He comes in the dark of the night

What do you think happens when you die? My sister Kylie knew what she thought, or at least what she said she thought, from the time she was seven years old. Most seven year olds think you'll go to Heaven when you die, or you'll live with God, or something nice like that, if they think about it at all. But not MY sister. She was always, well... different, even when she was seven.1

Kylie was always odd compared to other girls her age. She was always solemn and needy, eager to be the center of attention. She needed to feel superior to everyone, mostly me and my cousins, Casey and Luke. She wanted us to think she was smart and experienced. I know now she was probably lonely. I guess I could have been nicer to her. But that was then, and this is now, as S.E. Hinton would say.2

Kylie and I had lived with our Aunt Callie ever since I was three and she was six. My mother had abandoned us to go who-knows-where, as Aumt Callie said. My father decided he wasn't a good enough parent to take care of us and ever-so-thoughtfully dumped us on Aunt Callie, who already had my cousins Casey, who's 13 now, and Luke, who's 9, to take care of. Dad visits us every summer, but it's not the same. I feel like I don't have a dad, just some guy who visits me a few times a year.3

When I was four, my Uncle Carl, Aunt Callie's husband, died in a car accident. My aunt was too upset and busy to really explain death to any of us. She only said he was dead, and we'd never see him again. That was good enough for Casey and Luke, so they didn't ask for further explanation. They were upset enough as it was. 4

But I was curious. I went to Kylie and asked her, " Kylie, what happens when you die?"5

My sister, who didn't really understand death herself, took me to our room and tried to explain to me what she thought death was.6

" Dying," Kylie told me, " is sort of like being kidnapped. There is a black hooded person with a skull for a head. His name is Death. Death comes for you when you least expect it. Usually, he comes in the dark of the night, snatching you from your bed. He carries you away screaming under his cloak. Once you're under his cloak, no one can hear you screaming, Faye. He takes you to his world underground, and no one can ever find you, no matter how hard they try."7

i was afraid to sleep for months after that. I was terrified Death would come and take me. Kylie was older than me,and I always believed her at the time. I always remembered exactly what she said, because it terrified me so. She was seven at the time, and to me, knew everything.8

Later, of course, I realized the inconsistencies of her story and scoffed at it. Death didn't only occur at night. Everybody could see you after you died. your body was there, after all. And the hooded skeleton was just a legend.9

To this day, I don't know if she really believed it at the time or just wanted to scare me. Kylie has always been sadistic with the degree of delight she gets out of frightening people. Maybe she made it up to scare me, or she saw it on TV. I don't know.10

But regardless of where she got the story, Kylie still was telling it to me, Casey, and Luke when she was 14- much too old to still believe it. And we were much too old to be scared by it.11

My name is Faye Slater. I am eleven. I'm tall and blonde, like Casey. Casey is 13 and always sticking her nose in other people's business. She has boobs already. I think Kylie's jealous. She and Casey never get along. Luke is a typical boy- weird, noisy, and annoying. Kylie is 14. She's painfully thin, still flat-chested, with reddish hair.12

Well, today is Friday the 13th, and as I'm sure you know, it's supposed to be bad luck and all. Well, that's crap. I don't believe it, and I don't think Kylie does either, but she likes to pretend she does so she can scare Casey. Casey is very gullible. 13

We were in my and Kylie's room that we share, and so were Casey and Luke. Casey and Luke each get their own room, nut for some reason they're always in ours. Kylie was sitting on her bed, I was on mine with Casey, and Luke was sitting on the floor. It was night, and dark out. Casey the scaredy cat was already jumpy.14

Of course, it hadn't helped her jumpiness much when Kylie had attached a rubber monster glove to Casey's pull chain light, so when she grabbed the chain in the dark she grabbed the monster glove. You should have heard her scream. It was the loudest, shrillest sound ever. The whold household, including Luke, who had been outside, came running to see her clutching a plastic glove.15

" Good heavens!" Aunt Callie cried, her hand on her chest. " What is going on?"16

