"Great..." Covering up her face, she tried to hide the fear she had on her. I began to suspect something. "God, what do I do?" I watched when she began pacing around like a worrywart. "I can't let him see you, Ezzy," she feared, like it was the end of the world for her. My suspicion grew when the two of us heard what sounded like shoes clomping on the steps. "Quick - go to my room and hide." I was pushed by my worried neighbor back to her room. "Under my bed," she further instructed, pushing me down.

"Why not the closet?" I replied, raising myself up.

"It's the first place a person goes to when someone is looking for somebody." Pushing me down, she pointed to her bed. "My blanket reaches the floor; no way he'll see you."

I want to ask why she was anxious, except I have to question her another time. She looked out of her doorway, pointing under her bed.

The bed, from what I saw, seemed a good place to hide. The bed rose from the floor - enough for me to get under there.

Lifting the blanket, I scooted on my stomach, then stopped when I'm completely hidden out of sight. I breathed carefully. I recalled hiding back when I was a kid... to avoid being...

Too bad it was never successful...

At least my aunt cared about me.

I was deep in my awful memory lane when I heard him. "Hannah," I heard him greet, a bit surprised when he sounded happy for a strict man, unlike someone who I feared the most. "I got you the food from the buffet." I almost wanted to get angry for not taking his child with him. "Here you go. I got your favorites." A sound of a bag was made.

It was his daughter's turn to speak. "Dad...why can't I ever go with you to any places?" is what she said. Huh? She isn't allowed to go anywhere? "I'm in the house everyday... can't I ever go with you anywhere?" My heart sank when I could feel how wishful she was. I can agree on what she's saying because I've been through it, too...

"Hannah..." Shivers sighed. From my hiding spot, it isn't difficult to sense his little frustration. "You know I can't ever let you out. You know what will happen when you step out of the safety of our home." I became more surprised - and ticked off at the same time. He shouldn't keep his daughter in the house twenty-four seven. "The world out there is filled with evil," he told her, having me agree with him on that subject. There's too much evil out there... I shuddered from under the bed. "It's better for you to stay home in order to keep you safe," he preffered.

Being under the bed, my ears heard anger in Hannah's voice. "This is getting ridiculous!"

"It's not!" her father sort of yelled, getting a bit of anger in him too. "You stay inside at all times - understood?"

There was a long pause, him waiting for an answer. I waited for her response, too. "...understood..." I knew at that moment, her attitude changed. Her voice went from bold to...a different person... "I'll be downstairs to eat," she said, like she was trying to shoo him out of her room.

"Alright. I'll have them downstairs on the dining room table for you. I'll be out working on our garden..." He then stopped. "Hannah? What happened to your window?"

"...some kid threw something..." I began sweating, dreading she's going to mention that someone was me. "...and it wasn't our neighbor," she finished, having me let out a silent sigh of relief.

"Hmph," he huffed. "I'll deal with whoever did this some other time." With that, I heard him leave her room.

Finally, the coast is clear. Hannah lifted the blanket. "You need to get out of the house," she spoke, helping me up onto my feet. "I won't tell my dad you were here," she promised, taking me out of her room. I went to say something, except she opened the front door, gently pushing me out of the house. "We can hang out." Hang out...? "I sneak out of the house when my dad's asleep."

"Haven't you ever been caught?" She seemed to be the type who would do no such thing.

It took her a moment to reply. "He does catch me outside from what you saw earlier...but he doesn't know where I truly go." From there, I can tell she has a secret place she goes to. "I'll take you there when my dad's asleep."

I stepped back. "Y-You sure...?" I became a bit paranoid. I knew what she was planning...

She chuckled. "I won't bite."

No, you won't, I want to agree, you'll do something else to me. My inner demons said I shouldn't trust her like I do for everyone else. Not give anybody any trust for the matter.

I don't want to be friends with her...with no one. I don't even want anyone, excluding my aunt, to be in my life.

Wish I had a better life... Hannah doesn't seem to have a good life from the looks of it. She's ordered to stay inside all day long.

Everytime her father is with her, her manner will be completely different. I know for a fact he's doing something bad to her. I can see it with my own eyes.

I was about to make my leave when I was grabbed. "Ezzy?" Hannah let me go. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"To the place I go to when my dad's asleep, silly."

At least she hasn't called me anything bad... "...alright... I'll have to let my aunt know."

"Okay." She then shut the door.

I sort of wanted to ask her what is going on - like why she has to stay home, why the manuscripts are locked up, and what she means by Shivers' creations. After all, he wasn't the one who wrote the Goosebumps series. He must've gotten special book covers, explaining why they're not like the ones I have.

I can guess he is a fan of Goosebumps like I am. I have told others, only to be put down in my misery...

I got off the porch, dribbling my bouncy ball I still have after retrieving it off Shivers' desk after unlocking one of the books.

Again, why are they locked? And whatever happened to the author behind those books is a mystery beyond all mysteries.

Forcing myself to forget about it, I went inside of my house.

My aunt greeted me from the living room. Instead of greeting back, I ask if it's okay for me to...hang out with Hannah... Cannot believe I used the word 'hang out'.

She said it was fine as long as I came back home.

You may think I'll be happy... only... again... I don't smile - ever... I still don't recall the last time I did put on a grin...

Probably when I was a baby...

Nothing can make me joyful.

Wanting to be by myself for a while, I isolated myself in my bedroom, pulling out my Goosebumps book which is My Hairiest Adventure.

It's more of a weird book than scary... no bother.

I sat down and began reading. Well, I tried to read. There's no way I can until I figure out what Shivers is hiding, what's up with the books by R.L. Stine in the room I was in. What's up with the two men - The Reality Police - jumping out of the manuscript with no explanation.

Question after question... a mystery needing to be solved...

Plus, my worries linger with the girl next door... I haven't spotted any bruises... it doesn't mean she wasn't being hurt by her own dad...

I rubbed my scar. I was thankful for long hair to cover it up to avoid being questioned about it. I was once, except the ones who asked got a different story from...those two...

I pulled my hair. I need to quit thinking about them. And...him...

God, it's too hard to get rid of them out of my head! I slapped myself with the book.

It didn't hurt much. I had it worse...

Since I'm too focused on our neighbors next door - especially Shivers - I set my book aside, thumping the back of my head on the wall.

After thumping it for about ten minutes, my head started to hurt.

I got up to take something for it. I went through the medicine cabinet, taking out a bottle of aspirin.

Taking two out, I made my way down to the kitchen to get a cup of water.

Downing the pills down, I set my cup on the counter next to the sink, wondering where Hannah is taking me to.

I was bored to be honest. It sucks to have no friends... unless I did... I don't know, my mind is blank.

Except when I cannot stop remembering my past life.

I wonder if I'm getting a new therapist... What does it matter? It's my personal life, no one else's.

I went into the living room and sat on the couch, my eyes on a show on TV my aunt was watching.

It was Cake Boss. Typical... She enjoys cooking and baking shows. Not that I don't like them. I respect what people like and dislike.

Too bad they don't do the same for me...

Life sucks...for me.

I sat on the couch, waiting for Hannah.