Skeletons In The Closet

[canzetyote]

Name: Skeletons In The Closet
Genre: Supernatural/Drama/Suspense/Horror
Main Focus: Sunil Nevla
Rating: Teen

NOTE: This is my very first LPS fanfic. It's centered on Sunil, who is my favorite character in the show. In this fic, Sunil is capable of seeing and communicating with ghosts and he becomes a detective of sorts, helping find the body of a pet who was tortured to death by her owner. Feel free to read and review.

The blue mongoose tossed and turned in bed, sweat pouring down his face. His heart pounded as he was deep in dreamland.

Sunil opened his eyes. He was in the back of the Littlest Pet Shop but the atmosphere seemed different. A thick, ominous fog rolled in and he felt a shiver run down his spine. Suddenly, a bloodcurdling shriek filled the air and Sunil raced around the corner to see a terrifying sight.

A man in a trenchcoat stood over a hamster with a steak knife in hand. Tears of shock stung Sunil's gold eyes as he watched the man plunge the blade into the hamster repeatedly. The blue mongoose was paralyzed, he didn't know what to do and was frozen in fear. Suddenly, the figure turned and stared at him. In a split second, the man lunged at Sunil with his knife raised.

Sunil's eyes snapped open as he woke up with a scream. Pure panic flowed through him as he breathed heavily, hyperventilating. His eyes darted around the room, tears of fear rolling freely from them and wetting the turquoise fur of his face. He knew he was going to be in for a long night.

The next morning, he was dropped off by his owner at the Littlest Pet Shop. The instant the other pets saw him, they knew he seemed even more jittery and paranoid than usual. Zoe Trent was the only pet missing in action as she was with her owners on a cruise ship out in the Carribean, enjoying the high life. Russell approached Sunil, "Hey, Sunil, is everything all right? You look really pale."

The blue mongoose shivered, "Me? I'm fine, fine, fine. Just perfectly fine. Don't worry about me, I'm just being myself." Sunil giggled nervously.

Russell rubbed his chin skeptically, "Are you sure?"

"Positive." Sunil nodded perhaps a little too vigorously.

Pepper shrugged, "You probably just had a nightmare of some sort, you should probably stop watching so many horror movies before bed. The zombies just might getcha someday!"

"I believe they have already had." Sunil replied dryly as he sat down.

Penny smiled, "Blythe made us some pretty good food, maybe that will cheer you up."

Sunil sighed, "I'm afraid that my appetite will have to disagree with that statement."

Vinnie dashed up to Sunil and put his arm across him, "Come on, bro. You gotta eat something. Dessert is the most important meal of the day, you know!"

Russell raised an eyebrow, "You mean breakfast?"

Vinnie grinned as he rubbed Sunil's back, "Yeah, that's what I said."

Sunil sighed and stared at the floor, "I didn't get much sleep last night. Maybe I should take a nap."

Russell sighed, "Yeah, you go do that. What kept you up last night, anyway?"

"Loud party." Sunil lied, "The neighbors played mariachi music all night long."

"Maybe your owner should file a noise complaint." Russell replied.

Pepper giggled to Minka, "I'll make sure to hire a real annoying mariachi band to play at Sunil's next birthday party."

Minka smiled, "I like mariachi music, it helps inspire my painting."

Just then, Blythe entered the shop carrying two bags of groceries, "Hey, everyone. I got some groceries for Mrs Twombly. Is everything all right?"

Russell shrugged, "I don't know, Sunil's been acting pretty strangely. He almost looks like he's seen a ghost or something. But as we all know, ghosts don't exist."

Pepper rolled her eyes, "What else is new with him?"

Blythe nodded, "Hold on, just let me put these groceries away first. I guess a talk with him wouldn't hurt."

Sunil opened his eyes and saw a little black imp creature running across the counter. He let out a sigh and rubbed his eyes, trying to let his vision adjust to the bright lights of the Littlest Pet Shop. He blinked rapidly and let out a loud yawn, "Stupid shadows..." he mumbled quietly to himself. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder and a chill ran down his spine. He turned slowly and jumped at the sight of Vinnie.

"Boo!" Vinnie shouted, causing the mongoose to jump almost ten feet in the air.

Sunil shot a glare at Vinnie upon landing, "How dare you sneak up on me like that! You know just how easily startled I can be!"

