The night passed in silence, Layla didn't say a word to Marcia which seemed pretty suspicious for Marcia for Layla always talked to her. Steve named the puppy Hercules because it was a brave puppy. Pricilla had started working and taking care of the new puppy. Everyone headed to bed except for Layla. She couldn't keep her mind off of the strange children she had seen earlier in the night, and all though the night she kept getting voices in her head. Many times it was just a deep dark voice that called her out to the woods, other times it was a soft voice from the boy she had seen before.

"Layla...go to sleep." The dark voice, that she had continuously heard all night, echoed in her head softly. Obeying, she closed her eyes and dreamed of running in the forest with the children, playing ball, and picking flowers. "That's right. Go to sleep Layla."

Pricilla had awoken very early in the morning to get a head start on working; she also had to check on Hercules. She quietly crept down the stairs trying not to waken anyone, then unlocked her office and walked in closing the door quietly and opening her curtains slightly so the moonlight would creep in. She turned on the lamp and checked on the resting puppy, then she sat down on her comfortable office chair turning on her computer and began doing work.
Tap...Tap...Tap...

Marcia opened her right eye to scan the dark room, there was a dark shadow passing her window, towards Layla's room. She sat up in her bed in alarm, and checked her Hello Kitty clock; it was only 4:30 A.M.. The figure of a man was passing her curtains and walking over towards Layla's room. But how...this is the second floor Marcia pondered to herself as the dark figure was tapping on Layla's window. Marcia quietly crawled out of bed and tiptoed her way over to her parent's room; only her father was in the bed. Mommy is downstairs working then... she then tiptoed to Layla's room and Layla was sound asleep and there was no sign of the dark figure. Sighing, she crept back to her room, but before entering she stared down the stairs and the tall man that she had seen in the yard was standing at the bottom of the stairs.

It was extending its arms as if it was a hugging gesture, and as Marcia tried to open the door to hide in her room, the tall man had black tentacle like arms extending from his back and it crept up the stairs and grabbed her leg, shaking and pulling.
"MARCIA! Wake up sweetheart!" Pricilla was shaking her arms and legs in hopes to wake Marcia up from her screaming. She was just working downstairs, and the sun was slowly beginning to creep over the forest trees, and the birds we just beginning to wake up from their sleep. Then all of a sudden she hears this terrifying screams coming from upstairs; screams of complete terror. She stopped working and flew her office door open and ran upstairs, where Steve was already in Marcia's room with a bat; checking her room for any burglars

"The window was wide open, but it doesn't seem like anyone came in. I guess she was just having a bad nightmare." Steve said, putting his baseball bat by the door and shutting the window. Pricilla spent the next 5 minutes trying to wake Marcia up and get her to stop screaming. Layla had awoken from all the screaming and walked in, rubbing her eyes from sleep. When Marcia had finally awoken from her 'nightmare' she sat there crying from fright, hugging her mother for some source of comfort. Was it really just a dream?

Steve ushered Layla downstairs to help take care of the puppy while Pricilla continued to soothe her frightened daughter. When Marcia had calmed down from her tears, Pricilla softly asked, "So what scared you, Marcia?" She felt Marcia tense up in her arms. Do I tell Mommy? Layla told me not to... I should just tell Mommy, I can trust her.

Marcia wiped her tears, "I dreamt of this really tall faceless man was at the bottom of the stairs, and he grabbed my ankle with this weird tentcal thinggy, Mommy." Pricilla rubbed Marcia's back in comfort.

"It was only a dream. Don't worry." Pricilla continued to sooth her daughter until Steve walked in with Layla.

"Honey, I have to go to the store to pick up some food for breakfast and lunch." Steve said, slightly pushing Layla into the room. "Layla wants to stay home, and I'm sure you want to stay home to work. Marcia do you want to go to the store with me?" Marcia shook her head, she didn't want to see any of those children today. Especially after last night's 'nightmare' she didn't really want to leave home. Steve nodded in understanding, before turning and walking down the stairs and leaving for the store. Pricilla checked if Marcia was okay, then she proceeded to walk back down to her office and continue with her work.

Layla sat on the bed next to Marcia, "So what happened? Why were you screaming?"

Marcia sighed, "I dreamt of that tall scary guy that we saw in the yard yesterday. He was freaky. He had these octopus arm thingy coming out of his back and he grabbed me, but then I woke up. That's all that happened." Layla nodded.
Tap...Tap...Tap

Marcia flinched and hid under the covers; not daring to look at the curtains. Layla cocked her head to the side in curiosity. The dark deep voice echoed in both Marcia and Layla's heads, "Marcia...Layla...play with us...come outside and play." Marcia covered her ears, Just go away. GO AWAY PLEASE. Layla tapped Marcia on the knee.

"Marcia, can you hear them too? We should go play with them." Layla queried getting up off the bed and walking towards the window, pushing the curtains to look outside. There in the back of the fence she saw the two children she saw last night; the ones that wanted to play with Layla.

"Layla, come play with us please. We are so lonely. Slendy barely plays with us, for he is always out catching animals." The older boy echoed in Layla's head.