I'd just quickly like to say thanks to the people that reviewed: Mia M. Turner, Toasty Souls, and ladybirdbuzz1. I appreciate it! :)
Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. Please. I'm broke anyway.
Chapter Two
She reached Evelyn's house in under five minutes. Discarding the bike on the front lawn, she ran up the steps and rang the doorbell.
Evelyn's father came to the door, his eyes red like he had been crying.
"She's in her room," he said in a hoarse voice, opening the door. Tera nodded her thanks and went up the stairs, leaving her shoes on.
She knocked on the door and opened it to find Evelyn sitting on the bed. The teenager's brown hair was slightly disheveled and her eyes were red from crying. When Tera stepped into the room Evelyn broke into tears again, and she sat beside her on the bed, hugging her tight.
Once she had calmed down, Tera asked, "What is it?"
Wiping her eyes, Evelyn said, "I've been diagnosed with ovarian cancer."
Tera's eyes widened. A soft but present alarm went off in the back of her head. "Ovarian cancer?" she finally whispered. Evelyn nodded, burying her face in her hands. Tera hugged her again, trying not to cry. Evelyn's mother had had ovarian cancer, and from that, Tera knew that it had a much smaller survival rate than breast cancer.
"My God," she whispered. "I'm so sorry, Ev…" She wiped her eyes before the tears could overflow. "So sorry…"
Two hours later, after much crying and trying to cheer Evelyn up, she trudged outside. Picking up her bike, she wiped her face and walked it down the street, cutting into the forest to take a shortcut. Her dad was going to be so mad…but she had a damn good reason for being late.
She walkedthe bikeover the leaves that crunched under her feet. Deep in thought, she didn't hear the footsteps behind her until they were accompanied by a chortle.
She whirled around, the adrenaline pumping through her veins faster than she would have liked.
No one was there.
She mentally shook herself and turned back, continuing through the forest.
Another chortle, this time higher, squeakier.
She twisted around. "Who's there?" she demanded. Something was on the forest floor, near her foot. She bent over to look at it, and her eyes widened. It was a large lollipop, one she recognized much too well.
Panic seized her. She walked faster, her hands shaking where they gripped the handlebars. This isn't happening, she told herself firmly. It's impossible. No way could these demonic children come alive…
Another chortle proved her totally wrong. She walked even faster.
"Kidnap the mortal girl, lock her up real tight, throw away the keys and then, turn off all the lights!"
She let out a strangled cry and started to jog, glancing back over her shoulder in terror. She saw three little shapes behind a tree and saw three terrifying grins.
"Kidnap the mortal girl, throw her in a box, bury her for ninety years, then see if she talks!"
Something was blocking her throat. She tried to run but the bike nearly tripped her, and she threw it aside, not caring where it landed in the leaves.
"Kidnap the mortal girl, tie her in a bag, throw her in the ocean and see if she is sad! Because Mr. Oogie Boogie is the meanest guy in town…"
She sped up. One of her favorite songs was being twisted to fit her…her kidnapping? Her blood froze at the thought.
"Kidnap the mortal girl, beat her with a stick! Lock her up for ninety years, see what makes her tick!"
She turned and screamed, "Stop it! You're sick! You don't exist! You're characters from a movie made of plastacine! Leave me alone!"
But the three shapes appeared again: three children. And this time they were much closer: she could see every detail on the skeleton, witch, and devil mask.
She turned and bolted, tears in her eyes. She was going crazy. This wasn't happening.
"Kidnap the mortal girl, chop her into bits! Mr. Oogie Boogie is sure to get his kicks!"
She skidded to a stop in the middle of a sudden clearing. Trees were all in a circle, with odd doors on them that she immediately recognized…She lunged towards the jack-o-lantern door, twisting the nose and pulling it open. She hesitated, looking down the dark tunnel.
"Kidnap the mortal girl, see what we will see! Lock her in a cage and throw away the key!"
Their laughter became maniacal, insane. She hesitated no more and jumped feet-first into the tree.