When Anna and George returned from Sussex the house felt deathly quiet, it was a mixture of the emptiness of the house and their curiosity that seemed to just bounce off the walls and back off against each other. 

They sat at their kitchen table and just looked at each other for a moment, there hadn't been much talking on the journey home. Just comments and small fragments of conversation but this was it, when their eyes met across the kitchen table, fixed, not leaving each other's gaze they knew they had to talk about it- what they had seen at Marxby Manor.

It was the children, the five, stone children playing in the fountain that haunted them still and the date that was engraved at their feet- 1922.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," said Anna.

"But why?" Said George his voice strained.

He placed his hand on top of hers.

"Because it's nonsense, that fountain, those children they are nothing to do with our Lavinia, I was prepared to go to Marxby Manor once George, just out or curiosity but we have indulged this girl for eighteen years it just can't go on."

George removed his hand.

You really don't believe her then, nothing within you believes that what Lavinia is saying could be possible?"

"No I don't," said Anna. She left the table and went upstairs leaving George sitting gazing, amazed.

"James, Sarah, Dolphina, Persephone, Fay...together and at peace," he said quietly to himself.

George had to know what happened at Marxby to make the Marxby family leave and never return and George had to know, were Dolphina and Lavinia one and the same.

~

The Wedding Reception- 1914

Percy had to admit her sister looked beautiful, over the last few months she had thought that Papa would have to drag her kicking and screaming up the aisle. Then she just stopped, stopped with sadness and moved onto acceptance and that was how she made it to the alter.

Percy didn't know why Dolly was fighting it, Niall was everything she had ever wanted in a husband, he was rich and titled and to top it off utterly gorgeous. When Percy thought about him she couldn't help but wish it was her walking towards him in the white dress it amazed her Dolly didn't seem to want him at all she didn't seem to know how lucky she was.

 The way he looked at her when they danced, Dolly couldn't dance, she could barely walk, always tripping over her own feet Niall was gliding her round the dance floor like a golden angel, she didn't deserve what she had. 

But that was Dolly, she got everything and didn't appreciate it, she won't love him, desire him, no, she will waste it, this bright shining opportunity she has been given.

Percy wore a silk red dress, it ran off her body like water her short black hair cascaded to her shoulders in loose seductive curls. Dolly had disappeared, she smiled at the thought- Dolly, gone.

She walked towards Niall full of purpose and meaning, she knew what she wanted, Percy always knew what she wanted. She didn't stop or smile for trivialities she just spoke, as only Percy could.

"She doesn't want you," said Percy.

"Excuse me?" Said Niall stunned.

"Do you want her, my sister, do you want her?

Percy smiled.

Niall looked stunned.

"You do, that is a surprise, I thought it was all for show, warming up to the idea are you, of Dolly?"

Niall turned is back on Percy.

She smiled again, it wasn't an ordinary smile, it was deadly. Niall could feel the heat that radiated from her it burnt into his very being. He hated it, it felt evil, poisonous but he had to look so he turned to face her once more.

Percy cocked her pretty head to one side.

"She'll never love you, you know"

Niall had had enough, he had heard rumours of Percy, the dark sister but whenever he had met her before she seemed so sweet, lovely even. But here it was, that darkness, it flooding the room and for some unknown reason it cultivated around him.

"That. Is. Enough." Niall said the words in a calm silky tone that made Percy's dark eyes shoot a questioning look at him.

"You don't want to talk to me, fine but I just came to tell you, Lord Niall,"

"What is it Percy? What is it that you are so desperate to say?" Niall's voice was raised but he did not shout and no one in the room noticed their little altercation was even going on, the party was too busy being in full swing.

"I came to tell you that I will knock at your door three times, and on that third time, you will answer."

~

Lavinia was having a night terror it was the same as it had always been but this was the first time since Andy and Sam had left for university that she had had to face it alone.

Her dreams, her nightmares they were always the same, with the smell of the salt air and the darkness surrounding her. Lavinia thrashed and dripped with sweat, her bed was sodden all her dreams were full of the sea crashing and voices so many voices, someone screams her name "Dolly!" They cry so desperate, so much longing. It always ends the same, she falls.

And wakes.

Only this times Lavinia is alone, she gets out of her bed her red hair is stuck to her forehead where she had been sweating. She takes a deep breath in, she knows she is imagining it but she thinks she can still smell the sea.

~

It was happening again, Lavinia could feel it rising up in her body, smack.

Her face, always in her face, her face, Dolly's face, the same thing.

Dolly's face had been hit and her body, for some reason remembers the physicality of this moment like it's against her control.

Lavinia reached for her face like it's an impulse, she had fallen to the floor as though she had been knocked there.

"Fucking hell" she said her hand still on her face.

The first smack it always a surprise the second one, Lavinia sits and waits for, she knows it's coming, the first is just the warm up, the second was delivered with much more meaning.

Smack.

Lavinia is lying down.

She's conscious.

Just.

She must have fallen asleep because when she wakes it's morning and she's on the floor wondering, wondering the same thing that always goes through her mind when she has one of her episodes.

"Is this how I die?" Lavinia says allowed.

"Is this... Am I reliving my own murder?"

Author Note: Thank you so much for reading The Girl Who Fell Out of The Ocean, this is my first time publishing anything on Wattpad so I always really appreciate comments/critiques. If you are enjoying the story please, please comment, vote and share!!!!

Thanks for all the on-going support :-)

P.S This is only a first draft and will definitely be going through an edit as soon as I am done with Draft 1 :-)

The posting schedule for The Girl That Fell Out of The Ocean is Wednesday and Sundays!