Chapter 4

                                    

                                          
I awoke in my bed, dazed and confused. My mom, Jackie, Bella, and Mike were standing over me with worried expressions that changed to relief as they saw me stirring. Jackie whispered something to my mom, and she nodded. 
                          
    She asked my friends to leave and bent over me. “Are you okay?” she whispered.
                          
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I replied, still in a daze. Suddenly the memories came flooding back to me – Mia and the old man. I sat up. “Mom, I know who killed Mia!” I exclaimed.
                          
She raised her eyebrow. “Who?”
                          
I took a deep breath. “Okay, I know this is going to sound crazy, and you can choose to believe me or not, but here’s what happened.
                          
“You remember that night where you thought I went missing? Well I was on my way to Jackie’s house and I met an old man who had a knife. He scared me, so I ran away. When I looked back, he wasn’t chasing me, just standing there watching me go. I’m pretty sure he came back and killed Mia. I’m positive.”
                          
Mom bit her lip and stared off in the distance.
                          
“Mom, I’m sorry.”
                          
She turned her gaze back to me, and I could tell just by the look in her eyes she forgave me. She leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “Now you just lie there and rest. I’ll call your teachers in the morning and tell them you’re not feeling well, and to send you what work you need to do.”
                          
I groaned. I had totally forgotten! I had a project that was due tomorrow, and I was only halfway finished with it. Mr. Boris would be mad if it wasn’t turned in on time. He was a strict teacher, and he failed dozens of kids every year, Jackie had told me. The only reason I had a C in his class was because of the story I had written that had exceeded his expectations of me. 
                          
I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but it just wasn’t going to happen. I couldn’t stop thinking about the old man. Who was his next victim? Where was he now? 
                          
Suddenly I heard noise downstairs. I got up and tiptoed to the door. I peeked my head around the corner. Suddenly I heard Mom screaming, “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE? GET OUT OR I’M CALLING THE COPS!!!” Then there was a thud, and all was silent. 
                          
I rushed downstairs, fearing for the worst. When I got there, she was laying in the living room floor, a nasty bruise on her forehead. I felt a cold draft and turned to the window. It was smashed in where someone had tried to get in. I felt a shudder go through my body. Was it the old man? Was he really after me and my family? What did he want with us?
                          
“There you are, girlie,” I heard a voice behind me rasp. I spun around to face the owner of the voice and gasped.
                          
It was the old man!