Hold me all night long, even... if it kills you?

No one cooks at 11 O'clock in the night.

I didn't realize I fell asleep while doing my Calculus homework, although there was no surprise there. The sound of the telephone ringing in the living room startled me and I gasped taking in my surroundings. My laptop was the only source of lighting and the white light flooded my dark room. I ran my fingers through my hair and padded across the hallway to pick up the phone.

"Hello?" I spoke into the phone. The line on the other end cracked and I felt fear rising through me. Could it be? Could it be the last person who I wanted to talk to?

"There's $20 on the counter. Fill the gas for the Impala." My uncle muttered into the phone. "There's people coming over for a drink. Clean the house and make yourself disappear."

He cut the phone and I let out my breath which I didn't realize I had held. I placed the phone into it's transmitter and was about to grab the money to go to the gas station when the phone rang off the hook again. I grabbed it.

"Uncle Gray, I heard what you said..." I stopped my self. The person on the other line was breathing heavily into the receiver. I yanked the phone away from my ear and stared at it deliriously. I slowly put the phone next to my ear, just in time to hear him say.

"Hello darling."

Shrieking, I threw the phone and grabbed my wallet and ran out. I couldn't stay here alone. Not without anyone around. Anyone, except him. In the darkness our cuckoo clock popped out of his bird house nine times. Good. It was only nine O'Clock. I had enough time to fill the gas and grab Isabella and Rebecca.

I searched frantically for my phone that my Uncle hid. I eventually found it in his shoe closet. I held it in my hand and it was sweaty and smelled of old socks. Gross. Moving my face in disgust, I wiped the phone on my jeans and walked to the foyer to get the car keys when I heard the doorbell ring. It's probably Izzy, asking for my laptop to type an essay again, I thought as I walked to the door. I was about to open the door when I realized. Isabella never knocked, because she was afraid of my Aunt. I stopped in my tracks and peeped through the key hole. There was no body there. I felt a chill run down my spine. I grabbed the money off the counter and ran to the garage and didn't let out my breath until I was in the car. The cold air blasting from the air vents wasn't helping. I speed dialed Becca and Izzy in a conference call. After a few rings they picked up.

"Hey. I need your laptop"- Izzy said.

"Code red. Dorothy's in 10." I said, interrupting Izzy midway.

They both must have heard the urgency in my voice and Rebecca hung up immediately. I declined the call and slammed the gas.

If it was a war he wanted, it was a war he was going to get.

It had started to get a little cold on the way to the diner. Dew and frosted water formed on the glass of the car. I parallel parked to the diner and put on the spare cardigan that my Aunt kept if she ever got cold. Pulling it closer to me, I rushed to the warm, welcoming doors of the diner. As I entered, the bell above the door rang out and I felt like I was home. The teal and white background seemed to calm me and my heart beat steadied. I was about to take a seat on the diner stool when I heard a car drive up to the parking lot. Squinting out of the wet window, I noticed the silhouette of Rebecca's mom's mini van. Two figurines jumped out and I clutched my cardigan closer. My friends were here. Together, we were indestructible. Right then, I didn't know just how naïve I was.

The door chimed again and my friends entered.

"V? What's wrong? What happened?" Izzy said as they slid into the sofas near me.