Twelve-year old Nicholas Kendrick awoke to the blaring beeps of his digital alarm clock. He groaned. It was the weekend, a time when he never sets his alarm clock. Yet it was going off. He didn't need to ponder; he knew his seven-year old sister Amanda snuck into his room while he was out and set the alarm. She always does this, the pre-teen thought as he sat up.

After stretching his arms and back, Nicholas pressed his thumb on the snooze button, silencing the noise at last. He ventured to the bathroom and returned three minutes later feeling refreshed. From his dresser, he took out a pair of navy blue jeans and a black T-shirt decorated with a mediocre slogan written in crude, white lettering. The slogan said, "I Survived the Bone Smasher 5 Times! My Buddy Sleeps in School. He Calls Himself 'Hardcore'. Yeah, He's That Stupid!"

Nicholas took a Moment to recollect the year-old memory of riding the Bone Smasher, a popular roller coaster at the local amusement park, five times without vomiting or passing out. It was a feat that earned him praise from all the kids at school, including his best friend Jack, who (coincidence or not) was known by everyone as the "King of Slackers". No one knew exactly when it started, but Jack had a notable reputation for his inability to remain awake during school hours, and what really astonished students and teachers alike was that, once he fell asleep, it was nearly impossible to wake him up. The most thought-up theory everyone suggested was he spent every night in his basement playing "Kingdom Hearts", trying desperately to get past the one level people like him could never get past.

The image of his best friend constantly failing a video game caused Nicholas to chuckle. "He seriously can't be that stupid," he said to himself.

After his laughter subsided, Nicholas exited his room and went downstairs. In the living room, he saw Amanda and their father, Eric, watching an episode of "DuckTales". In the kitchen, he found his mother, Pamela, cooking chocolate chip pancakes and cheese omelets. Sensing her son's presence, Pamela turned away from the stove and said, "Well, good morning, sleepy head."

"Morning, Mom," Nicholas replied. "I didn't expect everyone to be up this early on a Saturday."

"Did you really forget?" Pamela asked, returning to her cooking.

"Forget what?" Nicholas inquired.

"Today is your cousin Daniel's birthday."

"Really? Gee, I nearly forgot about it. He's turning five, right?"

"He is. Now, your Aunt Vanessa and Uncle James told me that they want us to come before noon dressed in formal clothes."

The smile on Nicholas' face fell. "What for?" he asked.

"Last Thursday, your other cousin Stephanie won a blue ribbon for a project she did for her school's science fair," Pamela explained. "They want to celebrate her accomplishment as well; therefore, we're all going to dress formally. In other words, you better find a more appropriate shirt to wear."

"But, Mom," Nicholas argued; "Dan's turning five-years old! No kid his age would want to wear a suit and tie on his birthday!"

"Nick," Pamela replied in a solemn but gentle tone of voice; "not one of your excuses is going to change my mind, nor will it change your Aunt and Uncle's minds. Now go upstairs and find a different shirt."

As much as he wanted to continue fighting for his right to wear what he pleased, Nicholas quickly remembered all the arguments he had with his mother and how she always came out as the victor. Heaving a long sigh, the pre-teen turned around and headed towards the stairs.

Nicholas still wanted to wear his T-shirt, and, after browsing through the inventory in his closet, he was struck by an idea. One of the fancy shirts he owned was a dark gray button down shirt. It would be easy for him to keep his T-shirt on without upsetting anyone. The weather app on his phone forecasted lots of sunshine and temperatures up to ninety degrees Fahrenheit, so there was a downside. Hopefully, his Aunt and Uncle would have the party indoors- he prayed to God for it.

By the time Nicholas returned to the kitchen, breakfast was ready. When his mother laid eyes on him wearing the button down shirt, he stretched his arms out and asked, "Will this work?"

Pamela smiled and replied, "As long as you button up, I'll allow it."

She stepped forward and kissed her son on the cheek. Nicholas cringed slightly. He didn't like to be kissed by his mother- he found it embarrassing, even when they weren't in public. He immediately wiped his cheek while Pamela wasn't looking. Then he went to the refrigerator and withdrew the glass pitcher of orange juice.

Eric and Amanda entered the kitchen, enraptured in by the aroma of hot pancakes. Nicholas set the pitcher of juice on the table while Pamela collected four glass cups from one of the cabinets.

"Hey, son; looking sharp," Eric remarked when he saw his son's attire.

"Thanks, Dad," Nicholas replied.

As the family sat down to eat, Amanda looked up at her brother. "So, Nick," she began; "did Mom tell you about Daniel's birthday?"

