Finding My Family **ON HOLD**

Ch 7: The Lost Boys

It was dark, that's all I knew at the moment. It was dark and probably the middle of the night. I've only been asleep for maybe four hours. At first I didn't hear the noise, I thought I was just dreaming or hearing things.  Then it happened again, a loud thump outside my window.

It wasn't too loud, but I'm used to listening to things that aren't normal. Like the closing of doors in my parents room or the creak of the second to last step on our stairs.  Even the stray cat that always seems to meow outside our window at night, but never be seen. Those are typical noises that I hear every night not the thump of footsteps and definitely not the scrape of my window opening.

I've been accustomed to waking up when I feel a shift in air, but for this instance I was already awake. The shift in air and the cold seeping through my drapes just confirm what I already know. Someone is breaking into my room. I hold my breath willing myself to look asleep as I clutch the switchblade I keep under my pillow. Ever since that rose I found from Volto here in my room I've hidden weapons all over the place. I know he's gone, but that doesn't mean some other whacko won't appear--I really seem to attract the unstable ones.

For a split second I remember my friends have come in through my window before. My heart stops racing in relief for a split second before I realize that the scent in the room is not associated with any of my friends. It smells like gas...no not farts, you know like gasoline. Oh dear! Are they hear to set my house on fire?!?! Calm down Sang! I don't hear any thing being poured around my room. All I hear is...nothing. The person has to be coming towards me. I can feel them getting closer. The heat of their proximity almost suffocating me in my panic, but I can't hear them. They are as silent as a ghost.

I prepare myself for what I'll need to do-- stab the guy in the throat when he gets close enough. I just need to stick it out for now. Wait for him to get closer, right above my face.

A static noise startles me. Almost giving away my awake state.

"Saaannnggg..." The man whispers and his voice is gravely, static, mechanical...Volto!!

I spring up in my bed before he can get any closer. I look at the man. It is Volto, he's wearing the mask. I scream. My hand holding the switch blade high above my head, ready to stab, doesn't move to attack. I'm frozen in fear, the only thing I can hear is my scream.

Volto tackles me as he clamps a hand over my mouth. I finally wake out of my frozen state and start to fight. I struggle under his wait, but I manage to pull my arm free and prepare to stab Cody. He promised to never hurt me! A commotion in the window grabs my attention.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" I hear and I whip my head towards Gabriel coming through the window. "Help!!" I try to yell through the hand over my mouth. Gabriel comes towards me, "Put the fucking knife away Trouble."

He casually walks over and pulls Volto's mask off. Underneath the mask and hoodie is Luke. My panic subsides, but my confusion grows.

"Happy Halloween!" Luke says with a grin.

------------6 hours earlier-------------

Luke POV

"Are you almost done with the fucking cookies?!?!" Gabe asks me from the living room.

"Shhh!!! North might hear you." I keep watch on the cookies in the oven. They are almost perfect. I never set a timer when I cook them, I just eye-ball the suckers. I have radar for these types of things. I know exactly when they are ready to come out of the oven and when they've had enough time to cool. You learn these types of things when you burn your mouth so many times before.