Casey paused her screaming to notice the whole family standing in the doorway staring at her. She looked at the glove in her hand and saw it was a fake. She looked back at us, well Kylie really. Kylie wasn't laughing, but she sure was smiling. The glee in her eyes was almost demonic. She really, really gets a kick out of stuff like this. And Casey is the perfect victim. 17

" Kylie!" Casey shrieked. " I hate you!" She looked wild with rage. Her blonde hair nearly stood on end. She was close to tears.
" Kylie!" Casey shrieked. " I hate you!"118

" What makes you think it was me?" Kylie asked angelically. Despite the voice, she did nothing to hide her grin.219

" Kylie, did you do this?" Aunt Callie asked sternly. As if anyone else would.320

Kylie shrugged, still grinning.421

" Of couse she did it!" Casey screamed. " She's always trying to scare me! " She flung the glove at Kylie, but she stepped aside, and it hit me.522

" Hey!" I said, throwing it back at her.623

" Stop it!" said Aunt Callie. " kylie, I''ve told you and told you not to tease Casey. It scares the whole household, not just her." 724

Kylie stopped smiling and began to sulk. " Good God, it was just a joke. Friday the 13th, get it? No one has a sense of humor."825

" I'll show you sense of humor!" Casey cried, lunging at Kylie. Aunt Callie grabbed her.926

" Casey! Stop it!" she yelled. Luke, bored, went downstairs, but I watched them, fascinated. Casey didn't like being told what to do. She jerked away from her mother.1027

" You're telling ME to stop? Why don't you tell her to stop?? SHe never leaves me alone! She's always trying to scare me! She's a freak!" Casey yelled.1128

" Shut up!" Kylie cried.1229

" You shut up!" 1330

" STOP IT!!!!"1431

At Aunt Callie's roar, Casey and Kylie went silent, glaring at each other. 1532

" Both of you stop it right now," Aunt Callie snapped, looking like she was about to wring their necks. " Casey, Kylie, go to your rooms and leave each other alone. Don't talk. Kylie, no more pranks. Leave Casey alone."1633

She stalked out of the room. Kylie and Casey were still eyeing each other evilly. I still stood, watching.1734

Kylie realized I was still there and turned her glare on me.1835

" What are you staring at, Faye?" she snapped.1936

" Aunt Callie said for you to leave," I said sweetly. I can be very bratty sometimes if I'm in the mood.2037

" Yeah, Kylie," Casey said. " No one wants you. So just leave." 2138

Kylie stalked out of the room, throwing, " Oh, all right. Never mind that I know what will happen to YOU tonight...." over her shoulder. I could hear her stomping. To be so bony, she sure is loud.2239

Casey looked a little nervous. " Do you think she really meant that?" she asked. " What if she's planning something?"2340

I shook my head, walking inside and sitting on her bed. " Nah. You know how she is."2441

Casey made a face. " I hate her. She's such a demon. I wish she would just disappear," she said furiously. 2542

Later I was to know how ironic her statement would be.2643

Later I was to know how ironic her statement would be...144

But at the time I didn't say anything. I just let her rant on, and even though I felt a little bad for letting her trash Kylie, I just sat there. I wanted to show her how mature I was and get on her good side so she'd like me. Most of the time Casey either ignored me, teased me, or said what a bratty little kid I was. I'd always wanted her acceptance. I'd always admired her. The rare times she treated me as if I was her own age, I treasured.245

When she was finished with her spiel, she said, " You know, Faye, sometimes you're all right."346

I positively glowed. It made me feel so special to be praised by Casey. So when she told me to get out of her room three seconds later, I didn't mind. I skipped down the hall to my and Kylie's room and flung myself down on the bed. Kylie was lying face down on her bed.447

" Traitor," she said, her voice muffled.548

" Huh?" I said, glancing over at her. 649

" Traitor. You sided with Casey. I'm your sister. You're supposed to take up for me," she hissed. She didn't lift her face from the pillow. 750

I didn't know what to say. " I didn't side with Casey," I protested. " I have nothing to do with you guys fighting. I'm not on anyone's side."851