"Yes, Amanda, she did," Nicholas responded with no interest in the matter.

"Are you glad I set your alarm clock last night?" Amanda asked.

If his brain wasn't fully awake, Nicholas' response would have been "Why do always go in my room when you're forbidden to enter?!". Fortunately, he had wet his face with cold water in the bathroom to keep himself alert, so he took a Moment to think of something else to say- something that wouldn't anger his parents.

"I guess I am," the pre-teen finally said.

"Wonderful," Amanda replied. "I actually thought you would be mad at me, but I'm glad to be a big help."

Behind his false smile, Nicholas had an awful feeling that his response would encourage Amanda to set his alarm clock whenever she liked and he would be totally fine with it. He couldn't imagine how much of a pain the next couple of weekends would be, waking up to his screeching alarm clock and his sister under the impression that she was doing him a big favor. He was fully aware that- sooner or later -he would snap and go off on Amanda, and that would result in a heated argument with his parents, which wouldn't end well for him- none of those ever did.

After breakfast, Pamela joined Amanda and Eric in the living room. Nicholas spent the rest of the morning in his room, waiting for 10 o'clock to roll around. Pamela was usually stringent when the family prepared to journey to a specific destination in their station wagon, and her strictness would occasionally cause a situation that threatened their travels. Three summers ago, Eric had been struck with nausea during a long drive through an insufferable heat wave. It was funny until he vomited in his lap. Pamela cleaned the driver's seat and steering wheel before taking her husband's place and driving everyone home, not without making a call to her brother, informing him that they wouldn't be coming to visit. Eric laid down in the back while Amanda, who had been looking forward to the visit, sulked the whole trip home.

At about 9:55, Nicholas stopped by the bathroom to ensure that his bladder would lay low during the trip. His Aunt and Uncle's house was an hour and a half away, only if there wasn't any traffic. Hopefully all the roads were free of any construction and mishap, Nicholas thought. It'll surely make Mom happy.

The Moment he stepped out of the bathroom, Nicholas ran into Amanda, splendidly dressed in a magenta shirt and red poodle skirt decorated with flowers, holding a large blue book. It was the Supreme Disney Story Treasury, a gift from her parents on her sixth birthday. By far, it was one of Disney's best selling storybooks, for it contained thirty stories adapted from thirty animated movies, all of which were brilliantly detailed and worded. Some of the best (in Amanda's opinion) were The Lion King, Cinderella, Pinocchio, Bambi, and Zootopia. Despite the size and weight of the thing, a copy of the storybook costed roughly thirty-five dollars- quite a steal to say the least.

When he saw the book, Nicholas silently groaned. He had nothing against Disney media; one time in fact, when his sister wasn't around, he looked through the book and was enthralled by the amount of detail the production team put in each illustration. What he didn't like about the book was that Amanda would persuade as many people as possible to hear her read one of the stories. Their parents usually agreed instantaneously and some of their relatives would too. Nicholas on the other hand never had any interest in listening to his sister read; her reading skills were poor considering she was in the first grade, and, to Nicholas, it felt like everyone wasted an hour sitting in the living room doing nothing. As usual, though, the pre-teen forced himself to conceal his thoughts. He didn't need to get himself in another meaningless fight with his parents.

Amanda looked at her brother and gave him a huge smile. Nicholas forced a grin on his face. "I see you're bringing your storybook along," he remarked.

"I am," Amanda responded merrily. "I'm going to read all of Daniel's favorite stories to him. Aunt Vanessa and Uncle James promised they'd listen to me read too."

Aw, crap! Nicholas thought. That means Mom and Dad are going to listen to her read, and that means they're going to drag me along to hear her read!

Again, Nicholas forced his mouth to remain as a smile and he said, "That's nice of you to do on his birthday."

"I know, right?" Amanda replied. "And I'm hoping Mom and Dad would come along, and hopefully you. I actually thought you don't like these stories but I guess you're catching on."

And I thought you would catch on to the fact I don't like to hear your terrible reading, Nicholas thought.

If he actually said that statement out loud, not only would he hurt Amanda's feelings, but it would severely anger his parents, resulting in an argument and a punishment of (perhaps) a week of tough chores.

Nicholas continued to falsely grin and his sister soon caught on. "Why are you staring at me like a weirdo?" she asked. "Are you lying to me?"

"No, I'm not lying," Nicholas stated, straightening himself up. "Not this time, I swear."

