It took nearly a week before Anna was able to talk to the police. Her accounts of the events that night were so off the wall authorities believed they were hallucinations from the drug she’d been given. Anna spoke of dead bodies in the house that were simply not there, and demons that everyone knew were not real. When they left her bedside, they had more questions than answers.
Suzi Zellers' body was never recovered, so police weren’t sure how to classify it. Some even wondered if maybe she had run away with Jesse. After all, there was such a difference in their appearances. Any man in his right mind would have chosen the pert and petite blonde over the homelier and larger Anna. It wouldn’t be the first time something like that had happened.
A phone call two weeks later from Suzi to her father seemed to confirm that theory. According to Suzi, her and Jesse had been well away from town when the events of the night occurred. They had fallen in love and decided to leave together. It was that simple. Suggesting Anna was jealous and making up the story for attention, Suzi had hung up before a solid trace could be completed.
The local police discussed it, and they decided to go with Suzi's story. In their minds, they believed Anna was jealous because Jesse chose the prettier, slender girl. Then she had drugged herself and gone through that fiasco in an attempt to get revenge. The case fell flat from then on out.
It was too difficult to face the world after that. Anna resigned from her part-time job at the sporting goods store, which obviously relieved Mr. Zellers. The whole town believed her to be a petty and spiteful liar, and everybody knew how cruel small towns could be. It would have been too much to have to face them again, day after day, while they pitied the overweight girl who had drugged herself to get back at the man who dumped her.
Although Anna eventually resumed her regular life, it was never quite the same. Iris had stood by her, through it all. She had accepted the story Anna told her and never doubted her. With her help, Anna had made it through her recovery and brought a semblance of order back to her life.
Deep inside, though, Anna had been a wreck. Fear became a second companion to her, as she waited for the day the demons would come back. She knew the beings hadn’t gotten what they wanted that night, and it was too much to hope for that they would move on.
She’d been right.
Chapter 3
ANNA SHOOK OFF THE memories, suddenly realizing just how dark the room was. The fire had burned down to embers, and there wasn't any light. The television was off, and the corners of the room were cast in deep shadows.
Anna didn't do well with dark rooms. As a result, she made sure she was never in one. A chill passed through her as she remembered leaving the television on. She had spent the evening before watching Christmas movies. However, she'd never turned it off.
A glance at the illuminated clock told her it was a little after midnight. She had been asleep for several hours and regretted waking up. The dark midnight hours were lonely and scary when there was no one to share them with.
In the silence of the night, Anna heard the sound of someone breathing heavily in the corner of the room. Was it real? The night was playing tricks on her. Her nightmares were fresh on her mind, making it difficult to separate the present from the past.
The dead silence of the cabin felt oppressive; the air difficult to breathe in. She was paralyzed in fear and unable to move. Closing her eyes tightly, Anna struggled to calm her breathing. In a moment, she would get up and turn on the light, and it would be all right. She tried to reassure herself before panic set in.
“Annnnnnnnaaaa,” a guttural voice whispered from within the dark as the blood chilled in her veins.
Immediately, she jumped to her feet and raced towards her bedroom. An evil cackle followed her down the hallway. Slamming and locking the door, she frantically looked for her cell phone. It took a moment to realize she’d left it on the kitchen counter.
It was impossible to guess how many were out there, but Anna knew it would only take one to break into her room. The lock on the door was flimsy, and it wouldn’t hold up under a hard kick. Grabbing the heavy dresser, she started pushing it towards the door. Knowing what was waiting on the other side gave her a strength she didn’t know she had.
As soon as the door was secured the doorknob started to move. “Let me in, Anna,” the raspy voice said. “We want to play.”
She backed up towards the window, scared the demon would burst through at any moment. Something tapped on the glass behind her.
Spinning around, she gasped. The moonlight illuminated a horned head with a huge torso through the blinds. It placed its claws on the glass and raked downwards as her ears screamed in protest. He released a deep, distorted chuckle that cut through the silence of the night.
They were toying with her, enjoying her fear and panic. Holding a hand over her mouth to keep from sobbing, Anna's mind worked frantically to figure out a way to make it out. Escape felt impossible. She was trapped.
The door began to rattle again. She ran to the dresser, pushing her weight against the wood, desperate to hold it in place. An axe tore through the door, followed by a red eye peering in. The creature slowly smiled in satisfaction before pulling back to bring the axe through the door again.
“Leave me alone,” Anna screamed. Terror made her voice raw and hoarse. She looked for a weapon, but nothing in her possession
