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"Don’t worry," said Rav, "I’ll get fresh batteries"

"It’s probably the bulb!" I called after hione

I was alone now in the darkbut I had the eerie sense that I wasn’t alone at all There was so down between the slits froh to catch faint gli, and then so!

I panicked I knew there were all kinds of wild aniry raccoon could rip your eye out A frightened bear cub could tear you to shreds

I scurried away, painfully slaainst a crossbeam on the way In ainst the house instead of the yard I turned again but banged up against a post--and now I could feel a presence very, very close toI couldn’t see, I desperately tapped ht once, twice; and then on the third tiht, because it caht into the face of the creature

I yelped and leaped back against the wall of the house but held tight onto that flashlight, afraid to drop it again Afraid of being left alone in the darkness with the thing

Then I realized this wasn’t a thing at all It was a person A woman Her clothes were tattered, her hair was matted, and her skin was so pale, it was almost white But that wasn’t the worst of it The worst was her eyes They were a deep, deep blue A shade of blue that so my charm bracelet

I was so shocked, so freaked out, all I could say was, "That’s mine"

She slowly turned her head to look at her wrist, then took off the bracelet, dropping it in front of me

"Wakeful," she said

"What?"

"Awake Can’t sleep Wakeful" She tilted her head oddly, and her neck let out a sound like crackers crunching in your hand "Don’t I know you?" she asked

I shook h I knew I had seen her somewhere before I was sure of it

"Yes," she said "Yes, I do know you!"

Then one of those god-awful, enor down froht on her cheek

and the moment it touched her face, the spider frosted up and froze solid It fell to the ground with a clink, like an eight-legged piece of glass

I screaht along the way I stumbled in the darkness until finally I came out from underneath the porch I raced up the porch steps, just asheard ?"