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Ring! Ring!! Ring!!! I pulled my phone from my pocket and clicked the receiver's button.
"Hello Daniel!" I said immediately i had the phone to my ear. I could hear his breathing through the phone as always.
Daniel has been a good friend for two years now. We've been closer than when we first met.
"Hey dear, I dropped a message inbox. Check it." He said at the other end of the line.
"Okay, I will. As Soon as I get to Betty's."
"But you have to do... " I cut the call before he said something to ruin my night.
Betty and I planned a sleepover at her place a week ago. We invited two other friends to join us. I knew what Daniel was going to say, as he never liked the idea of the sleepover since I told him three days before.
I waved a bike with my mini backpack strapped to my shoulders. I was going ready. My blanket to keep me warm; a pack of mint gum to keep me awake through the night; a nightgown my mum bought for me.
I made sure I packed very well, to avoid borrowing anything from either Betty or the other girls.
My thoughts ended when I got to Betty's doorstep. I knocked and was received with three happy faces of young ladies. Hugs were added too, that I had to beg to breathe before released from grips that looked like hugs in their sights.
A soft mat laid neatly on the tiled floor, we sat round about in Betty's sitting room as her parents had travelled. The whole house was ours to dwell in.
It was 12midnight, I was already yawning.
I looked at the girls, all laid on each other, sleeping.
"Sleepy heads that can't stay up for games." I quietly said and smiled.
Covering them with a blanket, I put on the TV since I couldn't sleep.
Flicking from one channel to another, I heard something drop. I quickly put the TV off to listen. A great silence followed.
I put the TV on again, and I heard another drop of something so hard that it rang in my ears. Jeez! I dropped the remote on the couch. Glanced at the girls. They probably didn't hear the sound.
I stood and headed for somewhere I know nothing about. As I tiptoed to wherever, I heard another sound. It came from the kitchen, so I moved in that direction.
Getting to the kitchen, broken plates laid scattered about. Pots too.
"What's all this?" I whispered to no one.
Goosebumps grew on me. I felt someone was watching. I looked around, but nobody was in sight.
I left for the sitting room to call Betty's attention to the kitchen wreck.
Getting to the sitting room, the TV was off. I froze with great fear.
So afraid, I tapped the girls awake one after the other. With sleepy eyes, they murmured and grunted.
"Betty, girls, wake up! Someone is in this house with us." I half whispered. That did the magic, as their eyes flew wide open.
"What do you mean?" Betty spoke first.
I told her what I saw in the kitchen. We all went to see the mess, but nothing was there.
"Jeez! Ruth. Next time you want to play this game, don't wake us up. My head aches already...arrrgh." one of the girls said.
I stood with my arms akimbo, wondering who cleared the kitchen.
"But...but...I...it was here. Yes, I heard and saw everything." I stammered, trying to defend myself.
"Honey, you're stressed. You need some sleep. Come on." Betty said as she tapped my shoulder in a playful way, pulling me out of the kitchen to the sitting room where all the blankets were gone.
"Haaaaaa!" I exclaimed. "No, no, no", I ran to the couch in confusion, as I searched underneath and every corner around.
I heard a sound of clapping hands. With my head gradually lifted, I watched the other two girls laugh hysterically. They clapped as they did.
My eyes already getting red from not having sleep and being scared "What is funny now?" I asked the girls in anger.
"Don't think you can play this game with us." One of the girls said.
I shook my head and turned to Betty's direction to see that she stood frozen in her spot.
"Betty!" No answer.
I walked to her and shook her vigorously "Betty! Are you okay?"
Immediately her eyes met mine, her breathing increase that tears flowed freely from her eyes.
I made her seat on a couch close by to relax.
"Breathe, breathe, slowly now", I chanted till it worked.
She sobbed some more "I'm scared" was the last words she said, as I watched the doorknob turn. It twisted to open.
I called the girls attention to it. We all stared in disbelief.
Seeing the doorknob twist, I started shaking allover. "Who's there?" I shouted at whoever, in order to get a response.
But silence fell.
Someone grabbed my blouse. I was in front as we all took slow fearful steps toward the door. In that state, I wanted to tell the girls that I wasn't the strongest and that much shouldn't be expected of me.
But the situation was more than a statement that would create an argument. So, I kept walking slowly towards the door, till we were three feets from it.
I called out again "Who's there?" Still silence.
"Just say something please, you are scaring us, but we aren't scared you know?" One of the girls cut in.
Long silence, while I could hear our hearts race so loud and fast, like galloping horses. Then, a cry followed.
Confusion written on my face, I glanced at the girls just to be sure they also heard the cry at the other side of the door.
One of the girls was already shedding tears. I felt a sharp pain in my right elbow. I look at my arm to see her holding me so tight that I swore I bled.
To be continued.......