" You are too. You stayed in there with Casey. And I know you weren't defending me either," she said.952

She was right. I didn't want to say that, though. I didn't want to tell her I had agreed with Casey, that it had been jerky of her to scare us like that. It would have made her mad at me for the rest of the day, and I hated when Kylie got mad at me. It was worse than when Casey was. Casey always flared up, then cooled down quickly, forgetting what she had been mad about. Kylie stayed mad. When you made her angry, she completely ignored you. She said you were dead to her, even going into detail about how you had died and telling everyone that you were dead. Then she would say she was glad. It always eventually drives me to tears when she does this. Kylie may annoy me, but I loved her. She was my big sister, and I wanted her love and approval even more than I wanted Casey's.1053

" Kylie, don't be mad," I begged. " I'm not on Casey's side, really."1154

To my horror, Kylie began to cry. I stared at her, shocked. Kylie never cried. I mean NEVER. What had I done to her? Why hadn't I just laughed at her stupid joke? Why had I stayed in Casey's room?1255

" Everyone hates me," she sobbed. " I wish I were dead."1356

I jumped off of my bed, sitting beside her. I put my arms around her, concerned, trying desperately to make her stop crying. Her shoulders were shaking awfully. 1457

" Kylie? Kylie, don't cry! I love you! I don't want you to die!"1558

Suddenly, she rolled over, grabbing me. I screamed at what I saw. Kylie's head was a skull!1659

" Too late," she growled. 1760

I screamed again. It took me a second to realize that the skull was a mask, and the reason Kylie's shoulders had been shaking so hard was she had been supressing laughter. When she saw the realization dawn on my face, she positively howled with laughter. I was furious. She had made me out to be a fool! Now I knew how Casey had felt. 1861

She took the mask off, which I saw had a fisher line across the back that had been invisible to my eye. Still snickering,looking very content, obviously not having been crying, she said, " So you LOVE me, Faye? That's news to me."1962

" NO!" I cried. " I hate you!"2063

" That's not what you said a second ago," Kylie chortled. 2164

I stomped out of the room, leaving Kylie alone, gleeful over her second scare in ten minutes.2265

66

I guess I've about led you up to now, three hours later, in Kylie's and my room, if you'll recall. We were bored. Aunt Callie had told us to leave her alone and be quiet, so we were hanging out in our room. It was just beginning to get dark outside, and as I said before,it was thundering and lightening, the rain beating on the windows and making steady drumming sounds. Casey had mostly forgotten her anger at Kylie, as typical for her. I hadn't. I wasn't furious anymore, but I was certainly resentful. She was on my bad side, let's put it that way. Luke was making annoying noises by pounding his heels on the floor.167

" Stop it!" Casey said, reaching down from her sprawled position on my bed to smack him. He swatted back. She shoved him; he pinched her; she squealed.268

" Luke, quit!" she whined.369

" You started it," he replied. 470

" Shut up," I said, referring to both of them. Casey, missing the point, smiled at me. 571

" Thank you, Faye."672

Kylie, who was sitting on her bed, hadn't listened to their squabbling. She had been sitting with her head in her hands, apparently thinking about something. She was probably plotting some other joke, I thought, still angry with her.773

Suddenly there was a loud noise, like something colliding against our window. All of us jumped, and Casey screamed. Lightening struck at the same moment, like something out of a cheesy horror movie. It scared me, though.874

" What was that?" asked Luke, his voice quavering slightly. Kylie, who was never scared of anything, calmly got up and went to the window, peering through it.975

" It's just Phoebe, you scaredy cats," she said. Phoebe was our neigbor's black cat. As if to back her up, Phoebe meowed, scratching at the window.1076

Casey breathed a sigh of relief. " She must have gotten caught in the storm."1177

" Let her in. Mrs. Rupert won't mind," I said.1278

Kylie began to open the window, but then stopped abruptly. " Isn't it funny she just HAPPENED to come to our house instead of her own?" she asked in the low, spooky voice she always used when she wanted to scare us. " Why our house?"1379

