Piper's heart fluttered in her chest. "Really?"

"Mhm," he hummed with a smile. "And you can stay here with us forever, if you'd like. Making you happy would make us all very happy."

Piper wanted to say yes, opened her mouth with the word on her tongue, but she paused. She thought about Jason, who had lost his sister and was already losing his dad. About Leo with bars on his windows and bruises on his wrist. She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

Other Father didn't look upset, he just cocked his head to the side curiously. "Whyever not? Was something not to your liking here?"

"No, this place is perfect. Better than perfect," she assured him. "But I have these two friends, Leo and Jason. I'd feel bad about leaving them behind."

Other Father nodded sagely. "You are a good and kind girl, Piper, and that's why you deserve this world," he told her. "How's this for a deal: You go home today, then bring your friends back with you. All three of you can live here, happy and together forever. How does that sound?"

Piper's face split open in a beaming smile. "That sounds perfect. Better than perfect."

"Now, that's what I like to hear!" Other Father chuckled. "Now, why don't you head on to bed–" Piper looked down, surprised to see that she was in her pajamas– "and go to sleep. You'll wake up back in that other place, and I'll see you next time you're ready to come here."

"Okay," Piper agreed easily. She settled down under the covers, clutching her new doll in a tight hug. "Good night."

"Good night, Piper," Other Father said, stroking her hair. Then he stood and quietly left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Piper dreamt of mice. Lots and lots of fuzzy little mice with shiny black buttons for eyes that squeaked at her and danced around her feet. She giggled brightly and danced along with them skipping and twirling through a flurry of brilliant ocher leaves as they led her through the trees. Then they came to a sudden halt and she stumbled before coming face to face with the tree portal she and Leo had found the day before. Around her, the mice squealed in delight and raced through the hollow tree, though none of them came out the other side.

Come with us! Come with us! the mice coaxed in one unified voice. Come with us to the other world! The world where things are better!

Without a second thought, Piper got down on her hands and knees and started crawling forward. The mice crooned out a cooing noise and pressed up against her sides and she hummed happily, letting them draw her forward.

Just as she was about to enter the tree, there was a loud, ferocious growling sound that made her freeze in her tracks. The mice’s squeaking turned shrill and desperate now, and she felt her heart thump high in her throat. “What– What is that?”

It’s her! the mice wailed as one. It’s that nasty, awful she-wolf! Quickly! We must go before she comes and swallows us whole!

Piper’s breath hitched in her throat and she started crawling faster, but every movement forward she made sent the tree farther and farther away. “I-I can’t make it!” she cried. “She’s gonna get me! Please! Help me!”

The mice spoke again, but this time, they sounded like her dad, his tone resting heavy on a disappointed sigh. There is no one who can help you, Piper McLean. No one who would even try. Perhaps next time, though.

Then the ground fell out from under Piper’s hands and knees like a trap door and she was left tumbling through a swirling abyss of black and green and purple and white and yellow, crying out for help to the sound of a victorious wolf’s howl.

Piper fell to the floor with a yelp, her black sheets and rainbow comforter tangled up around her. She rubbed the side of her now-throbbing skull and scowled at her bed in betrayal. “That hurt!”

As expected, the bed had nothing to say in its defense.

Piper got to her feet, still pouting, and ran into the hallway, determined to complain to someone about the injustices she’d faced. “Daaad! Dad, where are youuu?”

She walked past the fridge before coming to a stop a few steps away and backing up so that she could read the note taped to the front

Pipes –

Sorry I wasn’t around to wake you up, but I had to go in early to film. I have some Lucky Charms in the cupboard for you. If anything happens, go ask the Gray Sisters for help. I talked to Mr. V, too, but he’s a very busy man, so try not to bother him. I’ll be home for dinner.

Love,

Dad

Piper frowned down at the paper before crumpling it in her fist and half-heartedly throwing it towards the trash can, not even bothering to see if it actually went in or not. She’d told her dad she didn’t like Lucky Charms anymore. Fortunately for her, the toaster was plenty accessible, along with the peanut butter and marshmallow fluff. She could have breakfast all by herself.

