A Scary Story for Those Who Hate Being Scared

So it Begins

After attempting to put it off for a couple days, the constant nagging of my friends started to get to me. So I sat at my desk, the empty book open to the first page in front of me and my pencil in hand. I bite down on my lip like I usually do when I am nervous, thinking, or both. In this case, it was both.

They wanted something scary, the stuff of my nightmares, I tried hard to think of something original but all my ideas I disregarded because just the thought of them made me feel like I was being watched. So I decided, for now, to focus on the plot. 

The plot. The hardest part of the story when you don't know what to write about. I twirl my pencil through my fingers and continue to stare at the blank page in front of me. After a while I jot down a few words: Once upon a time.  I frown at the cheesiness of the line, but keep it because it's all I have come up with in the last half hour. I glance out the window and watch some of the neighborhood kids playing kickball. 

Every Saturday morning they would all gather and play a game of kickball. I'd never seen them miss a Saturday, I used to play myself, when I was younger. Whenever my parents would say I couldn't go out that night, I always found a way to guilt them into letting me go for at least 10 minutes. I'd always invite Anne, with the two of us, mostly Anne, the girls would always kick the boy's butts. When we got into high school, it became weird for us to go out and play, but it was good to see the tradition continued.

I smile to myself at the thought that Saturday kickball had become a tradition, in that moment an idea sparks into my head. Tradition! Why make new monsters when all the traditional, original, classic monsters are scary enough. What if I combined them all into one story?!  I think to myself, and with that I have a plot. 

My pencil flies across the page, ideas just flowing now. Werewolf, check. Vampire, check. Witches, check. Ghost, check. Swamp creature, check. Mummy, check.  The Boogie Man, check! Alien, check!! Demon, check!!! 

I was on a roll!! I knew my plot and even included, in my opinion, the scariest of them all, Zombies. They were my main villain, all the other monsters were rallying together to defeat the zombies so there would be a world left for them to prowl on. Monsters coming together for the sake of humanity! Or in their eyes for the sake of food!

I spent the entire day and night writing, I didn't realize it was already two in the morning until I heard my mom come home from working all day. It was now raining out and I had almost filled half the book. I would stop writing and go to bed, if I wasn't so invested in finishing. Oddly enough, writing this book I had been so reluctant to write was now the most dedicated I'd ever been. The grammar and details may have been lost along the way but all I cared about was getting the story down on paper. 

3:00, one more hour, then bed. I tell myself then continue writing. That didn't happen. I stayed up until 6 finishing my book. I finally fell asleep around 6:30 and slept a whopping 4 hours when my alarm woke me up again. Jumping awake, still on hype that I finished a whole story in almost exactly 24 hours, I fly down stairs, book in hand.

"Good morning dear, sleep well?" my mother smiles sleepily at me "I made your favorite breakfast"

"Oh uh.. thanks mom but... I kinda.. have plans" I smile apologetically as I slide on my shoes "see you later? Love you!" I run out, not giving her time to respond. 

I run to Looney's and slide through the door, nearly running into the counter. Gavin sits at our spot, the first one there as usual. It always yanks on my heart strings to see him sitting there alone, staring into his coffee or ice cream, he always looks so miserable when nobody is looking. I steady my breath and walk over. 

"Good morning" I smile, but he doesn't smile back this time, or even look up. "I finished the book" I say, attempting to catch his attention. 

"My parents kicked me out" he takes a deep breath and pushes his melting ice cream away "because I told them I wanted to be a detective"

I look at him for a moment, shocked.

"They wanted me to be a doctor with my own business" he continues, making a face like he'd just smelled a pile of garbage, "they said I was stupid, that detectives were fictional, and if I wanted to go into criminal justice then become a lawyer" he looks at me with a not-amused face. "Then I actually stood up to them, the nerve, I know! I told them it was my life and I was going to be a detective whether they liked it or not!" he says with a raised voice, angry. "They told me they had no home for 'Shercock Homes'" he laughs, bitterly "and they kicked me out when I said 'Its Sherlock Holmes to you'"

I snort a laugh then clear my throat "sorry, serious face" i nod and force down my smile. 

He smiles at me and chuckles "it doesn't look good on you. I prefer your smile" 

I smile and can't help but blush a bit "so a detective?"

"Yeah" he nods "its not just a fictional job, you know"

"I know" i nod "where you gonna go?"

"I have family back in Scotland, maybe there if I can't find a place here" he sighs

"No! You can't do that" I scoot closer "we'll miss you too much.... you can.. you can stay with me if you'd like...."

He looks at me for a second then starts to say something but gets interrupted

"So what's the big news?!" Anne plops down next to me and Michael follows.