Little Children, By Elizabeth Shawnessey

7/31/2019 Little Children, By Elizabeth Shawnessey

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SUPERNATURAL LITTLE CHILDREN

ELIZABETH SHAWNESSEY 1


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HISTORIANS NOTE:

This novel takes place during the season one episode of Provenance.

AUTHORS NOTE:

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the

authors imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be considered real. Any

resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely

coincidental. Additionally, the characters of Sam, Dean, and John Winchester belong wholly

to creator Eric Kripke, his writing staff, the actors who portray them, and the CW Network.

The character of Amy Winchester is of the authors creation and copyrighted accordingly.


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Copyright Elizabeth Shawnessey, 2012


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PROLOGUE

Walter ResidenceWillow, Connecticut

Thursday, October 5, 20069:09 PM

It was a struggle to get Molly into bed every night, but after nine years of practice, SusanWalter had become a pro. With every complaint for needing water, the bed being too cold, orthe nightlight not being bright enough, Susan had learned that each was an attempt to prolongthe inevitable, and had discovered a way to head off the requests by making sure they were filledbefore Molly was tucked in.

Being a single mother, Susan had encountered her fair share of problems when it cameto dealing with the rambunctious nine-year-old she had raised. Molly, who was as imaginativeas they came, was often hard to keep up with as she ran through the backyard claiming thedoghouse was a castle, the rose bushes were mazes, and the swimming pool was an ocean. AsSusan watched her daughter sprint around the lawn chasing Yellowtheir golden retriever,named after Mollys favorite colorshe would often get exhausted just observing the energy

that was executed, sometimes needing to head to bed way before Molly had calmed down.Often, Mollys imagination would extend past the backyard fun, sometimes taking it toschool and getting in trouble as she pretended to be fighting dragons rather than payingattention in class. When math time came, Molly would be in Wonderland; when it was time toread, Molly would usually whip out the copy ofThe Hobbither father had bought her, the lastthing he had done before turning tail and skipping town; and when it came to recess, Mollywould often be the one engrossing the other kids in a tale she had thought up the night beforeinstead of playing. As her classmates listened to stories of witches casting spells in themoonlight, creatures who slept under beds and attacked only when they were sure the parentshad left the room, and of mermaids who lived in her bathtub, Molly held a captive audience untilthe bell rang, usually with mixed results. More often than not, teachers would overhear theother kids calling Molly a variation of names when they thought the adults were out of earshot,the tamest being Weird-o Walter, a nickname that was passed around the entirety of the

fourth grade until Susan had caught it while picking her daughter up from school.But it wasnt all bad. Even though Molly had a propensity for making up tales and

daydreaming, she also had a tendency to keep her grades up and stay out of trouble. Only oncehad the school called to complain about Mollys absentmindedness, doing so because she hadwritten a story about riding Yellow through the jungle for a report instead of doing theassignment on the rain forest that had been given to her class. Shrugging it off, Susan haddisregarded the phone call, knowing that Molly was otherwise doing her homework aftersundown and playtime, giving Susan a couple of hours to relax and catch the news beforeputting her daughter to bed. However, as soon as the pencil went down, Mollys spirits wouldoften rise again, causing the pent-up energy that she had contained in the time it took her to doher assignments to bubble over as she fought against being tucked in.

Most of the time, Susan didnt mind the nightly struggle, noticing that as soon as her

daughter was under the covers, she was usually out like a lightbut that didnt make theprocess any easier. While Molly went through the motions of being thirsty and cold, which wasbecoming justifiable based on the blooming autumn, Susan gave her water and a new blanket,promising that Molly would warm up if she were to lie still long enough. But as they walked upthe stairs, thats where the fun usually began for both of them as Molly told Susan about thenew monster story she had heard from a girl at school, which usually meant somewhere in therecesses of her mind, and relaying the information excitedly to Susans listening ears.

Tonight, however, Susan wasnt in the listening mood. For most of the day, she hadbeen at work at the accounting firm she temped for, filing documents and having to listen to her


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momentary boss make snide remarks about single mothers and the fact that theyre an easylay. As she attempted to grin and bear it throughout the hours she had to sit outside thebastards office, trying to think of ways she could report him for sexual harassment even thoughhe wasnt talking directly to her, Susan had made plans to pick Molly up from school and headstraight home. Instead, the car seemed to have different ideas, with a tire popping just in front ofthe onramp to I-84 and the tow service neglecting to show up for an hour. Trying to find a way

to reach Mollys school to let them know she would be late, Susan had contended with a nearly-dead cell phone and a busy line, finally getting through at the moment AAA arrived. Distracted,Susan had left a quick message with the front office, not sure what would happen after that,before having to shell out a hundred bucks for a new tire since her spare was nowhere to beseen.

By the time she got to West Hartford Elementary, the town she lived in being too smallto erect a school for the handful of young children in the area, Susan had found Molly sittingalone in her classroom, the teacher gone to talk with her co-worker in the hall. Nearly fumingwith Ms. Grace for leaving her daughter unattended, Susan had stormed off with Molly in tow,zipping home and immediately starting on dinner. Almost at the moment the two had walkedthrough the front door, the sun had gone down, dropping from the sky in the blink of an eye,and causing Susan to wonder whether or not it was a reflection of the ordeal she had gonethrough during the day. Unfortunately, sun up or down, Molly still wanted to go out and play,making the argument that she usually had to come in at six instead of five, and trying to stompher way toward the door to the backyard. Giving her a firm warning that if she were to go out,she would be grounded until Monday, Susan had watched as Molly cried and ran into the livingroom, staying there with Yellow until it was time for supper.

