Epilogue 005 - Nap Time at Pale Manor

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Previously...



Little Angie shifted uncomfortably on the floor of the archives, half-awake, half-asleep. She would give anything for someone to come in, scoop her up, and take her away from this nightmare.

"Angela? Are you down here?"

It was Winifred Pale. Angie would give anything for anyone else to come in, scoop her up, et cetera.

"Angela? Is that really you? What happened?"

"I was-- I was doing magic? And and and I don't know, I did a spell! And it made me little. And then I didn't know how to go back, and I got sleepy, but this floor is too hard and it's cold and it's dark down here!"

"Mmm, yeah. Why don't I take you home?"

"Nuh-uh! No! I don't want anybody to see me like this!"

"Well I can't very well leave you in the school basement!"

"Can I sleep over? Please? Then we'll come back here and make me better, okay?"

"Ugh, fine. But we return here first thing in the morning. Your baby-talk is insufferable."

"I'm tryin' not to!"

~~~

Upon reaching Pale Manor, Winifred prepared a bed for her tiny, smuggled guest. She found her old, child-sized coffin in the attic and put it next to hers. The two went to sleep, but it was interrupted by high-pitched whimpers. Even the thirteen-year-old Angela didn't take to sleeping in coffins very well.

"Wiiiin?" Angie sniffled.

"What."

"I don't like my bed."

"I'll have you know that it is of the finest--"

"It's too little! I'm scared! Can I sleep with you?"

"What?! No! It's still a coffin, Angela, and there'll be even less room if we're both--"

"Please? Pleeease? PLEEEEEASE??"

"All right, all right! But not a word of this to anyone."

Angie scrambled into the big-girl coffin. Winifred was right, it was a tight squeeze. Angie was pressed between Winifred and a wall, but she didn't mind. She felt safer. (As safe as one can feel inside a coffin next to a cranky vampire.) Winifred even grudgingly agreed to leave the lid open a crack.

~~~

Morning finally came. The curtains in Winifred's bedroom were still closed, but a small shaft of light came through. When Angie's eyes adjusted, she looked around the coffin, confused. It was different. It seemed as though there was a lot more space. The once satin-lined sides of the coffin were now adorned with bright decals, like some sort of grim nursery. Without looking, she reached over and lightly poked Winifred's chubby arm.

"Whoopsie," Angie groggily whispered.