"RING! RING!" A loud ringing sound broke my trance. As I started, I realized that it was my cell phone ringing. As I fumbled for my phone in my jeans' pocket, the stranger-–Riley—reached for my hand.
"No. Let it ring. Come with me instead," he purred.
"I-I can't. It's probably my mom calling, wondering where I am. She's probably very worried."
"No! I said to come with me!" His eyes flashed, then became more gentle. "But if it is your mother, I suppose you should answer it."
"Oh!" I said, startled by the sudden change in his demeanor. "Hello?" I asked, answering my phone.
"Bree! Where are you? Dinner's on the table and it's already 7:15!"
"Sorry, Mom. I, uh, got caught up at the video store. I'll be home shortly." As I responded, I could feel Riley's gaze on me. I looked up to see him watching me. I quickly returned my eyes to the pavement.
"Alright, dear. But hurry up! Love you."
"You, too," I said to a dial tone. I looked up again, and Riley was gone. "That's strange," I thought to myself. "I thought he wanted to spend eternity with me, and now he up and leaves!" The memory of his powerful and seductive presence was already fading.
As I arrived home fifteen minutes later I could smell the enticing scent of Chinese food. My mouth began to water as I walked up the front step.
"Hi Mom, Dad, Clair." My younger sister, Clair, is in seventh grade now. Although we usually get along, we have our moments. "I'm going to drop my stuff off in my room first. I'll be right back down.
As I climbed the beige-colored steps, I felt a cool breeze. We have central-air, but I've never felt it on the steps before. But this seemingly unimportant observation left my mind as I remembered that I had cleaned my room earlier. Now I would have room to put my CD's on my shelf and my poster on my wall.
But then as I pushed the door open of my room, right across the hall from the steps, I realized where the unusual breeze had come from. My window was wide open. Not only that, but my room was a mess. Clothes were strewn all over, books and papers were missing from the shelves and thrown every-which way.
Then, as I turned back toward my door to go and yell at my sister for messing up my room, I thought I saw a black creature with red eyes flash from my closet door and out the window. I rushed over to my window sill and craned my neck out. My yard was bare.