Once she was done with her toast and her mess was cleaned up, she stomped out the front door, this time taking her time to hunt down her big yellow rain boots, seeing as it was still gross and gray and damp outside. Her dad hadn’t exactly been thrilled about the state of her sneakers when he’d finally noticed them the night before, and she doubted another layer of caked-on mud would help her case much. 

As soon as she was outside, though, all thoughts of her dad’s disappointed scowl vanished, and she grinned, shouting at the top of her lungs. “Leo!”

Leo startled so bad he gave a full-body flinch that Piper could see from across the yard, and he whirled around at the sound of his name, his face pale and eyes wide. When he saw it was just Piper running towards him, though, he grinned. “Piper! You actually came!”

“Duh,” Piper scoffed as she trotted up to him. She took in a few deep, heaving pants to catch her breath and then she cocked her head at him. “Why wouldn’t I have come?”

“Figured you’d come to your senses and decide to avoid me,” he said matter-of-factly. “Everyone does eventually.”

Piper frowned, but shrugged the words off. “Well, you’re my only friend right now, so you’re stuck with me.”

“Okay,” he agreed easily. Then he squinted at her, his eyebrows furrowing in concern. “What… happened to your face? Did your dad do that?”

“Huh?”

“You’ve got a big old bruise right…” He leaned forward and jabbed her in the cheek, and she jumped back with a yelp– “here.”

“That hurt,” she scowled for the second time that morning. “And, no, my dad didn’t do it. I fell out of my bed.”

“Why would you do that?”

“I had a bad dream.” She cast her mind back to all the fuzzy colors and sounds from the night before and rubbed at her sore cheek. “I don’t remember much of it, but I think I was running away from a monster at the end.”

He nodded sagely in sympathetic understanding before he brightened. “There’s supposed to be a monster in the woods. You wanna go find it?”

“Yeah!”

Immediately, the two of them ran towards the woods as one, darting in and out of the trees and shouting at one another. That lasted for a little while until Piper came stumbling out of the treeline, clutching her stomach with laughter because Leo had slipped in one mud puddle and landed flat on his butt in another. She looked up to see a very clean house with sharp white edges and stern gray walls, and she puckered her mouth up into a contemplative little knot. “I didn’t know people lived in the woods.”

“They don’t,” Leo scoffed. “We came out the other side already. This is Theresa’s house.”

Piper perked up. “You mean the lady you live with?”

“Yeah.”

“Cool. Can we go inside?”

Leo furiously shook his head, his eyes going wide. “Uh-uh. I told you yesterday: she doesn’t let me inside until sundown.”

“Oh.” Piper trailed her gaze across the house again before her eyes spied something of interest and she grinned. “There’s bars on that window over there. Do you have a monster that lives with you? Or a criminal?”

Instead of rolling his eyes or laughing and playing along, Leo shrank back at her words. He grabbed the hem of his shirt in both fists and pulled down on it, refusing to look Piper in the eye. “That’s my room.”

“Oh.” Piper bit her lip and glanced up at the window again. Suddenly, it didn’t seem nearly as cool and fun anymore. She instead turned to Leo, who was just as un-cool but still fun as she remembered, and she cocked her head to the side before giving him a decisive nod. “You should come spend the night at my house. It would be fun. You’ll like it.”

Leo looked at her suspiciously for a moment. “I’m not allowed to do stuff at night until summertime. Theresa said so.”

“Well, can I stay at your house?”

Leo actually laughed at that. “Even if Theresa wouldn’t kill me for asking, I wouldn’t. You don’t want to stay the night at that house.”

Piper puffed her cheeks out in a pout at the injustices of the world. “Okay, fine. We’ll wait for summer. Then we’ll have a sleepover.”

“If you’re still friends with me by then, sure,” Leo agreed easily. “Now, come on. Let’s go monster hunting.”