Thankfully, the moment the chicken and rice was on the table, Mollys mood hadchanged, becoming talkative and imaginative again as she played with her food and threw someof it to the dog. Though she knew that her daughter had been taught not to feed Yellow fromthe table, Susan had let it go for the night, choosing instead to pick her battles. She had alreadyhad to deal with a sleaze-ball disguised as an accountant, an overweight trucker with bad teethwho probably overcharged her for the tire, and the forgetful Ms. Grace, and there was no reasonto get Molly fired up and tearful again over something as simple as giving the dog bits ofchicken. Keeping her mouth shut, Susan had finally relaxed while Molly worked on her math

facts, tuning into Cash Caband answering the questions under her breath.When nine oclock came, Susan was well-prepared to go to bed, telling Molly to pack up

her things for tomorrow and get some water before heading upstairs. Though she knew herdaughter had skipped her nightly bath, with Susan making a mental note to have Molly get upearly to take a shower, Susan was having a hard time caring, her body too exhausted to focus onmuch else aside from hitting the sheets. True to form, as the two walked up the stairs, withMolly sipping her water, Susan listened to her daughters wild imagination, this time only half-way tuning into the story Molly had heard from a kid at school about a water monster thatcame into little kids bedrooms and snatched them from under the covers. Smirking at herdaughters frantic persistence that she sleep with the door open tonight, probably scaringherself with her own wild tale, Susan had waited for Molly to climb into bed, noticing that shewas acting as though she honestly believed what she was saying rather than recognizing it as afairy tale. As she went around shutting and latching the windows and closing the door to the ensuite bathroom, Susan frowned, wondering if maybe her daughter was taking it too far.

Deciding that was a discussion for the morning, Susan waited for Molly to near the bed,noticing that she was more hesitant to do so. Keeping her eyes on the nightlight, Molly seemedrigid as she slipped under the covers with Mr. Bear, pulling the sheets up to her nose as thoughthe bright blue comforter offered more protection than just against the chilly air. Chewing theinside of her lip for a moment, Susan patiently waited until Molly relaxed into the mattress,noticing that the effect the bed had on her was instantaneous. Grinning to herself, Susan bentforward to kiss her daughters forehead as Mollys eyes fluttered shut, getting up and heading


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quietly for the door. Reaching for the handle, Susan made to shut it, but stopped a moment later,remembering that Molly had asked her to leave it open. Nodding to herself, Susan slipped outthrough the crack, seeing her shadow in the light that filtered in through the hall.

The house that surrounded them had once belonged to Susans grandmother, an oldVictorian property that had been bought in 1920 and kept in perfect condition during the timethat Susans mother had owned it. Growing up in the place, Susan had become accustomed to

the creaks and squeaks that sounded in the quiet of the night, even ignoring them whenever thewalls popped in the cold and the house settled in the summer. As time went on, when Susan hadmoved out back when she was twenty-three, she had begun to miss the midnight noises,becoming uneasy when her new apartment didnt offer the same sounds. When Susan had metMatthew, Mollys father, at twenty-five, and had Molly a year later, she had made a promise toherself to move into a house just like the old Victorian, one that offered the same cracks andsnaps. Unfortunately, Susan had never been given the chance to find a duplicate, inheriting thereal thing two years after Molly was born when Susans mother had died.

The death had sent Susan into a whirlpool of emotions, from sadness to depression,eventually leading to her taking her frustration and despair out on Matthew. A week afterMolly turned six, the man hadnt been able to take it anymore, leaving both of them withnothing more than the rest of the months utilities and Mollys Hobbit book. Up until then,Susan had been a stay-at-home mother, not having to work ever since she had met Matthew,and foolishly neglecting to marry him because they were contemporary people, meaning thatshe had to find money fast or else her and her daughter would be without power and food by theend of the week. Becoming resolute, she had headed to every place nearby, eventually getting alead at the temp agency she still worked for to this day. After three years there, Susan hadgotten accustomed to switching jobs often, never getting bored, but was growing tired of theconstant change. Though she only worked a few hours a day, only having to make enough topay the bills and have a little left over, Susan wanted something invariable, something thatwouldnt require her to have to reacquaint herself with her temporary boss every few weeks.

But that was a thought for later, and possibly one she was only having due to the factthat Sleazy McSleaze had been making suggestive comments throughout the day. As Susanstood out in the hallway before her daughters room, listening for new creaks and squeaks, shestill felt on-edge from having to sit so uneasily behind her desk, pulling her skirt down past her

knees whenever the account man exited his office to talk to her, acting as though he didnt knowwhy she was so uptight. Knocking Susan out of her thoughts, the sound of blankets shufflingbehind her caused Susan to turn around. Glancing back into Mollys room, she could see thather daughter had turned over, the stuffed bear in her arms now wrapped tightly against herchest.

Smiling and deciding to head down the corridor into her own room, Susan made astraight line for the archway at the end of the hall, crossing through the open threshold as shepulled off her sweater. While she changed into her pajamas, still listening to the sounds of thehouse as it popped idly, Susan signed and tried to make a resolution to have tomorrow be abetter day. Throwing her clothes into the hamper near the closet, she headed downstairs to shutoff all the lights and lock the doors, walking into the kitchen to grab a snack before bed. Makinga beeline for the fridge, Susan rounded the island in the middle of the room, stopping just besidethe sink as her foot stepped in a puddle of cold water. Frowning, she looked down and prayedthat Yellow hadnt peed in the house, sighing in relief when she saw that the liquid was clea rlyinnocuous. Glancing around, Susan attempted to find the source of the small pool of water,noticing that the nearby faucet was off and the basin was dry, meaning that it couldnt be asplash from when Molly had gone to get a drink. Looking up, Susan let out a groan as her eyesfell on a yellowed patch in the ceiling.

Great. Pipes are leaking.Trying to calculate which room was directly above where she was standing, and feeling

freezing drops drip onto her face, Susan remembered that Mollys bathroom was overhead,


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meaning that either something had burst in the wall or the tub was overflowing. Searching forthe phone book, Susan grabbed the landline off the counter and held it firmly in her hand whileshe opened each drawer in the island, trying to find whichever contained the outdated yellowpages she had kept there for the past two years, accidentally throwing out the new onewhenever it appeared on her doorstep.

Finally finding it, Susan dropped the book onto the counter and flipped through it,

focusing on the ads as she attempted to find the plumbing service she had used awhile back.Suddenly, as though to tear her mind away from what she was doing, the sound of somethingheavy being dropped upstairs caught Susans attention, causing her to stop and let the page infront of her fall back in place. Putting the phone in its cradle, Susan headed for the stairs,immediately sensing that something was wrong. A second later, her sense was confirmed as thesound of Molly screaming rented the air.

Racing up the steps, Susan jumped over Yellows bed from where he had repositioned itin the middle of the hallway and headed straight for Mollys door, noticing that it was now shut.

Molly? Molly! Are you okay?Nothing answered except another scream, followed by, Mommy!Trying the door handle, Susan heard nothing but the click of the lock on the other side

as the knob shuffled in place. Pushing her body against the old, thick mahogany that separatedher from her daughter, Susan attempted to force the door open, her thin, short frame onlycolliding roughly with the wood in a painful way. Nursing her shoulder, Susan pounded on thedoor with her free hand, the occasional stunted cry responding back. Not sure what to do, Susanbacked up and rammed at the mahogany againjust as the yelling on the other side stopped.

