Are You Alone in the House

by Travis Szablewski

  Jessie clawed at the roof that laid just below the window and pulled her body out. She fell onto the hard, rugged roof as she quickly stood. She had to find a way down! There had to be some way! She quickly ran down the side of the house, the jagged roof shingles slicing into the tender bottoms of her bare feet. She could scream…but no one would hear her. They lived nearly ten miles from town. If there was any chance of surviving, it was up to her…and her only.

  She held onto the side of the house tightly as she stopped at a window. She peeked inside…to see her mother’s bedroom…the masked maniac no where in sight. Jessie turned away as she leaned forward, staring down at the grass far below.

  “Shit,” Jessie cried. The drop was too far. She had to take her chances going through the house. She quickly pulled her phone from the pocket of her pajama pants and dialed 911…

  As the figure’s arm crashed through the window beside her. Jessie screamed in terror as the masked figure’s arms wrapped around her, trying to pull her back inside through the shattered window.

  “No! Stop! Somebody!” Jessie cried. Jessie then opened her mouth…and dug her teeth into the figure’s arm through their black cloak. The figure then shoved Jessie forward…as she tumbled down onto the roof…and rolled towards the edge.

  “Ah!” Jessie screamed as she rolled over the edge of the roof. Her hands grasped the edge of the gutter as her entire body swung over the edge. Tears streamed down Jessie’s face as she glanced down below her…the grass far below. Her legs kicked rapidly in the air below her. “Somebody help me!” Jessie cried out as she glanced back up…to see the figure charging across the roof…their knife raised…running right towards her.

  Jessie closed her eyes tightly…and let go. Her small body fell through the air…and she slammed onto the grass below with a loud THUD. Jessie landed on her back, the air knocked right out of her. Her breathing slowed…and her vision grew foggy…as she stared up at the edge of the roof high above her. The figure…out of sight.

  This was it.

  This was the end.

  Jessie’s eyes slowly rolled into the back of her head…as the darkness consumed her.

  FOR REESE

  Jessie’s eyes slowly fluttered open to see a bright florescent light shining from above. Was she dead? Was this heaven? Or was this hell? The pounding her head made her believe that this was definitely hell…

  “Reese? Can you hear me? Reese?” a soft, familiar voice echoed through her ears. Jessie slowly looked to her right…to see Ethan standing beside her.

  “Where am I?” Jessie asked, her voice dry and hoarse.

  “You’re safe. You’re at the hospital,” Ethan said softly as he rubbed her hand. Jessie looked down to see herself dressed in a white hospital gown. A blue, itchy cover was placed over her legs. She slowly sat up in the bed as she held her head in pain, the throbbing ache pulsated through her entire skull. “Easy…be easy,” Ethan said. Jessie’s long, black hair hanged in her face. She ran her hand through it, clearing it from her eyes as she felt the soft gauze pad taped to her forehead. “The doctor said you have a minor concussion,” Ethan added.

  “Is Reese…” Jessie slowly said as her eyes looked to Ethan. Ethan looked down to the floor…too terrified to look her in the eyes…as he slowly nodded. Jessie looked up to the ceiling as tears streamed down her face. “God damn it,” she sobbed as Ethan quickly wrapped his arms around her. Jessie pulled him close, hugging him tighter as she cried into his jacket. “I should have been faster. I should have listened to her,” Jessie sobbed.

  “Jessie, don’t do that to yourself. Don’t blame yourself. It all happened so fast. You can’t do that to yourself; Reese wouldn’t want you to,” Ethan cried. Jessie slowly released him as she relaxed, resting her back against the elevated bed.

  “Did they catch him?” Jessie asked as she wiped her tears. Ethan sat down into the wooden chair beside the hospital bed as he shook his head.

  “No, they didn’t. By the time they got there, the son of a bitch was long gone,” Ethan said sadly as he held Jessie’s hand tightly.

  “All I remember is that mask. That’s all I keep seeing,” Jessie said as she stared up at the blinding light above her.

  “They were wearing a mask?” Ethan asked.

  “Yeah, it was, like, a creepy ass baby doll. It was all rotten looking and it had cracks all over it. It was horrifying,” Jessie said as she looked to Ethan beside her. “How are Reese’s parents?”

