"Make a wish, Claire!" yelled Claire's mother, Alicia. Claire grinned as she closed her eyes and blew out the candles on her birthday cake. Today she turned eighteen. She would only wish for one thing. That nothing would ever rip apart her family. As she was engulfed in hugs, she couldn't help but smile. Claire loved each and every one of them. The last hug came from her best friend, Tyler. He was also her boyfriend. They had been dating since the seventh grade and she was in love with him. As her mom cut the cake and served everyone some ice cream, Claire heard her little sister call from the living room. "Mommy! There's a stranger standing in the yard." Claire walked into the living room and opened the front door. "Excuse me!" she called. "Can I help you?" The guy looked at Claire. His piercing green eyes sent chills down her spine. He smiled and took a few steps forward. Claire instinctively closed the door a little. "Hi! I'm Darin. I just moved in next door." He had brown hair, was at least 6'2 and was wearing a blue T-shirt and basketball shorts. Claire opened the door wider. She smiled. "Nice to meet you. Today is my birthday. We're just having a small get together. Would you like to join us?" He shook his head politely. "I've got some errands to run. But thank you anyway! See you later." He added hopefully. Claire shut the door and peeked out of the window. He was still standing there. A weird look on his face. She shivered and walked back to the kitchen. Something was off about him.
