The abandoned house stood at the same place where it's at when Hannah and I first encountered it from the other side of the forest. It's the same as always, all alone like how I am... I saw roof shingles about to fall off, for I hadn't spotted them before.
The sun began to go dip into the horizon, the sky turning into an orange-red color. I went up to the house, my shoes making contact on the stone path.
Up on the porch, I went inside, walking on the fallen door that's still on the floor when it was first opened. The door knocker monster looking up at me full of hatred, sending chill after chill throughout my body... the hair on my arms and neck standing on end...
I began to wonder who once lived here, leaving everything behind. Probably a couple who died with age. Or someone who commit suicide...
The thought of someone doing such a thing made my body shudder, my mind picturing anything in order for a person to self kill. Hanging...cutting... anything, really. I forced those eerie images out of my head, getting further in the once used to be home by someone.
I let out a yelp when something ran over my foot, seeing it was a rat. It skittered to a hole, darting in there with its hairless tail vanishing with it.
I looked around for any more signs of rats. When there's none, I continued on, heading onto the stairs, heading on up to the second floor. I made my way to a room where the plaster of the ceiling fell on my...friend? I...I mean we had hung out; it doesn't necessarily mean she's a friend... Like... I don't know. It's difficult for me to tell who's a friend and who's faking to be my friend
I reached the room, seeing the ceiling parts on the floor that is still there. I imagined Shivers' daughter in here when the event happened. The plaster falling on her head, possibly knocking her to the floor.
Unless she did. I hadn't seen her on the floor from what I saw. She's lucky her dad hadn't questioned where she went. He doesn't know where she goes when he's napping. I can also guess she goes out after her dad goes to bed.
The one way to know is to ask her.
Unless she does go out into the night.
I walked in the room, eyeing at the broken ceiling, all prepared for more of it to fall. Cracks had formed, ready to split at any moment. I saw ceiling chips already broken, all over the floor. It possibly happened way before a huge chunk fell on Hannah, probably before we discovered the old house.
My eyes moved away from the ceiling, knowing no more chunks would fall.
At least, I hope so.
Scanning the room, my eyes landed on a mirror. It was tall, taller than me with a frame of gold. Half of it has faded at the bottom, the glass filled with dust.
I ran my hand on the mirror, getting the dust off. I moved my hand in a circle until I saw myself, plain and... boring...
I took out the hidden necklace I almost forgot about. I have to admit, it is pretty...unlike me, no matter how many times I've been told this by my aunt Sarah and her friends. I don't wear make-up like they do, fearing people will make fun of me for wearing it. I avoid being the center of attention as much as possible.
I don't wear girly clothes, even skirts and dresses. You can say I'm a tomboy. A dull one at that. The one thing not matching my tomboy appearance is this necklace given by Abby who is my aunt's friend I guess back when they were kids.
I released my necklace, allowing it to fall on my chest, keeping it from being hidden from underneath my shirt. I can give it to Hannah as a thank you for her...being my first friend... unless she's willing to take it. Unless she is my friend. I've been through a lot in my past life.
Standing there, I brushed some hair back behind my ears. The mirror had better days than I did. It must've gotten dirty when this place got derelict. I've caught old spider webs, though I hadn't spotted any spiders. I'm not fond of spiders.
I stood there for a few minutes until I decided I had enough being in here, wanting to keep, I guess, exploring. I'm unsure what else is in this old house. I assume a lot of old stuff.
The place is very old, it can be run down, I thought, removing myself out of the room, going down the hallway, running my hand on the wall with paint in the color of white peeling off like it was melting.
I have to agree with Hannah, it does look like a good hideout to be at, a place where I'd like to be alone... like how I feel all the time. I may have my first friend, except I feel alone, anyway...
I doubt, still doubt, Shivers' daughter is a pal of mine. I'm used to being on my own, thanks to those...those... Sigh... I'll never get over it. The memories - terrible, horrible memories - will always remain with me no matter how hard I try to get rid of them. I'm going to keep my guard up on Hannah, even though she isn't a bad person, but I have no choice. I'm also keeping my suspicion on her dad for how awful he is, like the one man I know too well.
I swear, whenever his daughter betrays me like what those kids had done to me back at my old home...
Unless she doesn't... It's hard to see her doing such a thing. She does want to have friends, no doubt about it.
Except, her dad forbade her to do so. It angers me a lot.
I went into another room, seeing nothing but old furniture. Typical... every room will have these, no surprise. I went over to the window, seeing it was partially opened. Placing my hands on the windowsill, I used all my strength to push it up. It wasn't easy since it's old, squealing like a mouse caught in a trap. It wasn't loud, though it was irritating, no lie.