Giving it her all one last time, Susan collapsed to her knees as the door flew open.Getting up, her eyes searched the room, seeing and hearing nothing. Flicking on the lightbeside her, Susan rounded Mollys bed, hoping to find her daughter huddled against the bottomof her mattress as she tried to fight off an imaginary nightmareonly for Susan to discovernothing but the hardwood floor and a discarded toy in her daughters place. Stepping nearer to the headboard, Susans heart began to beat quickly as she looked around, calling Mollys namefrantically without a response.

Maybe shes just playing a game.Molly? Molly! This isnt funny! Come out right this instant!

However, nothing answered Susan back as she kept slowly prowling the room, lookingfor any sign of what had caused the screaming and where Molly might have run off to.Unfortunately, the only rely she received was the unsettling feeling that something hadhappened and Molly was gone. After a few more steps, that feeling was solidified as Susans footfell into another puddle, this one larger and seeming to flow in a stream to the bathroom. Besideit, sitting cast away with its head bitten off ferociously, was the teddy bear Molly had taken tobed with her.

Looking around one more time, panic set it, along with a darkening fear as Susan bentdown to pick up the destroyed stuffed animal. Molly!


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ONE

Dwight Hall, YaleNew Haven, Connecticut

Thursday, October 5, 200610:19 PM

Amy Winchester glanced over her shoulder in the foggy bathroom mirror to look at thewhite scares permanently etched in her back running from one shoulder blade to the other.As her wet chestnut hair dripped dark brown over some of the pale lines, the hunter greentowel tied around her chest covered others, making only the most prominent of the formergashes shine through in the overhead florescent light.

The scars were a lasting reminder of an incident that had taken place almost amonth ago, an encounter that Amy would sooner forget than remember, a fight that hadended abruptly and bloody, with a double trip to the ER added in. Unfortunately, whethershe liked it or not, the doctor who had tended to Amy in the hospital and later removed thefifty or so stitches that had been the result of a gruesome fight had told her that the slashesin her back were deep enough to cause permanent scarring. All the same, Dr. Guest hadoffered her a topical solution that might help the marks fade, but even after a week ofapplication, it seemed as though the superficial reminders werent going anywhere, alongwith the memory of what had caused them in the first place.

In a dorm room across campus, Amy had been thrown into a broken window full ofjutting glass shards, a demon on top of her tearing up her skin as it took simple pleasure inmaking its victim squirm and scream. The attack had been one in a long line of others, all ofwhich Amy would prefer to block out, each of them seeming more horrible than the onepreceding it, and topping the disastrous summer away that Amy had had to endure themoment her biological father, John Winchester, had arrived on her doorstep toward the lastdays of Maythe vacation between Amys junior and senior years of college that she hadonce thought resembled Hell, an overstatement in comparison to the events on campus.

Ever since being back at Yalefollowing Amy storming off to get away from Johnafter he revealed some shocking news, and some sort of unprovoked silent treatment back inNorthbrook, Illinois with her adopted familyAmy had expected life to return to normalonce school started up again, for classes to be as either educational or as boring as they hadalways been, for the first meeting between her and her new roommates to be asuncomfortable as possible, and for the housing situation to be a mess while the universityattempted to accommodate all the seniors who were choosing to live on-campus rather thanoff. Instead, all she had come into contact with was chaos and hysteria when the nightproceeding the first day of classes had ended with someone jumping from a fifth-floorwindow.

The days that trailed behind the event hadnt been any better, with morale onlyrising for the rest of the week when the death had become slowly forgotten and falling once

again when a second jumper had been found in the courtyard not far from where Amy wasnow currently rooming in Dwight Hall, directly across from where the two casualties hadtaken place. However, unlike the first time, where she had barely known, RachelRichardson, the first girl to take the swan dive, Amy had considered the second, CeliaBrown, to be a good friend, someone she had previously bunked with back in her junior yearat the university, and someone whom she doubted would be the type to commit suicideasthe losses were being ruled by the local police. As soon as she heard of Celias death, Amyhad been troubled by what had happened, running facts and statements and whatever elseshe could through her head as she reviewed reasons why Celia would jumpif she had at


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all. For a brief moment, Amy had been convinced that there had been a conspiracy underwraps at the school, with people being killed on campus and then turned to look self-inflicted. Ultimately, though, Amy quickly gave up on the endeavor, citing it as paranoia shehad picked up while on the road with her biological father.

Unfortunately, as time went on, it appeared as though her initial instinct that theschool was facing homicide rather than suicide had turned out to be true. While Amy and

her other previous roommate and friend, Taylor Rosen, investigated the dorm in whichCelia had either jumped or been shoved, and following a lead that had been provided byanother friend and Amys new neighbor in Northbrook, Bailey Yostwho claimed ghostswere behind the attacks rather than anything elseTaylor and Amy had looked into thedeclaration, lost as ever, just before there had been one more death on campus, one that hadsent Amy over the edge: that of her current suitemate, Sarah Clarke. Racing across campusand up the stairs of Swing Hall, Amy had pushed open the door to reveal Bailey standing inthe center of her dorm, black eyes staring at her like shining, laughing pits of tar. It wasthen that Amy discovered the truth about what was happening, that demons were behindthe attacks instead of the spirits Amy and Taylor had been tricked into believing.

