I leaned back against the door and let out a relieved sigh. Then I looked at the girl and she said,

  “Can you let go of my hand?”

  That’s when it hit me—I was still gripping it way too tight. I let go and replied, a little embarrassed,

  “Sorry… I wasn’t paying attention.”

  She stepped back and stared at me, like she was waiting for an explanation. What if she doesn’t believe me and decides to leave me here?

  “That’s not a kid… it’s a monster.”

  Her eyes dropped to my hand—the one holding the flashlight, shaking like crazy.

  She brushed her hair away from her face and glanced around. A heavy silence swallowed the room.

  Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

  In the darkness, I could barely make out the tears running down her cheeks… Her voice trembled as she said,

  “I… I just want to… go home…”

  Seeing her like that hit me harder than I expected, but I didn’t show it. I stepped closer, put my hands on her shoulders, and said,

  “Listen. I promise we’re getting out of here alive, okay? I’ll help you. You just have to stay calm and hold it together a little longer.”

  I tried to sound strong… but I’m scared too. I don’t even have any real hope.

  While she wiped her tears, she looked up at me. I avoided meeting her eyes.

  She seemed to calm down a bit and whispered,

  “Thank you…”

  Suddenly, the sound of glass shattering exploded behind her. The window broke and shards scattered across the floor.

  A freezing gust of wind rushed into the room—and the flashlight died.

  She screamed, stumbling away from the window and pressing herself against the wall.

  I froze. I slammed the flashlight button a few times, but it wouldn’t turn back on. Fuck.

  Shaking, heart pounding like it was about to burst out of my chest, I slowly looked toward the window.

  Two red lights—like eyes—glowed in the darkness outside.

  With the sickening crack of bones snapping, it slowly lifted its arms and legs, crawling its way inside…

  In a strange voice, like several people whispering at once, it muttered:

  “I smell blood…”