A Trip to Fablehaven

Midsummer's Eve

~Suzanna POV~

I was laying on the floor next to Demmi. She was lying closer to the bed. Seth and Kendra were sleeping on the bed. I rolled to my side and watched the salt circle shift with my breath. I rolled onto my back. I looked at Demmi who was still. She was staring at the ceiling, earplugs in her ears. Kendra was tossing and turning on the bed. We all just wanted to escape this nightmare.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, sleeping when you're terrified is hard. I listened as the muffled demonic sounds of the night shook the house. I opened my eyes. Seth sat up from where he lay. He spoke to Kendra. I took out my earplugs to listen, so did Kendra.

"-actually using the earplugs?" I heard Seth say.

"You aren't?" retorted Kendra. This Seth kid is really stupid. I put my earplugs back in and layed down. The muffled bickering soon stopped and was replaced with the sounds. It felt almost peaceful, like a storm, but I had to remind myself that whatever was outside was not a simple thunderstorm, it was creatures I had only read in fairytales that could cause legitimate harm. I heard a yelp and immediately sat up. Demmi sat up as well, terrified. Seth sat laughing while rubbing his sore cheek while Kendra stared at him angrily. I took out my earplugs again.

"It sounds like the CD dad plays during Halloween," said Seth.

"Except this isn't make believe," replied Kendra, taking her earplugs out. There was a pause.

"Want to look out the window?" asked Seth.

"You're crazy," I said, everything this kid was doing was making me dislike him more and more. "You don't know what's out there, what if they take over your mind and force you to open the window?"

"Nothing like that will happen" he said simply, as if this whole thing was like looking at sharks in a shark tank.

"Stop saying that!" cried Kendra, "There's a reason Grandpa gives us these rules."

"Dale told me he lets older people look out. Grandpa's just thinks I'm stupid."

"You are!" Kendra and I yelled in unison. Seth looked hurt. A strange wind hit the side of the house. There was a momentary silence.

"Don't do it Seth..." mumbled Demmi as she held her sleeping bag close to her face.

"Don't you want to see what's making these noises? What about that wind! What do you think it is?" asked Seth.

"I think it's time for you to be quiet and stay in bed" said Kendra, "or else I'll tell grandpa in the morning." Another sound hit against the house.

"I bet that was a dragon," Seth said breathlessly. He lunged for the window.

'NO!" we all cried.

Seth threw back the curtain and peered outside. All I saw was darkness. Demmi began trembling as Kendra hit underneath her covers.

"I can't see anything," said Seth disappointingly.

"You saw, now come back to bed," Kendra shakily said.

"Hold on I haven't even seen anything yet. Oh! A fairy."

"You had your look now come back to bed," Kendra pleaded. Seth shut the curtain and slowly walked back to the bed. I slowly laid back down and scooted closer to Demmi. She was trembling and hadn't laid back down yet. There was something wrong. I didn't know what. There wasn't anything going on. Silence. No noise, no bickering. Oh. There was nothing but silence.

~Demmi POV~

I watched as Seth and Kendra spoke softly to one another. I didn't feel right. There was something wrong but I didn't know what. Kendra and Seth both froze. I watched as Seth walked back to the window, he peered out again. His eyes widened. He said something to Kendra who said something back. She too got out of bed and walked to the window, looking equally was scared and surprised as Seth. There were hands against the windowpane. Small hands, like a child's hands. I felt the hair on my neck stand up. Seth opened the window.

Everything went numb. I heard static. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. Seth opened the window and grabbed a baby. A tiny toddler. It scrambled out of his arms and transformed into an ugly looking creature, a goblin. The ugliest thing I had ever seen. Kendra shut the window and seemed to lose her senses, she just stared. Seth grabbed her and ran to the bed. I realized I was on the bed. My throat hurt. I was screaming? I saw a brilliant flash of light, like fireworks on the 4th of July. I remembered the 4th of July. Mom and Dad were there. We were saying goodbye to my aunt before moving to this town. I blinked away the memory.

The goblin held it's bony shoulder in pain as it limped away. Dark wolves seemed to surround the circle of salt. They too seemed to change. A chicken was frantically moving toward the bed. Seth grabbed a handful of salt and threw it at an oncoming creature headed for the bird. Seth grabbed the chicken and held it close. The monsters circled the circle, being wary of it's harmful effects.

The door burst open and Dale stood there with a shotgun.

"You kids stay right where you are!" he yelled. The creatures lunged at him as he disappeared down the stairs. When the creatures were out of the room I heard a muffled yell and Kendra ran to shut the door. I felt Seth trembling next to me. My throat felt scratchy and sore. I felt myself stop screaming.

It felt like years, but the tumult seemed to stop. I heard a voice, it was clear despite the earplugs. I heard mom.

"Sweetheart! Mom is here!" the voice said. I heard another voice.

"Demmi, it's mommy and daddy!" it said. I gasped. I pulled away from Suzanna's grasp and made my way to the door. Mom and dad were here! They would keep me and Suzanna safe! I felt a hand grab my wrist. I looked and saw Seth speaking to me. I tried to shrug him off and continue to the door. I could hear out of my left ear now.

"You can't! It's a trick!" he cried, pulling me to the bed. I panicked.

"No! You're a liar! Mom and Dad-"

"Are not there!" cried Seth, "How could you hear them behind the door if you couldn't hear me right next to you with those earplugs!" I stopped. I didn't want to believe him. I looked at Suzanna. She looked horrified, her hands covering her ears as she rocked back and forth. Kendra was yelling at us, but I could care less about what she said.

"We have to go back inside the circle," said Seth frantically, pulling me back over the line of salt. He held onto me until we were both safely on the bed. I slowly crawled into Suzanna's arms and everything went dark.