"It doesn't smell like the sea side." I rolled up the window of the taxi and sat back.

"'Cos you know that's the reason I agreed to come here, it wasn't the threat of becoming homeless, it was for that salty sewage smell." Archie grinned at me

"Shut up." I elbowed him in the arm, looking back out of the window, I could just about see the lights from the stall and rides on the board walk but the taxi moved on to the coast road and the view illuminated. Archie leaned across me.

"Well, that looks fun."

"Might as well make the most of it." I grinned at him but then jumped violently. There was a loud bang on the side of the car. I looked at Archie and then back to the window. Four bikes surrounded the taxi, two on each side. The one who had hit the side of the car stuck his face right up to the window and grinned through the glass at us and laughed as the bikes pulled away and drove off.

"Stupid fucking kids." The taxi driver grumbled under his breath as the car turned into the drive way of our Aunt Clarissa's house.

"Home sweet home." I murmured as the car pulled up outside the house. The door opened and our Aunt came out, the doppelganger of our mother, only the incredibly dated patterned clothes and wooden jewellery hinted at their differences.

"Darlings! Children! Welcome!" She came at us as we got out of the car, handing over money to the scowling taxi driver, who hauled out the three suitcases from the boot, took the money and drove off, tyres squealing. I frowned at the car, raising my eyebrow at Archie, who shrugged. We turned our attention to Clarissa.

"Look at you two. How you've grown. Come on inside. We don't want to just stand out here in the dark now do we?" Following her pointed finger into the house, we each took a bag. Clarissa was the last one in. She glanced out of the door one last time before shutting it and herding us into her living room. The room was huge; nearly half the size of our entire old house.

"So this is, well I guess it's now the family room." She looked so happy. I guess every bad thing has some sort of, I don't know, silver lining. Sure, our Dad, who had solely taken care of us for the last sixteen years since our American mother had left us to run away with some oil mogul back in California, had had a heart attack at one of his gigs and died. This left me and Archie under our Mother's control, who at this precise moment was holidaying in her summer villa in Italy with her husband Chesington and their sixteen year old daughter, Isabella, And se we were being left with our Mother's older sister, Clarissa, in her house in Santa Carla until our Mother decides what she wants to do with us. However, it had made Clarissa's year having us stay with her, her bangles clattering as she fussed about us. I watched as she left the room, telling us to make ourselves at home. I pulled Archie towards me as he stared around the room.

"This is weird." I whispered.

"Tell me about it. There's no TV, no radio and check out the heavy duty shutters." I glanced around the room too.

"What are you to whispering about?" Clarissa came in smiling holding a tray. "Plotting away." We smiled awkwardly back at her. Like with the rest of our Mother's family we hadn't really had much contact with our Aunt, but she seemed to be the nicest one we had met so far. "Now, I've got Earl Grey tea. I know how you English like your tea. And there are some scones too, just so you felt at home. Now sit, sit," We sat down instantly.

"Erm, do you have any juice or water, it's just I can't have caffeine after 8 o'clock." I felt terrible the moment I had said it, but she just kept on smiling.

"Sure, Sure. I'll go get you some. Help yourself Archibald. A growing boy like you needs to keep up his energy up." She thrust the plate of strange looking scones into his lap before going back into the kitchen.

"I...erm...thanks." Archie called after her, taking a scone and examining it closely before shrugging and stuffing the entire thing into his mouth.

"Pig." I laughed at him. He opened his mouth and lunged at me. "Get away" I scowled his chewed food. He quickly shut it as Clarissa came back in with yet another tray, this time with six glasses, each with a different coloured liquid in.

"I didn't know which flavour you'd like so I brought you a few." She grinned at me and I smiled weakly back and took the closest one and sipped it slowly. "Now, I know this isn't the most joyous time in the world for you. I too am deeply saddened about your father's passing, such a free spirit. And I just want you to both know that if there is anything you need just let me know. Your mother said she would try and call sometime this week. Now, I've just got a few issues we should discuss so while you stay here we can all get along. I know you both follow your father's spirit and I don't want to cage you in," Archie and I shared a look, "but, I'd like to know your plans and times you will be in. You can use anything in the house, just let me know." She smiled and took one of the hand painted tea cups off the tray and stood up. "And never invite anyone in you don't know." For a moment she stopped smiling, but then made an extreme effort to change. "We don't want any unknown negative energy entering our home, now do we?" She laughed lightly. "Now, grab your possessions and I'll show you to your rooms. It is, after all, getting late. Come on." She picked up one of our holdalls, as did me and Archie and we followed her out of the living room, back into the hall and up the stair case. "Now, you've each got your own room; do with it whatever you wish. Express yourselves!" She threw her hand with the tea cup in it in the air, liquid spilling over the sides as she carried on across the hall. "Perhaps tomorrow you can get some paint from town." She turned to face us, winked and then opened the door. "Archibald,"

"Archie. You can just call me Archie."

