Date:         Thu, 15 Oct 1998 12:50:23 MDT From: "Robyn M. Herrington" Subject:      [WRITERS] SUB: Halloween: The Visitor Keep 'em coming! Submissions, critiques -- both to rmherrin@ucalgary.ca Deadline for entries into this year's Halloween writing contest is midnight, tonight! When the midnight deadline has passed, and you've had a chance to read *all* of the stories, it'll be time for you to cast your votes. Again, to me -- rmherrin@ucalgary.ca -- not the list. But more on that later..... Robyn The Visitor "Would you like to go to the store with me?" Sam's mom asked as she opened the door to his room and peered in. "Or, you can stay home with your sister, I'll be back in just a bit." Sam looked up from his video game, hit the pause button, and pondered the thought. He shook his head. "Nah, I'll stay here," he replied, not wanting to give up the high score he had accumulated. "Okay," his Mom said, then added, "remember, Lisa's in charge, you do what she says." She threw him her best =91mom' look before slowly closing the door. Sam turned back to the frozen video game on the television. "Great," he thought, "just what I need, Lisa bossing me around." "I AM the boss of you," Lisa would always say whenever their mother wasn't home. Sam knew this, but couldn't stand it that Lisa always had to rub it in his face. After all, at fifteen, she was only three years older than he. It wasn't like she was an adult yet. He could hear her giggling on the telephone in the next room. "Well," he thought, "I'll just stay here in my room, that way she can't tell me what to do." After a while, finding it hard to ignore the rumbling in his stomach, Sam sauntered downstairs, wondering if his Mom had returned. "Lees?" he called out as he noticed how dark it was downstairs. "Geez, she must still be on the phone," he thought and switched on the lamps in the den. Turning toward the kitchen, something moving outside the back window caught his eye. He carefully peered through the farthest corner of the window. "Hmm, probably just Digger." He thought. The neighbor's black and white cat was always scaling their back fence and digging holes in their backyard. Sam walked over to the fridge and looked inside. "Geez, nothin' to eat," he said aloud and wondered when his Mom would be home with the food. Suddenly, he heard a loud clanging noise coming from the back yard. Digger's at it again, he thought as again he peered out the window. Just as he did, he saw a dark figure dart around the corner of the house. He couldn't make out who it was, but it didn't matter to him anyway. It was definitely not Digger. Fear gripped his throat; his arms and legs were suddenly paralyzed. He couldn't move, much less call out for his sister. "Maybe it was mom," he thought trying to reassure himself so that his body would at least move. "Maybe she's out back getting something." With his back against the kitchen wall, slowly he slid toward the hallway, trying to get to the stairs without making a sound. He had to get to Lisa; she'd know what to do, he thought. The stairs seemed a million miles away as he deliberately paused between each small step, hearing only the pounding of his heart. Finally making his way to the kitchen doorway, he nearly bumped his head on the telephone hanging on the wall. RRRRRRRING! The ringing phone made Sam's entire body jump. He stared at the telephone, too afraid to pick it up for fear that if he did, whoever was outside would know he was inside. After three rings, it went silent. He didn't remember moving but somehow got to the stairs. And just as he did, the doorbell rang. Fear tightened every muscle; he felt his knees weaken. Shaking, but not making a sound, he slowly tiptoed to the door and peered through the peephole. The light on the porch was not on and Sam could only see a dark figure standing behind the door. His unsteady hands quietly reached down to make sure the door was locked. It was. Sam's heart was beating so loud, he thought for sure that whoever was behind that door could hear it too. Slowly, he turned and began to tiptoe up the stairs, pausing briefly every time his feet made the stairs creak. "CREAK! . . . CREAK! . . . CREAK!" "DING . . . DONG!" The doorbell rang again startling Sam so badly that he almost stumbled down the stairs. "What are you doing? Who's at the door?" Lisa demanded, suddenly appearing at the top of the stairs. "Ssshhhhhh!" Sam whispered, trying to chase the panic from his voice. "There's someone out there. I just saw them out back. And now they're at the front door!" he continued, motioning toward the front door. "I was thinking maybe it was Mom, and . . . " He was quickly interrupted by his sister. "MOM JUST CALLED!" Lisa said, her voice rising. "SHE SAID SHE WON'T BE HOME FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS! OH MY GOSH! WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?" Lisa was starting to panic and Sam knew they had to remain calm. "Ssshhhh! Listen . . . " Sam said, quieting her as they both strained to hear. Just then they heard the sound of the screen door opening, with its familiar squeaking. "OH MY GOSH!" Lisa squealed, tripping to the middle of the stairs, both hands griping Sam's arm, "THEY'RE TRYING TO COME IN THE DOOR! WHAT'LL WE DO? WHAT'LL WE DO?" she whispered loudly as again Sam quieted her. "Will you keep it down? They'll hear you!" Sam said. "We've got to call the police . . . NOW!" "WAIT!" Lisa whispered looking toward the door, "lets see if we can see who it is." "Are you crazy . . . ? " Sam began, as suddenly the doorknob began to jiggle. Sam thought he was going to faint from the fear that was crushing his chest. "I'm going to find out who it is right now!" Lisa shouted and Sam watched in horror as his sister began to march down the stairs. "LISA! Are you insane . . . ?" his voice getting lost as he stood frozen and watched helplessly as she unbolted the lock and grabbed the doorknob. "LISA . . . NO!" he screamed as she turned the knob and swung open the door. "CAM!" There in the doorway, stood Lisa's friend Cam and just as quickly as Lisa had swung open the door, both girls doubled over into hysterical fits of laughter. "WE GOT YOU, WE GOT YOU!" they screamed through choked laugher. They were on the floor slapping each other high-fives and laughing uncontrollably. "OH MY GOSH!" Lisa squealed, barely able to control herself, "OH MY GOSH! We got you SO good Sam! That look on your face was priceless!" she said as she shut the front door and locked it. "NOT FUNNY LISA!" Sam screamed as he turned, stomping up the stairs. "IF THAT'S YOUR IDEA OF A JOKE . . . " Just then, they heard a noise from the other side of the front door. The girls went quiet and Sam stopped dead in his tracks. In stunned silence, all heads quickly turned toward the front door. They could hear the front screen slowly creak open. The doorknob began to turn and suddenly, whoever was out there was trying to forcibly push open the door as they jiggled the handle. The girls stared at the door and didn't move. Sam snickered. "Oh, I get it," he said sarcastically, "another one of your friends Lisa? Maybe the same person I saw creeping around the back yard with you Cam?" "The . . . back . . . yard?" Cam asked slowly, backing away from the door, "I never went in the back yard . . . " -- ---------------------------------*=*=*=*=*=*-------------------------------- Robyn Herrington,Editor rmherrin@acs.ucalgary.ca InfoServe www.ucalgary.ca/~rmherrin New Currents in Teaching and Technology Com/Media University of Calgary Ph: 220-2561 == Inter tormentia latitia == ---------------------------------*=*=*=*=*=*--------------------------------