The window went all the way up as high as it could go. I peered out the window, seeing the sky had darkened some more, a few stars starting to come up, twinkling like glitter, the moon full and starting to rise up.
I cut my eyes away from the sky to the ground to see a figure down there. At first, I wasn't sure who it was. When the figure came closer, I saw it was Hannah. She looked around, like she was making sure no one was following her.
I wanted to let her know I was here, so I found an object - a small statue - and tossed it onto the path. I made sure not to hit Hannah with it.
She jumped when it landed, raising her hands into fists when she lifted her head up to see me. She waved, then signaled me that she'll be up.
It doesn't take long, for it took about twenty minutes for her to figure out which room I was at. And when she did, she stopped, gazing at me. No... at something else.
"Pretty," she commented, walking forward.
"Thanks..." I murmured, knowing she's referring to the jewelry I was wearing. "My aunt's friend - one of her friends, actually - gave this to me today."
"How nice. It looks great on you." She took it by the chain, examining the jewel attached to it. "I like how your name is on it." She released it. "I don't have much jewelry." I raised an eyebrow, and she saw the confusion. "My dad buys them for my birthdays and holidays," she explained with a shrug, like she doesn't care, even though it wasn't true. "Last August, I got a nice hoodie - a jeans sort of jacket."
"...sounds like a great gift... Do you buy stuff for your dad?" Mentioning her dad makes me want to steam.
"No..." she shook her head, frowning. "For not being allowed outside, I can't get him anything."
"I see..." I looked at her. "Does he..."
"No, he went to bed." She swept her hair back. "I sneak out of the house after he goes to bed."
"He goes to bed early," I guessed, looking out the window then back at her.
"Mhm." Hannah and I stood awkwardly, until she broke the silence. "Want to see the graveyard?"
I blinked. "A graveyard...?"
Hannah nodded. "Yes, you know, a cemetery full of gravestones with statues. It's a cool place to go to. I've been there multiple times." I was amazed at what she was telling me, her going to a terrifying graveyard where the dead are buried. "I like going in there at night, especially during a full moon like we have tonight." Getting this from her, I glanced outside, seeing the moon again. It was bright, brighter than a light-bulb, in the color of...blue... "The graveyard is my second favorite place to be at," she went on, grabbing my arm, pulling me out of the room. "I even saw the high school after I went through it after going through the gate." She led me back outside, looking around again. I wanted to ask her why she seemed...nervous, except she grabbed my hand. "I'll show you the cemetery," she spoke eagerly, yanking me off the porch, going in the opposite direction. "I know the forest like the back of my hand." While she chatted, I pulled my hand free. "Ezz..." She stopped, noticing my halt. "...you want to come?"
I dug my sneaker into the dirt, unsure whether I wanted to go. I could bail, like...that... although, I sort of wanted to see a graveyard. I shoved my hands in the pocket of my pants, thinking about it. "...I'll go..." I mumbled ever quietly. I wasn't asked to repeat due to Hannah taking my hand again, leading me to where the graveyard is located. I wish there were signs in these woods, alas, she knows where she's going. "Your dad will find out about this, you know," I brought up, already picturing her dad doing...bad things to her.
"He doesn't know what I do, Ezzy." We stopped because she took a left turn, grasping my hand. It made me feel awkward... "I always sneak out after he goes to bed. I go out, explore, and come back. It's no big deal," she waved off like it was nothing.
"It's a big deal when he's treating you unfairly," I muttered under my breath.
"Huh?" I saw a baffled look on her face. "What did you say?"
I began to feel like an idiot, except I have to say what's on my mind about her dad. "I said..." I took my hand out of hers. "...it's a big deal when he's treating you unfairly," I told her, feeling sorry for what she's going through.
"Are you saying he's..." I nodded before she could finish. "Oh, Ezzy, he isn't like that." I was in disbelief at what she's informing me, lying about it. "It isn't like how I assume your parents are bad."
I scrunched up my face. "Don't mention them..." Hannah was about to question why, when I spoke up. "I don't feel like talking about them. No, they aren't dead, though I wish they were. I wish he was dead, too. All I can say is...I hate them." I grimaced, the images of them entering into my head like they're teasing me for no good reason at all.
"It's fine. I would like to know what they did to you..." She seemed sorry for me. "My dad isn't someone who...beats his own kid... I can say he's...overprotective of me."
I frowned deeper. "Overprotective?"
"Overprotective indeed," she answered with annoyance. "I understand how fathers are around their daughters. Being all guard up around them, except my dad takes it to the extreme when he has a big secret he has to keep in order from anyone to find out he's R.L-" She covered her mouth and I raised my eyebrows, seeing how she was about to tell the truth, when she replaced it with something else. "In order to find out he's a Goosebumps fan. He's a full grown adult," she said with a nervous smile.