"Of course, Archie. This is your room. As I said, do what you want." She put down the bag she was carrying as did Archie, who stood in the centre of the room. It was bare apart from a futon and a wardrobe in the corner, and a large window. Clarissa left Archie in the room and herded me across the hall way into the opposite room. "And this, darling Rebekah, is your room." I opened the door. The room again was pretty empty apart from a pine four poster bed and matching wardrobe. My eyes widened when I saw the bed, and I smiled. "When I knew you were coming I just saw this and thought of you, fit for a princess." I turned round and actually hugged her. She looked surprised but hugged back. "Now, just leave your bag here, we'll go pick up your bother and I'll show you to the bathroom."

She opened the bathroom door and me and Archie stood in silent shock. The matching toilet, sink, bath, and shower unit were all neon aquamarine with pink painted on symbols.

"Just remember to wash out the bath and shower when you've finished. And I've put a set of towels in your wardrobes for you." She walked back between us into the hall way. "And this, my dears, is my room." She patted the door. "My door is always open if you ever need to talk." She smiled again. That's all she ever seemed to do. "Anyway, time for bed. I'll be going for a walk at seven if either of you wish to join me, and then I'm at work from nine but I shall be back at three." She moved passed us and went back downstairs, murmuring to herself.

"Well." Archie looked at me.

"I know." I agreed. I followed Archie to his room to get some of my things from the holdall Clarissa had left in his room. I stood watching him open up his suitcase and just stare at it. "I miss Dad." I don't know where it had come from but I just felt upset. It had only been a month and there was just this constant twinge. Archie didn't look up.

"Me too." I moved over and leant against him, resting my chin on his shoulder.

"Wanna come see my room, you know, so I can rub the awesomeness of it in your face." I grinned and dragged him out of the room. Ah, nothing like masking all feelings. I stood by my bed, modelling it like a magician's assistant. "Look at it. Bask in its amazingness." Archie laughed.

"Very nice. And check out your window seat." He moved further into the room and over to the far wall, and over to the large covered window, like the rest of the windows in the house, by heavy wooden shutters. Underneath the window, partially covered by the shutters, was a cushioned window seat. I squealed and followed him.

"As if." I stood in front of it and stared, clasping my hands together. Archie reached up and unclasped the lock and swung the shutters open. "Oh Archie, look at it go." I jumped on to it and stared out of the window. You could see the road we came in from barely through the trees round the house, and beyond that downwards you could see flickering lights from the boardwalk. I sighed, staring out. Archie came and sat down beside me and stared too. There was movement from the door way and then from outside the revving of motor cycle engines came from the road. I leaned closer to the window. It looked to be the same boys as before. As I looked on I was wrenched from the seat, as was Archie and the shutters were slammed shut.

"You mustn't open these after dark." Clarissa relocked them and moved back. I turned around.

"Sorry Clarissa." I said.

"Just don't do it again." She smiled at us, but it wasn't the same happy smile as before. She wished us a good night again and shut the door.

"What the hell is wrong with this place?" I heaved my suitcase on to my bed, opening it and sifting through everything, trying to find my pyjamas.

"Bad crime rates?" Archie sat down on my bed.

"I hope so. So what do you reckons gonna happen?" I found what I was looking for and shoved the suit case back off the bed. Archie was lying down now.

"I don't know Becks." He sighed and closed his eyes.

"Yeh." I sat next to him, nursing my nightwear.

"We'll be fine."

"Always are." I stood back up and went over to the door. "I'm off to remove things from my face. I'll see you in the morning, yeh?" Archie rolled over.

"Sure thing dear." He kissed the top of my head and crossed the hall way and over to his room. I followed him out but turned left and went into the bathroom. I wiped off my make up and took out my contact lenses. I began to brush my teeth and looked around the room, it was official we were staying with a crazy person. I spat and rinsed and went back to my new room.

As I lay with the lights off that night, I heard, just before falling asleep, the noise of motor cycle engines.