Chapter Nine
The Creature
Alex and Megan entered the attic and looked around for Jennifer; it was impossible for them to see anything but the shadows of things so they had no way of knowing what was Jennifer and what was junk and boxes.
Jennifer wasn't aware that Alex and Megan had entered the attic; she was still recovering from her fall and her fright of the creature. Jennifer felt her heart beat return to normal and her breathing slow from the heavy and quick gulps she was taking.
Megan and Alex began to walk across the attic, not daring to speak and even being afraid to let their breathing be heard. Jennifer could hear the soft footsteps of Alex and Megan, even though she wasn't aware that that was whom the footsteps belonged to. Jennifer's heartbeat began to quicken once again as she listened to the footsteps get closer.
Megan and Alex could see Jennifer now, on the ground; she appeared to be all right but they couldn't be sure. As they neared her, there was a flash of lightening and a roar of thunder. In the light the lightening offered, Jennifer could see Alex and Megan's face. She let out a heavy sigh of relief and felt her heart beat return to normal.
Jennifer stood up and walked over to Alex and Megan. "Alex? Megan?" She said, she couldn't help say their names, "I thought I told you two to stay downstairs." Jennifer said.
"We heard you scream and we wanted to make sure you were okay." Alex said, happy that his aunt was indeed okay.
Jennifer smiled. "Well thanks for your concern but you two should…" Jennifer began but she was cut off but a yowl from "the creature".
Megan, Alex and Jennifer all turned to face where the yowl came from. The Creature was on one of the boxes, its eyes were glowing the darkness.
"What's that?" Megan asked, her voice shrill with fear.
However, Megan's question went unanswered when The Creature disappeared again.
"That's it, I'm sick of being afraid. I'm going to find out what that thing is, once and for all." Jennifer said and reached out to find something to protect herself and Alex and Megan with.
She picked up a rusted and cobweb covered fire-poker and brandished it like a sword. She began to walk toward where the creature had disappeared, Alex and Megan walked behind her; Jennifer held the fire-poker to her side, protecting Alex and Megan from The Creature, should they find it.
Jennifer used the fire-poker the pushed some of the boxes away; The Creature's eyes peered up at her. The Creature screeched and pounced on Jennifer; Jennifer let out of short scream and flung the fire-poker. The fire-poker missed The Creature, who jumped on Jennifer. Jennifer stumbled backward and tripped over one of the boxes and fell to the ground.
"Jennifer!" Both Megan and Alex yelled together as they heard Jennifer scream and saw her hit the ground.
Jennifer grabbed The Creature with her hands to keep it away from her face; she realized that The Creature was not very large and was furry.
Jennifer stared at The Creature, who stared back at her; The Creature let out a hiss and then meowed. Jennifer suddenly began laughing; 'The Creature' was nothing but the harmless Cleo.
Jennifer, still laughing and holding Cleo, stood up and turned to face Megan and Alex, who's faces were ghost white with terror. They looked more confused, however, at Jennifer's strange behavior. Jennifer held Cleo out for them to see.
"It's just Cleo," Jennifer laughed, "We were scared all this time of Cleo."
Feeling foolish, all three of them -including Cleo- headed out of the attic and back into the house. Jennifer pushed the stairs back up and they folded together and became part of the ceiling again. "Ugh, let's never go up there again." Jennifer muttered.
Jennifer -covered in dust and cobwebs-, Alex and Megan headed into the sitting room. Cleo snuggled close to Jennifer and began to meow. All three of them sat down and Jennifer looked at Cleo.
"You had us scared to death you little rascal." Jennifer said to Cleo, who meowed.
"Not me, I wasn't scared." Alex said, trying to sound brave.
"You were too scared." Megan said and playfully pushed her friend's shoulder.
"Okay, maybe just a little." Alex said. All three of them laughed, still feeling foolish but nonetheless safer then they had felt an hour ago.
Lightening flashed again; with a hiss and a pop, the lights came back on, surprising everyone in the room. Jennifer squinted her eyes as the light filled the room; she let her eyes get used to the returned light.
Jennifer, Alex and Megan quickly seemed to forget everything that had happened earlier that night.
