The Pied Piper

Chapter Three

[Elizabeth's POV]

It has been a month since I saw him. The boy I mean.

I practically saw him every night in my nightmares, but it had been nearly four weeks since I had witnessed him in person.

It wasn't like he or the shadow were hiding. No, no they didn't try to hide at all. They were both very blunt about there presence, but it wasn't like I saw them either.

I would see a glimpse of the shadow here and there following me or watching me in the corner of my room, but the boy I would only hear.

To be quite honest it felt as if he was fighting the shadow ghost. Like he was chasing it even.

Personally I don't know why anyone would seek out such a beast, but obviously this boy needed the shadow.

The reason I hadn't seen the two spirits was because I simply chose to never be in the house alone anymore aside from when I went to sleep.

Every chance I got I was out of the house, and whenever I could I stayed at a friend's house for the night.

I was done with the paranormal. I didn't want to be a part of whatever was going on in my home.

I reached my limit of scary, and that's saying something. I mean I was Mrs. Scary. I lived for adventure and crazy situations like this, but whatever was in my house wasn't right.

I decided some time ago that I was okay with the boy ghost. He seemed alright. It was the shadow ghost that scared me.

Sometimes, when I allowed myself to think about the ghosts living in my house, I imagined that the boy was maybe protecting me and my mom. Like he was keeping the shadow at bay.

But of course that's just nonsense. I wasn't even completely sure that this was actually happening. For all I knew I was just going nuts.

Right now I was home sitting in the living room watching some ridiculous game show. The only reason I dared step foot in the house today was because my mom was home from work for once.

I was perfectly content with sitting there the rest of the night until my mom peeked her head outside of her door and told me to go take out the trash cans.

"Do I have to?" I groaned.

"Yes you have to. I didn't have kids for nothing." she joked.

"But it's so dark outside!" I whined. I turned to look at her and gave her the best puppy dog look I could muster.

"C'mon now. You're my big girl. You're not afraid of the dark are you?" she teased raising her eyebrows at me.

I glared at her. If only I could say 'No mom I'm not afraid of the dark. I'm afraid if what's in the dark.'

"Fine." I grumbled. "But I'm going to get my shoes first."

I stood up slowly and took my sweet time walking to my room. For whatever reason I was feeling a little rebellious tonight.

"Hurry." my mom pressed.

"I'm going. I'm going." I called from the end of the hall.

As I opened my room door I heard something scurry in my closet. I didn't bother look because by now I was used to the noises.

I looked around my room for my slippers, but had no luck.

I heard something in my closet move again making me look this time.

There they were. My blue bunny slippers tucked together closely right at the opening of my darkened closet.

Normally I wouldn't even approach the doors, but something told me that this wasn't the shadow. It was the boy.