Urg… I am having the worst time getting this stupid story written. For anyone who cares, this is my second rewrite- and it wasn't even finished in the first place, dang it! I really need to just write it! I feel like such an amatuer when it comes to writing. Like, I'm pretty sure I'm actually getting worse and not better. No matter what way it goes, this stupid idea has been in my brain and it needs to be written! It NEEDS TO. So here goes. Anyway, some things you might wanna know, the story is centered on John, my favorite character. He needs more stories. Honestly, this is one of those stories that I kinda make up as I go. The main points are there, but otherwise, it's all on the fly. Thus why I keep re-writing. I'll try and stick with it this time. Probably. Next, John will be hurt. This story does go a little nuts about everything, especially John. I'm the kind of writer that can't help but to see how things could just go so utterly wrong for a character. Like, if someone asked me to write a fic solely to torture a character, be it physical or mental, I could seriously come up with some creative ways to do it big time, even if I'm not very good at displaying it. One more thing, I hope to give John a bit of a background story. You know, my own imaginings of his family and home. Probably not very accurate, so forgive me in advance for errors I will undoubtedly make. Anyway, I hope you like the story, and I hope it ends as one worth my time. Enjoy! (Hopefully…)

-LizzyLucky

I could hardly keep still. From one chair to the next, standing on my right leg, then my left. It was getting to be ridiculous, especially for someone my age. This is what happens when you work for days on end and suddenly have nothing to do. Fortunately, I'd gotten a book from the library that I'd had on hold for a long time and just remembered that I had it. I went to the back room and plopped down on a couch with my book. I probably should have been in bed, it being nearly 2 o'clock in the morning, but I couldn't seem to sleep. So I read my book. Page after page, chapter after chapter. A good, long one. But I was alone. I couldn't help but to notice the constant ticking of the clock and the soon-apparent sound of the book's pages. I got to a point where I was reading the book, but didn't register any of the words. Too many things were going through my head. Thoughts about my job and my apartment and my fiance. I worried about how I was going to pay this month's bills, how I was going to finish my work on time, how my fiance slept in the other room while I was still awake. Then I remembered that it was December. Christmas. Family. I didn't have to worry. I finished my work. I payed my bills. And my fiance was okay with me being up a while. I thought about how I got to see my brothers and sisters again and will get to for the next three weeks. All except one. That must have been it, that must have been what was keeping me up. All except one. For the second year in a row. My baby brother wouldn't be here, again. I couldn't help but to worry about him. And everyone, of course. My family could be in a lot of danger, right now. All these strange happenings. It had been an oddly quiet night. Nothing's gone flying across the room yet, no whispers from the halls, no growls and shadows from outside, no children screaming from the church. That probably contributed a lot to my restless night, too. Whatever this monster was, it hadn't gotten into our house yet, but what if it did? What if everyone let their guards down just long enough for it to get in? What if I can't protect them? What if there's more than one monster? I was almost certain of it. Whispers in the hallway and things disappearing. Worse was because nothing had happened tonight. It was too quiet, I realized. Just the same constant ticking of the clock and flipping of pages in my hands. Something was going to happen. I could just feel it. Something made me certain that there was trouble stirring and we were all in a danger of some sort.

I stood up. I'd been reading for a while now. I needed to check on everyone. This strange feeling rose in my gut every minute that passed. I turned towards the doorway that lead to the rest of my house, but didn't even finish a full step when I heard what I hear almost every night.

Whispers.

Growls.

Crashes and screams.

I gasped and whipped my head upward when I heard footsteps. This indescribable terror gripped me and for a split second, I couldn't move. I felt rooted to the spot, like someone had grabbed my feet and held them there.

Something is here.

Yelling came from outside and I turned slowly towards the back door, looking out the window. It was pitch black. Except for the pale red eyes off in the distant. Watching me. They had no pupils but they were there.

I'd grown so used to this. These sounds and movements. Those eyes. It was about as regular for this to happen each night as it was for the sun to rise each morning. Sometimes there were rainy days and we didn't see the sun rise. The same was true for this- some nights, nothing happened. But this was not the case for this night. And even after seeing it every night, I never could stop feeling afraid. It was there, whether I wanted it to be or not. I could do nothing about it. And if they managed to actually get in the house, actually do something, I don't think I could do anything to protect my family.