Casey rolled her eyes. " Duh. Because she was closer to ours. She's just a cat, not a demon or something."1480

" You didn't think so a minute ago," Luke jeered. " You screamed, Casey."1581

Casey glared at him. " Shut up, geek."1682

" She may be just a cat," Kylie said ominously, " But she's a BLACK cat. AND it's Friday the 13th. That's a bad side. In fact, it's an omen. She might have been sent by the Keeper of Death."1783

That was what Kylie called the skull face from her cheerful little afterlife story. 1884

Casey stiffened. I could tell she was a little chilled. I wasn't, though. I was impatient with Kylie's messing around. Enough was enough. Did she never get sick of stupid pranks? But I too had to admit Phoebe's coming over was a little weird.1985

" You don't know what you're talking about," Casey said uncertainly.2086

" I'm not scared of you," Luke agreed. But he too looked apprehensive. They were so gullible!2187

" I'm not trying to scare you," Kylie insisted in the same creepy tone. " It's Friday the 13th. Anything can happen today. And it will. We can't stop it. But we shouldn't just invite a black cat in, even if it's just Phoebe. they're unlucky. People die sometimes after seeing them. WE could die."2288

Now this was just stupid. I had to butt in at that point.2389

" I pet Phoebe all the time and I'm not dead yet," I said defiantly. " So there, Kylie."2490

" Yeah," chimed in Casey. " Me neither."2591

" Do you really want to chance it today? " Kylie asked. " Isn't it creepy enough that a black cat just HAPPENED to be meowing at our window, in the middle of a storm, on tonight of al nights?"2692

" No," I said reasonably.2793

Kylie scowled at me. 2894

" It is a little weird," Casey said slowly. " Maybe we shouldn't let her in."2995

I saw Kylie hide a grin at that. Rolling my eyes, I said to Casey, " She's just trying to scare you!"3096

" Oh, am I? Fine, let her in. Who cares if we all die?" Kylie sulked, mad at being cornered.3197

" I don't," I said, getting up to open the window. But Casey the chicken grabbed me.3298

" Don't, Faye," she said, her voice wavering. " She'll be okay out there."3399

" It's raining, " I said, staring at her. " She's going to get wet. You're scared, aren't you?" I laughed at her. Casey glowered defensively.34100

" No, Faye, I'm not scared!"35101

" Yeah, right."36102

But we did leave Phoebe outside, so Kylie and Casey got their way. But Kylie couldn't let it go. She had to continue on with her little game. As usual.37103

" Who heard her first?" she asked in a serious tone.38104

We exchanged confused glances. " Huh?"39105

" When Phoebe jumped on the window," Kylie answered, " who heard her first?"40106

We looked at each other bemusedly, wondering what that had to do with anything.41107

" We all heard her at the same time," I said. " Didn't we? Why does it matter?"42108

Kylie didn't answer right away. " We all heard her at the same time," she muttered to herself. " That means... something's going to happen to all of us."43109

The room got quiet fast. We all looked uneasily at Kylie. Luke squirmed. Casey shivered. I tutted.44110

" Sure, Kylie. Sure."45111

" You'll see," she insisted. " Do you think i'd make something like that up?'"46112

Luke, Casey and I all nodded, saying, " Yeah," " It wouldn't surprise me" and " Uh huh."47113

Disgusted, Kylie shook her head. " Skeptics." She stood up, picked up a glass of water from the night table, and took a drink. Sitting back down with a gasp, she keeled over onto the floor beside Luke. We all gasped. Casey shrieked.48114

" Kylie! Kylie, what's wrong?" I asked, rushing to her side. Her eyes were open, but she wasn't blinking. She didn't seem to be breathing either.49115

Luke ran out of the room, terrified, screaming, " Mommm!"50116

I put my hands on Kylie's bony shoulders, shaking her frantically. Her head flopped lifelessly. Casey was screaming, " She's been poisoned! She's dead ! Oh god god god!"51117

I shook her again, feeling desperate, panicked. How could she be dead? She had just been alive, talking to us! Who had poisoned her? Sure, she was a brat, but why would someone poison my sister?!52118