However, it doesn't convince me. I can never imagine an adult like him reading those books. I see him reading books for his age. All I can do is find out for myself. Since she said he isn't R.L. Stine, then... who is? I wanted to know if Hannah knew who he was, leading me to ask her. "You happen to know who R.L. Stine is, right?"
She tilted her head from left to right, like she was thinking about it. "My dad has told me about him," she responded, gazing ahead of her. "The author, from what I know...vanished."
"Vanished?" I replied, unable to believe it. "No author writes books and suddenly vanishes away."
"Well, he did. No one has ever seen him." I can tell she's hiding something from me. "With the manuscripts... Those are special book covers that came with locks. Those kinds of covers are expensive. You have no idea how much money my dad has to save in order to buy them."
"Uh huh..." I would like her to say the truth. Yet, I decided I would find out for myself, knowing what is going on with her and her dad. Not only is she hiding something, but her dad is keeping secrets, too. It explains why he keeps his child indoors all the time. He doesn't want anyone to know what he does to her.
It makes me furious at him. I want to tell him what's on my mind. I may not see marks on Hannah, but it doesn't mean he isn't hurting her. It's... I roughly shook my head. When we come back, I'll have to question him.
We kept on walking. I thought about leaving, in spite of the fact that I didn't want to. Hannah sees me as a friend. I, on the other hand, came across with untruthfulness when being around her. I get uncomfortable when being around others, even when they're my age. The person I can feel comfortable with is my aunt, knowing she isn't like my parents, as well as...that other person.
I would like to open up about my past, however, I can't... I cannot do it. Hannah may find it unbelievable, she won't take any word for it. Aunt Sarah almost spilled the beans when I had to quickly stop her. I felt bad, but I don't want anything to be let out. Not yet, at least.
I do know I won't keep what my parents and him did to my life. I can say it was...hell... It's the right word for it.
We crossed the forest, an owl hooting somewhere, echoing around us. More stars came. I swore I may have seen the big dipper. The stars twinkled above our heads, the moon shining the pathway.
Although, when Hannah saw the moon, she darted to the shady spots. I think I saw a worried expression, unless I imagined it. She quickly went to another shady spot, avoiding the moonlight, though, at the same time, made sure I was keeping up.
She went from one dark area to another, anxiously. I began to suspect something else she may be hiding... I can tell from her body language, the way she avoids the moonlight as much as possible. She stopped, calling out where she was. "Hurry up, slowpoke."
I wasn't offended, I am slow at my pace. I'm not tuned on being in a rush. And the way she said it doesn't make me feel dumb. I do want to know why she looked nervous. "Hannah." I reached where she's at. "Mind telling me why look...worried?" She lifted her head up to the moon. "Is it the dark...?" I received a shaken head. "The forest?" She shook her head the second time. "Would you care to tell me?" I asked, getting irritated.
"Don't get annoyed," she answered, picking up my attitude. "I don't..."
"Don't...?" I echoed, waiting for her to finish.
"I don't want anyone to see me." What she said made no sense, like, no one has seen us. The town is completely dead, for there's no way no one will see us. I guess she doesn't want anyone to know she's out here during the night. "Teenagers do get caught by the cops, sending them back home." She stepped out of the shade, going to another one. "I don't want any cops catching me, sending me home. I'll be in big trouble if my dad finds out what I do when he isn't looking."
Like beating you... I kept the thought to myself, feeling like I shouldn't bother about her life... It's her life, despite how she isn't well treated by her so-called 'overprotective' father. I doubt he is. I don't know what an overprotective dad is, something I hadn't experienced in my lifetime. My aunt isn't like that, she lets me free as long as I tell her where in going, with her knowing I'll come back home.
Her dad isn't a good dad from what I saw. I may not have evidence, though with his daughter's attitude changing in a snap, it was enough for me to know he's...being bad to her. It could be verbal, and, or worse, physical.
Speaking of attitude, I sort of felt bad when I gave Hannah one. "I don't mean to give you such a negative attitude on why you looked worried," I apologized, kicking a rock out of my way.
She smiled lightly. "I would be irritated, too," she replied honestly. "My dad can irritate me sometimes. I do love my dad." I gave her a blank stare, unable to believe what she had stated. She's lying... continuing to fake on what is going on behind closed doors. It's what a lot of victims like her and I go through. We hide the truth. Mm, well, aunt Sarah knew what I went through, a reason why she took me in. "I understand what he's going through..." She ran a hand on one of the tree barks we pass by. "...except I wanted to be free." There was a hint of sadness radiating off of her. "I try to tell my dad I'll be okay, but he doesn't budge. Cannot say he's stubborn," she mentioned with a, what I call, a fake grin, still hiding the truth about her dad, about what he really is.
