November 12th, 2011. An 11-year-old girl named Susie, full name Suzan came home from school one day and was greeted by her Chocolate Labrador Puppy, Maverick. Susie had Dark red hair, a blue jeans jacket, she had a purple and blue bracelet on and dark green pants. She also wore white sneakers. "Hey, pup," Susie said, petting the dog. Maverick wagged his tail and licked Susie's hand. She placed her bag on the couch and walked to the kitchen, only to find a post-it note from her dad on the fridge. "Gonna be home late, sorry pumpkin! Made some Pecan Pie for you! Love Dad." Susie groaned. Her dad was a sweet man, a gentle giant to put it lightly, but the problem was that he always came home late, sometimes Susie would be asleep before he came home. "I'll have the pie later," Susie said. She went into her room and finished up her homework, it was quite simple today, probably because Mr. Douglas was in a good mood. Students, including teachers, often joked that Mr. Douglas had a brother named Donald, similar to the two Scottish engines in Thomas the Tank Engine. Once she was done with her homework she entered a room in the house called the Game Room. The game room was something of a Man Cave her father called it. The game room held all sorts of games, board games, video games, and more. There were also a lot of consoles. A Nintendo Entertainment System, a GameBoy Advanced, Nintendo 64, PlayStation 3, and even a Sega Dreamcast. But Susie's favorite was the Nintendo Wii. Why? Because it ran her favorite game. Skylanders Spyro's Adventure. And that is exactly what she played. After an hour or so, she decided it was time to go outside. "Maverick, come on, let's go outside boy!" Susie said. Maverick jumped down from the couch and began scratching at the door. Susie opened the door and Maverick ran out, with Susie following close behind.
When they got to the middle of the forest, Susie stopped, as this is where she normally plays and hangs out. She sat down and was about to take out a toy when Maverick began barking at a bush. "Maverick, calm down boy!" Susie said. But Maverick wasn't having it. The dog was wagging his tail and sprinted through the bush. "MAVERICK!" Susie yelled. Susie got up and chased the dog through the bushes when she found the pup wagging his tail and barking at two kids. They both looked a bit pale. It was a boy and a girl. The girl had blonde hair and the boy had dark brown hair. However, something odd about both of them is that they were…underdressed for the weather. It was somewhat freezing outside. They both had T-shirts on, the boy's shirt had the phrase "THEY CAME FROM SPACE!" on it, and on the girl's it was a picture of a Moon with a nightcap on. The Girl wore a skirt and…was that no shoes? That was odd. The boy at least had jeans and sneakers. The boy stared before slightly tilting his head. "Is this your dog?" The Boy asked. Susie quickly nodded. "Yeah, sorry, he gets a bit jumpy around new people," Susie said. Maverick turned around and ran back to Susie. "What are you doing?" the girl asked, studying Susie. "I came here exploring with my Dog. I never seen you two before." Susie said. "Yeah, that's because we just moved here." the Boy said. "Together?" Susie asked. "Yeah, together." The boy said. "You guys don't look related," Susie said. Under the moonlight, the boy looked deathly pale, as if he was sick. The girl however looked more healthy. "Also…are you alright? You look ill." The girl seemed to be a bit agitated. "We're not, we're boyfriend and Girlfriend and he's fine." The girl said. The boy nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry about it." The Boy said. "Where did you guys move?" Susie asked. "Down the road." The boy said, pointing towards the street. "...No you didn't, the Clarks live there," Susie said. The boy and girl gave eachother predatory glances for a second before staring at Susie. "Well, they must have moved out, we live there now." The girl said. "I didn't see any moving trucks or anyth-" "You're really annoying, you know that?" The girl said. Susie looked down, obviously hurt by her comment. The boy shakes his head, elbowing her. "Ow, Owen, what was that for?" The girl asked. "...That was mean Abby," Owen said. Owen looked at Susie again. "Hey, don't be sad, we didn't mean to make you feel bad, honest." Abby didn't say anything she just stared at Susie. "We like to explore sometimes, mostly during the night," Owen said. "Aren't you guys...Cold? It's Freezing." Susie said. "We don't get cold. We have forgotten how." Abby said. "Oh…Ok?" Susie asked. They didn't say for a bit until a beeping sound was heard. ".. What's that?" Owen asked. "Oh, sorry. Damn, Toy." Susie said, pulling out what looked like a white