Chapter 13

I screamed.

The hold on my wrist vanished.

Hurried footsteps sounded, with a pair of figures entering the room.

"Rose? Are you okay?" Mom asked me worriedly.

"Huh?" I muttered in confusion. Looking around, I saw I was in my bedroom. How? I was just at the haunted house a few seconds ago...

"Did you have a nightmare?" Dad asked. "You want a drink of milk or something?"

"Y-yeah," I answered distractedly. "Sure."

Dad ruffled my hair with a hand, smiling before he left the room.

"Are you okay?" Mom inquired, "was it really scary? I sometimes had nightmares when I was your age, I know how terrifying they can be."

"I'm fine, Mom," I replied, "it was just a nightmare." It couldn't have been a nightmare.

"Mom, when did I get home?"

Her eyebrows furrowed, "actually, I didn't see you come in the door, so I guess you must've snuck past us," she laughed, "but don't get any ideas from it," she finished on a more serious note.

"Don't worry, I won't."

Dad came back with my drink, and after I reassured them that I was okay, they left me alone. Taking a sip of the cold milk, I thought about what happened tonight.

Alex, Jimmy, Nick, and I were in the haunted house. Then I started hearing voices, someone grabbed my wrist, then I'm in my room. It doesn't make sense.

I pulled off the covers, examining my body underneath. I was in my pajamas, not the Glinda costume I was wearing before. I was able to move everything fine, it didn't look like I had any injuries; thank God.

But who saved me?

Wait...me. Just me! What about Alex, Jimmy, and Nick?! Were they okay?!

I grabbed my cell, dialing Alex's number.

After a couple rings, she answered in a tired voice. "Hello?"

"Alex? Are you okay?" I asked hurriedly.

"I'm fine, all you did was wake me up at eleven at night. Hmm, usually I'm not this tired, but whatever. Listen, I'm sorry I got sick after school and couldn't go out, I promise I'll make it up to you."

What was she talking about? "Sick? You weren't sick, we went to the haunted house together, along with Jimmy and Nick."

"What haunted house? Are you okay, Rose? You're not making any sense."

"Black Arts Haunting! Nick mentioned it at lunch one day and we all made plans to go! Don't you remember?!"

"No...I'm sorry, but I don't. Maybe you dreamt that?"

I did not dream it, any of it. It was real, it had to be! It was. "...you seriously don't remember?"

"I don't. Listen, I'm gonna go back to sleep, I'll text you tomorrow," she yawned before hanging up.

In stunned silence, I quietly placed the phone back on the nightstand. How could she not remember any of it? Did the 'voices' do that to her? Were Nick and Jimmy the same?

I know I did not dream it, I know it. It was real. But what exactly happened? Yawning, I glanced at the clock at saw that it was 11:30. Maybe I should sleep on it. Laying down, I closed my eyes...and soon felt the covers being pulled up. Hm, Mom must've came back in and I didn't hear her. "Thanks," I mumbled with a smile. I felt a spot on my cheek warm, then just as quick the warmness disappeared.

I didn't talk to Nick, Alex, or Jimmy again until Monday. As soon as I saw Jimmy, I asked him about the haunted house. Like Alex, he denied knowing anything, claiming that he was sick too. I got the same response from Nick, too.

This was ridiculous. I did not dream that night, something happened and I want to find out what. Unfortunately, that's going to be hard, considering that nobody remembers anything.

I suddenly got an idea. I could go back there, start investigating! Then I could prove that I'm not crazy!

I skipped swim practice today, telling Darren that I had a stomach ache. He looked skeptical at first, yet accepted my excuse anyway.

"Ready, Hexie?" I asked the book in my hands.

He glowed off and on a few times.

"Oh, come on. It's nothing to be worried about. We're just going to look around for a little bit, then we'll go home. Okay?"

He didn't glow at all, staying silent.

"Party pooper," I grumbled, walking up the sidewalk toward the house.

"Where's Rose?"

I glanced at Nick, or Dick, as I liked to call him. "She's sick, she isn't coming today."

"What? She didn't tell me!"

I smirked, "guess not. Oh, and next time," I narrowed my eyes, all signs of amusement gone, "when you decide to bring Rose to some haunted house that doesn't exist and has them in it...don't. I will be very clear and not make this into some elaborate threat for drama's sake. I will kill you if Rose is ever hurt and the reason is even remotely related to you, do you understand?"

"Who's them? I don't know what you're talking about," he feigned ignorance, although I could see the sweat beginning to bead at his forhead.

"Oh, then I guess you won't be missing them. Keep what I said in mind."

"Huh?!" I let out, bewildered. "But it was just here on Friday!" I didn't hear any demolishment plans, a house can't just disappear! What happened?

...Did I really dream all of it? Was it all just something I made up in my mind? No, all those conversations we had about it, the actual house itself, that saving grip on my wrist...no. I did not dream those things. Of that, I was certain.

So what was going on?!

"Do you know what happened, Hexie?"

He glowed, saying he didn't know anything and if we could please go home. According to him, this place was giving him the creeps.

"You know, for a powerful, magical book, you're such a baby."

Since there was nothing except a giant space of empty land, I complied to his wishes, starting the trek home.

I was walking on the sidewalk, only a few feet away from my house.

"So, stomach ache, huh?"

Uh oh. I forgot he had to walk past my house in order to get to his.

"Get in the backpack," I hurriedly whispered to Hexie. When I turned around to face Darren, the book did as I told without letting him see.

I donned a sheepish smile at being caught skipping. "Uh, hey, Darren."

" 'I have a stomach ache, Darren,' " he said with a higher pitch, " 'I'm sorry, but I don't think I can swim today. Could I go home? I promise I'll be there tomorrow!'" He fixed me with a cold glare. "I don't like being lied to, Rose," he said in his normal voice.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled. I could get kicked off the team for this.

"So. You lied to me, and you technically lied to Barbara, just so you could wander Miami? Do you know how dangerous it is out there?! Do you have any idea of what can happen to you?!"

"I've lived here my whole life, I can handle it," I defended myself.

"You can't handle them!" Darren hissed, stepping closer to me. "You have no idea of what they can do! They can turn you inside out with the snap of a finger, make you cough up all your organs. They'll torture you, they'll do anything they can to inflict pain on you."

"Don't you think you're overexaggerating?" I questioned, a bit grossed out.

"No," he glared. "You have no clue."

Something told me he wasn't talking about the average sickos in the city.

"Who are 'they,'" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He shook his head, "never mind. You're right, I'm overexaggerating."

"But-"

"Tomorrow you're doing ten extra laps for lying. Do it again and I'll make it twenty. Do it a third time, you're off the team. Understand?"

"But-!"

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow," he paused before leaving. "And please, start being more careful."

A/N: Rule number one for lying/ditching something, make sure you don't get caught!

lovethatignites: Good, I was aiming for creepiness ;)

TotallyCray-Cray: Lol, to keep the readers wanting more ;D

delightisadream: I loved your review XD Just the way you ended it! 'Dick.' X'D And yeah, seems that Rose is pretty naive...

xDreamingAtMidnightx: Thank you :) And I'll try to update as fast as I can, I'd hate to keep you all in suspense for a long time ;)

Guest: Hmm...

Jemmalover1: You think so? ;)

ILoveEWW: I hope so ;)

CelestialTitania: Maybe 'he' is Darren ;D And thank you! Also, you're welcome :)