I will get to the bottom of it. No matter how long it takes. I need answers - now. If I do get answers... My mind does keep tracing on the locked manuscripts. I have to figure out why they're locked, why Shivers has-
My though process was cut off when I bumped into Hannah by mistake, for it was my fault for dozing off into zone out land.
Hannah doesn't seem to care due to the soft expression. "Here we are," she declared, gesturing to the area we're at - the cemetery.
I took a step forward as she stepped out of the way for me to have a better view. It has gravestones like she described, along with statues looking like angels. I spotted some broken gravestones not too far from us, while the rest seem dirty, covered by weeds.
I began to wonder how many dead bodies are underground. I wonder about zombies... Zombies, I retracted back to my dream I had. I thought I saw zombies...or...something else... I was running away from them with... Hold on... Hannah was in my dream. It may be fuzzy, yet I saw her, and... two teenage boys. One good looking, the other one...lanky, as well as a...coward... The best way I can describe him.
It wasn't just them, I was also with... No, it can't be true, can it? No way this girl's eerie dad was with me and the other three... it makes no sense.
Before the zombies - or whatever they're called - chased us, we were also chased by another monster at a supermarket. It was also when my necklace broke off by whatever the monster was - tall, furry, wearing shorts, and torn sneakers...from what I recall...
Dream memories of one monster after another came to me. A crazy villain...a villain who always looks ticked off... ghosts... some sort of...pink liquid...thing... small, porcelain men with shovels, pick axes, lanterns, while there are ones that don't have any of those things...
Monster after monster, villain after villain... They also attacked...a high school in this town...
But, the one part of the dream that caught my attention was something that looked like Shivers. I vaguely remember seeing him in the study, noticing how... It can't be right... No, way, no how. A girl like me will never...
Forget it. I have no idea what I'm talking about. Dreams are dreams, they don't predict the future... do they? Nothing in the dream is true, though it doesn't explain why Hannah, the boys, and her dad are in it. Everything is a blur, except for them and... this other...person... I wouldn't say he's a human, despite having the same resemblance as the creepy, perhaps, awful dad of Hannah's.
I think he wore a tux with a red bow tie with a red, ruffled...flower...? It looked like a flower. It was hard to tell. Whoever it was also had black, formal dress shoes. Adding to the description, he was short...very short. He'd even had dark, brown hair, as well as brown eyes from what I know.
Wanting to forget about my dream as much as possible, I gazed at Hannah. "It's...eerie..." I commented on the cemetery, getting a soft, kind hearted giggle.
"It is eerie," she agreed brightly, not being bothered by it. "No worries, it's nothing to be afraid of," she assured confidently, patting my shoulder. "Nothing will jump out at you - unlike me." She gave out a playful snicker, giving me a gentle shove to the side. I kept my footing, keeping myself from falling to the ground. "We can walk around here for a while, and afterwards, we can go further. I know where the high school is at."
I couldn't believe it. She must've explored every part of Madison behind her dad's back. I have nothing against it, but her dad will find out eventually. I know for sure he will. He had caught her being out of the house when she tried to help me when I dropped the food cans onto the ground, only for him to demand her to get back inside, doing the same for the second time after we returned from the old house and the abandoned amusement park.
Her dad does make me worry about her.
She and I walked at the cemetery, with her leading the way. We passed each gravestone, each statue. The names on the gravestones are almost worn off, the dates fading away.
A night time beetle crawled on one of them, skittering around until it decided to open its wings, flying away. It made a weird sound when it flew off, sounding like a buzzing sound of a bumble bee.
Speaking of bees... they were in my dream, too. Then, also...a giant bug in the color of green chasing a car - a Wagoneer - similar to what Shivers has in his driveway that I was in. I wasn't the only one in the vehicle, for I had Hannah, the two boys, and... Mr. Shivers, yet, the dream I had, it isn't his real name... It was...something else. I couldn't figure it out.
Thinking about it, he hadn't mentioned his real name in the dream. I'm unsure what it is. It's not like he's the author of the Goosebumps books going undercover. It...makes no sense to me.
Nothing makes sense to me. The dream that is nagging me doesn't make sense. Monsters don't exist. They aren't real, yet, they felt real in my dream.
It was more of a nightmare, though it wasn't. It wasn't too scary, I guess...
But the one short figure is something that's bothering me the most. Not in a bad way, something...different.
I swept my hair back, unknowingly when I felt Hannah look at me after she stopped. "What?" I asked, almost running into her.