Tamagachi. "What's that?" Abby asked. "Oh, it's a Pal Percy, ever heard of it?" Susie asked. Abby and Owen shook their heads. "No, we haven't," Owen said. The toy was still beeping. "Can I see it?" Abby asked. "Sure," Susie said. She handed the toy to Abby. Abby looked at the toy for a bit. The Dog Sprite on it looked cross, as it still flickered and beeped. "...What do I do?" Abby asked. "Oh, you just chose a game from one of the 3 buttons," Susie said. Abby stared at it and pressed the water mini-game. The Screen changed to a water bottle sprite, with a dog bowl with the name "PERCY" on it. "...Now what?" Abby asked. "Press the other two buttons except for the middle one to fill the bowl," Susie said. Owen looked over Abby's Shoulder and watched her play the game. When the task was done, the toy finally stopped beeping. "Hey, that's fun," Owen said. "You guys can keep it until tomorrow, will you be here?" Susie asked. Abby looked up from the toy. "Yeah. We will." Abby said. Maverick walked over to Abby and began sniffing her. "...Your dog reminds me of Faraday," Abby said. "...Faraday? Who's Faraday?" Susie asked. "Oh, a dog we used to have. He passed away a few years ago." Owen said. Abby placed the toy in her pocket. "It's getting near our bedtime, We gotta go," Abby said. "Yeah, our parents are gonna get mad at us," Owen said. Susie tilted her head. "But you said you weren't related," Susie said. "Our parents are friends, they live together for the time being," Owen said. "Oh, well it's getting near mine too, will you be in school tomorrow?" Susie asked. "We don't go to school, our parents homeschool us." Abby said. "Yeah, my dad is a teacher," Owen said. Abby looked at Owen, who gave a shrug and a slight smile. "Yeah, his dad is a teacher," Abby said. "We best be going, see you tomorrow," Owen said. "...Wait, I never got your names, what are they?" Susie asked. "My name is Abby," Abby said. "My name is Owen, what's your name?" Owen asked. "My name is Susie, and that's Maverick," Susie said, pointing to the dog. Maverick barked. "Susie is a nice name. Goodbye, Susie. See you tomorrow." Abby said. And just like that, Abby and Owen walked away.
The Next day at School, it was different, there was an assembly, and on the podium was a Police Officer, Officer Johnson. "Hello Oakridge Middle School, my name is Officer Johnson, chief of the Pennsylvania Police Department. You might be wondering what I'm doing here today. Unfortunately a teacher here, Mrs. Harris was found dead last night by a bar owner. We cannot tell most of the details due to this being an ongoing case. Please, remember to stay safe. If another murder happens a Curfew may be in effect. Thank you for your time." Officer Johnson said. Everyone began talking to eachother. A Murder? One of their teachers was Murdered? Who could have done this?
The news of Mrs. Harris's death weighed heavily on Susie's mind as she returned home from school. She couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that settled in her chest. Maverick seemed to sense her distress and stayed close, his eyes fixed on her with concern.
That Evening Susie went back out into the Forest with Maverick. She had some animal crackers with her this time, maybe Abby and Owen would like some. She sat there for a little bit with Maverick, no sign of the children. Until Maverick began barking at something. When Susie turned around, she saw Abby inches away from her face. "AH!" Susie said, jumping out of fear. "...Sorry, did I scare you?" Abby asked. "Yeah, a little," Susie said. Abby had a sweatshirt on this time and grey boots. Owen had a sweat jacket on too. But Abby still was wearing a skirt. Abby reached into her pocket and pulled out the Pal Percy. "Thanks for letting us keep it last night. It was fun." Abby said. Owen looked a bit more healthy today, but still pale. Abby gave Susie back the Pal Percy. "I have animal crackers, do you want some?" Susie asked. Owen shook his head. "No thanks," Owen said. Abby nodded. "Yeah, we don't really like those, sorry," Abby said. Susie nodded. "That's ok. More for me." Susie said. She began to eat some when she noticed Maverick staring at Owen. When she looked at him, Owen was twitching slightly, and a foul smell filled the air. At first, she thought it was Maverick, but her dad washed him recently. "...Do you guys smell something?" Susie asked. "...Smell what?" Abby asked. "It smells like something died here," Susie said. "M-M-Maybe a deer?" Owen asked. Abby turned and noticed Owen Twitching. "We gotta go, Owen hasn't eaten anything in a while, and he's getting a bit hungry," Abby said. Susie nodded, understanding the situation. Abby and Owen said their goodbyes and left, and Susie went home.
