Chapter I
It was mid December, and soft dusty snow was just beginning to cover the stiff green grass. Homes were lit up so bright, children could hardly fall asleep with the thick yellow glow busting through their windows.

Kelly Baker was what most girl crazed teenager boys would call “perfect”. With height just below the average male, long chocolate brown hair, the type you would almost want to dip strawberries in, and legs that competed to be as long as the Nile River. She had everything. A rich Southern family that was deep into the oil and Gas Company, a house that stretched across a breath taking piece of land at Grand Lake in Oklahoma, and friends that had her back through everything. However, little did Kelly know that all of that would soon be changing.

It was the first Thursday of December, and Kelly had just pulled her brand new Mercedes into the driveway returning from school. She walked in the door, put her bag at the foot of the stairs, and walked into the kitchen. Her mother stood there making some hot cocoa just as the snow began.

“Hey,” Kelly cheerfully said, “it’s really starting to cool down out there.”

“Boy it sure is! Hey, Mrs. Kice called earlier today and wondered if you could
Baby-sit tomorrow night. I told her you might be able to, but I knew since it would be a Friday night that you might not want to be stuck with three perky kids.”

“Yeah I probably will. I don’t have any plans that I know of. She lives in Oak Creek right?”

“Yeah, she and Dave just bought that huge house of the golf course a few months ago. I heard it’s extremely nice. Anyways, she said it would be from seven to midnight. Now I told her you usually don’t like to baby-sit at night, but she has plenty of neighbors near by if you needed anything. Plus, I don’t think anyone would try to pull any moves in that neighborhood. They have security all over the place.”

“That sounds all right I guess. Her kids are cute too, I’ve seen then a couple times. Go ahead and tell her ill do it.”

“Alright, sounds like a plan.”

The next day, Kelly went upon her normal routine. She showered and got done up in the morning, went to school, then drove home. She had a light snack before going to the Kice’s, and headed off to their house around 6:45. She wanted to be early of course, to make a good impression.

She pulled up along the curb and walked to the door, ringing the doorbell.

“Hey! You must be Kelly! I’m Pam and my husband Dave is upstairs getting ready. The kids are down stairs. I just put on a movie for them to watch. Let me show you around the house and show you wear some things are!”

“Ok.” Kelly just smiled. Mrs. Kice was so kind it almost overwhelmed her.

“So this is the living room. We’re never really in here that much, just when family comes. The kitchen is right over here. Snacks are in this cabinet, and the kids can show you where the rest of the food and drinks are. They can show you their rooms when we leave. I have one boy, Jordan, he is the oldest, and he’s nine. Shyah is seven, and my youngest, Megan, is four. I don’t think they should cause you any problems. They’re pretty laid back and obey quite well. Usually, I make them go to bed around 8:30, but since it is a Friday night then can go to bed around 9:15.”

“Sounds good, I can do that.”

“So here are some emergency numbers. I highly doubt anything should happen where you would need these. But just incase. Do you have any paper to write there down?’


“Ah, no I don’t. It’s fine, I can just write them on my hand.”

“Oh ok. The first one is 215-9659, that is my cell. Dave’s is 217-5595. Shelly lives next door. She is always home if you ever need her. Her number is 655-1512. And I think that will be all you need.”

“Ok. So my mom told me you guys should be home around midnight, correct?”

“Yeah, I’m thinking somewhere around there. At most, it would be 12:30. That’s fine with you, isn’t it?”

“Of course, I was just checking, because I usually don’t like to baby-sit past one O’clock.”

As Brandi, Mrs. Kice, rushed around the house to grab her purse, Dave was tying is tie in the mirror in the living room. Right before they left, they hugged the kids, kissed their cheeks, and then scurried out the door.



Chapter II


As she cooked dinner for the kids, and the smell of macaroni and cheese filled the house, Kelly was starting to feel more and more comfortable in the house. Where as normally, when she’s in someone else’s home, it feels as if she’s in a different country. After the kids devoured the meal, Kelly ordered them to take their dishes to the sink, go up stairs, and get ready for bed. She followed them up the tall windy staircase, and into Shyah’s room. As she went into the bathroom to fill the bathtub, she noticed everything to be a bit messy, and out of order, which she would not picture Shyah being like.

“Is your bathroom always like this?” She asked.

“No, I just cleaned it today. Mommy made me put everything where it belongs.”

Confused, she went to the other kid’s rooms and noticed them to look just as cluttered, if not worse. At this point, Kelly became nervous. She tried to block out the thought of someone actually being in the house, but the idea kept ringing in her mind. Soon she became panicked, and her forehead glistened with sweat. She took the back of her hand and wiped it off, hoping the kids wouldn’t see how worried she’d become.
Then, walking downstairs to get a glass of water, she saw things misplaced. The lamp wasn’t centered, and the shade had become crooked. Her heart began to race as she ran back up to Shyah’s bedroom. Wiping the worried look off her face, she told them to go to bed. The last thing she wanted was for them to be in danger.

As she hustled down the stairs, she paused. Her ear caught a small sound coming from behind her. It was Shyah screaming. She turned around and sprinted up the stairs, becoming frightened to the thought of seeing her hurt, or possibly if Shyah saw someone. Sure enough, she saw someone.

“He was standing right here.”

“Who was standing right here!!?”
“I don’t know! I just saw a shadow!”

She is forgetting that Shyah is too little to try to explain this sort of thing. Kelly scrambles to try to find a phone. As much as she doesn’t want to, she knows she needs to call someone for help. She doesn’t want to cause a big scene, so she decides to try to call Brandi or Dave. Looking down on her hand, she becomes puzzled. Where are the numbers?! She thinks to herself. Thinking back, she remembered wiping the sweat from her forehead. Now she really begins to worry. She hurries up stairs to see that the kids are crying. Kelly starts to think of the things she has: her family, friends, and her life. The memories of her past, and the wonderful times she has spent with her friends. When all of the sudden…it becomes black.

The next day, police informed Kelly’s parents about what might have happened. Her mom still tries to believe that it isn’t real. But unfortunately, it is. People at her school realize they haven’t seen her for a long time. Boys are starting to lose the picture of the girl they had once worshipped. No one really knows what happed to Kelly Baker, that night at Oak Creek. And quite honestly, no one wants to.