Suddenly, her hands were around my neck, and her eyes open, her teeth in a snarl. She pushed me away from her. I screamed in shock and fury. Kylie sat up, laughing hysterically. 53119

" You are sooo much fun to tease!" she crowed.54120

I stared at her for a few seconds, slowly catching on. She had just played yet ANOTHER prank. A very, very unfunny one. Casey slowly caught on just as I did. She ran to Kylie and shoved her, hard.55121

" Kylie what is wrong with you!?" she yelled. " You are such a loser!"56122

" That wasn't funny, Kylie!" I screamed. " We were really scared!"57123

" Exactly," she chuckled.58124

Casey stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. I would have followed, but I probably would have been kicked out of her room. Kylie stopped laughing and stared after her, her eyes narrowing. 59125

" Oh come on. It was a joke." She turned to me. " It was a joke, Faye. "60126

" leave me alone,'" I growled, turning my back to her.61127

" Humorless child," she muttered, flopping onto her bed. " I really meant it about Phoebe, though."62128

I laughed dryly, not amused in the least. " Right."63129

Kylie narrowed her eyes at me. She didn't like being laughed at, especially by her little sister.64130

" You'll see. Just wait."65131

" Oh, I'm sooo frightened," I said, my voice dripping in sarcasm. " No one believes you, Kylie. You're being stupid."66132

Kylie regarded me coldly now, her icy blue eyes shooting daggers. It was a little scary how she could go from hysteria to such fury in so short a time.67133

" If you're not frightened now," she hissed, " you will be soon."68134

I had had quite enough of Kylie's little tricks by now. Standing up, I went downstairs to watch TV, throwing a " Whatever, Kylie," over my shoulder. But I knew she was still watching me, staring. It gave me the creeps, even though I knew that was exactly what she wanted to do and I shouldn't let her.1135

I watched TV for an hour or so with Luke. We squabbled over the remote and what to watch for a while before settling on cartoons. If Kylie had been down there I bet she would have made us watch The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or something. But luckily, she was staying in her room, hopefully getting the hint that no one wanted her around. At 11, Aunt Callie came downstairs and told us to go to bed. I had no choice but to go to our room, though I was not wanting to be around Kylie.2136

When I opened the door, she was laying on her bed with her headphones on. She glanced up. " You still mad at me? " she asked. I shrugged grumpily.3137

" Jeez. This family is so missing a funny bone."4138

" It hurts when you hit your funny bone," I pointed out. Kylie ignored that.5139

" And, " I added, determined to spite her, " it's already 11 and no one's died yet. So there, Kylie. "6140

" How do you know?" Kylie whispered.7141

" Because I just saw Luke, and he's still alive. And so was Aunt Callie."8142

" What about Casey? When's the last time you saw her?"9143

" Kylie, shut up okay?" I snapped. 10144

" I'd go check on her if I were you. Anything could have happened. She might even have died. Why, for all you know we might be dead. We could be ghosts."11145

I had had it with her twisted sense of " humor". " Kylie, I'm going to bed. If you die in the middle of the night, come wake me up. But if I die, just leave me alone. I could use the peace," I snapped. I climbed into bed and turned out the light. For once, Kylie had no comeback. I felt pretty pleased with myself.12146

I was on the verge of sleep when I heard Kylie whisper, " Sweet dreams, Faye," in a quite malicious tone. That woke me up again and made me mad all over again. Especially when she added in a whisper, " And if we die before we wake, I pray the Lord our souls he'll take..."13147

" Kylie!" I nearly screamed. She NEVER knew when to quit!14148

" Shh, I'm praying, Faye," she said innocently. Sacriligious witch! I thought venemously. But she finally shut up, and I drifted off to sleep.15149

I was awakened in what seemed like only a minute by a jab in my side. I ignored it, burrowing in my blanket. I felt the jab again,harder this time. It actually hurt, it was so sharp.16150