The Creature
Alex and Megan entered the attic and looked around for Jennifer; it was impossible for them to see anything but the shadows of things so they had no way of knowing what was Jennifer and what was junk and boxes.
Jennifer wasn't aware that Alex and Megan had entered the attic; she was still recovering from her fall and her fright of the creature. Jennifer felt her heart beat return to normal and her breathing slow from the heavy and quick gulps she was taking.
Megan and Alex began to walk across the attic, not daring to speak and even being afraid to let their breathing be heard. Jennifer could hear the soft footsteps of Alex and Megan, even though she wasn't aware that that was whom the footsteps belonged to. Jennifer's heartbeat began to quicken once again as she listened to the footsteps get closer.
Megan and Alex could see Jennifer now, on the ground; she appeared to be all right but they couldn't be sure. As they neared her, there was a flash of lightening and a roar of thunder. In the light the lightening offered, Jennifer could see Alex and Megan's face. She let out a heavy sigh of relief and felt her heart beat return to normal.
Jennifer stood up and walked over to Alex and Megan. "Alex? Megan?" She said, she couldn't help say their names, "I thought I told you two to stay downstairs." Jennifer said.
"We heard you scream and we wanted to make sure you were okay." Alex said, happy that his aunt was indeed okay.
Jennifer smiled. "Well thanks for your concern but you two should…" Jennifer began but she was cut off but a yowl from "the creature".
Megan, Alex and Jennifer all turned to face where the yowl came from. The Creature was on one of the boxes, its eyes were glowing the darkness.
"What's that?" Megan asked, her voice shrill with fear.
However, Megan's question went unanswered when The Creature disappeared again.
"That's it, I'm sick of being afraid. I'm going to find out what that thing is, once and for all." Jennifer said and reached out to find something to protect herself and Alex and Megan with.
She picked up a rusted and cobweb covered fire-poker and brandished it like a sword. She began to walk toward where the creature had disappeared, Alex and Megan walked behind her; Jennifer held the fire-poker to her side, protecting Alex and Megan from The Creature, should they find it.
Jennifer used the fire-poker the pushed some of the boxes away; The Creature's eyes peered up at her. The Creature screeched and pounced on Jennifer; Jennifer let out of short scream and flung the fire-poker. The fire-poker missed The Creature, who jumped on Jennifer. Jennifer stumbled backward and tripped over one of the boxes and fell to the ground.
"Jennifer!" Both Megan and Alex yelled together as they heard Jennifer scream and saw her hit the ground.
Jennifer grabbed The Creature with her hands to keep it away from her face; she realized that The Creature was not very large and was furry.
Jennifer stared at The Creature, who stared back at her; The Creature let out a hiss and then meowed. Jennifer suddenly began laughing; 'The Creature' was nothing but the harmless Cleo.
Jennifer, still laughing and holding Cleo, stood up and turned to face Megan and Alex, who's faces were ghost white with terror. They looked more confused, however, at Jennifer's strange behavior. Jennifer held Cleo out for them to see.
"It's just Cleo," Jennifer laughed, "We were scared all this time of Cleo."
Feeling foolish, all three of them -including Cleo- headed out of the attic and back into the house. Jennifer pushed the stairs back up and they folded together and became part of the ceiling again. "Ugh, let's never go up there again." Jennifer muttered.
Jennifer -covered in dust and cobwebs-, Alex and Megan headed into the sitting room. Cleo snuggled close to Jennifer and began to meow. All three of them sat down and Jennifer looked at Cleo.
"You had us scared to death you little rascal." Jennifer said to Cleo, who meowed.
"Not me, I wasn't scared." Alex said, trying to sound brave.
"You were too scared." Megan said and playfully pushed her friend's shoulder.
"Okay, maybe just a little." Alex said. All three of them laughed, still feeling foolish but nonetheless safer then they had felt an hour ago.
Lightening flashed again; with a hiss and a pop, the lights came back on, surprising everyone in the room. Jennifer squinted her eyes as the light filled the room; she let her eyes get used to the returned light.
Jennifer, Alex and Megan quickly seemed to forget everything that had happened earlier that night.