“Wait . . . What time is it?”
“Dunno. Seven? Who cares?”
“It’s getting dark. My mom wanted me home by five thirty!”
“So?”
“So I missed dinner. And she’s gotta work tonight.”
“Oh, jeez. Wow. Didn’t know you were such a mama’s boy.”
“Gotta go. See ya.”
The neighborhood was silent.
The city had never been silent, not even at night. There had always been the drone of highways, the hum of traffic, the wail of sirens. The noise had been comforting.
But here in Cowslip Grove, his footsteps echoed down the empty street. Each step made him wince.
Something scurried across the road ahead of him.
Just an animal, he thought. A cat or a dog.
It didn’t look like a cat or a dog. Its shoulders were hunched and its movements silky.
A wild animal from the woods, then. A fox or a raccoon.
The creature stopped just outside a streetlight’s halo and looked at him. Its eyes flashed fluorescent green in the deepening shadows. Then it turned, slipped into the darkness, and was gone.
Just an animal.
He continued walking.
The shadows crept closer. The silence surrounded him. Swallowed him. His footsteps were thunderclaps.
Not much farther. You’ll be fine. You’ll—
Wait.
A sound? He stopped breath. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
Behind him . . . Echoing out from the darkness . . . Someone whistling a happy tune.
That tune . . . That cheery, simple tune . . . Where had he heard it before?
The whistling drew closer, and then he could hear footsteps on the pavement. Someone was coming. He peered into the night . . .
“Kat?” Levi whispered.
It wasn’t Kat.
The stranger stopped whistling . . . leaned against the lamppost . . . tipped its hat.
The world froze.
Levi turned away and continued walking on boneless legs.
Don’t look back. It’s just a neighbor out for a stroll.
Footsteps behind him.
Don’t look back. Almost home.
The cheery whistling restarted.
Don’t look back. Don’t—
A rush of cold breath on his neck.
Levi ran.
Faster! Don’t look back!
Movement from the corner of his eye as he ran—the stranger’s shadow.
Faster! House so close!
The shadow leaped and stretched—ten feet tall, twenty, fifty.
It reached for him, scraped the back of his neck.
Levi screamed. He sprinted up the walk and hurled himself against the front door.
“Levi!” said his mother. “Where have you—”
“There’s a monster outside!” gasped Levi.
Regina snorted, but Mrs. Galante’s face filled with concern.
“Don’t!” said Levi. “It’s out there! It’s—”
“Did this person say anything to you?” asked Mrs. Galante. “Hurt you?”
“N-no,” said Levi.
“You said he chased you?”
“I . . . Well, his shadow looked weird.” Levi lowered his eyes. His fear—the image of the shadowy stranger leaping across lawns and roofs, its limbs stretching to impossible lengths—was already starting to scramble in his mind.
Mrs. Galante sighed. “Did I not say home at five thirty? I should have you call the factory and tell them why I’m late.”
Regina rolled her eyes. “Ma, I can’t believe you’re making me stay home to babysit this little freak.”
“Quiet, Regina.” Mrs. Galante tucked her purse under her arm and stormed out the front door. “Levi, your dinner is in the kitchen,” she said over her shoulder.
“And if you want it reheated, don’t ask me for help,” muttered Regina. “You can’t expect us to hold your hand forever.”
“What did he look like?” Twila asked after their mother’s car had disappeared down the road.
“What?” said Levi. “Who?”
“The scary man,” said Twila. “Did he look like Freddy or Jason?”
“Shut up,” said Levi as he spooned cold pasta onto his plate.
“Aw, c’mon,” said Twila. “I’m just curious.”
“I guess he was really tall,” said Levi. “But I didn’t get a good look. He was in the shadows.” He took a bite of pasta and chewed thoughtfully. “Actually, it was probably just a creepy old neighbor out for a night walk.”
“Maybe it’s a vampire,” said Twila. “That’s why he wasn’t there when Mom opened the door. ’Cause vampires can disappear into the night.”
Levi made a face.
“Or he was the booooogeyman!” Twila grinned.
Levi shook his head. His imagination was twisted by too many hours of listening to Kat Bombard and her crazy alien-spaceship-Bigfoot conspiracies.
“Well, I think it’s kinda cool,” said Twila. “And creepy.” She smiled—a warm, crooked smile that lit up her face. “This neighborhood could use a little excitement, don’t you think?”