  “Not taking it so well…as any parent would,” Ethan said.

  “God, this is going to kill them. Not one daughter…but two. Could you imagine that? That pain? I mean, what I feel couldn’t even touch that. I lost my best friend…but they lost…they lost both of their daughters, Ethan; their children,” Jessie cried the warm tears fell from her eyes.

  “I don’t even want to imagine what that feels like. When your mom called me, I…” Ethan stopped.

  “What?” Jessie asked, intrigued.

  “The ten-minute drive over here felt like ten hours. I ran every damn light. I passed every damn car that I could. I was scared. I was terrified, Jessie. The thought of…losing you. After all of this…after everything that has happened…I couldn’t even begin to comprehend the possibility of you not being by my side,” Ethan said as he cried softly. “I was so scared that you were gone; that I was going to lose you forever. I wasn’t alright…I wasn’t OK…until I saw you; until I knew that you were safe.”

  Jessie smiled softly as she tightened her grip on his soft, sweaty hand. What did she do to deserve him? He spoke with his heart…and a piece of it was twisted into every single word that he said to her.

  “She was right,” Jessie said.

  “What do you mean?” Ethan asked.

  “This is all connected. This is all about that night. It’s all about the night that Riley was killed,” Jessie said.

  “Killed? Riley fell, Jessie,” Ethan said, confused.

  “No, she didn’t. Reese knew. She tried to tell me. She tried to tell all of us. And not a single damn one of us listened. Now, look at us. We’ve lost three of our best friends, Ethan. If we don’t stop this…if we don’t figure this out…then any one of us could be next,” Jessie said.

  “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying I’m finishing what Reese started. I’m doing this for Reese. Because if we don’t figure out what the hell is going on…we’re just going to keep dying…one…by….one.”

  TO TELL THE TRUTH

  Burke ran his leather jacket sleeve under his nose as the warm tears streamed down his face. His tired eyes stared back at Deputy Paul Wilson who sat across from him inside the interrogation room of the Woodland Hills police department.

  “I’m going to ask you one more time, Mr. Collins. Did. You. Kill. Reese?” Deputy Wilson’s voice said sternly as his eyes narrowed onto Burke.

  “For the thousandth time, no!” Burke cried out as he slammed his hands onto the long, narrow table. “I loved Reese! I could never, ever hurt her!”

  “Well, that’s not what a few of your peers from school told us,” Deputy Wilson said as if he knew all the facts.

  “What?” Burke asked, confused.

  “We have numerous witnesses who said you and Reese had a pretty heated argument at school this morning. And now, she ends up dead? You’re telling me that’s just a big, fat coincidence?” Deputy Wilson asked as he smirked in amazement.

  “We had a fight, yes! But I didn’t kill her! I could never hurt her…or anyone for that matter!” Burke cried out.

  “That’s not what your foster parents told us,” Deputy Wilson said as he stood up from his chair and inched his way around the table and towards Burke. Burke’s jaw tightened as he crossed his muscular arms over his chest.

  “They’re fucking liars,” Burke snapped.

  “They said you’ve got quite a temper. They told us you’ve punched three holes in your bedroom wall; they told us that you even threatened to choke your father
out,” Deputy Wilson said as he circled Burke like a shark.

  “He isn’t my father,” Burke said sternly.

  “He’s the closest thing you’ve got to one. If you ask me, if you were living in my house…I would have knocked you straight through a damn wall if you ever threatened me like that,” Deputy Wilson said as his eyes glared down to Burke.

  “OK, yeah, whatever! I’ve got a temper! I hate my fucking foster parents! Who fucking doesn’t? But that doesn’t make me a killer!” Burke yelled.

  “Where were you tonight?” Deputy Wilson asked as he sat back down into the chair across from Burke.

  “I already told you…I was out driving; just cruising backroads,” Burke sighed in annoyance.

  “So, you were alone? Which means you don’t have a solid alibi.” Deputy Wilson said. Burke shook his head as he struggled to come up with answer. “Tell me about this,” the deputy said as he dropped a golden piece of jewelry onto the center of the table. It was Riley’s locket. The heart-shaped pendulum was wide open. Burke stared back as his picture inside of it.