After a fight that had ended bloody and violent for Amywith the demon slicingAmy apart with the broken glass of the window it had thrown Sarah out ofand had

eventually knocked Taylor unconscious and into a coma, the violent creature had beenexorcised by none other than John Winchester as he appeared in Amys doorway, sendingthe thing back to Hell with some spiel of Latin Amy had never heard before. As she wasabout to thank him, or ask him what he was doing there or whether he had been followingher, the man had vanished about as swiftly as he had come, sinking into the shadowsmoments before paramedics raced up the five flights of stairs and pulled Amy away from thescene. Trailing the stretcher that carted Taylor into an ambulance parked on the lawnandavoiding questions being asked by the tall, thin guy who was holding a cloth to her mauledback to keep the skin in placeAmy had felt Johns eyes on her from afar, as though he waswilling her to keep her mouth shut when it came to the inquisitions. Taking his silent order,Amy had tried to peer through the surrounding blackness to find his muscular framestanding off to the side, only seeing nothing and becoming sidetracked as the ambulance

prepared to take off.But after Amy arrived at the hospital, receiving fifty stitches in her back and a blood

test for any kind of disease she might have contracted from being shoved into the shards, ithad been harder to avoid questioning, though she had somehow managed. As police officersand a Detective Wright scribbled down statements and pressed for details, with the lattercoming back later to iron out some of her story, Amy had been more focused on finding outexactly what Bailey had been and whether or not Taylor was going to be okay. Pacingoutside in the halls, Amy had searched online through her mobile browser for any news orinformation that could pertain to the demon who had seemingly possessed a poor girl fromAlabama, finding that the thing had slaughtered the family of the real co-ed before headingout to Northbrook, Illinois to pretend to be Amys new next-door neighborsomethingthat should have tipped her off in the first place since no one had ever moved out of SunsetTrail.

Coming upon not much else, Amy had quickly tossed aside the search, feeling moreexhausted than she ever had in her life and wanting nothing more than to sleep. Grabbing acup of coffee, she had waited for news that Taylor was awake, taking a seat outside andenduring Detective Wrights second round of questioning before a nurse came to alleviatethe worry Amy had been feeling. Heading up to see her friend prior to having to make thetrek back to school, Amy had sat and talked with Taylor for a short while about what hadhappened before coming to the resolve that she never wanted to encounter something like


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that ever again, no matter what. Unfortunately, by the time she got back to campus, shediscovered that John Winchester had had other plans for her, sneaking into her room whileshe was gone and planting a book on demons and archangels in her bed for what sheguessed was his version of light reading material, possibly something he was trying to useto convince her to rejoin him on the road, though that seemed unlikely.

Setting the volume aside as soon as she found it, Amy had slept until the night

following, dozing off the fatigue that seemed to come over her in heavy waves. For two daysafter that, she had spent hours upon hours cleaning up her former dorm suite, clearing outthe glass and broken furniture that had been the byproduct of Sarah being killed and thefight Amy had endured. When the space was otherwise straightened, Amy had begunpacking boxes to make the move into Taylors suite in Dwight Hall, having to cart most ofher belongings across campus on her own due to the fact that all of her friends were eitherdead or still in the hospital. Thankfully, after the second day of relocating, though breakshad to be taken to head to class, Taylor had been released from under the doctors care, withboth her and her parents helping Amy resituate her belongings. However, even after thefollowing Friday morning came and went, with Amy having no lessons to attend due to asmall friends-and-family-only remembrance ceremony being held in the University Church,she had spent time trying to decide what to do with the book John had given her, ultimately

deciding to bury it in a pile of other tomes sitting in the living area of her new commonroom.

Unluckily, though, despite her decision to stay away from all things demon-like andodd, deeming them something she didnt want to be involved with, Taylor seemed to takethe opposite stand, instead choosing to find the volume Amy had hid and engrossing herselfin it. For the weeks after the incident at Swing Hall, Taylor had become obsessed withuncovering strange facts and learning information, sometimes even skipping school ordisappearing entirely to dig up intel on whatever appeared weird. As Amy remained stuckin her busy schedule of lessons and drama rehearsalsauditions for Barefoot in the Parkcoming and going with Amy landing the character of Corie Bratter, the leadshe sat idlyby as her friend continued to dive deeper down the rabbit hole, sometimes listeningwhenever Taylor went on about things in the news that Amy should be paying attentionto.

Aims, you need to be listening to this. One demon exorcism does not protectionagainst evil make, okay? Taylor had repeated nearly a hundred times, attempting to eitherscare Amy into joining her behind the computer screen she was always sitting at, or tocoerce her friend into heading out to investigate whatever oddity-of-the-day Taylor seemedto have stumbled upon.

Choosing rather to spend time in the library to keep away from the other girlstemporary insanity, reminding her of the time she had done the same to avoid Bailey Yostbefore she found out Bailey was a demon, Amy had taken up residence at a table near theback, remaining there from the moment her last class of the day ended to when the buildingclosed. Though she was sure hiding was childish, Amy wanted to make it clear that she hadno intention of delving into whatever underworld might be lurking out there, that all shewanted was to finish her senior year and prepare for graduate school. Unfortunately, asmuch as she didnt want to, it seemed the only way to ensure that was to keep her distance,with Taylor appearing to pick up the hint the less and less of Amy she saw.

However, there was only so much studying Amy could do. With her lines etchedinto her memoryalong with a ton of other useless information about psychologicalprofiles, the proper way to construct an active statement research paper, and whateverelse Yale could possibly shove into her brainAmy had come up short in discoveringsomething else that would take up her time until Taylor stopped sharing the News of the


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Weird for good. Deciding to meet up with one of her other former roommates, one that shehadnt talked to much, Amy and Robin Lister had made a regular thing out of heading tothe school gym a couple of nights a week. As the two ran on treadmills, with Amydiscovering that she could last much longer at a high speed than her in-shape friend, andlifted weights, the pair had often stayed inside the recreation center past nine, sometimesgoing out for a smoothie after if Amy didnt feel the need to head back to her dorm for a

bath, much like she had tonight.Thankfully, after a successful three-mile run and a surprising bench-press that even

astounded Robintwo-hundred and fifty pounds, unaidedAmy had returned to her roomto find it empty, immediately heading for the shower and hoping that Taylor wouldnt slipinto the suite while Amy relaxed under the hot water. As she washed her hair and shavedher legs, Amy could feel the steam ease her muscles, a tenseness that had previouslyovercome them while at the gym streaming away with the heat. Most days, especially afterone of the exercise nights, Amy could feel a spike in her adrenaline that she attributed to therush of endorphins, causing her body to feel shaky and uncertain after she raced on thetreadmill. For some reason, over the past few months, that sensation had been morecommon than she cared to admit, seeming to become stronger as time went on. Afterawhile, Amy had learned to ignore it, swallowing it down with a gulp of Jamba Juice or a

scalding bath that seemed to ebb it away.Getting out of the shower, still with no sign of Taylor, Amy had taken to wiping the

haze from the mirror to stare at the scars on her back, just like she had for the past fewdays. After rubbing an expensive version of Maderma onto her skin, she had hoped to seeresults in the bright white scores blazing against her suntanned skin, the color of bothfading as fall began to take over as the predominate season. While the pale became palerand her bronzy glow dulled, Amy could still see the lines and small dots that werepermanently marked in her skin from the demons attack, the cream appearing to donothing at all.

