A knock echoed through the house, startling the kids watching a horror movie. "Guys it's just the pizza guy, come on," Mark rolled his eyes and got up, taking the money from the side table as he passed.
"Dude, you know it's never just the pizza guy," Jenna said, curling the blankets further around herself, and looking towards the door.
Mark laughed. "Well if it's not, I won't die, 'cause I'm not white."
"Speak for yourself!" Colin called from next to Jenna, hiding under the blankets.
"You guys are ridiculous," Mark sighed as he opened the door. "Hey-" he stopped. "Guys?" he called back into the house, keeping his eye out the door, "did you do this so I'd get scared?"
"Do what?" April asked, walking back into the room with popcorn.
Mark closed the door, not looking away for a second, and then bolting back into the living room to everyone else. "You know, the knock and no one there?" Fear started creeping into his stomach, lacing it with lead.
"Uhh, no. Stop joking around I want pizza, man." Colin said, hoping Mark was just playing with them. He noticed the money being held with a death grip in Mark's hand still. "Mark, why didn't you give the guy the money?"
"Because there was no guy, Colin!" Mark exclaimed.
"Mark stop this isn't funny-" April started, but was soon cut off by another knock.
"I'm not getting that one. I don't care if it's ding dong ditchers, or halloween, I won't open it." Mark sat down next to April, pulling his knees in front of him.
Everyone sat there in silence, waiting to see if there would be another knock. Another knock came, but not from the front door, from the basement.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, I am NOT getting that one. That is some messed up shit, no way jose." Colin's eyes were wide, and he held the blanket with white knuckles.
"Mark, Mom didn't get locked in the basement again, right?" April asked quietly.
"I don't think so," he replied.
Another knock echoed. It was a quick rap on the door, and nothing else. Then again. No one dared to even move in their spots, much less breath. Maybe if they didn't move, it would go away. No such luck. A shadow appeared at the door's window.
A tear rolled down Jenna's cheek as she watched it. Mark held his knees, while Colin and April gripped their blankets, just hoping it was even some door to door salesman.
The figure moved slightly and the handle rattled, lightly at first, but growing more and more aggressive.
"Mark what's out there?" April whispered, trying to stay calm.
"I-I don't know, but don't worry. It's probably our imaginations or something making it up. We watched a lot of scary movies tonight."
The rattling stopped as suddenly as it started, and the handle began to turn slowly.
"Oh god, this is how we die. By a ghost because someone forgot to lock the door," Colin was close tears.
Jenna turned to Mark as the door started to open, and the creature stepped in. "Mark the pizza's here, get up."
Mark snapped up from the armrest. He was in the living room, in his house, with his friends. Everything was fine. Nothing trying to get in, and everyone was in the kitchen laughing. He walked in rubbing his eyes.
"Well if it isn't the walking dead. Evening sleepy head," Colin laughed and gestured to the pizza sprawled out on the counter. "Pizza came half way through the movie. You were out cold by then."
"Jenna was nice enough to wake you up though. Figured you'd be hungry," April said.
"Holy shit." Mark sat on one of the stools, dragging his hand down his face. "It was all a dream? That's amazing."
"Dude you okay?" Jenna asked. From the door, a knock echoed, and Mark's head shot up.
"That's weird. Maybe Mom forgot her phone again," April shrugged and got up to answer the door.
