Nightmare in Niceville Read Online Free

said.
    I was quieter than usual for the rest of lunch. Scott made me so shy sometimes. I knew him from elementary and middle school, and he had always been so nice and friendly. Those qualities were hard to find these days. And he was so muscular and tan and handsome. I snuck another peek at him. Gosh, he was cute. I returned my stare back to my mashed potatoes and fumbled with my hands in my lap. Something about the guy you could never get always made you want him more.
    â€”————
    â€œSo, I’ll pick you up at eight thirty for the movie tomorrow, right?” Emily asked through the open window of the passenger door.
    â€œYeah, that’d be great.” Then I mouthed our saying: “Elephant shoes.” It sounds weird, but when you mouthed the words, it looked like you were saying, “I love you.” It made us both crack up.
    â€œElephant shoes,” Emily blared. I was still laughing when I headed up my driveway and onto the concrete porch. I tried the knob, but it was locked. Weird . . . it was usually open. I dug into my bag and fumbled for the keys. I felt like someone was behind me, just like yesterday. I spun around quickly and scanned the area, but there was only the scene of my peaceful neighborhood. Across the street, Mr. Bannd was mowing his lawn.
    I was about to turn back to the door when I heard a twig snap. I fixed my eyes in the direction where the noise came from. A hedge in our yard was quivering slightly. I stepped off the porch and took a few steps toward it. I squinted, trying to see anything hidden in the bush. Suddenly and without warning, a bird flew out of the hedge, chirping frantically. I screamed.
    â€œLily, are you okay?” Mr. Bannd called from his yard.
    â€œOh, I’m fine. I was just checking the mail, and a bird scared me,” I said and laughed.
    â€œAll righty. Just makin’ sure.” He pulled the lawn mower string and went back to mowing.
    I huffed and stomped back to the house. Finally finding my keys, I unlocked the door and went in, shaking my head at my behavior lately. I closed the door as quietly as I could and called out, “Hey, Mom! Hey, Ash!”
    Nothing but silence.
    My heart sped up a little.
    â€œMom? Ash?” I yelled.
    Still no answer.
    I walked down the hallway to the kitchen where I would usually smell something cooking and hear Ashley chattering away.
    â€œHello?” I heard my voice echo back. I stepped all the way into the kitchen and saw a piece of paper and a microwaveable box of lasagna sitting on the counter. I laughed quietly.
    Lily,
    Sorry we aren’t home.
I took Ashley to her dentist appointment.
Be back in a little while!
    Love you!
Mom & Ash
    P.S. I love you!
Ashley
    As I read the note, my heart slowed back down. I smiled at Ashley’s part. Her handwriting was messy, but I didn’t mind—in fact, I loved it. I shoved the note into the back pocket of my pants. Why was I being so paranoid? Must be that new mystery book I’m reading, I thought. I read mysteries a lot, and they always made me a little nervous, but I had never been this jumpy. And the book wasn’t even that scary! All of these creepy feelings were weirding me out. Maybe after I finished my book I should switch back to fairy tale-type books.
    After heating up the lasagna, I ate it quickly. Even though the movie was tomorrow night, I wanted to finish my chores and homework so nothing would get in the way of my plans. I needed to clean my room and bathroom, sweep the kitchen, do the dishes, and do any laundry. I ran upstairs to check the guest bathroom. It looked good—the toilet and shower were fine—and the sink too. But I took out cleaner and scrubbed the toilet anyway. Ew.
    There were a few things scattered on the floor of my room, and I scurried to pick them up. I looked in my hamper, but there were only two shirts. I snatched them up anyway and tucked them under my arm. I scooped up the