The sky's as dark as I've ever witnessed! My mind keeps telling me to run, my legs however don't seem to be getting the message. I can hear my heart beating like an off beat drum. Darkness invades my line of vision as my eyes adjust painstakingly slow. I start to tire, and I can no longer go on. I turn around and face who or whatever has been chasing me.

''What do you want?!'' I scream, but my words only come out as a whisper.

The creature which I can not quite identify stops in its tracks and opens its mouth as if it we're about to speak. At first I can't make out the noises, they are so jumbled and seem so far away. Suddenly they get louder and more clear.

''Ruff, Ruff.''

I bolt up in my bed, my dog Rex is practically on top of me barking. It was just a dream!

I lay in bed for a few minutes before getting up and getting dressed. As usual I am the first one awake, as a result I am the one to let Rex and our two cats outside. I then fill up their food and water dishes, the suprisingly vague memory of last night's dream still lingering in my head.

''I so gotta stop watching horror movies.'' I say to myself, yet aloud.

''Morning, Alee,'' my Mom says.

''Morning,Mom.''

''Remember, we're leaving today to go up to Laura's. Are you sure you don't want to come?''

That's right Mom and Dad we're going up to my aunt Laura's in Montreal for a week. I almost forgot.

''No Mom, I'll just stay home. Someone has to look after the pets anyway.''

''Well it's your choice,'' She says and goes to finish her packing.

About an hour later my parents are all packed. I give my Dad a hug and wish him a good trip, as he takes the last bag out to the truck.

''Have a good time, Mom,'' I say.

''Okay I better be going, you have your aunt's number. There should be enough food in the house. Be careful with the car, and lock the house doors at night. Bye, love ya,'' She says as she walks out the door.

I can't believe that they left, and left me with the car nonetheless. This is gonna be awesome! I step out onto the deck in the sunshine which always shines the brightest in July. I go back inside, turn on some music and turn it way up. It's so loud it drowns out all other surrounding noises. As the last song on the CD starts to play, I go down to my room to get another CD. After picking one, I come up, stop the other and take it out. I am about to put the new one in when I hear something from down the hallway. I set the CD down and quietly walk down to my brothers' old room where the sound came from. I reach my hand out to open the door when all of a sudden the phone starts ringing. I let out the breath I have unknowingly been holding, go back up to the living room and answer the phone.

''Hello.''

''Guess who?'' The familiar voice asked.

''Hey Danielle, what's going on? I haven't talked to you since forever!'' I said to my cousin.

''I know. Listen what are you doing today?''

''Nothing. How 'bout you?'' I say, so happy to hear from her.

''Same. Why don't you come pick me up,'' she asked.

I kind of chuckled at this.

''Danielle, Mom and Dad are gone for a week. I don't think they'd let me drive up to Windsor, three hours from here.''

''Who said anything about Windsor; I'm in Antigonish. Well, North Grant to be precise. So do you think you could come pick me up?''

''Yeah sure I'll be there in half an hour,'' I said and then hung up.

I put the phone down to go check out my brothers' room. I opened the door in one swift motion, not really knowing what to expect. Oddly enough there's nothing there. No sign of what could have made the noise, except... of course... Mom must have left the window open, and the wind must have knocked something over. I shut the window and leave the room. I grab my purse, the car keys and clip Rex on his leash. I go out the door and lock it like Mom had asked. I put Rex in the car, jump in myself and drive out to my grandparents' house in North Grant.

I arrive in North Grant. I stay for a while to visit my grandparents. After a bit Danielle and I hit the road. We stop at Sobeys to pick up a few bags of chips. We then go over to Blockbuster and pick up a few of the old Chucky movies. So much for no more horror movies. I couldn't help it watching a horror movie is like a tradition; Every time we get together we always watch at least one. The drive home seems fairly short. I park the car. Take Rex out of the backseat and help my cousin with her bags. When I reach the deck I know something's wrong. The door that I had locked before I left was now wide open. The chairs pulled away from the table and placed in a circle as though someone had been or was about to play musical chairs. Every single light in the house was turned on, and all the candles lit. I stood in the kitchen too dumbfounded at the sight before me to say anything. Danielle was the first to speak.

'' Alee, you really shouldn't leave candles lit if you're not home.''

Well no duh! If there was a prize for stating the obvious, she would have won it right there with that statement.

'' I didn't Danielle. I didn't leave the candles lit, or the lights on, or the door open and I certainly had no intentions of playing musical chairs either.''

''Well if not you then who did?''

I turned to her, honesty written all over my face,

''I don't know.''

Afterwards, we check the house to make sure we along with the cats and dog are the lone occupants of the house. We sit down to have supper and watch The Simpsons. By now we've ''mostly'' forgotten our fear of an intruder, but neither one of us are ready to watch the Chusky movies. Not that we're scared we assure ourselves, but because The Simpsons are better. (That is such a lie.)

When seven o'clock rolls around we're into our fourth Simpsons episode. I can't help but notice how it's pitch dark outised, despite being July. All of a sudden the lights as well as the TV and all other electronics shut off. I gasp as the darkness invades my vision. I hear Danielle shudder from across the room and feel Rex who is sitting by my side tense up. After what feels like an eternity(really only a few seconds though) of darkness, the lights and TV turn back on. I look over at Danielle who in turn looks to me. I don't know what to say, I'm sure my faical expression is enough to show how scared I am. I advert my gaze when Rex lets out one bark almost as if to get our attention. He gets up and walks into the kitchen. We follow. He stops and lets out a low growl. We look down. Nothing could prepare me for what I was about to see. A picture of me and Danielle at Blockbuster. I turn the picture over. On the other side read '' I'm watching you, '' it was written in some weird liquid... it looked just like... just like...

''Oh my God, '' I shriek, '' It's blood!''

I let the picture fall to the ground.

''Danielle,'' I say. '' We gotta get outta here, NOW!''

One look at her and I knew I didn't have to tell her twice. She grabbed her bags and the dog and put them in the car. I put the cats in the carrier, grab the car keys and put the cats in the back with Rex . Danielle and I buckle up and leave. When we get to our grandparents' we tell them, what happened and ask if we sould stay a their house,

After unpacking I hear the familiar ring of my cellphone.

''Hello.''

''Hey Alee, where are you? I called home but nobody answered.'' my brother said, and then added. '' I was just gonna some out there.''

''No whatever you do, don't go out there. All these freaky things are goin' on.''

I was taken a back when out of no where he began laughing hysterically.

''Don't you know what day it is, Friday the 13th. I was just messing with you.'' He kept laughing.

Finally I understood, '' It was you all along?! But how?''

''Well,'' he began. '' When you had the music so loud then went in your room, I came in the front door.''

''The music was so loud I couldn't hear you.'' I interrupted.

''Precisely. I came down the hall and went in my old room.''

'' That's when I shut off the music and heard something.''

'' Right. I heard you coming. Then the phone rang and you went to get it. I took that chance to jump out the window.''

''That explains why it was open, '' I say.

He continues, '' I waited outside until I saw you leave. I then went back in, lit the candles and set up the chairs and all. When I was done I got in my truck that I had parked at the neighbours and left.''

He was pretty smart, I had to give him credit. But what he did was mean nevertheless.

''You scared me and Danielle to death.''

'' Danielle's down visiting?'' He asked.

Now he was starting to make me mad.

'' You already know she's down visiting Ryan, you took that picture.'' I said matter-of-factly.

Suddenly he got eerily quiet, ''What picture Alee?''