Chapter 2: Don't Open Your Eyes Part 2

“Melody, it’s dinner time.  You need to come in.”  She yells out the kitchen door and scares me nearly to death.  “If you want Sydney to eat with us, I can call her mom.”  She says when I'm almost to the door.

“No.  Her mom isn’t home, just her brother and he won’t let her.  He’s mean.”

“Oh.  Well then let’s get you cleaned up, so you can eat.”

After washing up, I sit down at the table and we say grace.  “When is dad coming home?”  I look at mom and she glances down at her watch. 

“Dad said he will be home late tonight.  So, it’s just you and me, kiddo.”

We eat and when I’m finished, I excuse myself from the table.  She looks up from her food and says while smiling, “You need to clean up your room, your bed is a mess.”

I had forgot about that.  “O.K. mom, I’m going to do it right now.”

It’s starting to get a little dark out, so I turn my light on and look around my bedroom.  This morning I didn’t pick up my covers because I was so hungry, but now I have to make my bed or my mom will keep yelling at me.  Noticing something shiny on my pillowcase, I inspect it and realize that it’s a gray hair.  Freaking out, I run out to the living room where my mom is sitting in her recliner. 

“What’s up?  You look like you just saw a ghost?”  Concerned, she stands up after putting her book down and cups my chin with her hand.

I cling to her and she kisses my forehead as she notices that I am not acting normal at all.  Honestly, I haven't acted this way since I was eight years old.  Not being able to look her in the eyes, I say,  “Mom.  I thought I had a nightmare last night, but now I don’t know.”

I glance up and look into her eyes, seeing what I already knew and feared.  The same eyes I saw last night, peering back at me.  Suddenly, I feel her cold bony fingers on my chin and I shrink away from her touch.  She grabs my arm with her other hand and squeezes tight.  I try to fight, but she seems to have inhuman strength.

“You aren’t going anywhere.  I want you to get ready for bed, you look so tired.  Besides, when dad gets home he won’t want to see you like this.”  She says with that dreadful voice that chills my very soul.

When I look back up at her, she doesn’t look like my mother anymore.  Instead, her face has transformed into the old woman’s.  Trying to free myself, I almost succeed but she has such a tight grip on me that there is no way to get away.

“Did you honestly think I would let you escape?”  She shows her fangs and growls at me.

Crying, I give up all hope and collapse to the floor.  When I do, she is forced to let go of my arm.  It takes me a minute, but then I finally realize that I am free.  Within two seconds, I’m up and running for anywhere safe. 

I reach my parent’s room and slam the door quickly behind me.  Hearing the old woman scream, I slide down against the door and sit on the floor.  Trying to breathe, I gasp for air and find it harder than I thought.  I look down at my chest and see why.  Blood is seeping out of a gash the size of a half dollar.

She pounds on the door and I hear her nails scratch the wood as she tries to get in.  The door is locked, so I'm safe for a moment.  I stand up and look around, noting where the windows are and then I freeze in place.

On the bed, both my parents lay dead.  They look like their internal organs have been sucked out by a spider.  From behind me, I hear the door start to give a way against her constant pounding.

I look over at the window and I feel a flicker of hope, till I hear the door shatter and she bursts through it grabbing ahold of me.  Why didn’t I run to the window and get out before she caught me?  This is all I can think about as she drags me through the hallway to my bedroom.

Feeling pain, I glance down at my finger and see that one of my nails is hanging by a thin piece of skin.  I must have caught it on something when I was fighting her in the hallway.  I take my other hand and pull it off, wincing as I do. 

Right now, I suspect that she is going to kill me and there simply isn’t anything I can do about it, except for fight her till the end.  When she gets right in front of me, I grab ahold of her hair and yank as hard as I can.  She lets out a blood curdling scream and slams her fists into my sides. 

I hear my bones snap and pain shoots throughout my body, but all I can think about is getting free.  Maybe, just maybe I can distract her so I can escape.  I jam my thumbs into her eyes and hear them pop as my fingers penetrate them, feeling a slippery goo coat them before pulling my thumbs back out.  She screams even louder and claws at my clothes.

While she keeps trying to get a hold on me, I bolt for the front door.  It’s locked and I have a hard time with the chain, but I finally get it open.  When I do, I hear her screaming after me.  I run and run, till I can’t anymore.  The pain in my sides stop me and I find myself looking around for anyone to help me. 

An older man is sitting on the porch down the street and when sees me he stands up, asking, “Is everything alright?”

“No, I need help.  My parents are dead and someone is trying to kill me.  Please help me.”

“O.K., let me call the police.”  He takes my hand and I feel his cold bony hand as he leads me inside.  “I won’t let anyone hurt you, I promise.”  When his mouth forms a crooked smile, I notice his two teeth.