Piper nodded and she and Leo went back to the woods. This time, though, they didn’t run. They walked side by side, examining every broken stick and trampled leaf for any evidence of the beast they sought. She was in the middle of poking at the entrance to a little rabbit trail with a stick when she heard Leo call out, “Piper! I found something!”

Piper hopped over to his side, expecting to find him proudly displaying a snapped bush branch like last time, but instead she froze in her tracks, a vicious chill running down her spine.

It’s her! It’s that nasty, awful she-wolf!

There, in the mud, clear as day, was a massive paw print, nearly twice the size of her own hand, with several trailing off into the distance. It looked fresh. She swallowed heavily. “L-Leo?”

“Yeah?” Leo glanced up at her, but he was clearly startled by the look on her face. “Piper? What’s wrong?”

“Leo, are there wolves in these woods?”

“I-I dunno,” Leo stammered. He stood and backed away from the trail, a lot less thrilled about his discovery. “I’ve never seen any.”

“Have you ever heard them howling?”

“I dunno!”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Piper snapped. “You either heard them howl or you didn’t!”

“I’ve heard howling but I dunno if it was wolves!” Leo explained. “I just figured it was dogs!”

“What if it wasn’t?” Piper asked. Her breath was rattling in her chest as she took in terrified lungfuls of air. “What if there’s a pack of wolves in these woods? What if that’s what the monster is?”

“I– There isn’t a real monster!” Leo protested. “It’s all made up!”

“Is it?” Piper demanded. “You mean to tell me that no one has ever gone missing in the woods?”

Leo’s eyes widened and he was hyperventilating now, right along with her. “That-that doesn’t mean anything! People go missing in the woods all the time!”

Piper wasn’t listening to him. “I bet the whole pack is here. I bet they’ve got us surrounded,” she lamented. Tears pricked at her eyes. “Leo, I don’t wanna die in dumb old Laketown!”

“I don’t either!”

There was a rustling behind them and Piper and Leo immediately jumped together, clinging to one another in fear. “We’re gonna die, Leo!”

“I know!”

“They’re gonna eat us!”

“I know!”

“They’re gonna–”

“Why do you think you’re gonna die?”

Piper and Leo both screamed at the top of their lungs and spun around. Well, they tried to, at least. What they actually did was land in a big tangled mess of bruised limbs and stinging egos. Piper got her bearings first and she shook her head and scrambled out of the pile, scowling at the newcomer with her hands on her hips. “What’s the matter with boys in this town!? Don’t any of you know it’s rude to sneak up on people?”

The boy in question frowned gently at her and cocked his head to the side. He was about their age, and with his big blue eyes (only made bigger by the glasses he wore) and his fluffy blond hair, he reminded Piper of a Golden Retriever puppy. “Uh, sorry?” he said, sounding genuinely apologetic, unlike some very rude boys she’d met the day before.

“What are you doing out here?” Leo demanded. He was still on the ground, but he was in a proper sitting position at Piper’s side, arms crossed over his chest in an attempt to make himself look bigger.

“I’m taking a walk,” the blond boy said simply. “What are you two doing out here?”

“Huntin’ monsters. Duh.”

The blond boy didn’t look all that impressed with the answer, but he did seem interested. “That’s neat. Have you found any?”

“Not yet,” Piper admitted. “But Leo found tracks. We were gonna follow them and hunt the monster down!”

The blond boy looked more than a little skeptical, likely remembering the fact that she and Leo both had been in near-tears when he found them, but he was nice enough to not say anything. “Tracks? Where?” Piper gestured over to where Leo had found the tracks and the blond boy laughed after a moment of investigating them. “That’s not a monster! That’s Lupa!”

“Lupa?” Leo asked. “What the heck is a Lupa?”

“My dog,” the blond boy beamed. “Well, not really. My dad won’t let me have a dog, so she lives in the woods. She’s my friend, though.”

“Oh.” Piper suddenly felt very silly and her cheeks grew warm. “Can we, uh, see her?”