Just then, Pamela came marching up the stairs, obviously looking for them. Upon seeing her two children together and neatly dressed, she said, "Okay, kids, it's time to get going. Are we ready?"

"I'm ready!" Amanda exclaimed.

"So am I," said Nicholas. "Let's hit the road!"

Not another word was said. Nicholas and Amanda followed Pamela to the garage. Eric was already in the driver's seat, waiting for everyone else to pile in. Once they were all inside and buckled in, he turned the engine on, opened the garage door, and drove the station wagon onto the driveway. Once the garage door was shut and the car was driving down the street, the journey officially began.

Traffic on the major highways were tolerable at best. Just as Nicholas prayed for, there weren't any car accidents or road construction to slow everyone down- a massive relief for the whole family, they did not want to be late for the occasion. Eric did have to pull over to get gas, but, without going into an excessive amount of detail, the Kendricks would say the drive through the state went smoothly, and it supplied all four family members with a great sense of cheerfulness.

At around 11:50 AM, the station wagon turned onto the street where the house of James and Vanessa Glazier stood. While the sight of the family's house was easy to spot, it was the trio of birthday balloons tied to the mailbox that guided the Kendricks to the location of the party. The instant the car pulled into the driveway, the front door opened and the Glaziers spilt onto the front yard, greeting their visitors with open arms, letting them know right away that they were in for a wonderful time.

James Glazier was Pamela's older brother; a generous, intelligent, and handsome man who aided his company in making profit after profit year after year. His wife Vanessa obtained the same amount of generosity, brains, and looks as her husband, but instead of working in an office, she taught multiple courses at the local college, and her extensive knowledge earned her instant recognition by students and lots of respect from the other professors. Because of their income, the couple were able to afford a lavish house in a picturesque suburb, one large enough to raise their children- thirteen-year old Matthew Glazier, one of the best basketball players at his school, nine-year old Rebecca Glazier, who had a great interest in biology, and four-year old (or rather five-year old) Daniel Glazier, a lively boy and avid fan of "The Lion Guard".

A large, multicolored banner reading "Happy Birthday Daniel!" was suspended in the living room. Five pizza boxes stacked together were visible on a table in the kitchen; right next to them were several presents, wrapped in various sorts of wrapping paper. On the coffee table were numerous board games and puzzles, as well as a large bowl of potato chips and three rows of juice and soda. While the room wasn't as decorative as the Kendricks anticipated, the presence of the snacks and wrapped gifts were enough to generate a party atmosphere over the two families.

Eventually, 12 o'clock came around and the pizza boxes were opened, officially starting the party. Everyone helped themselves to as much pizza as they pleased. No one ate more than one slice per pie. Actually, Nicholas was the only person who had one slice of every pie, another feat all the kids at school would admire him for.

After lunch, everyone went about their own thing. Amanda, Rebecca, and Daniel played several rounds of the "Disney Magic Kingdom Game" on the floor; Eric and Pamela chatted with James and Vanessa about various topics in the kitchen; and Nicholas and Matthew sat on the couch and watched TV. The two pre-teens had a notable connection, a brotherly bond all relatives noticed since the boys were five. The top trait of the duo was their fascination with sports, mainly basketball. Whenever one of them came over, they would head outside and play numerous games of basketball in the driveway. Today, unfortunately, Nicholas and Matthew could not go out and have fun. Their parents would never allow them to soil their fancy clothes with dirt or sweat.

At 2 o'clock, Vanessa poked her head in the living room and announced, "Alright, everybody, it's time for the piñata!"

Daniel sprung to his feet and hurried to the backyard. "Yay!" he cried. "I've been waiting all day for this!"

"Come on, Nick," said Matthew. "Mom agreed to let you control the piñata."

"I don't know why, but I thought there wouldn't be a piñata," Nicholas replied. "You know, being that this party is also to honor Rebecca's science thing."

"Whatever, dude," Matthew told his cousin, following his siblings out the back door. "You're still taking the dragon's reigns."

Nicholas didn't reply. He merely got off the couch, turned off the TV, and ambled behind his older cousin.

Matthew wasn't lying. There was a piñata, one in the form of a classic green dragon, and Nicholas was given the rope that suspended it in the air. As birthday tradition dictates, he would hoist the piñata up and down while his cousins and sister took turns swinging a plastic, yellow baseball bat at it, trying to break it open, in hopes to collect all the candy stuffed inside; and, just like how he would receive the first slice of birthday cake, Daniel was the first to take ten swings at the cardboard dragon.

