Chapter 12: Sandra's Mirror Likes It At Midnight

Before the next sunrise came, Sandra Starbright was feeling like she needed to be home, with both of her parents. Who, Sandra knew, was likely not home, as usual. It made her feel invisible, most of the time. Since, she was an only child, and her parents never paid her much attention, to.

Looking around the graveyard, The Ghost Chaser was nowhere to be seen. He must have put himself to sleep, somewhere in the graveyard, without Sandra knowing it. Sandra didn't know how to get back home, without a way of transportation. Since, her home was too far away from the graveyard. 

She didn't want to just walk around the cemetery. Knowing she could easily scare anyone, who might be prowling from the forest beyond the graveyard. She knew animals like to hide there in the dark and come out when the moon is at its fullest.

Sandra didn't want to stay alone in the empty, deserted graveyard all night. So, she followed the moonlight path to the cemetery's gate. It was locked, of course. But there must be a way to get out of the graveyard, without finding the person responsible, for keeping the graveyards well-protected. 

So, Sandra decided to walk her way out of the graveyard. And continued following the moonlight path to the edge of the forest, leading out of the graveyard. She didn't feel comfortable walking like she could be stalking somebody out in the open. But there was no other way to get back to her little duplex, where her parents lived.

Sandra noticed it was getting darker. Sandra continued following the path in the forest. Sandra couldn't help but feel her heart beating from the fear lurking in the shadows of the forest, someone or something was hiding in the darkness.

Sandra was losing the light coming from the moon. She stood in the path, where it surrounded her in the darkness of the creepy, unknown forest around her. She must keep going! She thought, urgently to herself. 

But there was nowhere to go! The path, it seemed, had been cut off the trees making up the forest. Where the moonlight hid from them. Sandra started to turn and go back to the graveyard. When suddenly, she heard something rustling in the trees, ahead of her!

Sandra turned around, quickly. She faced her best friend, George Sneaky! Who came out of nowhere in the dark forest, jumping out at her. Even though George was her best friend, Sandra couldn't help but tremble back in fear and raise her arms in defense.

"Stop! Get away from me! Please, don't hurt me!" Sandra said, sadly. Sandra couldn't tell it was only her best friend George trying to show her the way out of the forest. George held a flashlight in his hands, and revealed who he was to her.

"Sandra! It's me, George Sneaky!" George said, trying to get her to respond to him. Sandra slowly got her best friend's attention. She was still shaking from fear and anxiety. But her breathing returned to normal.

"You shouldn't be out here, George," Sandra finally said. "I'm lucky you found me out here by myself. I was getting lost," she said. George smiled and grabbed hold of Sandra's hand. He guided the path in the forest with his flashlight.

Sandra wondered if George knew the forest is where the Beast of Supernaturalville hunts at night. Sandra didn't say anything in response for a while. George kept getting smacked in the face with twigs from the trees. Sandra ducked and hid from the shadows.

Turning a corner in the path of the forest, George and Sandra both stopped. Instead of reaching their hometown, Sandra realized where they were headed! To the cave where the Beast of Supernaturalville lived.

"That's a cave," whispered George. Sandra nodded and she understood they weren't supposed to go any further. "You think we should go back to the graveyard and wait there?" George asked, his flashlight was shaky, because of his nervous hand.

Sandra didn't like having to go back to the haunted graveyard. Where the Beast knows they've been keeping themselves from his presence. Sandra slowly started to look inside of the cave. It looked empty. There was a nest where Sandra saw where the Beast slept in a bed of straw hay for him. But there was no Beast sleeping there tonight.

"He'll know, we've been here," Sandra whispered. George ignored Sandra. He continued walking slowly in the spooky, empty cave. "I know you may think this is cool or whatever. But there is a real monster lurking in the forest, for us," Sandra said, trying to sound normal.

George turned around and faced his friend with a concerned expression. "You don't think I don't already know that, Sandra Starbright?" George wondered, moving his flashlight on the cave walls. He stopped moving the flashlight and noticed there were cave drawings on the wall.

George started to turn his attention to the markings on the cave wall. At first, George couldn't make out what it was an illustration of. But as he continued viewing the wall drawings, George couldn't help but get a sense of understanding and believing what they could be investigating was a real illusion.

"You don't think this could mean something like what used to be to the human condition? Unleash a force more wild and untameable, prove this is where Supernaturalville is attracted to the monsters of the otherworldly Better Place. Beyond anyone's imagination to make it possible to see through somebody's cursed mirror in her bathroom mirror. Where nothing can ever be real or show themselves who they really are," George said, trying to read the meaning of what the cave drawings were trying to understand and teach him.

Suddenly, George and Sandra both gasp. They turn around the front of the open cave. Where they both heard twigs snapping somewhere in the forest. George doesn't know what to do. So, he panics and hides in the straw hay nest, where the Beast likes to hide out.

George tosses the flashlight out of his reach. He hands it to Sandra. "I don't want to be here, when it comes back home," Sandra rasped. George continues shaking nervously in the nest of straw hay, where he was trying to keep himself hidden.

"You don't have to worry about me, Sandra!" said George, nervously. "I'm going to keep the Beast of Supernaturalville company. I know it doesn't like to be all by himself in this creepy old cave, alone, all the time," George said. Sandra couldn't believe his best friend was chickening out!

"You big scaredy-cat!" Sandra hissed, pointing the flashlight in George's direction. "You're going to waste your time, if the Beast finds you suspicious of hanging around here," she said. George continued shaking nervously within the nest of straw hay he was hiding under.

Sandra turned around and faced the cave wall, where she could easily walk out. But she knew the Beast would know she was prowling near his home territory. So, she decided to wait with George in the stray hay bed.

It was barely large enough for them both to hide under. Sandra suddenly sneezed and made stray hay fly out in the open air in front of her. George laughed and said "Bless you," to her quietly. Then, somebody else stepped into the cave with them.

Holding her breath, Sandra saw through the straw hay. It was the hairy wolfman! He looked around and noticed Sandra had dropped the flashlight George had given to her earlier. He growled angrily. Sandra couldn't stop breathing heavily as George tried to remain silent.

The hairy wolfman slowly picked up the flashlight that was still turned on. Growling with suspicion, he wasn't alone in his cave. The Beast of Supernaturalville grabbed hold of the flashlight and started looking around for clues. 

He noticed Sandra's muddy footprints left him clues a little girl had been trespassing in his territory. Sandra couldn't help but sniffle but a scream of surprise. Jumping out from behind their hiding place, Sandra and George revealed themselves to the Beast of Supernaturalville who had been spotted.

"No!" George screamed, holding a silver cross he had around his neck. "Sandra! Run!" Before Sandra could hurry out of the way of the monster, the Beast of Supernaturalville dodged Sandra as she ducked under his hairy legs. 

Sandra snatched the flashlight out of the Beast's grasp. Sandra found herself facing The Ghost Chaser standing in the cave before her.

He did not look happy to see Sandra. "I thought I made myself clear," he said sternly. "You don't belong with the animal like me," The Ghost Chaser continued, unhappily. The wild creature snarled and snapped his snout at them both.

That's when Sandra screamed. The Ghost Chaser suddenly became a wild werewolf himself, too! Scrambling out of the way, Sandra watched as the two monsters fought each other…! 

Sandra didn't know what she could do to help.