Sighing, Amy wrapped her towel tighter around her chest as she opened the door tothe bathroom and headed for the ajar threshold across the common area, the same spaceAmy had chosen to occupy in the time she had stayed with a grieving Taylor after Celias

death a month ago. Though the suites in Dwight Hall, so named for their apartment-likeaccommodations, were originally meant for four people, two in each bedroom, the girls hadbeen lucky enough to be placed alonethough Amy would do anything to have anotherroommate enter the equation to act as a temporary buffer between her and Taylor shouldshe continue her frantic research rampage, if anything else.

Crossing the space, Amy shut and locked the door behind her, immediately openingthe window to allow cold air in to fight off the residual heat of the shower. As the curtainsblew in the soft wind, Amy changed into her pajamas and switched on the television,keeping the volume low in case Taylor came back and wanted to talk. Wrapping her hair upin her towel, Amy sat against the headboard and flipped through the channels, eventuallystopping on Lord of the Ringson one of the few movie stations the schools cable networkprovided. Sitting rigidly, something she had gotten used to after having to keep herstitched-up back away from resting against things, Amy folded her legs in front of her andleaned forward, placing her hands on her ankles. Unfortunately, before she could getcompletely settled, the front door of the dorm room slammed shut, causing Amy to jump toher feet out of surprise.

Amy? Taylors voice called as Amy groaned. I know youre here!Bunching her jaw, Amy headed for the living area, slipping out of her bedroom as

she looked to see what her roommate was doing. In Taylors grasp was a stack of papersand a cell phone, a look of determination etched in her face as she typed into the mobile with


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one hand and placed the pages absently on the coffee table with another. Seeming to noticeAmy out of the corner of her eye, Taylor snapped shut her phone and rolled her shoulders.

I need your help with something.TayI know, I know, Taylor sighed, you dont want to be involved. I get it, alright?

Ive reallygotten it now that this is the first time Im seeing you in two weeks. Pausing a

moment, Amy frowned, suddenly feeling guilty before Taylor continued. I just got a leadfrom a contact online who linked me to an article posted on the local new spapers website. Ijust need you to read it and tell me what you think, thats all.

Furrowing her brow, Amy pursed her lips in thought. Justread an article?As Taylor nodded, Amy was suddenly overcome with the sense that her friend had

more in mind than asking for an opinion. Based on the expression on her face, the stack ofpapers she had come in with, and her phone gripped tightly in her hand, Amy had thefeeling that Taylor was attempting to rope her into something, acknowledging the fact thather friend didnt want to be anywhere near anything strange and wanting to defy Amysposition. Staring at her for a moment, Amy chewed the inside of her cheek as Taylor flippedher cell open again, typing a message to some contact Taylor had doubtlessly met duringher sudden escapades into the unknown.

Finally nodding, more curious than anything else, Amy reached forward. Alright.Smirking to herself, Taylor held out a ream of paper covered with text, some of it

blurry in parts from where the fresh ink had been placed in a stack of others sheets.Scanning the write-up, Amy narrowed her eyes and glanced over at Taylor, stopping on thetitle of the article before reading the thing in full.

Watery Willow Mystery of Mothers Missing Child? Seriously? Amyscoffed. Idont know how much more alliteration they could have fit in there.

Just read it, Taylor scowled.Grinning, Amy turned her attention back down to the snippet of words in front of

her:

It was just past nine when Susan Walter, 35, noticed thatsomething was odd. The roof was leaking, the house wascreaking, and her daughter, Molly, had been telling talesagain. But unlike the normal dangers of owning a house fromthe twenties, Ms. Walker encountered somethinghomeowners insurance doesnt cover.

Disappearing in a puddle of water, Molly Walter, 9,was taken from her home early Thursday evening, leavingSusan disturbed and baffled. After calling the authorities andgiving a statement to the police, Susan had remarked thather daughter had given her a warning about the thing thathad taken her, a creature drenched in water, soundingstraight from a horror movie.

She said it comes in and takes children. And she wasscared, Susan repeated to CBS 3 News. At first, I didntbelieve it, but judging by what I saw upstairs

But the tale, and the solution, ends there. As officerssearch Willow, Connecticut high and low for Molly Walter,there is only one hopeful person in the puddled confusion.

Well find her, Officer Richard Drive says. I haveno doubt in my mind.


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Glancing up at Taylor, Amy frowned deeply, wondering who had written this article and ifit was honestly published in a local paper. Through she knew of Willow, if only that it was asmall town somewhere near West Hartford, Amy was curious as to whether or not theywere in the habit of posting outlandish pieces. Seeming to catch onto her friends clearskepticism, Taylor rolled her eyes and snatched the page from Amy, nearly giving the girl a

paper cut in the process. Folding the article in half and placing it with the rest on the coffeetable, Taylor crossed her arms as her phone vibrated in her hand, pushing the button on theside to silence it while she stood with an annoyed stare fixed on Amy.

I can only guess what youre goingto say.Softening her eyes, Amy bunched her jaw. TaylorLook, okay. I know with what happened with your dad and everything that you

dont want to be involved in this crap, but you cant just ignore me like you have been justbecause I chose to do the right thing, Taylor snapped.

Wondering where her friend was coming from, Amy swallowed hard and took herstare off of Taylor, instead choosing to glance around. She could understand why Taylorwas angry with her for ditching her for the library and the gym, especially since the twohad become best friends in the time that they had known each other, but suddenly

exploding on her was causing Amy to wonder what had happened and why she wanted Amyto read that article in the first place. While it was possible that Taylor was tired of lookinginto this supernatural thing alone, Taylor also knew that Amy didnt want any part of it.Why was she suddenly acting like Amy had left her out to dry?

As though picking up on Amys thoughts, Taylor rolled her shoulders back. I triedto give you space with this, to give you time to figure out that youre being selfish. Amy,you cant just sit around and be in plays and do your homework like youre a normal person.You were attacked by a demon, we both were, and yet Im the only one who recognizes whatthat means

Narrowing her eyes, Amy frowned. And what does that mean?That we were brought into this! Amy, we cant just ignore what happened and act

like we dont know whats behind the curtain anymore. If we know whats out there, wehave to do something about it, we have to help people!

