Chapter 2

That night I wake up in a cold sweat. I know I had a nightmare; I just don't remember what it was about. My body is trembling, I can't shake the uneasy feeling the nightmare caused. When I calm down enough to stand, I walk to the bathroom, to get a drink and wash my face. I stare at myself in the mirror and try to remember my dream. I close my eyes and flashes of a grey-toned body lying at my feet appear. I feel like all the air is pulled from my lungs and I have to grip the sink to stop myself from falling. "It was just a dream," I tell myself over and over again until my breathing steadies. One more quick look in the mirror before heading to my room. I look terrible. My skin is white as snow, except for the almost black circles around my eyes.

As I walk back into my room, I hear the thud again. It sounds like a door slamming, but loader. It's too dark to see anything but shadows. I grab my phone off the nightstand and shine the flashlight through the window but it doesn't work. I lay back down on my bed I try my best to fall asleep I need to sleep.

Between the unexplained sounds and the nightmare, I can't sleep. I toss and turn until I hear the shower turn out. I grab my phone to check the time. 6:00. I hear my mom and Sara walking down the hall. No chatter though. Then I start to smell eggs cooking. My cue to get up.

I head to the kitchen. Sara looks awful. Well awful for Sara. Her eyes are bloodshot and puffy from crying. But somehow it makes her green eyes greener and she still has a beautiful glow coming off her tan skin.

I sit down beside her. "So, I talked to Meghan's mom and dad last night they were hoping you and some other girls from cheer would go over there today." My mom says to Sara. "Why?" Sara asks looking as confused as I feel. "They didn't say." My mom replies and continues to make breakfast.

Why would they want a bunch of teens over there when their daughter is missing? Especially when they never hung out there before she went missing. After some slight convincing from our mom, Sara agrees to go.

I decide since I have nothing else to do, I should catch up on some reading. Books are my escape from my life. Reading picks, you out of your life and drops you into a new life in a new world where anything is possible. I have never read a book I didn't like for at least one aspect. Every book has something good about it. I wish I could say the same for people.

Before I realize it, I'm done with my book. I look outside the sun is just starting to set turning the sky into a beautiful mix of reds and oranges. I walk out of my room at the same time I hear Sara and my dad walks into the house talking about how Meghan's parents have got permission from the police to lead the search party. I meet them in the kitchen.

"So, anyways we might actually find them now since her parents are leading. They wanted us over there to talk about where they should start looking. Oh, and Libby's mom was there too." Sara says. She looks better now than she did this morning.

Sara talks as we eat, but I don't pay attention. I'm just happy I can eat without having to answer 100 questions from my parents.

I'm awakened by a loud crashing sound coming from outside. It sounds like a stack of dishes falling over right outside my window, like the thuds I had heard the past two nights. Only this was a completely different sound. I turn on my light and look out my window. But like before it looks the same. "What was that," I say out loud. "You heard it too?" Sara says from behind me. I didn't even notice she came in. "Uh yeah," I say stuttering. "I think it was lighting." She says as it starts to rain. I nod, even though I don't think it was lighting at all. Sara goes back to her room.

I lay in my bed listening to the sound of rain. I usually love the sound of the rain hitting the roof and my window. However, tonight is different. Tonight, it is almost ominous. I walk back to my window and stare at the rain. It's raining so hard I can't even see the house next door.

The last few days have been strange. It doesn't feel real. Girls going missing from a small town, suspicious noises, and unsettling dreams. I feel like I have stepped into a mystery novel. Only, it's my life.

I just start to feel myself drifting off to sleep when I hear my house start to come to life. My mom and sister in the kitchen dad in the shower. I decide to ignore the best I can and go back to sleep. I don't have the energy to be up yet.

I'm pulled from my sleep from banging on my door. I close my eyes and try to fall back to sleep. "Mariah, if you don't get up you won't have time to eat before we have to leave." Sara's voice is so low if I would have been asleep, I wouldn't have even heard her. I groan and get out of bed and head to the kitchen with Sara right behind me.

"So, Meghan's parents asked me to check the woods at the end of the street since it so close," Sara says as she put on her shoes. It's barely 8:00 am and now I have to hike through the woods.

The walk from our house to the woods is short maybe three minutes max. "We will stay on the trail today and if we don't find anything we can go off-trail tomorrow," Sara announces. Like she the boss of the whole thing. My mom and Sara talk well we walk but I can't be bothered to listen instead I think about the fact that my dad has worked the last 15 days straight, or that it's not even July and I'm already sick of summer. Just as I about to ask if we can go home yet I hear Sara scream and fall to her knees.

I run to catch up. My mom bends down with one arm around Sara while she frantically digs in her bag with the other. Kneel down beside Sara and then I see what made her scream. Not even 5 feet in front of us is a body.

The gray skin looks like stone, his eyes are a pale brown and his mouth is open. As soon as my eyes meet his I know exactly who it is. Thomas Smith. Thomas Smith has lived behind us my whole life; our backyards are only separated by a chain link fence. He used to play with me and Sara when we were young but he got popular when Sara did and I haven't talk to him since.

The police and Mr. and Mrs. Smith arrive at the same time. My mom rushes over to the police to explain what happened. Sara is still on her knees in front of Thomas staring into his eyes.

"Sara, the police want to ask you a few questions." My mom says and helps Sara to her feet. Sara talks to the police and tells them that we were out here looking for Meghan and Libby. They come talk to me and I tell them the same.

As we walk out of the woods, there is news reporters and about half the town. My eyes meet the worried eyes of Meghan's parents and Libby's mom. Panic sets in as the three of them walk to towards us. "We heard you found a body. The police wouldn't tell us who it was." Libby's mom says voice breaking. "I. Uh, I" I start to say then my mom cuts me off. "It wasn't Libby or Meghan." My mom says and turn to look at Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

Once we make our way through the crowd, I see my dad. He looks cold and dark. This is the first time in my life I have ever seen him without a smile on his face. When he finally spots us, he rushes over and wraps his arms around me and Sara.

The second we walk through the door our dad stops us. "I don't want you two going out alone until the catch the manic is caught." My dad says stern tone. Me and Sara nod. My dad's right our small town is no longer safe.

I head to my room no point in trying to eat after what I saw I don't think I'll ever eat again.

I lay down in my bed and try to read but I can't focus on even my favorite book. My mind keeps going back to the woods. What was once my favorite place to play as a child and then my favorite place to escape to as a teen will forever be stained with the image of Thomas Smith's body. I try to drown out my thoughts with music but its no use. Nothing with ever take that picture of my mind. The mystery novel I was living has now turned into a horror movie that I can't turn off.

I can hear my mom and dad talking in their room. "I can't believe this is happening here, this town use to be safe. Two girls are missing and now poor Thomas has been murdered. I just hope they find those girls soon." My mom says. "Honey, we have to be real. They are probably just like Thomas." My dad says.

He's probably right, but I still can't believe he said it. Then a realization hits me. Libby, Meghan, and Thomas are all very popular. The knot in my stomach grows the more I think about it. If whoever is doing this is targeting the popular crowd, I'll be safe. But Sara might not be.