“Mom?” Vince yelled to the kitchen. No response. He tried again, “Mom? You home?”

“She's not home ding bat, she said she went to the store!” Vince's sister Sarah yelled from her bedroom.

“I know but I heard the front door open and I thought it was mom.”

“Well it wasn't, so calm down and be patient...” Sarah trailed off with some insults her brother didn't bother to listen to.

Knock, knock, knock. “Coming!” Vince yelled. He sprinted to the door hoping it was his mother. He swung the door open. “Mom!” his voice had trailed off with the wind that blew by. No one was there. “Sarah? Are you trying to freak me out?” No response came from upstairs. “Sarah?” Vince turned around and shut the door not locking it. Slowly he walked to the bottom of the stairs at the end of the hall. “Sarah?” he yelled back up the stairs. “C'mon this isn't funny!”

Stomp, stomp, stomp. Vince glared at the floor boards above him, struggling to hear his sister laughing because of his horror. “Sarah! I'm serious!” Vince ran loudly and quickly up the stairs, stopping at the top. Sarah's door was open. Vince crinkled his face and took another step revealing his whole body to the second floor of the house. The lights flickered on and off until it finally shut off complete power in the house. Chills ran up and down Vince's spine and he shivered goosebumps all over. BANG! Vince quickly snapped his head towards the bathroom and saw with the little bit of moon light there was, that the spare bedroom's door creaked open slowly. The lights flickered again, long enough for Vince to see some thick red liquid flow in a steady stream from the room. The lights blew out again.

One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three Mississippi.

“Sarah cut it out! This isn't funny. I'm gonna call mom!” Vince threatened to the dark night that danced around him. He took two steps towards the guest rooms door and then grabbed the doorknob. He let go of the handle and jumped back feeling the liquid absorb into his socks. “Sarah! I am serious! This is not funny!” Vince yelled sternly. Then he jumped back towards the door and swung the door open. The lights flashed back on. Vince instantly ran to the bathroom but didn't quite make it to the toilet. He puked in the sink crying and gagging. Once Vince thought he could contain himself he walked back into the room and sat at his sisters side. His sisters head had been smashed on the now covered in blood guest bedrooms bed's headboard. She laid on her stomach letting the blood swim around her. Vince was now covered in blood, and the thought of how this had happened finally struck him. Someone was in the house. Cold air flew in through the window and the lights flicked back off.

Vince ran down the stairs and grabbed his cell phone. He dialed in, nine one one. Rings rolled through the phone and into his ears.

One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three Mississippi.

“Hello. What is your emergency?” a tight caring voice asked from the other side of the phone shaking in his hand.

“My.. My sister.. She's...” Vince was lost for words, but finally blurted out. “She's badly hurt,” he started to sob.

“What is your name sir?” the woman asked.

“Vince Amberson.”

“Okay Vince, how old are you? And where are you?” she asked calmly.

“15..” Vince trailed off, frustrated at how calm the woman was, when his sister could be dead, “I'm at my house. Forty five Center street, Washoe county in Reno, Nevada.”

“Just hold still. What happened to your sister?” she asked

“I don't kn...” everything happened in a blur and suddenly a big arm was grasped tightly around Vince and his skinny body was flailing in the air. With a hand cupped over his mouth he attempted to scream. The phone smacked the floor and bounced gently through the dark night.

One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three Mississippi.

BANG!

“Vince?” the woman asked in a panicked tone.

“I'm sorry for the inconvenience. My son has a wild imagination. There was no real incident,” a deep voice said breathing heavy.

“Let me speak to Vince please,” the woman demanded not buying his phony act.

“No,” The man said.

“I'm sending the police and the ambulance right now sir,” the woman told him. He hung up on her and didn't think twice about walking over to Vince. The man held up his fist and held Vince's head with his other hand.

One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three Mississippi.

“Vince wake up,” a blurry figure was shaking his shoulders.

“No.. Don't touch me..” Vince trailed off.

“Vince, it's alright. It's your father.”

“Huh?” Vince moaned opening his eyes a little more. The figure of his father appeared in front of him. Vince opened his eyes fully and propped himself up on one elbow.

“You need to stop reading those scary stories. There giving you the creeps, and nightmares it seems,” his father chuckled and grabbed the, “Scary stories to cause nightmares. THAT ARE NOT REAL” off of Vince's chest.

“Ugh. Yeah I should probably stop reading those. Their starting to enter my brain a lot.” Vince stated.

Knock, knock, knock.

One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three Mississippi.

“Oh no! Not again!” Vince groaned pulling a fist full of the blanket over his head.