2008
The house was quiet tonight. Most of the gang had gone out
for some bubble tea, but I had to work tomorrow morning and wanted some extra
rest. Plus, I had a date on Friday. I really liked this new girl. Of all the
ones I’d dated the past few years, I’d never been more excited than I was now.
It had only been a week, but perhaps it would turn into something serious. It’d
been a long time since I’d felt this way.
A crack of thunder reverberated through the old house and
for a moment, dizziness overwhelmed me. I stumbled towards the front door.
Outside, the sky looked like a sea of shifting blackness. I
slumped down on the porch and rubbed my forehead. Something was happening, but
whether it was just a headache or the pressure from school getting to me, I
wasn’t sure.
Rain started to fall. Not hard, but in gentle sweeps that
belied the fierce crackling of thunder. In the distance, two bolts of lightning
lit up the sky. When they did, I spotted a stranger at the end of my driveway.
He was about average height and thick through the shoulders. His black hoodie hid
his face.
