Prologue
A year and half ago
“I’m never third wheeling again.” I murmured pouting to Janet.
She held my arm and pulled me into a side hug, “I’m sorry. Luke just came. I would’ve told him not to.”
“Its fine.” I murmured even though it wasn’t. We planned this day for weeks.
“I’m sorry. I promise I will make it up to you.”
“Today’s Halloween. We were supposed to watch movies.”
“But Luke wants to go to the party. Maybe tomorrow. Or you could come to the party with us.” I wrinkled my brow and she sighed.
“Babe, let’s go.” Luke yelled from the door.
She rolled her eyes, “I’m coming.” She looked down at me, “We’ll continue the movie tomorrow I swear. No Luke. Just you and me like before.” I sighed and nodded.
We had agreed not to change when we entered high school but here we were less than three weeks into high school and she already had a boyfriend and couldn’t spend time with me.
She was changing.
I mean I was her only friend—no she was my only friend. It was the reason why I was so possessive of her. Maybe it was a bad thing. Maybe I was the one who needed to change too. I sighed rubbing my arms walking back home. She was going to a darn party. Since when did we start to go to Halloween parties? She told me she wasn’t going to go to the party and less than five hours later, she’s going to the darn party.
“I should’ve listened to dad.” I murmured.
Some friends don’t stay Alisa, learn how to thrive on your own.
I felt chills on my skin and I turned looking around. I felt like someone was looking at me. I shook my head from those thoughts and walked quickly home.
I unlocked my front door and my dog, Joey barked happy. I bent down and rubbed his fur.
“Who’s a good boy.” He barked and I smiled talking to him for a bit before my phone rang.
I picked it up clearing my throat.
“Hey honey.”
“Hey dad.”
“I’m here too.” my mum said and I chuckled.
“I didn’t know.”
“How’s the movie?” my dad asked I scoffed.
“She bailed to go to a party.”
“A party?” my mum yelled excited. “Why didn’t you go to the party with her?” she asked and I rolled my eyes. Typical mum. Wanting me to go out there. Chasing boys.
“She went with Luke.” I said with distaste.
“Oh.” she murmured. “She could still get a boyfriend too at the party or some new friends.” I heard her whisper to my dad.
“No. Look we’re on our way home. We’ll watch a movie together. Have a little family time.” my dad said and I rubbed Joey,
“On Halloween?”
“What’s wrong with that?”
I sighed, “Fine, just get home.”
We said our goodbyes and I went up to my room to change in a tank top and shorts for bed. I got downstairs and made some popcorn and put it on the centre table.
I frowned looking around. “Joey?” He wasn’t around. He was a wild dog which is why we kept him indoors. He didn’t really like strangers. I called out again and he didn’t come running. Did he bite the neighbour again? “Joey?” I yelled scared. What if the town slasher got him? Not a tire slasher, more like a living thing slasher. There was someone killing animals and last week, he or she killed Henley Kennedy. I rubbed my chest scared. “Joey?”
I saw a light blinking on my face. I looked out the window and saw it coming from the woods. “Joey?” I slid the back door open and frowned when I put my foot out. “No. I’m not gonna be stupid.” I murmured. I took my foot back in and closed the door. I heard a dog or a wolf howl. I bit my lower lip till it drew blood. I loved that dog, we grew up together. I rubbed my hair and huffed, “Its my darn backyard and I know those woods better than anyone. What could go wrong?”
I slid the door open and stepped out. “Joey?” I looked around the backyard. He wasn’t there. I walked closer to check his doghouse. I bent down and looked inside, “Joey?” I whispered but he wasn’t there. I heard some rustling in the bushes. It was my backyard, but it was Halloween. “Nope. I’m going inside.” I muttered and walked back to the open door. I felt my hair being grabbed and pulled back.
I yelled in shock and pain. I held the hand on my hair trying to relieve some pain. I felt a searing pain on my back. I screamed in pain as tears formed in my eyes. I turned and twisted myself ignoring the pain that shot through me. I kicked the person’s groin only for him to stab me back in the stomach. I hunched spitting blood out of my mouth.
I felt my body being thrown on the backyard lawn. I groaned in pain and put my arm out pulling my body towards the garage. I know we had some supplied there. I could maim the dude the way he was doing me. I could swear it was a he. The strength he used to throw me was wild. I couldn’t die in my backyard. I just needed to pull through until mum and dad came back. I felt a stab on my leg and I screamed. Where the hell were the neighbours?
I felt another on my upper back and I splattered blood out of my mouth again. “You bitch.” I muttered after I felt another stab in my back. I had never cursed a day in my life. I hit him with my leg grabbing the stone I was reaching out to. I turned to lie on my back and hit his head with the stone and he groaned.Yep, he was a male. Stupid men thinking they can just kill little girls like me because I was small and weak. I’m not dying at fifteen. My birthday was in a few months days. It was in a year but I liked to know that it was in a few months. I wasn’t going to die before my sweet sixteen.
I kicked him again and he dropped the knife. I went of my back and knees crawling towards the knife but he grabbed it before me stabbing me in the stomach. He was dressed in a black Halloween costume with a skull mask. I was not going to die like a horror movie. “Help.” I murmured weakly. “Someone help me.” I murmured as I fell to my side weakly. I was weak. Someone should’ve surely heard me screaming. Why weren’t they helping?
He laughed. He freaking laughed at my state. He lifted the knife and I heard a bark and my eyes went to Joey who looked like my knight in in brown fur. I coughed out more blood and he jumped on the man with the mask and scratched him with his claws. Do dogs have claws? If I was going to die tonight, I wasn’t going to die alone. I was going to take him down with me.
I watched Joey bite him and he yelled. Yeah that’s what pain feels like you killer. I heard the car pull up in the driveway. Dad was here. I coughed out some more blood and watch the man throw Joey off him. His mask fell off. Hey, it was the weird guy on the other end of the street. He never said anything or really came out of his house except when he wanted to buy something. The town creep tried to kill me.
I heard my dad call me from inside the house. The neigbourhood creep tried jumping over the fence but Joey pulled him back by biting his leg. He barked at the creep and scratched at his face. I heard my mum call Joey’s name before I saw her come out of the back door and look my way and screamed her lungs out. My dad came out watching where she was staring at and he run to me. “Call 911.” he said and he held me.
“It’s okay. You’ll be fine.”
“I...I...It hurts.” I managed to get out and he cradled me in his arms and I groaned.
“I know. We’ll get you to the hospital.” he said and looked at Joey who was still lashing out at a very wounded creep named Oliver. “Go start the car Anne.” he yelled and my mum looked at Joey and my dad snapped at her, “He’s got it. Go start the damn car.” She nodded and run out, and my dad gathered me in his arms carrying me to the front door.
He put me in the back seat as I heard police sirens and a police car stopped in front of the house. “He’s in the backyard.” My dad said before getting in the car and mum sped to the hospital. He always told me,never wait for help because no one is coming. Don’t trust the police and the ambulance these days. You’re much more reliable than them. Dad held me in his arms. He was scared.
“How is she?” my mum asked and my dad yelled at her, “Drive faster.”
I felt my eyelids grow heavy and I felt my vision go dark. “Don’t go to sleep Lisa.” he said and I couldn’t hear anything else because I did fall into the darkness. I hoped I dragged creepy little Oliver down into the darkness with me. I wasn’t going to die alone.
I couldn’t die alone. I was fifteen.
