Chapter 18-

When they got home, Ruthie went up to her bedroom. She looked out the window. She was so happy, she wanted to run around and sing but she tried to stay calm. Then, she saw it, or at least she thought she did. She could've sworn that was Chandler but when she looked again, he wasn't there. No, she couldn't have seen him, she was just imaging things. She decided to take a nap.

She woke up 2 hours later in a cold sweat. She had a horrible nightmare. Chandler was back, and he did it again. Not only to her but to other people too. She was so scared, if he was back then he could do it again. To other people. She didn't want this to happen to anyone else. Ever. He took away her childhood, her laugh, everything. He had to be stopped.

She decided to take a walk, to see if he was really back in town. She knew it was stupid, that she should tell someone. But she wasn't really sure she did see him, so she decided to go without telling anyone. She told Annie she was going to meet Peter at the park and Annie said it was OK. But Annie didn't know that Ruthie hadn't seen or talked to Peter for a month.

Ruthie set out on her walk. She thought she saw him up ahead, far in the distance, but she blinked and he was gone. Then he was in the window across the road. Then he was in a car driving by. He was everywhere. Getting close each time until he was finally in front of her. She screamed. She started running back to the Camden's house. But she tripped. She had fallen and now he was going to get her. He was going to do it again. She was so scared, she was crying. She could feel a sharp pain in her knee from where she fell. She turned and looked back. No one was there. She stood up, her knee was bleeding. She wiped her tears off her face. She was shaking. That was one of the scariest moments of her life. She walked back home, looking at the ground so she couldn't see anything. She was almost at the house when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She screamed and jumped around. It was Peter.

"You scared me half to death!!!" Ruthie said.

"Sorry. Well, what's wrong? You look like you've just seen a ghost. And where you crying? Your eyes are all red. Ruthie, are you OK?" Peter asked, getting worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Ruthie lied.

Peter nodded "So long time, no see"

"Yeah, I know." Ruthie said. She just wanted to go home.

"How are you? What's been going on in your life?" Peter asked.

"I'm fine and a lot has been going on in my life. I have to go" Ruthie started to walk away.

"Wait, Ruthie" Peter grabbed her arm.

"LET GO OF ME! DON'T TOUCH ME!! EVER!!!" Ruthie screamed.

"Whoa!! Ruthie, look I'm sorry. Something's wrong. Please tell me. We used to be best friends. What happened?" Peter asked.

"Well, you changed schools and I never got to see you and then.. Never mind" Ruthie told him.

"No, what? Tell me, please?" Peter said.

"No. Not now." Ruthie said.

"When?" Peter asked.

"I don't know. Maybe never." Ruthie replied. Peter frowned.

"So, who are you hanging out with now?" Peter asked.

"No one, you?" Ruthie replied.

"No one" Peter sighed. "I gotta go"

"Me too. Bye" Ruthie said.

"Bye" Peter ran off.

Ruthie ran the rest of the way home.