She didn't say anything right away as she gently moved away the rest of my hair strands. Her eyes narrowed at an area, and I knew at that moment what she was looking at. Then, she managed to get something out. "You have a mark on your neck..." she noted the obvious. I felt my insides sinking into a deep hole, my direction to the ground. "You...never told me about it..." She carefully prod at it. "It doesn't hurt...does it?" I can only shake my head. "Did you...hurt yourself somehow...?" She made sure to ask carefully, as if she doesn't want me to get upset regardless of how I already am. All I can do is stand there, my mouth glued shut. She cannot know... "Did...someone hurt you?" She must've hit a sensitive subject because I snapped my eyes off the ground. "Who?" Her voice was above a whisper, like she doesn't want anyone else to know.
Chewing my bottom lip, I removed my stare off of her. "...I don't want to talk about it..."
Understandably, she nodded. "It's no problem." However, despite what she said, it isn't hard to sense that something is bugging her - about me. "We should get going. I do want you to see the Madison High School I dreamed of going to." She took me by the arm, pulling me to where two gates stood that were closed by a chain hooked together. She opened one of them as far as she could, going through it with ease.
I went after her while she held one of the gates open. I duck from the chain that is above my head like she has done.
Once I was on the other side with her, she and I headed down the dirt path, with her leading the way to make sure I didn't accidentally make a wrong turn. She motioned her hands, urging me to keep up when she saw I was going down a pace. I picked my legs up, going from a walk to a small jog.
Hannah did make sure to see if I'm behind her, and, at the same time, she had a worried expression.
What is she worried about? I doubt what she said earlier about being caught by the police. There's something she's hiding... I cannot pinpoint it... She's keeping something from me, like how she doesn't want to admit what her dad does to her everyday.
She stopped short, gazing at the sky. "I wanted it to be a cloudy night," she wished softly, hoping I hadn't heard her.
I did. "Huh?"
"Nothing," she quickly said, averting her eyes off the sky, putting on a quick smile.
"You're keeping something from me..." I squinted my eyes suspiciously. "You keep having this worried look on you."
"I told you already, I don't want to be caught by the cops," she tried to reassure.
I slowly nodded. "Uh huh... then how come you wished for a cloudy night?" I wanted to know.
"Cloudy nights are better," she preferred her point of view of the darkness invading us.
I couldn't believe it. She wouldn't tell me the truth. I'm one of those who don't like it when I hear lies. Too bad it's difficult for me to tell what's the truth and what isn't. "I see..." I wanted to say more, to see about getting her to admit on why she's acting...strangely. Similar to why her mood will go from bright to fear when she sees her dad at an unpleasant state. "Are we almost at the Madison High School?" I thought it'd be better to change the subject.
"Of course, follow me."
With a sigh, I went with her until we reached a building. I believe it was the high school, and seeing this brought back memories. We couldn't go inside since it's closed.
It looks like any high school out there in my book. I have never been to high school ever since my aunt let me quit school, and I hope it stays that way because no way I'm stepping foot into a building like that in my teenage life.
However, Hannah seemed to gaze at it. Remembering what she told me on the Ferris wheel, I can see why she wanted to be at a real school, telling me she dreamed of going to one, how she never been to a dance - a school dance. Not something I'd dreamed of... Going to school will bring trouble.
Just staring at the school made me uneasy. It also made me feel...sick to my stomach. I pray aunt Sarah won't change her mind, praying in my head she will continue to allow me to stay out of school.
Except Hannah did say I wouldn't be out of school forever, making me think twice. My stomach tightened at the thought of going back to school.
Don't think about it...Hannah is wrong. She may be a sweet person to be around, but even she can be wrong... I began to have awful memories from the last school I was at, about how terrible it was. All the laughing...the pointing...the teasing, mocking...
I wanted to scream, I really do. Scream for the bad memories to get out of my head!
I couldn't. I refuse to. No way, I'm going back to school. My aunt made a promise to me about letting me quit school. She won't make me go back...could she?
The more I think about it, the less I believe she would allow me to be out of education. For Hannah, it was different. She wanted to go to an actual school. I wanted to tell her what school really is, and I couldn't. I refuse to crush her wishes.
I do want to crush her dad, no doubt about it.
Hannah walked closer to it with me not too far behind. We reached one of the windows, and she placed her hand on the glass. "There had been times where I dream of going to this place..." I stared inside the room with lab tables, guessing it's the Science classroom, due to all the chemicals, Bunsen burners, everything to do with science. "They felt real, then...I wake up." She removed her hand, playing with her hair. "No matter how much I convince my dad, he wouldn't allow me to go." She turned away from the building. "We should head back. I want to get home before my dad catches me."
