The Golden Locket

Chapter Four: The Break In

Chapter Four: The Break In

Jake did a double-take as a thousand different questions swarmed into his head. He stared at the far wall, trying to pick which one to ask first. There was a drawing being held up by scotch tape. A drawing that Jake didn't remember seeing before.

"W-when did you see it?" Jake asked, still staring at the picture.

Michael look behind him at the picture saying, "It happened last night. I went upstairs to get a snack and it was raining, but as I reached into the fridge I started to hear this strange sound kind of like someone running down the road. I thought it was strange so I walked over to the window and looked outside. That's when I saw it. I remember everything. The claws, those yellow eyes, and the horns. I drew that picture of it right after it happened."

Jake stepped over to the wall. He inspected the drawing carefully. It showed the creature sprinting down the road at full speed. Michael's skill at drawing and attention to detail made it unmistakable. This was the creature that showed up at Jake's house.

In the meantime, Michael walked over to the pool table and took his turn. He lined up the shot and hit the cue ball hard, knocking two solids right next to each other into the same pocket. Jake jumped at the sound and turned around just in time to see them go in. 

"Lucky." He said, walking back over to the table, "Did I ever tell you you're very good at drawing?"

Michael smiled, "Being better than you doesn't make me good." He joked.

Jake glared at Michael for a moment and Michael glared back initiating a sort of staring contest. Jake broke first, laughing hysterically.

"So, about this monster thing." Jake started, "I didn't just see him at the campsite. I saw him last night too." Jake watched as Michael lined up another shot, hitting a solid but not knocking it in. Jake immediately saw a shot lined up and ready. He walked over to the table and took a shot at a stripe. The ball hit, but not before it knocked into the eight ball too. Jake watched as both the striped and eight balls went into two separate pockets.

"I win." Michael said, smiling. He walked around the table and grabbed Jake's stick from him. He set them up against the wall and turned back around to his friend. "So, what happened last night?"

Jake sat down on a chair in front of the television and told Michael everything about the creature. While Jake was talking, Michael reached for a rubber band on a table. He played with it while he listened, stretching it as far as he could without breaking it whenever Jake said something surprising. Jake's story ended and Michael let the rubber band fall to the floor.

"So," Michael started, "I guess the real questions are what is it exactly, and why is it following you."

Jake frowned slightly. My father disappeared at that campground eight years ago. It can't be a coinci-

Jake's thoughts immediately went away as the smell of burger meet wafted into the basement from above. The two friends were so busy talking, they hadn't even noticed Michael's mother Heather come home and start to cook. Jake glanced over at the clock on the wall and realized it was just past noon. It was lunchtime at the Vulnam house, and that meant great food.

"We'll finish this some other time." Michael said and the two of them climbed the creaky wooden staircase and turned into the kitchen. Heather was there cooking her famous hamburgers on the stove. She worked at and owned a restaurant in town called the Country Pantry which specialized in making different types of sandwiches. People came from all around just to try the signature Country Pantry burger. Heather was a short lady who always smiled. When she talked, her voice had a strange calming effect that made everyone feel at ease. Heather looked up when they walked in and waved to Jake.