Why was it that whenever we had burritos for supper, I always woke up hungry in the middle of the night? I stayed for a moment, agonizing over the dilemma between the desire to not leave the warmth and comfort of my bed, and the growling in my stomach. It didn't take long for my stomach to win out.
I quietly tiptoed out of my room, and down the stairs, then ambled down the hallway into the kitchen for a piece of the apple pie Mom had baked earlier today. The kitchen still smelled of sweet apples and cinnamon. I didn't even bother turning on the light. It was the middle of the night, anyway. I'd eat, then go back to bed.
I warmed the slice in the microwave, then added a scoop of ice cream. Sitting at the table, I muched away contentedly until the sound of the air conditioner kicking on startled me. My gaze shot to the window. There was a face! I jumped, nearly losing my seat, then realized it was my own reflection. Jeez, I was getting jumpy.
Then, something on the other side of the reflection moved.
Now, I was more than startled. Goosebumps ran up my arms. I could see a human shape in the back yard. As I watched, the shape moved rapidly toward the house, then ducked down and disappeared beneath the windowsill. There was a rattling outside the window.
I jumped up and ran into the living room. Grabbing the phone, I dialed the number for the police. I moved back to the kitchen doorway and turned on the light. As the dispatcher answered the phone, There was a crash outside, and then I heard and saw someone running away. I spoke into the receiver, explaining what I'd seen and heard, and that whoever it was had taken off. The dispatcher told me to wait for a police officer to arrive at the house to investigate. In the meantime, I should wake my parents.
Also, I would have to file another report.
It was gonna be a long night.
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Sleep eluded me for what seemed like an eternity. I kept looking at my clock, expecting the time to be much later, only to see that mere moments had passed. Every time I dozed, some noise, or even just a bad feeling, would jolt me awake. I was worried. The police had come and gone. They'd found nothing but an overturned plant by the window. There were no fingerprints, no footprints, nothing to lead them to whoever had been out there. Dad was sleeping in his easy chair downstairs again. I knew he was big and strong, but what if that man sneaked up on him in his sleep? He'd gotten in when we were asleep before. Couldn't he do it again? Would Dad hear him?
Exhaustion finally won, and I fell into an anxiety-ridden sleep filled with vague, disjointed, dark dreams. Flashes of nightmare haunted me; the creepy guy's face in my closet, Grace with her too-wide grin, the sound of a bunch of kids chanting "aye, batter, batter," and the crack of an ash bat hitting a worn-out old baseball.
Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Epilogue
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