As the birthday boy jumped up and swung the bat furiously at the piñata, Nicholas couldn't help but smile. Seeing his youngest cousin have so much fun made him recall the birthday parties of his early childhood, when he would ecstatically spring into the air and strike the piñata; the force of the final blow always knocked one of the papier-mâché creature's limbs clean off, and out would spill all the chocolate bars, lollipops, M&M's, and jelly beans his parents had filled it with. Along with the cake, the presents, and all the other party games, the piñata always made his birthdays special.

He was obviously too old now to have one on his next birthday, but Nicholas didn't care. He was busy relishing every wonderful memory of the past, stopping of course to pull the piñata's rope and toy with Daniel. The birthday boy managed to dent the sides of the dragon, but it was still holding itself together. He handed the bat to Amanda and walked behind Rebecca, patiently and eagerly waiting for another turn.

Nicholas was more than ready to mess with his little sister; but, before he had any chance of doing so, Eric and Pamela started cheering for Amanda. Normally, this wouldn't affect anyone as it was only encouragement for a child to be their best. It was different in the eyes of Nicholas Kendrick. From the day of reason, he believed that his parents perceived his sister as a gift from God and him as nothing. The pre-teen's opinion could easily be passed off as Eric and Pamela's admiration of Amanda's delightful personality. No matter what anyone said, however, Nicholas remained convinced that his mother and father favored his sister more than anyone else, and the anguish that befell on him five years ago was all the evidence he had to support his claim.

The whack of the baseball bat was not enough to snap Nicholas back to reality. The cheers of his parents continued as his Aunt and Uncle called out to him, telling him to pull the rope to make it more fun for Amanda. He didn't comply- he was lost in a horrific flashback, a recollection of the disaster that unfolded all around him. He had no one to help him escape that day. His parents weren't there- they were somewhere else, with Amanda.

"NICK!"

Matthew's voice pierced Nicholas' ears. He instantly yelped in fright, nearly losing his grip on the rope. The piñata dropped slightly, giving Amanda another chance to hit it with the bat. This time, she managed to wound the beast. A small hole was now visible on its right flank, as well as the wrapper of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Amanda and Daniel screamed in delight, knowing that they were a couple swings away from all the sugary goodness loaded inside.

"Nick are you okay?" Matthew inquired. "It looked like you zoned out for a second."

"I'm fine, Matt," Nicholas stated in a low voice laced with anger. "Don't get scared over nothing."

"Are you sure?" Matthew asked.

"It's nothing!" Nicholas insisted.

"Hey, I was just asking," Matthew said before walking away. "No need to yell."

Nicholas snorted before returning his gaze to the adults. Immediately, he noticed that his mother was absent. She hadn't gone inside. The pre-teen found out a split second later that she was now standing where Matthew stood.

"Nick, your sister's swinging the bat but the piñata's not hopping in the air," said Pamela. "How come you're not making it fun for her?"

In an emotionless voice, Nicholas responded with: "I don't think she deserves it."

"Nick," Pamela uttered; "that's not very nice or fair for your sister. I can't believe you would think of such a thing."

"She doesn't deserve it," Nicholas muttered.

Pamela ignored her son and continued her rant. "It seems that every time she is involved in something fun, you turn into a different person. You get sulky, you won't talk to anyone, you just become somewhat reclusive."

"She doesn't deserve it," Nicholas repeated.

"I just don't see any reason for you to act like a child," Pamela stated. "You're twelve-years old, in middle school, and yet, you just can't help but let your attitude control you, for no reason at all!"

Nicholas couldn't contain his emotions any longer. "She doesn't deserve it!" he growled, pulling the rope with all his strength.

The rope yanked the piñata up and it crashed into the tree branch supporting it. If Nicholas had released the rope, the dragon would've fell to the ground. Instead, the pre-teen pulled it again. His incredible strength not only dragged the piñata over the branch, but it also widened the existing hole on its flank. Knowing what was about to happen, Daniel sprinted to the tree and sprang into the air. His timing was perfect. The piñata plummeted forward and the boy's fist met the beast's flank at the right moment. The instant the piñata crashed to the ground, its side was ripped open, spilling candy all over the grass.

James and Matthew reacted with a simple "Whoa!" but Amanda, Rebecca, and Vanessa barely reacted. Daniel bent down, grabbed the wrecked piñata, held it over his head, and cried, "WAHOO! I AM DANIEL GLAZIER, THE PIÑATA SLAYER! ALL SHALL BOW BEFORE ME!"