Vinnie chuckled a bit, "Sorry, dude. But you really need to wake up. Maybe some coffee will do you good."

Sunil sighed, "I'm trying to cut back on my caffeine, you know. It makes me so much more jittery than normal!"

"Maybe try standing on your head?" Minka suggested.

"Sorry, Minka but I am not in the mood for passing out." Sunil replied.

Blythe finished putting away the groceries and knelt beside Sunil, "The others do have a point, you do seem much more tired than normal."

Sunil sighed and started rubbing his tail, "You can blame the mariachi neighbors for that. Try staying awake through that kind of racket."

Russell nodded, "I doubt I could sleep peacefully with that kind of music blaring."

Blythe gently patted Sunil on the head, "Try and take some naps okay, Sunil? Just rest for a bit."

Sunil nodded tiredly and for the rest of the day, the pets decided to leave Sunil alone so he could catch up on his sleep. He tried his best to nap but the nightmare still kept him awake. He could remember the disturbing image of the hamster being stabbed to death by the tall man in a trench coat. He could hear the screams as clear as day and when the man turned and saw him, he could feel his blood freeze in his veins.

That night, Sunil went to sleep and had a similar nightmare. He was walking through an underground laboratory of some sort. He looked around himself and saw weird instruments hanging from the ceiling, cobwebs and beakers full of mysterious fluid. He passed a test tube with some kind of two-headed pig fetus floating inside of it with a placenta. The eyeballs were removed from the heads and floated about in the liquid. Sunil could feel his stomach churn at the sight so he squeezed his eyes shut and ignored the thing. Suddenly, he could hear bloodcurdling screams from down the hall. He ran in the general direction of the screams and witnessed a doctor of some sort who had a hamster strapped to a gurney with wires attached to her. Voltage ran through her as she screamed her lungs out.

Sunil awoke with a gasp and instantly saw a floating, green glowing hamster skull in front of him. Blood leaked out of it's empty eye sockets like red tears. Stunned, Sunil shivered in his blanket as the skull spoke to him, "Sunil...please help..."

Sunil whimpered a little, tears of fear forming in his eyes, "Wh-wh-what do you want? Please don't hurt me. I am just a humble little mongoose!"

"My name is Kim." The skull replied, "My bones are buried in a place of friendship which was once a place full of sorrow and pain. Please, find my bones, Sunil. I need to rest in peace."

Sunil whimpered and clutched his blanket as his heart raced, "How do you know my name?"

"Find...my...bones..." The skull repeated and slowly faded away.

Sunil closed his eyes and felt a warm tear run down his muzzle as he whispered softly, "I'll try..."

And with that, Sunil buried his face in his paws and started choking back sobs. He wasn't exactly sure why he was crying, possibly a mixture of fear and pity for the tortured soul that just visited him. He knew he wasn't going to get much sleep that night or any sleep at all for that matter. Tomorrow, he was going to investigate the cause of the nightmares.

[Ha ha ha!]

That was a good fanfiction keep up the good work.

[canzetyote]

Sept 10, 2013 17:40:53 GMT -5 Ha ha ha! said:

That was a good fanfiction keep up the good work.

That was only the first chapter, you know. I'm working on the second.

[Ha ha ha!]

Ok looking forward to it

[canzetyote]

Chapter 2: Investigation

The next day, Sunil was the first to arrive at the pet shop. He looked like a mess, dark circles under his eyes, fur stained with sweat and tears and eyes red from crying and overall lack of sleep. But he knew he had a mission, he could feel it in his gut and his psychic powers informed him that the place he loved so much, the place where he hung out with all his friends held some deep, dark secret.

The blue mongoose headed straight for the wall and started tapping it, feeling for a hollow space. He moved along the wall, slapping his paw against it. Nothing, solid as a rock. Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him, "Hey, Sunil!"

Sunil jumped up and spun around to see Pepper grinning at him, her pink eyes full of joy. Sunil began hyperventilating and clutched his chest with his paw, "Pepper, you scared me!"

Pepper rolled her eyes, "Infomercials terrify you. Lint terrifies you. Dirty underwear terrifies you. What aren't you afraid of?"

Sunil sighed, "Look, this is very serious, Pepper. I do not have time for your jokes."

