"That's just peachy." my best friend Melissa says frowning at the run down school bus making a noise that sounded like my dad's snoring. "My mom can't pick me up today because she is working. I have have to ride that thing." Melissa gestures over to the beat up school bus.
My stomach growls and I smile, "I'll drive you home if you buy me McDonald's."
Melissa rolls her eyes, "Okay. That beats having to ride that bus."
Melissa and I start making our way over to my convertible car. I look over to Melissa and she is staring at some shirtless guy in the parking lot. Oh crap! Melissa is obsessed with guys and keeping them as her pet. She likes chaining them up in her room and not letting them leave. If she runs off with that guy over there then I won't get McDonald's tonight. I look back to Melissa and then back to the shirtless guy and I grab Melissa's wrist, "No. You can't keep that guy as your pet."
Melissa snaps her head back to me and gasps, "How did you know I was going to do that?"
I stare at her completely shocked face and laugh, "Because you've done it to the last 23 guys you've been with!"
"Oh. Well can I just chain one more guy in my room?" Melissa pleads with her eyes.
"No! I want McDonald's for dinner and if you go with that guy over there I won't get any." I tighten my hand around her wrist. Melissa yanks her hand free and starts running toward the shirtless guy and she shouts back at me, "Glad you understand, Lizzy!"
"No! Come back!" I shout back at her. It's too late. Melissa is already talking to the shirtless guy. I sigh. It's pointless to try to drag her back here. She'd only yell at me for a week about how I let her man get away. I didn't feel like being yelled at for a week. I frowned. No McDonald's.
I got in my car and took one last look at Melissa. That was a bad idea. She was kissing the guy's pecks. I rolled my eyes. If she is going to do that then she at least needs a room. I drove to my house leaving Melissa and the shirtless dude in the parking lot.
I pulled into my driveway behind my mom's minivan. I stepped out of the car, but something seemed off. I couldn't put my finger on exactly what was off though. I shrugged it off and walked in the house.
"I'm home!", I called out, but the whole house was dark.
"Mom? Dad? Angie?" I called out again.
I didn't understand. They should be home. The car is parked outside. My little sister Angie should be running up to greet me like she always does.
Suddenly, I heard footsteps walking down the hall. Finally! Somebody's home. I ran to the sound of the footsteps in the hall and froze in my steps when I saw that it wasn't my mom, dad, or little sister. It was a man. The man turned on the lights. He looked all kinds of creepy. He was missing one eyeball. He had on huge slash going from his forehead down to his neck. His arms looked red and bloody and burnt. There was blood all over his clothes. He looked about 40 years old. The man was filthy from head to toe.
I took a few steps back. "Who are you?" I asked warily.
He smiled. Most of his teeth were gone and the teeth that were still attached were a very dark yellow.
"I'm George. I'm the man that murdered your family.", George said in a croaky voice.
Horror filled my body. Why would this man do such a thing to my family? Is he here to kill me too?
George limped toward me. I was frozen. I couldn't make myself move a muscle. George limped toward me until he was three inches from my face. I gagged. His breath smelled like rotten eggs.