With that, Daniel dropped the piñata and began collecting the candy, primarily all the Peanut Butter Cups he could find. Amanda rushed over and starting gathering as much candy as she could.

Pamela grabbed Nicholas' wrist and dragged him into the house. The pre-teen didn't resist- he knew what he had done, he just couldn't stop fuming. He also knew the script his mother used for arguments of this degree. There was no doubt he would ever win a fight, but all he wanted was to finally get his point across.

Pamela let go of Nicholas' wrist once they were in James and Vanessa's room and the door was closed. "Nicholas Kendrick," she began; "I cannot believe you! Your nasty behavior is landing you in hot water; don't you know that?!"

Without cringing or showing any emotion on his face or in his voice, Nicholas answered his mother with: "I do."

"Well I don't believe you!" Pamela snarled. "I don't think even your father believes you! We both agree that it's time you start acting your age!"

"I always act my age," Nicholas opposed, continuing to express no emotion towards his wrongdoing.

"That doesn't explain why you keep doing bad things to your sister!" Pamela yelled. "I mean, Holy Mother of God, Nicholas, whenever the time is right, you always find a way to humiliate your loved ones. Is that what makes you feel good about yourself?! Making someone you love cry and feel like the worst person on the planet?!"

Slowly but surely, Nicholas' face began to change in accordance to the sentiments flowing with his blood. It was not of remorse however; it was of intense resentment. "I do not," the boy replied; "but perhaps, if you guys weren't so attached to Amanda, I wouldn't act like a jerk to anyone!"

"Oh, I'm sorry for ignoring you for the past seven years!" Pamela said sarcastically. "I'm sorry that your father and I have trouble balancing the love we-!"

"It's not the love for me and Amanda, Mom!" Nicholas barked. "It's the love for the person you and Dad abandoned!"

Pamela glared at her son with eyes the size of saucers. "Abandoned?!" she gasped. "Nicholas Kendrick, how dare you think that-!"

"Don't even fake your guilt!" Nicholas roared. "That's what you've done long after you left him behind! All you care about now is Amanda, Amanda, and only Amanda!"

The feud between son and mother grew more and more heated. Eventually, Nicholas' rage had gotten the better of him and he shoved his mother back when she was about to say something back. Then, without proper thinking, Pamela stepped forward and slapped her son. The boy didn't collapse on the floor; he remained standing with a hand to his cheek, breathing quietly and rapidly.

Again, Pamela didn't think but allowed her own anger to control her actions. "I don't care what it is that makes you act like a baby, but you can bet that your father and I will do everything in our power to beat it out of you, without any actual beatings," she said. "Until we go home, you will stay up here and think about what you've done. And when get home, you are grounded for a month- no video games, no socializing with friends, no nothing! You will do all the chores we give you, and you will not argue! This conversation is over!"

Pamela stormed out of the bedroom, slamming the door behind her. She didn't utter a final rebuke- she believed she had done her duty in disciplining her eldest child. What she forgot to deliberate was the possibility of getting the complete opposite of what she expected from the pre-teen.

Nicholas did not move for a long time; his hand remained on the spot where his mother's hand had connected. His cheek stung when his fingers slid down it. Nicholas' breathing increased in volume as his rage intensified. He could hear his own heartbeat and feel it pound against his chest, as if he had ran through the state to get to his cousins' house. The memories of the past only served to feed the fire within him. The sense of betrayal and uncontrollable anger constricted his common sense, and the immoral urge to relieve himself of the stress building in his soul was now creeping deep into his brain. It screamed at him to act, and when it was all too much to bear, the pre-teen surrendered to the demons inside.

Nicholas nearly threw the door off its hinges when he reached for the doorknob and forced it open. He stomped down the hallway towards the stairs. Whether it be a simple slip or karma kicking him in the ass, when Nicholas was halfway down, he mistook a step and fell, hitting the side of his forehead on the railing. Unbelievably, the pre-teen did not fall unconscious. He staggered to his feet and placed a hand on the spot where he hit his head. First there was the recognizable throbbing sensation above his eyebrow, and then the appalling sight of blood smeared on his fingers.

Nicholas growled, then yelled in enragement before darting down the stairs and into the living room. He jumped off the fourth step and stomped on his landing, hoping it would expel a great amount of anger out of him. It barely had an effect- it didn't decrease his rage or bring him to his senses; it didn't even attract his mother or anyone else into the house, and that was something out of the ordinary.

The noise the landing made didn't matter to the pre-teen. He was more focused on getting rid of his rage, and, to his anger-plagued mind, the best way to do so was to punch something soft until he wore himself out. The couch pillows were the perfect object to carry the deed out; so he did just that.

