A rush of air passed by as Karen spoke. It was an icy, eerie wind that was too cold for summer. Karen’s face grew pale and she dropped the book and backed away from me. “Dana, what’s going on?! Dana!” She went to touch me, but a look of fear came over her face. “Dad! Dad!” She screamed and ran to find him. I felt tired; I couldn’t keep my eyes open.
I woke up to find a small crowd around me. My Dad was shaking me and slapping my face. Karen wouldn’t come near me. She looked terrified. Dad led me into the house and sat me down on the couch near the fire. “Tell me what happened.” He demanded.
“I don’t know. I just got cold and really sleepy.” I yawned and tried to go back to sleep.
“Dana! You have to stay awake. Stay with me.” He was being so firm, I couldn’t understand why.
“Karen, tell us what happened.” He called her closer, but she was sobbing now and could barely talk.
“Her face…She didn’t look right. Her face looked…It looked like someone else.” She knew it sounded crazy, and by the looks everyone was giving her, they thought Karen was losing it. “I know what I saw!” She screamed at them. “I told Dana about a boy named Ethan that died here in the lake and then she…she didn’t look the same.” The porch door slammed shut. Everyone jumped.
Ethan was standing inside the doorway crying softly. “I fell off the swing. I cut my hand.”
I walked over to him and inspected his wound. He clung to my leg as we walked to the kitchen. I sat him on the counter and looked for a band aid. He stopped crying and hung his head. “She was here. I can tell. I can feel her.”
“Who? Ethan, who was here?” I knew the answer before I asked.
“Sarah. I told her to leave you alone, but she wants you to leave. She pushed me out of the swing when I told her to go.” The air grew dense and cold as he spoke. “She doesn’t want us here. She doesn’t like company. She doesn’t want me to tell you her secrets.”
“What secrets? Ethan, why doesn’t she want us here?” I could see my breath as I spoke. The lights flickered.
Ethan didn’t hear me. He drifted off and whimpered as he spoke. “Don’t tell Sarah I went to the lake. She’ll tell mom it was my fault. I’m not supposed to go there. I don’t know how to swim. Sarah can though. I saw her there with Henry. She said she was teaching him how to float, but he wasn’t having fun. He wanted out. I tried to help him, but I leaned too far over the dock . . . I fell in. Sarah was right there.”
Check back tomorrow to see what the family does next!
I woke up to find a small crowd around me. My Dad was shaking me and slapping my face. Karen wouldn’t come near me. She looked terrified. Dad led me into the house and sat me down on the couch near the fire. “Tell me what happened.” He demanded.
“I don’t know. I just got cold and really sleepy.” I yawned and tried to go back to sleep.
“Dana! You have to stay awake. Stay with me.” He was being so firm, I couldn’t understand why.
“Karen, tell us what happened.” He called her closer, but she was sobbing now and could barely talk.
“Her face…She didn’t look right. Her face looked…It looked like someone else.” She knew it sounded crazy, and by the looks everyone was giving her, they thought Karen was losing it. “I know what I saw!” She screamed at them. “I told Dana about a boy named Ethan that died here in the lake and then she…she didn’t look the same.” The porch door slammed shut. Everyone jumped.
Ethan was standing inside the doorway crying softly. “I fell off the swing. I cut my hand.”
I walked over to him and inspected his wound. He clung to my leg as we walked to the kitchen. I sat him on the counter and looked for a band aid. He stopped crying and hung his head. “She was here. I can tell. I can feel her.”
“Who? Ethan, who was here?” I knew the answer before I asked.
“Sarah. I told her to leave you alone, but she wants you to leave. She pushed me out of the swing when I told her to go.” The air grew dense and cold as he spoke. “She doesn’t want us here. She doesn’t like company. She doesn’t want me to tell you her secrets.”
“What secrets? Ethan, why doesn’t she want us here?” I could see my breath as I spoke. The lights flickered.
Ethan didn’t hear me. He drifted off and whimpered as he spoke. “Don’t tell Sarah I went to the lake. She’ll tell mom it was my fault. I’m not supposed to go there. I don’t know how to swim. Sarah can though. I saw her there with Henry. She said she was teaching him how to float, but he wasn’t having fun. He wanted out. I tried to help him, but I leaned too far over the dock . . . I fell in. Sarah was right there.”
Check back tomorrow to see what the family does next!