Pepper snickered, "Lighten up a little, you look like a mess! Did you spend the night partying too hard? No wait, you're Sunil, the word partying isn't even in your vocabulary!"

Sunil ignored Pepper's smart remark and sighed, "Have you ever thought that this very place may hide a real dark secret?"

"Like what?" Pepper replied, "The secret place Russell goes when he has to fart?"

Sunil rolled his bright gold eyes at the skunk, "No, I mean, what if someone was murdered here a long time ago?"

Pepper shrugged, "What makes you think that?"

Sunil looked at Pepper, "My psychic-"

Pepper rolled her eyes and interrupted, "Nice try, Sunil. You should know by now that you aren't the least bit psychic. Why don't you just stick with fake magic and illusions? You can take your act to Vegas!"

And with that, Pepper walked away laughing her tomboyish laugh. Sunil shed a single tear, no one ever took him seriously. Oh well, he had a mission to complete: Find that wall. He searched the main room and everything was solid. It wasn't long before Russell, Penny, Minka and finally, Vinnie arrived as well. Sunil approached them and spoke up, "Vinnie and Penny, is it all right if I have a nice, long talk with the two of you?"

"What about me?" Minka asked.

Sunil's ears wilted, "This is very personal and very private. I am sorry, Minka, but this does not concern you."

Minka sighed, "Oh, all right. Why don't you want us to hear?"

Sunil shook his head, "It's too embarassing. Vinnie and Penny won't laugh at me if I tell them."

Russell tried to smile, "All right, then. You guys may want to go somewhere more private."

"Thank you for understanding, Russell." Sunil replied, "Vinnie, Penny and I will take the dumbwaiter down to the basement. I know it's a little odd down there, but the three of us can handle it...I think..."

"To the basement, you sure that's safe?" Russell asked.

Vinnie grinned, "Of course, it's safe. Safe and private." The lizard turned to the mongoose and panda, "The two of you ready?"

Sunil nodded reluctantly, "I need to get this off my chest."

Vinnie smiled, "And if any creepy monsters lurk in the basement, Penny is here to protect us, isn't that right?"

The panda nodded timidly, "I...I guess so..."

Vinnie clapped his hands together, "So, it's settled, we're taking the dumbwaiter down to the basement."

Russell nodded, "Just remember to be careful down there, okay?"

"Make sure to send me a postcard!" Pepper joked.

And so, the mongoose, panda and lizard got in the dumbwaiter and went down. When it hit the bottom the three got out and noticed some stacks of boxes. Each of them grabbed a box and sat down on it. There was a long, awkward silence before it was broken my Vinnie, "So, Sunil. What do you want to tell us?"

Sunil breathed a heavy sigh and looked down, "You know how I am always so jittery and scared?" Vinnie and Penny nodded slowly as the blue mongoose continued on, "I can see ghosts."

Penny blinked, "Ghosts?"

Sunil nodded slowly, his heart racing, "Yeah, it's...it's kind of like how Blythe can talk to animals but...I can talk to the dead."

Vinnie patted Sunil on the back, "Really? You can talk to dead stuff? That is so cool! You must have a gift, you-"

"IT IS NOT A GIFT, IT IS A CURSE!" Sunil screamed, interrupting Vinnie. Penny gasped and whimpered a little and Sunil mentally kicked himself for scaring her, "Sorry about the yelling..."

"Why don't you want the others to know about this?" Penny asked.

Sunil closed his eyes, "Russell does not believe in ghosts, he'd think I am crazy. Pepper would just laugh at me and make a joke, Zoe's off on vacation and Minka sometimes has trouble keeping secrets."

There was a long pause before Vinnie finally spoke again, "So, what's it like having this curse?"

Sunil felt a lump in his throat as he took a deep, shaky breath, "Imagine seeing transparent pets all the time, only they are really cold and sometimes smell like blood, rotting flesh or perfume. Sometimes, shadows will dart across walls from the corner of your eye. Sometimes...these ghosts talk with me. Some are pleasant. Others...not so much." Sunil blinked back the salty tears stinging the corners of his brilliant gold eyes.

"What do you mean?" Penny asked instantly.

