Introduction

"Grandma I'm going to school!"

"Ok Lily just be careful. Come home before dark alright. Promise me you will be home before dark," Grandma said with a fearful look.

She's always been afraid of the night. I'm not sure why but I've never been allowed to leave the house after dark. She never lets me stay after school with my friends. Sometimes she just seems crazy. I live with my Grandmother because years ago, when I was little, my mother and father were murdered. The officers never found the criminal. They never found my mother and father either. I stood there thinking for a while.

"Lily? Lily are you ok?" came a voice from behind. I quickly turned to see who might be calling me.

"Oh hi James" I muttered. James and I have been friends since we were little. He's my neighbor and we've always walked to the bus together.

"Are you alright?" James asked as we began to walk towards the bus.

"Y-yes I'm ok. I just haven't been sleeping very well. I keep having this reoccurring dream. A dream about my mother and father. I see my mother and father, but the stranger, the murderer, I can't see his face. I try and I try to see who it is but I fail each time. I get closer but I always wake up," I explained with a tear falling down my cheek. I quickly wiped it away hoping James didn't see it.

We made it to the bus. James was silent after I explained my dream, I don't think he knew how to help me. On the bus I decided to sit by the window. I've always loved watching the clouds in the sky pass by. The bus suddenly came to a stop. Through the window I saw a strange light in the distance, the light began to fade, replaced by darkness. My heart started beating faster and faster, and I wasn't sure why I couldn't take my eyes off the dark. My heart still beating, I began to feel weak. The bus started moving again and I woke from a trance.

"Lily? What are you looking at?" James asked as he leaned towards the window.

"Nothing. It was nothing" I said with hope he would ignore what just happened.

The bus began to move again and the feeling of weakness began to disappear. I felt strange, as if I had just lost something. I decided to let it go. It was probably nothing anyway.