When she got home, her dad was home early. "Hey there Pumpkin. How was your day?" Dad said. Susie grinned and ran to hug her dad. "DADDY, YOUR HOME!" Susie yelled. "Hey Pumpkin, I was allowed to come home early today. Where were you?" Dad asked. "I was out in the woods with Maverick meeting some friends," Susie said. "Where's Mom?" Her dad shook his head. "In the bedroom downing the bottle again, it's best you don't bother her." He said.
The next day at School, the teacher entered. "Hello, Mr. Douglass!" A boy said. The teacher shook his head. "I'm not Douglass, I'm Donald, his brother. I'll be filling in for him today." Donald said. "Where's Mr. Douglass?" Susie asked. "That's what I want to know, he went missing last night and no one was able to get a hold of him," Donald said. "He went missing?" A girl asked. "Yes, unfortunately, the Police are involved. I'll be filling in for him until he's found." Donald said. "Let's just hope he didn't end up like Mrs. Harris."
The tension in the air was palpable. Susie's heart raced as she listened to the news about Mr. Douglas. It seemed like a dark cloud had settled over the school. Maverick, sensing Susie's unease, nuzzled her hand for comfort.
Later that evening Susie went outside with Maverick, out into the forest to meet with Abby and Owen. But when she arrived, there was no sign of Abby and Owen. Susie sat down, the forest seeming eerily quiet. Then, just as she was starting to lose hope, she heard a twig snap. She turned around to find Abby and Owen standing there, however, Owen had something in his mouth something red, some remnants of some liquids that seemed to be from an incomplete cleaning attempt. "...Owen, there's something on your face," Susie said. Owen turned towards Abby who pointed at his mouth. "Oh! Guess some leftover pasta sauce." Owen said. Abby giggled as Owen licked it off. ".. What's wrong Susie, you look nervous." Abby asked. "It's my school," Susie said. "What about it?" Owen asked. "My teacher Mr. Douglass went missing. Another teacher Mrs. Harris was murdered. Do you guys know anything about it?" Susie asked. Abby and Owen exchanged a glance. Owen's expression was troubled, and Abby looked uneasy. "We... we don't know anything about it," Abby replied, avoiding Susie's gaze. "Are…Are you sure?" Susie asked. Abby walked closer to Susie and placed a hand on her. "Look, we're your friends. We don't have anything to do about this, don't worry." Abby said, giving a reassuring smile. "Thanks," Susie said. As they talked, Maverick suddenly perked up, his ears twitching. He started growling, the fur on his back standing on end. Susie's heart raced. Something was out there. A police car drove by and stopped and an officer came out. It was Officer Cylde. "Hello, Hello, Hello, what all this then?" Officer Cylde asked. "Evening Officer, we are just exploring the forest. " Susie said. "Well, you best be going home, there's a curfew in effect now." Officer Cylde said. "Why?" Abby asked. "Douglass was found just a few minutes ago, trust me, it isn't a pretty sight. Head on home." Officer Cylde said. "We will, thanks," Owen said. Officer Cylde nodded and left. "See you guys tomorrow," Susie said. "Yeah, see you tomorrow," Owen said.
As Susie made her way back, Maverick's protective stance didn't waver. He walked beside Susie, his senses on high alert. The forest, once familiar, now seemed foreboding in the encroaching darkness. When they arrived back at Susie's house, her dad greeted her with concern in his eyes. "Susie, you're back early. What's going on?" He asked. "The police found Mr. Douglass," Susie explained, her voice trembling. "And they said there's a curfew in effect now," Susie said. Her dad's face turned even graver. "I see. Next time, I think it's best you invite your friends over. Just to be safe." He said. Susie nodded.
