Let Me In

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

24 Hours Earlier

I fumbled with my keys and they dropped on the wet wooden porch. I shivered; I was soaked to the bone. I could feel Jeffrey shivering, too. It must have been really cold if Jeffrey was shivering, he was a penguin.

I picked up my keys and stood up again. I shoved them into the keyhole and unlocked the front door. The thunder boomed as I stepped inside my medium-sized, pretty old, but pleasingly comfortable house.

I closed the front door and leaned against it. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, glad to be away from the brewing thunderstorm.

Jeffrey squawked, and I opened my eyes. He was still in my arms. I put him down gingerly and shook my head to clear it. My dad wasn't home yet. Ha. Like I missed or cared about him even a tiny bit.

When I was little, I tried really hard to make my dad proud, and be the daughter he always wanted. My mom died when I was four, so I figured it was the least I could do to make him feel better. But I soon found out that whatever I did had no effect on my heartless father.

He was rude to me, told me my work was terrible, didn't care about my feelings. When I tried to do something nice for him he would tell at me. There was never any violence, just an air of hatred that resonated from my dad. I still don't know why he hates me. I just learned to accept it and hate him back.

My best friend was Jeffrey, my pet penguin. He fell out of the sky during a twister last year. That was when we lived in Kansas. But that's another story, for another time. Obviously he's a penguin, so he doesn't speak English. I think he understands me, though. He knows how to cheer me up when I need it. He's always there for me, and I like it that way.

Right now Jeffrey was waddling around on the floor, not going anywhere in particular. I took my coat off and hung it up, put my backpack down and then scooped him up, and as I did, the lights flickered. I could see out the window that the sky was getting darker. I went up the creaky staircase, skipping every other step.

The hallway was dingy, because nobody ever bothered to dust it. My door was the first on the left. I opened it and shut it as soon as we were inside. I flicked the lights on and plopped Jeffrey down on my bed.

"God, it's getting pretty bad out there," I tucked Jeffrey under the covers and sat next to him. "Where's my flashlight? The power might go out," I thought out loud. My lime-green flashlight was sitting on the floor. I picked it up and checked to see if it had batteries; it did.

Another crash of thunder boomed outside. I jumped, startled. Jeffrey went completely under the covers, until all I could see was a trembling Jeffrey-sized lump.

"Let's see what the news has to tell us," I said, walking over to my portable radio. I switched it on and found the right channel. I could only hear bits and pieces.

"...Declaring a state of emergency. Stay inside...lock doors and windows...food...water...shelter..."

I locked my bedroom door. We could stay here, eating could wait. Luckily, I had a bathroom connected to my bedroom. If we were thirsty we could get water from the sink. Jeffrey poked his black-and-white head out from under the covers as I checked the window. I locked it and the radio continued.

"Make sure to have flashlights...batteries...do not contact electric companies...won't be able to come until roads are cleared...again, state of emergency... stay tuned."

I pulled my phone out of my pocket, my light brown hair falling around my face. I pushed it behind my ears and clicked the home button. It still had lots of battery.

Jeffrey squawked again. The lights flickered, and I sat next to him on the bed. I pulled the soft blankets over both of us and cradled him in my arms.

The lights went out with a final flicker. The comforting hum of the heater stopped. Lightning flashed outside, illuminating the edges of the window for a second.

I felt around on the bed to find my flashlight. Once I found it, I clicked it on and shone it around the room. Suddenly my familiar bedroom looked like a creepy place.

"It's a lot scarier with the lights out, right, Jeffrey?" I felt him shiver in my arms. It was almost warm under the blankets, so he must have been scared.

"Don't worry, buddy," I said, hugging my penguin closer. "Just go to sleep, and it'll all be over in the morning." I held Jeffrey until his breathing became even, and I knew he was asleep. The storm quieted down after about an hour and a half. It was still early, but I was tired and really comfortable. I drifted off slowly, with Jeffrey still in my arms. The world seemed to be at peace.

That is, until a weird thumping sound broke the silence and almost gave me a heart attack.

A/N

Sorry if it's borin for now. It'll get more interesting soon.