Taking a step back, Amy swallowed hard in confusion, wondering how Taylor couldhave possibly arrived at that idea after only being knocked out by a creature that had beenexorcised by Amys biological fatherTaylor hadnt even faced the thing. The fact thatthey knew certain beings existed didnt mean they had to go seek them out and kill themdid it? In all honesty, Amy had never thought of it before, instead focusing on the fact thatshe wanted to be far away from anything involving John Winchester and demons. But wasshe being selfish in thinking that she could just continue on being normal now that thething was back downstairs and now that John was gone?

Tapping her fingers against her leg absently, Amy let out a short breath. I need tothink about this.

Crossing her arms, Taylor shook her head, disappointment obvious in herexpression as though she had expected Amy to automatically agree to assist her with whatshe was no working on. Fine. Whatever. Just dont take too long.


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TWO

Dwight Hall, YaleNew Haven, ConnecticutFriday, October 6, 2006

8:19 AM

Taylor Rosen was beginning to get fed up with the casual way in which Amy waspurposefully ignoring their responsibilities. At first, the hiding away and keeping herdistance had been tolerable, leaving Taylor to research online and pick up a few books toread in the quiet of their abandoned suite, but now that something big had come up,something credible that gave her the feeling that they owed it to themselves to check it out,Taylor was becoming irritated with her friend, hoping against hope that Amy would turnherself around on the subject and make the right choice.

In all honesty, Taylor was beginning to get concerned about the fact that the othergirl was choosing to refrain from helping people, causing her to wonder if maybe Amy caredmore about herself than of those who needed some kind of supernatural aid. After the attackin the dorm room, and after Taylor had returned to campus to settle back into universitylife following her brief hospital stay, she had become more and more sure, however illogical,that the reason the demon had gone straight for them was to open their eyes and to pullback the curtain as to what was reallyout there. For some reason, Taylor also had a feelingthe creature had intentionally gone after Amy because the thing had expected her to knowmore than she obviously did, almost as though Bailey had though Amys summer away hadbeen less about sitting around poolsidewhich Taylor didnt believe in the slightest, nomatter how many times Amy protested otherwiseand more about learning a few thingsfrom her father, since he clearly knew a great deal about what was festering down the rabbithole.

But even after getting filled in on what had happened while she was unconscious,and about the information Amy pulled up on her cell phone while roaming the halls, Taylor

could tell that Amy still hadnt come around to the idea that they were meant to do thisnow, that they had been pushed to the other side because a demon had caused them thecross the line. Instead, her friend had chosen to remain the college girl she had always been,blatantly ignoring the fact that there were things out there that went bump in the night andrather choosing to head to class and attend drama practice like everyone else on campus.Frankly, the thought made Taylors blood boil. What could Amy be thinking? Was shereally that selfish to put herself first instead of others who needed help?

Honestly, though, Taylor doubted that Amy was as self-centered as that. The girl,who had stayed in Taylors suite and had offered to do her homework for her while Taylorwas dealing with Celias death, was nothing short of kind-hearted, causing her to wonderwhat had happened between John and Amy Winchester prior to the night he had swoopedin and saved the day. So far, Taylor only knew a few things from the Internet conversations

she had had with her friend during their school vacation, that Amy had met and talked withher biological father, but not much else had come to light between then and now. However,Taylor couldnt shake the feeling that something had gone down, something that was bigenough to cause Amy to want to stay away from any and everything that reminded her ofthe man, no matter what it was.

Still, after a month of keeping her distance from learning anything about the seedyunderworld that lived among the human population, Amy had yet to come around andshake off whatever resentment she had for her father, instead heading off to the gym withher other friend or hiding out in the library until it closed. Knowing that she had done the


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same with Baileyhell, bothof them had done the same with BaileyTaylor could tell thatAmy wasnt likely to make a one-eighty on the topic of demons, witches, and vampires anytime soon, no matter which method Taylor used to try to convince her, newspaper article orotherwise.

However, Taylor wasnt finished with her endeavor yet. While Amy could be set inher ways, Taylor knew her friend as well, if not better, than she knew herself, and knew

exactly which buttons to push in order to get the girl to choose her side. With Amy,appealing to the part of her that made her feel as though she was doing the right thing wasalways what caused her to change her mind, as well as the promise that no one would behurt in the process. The girl, who valued school and safety rather than danger and intrigue,only needed to be nudged toward the thought that she would be saving people in need inorder to get involved. Unfortunately, there seemed to be something stronger pulling Amyaway from heading down the abnormal path Taylor was taking, almost as though anewfound stubbornness had kicked in somewhere inside of her that hadnt been presentbefore.

During the few years that Taylor had known her friend, Amy had always been thequiet, studious one who preferred to stay indoors rather than head out to a party. Thoughthat hadnt changed as of late, there was something else that was beginning to shift in the

girl, almost like the tectonic plates inside of her were moving. Lately, she hadnt beensleeping, was rarely seen down at breakfast, and could hardly be found in her room. On topof that, the stitches that were being used to mend gashes as deep as the Grand Canyon hadtaken three weeks to heal instead of the five-or-more that Doctor Guest had estimated.While Taylor knew it could be considered paranoid to keep such a close eye on herroommate, something was different with her friend, whether the other girl knew it, orwould admit it, or not.

Pacing for the majority of the night, and hoping that she would be confronted in theearly hours of the morning by Amy telling her she wanted to help, Taylor watched theflickering light underneath the door of her friends bedroom, the same light that told her thegirl wasnt getting any sleep yet again. Though it was possible that she had zoned out withthe television on, Taylor had a feeling Amy rarely did that, instead staying up watchinginfomercials to keep from letting her mind wander too far. As she walked the length of theliving area multiple times, Taylor continued to watch the soft blue glow from inside thecrack, wondering if it was ever going to extinguish.

As dawn came, with Amy still not getting up to talk, Taylor turned her thoughtsinward, instead focusing on what she had learned in between the time of her hospital visit tonow. It hadnt been much, mainly information through an Internet contact who providedher with links and resources that proved invaluable, but with classes and studying taking upmost of her time, she had barely found the opportunity to fit in all the reading her e-mailfriend required. While she knew it was hypocritical to get mad at Amy for choosing tostudy rather than to learn anything about the supernatural, Taylor was at least devotingsome time to the cause as opposed to the other girls wholehearted neglect to do so.However, what Taylor haddiscovered in between her English notes and Sociology take-home quizzes was something priceless and something she couldnt contain, sometimessharing aloud, which could be what had sent her friend packing to the library in the firstplace.