As he mercilessly battered one of the pillows, imagining it as a bully from elementary school, Nicholas' fist smashed into something solid. After clutching his hand and crying out in pain, the pre-teen looked down to see what he had punched. It was Amanda's Disney Storybook. The very sight of it made his anger rise again. He associated the book with his sister, who he dubbed the origin of his five-year old heartache. If it wasn't for her, none of these would have happened- he wouldn't be so moody, nor would he be flung into random fits of anger. Of course, because both parents never acknowledged his anguish appropriately, the boy gave no second thought in committing another terrible act against his sister.

Nicholas swiftly seized the storybook and proceeded to bash it into the couch. Not satisfied by this, he tried to tear the book apart with his bare hands. He was only able to tear several pages out, about three at a time. And when he had enough of this, the pre-teen finished his fit by throwing the ruined book into the dirty fireplace.

For thirty seconds, the living room was filled with an unholy silence; the only sounds that could be heard were the partygoers outside and Nicholas' deep breaths. The gravity of his wrongdoing finally entered the pre-teen's mind and he sank to his knees with his hands clutching his brunet hair, seemingly ready to rip it all out. There were no tears but an incalculable sense of guilt in the boy's heart. While he could now admit he was sorry, a part of Nicholas demanded him to keep his vow never to let go of the incident from long ago; and that meant he had to get his family to understand what he went through.

Nicholas stood up and sighed. "What the hell am I to do?" he asked himself. "Mom and Dad will kill me with whatever they see fit. If only I hadn't… no, if they actually cared about Douglas, they would've been there to help us!"

Guilt and anger fought in the pre-teen's intellect, with guilt struggling to keep its place while anger wanted to control him a second time. Nicholas knew that the consequences would be greater once his rage returned, and he fought alongside his contrition.

The battle was arduous, especially since he was exhausted from his fit of temper; however, a new factor added weight to the boy's effort to contain his emotions. As odd as it was, the temperature gradually lessened as time went on. This baffled Nicholas. It was July, it was impossible for it to get cold this time of year. How was this happening?

Nicholas scanned the living room in confusion and fear, and then, looking back at the fireplace, he saw something just as unfeasible. The destroyed book was now being consumed by a growing fire. The pre-teen's jaw dropped. Not only did the fire appear without warning, but it was also an eerie green color, about the same hue of his eyes. Nicholas stepped towards the fireplace, captivated by the unnatural sight before him. "How the hell?" was all he managed to say before the temperature dropped to that of a blizzard and a sudden blast of smoke swallowed him.

Nicholas feel to his knees again as he covered his head with his arms. The roar of the wind around him was deafening. It was as if he was in the center of a tornado, trapping him, taunting him, forcing him to cower like a scared child.

Then, a new sound began to taunt the pre-teen. It was laughter- maniacal, wicked laughter. Nicholas forced himself to look up. When he did, the sight before him brought his heart to his throat. All around him, mixed in with the whirling wind, were the faces of random characters, young and old, human and animal, staring at him with their malevolent glares and cackling madly. A few of them held their arms up and waved pieces of paper in their hands. It took a moment for Nicholas to realize they were pages of the storybook.

At last, Nicholas found words. "Wh-what do want from me?!" he screamed.

The faces of the characters vanished as the laughter of a new character became audible. He couldn't determine where it was coming from, the light suddenly grew dark and the frigid air felt like ice; but Nicholas soon got his answer.

A pair of gray, hellish eyes and a wide mouth, exposing a row of sharp, jagged teeth, appeared before him. The apparition chuckled as it told Nicholas: "You already gave us what we want. You were the right choice after all."

"What?" Nicholas inquired.

His gasp was met with the petrified screams of Amanda, Pamela, and Eric. Evidently, they heard the din and ran inside to investigate. Instead of finding Nicholas on the floor by the fireplace with Amanda's storybook torn and covered in soot, they had entered the house to find the unholy sight of a demon in the living room.

Nicholas was unable to confirm that from where he sat, he only assumed that was the case. His instincts told him to scream out to his family, warning them to run, to hide, to do anything to save themselves. But it was too late.

The face in the wind cackled as the bodies of Amanda, Pamela, and Eric were sucked in. Hoping to save his family, Nicholas jumped up and tried to grab his sister. The next he knew, an unknown object smashed into the side of the pre-teen's head. His limp body dropped to the floor, amid the sounds of the screams, the wind, and the malicious laughter.