The blond boy shrugged. “Maybe. It looks like she came through here recently, so she’ll probably show up. She always does eventually.” Then he smiled and stuck out his hand. “My name’s Jason.”

“Uh, I’m Piper, and this is Leo,” she said, shaking his hand. 

Jason nodded, then offered his hand to Leo, too, who looked surprised that he’d gotten the same gesture as Piper, but shook it just the same as Piper had. Jason looked at Leo’s arm with his eyebrows puckered. “What happened to your arm?”

Piper glanced down to see that Leo had some dark bruises around his wrist, and she frowned as well. Leo just casually shrugged like it was nothing, though. “I tracked in mud and Theresa got mad at me.”

Jason nodded seriously. “My dad’s the same way. If I make a mess he’ll yell at me for, like, an hour, even if it’s not a big mess. He used to not be so bad, but my sister ran away last year, and he’s gotten extra mad and mean since then.” He looked over at Piper. “What about you?”

Piper considered that for a moment. Back in Oklahoma, making a mess would likely have gotten her a stern talking-to from her dad before he made her help him clean it up, but since they’d moved to LA it had taken more and more for him to pay attention to anything she did, good or bad. Since moving to Laketown, she’d occasionally wonder if he even remembered she’d come with him. She just shrugged. “He probably wouldn’t notice. He never notices me.”

There was another round of understanding nods before Leo huffed and flopped back in the leaves. “Well, now what? Our monster’s just a dog, so we can’t do that anymore.”

“Sorry,” Jason said sheepishly.

Piper tapped her chin in thought for a moment before she perked up. “Jason, do you wanna play Other World with us?”

“What’s Other World?”

“It’s pretend,” Leo explained before Piper even had the chance to open her mouth. “We found a cool tree yesterday, and Piper made up a whole world to play pretend in. She’s kinda bossy, but it’s still fun.”

“I am not bossy!”

Jason just laughed. “Yeah, that sounds fun!”

“We’ll have to see if we can find it again,” Piper said decisively. “Have you seen it before? It’s this hollow tree that makes a little arch. It’s got yellow leaves.”

Jason wracked his brain for a moment before he shook his head. “I don’t think so. I thought I’d seen every tree in the woods before, but that doesn’t sound like anything I’ve ever found.”

“That’s what I said when we saw it yesterday! ” Leo grinned. He hopped to his feet and started running into the trees, shouting over his shoulder at them. “Not it!”

Piper shrieked in delight, taking off after him with an echoed “Not it!” leaving Jason to chase them, once he’d gotten over his momentary confusion. They all ran through the trees, and Piper was horrified to learn that she was the slowest one in the group, though she could outmaneuver Jason when she put her mind to it, and Leo was so easily distracted that she caught him plenty as well. She got the feeling both of them just let her catch them more than a few times, but she was having too much fun to really care that much.

Then, just like it had the first time, the tree seemed to appear out of nowhere, though it didn’t require Leo to trip again. Its brilliant leaves stood out against the backdrop of green in a way that stole Piper’s breath and made her heart race, the same way it had the day before and in her dream. “Guys! I found it!”

Jason stepped up to the tree and gave it an appreciative once-over. “I didn’t know trees could live all hollowed out like that.”

“Cool, huh?” Leo grinned. 

“It is.”

Piper beamed, feeling an odd sense of pride before she dropped to her knees and started crawling. “Come on! Follow me!” Jason and Leo fell in line behind her, but before she could make it to the tree, a deep, threatening growl filled the clearing, making her blood freeze in her veins. 

It’s her!

Piper looked over her shoulder to ask Leo and Jason if they’d heard the growl like she had. Leo met her gaze, looking just as terrified as she felt, but Jason was on his feet, a delighted smile spreading across his face. “Lupa!”

As if on cue, the trees along the edge of the clearing parted and in prowled the single biggest dog Piper had ever seen in her life. Her fur was a thick, wiry gray, and her big yellow eyes shone like lamplights in the gloom, and they were both fixated entirely on Piper, who stayed frozen like a fawn in a wolf’s sights. Her movements were slow and deliberate as she walked between Piper and the tree to sit herself down in front of Jason.

