The House Next Door by P.J. Night

Author:P.J. Night
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon Spotlight

CHAPTER 7

Alyssa and Amanda stepped off of the security of their back porch and into the black night. They switched on their flashlights and scanned the field for any signs of Paul and Steve. The grass was motionless. Alyssa and Amanda darted their flashlights in all directions. Not a movement. Not a sound. Alyssa followed her sister’s gaze to the second floor window of their own home. The faint glow reminded Alyssa that their parents would soon ring in the New Year. And then it would time for everyone to leave.

“We have to hurry,” Amanda said. “And, as much as I hate to admit it, I think we should turn off our flashlights until we reach the house.” She knew her sister was nervous outside in the dark, but she also didn’t want any of the adults to spot the beams of their flashlights from the upstairs windows.

Alyssa nodded and grabbed her sister’s hand. Slowly, they each took a step toward the house next door. Without their flashlights, Alyssa and Amanda shuffled along an old beaten, cobbled pathway that led to the meadow. Fallen leaves squished under their feet with each step.

As they continued in the direction of the silhouetted house, both sisters suddenly stopped dead in their tracks. The grass and branches rustled behind them.

“Did you hear that?” Alyssa asked Amanda urgently.

They spun around to see stalks of grass shaking and quivering in front of them. Something was following them. Alyssa was paralyzed with fear. But, Amanda took a step forward to investigate. Steadily, Amanda switched her flashlight back on and focused the beam of light on the moving grass. There was definitely something in there. Step by step, she moved closer. When she reached the rustling grass, she leaned forward to get a better view. The flashlight trembled in her hand.

“Be careful!” Alyssa whispered.

“I know!” Amanda replied. She crouched down and parted the grass with her hands. Accompanied by a loud, piercing caw, a large shiny black wing skimmed her face. Amanda screamed just as loudly as the crow and fell backward onto the ground. The crow sprung from its hiding spot on the ground and flapped its way upward, taking flight into the night sky. Amanda let out another terrified wail, followed by a whimper.

“It was just a bird,” Alyssa told her, sitting beside her in the grass. The two sisters were silent, hoping that no one at the adult party had heard the scream. Then Alyssa noticed Amanda’s bloody fingers, which were tightly holding the flashlight. Amanda flashed the light on her hand and then the stinging area on her leg to reveal a small scrape. She must have gotten the scrape when she fell backward and then her hand brushed against it. A fine line of blood trickled from the wound and down into her shoe.

Alyssa hated the sight of blood. She felt her stomach turn over. Feeling queasy, she positioned herself into a squat and put her head between her knees. She forced herself to take a few deep breaths and waited for the nausea to pass.

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