  “Riley liked me, sure,” Burke said as he rolled his eyes. “Is that what you wanna know?”

  “You were dipping into both cookie jars, weren’t you, Mr. Collins? You were messing around with Riley…and with Reese. So, what happened, Burke? Did Riley turn you down? So, you pushed her from that balcony? Did Reese turn you down, too? Did that make you snap? Did that set you off?” Deputy Wilson asked sternly.

  “I didn’t kill anybody!” Burke cried out as he shot up from his chair, his fists at his sides. His rage…his anger…burned inside of him as his dark eyes locked onto Deputy Wilson. Burke’s eyes then darted to the door as it flew open…and Sheriff Ronald Taylor stormed inside. Ronald charged towards Burke as he threw his arm up. Ronald’s hand wrapped tightly around Burke’s throat…and slammed him against the wall as Deputy Wilson quickly stood up from his chair.

  “You fucking lowlife piece of trash!” Ronald growled as he choked Burke.

  “Sheriff, stop!” Deputy Wilson yelled as he ran towards them. Burke choked for air as Ronald tightened his grip on his throat. Burke clawed at his rough hands wrapped around his neck.

  “Get the fuck out, Wilson!” Ronald spat over his shoulder.

  “Have you lost your damn mind! The captain will have your ass for this! Let the boy go…NOW!” Wilson demanded. Burke’s wide, terrified eyes stared back into Ronald’s as he choked for air. Ronald then ripped his hand from Burke’s throat and turned away. Burke slid down the wall, collapsing onto the floor as he choked…the air returning to his lungs. His red eyes lifted as Ronald stopped in the doorway…and turned. Ronald’s eyes…locked onto Burke.

  “If I find out you killed Reese…or Riley…you better pray you’re behind bars…so that I can’t touch you,” Ronald growled as he stormed out of the interrogation room.

  LITTLE BLACK BOOK

  Jessie stared out of the passenger window as her mother, Jillian Tanner, sat in the driver’s seat. Jessie’s heavy eyes stared up at the bright morning sunlight as it shimmered down through the passing tree branches above. Jillian’s hands tightened on the wheel nervously as she looked from the road ahead and to her daughter beside her.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” Jillian asked sympathetically. Jessie looked to her mother as she shrugged softly. The bloody bandage was still taped to Jessie’s forehead. She got the OK to check out this morning. The doctor insisted that she take it easy for a few days…but she had work to do…and it couldn’t wait. This was now life or death.

  “Not really, mom,” Jessie said as she took a sip from the soda can in her hand.

  “I just want you to know that I am so sorry I wasn’t there. If I had been…maybe…” Jillian said as her eyes filled with tears.

  “Mom, stop it,” Jessie said quickly, interrupting her mother. “Nothing could have changed what happened. If anything, this is my fault,” Jessie said as she hanged her head down, her long, black hair draping her face.

  “Don’t say that, honey. You were terrified. What happened was horrific. I know you did everything that you could,” Jillian said as she kept one hand on the wheel and placed her other onto Jessie’s leg.

  “You weren’t there, so how would you know?” Jessie snapped as she lifted her head and looked to her mother. “I could have done more. I could have reacted faster. I should have…I should have…” Jessie said as her voice quivered, a tear trickled down her cheek.

  “Don’t sit there and blame yourself, Jessie. Reese wouldn’t want you to do that to yourself. She loved you like a sister. She wouldn’t want you to put all of this on your shoulders,” Jillian said.

  Jessie eyes stared through the passenger side window…as she saw Reese’s house ahead to the right.

  “Stop at Reese’s house,” Jessie demanded as she looked to her mother.

  “Honey, I think that’s a little inappropriate. I mean, Lorraine is going through a lot,” Jillian said.

  “Mom, just stop the damn car! Please!’ Jessie begged. Jillian sighed as she pressed onto the brakes. She turned the wheel as the car came to a stop at the curb in front of Reese’s house.

  “I really think we should just go home. You need to rest, sweetie,” Jillian said.

