November 24, 1973
St. Peter Catholic School
Boca Raton, Florida
5:15 p.m.
Dana scanned the ebbing crowd of students streaming from the school with a mingled feeling of anger and frustration. Where was he?
She didn't see why she needed to be walked home anyway, she was old enough. Nine years old. She wasn't a baby anymore. But if that couldn't be helped, her brother should at least be on time...
She knew Bill's loathing of Thursdays was equalled only by her own, which meant that he was usually at the entrance of the school before her, eager to get the whole thing over with.
Thursday was the only day in the week that Bill and Dana got to leave school at the same time, which also meant that they had to leave school at the same time, a prospect neither of them was all too enthusiastic about.
Their house was about twenty minutes away, and usually their mother didn't care whether her children walked home together or not. The obvious exception, of course, being Thursday, where both Dana and Bill had classes until five p.m., and dusk had already fallen.
Bill would usually slouch by her side, in one of his moody silences, the shame of an annoying little sister tagging along behind him almost too much to bear for his sixth grade pride. Dana would be skipping from one foot to another impatiently, longing to run. Sometimes she tried to persuade Bill, arguing that the long, boring, twenty-minute-walk could easily be reduced to ten, if he would just swallow his pride; only to have him tell her harshly to shut up. This, in turn, would usually lead to them arguing the entire way and arriving at their house ill-tempered and fuming.
Dana sighed and surveyed her watch. Fifteen minutes after the bell had rung. They could have been home in five minutes by now, if Bill had been there on time...
Maybe he had to stay in after class. Maybe he had detention. The thought made her snigger.
Well, she wasn't going to wait here for another hour, she'd wasted enough time as it was. And now she would be able to run!
She snatched up her schoolbag and set off, reveling in her newfound freedom. She seldom got a chance to be completely alone, much less after dusk had fallen. Generally at least one of her three siblings was in calling distance. Not that she minded on a whole, but it was a pleasantly unfamiliar sensation, all the same..
Suddenly, all the streetlights went on, and Dana skidded to a halt, admiring the sight. Never before had it seemed quite so pretty as it did now. This time there was no Bill there to shove her forwards impatiently, and she stood quite still, mesmerized, and feeling ridiculously like her sister. But she just couldn't help it.
She was about to turn and set off again, when a harsh whisper made her jump, and look round anxiously.
''All alone, girly-girl?''
Dana scanned down the street from where the whisper had seemed to come. It looked deserted. But he could easily be standing in one of the dark patches which weren't lighted by either of the streetlamps. She felt an involuntary shiver run through her body, as she forced herself not to run. It was probably Bill anyway. He had a knack for altering his voice.
''I know it's you, Bill!'' she shouted into the darkness, wondering why she was feeling so uneasy, and hoping her brother didn't notice the quaver in her voice.
No answer.
''Come out, Bill! This isn't funny!''
Still no answer.
''Bill Scully Jr. eats his boogers after breakfast!'' That would get him.
The shrill cry reverberated down the deserted streets. Silence.
Dana moistened her lips. Alright, so this wasn't Bill. But it had been a boy's voice. Just a boy. She could take him. Why did she feel so scared then?
Just then, a car passed down the street, with loud music blaring from it. It seemed to break the tension, and Dana felt the fear leave her slightly. What was she doing here? Cowering on a street corner like a scared rabbit? Bill and Charlie wouldn't stop winding her up about it if they ever found out..
Repressing the urge to cry insults at the boy, she turned on the spot and resumed her homeward way, deliberately walking at a slow pace. She longed to get away as fast as she could, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction, whoever he was. Nevertheless, she strained her ears for any sound of approaching footsteps from behind, but all she could hear was the muffled blaring of the car's rock music growing steadily more distant, and the small thuds her feet made on the sidewalk.
''Aren't you scared, girly-girl?''
Dana's blood ran cold. She screamed in shock, and almost tripped over her own feet as she stumbled forwards. She only looked back long enough to make out a tall dark figure standing close by, before she turned and ran.
So close. The feeling of his hot breath on her right ear as he whispered. That voice.
Running. Running, with only the faintest sense of where she was headed. All she knew was that she wanted to get away. Now. Quick.
Was he following her? She was too afraid to turn round. Too afraid at what she would see. She was panting now, little frightened gasps escaping her.
Her stomach plummeted as she rounded a corner that should have led to her house. Only it didn't. She must have taken a wrong turning somewhere. She came to a halt, in spite of herself, considering which way to go. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a hand grabbed her arm painfully, making her shriek. Strong. Menacing. And the boy towering over her now, taller than Bill, his face half-hidden in shadow. He was grinning. Leering.