" What?" I moaned.17151

I was answered by another jab. i rolled over, and slowly opened my eyes. What I saw made me scream in shock and clutch the covers to my throat. There was a black hooded figure at the foot of my bed, his face hidden in his hood. As I stared in awe, it beckoned slowly, a white, bony hand reaching out of the robe. 18152

I was terrified for a second before I realized where I was, what day it was, and that I had Kylie the scream queen for a sister. Determined not to let her embarrass me more, I relaxed, dropping my covers, and scowled at her.19153

" Okay, Kylie! I know it's you! I'm sick of this!" I said shrilly. " Why did you wake me up in the middle of the night? Just to scare me? What's wrong with you?!"20154

Kylie didn't answer me. She merely beckoned again. I scowled. This was way, way too far.21155

" Cut it out! leave me alone! Go scare Casey!" I yelled. I had been SLEEPING, for Christ's sake!22156

She didn't say anything. This was unusual. usually afer a prank, she would laugh hysterically, or sulk when you got mad at her.23157

" Well aren't you going to say anything?" I demanded.24158

She shook her head slowly.25159

" Then I'm going back to sleep," I said, crawling back under the covers. That was when she grabbed my arm and held it tightly, so tightly I gasped. With the other hand, she roughly turned my head to the right, where Kylie's bed was. That was when I shrieked. Because Kylie was still in bed, asleep.26160

The person with its hands on me right now was not Kylie!27161


" Oh my god!" I whispered. " Who are you?"1162

The hooded figure raised its pale, bony hands, and slowly lifted the hood back from its face. Staring back at me was an old, grinning skull, with empty hollows for eyes. It was the figure from Kylie's story. It was the Keeper of Death. But this wasn't a story. This was REAL. And it was standing in my bedroom!2163

I screamed. Scrambling out of bed, I ran to Kylie, shaking her frantically and screaming her name. She flopped about lifelessly.3164

" Kylie!" I screamed. " Wake up! Kylie, wake up!"4165

It wasn't long before I realized she would never wake up again, that Kylie was dead. Supressing the urge to throw up, I turned and ran from the room, screaming as loud as I could. 5166

" AUNT CALLIE! AUNT CALLIIIIEEEE! CASEY! LUKE! CASEY! HELLLP!"6167

I ran into Casey's room, it was the closest. She too was in bed, fast asleep. I shook her desperately, screaming for her to wake up. It didn't take me long to see that she too was dead.7168

All I could think of was what Kylie had said, that she was right, she had really been right. Something awful HAD happened. People HAD died. All these years, I'd doubted her, I'd made fun of her story about the Keeper of Death, but she had been right. She had been right!8169

Now almost hysterical with fear, I ran into Luke's room. I shook him so hard his head knocked back and forth, but it was no use. He too was dead.9170

All of them were dead. All of them. And now the Keeper of Death had come for me.10171

I ran downstairs to Aunt Callie's room, but the door was locked. I pounded on it, yelling and cursing, but she didn't answer, and she didn't open up. She must be dead too, I thought wildly.11172

Suddenly I stopped making noise. The house was silent. Almost against my will, I turned my head toward the stairs. The Keeper of Death was standing at the top of them. As I stared at it in horror, it spoke. But the scary thing was, it spoke using Kylie's voice.12173


" she can't hear you, Faye. He touched you, remember?"1174

I froze at the voice issuing from the hooded figure just ahead, the Keeper of Death. That just could not be my sister's voice. There was no way. Kylie was dead. Kylie couldn't speak anymore if she wanted to. None of this could be happening to me.2175

" It's not real," I said aloud, hysteria contorting my voice so it came out tight and highpitched. " It's just a dream. This is just a dream. A nightmare. When I wake up, everything will be okay."3176

The figure spoke again, still using Kylie's voice.4177

" It's NOT a dream, Faye. Or at least, tomorrow it won't be. You're dreaming now, but soon you'll be dead."5178