I didn't answer, all I did was go with her. The stars look like glitter, the moon glowing brightly. It was short of chilly, having me hug myself to keep warm. I regret not bringing a hoodie, except I wasn't sure what the temperature would be at. The weather can be weird at times.
I kept following Hannah, with her hurrying back home as quickly as possible, but at the same time, not wanting to be caught by the cops, along to make sure I wasn't left behind.
I will never shake off the feeling that she's hiding something from me, how she preferred a cloudy night than this one. Yet, the one thing I couldn't shake off the most is her dad... the way he's harsh towards her with no regret... no remorse... It makes me feel... I need to have a word with him, remembering that aunt Sarah will bake cookies for our neighbors as a way to say hello.
I did say I'll help out making the cookies, I did tell my aunt not to mention the word 'friend' or else I'm not going next door even though I already was in their house to retrieve my ball.
Mr. Shivers better not find out it was me who broke his daughter's bedroom window, I hoped with fear. I know he hates me as much as I do with him, with a mixture of terror, the way he'd stared at me, causing memories of someone who was as stern - and scary - as he is.
We walked back to the graveyard after going through the gate, then reached the old house to get back to the abandoned amusement park. I took one second look at the fun house. I swear I'll have nightmares about it.
Reaching the end of the woods, Hannah picked up her pace, and I did the same. "How did you get out of the house without your dad knowing?" I managed to reach her when we finally made it to our houses. Instead of answering, she took me to an area on one side of her home. She smiled proudly, allowing me to see how she got out of her house without her awful father knowing. There, in front of me next to the house is a tree with many branches from top to almost down at the bottom. The bottom ones aren't close to the ground. They are, however, close enough to where Hannah can jump off of them. "I'm guessing you climb up and down this thing..." I assumed, seeing an open window. We were behind her home.
"There's also a broken fence board," she told me, pointing at it. Indeed, there is a loose board not too far from us, hanging on the other side of the fence. "Every night, my dad turns on the alarm systems. They go off whenever any door is open, front and back."
"Does he do it when he leaves?" She nodded, brushing her hair out of her face. "It didn't go off when I went to get my ball back..." I pointed out.
"Dad noticed after he got home, muttering about it." She then shrugged it off. "He normally doesn't forget. Now he makes a note to make sure to keep security is on both at night when we're asleep and when he isn't home leaving me here all by myself." She moved some of her hair that was in her way. "My dad never lets me free no matter how much we argue about it. It's...frightening to see my dad get angry...and upset..." She turned towards the house then back in my direction. "I'll see you tomorrow night," she said farewell quietly, beaming with gratitude.
I was about to say something when something reached out from the shadows. I was about to warn her when a hand landed on her shoulder, causing her to gasp to where I almost screamed. Stepping out of the shadows is none other than Mr. Shivers, a look of pure anger in his eyes.
I hadn't heard the alarms in the house go off, so I bet he turned them off before coming out here. I hadn't even heard the front door open...or the back door. He was like a leopard ready to pounce on its prey. The prey being Hannah...
I have no idea how he knew she was out here, but from my theory, he probably went to do something bad to her, discovering that she wasn't inside the house before he could do anything.
Shivers forcefully made her face him, his glare burning. He didn't say a single word, while his daughter avoided eye contact. She changed into a completely different person - meek and terrified.
What is her dad doing to her to make her be this way? I need answers...badly. I stepped forward when his direction turned away from his kid, causing me to stop, my anger being replaced with fear. A chill ran down my spine, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. My heart went over a beat... He doesn't whip the stare off of me, coiling his fingers on Hannah's arm.
She doesn't react, standing there all timidly, knowing what's going to happen next... I can see it now...
Removing his glare for a split second, he leaned into her ear. "House..." he hissed, sending a chill throughout my body from how he said it. "The next time I catch you out here, you're in big trouble," he told Hannah, letting go of her. She was about to say something, then gave up, heading back inside. He waited until he heard the front door open, then closed, and set his eyes on me. He came closer, forcing me to walk backwards until my back hit the wooden fence next to the loose board.
My body stiffened, refusing to chill out. I want to say something...except I...I couldn't... I couldn't get anything out. I was too afraid to speak, though I felt awful for Hannah, knowing how it feels to live with someone...like him.
The look he gave me is unbearable...unforgiving... In his guts, he despises me like everyone else was back at home. To be fair, I hate every part of him. At the same time, I fear him.
I was more scared for his daughter, to be frank. I replaced my nervousness with a glare of my own. "I feel bad for your daughter."
He smirked unfriendly. "Feel bad for her, huh? What a nice thing to see in someone like you." I gritted my teeth together, not liking how I was being spoken to. He chuckled, sweeping his hand over his hair. "However...there's nothing going on in our home, young lady... nothing at all," he informed in an eerie manner.
