10:31

Prologue

"Boo!"

"Stop that!" Vanessa screeched. "You know I don't like being scared." 

Jacob stared at his best friend's crossed arms with a matching frown on her face. Her pink, worn out mittens accompanied the kitten beanie that sloppily hung on her head. He couldn't help but laugh. "Come on Nessa, you have to get in the mood! Tonight is Halloween for goodness sake."

Vanessa stopped in her tracks on the leaf littered sidewalk that connected their houses. "I will be perfectly happy in my un-scary pony costume, thank you very much," she said with a smug smile. 

Jacob made a twisted facial expression and turned around to face her. "We're twelve years old now, aren't you a little too old for ponies?" He stuck his tongue out. 

"Aren't you a little too old to be a poop face?" Vanessa teased and started sprinting down the street. Jacob shook his head and ran after her. Girls, he thought. Soon they reached a large house at the end of the block with untrimmed grass and a lop sided sign in the front yard that read "FOR SALE."

"Okay Ness, fun's over. You know we aren't supposed to hang around that place," Jacob called after her, but she just ignored him and started prancing around the front steps. He was getting annoyed now. "Come back Nessa!" he groaned. 

"If you want me you're gonna have to come get me!" She turned the handle and mocked surprise as the door creaked open. Jacobs forehead creased as she ran playfully into the house. He knew that this was a bad idea, but he couldn't leave his friend stuck in an abandoned house. Who knew what was in there? His face was burning with anger, worry and fear as he cautiously entered behind her. 

"Nessa?" Jacob called out into the desolate area. Since there was no working electricity inside and the looming clouds outside prevailed, the room was dim. "Come out Ness, I got your joke." He looked around but couldn't find her.

 Soon, he heard faint giggling. Jacob scoffed. "Alright Vanessa," he drew out her name. " I know you're in here!" He didn't like to admit it, but he was getting scared now. All he wanted was to go home and drink some hot cocoa. Eventually the giggling stopped and turned into frantic screams. 

"Nessa stop!" Jacob yelled, exasperated. The screeches became higher and higher by the second and chills shocked through his body. "This isn't funny!" Hot tears rolled down his face. After what felt like an eternity, the noise halted and Vanessa finally appeared. She didn't look like her normal, cheery self though. The blood was drained from her face, and in the stream of gray light from a window, Jacob saw that her pupils were dilated. 

"Lets go home!" Jacob pleaded. His crying never stopped. But Vanessa didn't budge. She shook her head so slightly, Jacob wasn't sure if he saw it. Out from the darkness a white, spangly hand wrapped around her throat and dragged her into the depths of the home. She never stopped screaming his name.