" Get away," I choked out, backing away from the stairs, my hands raised defensively. As though my hands, my little eleven year old hands that had never done a day's work, could save me from Death. My heart was pounding so fast I thought it would burst from my chest and land at the figure's feet, a sacrifice to him. Maybe if I gave him my heart, he would spare me... what was I thinking? Crazy thoughts! I couldn't give him my heart and still live! 6179

The figure, unmoving, impassive, stared at me as I backed away.7180

" You should have believed me, Faye," it said in Kylie's voice. " I knew it was true. The only thing is, I didn't know it would use ME."8181

She ( what was I thinking? This was NOT Kylie, it couldn't be. Kylie was my sister, she might act evil but she was only joking, this couldn't be my sister, I LOVED my sister!) took a step forward, and then another. I sank against wall, having backed myself into a corner. I shook with terrror.9182

" Please," I sobbed. " Please..."10183

" I didn't want to do this, Faye," said Kylie's voice, '' but it's not my decision. It was yours. This wouldn't have happened to you if you had listened to me, if you hadn't laughed at me. I'm sorry. I really did love you, not like Casey and Luke. But it wasn't my decision. And I have to do this, even if you are my sister... the Keeper of Death does not allow those who are contemptuous to live."11184

She raised her hand, and I recognized it at that moment as Kylie's. Pale, bony, freckless... how could I have not recognized my sister's hand? Crazy thoughts of escape raced through my head. I knew it was ineveitable. I was going to die.12185

" Don't worry, Faye," Kylie murmered. " You'll be with Casey and Luke.... and Mommy."13186

Suddenly it was quite clear in my mind where my mother had been all these years. I moaned, wanting to close my eyes but unable to look away.14187

Her hand still stretched, Kylie beckoned, her hollow skeleton eyes fixed on mine. " Come. Give me a hug..."15188

Powerless to resist, but still able to think resistantly, I found myself walking towards her, even as I tried desperately to stop. When I reached her, Kylie spread her arms wide, and I stepped into them. When her skeletal arms, not unlike what they had been in real life, closed around me, I fell through her robe. Suddenly I was falling down a seemingly bottomless pit, screaming, screaming in fear... I wanted to stop falling, to land, but I knew I didn't want to see what horrors awaited me where I was heading...16189


Callie Canfield woke up at 8:30 the next day. The house was silent. None of the kids were up yet, apparently. She made herself cofee and enjoyed the peace. There wasn't much of that what with four kids in the house.1190

When she had drank three cups and no one was up yet, she thought it was a little strange, but she wasn't worried. Usually Faye or Luke was up by now, but the kids must have all stayed up late and were sleeping in today.2191

When it was 10:45 and still silent, she decided to wake them up herself. She had some errands to run, and they had had quite enough sleep.3192

She went upstairs to Casey's room and opened the door. She reached Casey's bed and shook her daughter, fast asleep, gently. 4193

" Casey? It's almost 11. Time to get up."5194

Casey didn't stir. Callie shook her again. 6195

" Casey. You need to get up. We have to get going."7196

Casey flopped lifelessly as Callie moved her. Callie frowned. Something was wrong. She tried to wake her once again. Casey had never slept this well before, was she drunk? Drugged? What had they been doing last night?8197

Callie pinched her, hard. Casey made no response. Callie pulled the covers off her. No response. Callie tried to stay calm, but she was beginning to feel panicked. What was wrong with her daughter? Why wouldn't she wake up? She yelled at her, and when there was still nothing, she grabbed her wrist, wanting to quell her rising fear that maybe, just maybe Casey was not just sleeping. Checking her pulse, she discovered to her horror that there was not one. 9198

" Oh god! Oh god! She's dead, she's dead!" she shrieked. Desperately, she covered her mouth with her own and blew into it, then thrust her chest with her hands, performing CPR. Over and over she tried, sobbing so hard she could barely make herself perform it. But it was no use. Finally giving up, Callie dialled 911, sobbing that she'd found her daughter dead, come quick!10199

After hanging up, she hurried to Luke's room, still crying hard. She went to his side and tried to awaken him , sobbing for him to wake up, wake up, Luke. But to her utter horror and shock, Luke too merely flopped unresponsively. Realizing that he too was dead, Callie screamed, slapping his face and shaking him. 11200

