Sinister

New Friends

     I sat down in the middle of an empty bedroom. "I call this one!" I yelled into the empty hallway.  My dad promised that I would get first pick for my room, and I wanted to make sure my siblings Allison and Carter got the message. I leaned back against the cream colored wall and sighed. When Mom and Dad told me we had to move I didn't want to leave, but I knew it was just for dad's job. My Dad is a writer. He writes about crime and dead people and other scary stuff that Mom says I shouldn't concern myself with. I read my Dad's stories anyway at night when she's busy typing on her computer. She can be sort of dumb sometimes.
"Lily! Come help us with your boxes." I hear Allison yell from the front door. I get up and run down the big hallway. Allison, Carter, and Dad have pretty much put everything in the living room and are sorting boxes into piles. Without looking at me, Allison points to a pile nearest to the fireplace. "Those are yours, weirdo." She says. I roll my eyes and try to pick up a box. Geez these are heavy. "Hey Carter can you help me please? These are real heavy." I struggle to tug the box over to him and tap him on the back. Carter sighs loudly, "You're the most incapable eight year old I have ever met. Go ask mom she's in the kitchen." He snaps and turns back to me. Goodness, being the youngest is hard sometimes. Allison walks over to me and picks up the box. "Here Lily, I'll help since Carter is being a dick." She said, kicking Carter's back on her way over to the hallway. "Hey, watch your language Allison." Dad said. He usually just ignores our fights but apparently Allison pushed it. I giggled and tugged a lighter box toward my room.

By the time Mom and Allison helped me set up my room, it was almost 11:00. I got my pajamas on and went around to say goodnight to everyone. My dad walked me into my room to tuck me in and say goodnight. He turned on my cat night-light and started to close the door, but I sat up. "Dad? Please don't go." I said, tugging my baby blanket close to my cheek. He flips the light back on and sits on the edge of my bed. "What's wrong sweetheart?" He asks, patting the blanket lump where my legs are. I rub my ear with my free hand. "I have a funny feeling in my stomach." I say, not daring to meet his gaze. "I don't feel like I'm safe all alone. I feel... scared." Dad sighs and rubs his temples. "It's just the new house honey you'll adjust-" I put my blanket down "No," I say, cutting him off, "this is different. We move a lot and I'm never scared of the other houses, why should this one be different?" I ask. I know that my parents don't take what I say seriously because I'm little and I'm tired of it. Magically, my dad seems to get the message. "Okay, if you don't tell your mother this I'll tell you what's special about this house." He says. I nod, and he gets up and closes the door. "A few years ago, there was another family living here." He begins, sitting on my reading chair. "They were a relatively normal family, with a mom, dad, and two boys. One day, something very terrible happened and they died." My eyes widened at him and I tilted my head. "Do you mean they got sick?" I asked, playing the innocent card. He sighed "No, someone else killed them. But here's the strange thing. One of the boys, named Domonick, wasn't killed. The policemen searched everywhere but couldn't find him." Dad says, leaning forward in the chair. "I decided we should come here because I want to write an investigation and possibly find out where he went." Dad says, standing up. I flopped back onto my pillow. "I see." I whisper, staring at the ceiling. Dad leaned over and kissed my forehead. "Did the story make you feel any better? I know it's not a happy story but..." I roll over and pick up my stuffed puppy from the side of my bed. "It's fine Dad, I get it. Nighty-night." I say, tired and cranky. He flips off the light and shuts the door softly as he exits. Before I know it, I've fallen asleep.

I wake up abruptly to creaking at my doorway. Panicking, I cover my face and pretend to be asleep. I peek out of the teeny crack between my fingers and see a girl walk into my room. She has perfect curly brown hair and big eyes, but her outfit looks like it's from an old movie. I sit up in my bed and make eye contact with her. "Wh-who are you?" I ask, trying not to sound scared. She smiles. "My name is Emily. I'm ten." She says to me. I shush her, "You're gonna wake up my sister." I say, looking around nervously. "How did you set in here anyway?" I ask, swinging my legs over the edge of my bed. Emily sits in my chair. "Sorry it's a secret, we can't tell you." She says softly. "We? Are there more children?" I ask. I feel concerned for them. Emily smiles at me again. I decide that she has a strange smile, like her mouth is happy but her eyes are sad. "Yes there are more of us." As she says this, three boys and another girl walk into the room. I look around, confused and terrified. "Who are you guys?" I ask, my voice quavering. The children giggle to each other and move closer. One of the little boys sits next to me.
"We're your new friends."