Don't Let Him In

Don't LetHim in : Part 2

In the school refectory, the clatter of lunchtime was loud. J and Alex slid their trays onto a table in the middle of the room. J cast his eyes around looking for Laurie, and spotted him sitting alone.

"Look at him," J nodded in Laurie's direction. Alex turned his head, but did not stop chewing his macaroni cheese.

"What about him? Why the big interest in Laurie all of a sudden?" Alex continued shovelling the pasta into his mouth.

"Well he's on his own for one," J counted off on his fingers. "He's not eating, for another. And he looks like a zombie today!"

This caught Alex's attention, and he turned again to stare at Laurie.

"He does look odd, now you mention it ... like ..... I dunno, like he's sleepwalking."

J picked at his baguette and studied Laurie. He couldn't shake the idea that Laurie's behaviour today had a connection with what he had dreamed last night.

All through the school day J puzzled over the mystery of what was wrong with Laurie, and whether his dream had any bearing on it. As he and Alex trudged up-hill,home from school, he decided to confide in his friend. Describing the dream, he felt the chill and the dread again, as cold and threatening as it had been last night. Alex was agog, but equally confused by what it could mean. They parted ways at Alex's house, agreeing to discuss it more tomorrow at school, but J did not get through the night without incident.

It was pitch black, the clock read 3.03 am and J was jolted awake by the bad feeling again. In the gloom he listened, but heard nothing. As he had the previous night, J cast his mind around in search of what had woken him.

This time he 'found' himself in a garden, there was a curved path glowing faintly silver in the moonlight so he followed it towards the house. He wasn't sure whose home it was, although it seemed familiar. As he got closer he saw that the glazed back door was slightly open and the felt the hairs on the back of his neck began to prickle. He put his head around the door to listen to the silence of the house... but no, not silent. He could hear a faint sound of crying.

Even though he badly wanted to run away, J stepped over the threshold and into the kitchen. He moved cautiously into the room, the sobbing noise continued, but was closer. Looking round the kitchen, which was lit by the glow from the oven's digital clock as well as the moonlight, he could just discern a hunched figure in the corner. J made out a pale nightdress and long dark hair. He drew a little closer and put out his hand to touch the girl's shoulder - and that's when he remembered. Katie Thomson - they had been friends at primary school and his Mum and hers had become friends at the same time. He didn't see her much around school, except in his art class, but that's why he'd recognised the house.

As he touched her she whipped round, her cheeks wet with tears and her expression fearful.

"Did you see him?" she searched J's face.

"Who?" J looked over his shoulder with dread.

Katie clutched his arm digging her fingers in painfully.

"Him - he was here." Her eyes roamed the shadowy room.

"There's no-one here but us, " J wanted to reassure her, but she rose and went to the back door. Shutting it she turned the key in the lock, then she leaned her back on the door and held the key out to him.

"They let him in," she said and her shoulders shook with silent sobs.

The bright daylight made J scrunch his eyes tight shut. His dad had opened the blind and was on his way downstairs.