  “Just stay here. I’ll only be a minute,” Jessie said as she pushed the door open and stepped out of the car. Jessie slammed the door shut behind her as she made her way up the walkway and towards the front porch of the Taylor house. She made her way up the wooden steps and raised her hand, her fingertip pressing the doorbell. She stepped back as she heard the chime ring through the house. She listened as she heard the muffled footsteps looming closer from inside. The deadbolt clicked on the other side…as the door slowly opened. Jessie stared back into Lorraine’s red eyes as she peeked around the corner of the door.

  “Jessie…hi,” Lorraine said, her voice hoarse from crying all night.

  “Hi, Mrs. Taylor,” Jessie said softly as she struggled to smile. She couldn’t imagine what she was going through. The pain. The agony of losing not one, but two children.

  “Jessie, please. You were Reese’s best friend. You know you can call me Lorraine,” she said as she opened the door further. “Come on in, I’m making some tea.” Jessie nodded softly as she stepped into the house and closed the door behind her. Jessie followed Lorraine through the foyer and towards the kitchen ahead.

  “I just wanted to stop by and see how you were,” Jessie said as she stared forward. Lorraine looked like a mess…and understandably so. Her short, blond hair was matted and tangled. She had dark circles under her eyes and was wearing an old, ripped nightshirt and a pair of baggy pajama pants. Jessie stepped into the kitchen as Lorraine rushed to the whistling kettle on the stove in the corner.

  “Go ahead, have a seat,” Lorraine said over her shoulder as she removed the kettle from the dancing flame of the burner. Jessie nodded as she sat at the small, round kitchen table. She looked to the kitchen sink in the corner…to see nearly a dozen empty wine bottles inside. Jessie quickly looked away from the sink as Lorraine spun around, the kettle and potholder in her hand.

  “Do you want sugar?” Lorraine asked as she sat the kettle onto the potholder in the center of the table.

  “Actually, Mrs. Taylor,” Jessie began.

  “Lorraine.”

  “I’m sorry…Lorraine,” Jessie quickly corrected herself. “I was just wanted to ask you some questions. But, if you don’t want to talk…I understand,” Jessie said.

  “What kind of questions?” Lorraine asked as she poured the hot, steaming water into the teacup in front of her and sat down across from Jessie.

  “Did Reese ever say anything to you…about…about Riley?”

  “You mean how she thought that Riley was pushed?” Lorraine quickly asked as she grabbed the string of the teabag in her cup, lifting it up and down gently. Jessie’s stomach turned. Lorraine said it so…so naturally. So nonchalant and casual. Maybe she was still feeling the wine?<
br />
  “Yes,” Jessie said softly.

  “She told me and her father a day or so ago. I thought it was just…her being paranoid. I thought it was just her missing her sister. But now…with everything that has happened…I don’t even know, anymore,” Lorraine said as her eyes grew teary.

  “So, you think she might have been pushed? Do you think this is all connected?”

  “All I know is…I’ve lost two daughters in three months. I’m not stupid. I’m not a fool. Before Reese…” Lorraine stopped as she stared up at the ceiling, tears streaming down her face. “Before she was taken from us, I just pushed the idea of that out of my head. It was too much. It was too much for me to even think that someone could hurt one of my girls. But, now…this isn’t just a coincidence. This isn’t an accident…and I think Riley’s death wasn’t either,” Lorraine cried. “They were all I had left in this world…and now, they’re gone. And God help the son of a bitch that took them from me…because if I find out who did…they’re going to wish they were dead.”

  Jessie wiped her own tears as she reached across the table and grabbed Lorraine’s hand. Lorraine’s tired, teary eyes looked into Jessie’s as she smiled.

  “They loved you more than you’ll ever know,” Jessie said as she smiled through her tears. “They might not have showed it…but they did, Lorraine. You had your struggles…but at the end of the day, you were still their hero,” Jessie said softly. Lorraine nodded as she wiped her tears with her free hand. “Do you care if I take a look in Reese’s room?”

  “No, not at all. But you must promise me, Jessie; if you find anything out, you have to tell me. Don’t leave me out. You were closer to her than anyone else. I want to find out what happened just as much as you do. But, right now…it’s just too hard for me,” Lorraine cried.