The Next Evening Susie went out with Maverick, but instead of Owen and Abby, it was just Abby. "Hi Abby, where is Owen?" Susie asked. Abby looked up. "Oh, he didn't wanna come today, a bit tired," Abby said. Susie sat next to Abby as Maverick sat down next to Abby's feet. "...I miss Faraday sometimes," Abby said. "I know what it's like to lose a pet," Susie said. Abby looked up. "I- You do?" Abby asked. "Yeah, before We got Maverick, I had a Cat named Ginger. But she got hit by a car one night and we had to bury her." Susie said. Abby rubbed Susie's hair, who flinched a bit. "Sorry, did that bother you?" Abby asked. "Kind of. I'm touch sensitive sorry." Susie said. The two just sat there until Susie noticed that Abby had a toy with her. It was a dirty stuffed rabbit, it had a purple hat, a blue bowtie, a speaker, and a red vest and gloves. "Hey, you have a Your Pal Barnaby!" Susie said. "...A what?" Abby asked. "They also call them Plushbon's," Susie said. "...What?" Abby asked. "It is a toy they sold at Fredbear's Family Diner before it closed called Your Pal Barnaby. They also sold a Fredbear one called Your Pal Fredbear, or Plushbear. If you had both of them you can connect them to eachother." Susie said. Abby tilted her head. "Huh. That's cool to know. Owen gave me mine." Abby said. "Is that why you have it with you?" Susie asked. Abby blushed, looking away bashfully. "Y-Yeah..It reminds me of him." Abby said. "Aww, you two are love birds huh?" Susie asked. "...Yeah…maybe even more than that…" Abby said, clearly getting mushy.
The next night was a bit different, the topic of Susie's parents was brought up. "Hey, Don't your parents get worried a bit? You know, coming out here every night?" Owen asked. "...Don't yours?" Susie asked, petting Maverick. "Not really," Abby said. She seemed she was gonna finish the sentence but left it hanging. "My mom drinks a lot, and sometimes she blacks out and has these episodes, she means well but she can get violent. She doesn't notice when I leave. She parties a lot anyway. My dad is a gentle giant, the only problem is that he doesn't come home until later on in the evening." Susie said, scratching Maverick behind the ears. "...Do you have any siblings?" Abby asked. "Nope, that's why I have Maverick." Susie said. Maverick sat up and began licking her face. "...We can take care of them." Owen said, a grin emerging. "Yeah…We can…show them what for." Abby said. Susie looked at them, surprised. Maverick perked up as if understanding them. "What?" Susie asked. Abby and Owen looked at eachother and laughed. "Don't worry, we're just joking, it's not like we're gonna do anything bad to them." Owen said. Abby elbowed Owen. "Ow!" Owen said. "Stop joking like that!" Abby said. "What? It could work!" Owen said. Susie glared before remembering something. "Oh right, My dad wanted to know if you'd like to come over for dinner sometime." Susie said. Abby and Owen nodded. "Our parents would be okay with that. Tomorrow?" Owen asked. "Yeah, tomorrow works." Susie said. Abby smiled. "Then it settled. See you there tomorrow." Abby said.
The next evening Susie met with Abby and Owen, but Maverick wasn't with her. "Where's Maverick?" Owen asked. "He's at home, ready to go?" Susie asked. Abby and Owen nodded and followed Susie back home. When they got there, Susie opened the front door to let them in, but they didn't enter. "Is it OK if we come in?" Owen asked. Owen wore a brown bomber jacket today, with grey sweatpants. "Well, yeah," Susie said. Maverick peeked outside and ran out, running circles around. "Oops, Maverick has the Zoomies again." Susie said. "..The Zoomies?" Abby asked. "It's when he gets over-hyper and runs around like Sonic," Susie said. Owen and Abby looked at eachother. "Oh, the hedgehog!" Owen said. "...Can we come in?" Abby asked. Susie sighed. "Yes, you both can come in," Susie said. The two smiled and walked into the house, Susie's dad was done cooking spaghetti and meatballs. "Hello, I'm guessing you're Susie's friends! Welcome!" The Dad said. "Thank you! I'm Abby and he's Owen." Abby said. The Mother walked out. "Who are they?" The mom asked. The dad turned towards her. "Their Susie's Friends. They came for dinner." The dad said. Abby and Owen sat at the table with Susie as the food was given. Abby and Owen however, didn't eat, just watched Susie eat. Maverick, noticing they didn't touch the food, leaped up and steals Abby's food. "MAVERICK!" Susie said. "Don't worry, it's fine, we're not hungry," Abby said. "Not hungry?" The dad asked. "Nope, sorry. We had dinner earlier. I'll be right back," Owen said. He got up and left for the bathroom. "So Abby, what do your parents do?" The Mother asks. "She used to work on a farm, but she retired. "She used to work with Cows, Pigs, Horses, the usual," Abby said. Owen came back from the bathroom, making Abby brighten up again. "Dad I'm done, can we go?" Susie asked. Her dad nodded and the 3 kids got up from their chairs and went to the Game Room. "My dad has a Nintendo Wii that we can play." Susie said. "..What?" Owen asked. "..You know, the Wii?" Susie asked. "We travel a lot, I don't think we've seen that before." Abby said. "Well, would you like to try it? I got a game called Skylanders." Susie said. Owen and Abby nodded.