''Nowhere to hide, girly-girl. Nowhere to run to.''
Her heart beating painfully against her chest. Paralyzed with fear. Do something! Do something!
Surely someone would hear her, she could see lights in the windows to either side of her. She opened her mouth to scream. And his other hand descended upon it, clasping it shut. He had an awkward grip on her though, and before he could adjust it, she had sunk her teeth into the fleshy palm of his hand. He yelled in pain, relinquishing his hold on her momentarily, and she was off, tearing down the street. She would knock on the first door she got to, but then her eyes fell on a house that was familiar. Her house! It hadn't been the wrong street after all! She sprinted up to the door, colliding against it with her outstretched palms. She could hear an irritated groan from somewhere in the house and knew her mother had heard her. She pounded against the door anyway.
''Mom! Mom! Let me in!''
She could feel a presence behind her and knew it was him.
''Let me in!''
A snap. As if someone had stepped on a twig. Her head whipped round in spite of herself. Nothing. The street was deserted.
The door was opened, revealing Missy holding a string of brightly colored beads in her hand.
''Mom says you know better than to slam into the...'' her voice trailed away as she saw her sister's expression.
''Dana?''
Dana, who had leapt into the house and shut the door behind her, was leaning against it. She could feel herself trembling.
''Dana, are you bleeding?''
Dana put her hand to her lips absentmindedly. Something wet. Blood. She must have bitten him harder than she thought.
''Mom,'' Missy called, ''Something's wrong with Dana!''
Margaret Scully came into the hallway, looking anxious.
''What's wrong? Where's Bill? Didn't-''
She stopped there, because her youngest daughter had flung herself into her arms and was sobbing uncontrollably. The sight of Dana crying was not a usual one, and she could feel her mother stiffen in fear and shock as she pressed her daughter tightly, just as Charlie came into the room, looking confused.
Dana trudged upstairs a couple of minutes later, feeling shaken and embarrassed and still frightened all at once. Instead of going into her and Missy's room, she headed to the bathroom, the only room in the house with a lock.
Stupid, she told herself, as she sat against the bathroom door, with her knees drawn to her chest. So stupid. There was no need to have felt that kind of terror. He was only a boy. She had acted like a little girl. A little, terrified girl. Stupid!
She repeated this to herself many times, but still, she didn't leave the bathroom.
She was still there when her mother asked her through the door, asked her what had happened. She was still there when Bill Jr. finally returned home, bewildered and defiant as his mother shouted at him. She was still there when Bill knocked on the door and told her he was sorry. He had gone home with a friend and forgotten all about her. Told her it wouldn't happen again. Promised he'd always be there for her from no on. She was still there when Charlie offered to give her the last cookie if she came out. She was still there when Missy crept to the bathroom door late at night.
''Dana?''
She didn't answer.
''Come on, Dana. It can't be comfortable in there..''
Silence.
''This is stupid, Dana. People have to go to the bathroom once in a while. You know my bladder's the size of a peanut!''
That elicited an unwilling giggle. She could hear Melissa laugh too.
''Come on, Dana. I promise I won't ask you what happened..''
Dana sighed and got to her feet. She knew she couldn't stay locked in the bathroom for the rest of her life. She was surprised they had all managed to keep it in this long, anyway. She pushed the lock back and opened the door slowly. Melissa beamed.
''Missy?'' she asked in a small voice, feeling utterly idiotic.
''What?''
''You think I can sleep in your bed tonight?''
Melissa paused, clearly taken aback by this unDana-like request, then her face split into a smile.
''Sure you can. Come on, then.''
''I thought you had to go to the bathroom.''
''I already went in the garden.''
Dana snorted. ''No! Really?''
Missy just shrugged.
Five minutes later in Missy's bed, with her could feet warming against her sister's, Dana felt her body relax for the first time since she had heard that whisper. Although she usually played more with her two brothers, preferring their rough games to Missy's girlish hobbies, she always came to her sister, if she needed to be comforted or reassured. She'd always sensed that there was something special between them, that she didn't share with either of her brothers.
Her thoughts turned back to the deserted dark street. It was stupid. She was stupid to let a little thing like that scare the hell out of her. And now, her whole family would think she was weak..
''Missy?''
''What now?'' But she was smiling again.
''You think mom will tell Ahab?''
Missy hesitated.
''I don't think so, if you don't want her to.. '' she finally said. ''And if you're feeling better tomorrow,'' she added as an afterthought.
Dana sighed in relief.
''Don't worry. I'll be feeling better tomorrow.''