According to books and websites, and even a guy who called himself nothing but Ain his messages, creatures didnt attack without an agenda, nor did they believe in randomchaos. With demons, they always had a plan; with witches, they were always searching forsomething that would benefit themselves; and with ghosts, they were always attempting toget revenge on whoever had wronged them in life. As she read about these things, and an


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infinite number more, she had learned one way or another how to kill them or how to putthem to restthough there was always more than one way to skin a cat. Spirits could besprayed with salt, demons could be exorcised in a number of rituals, and witches were justhumans with an extra set of abilities that could be stopped as such. Unfortunately, the moreTaylor read on one creature, the less she knew about others, meaning that she knew a fairbit about the normal horror-story monsters, but not much of anything when it came to the

broader spectrum of what walked on earthsuch as whatever had taken Susan Walters kid.By the time the sun was fully up, Taylor was back in her room trying to reach out to

A to see what he knew about water spirits or what this thing in Willow could be. Sendinghim a short e-mail, she waited for a response while she clicked around on the web, logginginto her favorite websites to see what could be up. However, this was the first time Taylorwas going to have to narrow the suspect list down on her own, meaning that messageboards full of opinions and domains filled with scans of old folklore books werent going tobe of much help. Thinking back on the time last month where the demon, Bailey, hadwrongfully pointed the girls toward spirits and the research she had done then, Taylor triedher previous method of simply using Google to get results. Typing in a few key words,Taylor waited for the page to load, only getting more copies of the article she had givenAmy and a slight mention of something similar happening once in Ashland, Wisconsin.

Ultimately, though, as she tried to dig up information on what had happened a few statesover, she had gotten nothing but a sentence:

Mark Willis is distraught to announce his son Peter has been takenfrom his room shortly after a bath Thursday night, leaving apuddle of water and only a footprint behind.

Deciding to look with more vigor the higher the sun rose in the sky, Taylorcontinued her search, occasionally checking her computers inbox for new messages thatmight have been placed in the spam folder by accident. Clicking around on the newMacbook she had bought a couple of weeks ago, Taylor saved pages that might, butprobably wouldnt, be useful and attempted to scan the snippets of text under links for whatcould lead her in the right direction. Thankfully, when seven in the morning came, andAmys alarm could be heard loudly from the other room, the sound of bare footsteps on thewood flooring padded from behind her, causing Taylor to turn around.

Hey, Amy whispered, her hair still wavy from the shower the night before and hersage green gaze rimmed with red from lack of sleep. What are you doing?

Just looking into that article I gave you, Taylor answered, spinning her chair backtoward her computer to keep from rolling her eyes. Based on the way her friend hadfrowned, Taylor could only guess that Amy had gotten nowhere in her decision. Giving theconversation a little push, Taylor bit her lip for a moment. You going to class today?

Pausing, Amy sighed from the doorway. No. I dont think so. Im, uh, Im goingwith you if you want.

Furrowing her brow and suppressing a grin, Taylor pivoted around to face theother girl, trying to look curious about the choice. It was clear that Amy was neither happynor sad about what she had decided, instead staring straight at the computer screen withtired eyes. If she had to guess, Taylor would have to say that her roommate hadnt sleptwell in a week, though signs of it were only now beginning to show.

What made you change your mind? Taylor asked, shifting Amys attention.A lot of things, I guess, Amy shrugged. But something in my gut told me to go,

so I am.Smiling now, Taylor shut down her computer and got to her feet, suddenly elated


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with the fact that she was no longer alone in investigating the case, and wasnt about tohead north to Willow by herselfnot that doing things solo particularly bothered her.Racing for the archway, Taylor wrapped her friend in a tight hug, her cheek ramming intoAmys shoulder from the height difference. Letting her go, and massaging where her facewas undoubtedly now bruised, Taylor headed for the front entrance of their suite, grabbingher coat off of a hook and pulling open the door.

Listen, you take a shower and do whatever you do to get ready, okay? Ill bring usup some breakfast, Taylor grinned, turning back to glance at the other girl. And if youneed sleep, you can sleep in the car. I have to go rent one, anyway, so take your time.

Nodding slowly, Amy finally cracked a smile as Taylor disappeared, shutting thedoor behind her as she headed down the crowded hallway full of people heading to class.Around her, the busy corridor buzzed with drowsy conversation as girls met with oneanother for class or made plans for the upcoming weekend, but neither of those thingsbothered Taylor as she slid in and out of clusters of people. For some reason, the fact thatshe had turned Amy around on the topic of helping her caused Taylor to want to jump forjoy, though she had no idea why. Oddly, the fact that her friend was coming broughtcomfort to her more than anything else, almost as if she felt like nothing bad could happento her now that Amy was on her side. Whether or not that had stemmed from the fact that

the girl and her father had saved her from a demon back in September or something else,Taylor didnt know. All she knew as that she had Amy Winchester on her side, and thathonestly eased her mind.


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THREE

Walter ResidenceWillow, Connecticut

Friday, October 6, 200610:12 AM

Amy could tell by the look on Taylors face when she pulled up to the curb in a rentedsilver Lexus that her friend was excited to finally get the ball rolling. As they drove towardthe highway, with the sounds of Taylors pop music mix carrying throughout the inside ofthe vehicle, the obvious signs of thrill were further instilled. In the other girls expression, asmile seemed permanently etched, giving way to Taylors more animated appearance,making it seem almost as if Amy had lifted a burden from her friends chest to free her fromthe weight she had been previously been carrying.

By the time the two reached Willow, Amy had gotten an ear-full of the informationTaylor had been learning about in between her studying, information about exorcisms andghost repellant and an Internet contact that only called himself A. As she listened, Amytried to add into the conversation, only becoming lost as Taylor went over the steps tosolving a case, as she called it, that she had been filled in on by the aforementioned web -stranger. According to her, the two of them were headed to small-town Connecticut to talkto the mother of the missing child and to snoop through the bedroom Molly Walter hadbeen taken from. Also according to her, the two of them had to come up with a convincingcover story, something that would gain them entrance into the house that was moreplausible than claiming they were simply interested in helping.

Its gotta be something cool, like cops or investigative journalists or something,Taylor grinned, tapping her fingers against the steering wheel in time with the music. Wecant just bargein and say, Hey, were Yale students just looking for something to stick ournoses in. It wont work, especially if the woman is distraught.