"Then how come she is terrified when she sees you?" I threw a question at him, even though I was afraid.
His expression darkened, his smirk changing into a sinister kind of grin. "She isn't afraid of me."
"Then explain why her demeanor changes at an instant," I demanded, snapping my fingers. "First she's happy, then she's like all...nervous. You're doing something to her!"
A sudden sound came when he landed a hand on the fence - hard. Shivers' hard look pierced into me...my soul... "I'm not doing anything to my daughter," he growled roughly.
"Then why keep her indoors?" He didn't answer; he swiftly turned around, heading back inside. "Go ahead, walk away. You're being a coward since you refuse to give me straight forward answers. You're a terrible man to your own teenage kid. There's no need for her to stay inside. You cannot tell her not to go out and not make friends-"
"Enough!" he screamed out, shoving me off the fence. "Hannah is my daughter! Mine!" Due to his yelling, I was worried the whole neighborhood would hear him. "Go back home and never go near her!"
"Quit hollering..." I motioned my hand for him to pipe down.
"Don't tell me to keep it down! Hannah is my daughter. Stay away from her, stay away from me! I don't want to see you ever again!" He let out a huff, grabbed a hold of me, dragging me off the yard. "I'll give you one last warning...stay on your side of the fence and we won't have any problems... GOT IT?!" I was shoved off his front yard after he yelled.
"Y-yes, sir..." I stammered frightfully, after making sure I was okay. "I-I'll stay on my side of the yard..." I promised him.
He loosened up a bit, keeping the frown on him. "...Good. I don't need someone like you bothering us." He looked at the house with hatred. "I'll be sure to tell our new neighbors when I see them. If it's a guy, I'll be sure he stays away from my child and me. No one needs to know about us... about who I am..."
"Hmm..." I thought aloud, him looking back at me with the same expression. "You don't want anyone to know who you are... Pch, okay. Doesn't explain why you have those Goosebumps books in your study-" I stopped, already making a huge mistake, except it was too late.
At first, he didn't say a word, then his eyes grew wide. "Hannah let you in the house!?"
I backed up. "No- I mean, yes- I-I mean-"
"Hannah let you in the house!?" he repeated, his face turning red. "Why would she let you in our house?!"
"She..." I don't want her to get in trouble, fearing the worst. I hung my head. "...I let myself in..." I fibbed, saving his daughter.
He jabbed a finger in my face. "Why were you in our house?" he questioned.
"...I wanted to see if your daughter is okay..."
"She's fine," he spoke harshly. "Nothing is wrong with her."
"Doesn't look like it," I deeply frowned, bickering.
"Go home!"
I huffed under my breath, getting his message, walking a few steps, looking over my shoulder. "I will find out the truth about you, Shivers."
"Heh...we'll see about that, Missy..." he chuckled, not intimidated by my choice of words. "No one will know the truth about me... All in all, goodnight." Afterwards he headed back to his house.
I watched as he entered his home, giving me one last look of hatred, while I did the same. Then, he shut his door.
The feeling I have around him always makes me uneasy. He surely does scare me, no lie. Especially when he's staring into my soul like the devil... It's what he is... a devil... I don't care what aunt Sarah says...he's not a nice man to be around. I have to let her know before it's too late. Before she goes next door tomorrow with the cookies.
I have to tell her. Quickly, I got to my house, entered inside, and kicked off my shoes. I searched for my aunt, finding her in the kitchen cooking up some dinner. She whistled a tune, stirring something in the pot.
Tugging at the collar of my shirt, I went up to her. "Aunt Sarah...you should forget about giving baked cookies to our neighbors..."
She stopped mid-stir, silencing her whistling. "Pardon?"
"I don't want you to give cookies to that creepy man," I told her fearfully. "He doesn't like me. And I know he's doing something bad to Hannah."
"Ezzy..." She let out a sigh. "Tell me the one thing he does to her."
I rocked back and forth on my feet. "...he doesn't allow her outside..."
"Anything else?" She wanted more proof.
"He doesn't allow her to have friends..." I saw a skeptical look on her face. "Hannah told me," I explained, recalling what she talked about on the Ferris wheel. "She told me she gets home schooled, said she and her dad moved from one town to the next..."
"I see..."
"She also said she dreamed of going to an actual school. Too bad her dad doesn't allow her..."
Aunt Sarah seemed to shrug off what I said. "He could be worry about her."
"Worried?" I let out a scoff. "He doesn't want the school to know what he does to her. I know he's horrible to her."
"He isn't an abusive man," she said, going back to her stirring. "You're making assumptions."
