I didn’t know about the other girls, but I was shaking like a leaf, too ashamed to speak.
“Mom, you’re home early,” Samantha said but she didn’t seem at all fazed. “We’re watchingChainsaw Massacre, they just cut this woman wide open.”
I heard the snigger from the other two girls and as soon as Sam’s mom left, we burst out laughing. Even though I laughed too, I knew I’d overstepped a line there was no going back from unless I put a stop to it.
I’m evil! I’m evil! I’m Lilith! I’m Lilith!Played on a loop in my head before one thought consumed me.
Why did Shay have to be my brother?
I was such an unlucky girl.
11. Crush – Jennifer Paige
Skye – 16 years; Shay28 years
My eyes flew open, my body jolting upright. I glanced around the room trying to pinpoint the sound I heard. If I wasn’t mistaken, it sounded like dull footsteps on the wooden stairs. I cocked my head to listen.
Nothing moved.
Unsure what woke me, it took a second to realize the room was dark and I never slept with the lights off. The first stirrings of panic began in the pit of my stomach. I leaned over, searched for the bedside lamp and flicked the switch as soon as my finger found it.
Nothing.
Power outages weren’t uncommon in our town but occurred mainly during heavy storms and the weather forecast hadn’t predicted bad weather for another week. My brain focused then, and I heard the steady patter of a downpour I’d apparently slept through. As if mother nature wanted to further taunt me, a howling wind picked up, blasting an eerie gust through the house.
“Breathe, Skye.”
Forcing calm into my body, I reached for my phone.Shit.Red line and no signal. Thankfully, there was at least half percent battery life left. I hit the flashlight button on the screen. The room illuminated with enough light for me to slide off the bed. First, I checked the drawers for a flashlight Dad had warned me to keep handy for this kind of emergency.
“Way to go, dumbass,” I grumbled, finding nothing then headed for the door. I was halfway down the stairs from the loft when an explosion of thunder rolling across the sky, rattled the windows.
“No!” I squeaked, grabbing the wall, the sudden boom of my heartbeat frightening me even more. Ever since I was two, thunderstorms scared the shit out of me. When Shay was home, he played the defender of my fear. But he hadn’t been home for almost four months and Dad was off on a shoot.
Biting my lip, I made a beeline for Shay’s room. Even in his absence, just being in his room, inhaling his familiar scent or sleeping in his bed, comforted me. I’d been doing it for so long, he’d become accustomed to returning to find the resident hobo in his bed.
Just as I opened his door, another fierce clap of thunder rumbled through the house. I gripped the phone tight, literally jumped on his bed and pulled the covers over my head. Shaking, I checked the phone just as the battery died, plummeting me in darkness once more.