The yelling grew louder. But… this was different from other nights. Was I right? Was the earlier silence a buildup for something bigger than any other night? That couldn't be right. This yelling was more… human, than usual. Do I dare look out the window again?

I turned my head to look. There was nothing there. Literally nothing. The window itself had vanished. I swallowed and decided to ignore the sounds. I walked toward the door and locked it, sweating like I'd run a marathon. Now to check on everyone else.

I again took a step towards the doorway and was stopped in my tracks. The yelling was increasing each second. Like someone was running towards the door. It started to get much louder until I could hear footfalls. Until I could hear individual words.

"No!"

"Stop!"

"There it is! The house!"

Oh no. "The house." As in this house? As in running here, this house? There was only one other house within a block from here. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be terrified of or concerned for whoever owned the voice.

"Help!"

But a cry for help is a cry for help, and I didn't think I could just ignore it. What if it was a trick, though? I couldn't just open the door. Even if the person needed help, would saving one person be worth risking the entire rest of my family?

I nearly jumped out of my skin as a pounding on the back door started. I was terrified. What could I do? This could be a very time sensitive decision to make.

"NOAH!"

The same voice screamed my name pleadingly. Suddenly it sounded familiar.

I knew this voice!

All fear instantly forgotten, I rushed to the door, unlocked it, and threw it open like my life depended on it. There in the doorway he stood, soaking wet from rain and wobbling exhaustedly on his legs. Before I could even register what was happening, he threw himself inside and slammed the door behind him, locking it the way I had before. Only a second following, pounding started again, far more violent, and there were definitely a lot more than two little fists.

I turned to the young man standing before me and almost yelped aloud. Aside from already being drenched, his clothes were torn and tattered. Every inch of his being was shaking and it was more than clear to me that he was exhausted and terrified. Even so, I recognized each feature on his face and in his eyes. This was my little brother.

"What are you doing here? What's going on?" I asked worriedly.

He shivered in response and looked up at me with tears forming in his eyes. I reached to touch his face and wipe away some of the dirt that covered it. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, then began to close it. He opened it again, but this time, a sharp gasp escaped his lips and he jerked backwards.

"What's wrong?" I asked, rushing forward to catch him under the arms. I pulled him back up and held him as steady as I could, waiting for an answer. He again looked up at me and a single sob sounded as he tried to pull my hands away from his torso.
"Ow!"

I pulled my hands away in surprise and quickly realised that one of them was red. It was then that I caught sight of the handle of a knife sticking out of my brother's waist.

"What's going on?!" I whipped around to see one of my sisters standing in the doorway and looking more than a little panicked.

"I don't know!"

"Noah, do something!" She cried, running towards us.

I looked to our brother, then to Joey. What was I supposed to do? We had heaven knows what trying to break in and our little brother standing to the side injured!

"Uh-" Before I could even start, a loud cry of pain erupted and Joey and I turned just in time to see our brother collapsing.

"John!"

Oh gosh, that's bad, bad, bad. Bad character introduction, bad plot, bad dialogue, bad everything. But I'm a big downer on myself, so I don't know. I guess that's up to you guys! So, the first time I tried to write this, I did actually try to start with a scene like this. You know, kinda starting in the middle of the story and then I'll fill ya in later. The second time, I tried to start writing it in chronological order. To heck with that idea… So now I'm going back to the original plan. I liked it better and I think I'm doing better. I hope it's working. Honestly, even rewriting something already planned, I kinda feel like a sucky writer. Before, I said I'd only continue if you left a review. Uh, no. I don't need no reviews. (But I sure as ever would like some, if you'd be so kind…) I have no problem continuing the story, because I gotta get this idea out of my head or I won't get to the others. If you do leave a review though, I would really appreciate it. I want some critique, if anyone could do that. I would really love to know what you think of it so far, if it's a good introduction, how my grammar is, if it really got you interested, if you were able to figure out that this "brother" was John and if you did, how? All that stuff. Anyway, I really, really hope you liked it, and I guess I'll see you next chapter! Buh-bye!

-LizzyLucky