"You're making assumptions!" I shot at her, having her whip her head back to me. "I saw her personality change whenever her dad was around her. He even said she'll be in big trouble if he catches her outside again," I feared, my body quivering.
"Like every house, there's rules. She simply isn't allowed after dark." Turning off the stove, she pulled out two plates. "I'll tell you what, I can go talk to him tomorrow to see what is really going on since you're concerned about her. It's nice of you to be worried about someone besides yourself. You normally don't do that."
I moved my eyes to the floor. "...I guess it's because Hannah isn't like the rest of the people back at our old home..."
"You got it," she replied, handing a plate to me with pasta. She helped herself to some, before going to the table, sitting at one of the chairs. "You know..." she brought up, forking her noodles. "...Shivers could be afraid his daughter may get kidnapped. They do come out at night."
"Well, I saw Hannah when I was in the old house." I put some of my own pasta in my mouth, not speaking until I finished eating. "She took me to a cemetery. While she did, she kept from going from one shady spot to another. She told me that 'she doesn't want to be caught by the cops'."
"We all know how teenagers are." My aunt ate off her plate.
"I'm a teenager..." I deadpanned dully. "I did...hear her dad saying that no one should know who they truly are, but...he also doesn't want anyone to know who he really is. They're both keeping secrets from me. Well, Hannah the most. She keeps avoiding the moonlight, wishing it was a cloudy night." I poked my fork around on my still full plate. "I have many questions to ask her, yet I know I'll never get any real answers from her and her dad..."
"Hannah prefers cloudy nights," she theorized incorrectly, finishing up. "By the way, I saw you hadn't taken your anti-depression and anxiety pills," she told me informatively.
"I know..." I breathed out. I normally don't forget. Although, on some occasions I do. It's a rare thing that happens. "I'll make it up for tomorrow like I always do," I said, as I kept on eating. "I'll also take my sleep pills when I go to bed."
"Good to hear that," she nodded confidently. "Don't fret about forgetting to take your medication. I was making sure you knew."
"...Thanks." Cleaning off my plate, I got up. "I'll see you in the morning..." I said somberly. I took my plate to the sink first, washed it, rinsed, and set it on the drying rack to let it air dry. I repeat the same process with my silverware.
Getting that done, I headed up to my room, pulling out a nightgown and fuzzy pants, along with other pieces of clothing. With the clean clothing I have, I headed to the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. I shouted to my aunt that I'm taking a shower, getting a reply back in return. I saw there was a lock, the ones that are moved to the side to keep the door shut. I took it, sliding it to the left, locking up the bathroom door.
The door locked, I went over and placed my clean clothes on the toilet seat I put down. Going to the tub, I turned on the water, waiting for it to be at the right temperature.
When it did, I removed my old clothing after turning on the shower head, tossing them to the floor. I put my necklace on the sink, and got in the tub, closing the shower curtain.
The water went down on me like rain, hot on my skin. It wasn't scolding, enough to where I won't burn myself.
I washed my hair and body. Once I was done, I dried myself as much as possible, got on my pajamas, and put my necklace back on. It feels weird when it isn't on me... I have no idea why, except I feel...exposed...
I shouldn't think such a...hideous thought... It's because I took off my necklace for the first time after wearing it for such a long time. Hannah does like it. I would give it to her, even if it had my name on it. She doesn't have much jewelry from what she said, getting them on holidays and on her birthday.
It isn't nice for him to love his daughter than go back to being nasty. It would cause a lot of confusion. And I bet Hannah does get confused when her dad goes from nice back to being cruel.
I opened the medicine cabinet, taking out my sleep pills. I put one in my mouth. I saw a cup on the sink, guessing my aunt put it there. It was plastic and can be reused. I would use my hands, but whatever.
After taking it, I brushed my teeth with my electric toothbrush.
While brushing my teeth, listening to the vibrating of my toothbrush, my mind keeps on bothering me on why Shivers doesn't treat his daughter right, why Hannah wished for it to be a cloudy night. Why there are locked manuscripts, why two men leaped out of the book like it was magic, introducing them as the Reality Police after I unlocked it, why I had a dream of monsters invading a town...like this one.
So many questions...so many answers I need... The one thing I can say is the house next door...is mysterious...
I pray Hannah isn't hurt by her dad... That's all I can do.
My teeth cleaned and my breath fresh, I rinsed turned off my toothbrush, rinsing it off. Then, I rinsed out my mouth. Leaving the bathroom, I headed to my room, and got under the covers, looking out the window to the house next door.
I looked away, laying there on my bed, trying to come up with answers within the house. Maybe... Maybe...
Sleep took over before I could come up with anything...