“Uh, Jason?” Leo squeaked. “Are you sure that thing’s a dog?”

Piper honestly had the same question, but Jason just laughed and threw his arms around Lupa in a hug. “Of course she is! She’s the best dog in the world!”

In reply, Lupa thumped her tail on the ground and licked Jason’s cheek with her big slobbery tongue, making him laugh again.

“Uh, if you’re sure she’s a dog, I guess it’s fine,” Piper said hesitantly. She got to her feet and offered her hand for Lupa to sniff. “Nice doggy?”

Lupa watched her for just a moment, and Piper could have sworn she arched one of her eyebrows, but Jason scratched her behind the ear and said, “This is Piper. She’s nice,” and she leaned forward and licked the back of Piper’s fingers.

“That’s so cool,” Leo breathed from where he was half-hiding behind Piper’s back.

Jason looked pleased with the assessment. “Do you wanna pet her?”

Leo made a terrified choking noise and scrambled back, more than giving his answer, but Piper tightened her jaw. “I’ll pet her.”

Jason beamed at her and nodded eagerly, so she slowly lifted her hand and sank her fingers into the thick gray fur on Lupa’s cheek. Lupa watched her carefully, but she still tilted her head to make it easier for Piper to continue petting her. “She’s so soft,” Piper marveled in a hushed voice. She glanced over her shoulder at Leo, who was watching her like a hawk. “Leo, come on! You gotta pet her!”

“Okay,” Leo agreed, clearly not super excited about the prospect. Still, he lifted his shaky hand and patted it between Lupa’s pricked ears. 

Lupa watched him for a moment before she pulled her lips back and lunged forward just a bit. Piper and Leo both ripped their hands away from her and leapt back with a shared yelp, but Jason just laughed brightly. “She’s just playing, guys!” he said as soon as he caught his breath. “She won’t actually bite you. Promise.”

Piper was more than a little skeptical, but as if on cue Lupa inched forward to softly snuffle at Leo’s side before giving him a gentle headbutt. Leo was trembling from head to toe and looked about on the verge of tears, but he still reached up and petted her again. “N-Nice doggy.” Lupa made a quiet chuffing sound and licked Leo all over the face like she had with Jason, until Leo was a giggling mess in front of her. “Okay! Okay! Nice doggy!”

Piper grinned at the display before she turned to Jason. “Do you think she’ll play the game with us?” Then she frowned at the tree with a contemplative scowl. “Course, I don’t think she’d fit through the portal.”

Jason considered that as well. “Maybe she’s just part of the Other World. She could–”

Jason was suddenly cut off by the sound of a loud, menacing snarl, and they both turned to see Lupa had her teeth bared at the tree, her hackles raised and fur bristled all the way down her back. Leo was right in front of her, about to crawl through the arch, but now he was completely frozen in place, eyes wide and staring down the dog who looked like she was about to eat him for lunch. 

Immediately, Piper felt indignation swell in her chest and she stomped at Lupa, trying to look as big as possible. “Hey! You dumb old dog! You leave him alone!”

Lupa’s head swung around to stare at Piper, a deep growl rumbling in her chest. Piper wanted nothing more than to turn and hide under the nearest bed, but instead she held that steady, lamplight gaze and puffed her chest out and did her best to not look scared. A moment passed, then two, before Lupa made a disgusted-sounding huffing noise and she turned and fled into the trees. 

Piper let out a slow, shaky breath before she turned to Leo. “Are you okay?”

“’m fine,” Leo mumbled, refusing to look at either of them.

Jason was at his side, helping him to his feet, and he looked almost as shaken as Leo. “I’m sorry that happened,” he said earnestly. “I’ve never seen her do anything like that. I don’t know what’s wrong with her.”

“‘snot your fault,” Leo huffed. His gaze flicked to the side and he frowned. “Man, she really doesn’t like this tree.”

