Night readers 2

Introduction

 "Don't get lost Clemmie! I need your help with the rest of the boxes. I mean it."

Clemmie waved off his mom with a nonchalant, "Yeah, yeah" before dipping off into another room. The house was huge, but it creaked. This was their first day at their new house, which was in a new town. Which meant new friends, a new school, new everything. This wasn't something Clemmie agreed on of course. He let it be known on many occasions. His argument was that he just could not move to a new place. He would simply die if they did. His mother didn't care much about his bickering or his complaints.

They moved from the great city of New York to a tiny dot on the map called; Eureka Springs. His mom would describe it as "a cozy mountain town" but Clemmie would describe it as "a place you move to when you have nothing more to live for."

You're too far from anything exciting. With a bicycle ride you can leave your driveway, turn left and hit the main road, where you'll find all that the town has to offer on the same street. You can walk to and from school, stop for ice cream, hit the library, and pay a bill before getting home. The towns people seem friendly. Maybe too friendly for Clemmie.

The house they moved into was opposite to where they'd come from. Their place in New York was a lively, clean, wide-open space. The new house was wide-open alright, but it reeked of old books, had cobwebs in each corner, and was dead silent. Each room he went into had character, was that a good thing? Eh. He just knew he had to choose his room before his loud mouthed bushy eyed sister came in putting her claims on things, as if she pays the rent.

"Get outta' my way num-nuts!"

Speaking of the devil.

As if conjured up by a witch itself, Jude came charging around the corner. Clemmie raced ahead to the room at the end of the hallway that he had sights on.

"I already got dibs on this one JuUdE!"

"The only dibs you got are the dibs on pickin' and sortin' them boxes that mom needs help with downstairs!"

Jude shoved by Clemmie with a stiff shoulder and raced into the room he was heading for. "This will do it."

Jude, with a greedy smile spread her arms out as she stood in the middle of the bedroom floor. "Yep. I can see it now."

Clemmie watched, annoyed. "Yeah, I can see it too. Get your things set up nice in here. Mhm. I'd put your bed here on this side though, cus' I seen a nice juicy rat over there by the window. I can set you up some traps if you want?"

Jude rolled her eyes. "Get out of my room dickstick."

"Dickstick? That's new. Well, if you're gonna' be a snot about it, Ima have to tell mom about sneakin' frankie boy in the house the weekend she went to Nana's."

"You wouldn't."

"I would. Cause that's what dicksticks do."

Jude slit her eyes, crossed her arms, and stomped out with a "hmf" and an attitude that you could cut.

Clemmie fanned the air.

"Stop letting out your stink in my room"

Clemmie honestly wouldn't have chosen this room as his first choice, but since Jude wanted it why not. The room was spacious. Was it bigger than his old room? Could be. Clemmie did like the view from the window. He walked over and moved the curtain back.

THUMP.

Clemmie jumped at the sudden noise. A worn book, covered in dust and cobwebs had fallen from the top of the window. Clemmie blew dust away from the title. "Night Readers."

"Clemmie get downstairs and help me with these boxes!" Clemmie's mother interrupted, just as he was about to look inside. Clemme tucked the book under his arm and headed downstairs. "I'm comin'!" 

His mom was poised at the bottom of the steps with a few stacked boxes. A sweat broke out on her forehead, and her cheeks were red.

"Grab these will ya'?"

Clemmie met her grip, grabbing the boxes from her.

"Where you want them?"

"They go up to your sisters' room."

"She can't take her own boxes?"

His mom gave a glare that said "take them and shut up" before heading back to what she was doing. Each step with the boxes in tow felt like climbing Everest. Maybe not that steep, or difficult, but it felt close to it since they were Jude's boxes, and he didn't feel like helping in the first place.

"JuUuUude, I got your crap, where ya' at?"

There were three rooms upstairs, one of them was Clemmie's. Clemmie peered in the room closest to the stairs.

"Jude?"

No response. Room looked empty.

Clemmie moved down the hall to the room adjacent to his.

"Jude?"

No response.

"I'm droppin em' off here."

Clemmie released the boxes with a sigh of relief.

"Gee, what you got in there?"

Crreeek.

Clemmie whipped his head around towards the sound. It was coming from his bedroom. He left the door open, but it was now almost closed. That damn Jude. "Jude you better not be in my room." Clemmie crept towards the door and pushed it open. Revealing nothing. Hmm. Clemmie's eyebrows met in the middle. Do we actually have rats?

"What are you doing?"

Jude's voice from behind made him jump.

"Gah."

"Dammit Jude, you're hideous." Clemmie tried to play off the scare.

"Yeah, and you got spooked ya' wuss."

Clemmie looked down at his feet, he'd dropped the book he had clutched under his arm.

"What's that?"

Clemmie yanked it up before Jude could. "It's a book I found in my room. Check it out." Clemmie skimmed through the pages. "Looks like a short story collection."

"Let me see!" Jude snatched the book from Clemmie's grip.

She turned to the first story, "Boy in The Red Sweater" and glanced over the text. "Let's read it!"

Clemmie looked at the boxes, then back at the book. Anything other than helping with boxes, sounded nice.

"Alright, but don't get all scared on me. You know how mom is about creepy things."

"I ain't a chicken." Jude snapped.

Clemmie let his gaze linger on Jude. See, Clemmie and Jude are twins. 16 years old. Clemmie always brings up that he's 5 minutes older, because he was 5 minutes more mature, and 5 minutes wiser. Jude acts tough, but she's really frady. Last time they went to watch a new scare film at the drive in, Jude couldn't sleep for days. She'd come knocking on Clemmie's door and take the end of the bed. Clemmie on the other hand loved things that made him get the fresh creep. Clemmie grabbed the book with a sigh.

"Alright Jude."

They headed into Clemmie's room. Clemmie's bed wasn't set up just yet, so they laid out a blanket and grabbed two pillows to plop down on. "Ready?" Clemmie asked.

"Ready." Jude replied with eager eyes.

Clemmie opened the book. On the other side of the cover there was a handwritten note, "Annie's book. Keep out!"

I wonder who Annie is.

Clemmie flipped through to the first story and began to read, "The Boy in The Red Sweater."