" Luke! Wake up! LUUUUKE!"12201

Luke didn't, couldn't, reply. Now fully hysterical, Callie dropped him, racing down the hall to Faye and Kylie's room. She had to check on them, see if they were all right... they had to be! 13202

Faye was in bed too, but Kylie was nowhere to be seen. Callie's relief in not finding Kylie dead was dampened by her horror at seeing Faye too, motionless in bed. For the third time, Callie shook, screamed at, and pinched an unresponsive child. When it was clear that Faye too was gone, she sank on the floor, too shocked to do anythng but weep. And that was where the paramedics found her. Questioning her quickly, and responding to her hysterical cries that all her children were dead, they rushed into the other bedrooms. They found the bodies of Casey, Luke, and Faye, and discovered they were indeed dead. No amount of CPR could revive them. The strangest part was, when they searched the children's bodies, there were no injuries or signs of anything that could have killed them. It appeared as though they had just stopped breathing in their sleep.14203

After determining that the children were dead, they went back to Faye and Kylie's room to question Callie further.15204

" Where's Kylie?" she asked as soon as she saw them. '" where's Kylie? I can't find Kylie!"16205

" Kylie?" they asked, exchanging confused glances.17206

" Kylie! My neice! She's the only one I didn't find dead, but I can't find her at all! She isn't anywhere!" Callie wailed.18207

The paramedics tried to calm her down, unsure of how to proceed. " Easy. Take deep breaths. You'll hypervenitlate," the said.19208

Callie wouldn't be calmed. " I have to find her! I need to know if she's alive!" she cried.20209

She stood up and ran out of the room.21210

" Kylie! It's your Aunt Callie! Kylie, it's okay, you can come out!" she shrieked.22211


" Kylie! Kylie, it's your Aunt Callie! Kylie, come out, it's okay now, you're safe!" she called. 1212

Callie ran around the entire house, searching and calling Kylie's name. But she didn't find her, and Kylie did not reply. Defeated, she sank to the floor, sobbing. A paramedic gave her a sedative, and later she was taken to the hospital for shock treatment. The bodies of Casey, Faye, and Luke were taken to a morgue to be closer examined. Callie was the chief suspect in what they suspected was foul play.2213

Later that day, a whole team of police officers searched the entire house, top to bottom, looking for evidence of what could have killed the children, evidence of what had happened to Kylie. No one found the slightest thing amiss. A missing persons warrant was drafted about fourteen year old Kylie Slater, and though people heard about her and saw her on TV, no one ever found Kylie. And no one ever knew just what had taken place on Friday the 13th, 2002.3214

**************************************************4215

" Oh come on," scorned Ginny Sloane, to her older foster sister, Sydney. " That was supposed to be scary?"5216

" It's true," Sydney said solemnly. " It really happened, to someone I know."6217

Sydney had just turned 15. She had red hair and blue eyes. Ginny was 11, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Sydney had come to live with Ginny and her family in England a few months ago, because of her parents' deaths. 7218

" Yeah right. Who would that someone be? Practically everyone was dead at the end of your story," Ginny scoffed.8219

" I wouldn't be so sure," Sydney warned. " Remember what happened to Faye when she didn't believe HER sister?"9220

" Faye was made up," Ginny said. " And besides, it's not even Friday the 13th yet. Not until tomorrow."10221

" Exactly," said Sydney. " I'm warning you ahead of time so you don't die."11222

Ginny rolled her eyes. " I'm going to bed,' she announced. " Goodnight, Sydney, pray I don't die in the middle of the night."12223

She turned out the lights and climbed into bed. Sydney lay in the darkness, listening to Ginny's breathing. It had been a long time since she had slept in a room with another girl. When she was sure Ginny was asleep, she whispered, " We'll see what she thinks tomorrow... I like Ginny. I hope I can make her believe me."13224

" What?" Ginny murmured. She had not quite been asleep after all. 14225

" I said, sweet dreams," Sydney told her.15226

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