As she walked up the front steps, each one creaked louder than the one before. She felt like she was going to fall through them. She clutched onto the railing with all her might, trying to keep her balance as she carried her bags and herself up the rickety staircase.

“Ouch!”

She screamed out in pain as a splinter entered the palm of her hand. She looked down at the railing, but it was too dark to see what had pricked her hand. She let go of the railing as she approached the porch. She stopped and waited, thinking that her grandmother must have heard her scream, but she didn’t. Nobody came to the door.

She looked around for the doorbell, but didn’t see one. Then, she looked up at the iron door and saw a large knocker. She lifted it up with her hand and let it fall, making a very loud bang which echoed through her ears. She waited for about a minute but still no answer.

“Grandma? Are you home?” she yelled out through the door.

She waited again. The minutes felt like hours as she stood there on the front porch waiting for her grandmother to open the door and let her in. As she stood there in the humidity, she kept feeling little pricks on her skin, and then realized it was a swarm of mosquitos biting her. She could feel them sucking out her blood and creating a lump on her skin.

She let out a sigh as she turned away from the door, having lost hope that her grandmother would open up. She dropped her bags on the porch, trying to figure out what to do next. She didn’t know what to do. There was not a sign of life around, except for the mosquitos that kept mauling her body. She walked back down off the porch and stood there staring at the house, hoping that maybe she could wake her grandmother up.

“GRANDMA! IT’S ME RACHEL!” she yelled up to the open window in desperation.

“CAN YOU HEAR ME?”

She realized it was a lost cause and she’d have to wait until morning. Then, she thought if she could just find an open window she could get inside. She looked at the front of the house, but they all looked to be closed. Then, she started veering off the front path and into the side yard looking for an open window. Not only did she not find an open window on the side of the house, but instead saw what looked like tombstones in the light of the moon. She couldn’t understand why her grandmother would live on the same property as an old graveyard. She suddenly got the chills and despite the hot, sticky weather, got goose bumps all over her body. This was by far one of the creepiest houses she’d ever seen and was feeling more and more creeped out by the whole thing.

She kept thinking she had made a huge mistake to come down and find her grandmother. After all, maybe her grandmother didn’t live here anymore and she was creeping around someone else’s property like a maniac. This didn’t seem like the type of place her grandmother would live, but she hadn’t seen her in years and maybe she’d changed. The situation was all too much for her to handle. She quickly ran around the back and other side of the house but to no avail. She was locked outside for the night and would have to make the best of it.

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When she got back to her bags she rummaged around looking for her cell phone. She was thrilled to see that she’d finally gotten one bar of cell reception, and tried to make the most of it. Holding her phone up to the sky hoping to gain more reception she starting clicking the keys of her phone in search for help.

Then as if by magic she got an alert from foursquare that said her friend had just checked into a pub around the corner from her. She rubbed her eyes and squinted trying to read the message again in disbelief. Could it really be true that her friend Kelly was only a few minutes down the road at a bar? She couldn’t believe her eyes. She quickly clicked on her phone to text her friend.

Rachel: Hey! You’re not going to believe this but I’m right down the road visiting my grandma.

She waited and then her phone lit up.

Kelly: OMG! STOP! You have to come out with us.

Rachel: I’m kinda stranded her thought. No way to get there. Can I walk?

Knowing that she shouldn’t go back on those streets alone at night, she immediately regretted her question. She hoped that Kelly would tell her not to walk, but she didn’t know what she’d say. She hadn’t seen Kelly since summer camp when they were kids, but always felt a close connection with her.

Kelly: Well, do you know the streets well?

Rachel: Not at all. I just arrived actually. Been kind of a crazy night already.

Kelly: Def don’t walk then. I’ll come pick you up. What’s your address?

Rachel: 12 Maple Way

Kelly: 12 Maple Way here I come!

CHAPTER SEVEN

Rachel couldn’t believe the luck she’d just had. She was overjoyed that her friend was coming to pick her up and that she wouldn’t have to spend the night on this creepy front porch. She wasn’t even sure her grandmother lived in this house, so it would have been especially sketchy for her to crash on the property.

She gathered up her bags and walked to the end of the driveway and stood there waiting on the side of the road. She knew she had majorly lucked out and was so lucky she actually knew someone in this town.

A few minutes later, she saw headlight coming down the road and music blasting out the car window. It was a Dave Matthew’s Band song that she used to listen to over and over when the two went to camp together. She knew this must be Kelly.

The car slowed to a stop right in front of her and Kelly jumped out of the driver seat and ran over and jumped onto Rachel giving her a giant hug. It was a very warm welcome, she thought to herself, and felt so happy to have been saved from what could have been a very dangerous night.

“Rachel, I can’t believe you’re here!” Kelly said, in an energetic high-pitched voice.

“I know! It’s crazy. It was kinda last minute but here I am!” Rachel replied.

“I’m psyched!” Kelly said. “We’re going to have so much fun!”

“Cool!” Rachel said.

She felt excited that Kelly had just rescued her, but part of her had wished her grandma had just opened the door to let her in. She was craving a quite night at home with her grandmother catching up with her. She hadn’t seen her in so long and knew she was the only person who could help her make sense of herself. She was feeling lost in her own body and couldn’t understand the changes that were taking place.

Then, she suddenly remembered the letter from her attic. She began to panic thinking that she’d lost it or forgotten to pack it. She quickly reached inside her backpack and searched the pockets, but it wasn’t there.




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