Bookview Valley

Sunday, March 3rd 2010

The rain fell hard on the sleepy town of Bookview Valley. It was quiet in the neighborhood, no one made a peep; no one at all, except a single studious mind. Brenda Hailey, an A+ senior of Brookview High. Every light in the house was off except for the lamp sitting on her desk. Brenda sat, her notebook on one side and her textbook on the other, her fingers sliding down the pages as she copied her notes. The clock ticked past midnight, but she continued on; her focus on the future, instead of the present. She was right at the last page of the chapter when she heard three thudding knocks coming from downstairs.

“Did someone knock on the door?” Brenda muttered to herself, looking up from the textbook. She waited a moment. Nothing. Brenda turned her head back to her notebook and that’s when it came again; three thudding knocks.

“No, okay, yeah, someone’s knocking on the door,” Brenda mumbled scooting herself back from the desk, “but who is it as this hour? Probably some crazy kids.” Continuing to mutter to herself, Brenda left her room and made her way to the front door. Slowly, Brenda placed her hand on the doorknob. She twisted; it didn’t budge.

“What?” Brenda peered closer at the door, and realized it was locked. She unlocked the door and finally pulled the door open. Behind the door, was nothing. Just a dark street, some rain, and a single lamp post that merely flickered in the distance.

“Weird,” Brenda murmured, “Maybe it was just the rain playing tricks on me.” Brenda locked the door back and made her way to her room. Once inside she glanced at her desk and the waiting textbook.

“It’s getting late, I should probably just get some sleep,” Brenda yawned. She flipped off her lamp and shut her textbook. Making her way into bed, she pulled the covers up to her nose. Her single nightlight shined at her, releasing a small puff of perfumed air.

“Some rest should help,” She whispered to herself, closing her eyes.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The three thudding knocks came again from downstairs. Brenda sat up quickly in her bed, her head snapping to her bedroom door.

“Yeah, I definitely heard that this time.” She proceeded to get out of bed and turn her bedroom light on, “Should I wake up mom?” Brenda stepped out of her room and peered into the hallway. All was silent in the house.

“No, I shouldn’t wake up mom, she has work tomorrow,” Brenda said and made her way back downstairs, once again. She reached the front door, hesitated, and then pulled it open.

Nothing. Absolutely, nothing. The lamp post in the distance no longer flickered, but instead was completely dark.

“This is so weird,” Brenda said, stepping outside onto the porch. Her white socks instantly soaked up the rain water resting on the wood. Brenda glanced around the porch seeing nothing out of the ordinary, “Maybe it’s just a bunch of kids, or maybe Tommy is playing a prank on me. Tommy?”

After waiting a moment, and still nothing Brenda traced her steps back inside the house, locking the door behind her. She waited a moment, her back to the front door. She listened for a single noise, but heard nothing. She made her way back to her bedroom and shut her bedroom door behind her. She flipped off the light switch and crawled into bed. She pulled the covers up to her neck and closed her eyes so tightly even the nightlight was dimmed behind her eyelids.

“It’s just my imagination,” Brenda whispered to herself, “There’s nothing there.”

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The three thudding knocks, but this time they came from closer. They were pounded on Brenda’s bedroom door. Brenda snapped straight up and tried to peer through the darkness at her bedroom door; the nightlight had turned off.

“Who is it?” Brenda said in barely a whisper, then louder, “Who is it? Mom, is that you?”

"Guess again.” A low raspy voice hissed from outside the door.

“Dad?” Brenda mumbled without a breath.

"Nope.” The door began to creak open, the sound jarring in the otherwise silence.

“Parker?" Brenda began to panic, she opened her mouth to scream. W-who are you? You c-can’t just come in!”

"Don’t scream. If you scream, I’ll kill you right now." The voice rasped. Brenda jammed her mouth shut. Her breathing quickened as her panic raised, her mind muggy with fear.

“Who are you?” She whispered.

"That doesn’t matter." The voiced chuckled lowly, seeming to grow closer even though she could hear no footsteps.

“Then what does?” Brenda demanded, adrenaline beginning to flood her system, her eyes surveying the dark room, unseeing to anything and anyone.

"This very moment.”

Screams were heard ringing through the neighborhood, so loud that it woke up everyone within a five foot radius. Brenda’s parents woke up and found Brenda...well, basically everywhere in her room. The cops were called, but in the end, no one was found to be suspected of the murder. Little did the small town know that this was only the beginning...