“She’s definitely not allowed to play Other World with us,” Piper agreed.

“I’m sorry,” Jason repeated, shamefaced. “I really didn’t know.”

“It’s okay,” Piper assured him. “We’ll just have to make sure your dog’s not around next time we play.”

Jason looked surprised at that. “You… still wanna hang out with me?”

Piper glanced over at Leo to gauge his reaction, but he just shrugged and nodded so Piper grinned at Jason. “Yeah! We can play now, if you want.”

Before Jason could reply, there was a sharp KRCH-BOOM! of thunder overhead and Leo scowled. “It’s gonna rain again.”

“It always rains in spring,” Jason reminded him with a remorseful sigh. “I’ve gotta go. If I get rained on, my dad’ll get mad at me and I don’t wanna get yelled at. Again.”

“Same here,” Leo agreed. “I can’t afford to bring any more mud inside.”

“Okay,” Piper huffed. If she had her way, she’d stay out in the storm, but playing in the rain wasn’t as much fun by herself. “You guys wanna meet here tomorrow?”

“Yeah!” 

“Sure!”

Piper nodded, satisfied with their answers before she turned and ran towards the woods. “Bye, guys! See you tomorrow!”

“Bye, Piper!”

This time, Piper did beat the rain home, and right as the front door slammed shut, she heard the bottom fall out of the stormcloud and a white wall of rain poured down from the sky. She heaved a deep sigh and kicked off her boots before flopping over the arm of the couch. Her dad liked to fuss at her for using the furniture like a jungle gym, but she figured if he wasn’t here to fuss, she could jungle gym all she wanted. She wished her dad was home to fuss at her, but he wasn’t. He had important movie star stuff to do. It was just her (and her weird neighbors) all alone in this big ugly house.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, the phone on the wall started to ring and she sat straight up to look at it curiously. After the third ring, it clicked off before starting back up, and she scrambled across the room to go answer it.

“Hello?”

“Yes, hello. Is this Tristan McLean’s daughter?”

“Uh.” Piper paused for a moment, deciding on her answer. “Who’s asking?”

“My name is Jane,” the lady on the other end of the line said shortly. “I am an assistant on the film set where your father works. He asked me to call you.”

Piper clutched the phone closer to her ear. “My dad? He told you to call me? Is he okay?”

“Mr. McLean is perfectly fine. However, due to the storm, filming has been delayed. He wanted me to tell you that he will not be home for dinner, but that he would arrange for a pizza to be delivered instead.”

“Oh,” Piper said softly, feeling her shoulders slump. “Okay.”

“Your father has also asked that I wish you good night, and to remind you to brush your teeth,” Jane added. “Now that I have, I believe we have concluded the need for this conversation. Good night, Miss McLean.”

“Good night, Jane.”

Without a moment’s delay, the phone went dead. Piper stood there with the phone pressed to her ear for a few more seconds, like she thought that if she waited long enough, her dad would pick up and tell her it was all just some silly joke. He didn’t. He never did.

Piper sighed heavily and hung up the phone. She slumped over to the waiting couch and wrapped herself up in a blanket like a little Piper burrito and pretended like she didn’t want to cry. 

[id: hand-drawn fanart of kujo aya from idolish7 as a hypothetical mechanical lullaby character named “sept”. in the center is a color drawing, a fullbody of her standing, and there’s also four sketches. text names her as “sept” and also reads: -fabras assistant -lives a lively life in town -hangs out with meir, martin, and april; next to “april” it reads “they feel a connection, for some reason?” -also does odd jobs -knows everything. found out three years ago.

she wears a steampunk-style dress with a big, wide, lolita-fashion style skirt. the dress includes a cream-colored ruffled shirt with two bows and a fancy clip at the collar, and a corset made of blue fabric and brown leather (slash leather like material), which has straps decorated with bows that clip the skirt (which is blue-gray) up into its position. her socks are similar to what she wears in her first appearance in idolish7, and she’s wearing boots. her skin is a slightly inhuman purplish-pink color.