Alone (Bluford High) (Watty Awards 2013)

Chapter 6

     Karen lay still in her bed under the covers as she heard the banging noise on her front door. Her parents were in their room sleeping, but she also noticed another sound in her room. Behind her, what sounded like hissing and heavy breathing. It was so close to her ear. She didn't want to turn around. A few moments later, the noises were still alive and well. Her heart was racing and her eyes widened. She felt as though the noises were going to kill her. Just then, she felt something moist on the back of her neck and her hair. With her natural instincts, she jumped out of her bed. She ran to her door to go to her parents, but she felt her tank-top collar being tugged. Before she could scream, a black gloved hand covered her mouth and both her hair and her shirt were being pulled roughly as she struggled to get away.  She heard her window open wide and she panicked. She bit the hand, but that didn't stop anything. She prayed that this was a horrendous nightmare and that she would wake up soon. But sadly, she knew the truth. Then, she felt her body being thrown out of the window and she shrieked as loud as she could. However, it was very brief and then there was silence. Only silence.

   Meanwhile, Elle, who lived across the street, heard the scream from her bedroom. Her bedroom light was on and she was watching a movie. She looked out of her window and saw Karen's window wide open. 

"Please, please, PLEASE let this be my imagination," she said to herself quietly. 

 She grabbed her cell phone from her nightstand because it was charging for a while now. She dialed her friend's number. She waited painfully and kept on waiting for an answer, but no one answered the phone. She tried it again and it failed. She called another four times and the result was still the exact same.

"Oh, my God. Oh, my God," she whispered.

   Elle had heard the nightly noises earlier as clear as Karen did. But she tried not to let it bother her. Now, her friend wasn't answering her phone. It was torture for her. Then, she heard the honking of a  horn in a truck, followed by the sound of it driving full speed away from the neighborhood. Just then, Elle saw Karen's bedroom light turn on and Susan and Michael burst inside the room.

"KAREN!! KAREN!!!!" she heard them scream in a muffled tone.

 Before Elle could open her own window to call them, she heard pounding footsteps coming towards her door and stomping their way inside. About six or seven figures covered in dark, clothes with blood and dirt splattered everywhere on them grabbed her. They had on eerie skull masks. She screamed as fiercly as can be.  One of them banged her head against the window twice, knocking her unconcious and shattering the window to pieces. Blood trickled down her forehead.

   Susan and Michael noticed this outside of their daughter's window, with Susan shrieking in terror. Suddenly, Elle's television smashed against the brick wall of the Amerson residence, nearly striking the horrified parents. Susan hurried into her bedroom and grabbed her cell phone off of her bed. Her heart sunk when she saw her closet door swing open and two figures who looked similar to those of Elle's attackers seized her. She screamed forcefully, but one of the figures threw her body over the stairs in the hallway and her head slammed on the wooden floor. She felt dizzy and clothes her eyes, only seeing darkness. 

  Michael goes outside Karen's room and his arm was pulled violently and his body hit the wall like a rock at a brick wall.