Crossing Over

Chapter 15

Rob had just opened his mouth to answer when they heard a loud sniffing on the other side of the door. Immediately an image of large police dogs flashed through Cameron's head.

Rob's face went a shade of white that could only be described as new school glue. For a moment Cameron thought that his friend all two hundred and fifty pounds of him was going to faint right where he stood.

Before either of them could move the shrill high-pitched laughter tore through the room around them and then something crashed into the door.

Rob turned to Cameron with a look of determination on his face and began pushing him toward the window.

"We're going out there?" Cameron asked in astonishment.

"Well yeah," Rob answered sarcastically. "If you feel like having a meet and greet without whatever is out in that hallway be my guest but if it's all the same to you I think I'll pass."

Stepping around Cameron he pushed the window up and swung a leg out.

"Are you coming or not?" Rob asked

Cameron hesitated for a moment turning back toward the door. The thing outside was repeatedly slamming into the door with enough force to rattle it in its frame. He could feel the vibration traveling through the floor as it continued its assault on the thick wood.

Cameron saw that it had made some headway. A small gap had appeared between the door and the frame and with every blow, it only grew larger. A long thin arm snaked its way around the door groping and slashing at empty air.

Its skin was gray and mottled purple. The flesh cracked and peeling in places exposed the decaying tendons and ligaments. Cameron's stomach clenched and threatened to overflow as the stench of it began to fill the room.

Forcing itself further into the space it had created its shoulder began to slide into the gap. As he watched a glowing silvery blue eye appeared in the darkness beyond. It watched him intently marking him.

Cameron turned and ran. "Go!" He shouted at Rob who didn't need to be told twice. As Cameron swung a leg over the frame and stepped out onto the steeply sloping roof he saw that Rob was already at the thin edge that would allow them to drop safely down into the backyard.

Cameron eased himself slowly away from the window moving carefully toward the section of gently sloping roof above the house's back porch. Navigating the uneven surface was only made more difficult by the quickly lengthening shadows created by the fading light.

Behind him, the bedroom door exploded inward with enough force to knock the large bed against the wall under the window. He stumbled and almost fell sliding dangerously close to the edge.

In his panic to regain his balance he never heard the footsteps rushing toward him. Something caught him in the lower back and sent pain like white-hot fire scorching across his skin.

He cried out loudly dropping to his knees and groping for a handhold to maintain his precarious perch. Rob turned to check on his friend and Cameron saw a look of terror on his face that drove spikes of icy fear into his heart. He had no intention of turning around to see what his friend was gaping at but he couldn't seem to stop himself.

She stood in the window staring out at him a smile that resembled a snarl plastered to her face. Savannah looked exactly as Andra had described her. The skin on the right side of her mouth had been ripped away making visible the black decaying teeth underneath. Her long black hair hung limp and wet against her face and shoulders. The remnants of the black shirt and the shorts she wore hung in tatters.

Turning away from the window and staggering quickly to his feet he felt something blow by him just between his shoulder blades but he was already up and stumbling forward. He could hear her behind him gibbering wildly but whether it was to herself or directed at him he couldn't be sure. She growled and spat at him and with a sinking horror, he realized that he could hear the wood from the window frame cracking as she attempted to drag herself out.

Rob rushed to meet him a look of fearful determination pasted resolutely to his face. He slid an arm under Cameron's both steadying and guiding him forward.

Moving as quickly as the steep ascent of the roof would allow the two boys worked their way out to the edge.

Rob went first sitting carefully on the roof and then flipping over onto his stomach as he inched his way over the side. Holding onto the lip he swung nimbly down. Cameron heard a soft thump as his feet connected with the porch railing and then again as he dropped to the ground.

"Let's go Cam." He hissed at his friend.

Cameron started to sit but turned back one last time before he did. She was hanging half in and half out of the window her outstretched arms reaching for him.

It almost looked as if the house were giving birth to her. Her eyes met his and her lips stretched into an impossibly large grin.

"Andra." She growled in a voice that was thick and garbled from years of disuse. His blood ran cold and his knees turned to Jell-O. Sitting down hard he began to hastily scoot toward the edge of the roof.

He dangled his legs off the roof before flipping over to his stomach and slipping over the side. Hands grabbed his legs roughly as he dangled in space causing Cameron to nearly lose his grip.

"It's me!" Rob hissed urgently.

Helping him to the ground they quickly backed away from the porch and into the yard. Standing shoulder to shoulder they stared up at the large house in fascination. The evening sky stretched out above it fading from dark pink to purple where the first stars had started to appear. Sitting there in the middle of the encroaching forest with the night sky surrounding it the house seemed almost alive.

Glancing up at the window Cameron saw that there was no sign of the girl now. The window was empty.

"What was that?" Rob asked in a strained voice.

"I think that was Savannah. At least what's left of her anyway."

"Well, she's extremely welcoming."

"Isn't she though?" Cameron said exhaustion in his voice. "Let's get out of here man."

Rob nodded in agreement. "You know you're bleeding right?"

"Where?" Cameron said startled.

"Right here," Rob said touching the back of his shirt gingerly. "You're shirt is shredded."

"My mom is gonna kill me. She just bought this."

"It's fine," Rob said. "My parents went out to dinner tonight. They should be gone by now. I've got a shirt you can wear. Maybe she won't notice."

"Yeah maybe not. Let's just go." Cameron said moving toward the side of the house. He patted the remains of his shirt feeling for the little brown book, reassured when he felt the shape of it still sitting snugly against his lower back.

"Sounds good to me."

They climbed into the car but as they backed out Cameron couldn't resist taking one more look up at the house. As he did a light came on in one of the upstairs rooms and in the light stood the figure of a young girl standing in the window watching. Then as quickly as it was there it was gone and only darkness was left.

Beside him, Rob grunted loudly. "Did you see that?"

"I didn't see anything," Cameron said.

He turned the car back toward town and eased down on the accelerator. He and Andra had a lot to talk about.