Susie was good at the game of Skylanders but Abby and Owen had a bit of trouble playing but got the hang of it quickly. After some time passed, Owen and Abby said their goodbyes and left. A few minutes later, Susie's dad walked out to the entrance of the house. "Where are you going, Dad?" Susie asked. "Sorry pumpkin, gotta go to work." The dad said. Susie looked down sadly. "Don't worry, I'll be back in a jif." The dad said.
He didn't come home last night. How Susie learned that was odd. When she got home, the phone was ringing. "Hello?" Susie asked. "Hello, are you Susie?" the voice on the phone asked. "Yes. Why?" Susie asked. "My name is , I'm your father's boss, have you seen your Father?" Mr. Pauler asked. "No, why?" Susie asked. "He left work last night and hasn't returned back. I called the Local Police department and they are on it." said. "Oh…I hope he's ok," Susie said. "Me too Susie, Me too. Stay safe." said.
That night, Susie didn't go out to the Forest, she was too worried about her father to go out. "What's the matter, Susie?" Her Mother asked. "I'm worried about Dad," Susie said. Her mother looked at her sadly. "Don't worry, he's probably fine." Her mother said.
Later that night, around 3:30AM, there were some weird sounds outside Susie's bedroom. Her mother peeked in. "Susie, are you ok?" Her mother asked. "Yeah. I am." Susie said. Maverick was woken up too and was licking Susie's hand. "I'm gonna check outside OK? Stay here." Her Mother said. She left the room and opened the front door. "Hello? Is anyone out there?" She called. She was about to go inside when she heard what sounded like.. "Sharp Barking". When her mother turned around something tackled her to the ground.
Susie's mother's screams were heard from her bedroom. Maverick, sensing danger began to growl and bark. Susie ran and locked her bedroom door and hid under the covers. Footsteps were heard circling the house until they got to the window, staring at her, It was blonde hair...It was Abby. "Hi Susie…." Abby said, her eyes glowing in the dark, her smile predatory, as if she wanted to eat her. "...Abby?" Susie asked. "Where were you today Susie…? We missed you," Abby said, still giving a hungry smile. "My dad went missing, that's why.." Susie said. "Oh! That's a shame…We can help..just let me in…" Abby said, knocking at the window. Susie began shaking as Abby knocked harder. "Let me in Susie.." Abby said. Susie looked around and saw a flashlight on her desk. She picked it up, and out of instinct, flashed Abby in the eyes with it. The sudden flash of light scared Abby and she backed off. Maverick turned to the door and began barking. "What is it, boy?" Susie asked. She got up and looked out, to see Owen standing at the front door, looking around, until he locked eyes with him. With almost inhuman speed, Owen Sprinted down the hall to her bedroom. Susie backed out and slammed the door shut, locking it. Owen began to pound on the door. "LET US IN!" Owen yelled. "NO!" Susie yelled. Soon, Owen walked away. For hours Susie had to defend herself from the two kids, from the window to the vent to the door. But then she let her guard down. Maverick began barking at the door as it burst open, the door coming off its hinges. Owen and Abby stepped through, staring at her.
"Susie Morris went missing at her house last night around 5:55AM in the morning, her dog Maverick was found by Police Officer Cylde and is currently being taken care of by him. Susie's mother, Rebecca Morris was found dead at the front of the house, her throat being torn open. Just a day ago, Anthony Morris went missing, however, his body was recently found in a frozen lake. If you know anything about the whereabouts of 11-year-old Susie Morris, please let us know. Thank you." Officer Johnson said on the podium. He got down and left the school.