~ Halloween Issue ~
 

Charley Danes (a short story)
by Erika Clarke, Staff Writer

     Charley Danes was her name. She was a good student, big sister, and overall a good person.
     One night near Halloween, Charley was lying in her bed. She was very tired, and decided to go to sleep. She turned off her television and layed down on her back.
     Suddenly, everything started to shake. Charley had never been in an earthquake before, but she had been through many drills at school. The only desk Charley had wasn't very sturdy, so she started to get up and go toward the door.
     Charley struggled to get out of bed, but something as holding her down. She tried over and over until she finally gave up.
     Just when she thought nothing else could happen, Charley heard something in her ear. It was like a whisper, but she couldn't hear any actual words. Terrified, she closed her eyes and a terrible image appeared to her. It was a someone’s face, with hatred in their eyes. When Charley opened her eyes, the walls, windows, posters, desks, and books melted all over and around her, suffocating her. Charley couldn't breathe. She was trapped in an avalanche.
     Charley blinked and everything was normal. Jumping out of bed, she called for her parents. Within seconds, Mr. and Mrs. Danes were standing in their daughter's doorway.
     "What happened?" her mother cried frantically.
     Charley tried to explain to her parents what happened, but they couldn't understand what she was trying to say. Frustrated,she tried to go back to sleep. As soon as she lay down on her back, the darkness started to come down again.
     Quickly, Charley opened her eyes. Her mother was sitting there, half asleep, watching her. There was no change in expression. It was like everything that happened was all in her imagination.
     The same things occurred many times. Every night, someone would stay in Charley's room. She would have another incident, but wake up to find that no one else noticed.
     To this day, Charley Danes' parents will say that it was just stress. Charley knew that the melting objects and whispers in her ear were not just stress. This was something greater than anyone could ever imagine.