Sunil took a deep breath and sniffled a bit, trying to choke back the tears at the painful memory, "One time...I woke up at night. And I...I just could not move. It felt like ice was being stabbed into me and I could hear this growling in my ear...I...tried to scream and nothing came out..." Tears were now trickling down Sunil's cheeks as a sob escaped his throat, "It seemed to go on for hours. It...clawed at me...I...finally was able to move my head and I saw it...It...it was horrible...I...no...no...NO, STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT, I DON'T WANT IT, IT'S RIGHT HERE CAN'T YOU SEE IT HELP ME PLEASE MAKE IT GO AWAY DON'T LET IT HURT ME DON'T LET IT HURT ME!" The blue mongoose screamed hysterically, trembling all over, tears falling from his face like rain.

Vinnie and Penny were taken aback by Sunil's hysterical screaming but then they softened at the sight of the blue mongoose weeping softly, rocking back and forth as he hugged his knees to his chest.

Vinnie patted Sunil on the back as tears began to form in his own eyes, "We're here for you, Sunil. We won't let anything hurt you. We promise."

Penny took a step forward and wrapped her arms around the tearful and traumatized mongoose, letting him cry it all out into her shoulder. For what seemed in hours, Sunil cried his heart out but it was only about 15 minutes before his sobs quieted down from Penny's hug and Vinnie's soothing back massage. The mongoose wiped his eyes and whimpered a little, "I am sorry you had to see that but what I saw was so bad, I would not even wish it on a cobra."

Penny smiled at Sunil, "There's nothing wrong with crying when your scared, Sunil. I cry when I'm afraid."

"Might make you a little less manly, though." Vinnie joked. Penny crossed her arms and glared at the gecko, "What? I was only joking."

Sunil got up, "Manly or not, I need to find the body in this house. A ghost contacted me last night and told me that her bones were buried here. She deserves to cross over to the other side. Will the two of you help me?"

Vinnie and Penny nodded as Penny spoke up, "If there really is a dead pet here, then she'll need a proper burial."

Sunil smiled, "All right, all we have to do is feel the walls for a hollow opening, if you tap the wall and there's an echo, try to make a hole in the wall. Penny Ling, I'll need your muscle for that."

Vinnie chuckled a bit, "Gee Sunil, you sound an awful lot like Russell."

Sunil giggled a bit, "I...guess I do."

And with that, the three began investigating and tapping the walls of the basement. Suddenly, Vinnie tapped a wall and heard an echo, "Hey, you guys, I think I just found a wall."

Sunil walked up to it and knocked on it, "Sounds hollow. Penny, if you would kindly do the honors."

Penny smiled timidly, "Well, here goes nothing." The panda closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She raised her fist and punched the wall, making a hole in it. She then started to rip the wall space apart, making a hole large enough for them to enter.

Sunil looked impressed, "Wow, Penny. Where did you learn to have that kind of strength?"

Penny smiled, "Believe it or not, I train in martial arts. I'm pretty good at breaking boards."

"I hurt my hand whenever I try that. That's why I stick with dancing." Vinnie replied.

Penny smiled, "It takes a lot of concentration and discipline."

Sunil smiled, "Well, anyway, let's go look inside."

Vinnie raised an eyebrow, "For once, you aren't scared. Are you all right, Sunil?"

"Just fine. Nothing terrifying about uncovering a dead body hidden in a wall." Sunil replied sarcastically.

Vinnie breathed a sigh of relief, oblivious to Sunil's sarcasm "Oh, for a second there, I thought you'd start freaking out."

"Just think of cobras. Brave mongoose. Strong mongoose. Courageous mongoose." Sunil mumbled out loud to himself.

The blue mongoose stepped inside the hole and saw a safe of some sort. There was a lock combination. Sunil touched the lock and turned it to the right. Suddenly, an alarm started blaring and gas began spraying out of the safe. Before Sunil could cover his nose, he breathed some of it in and instantly felt lightheaded. Stumbling out of the hole, the mongoose spoke, "Gas...don't go in there..."

And with that, everything went dark as Sunil slipped into unconciousness and Vinnie began screaming, "Sunil!? SUNIL!"

Penny whimpered a bit, "What happened?"

Vinnie turned to Penny with tears in his eyes, "Sunil breathed in knockout gas. We need to go up and tell Blythe."

Penny bit her lip in response, big tears beginning to stream down her face, "Is he going to be...o...okay?"

"You carry him, Penny. You're much stronger than I am." Vinnie replied.

"All right." Penny nodded sadly.