Nodding, but not saying much else, Amy milled over possible aliases while looking

out the window, suddenly wondering if thats what John had been doing with the FBIbadge, as well as his sons doing the same. Amy remembered seeing similar credentialscoming from Sam and Dean back when she had been trailing them on Johns orders duringthe summer, but had immediately assumed she was caught in the middle of some sort ofsecret espionage rather than a couple of paranormal hunters trying to find out informationfor the case they were working. Thinking back on it, Amy supposed the guise made sense.There was hardly anyone in a police station that outranked a government official, exceptmaybe the sergeant, and sending a call out to check for credibility seemed to be the lastthing on anyones mind whenever they were confronted with the shining white and blueFBI letters staring them in the face.

Deciding to pick something simple as Taylor pulled off of I-91, Amy glanced at herfriend and filled her in on what she had chosen: newspaper reporters. Though she hated

lying to someone about the real reason the two were trying to uncover facts about SusanWalters missing daughter, Amy recalled her summer away and all the fibs she had toldunder the name of Kelly Taylora character she had summoned from one of her favoritetelevision shows. Knowing that then wasnt much different from now, minus the fact thatshe never really talked to the men John had asked her to watch, Amy let out a deep breathbefore sharing the decision with Taylor, noticing that her friend had her focus turnedelsewhere.

In front of them, the robust wooden sign welcoming them to Willow, Connecticutseemed larger than the town itself. As soon as Taylor turned onto the main road, aptly


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titled Main Street, the two could see nothing more than a couple of lanes surrounding a vastpark that seemed to take up most of the area. Trees lined the section of town that wasdesignated for the implanted greenery, fencing in what looked like a sloping lawn and aman-made pond that sat placidly in the dead center. Around the park, a few shops werestationed on the short stretch of Main, locally-owned businesses that appeared to beclothing boutiques and an ice cream parlor. On the three other sides of the square of foliage,

houses sat in neat rows, all of them either Victorian or Colonial in design.Pretty sure like, twelve people live here, Amy grimaced.Yeah, tell me about it, Taylor sighed, pulling off of Main Street and heading for

Magnolia Road on the other side of the park. I knew it was a small town, but I didnt thinkit would be thissmall.

Pursing her lips, Amy waited for Taylor to pull up to the curb outside of a large, redVictorian home that seemed to be well-kept and recently painted. Along the front yard, rosebushes lined the rolling green grass divided by a stone walkway, reminding Amy of Yale inthe spring. Getting out of the car as soon as Taylor killed the ignition, Amy suddenly feltnervous as she got to her feet. For some reason, now that she was confronted with the ideaof having to question someone inside of their own house, the fear that they might bediscovered as a frauds frightened her more than when she had been afraid of being

unmasked by who she had been lead to believe to be two armed-and-dangerous criminalstwo men she had eventual unveiled to be her someone John had wanted to keep sa ferather than arrest. Unfortunately, as the anxiety whispered in her ear, she had a feelingtowns of this size held residents quicker to call the police should anything suspicious arise.Back in Northbrook, a place a little more wide-spread than Willow, Jennifer Forester wason a first-name basis with the sheriff, and even had him on speed dial, calling him wheneveranyone that even looked likely to step on the grass was nearby. If Susan Walter discoveredshe was talking to a pair of Yale students rather than a couple of girls who worked for theHartford Sentinel, then Amy had no doubt a cop would appear less than a minute later tohaul them away.

Furrowing her brow, Amy tried to calm her nerves as she followed Taylor up to thefront door, letting her friend knock as they waited. Glancing around, Amy could hear a dogbarking somewhere in the back of the house, as well as see chew toys hidden in the bushes.Turning to look at Taylor as the sound of heeled shoes on hardwood came from behind theornate wood in front of them, Amy noticed that her friend had whipped out a hand-heldnotepad with a pen poised over it. Biting her lip for not thinking of that, especially since shewas the drama major and knew the importance of props, Amy rolled her eyes at herselfbefore the door swung open to reveal a short, thin brunette with blotchy red skin and puffycheeks, both obvious signs of crying.

Can I help you with something? Ms. Walter asked quickly, glancing up at Amy.Well, Ms. Walter, I was hoping so, Taylor said, stepping forward. My name is

Elizabeth Bennet and this is my friend and colleague, Charlotte Lucas. We work for theHartford Sentinel and were hoping you would be able to grant us an interview with youabout your daughter, Molly.

Frowning, Susan shook her head. What for?Well, Ms. Walter, were hoping that by publishing an interview with you, word

about your daughter would spread farther than just inside Willow. If she was taken bysomeone who traveled out of town, then it might be helpful to print a notification in a largepublication.

The police already put out an Amber Alert for her, Susan replied, still shaking herhead. I dont see how putting something in the paper can help any more, Im sorry.

Ms. Walter, Amy said, pulling Taylor back and softening her gaze, were not here


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to ask you anything too invasive or to worry you any more than you already are. I knowhow you must be feeling. It must really hurt not knowing where your child is. All we wantto do is make more people aware of what happened in an attempt to bring Molly back home.If we ask you something too personal, you can tell us to leave and well pull the article.Does that sound alright?

Pausing a moment, Susan Walter peered up at Amy behind her red-rimmed eyes for

a long while, as though her stare was attempting to search the younger girl for a lie. Afterwhat felt like minutes, Susan finally nodded, stepping aside to allow the two to pass throughthe front door. As soon as they were inside, the dog that Amy had previous heard began tobark again, this time whining a little before growling and running away. Smirking toherself, Amy stopped in the foyer to allow Susan to lead them to where she would like totalk, holding back a second to glance at Taylor.

I see all those acting classes paid off, Taylor whispered as they trailed behind thewoman in front of them. If I didnt know it, I would think you were channeling the softerside of Veronica Mars.

Grinning toward the floor before looking up, Amy noticed that Susan was directingthem toward the kitchen, the big home surrounding them passing by with every open door.Glancing inside of each threshold as they passed, Amy could see that some of them were

devoid of anything, as though the old Victorian contained too many rooms to fill. At the endof the long hallway the three were walking down, an expansive kitchen glared back at themthrough floor-to-ceiling windows, a staircase sitting between where the corridor ended andthe kitchen began. Pointing them toward an island bar in the middle of the room, Amy andTaylor took a seat while Susan remained standing, a tumbler full of amber liquid sitting nottoo far from her hand. Furrowing her brow, Amy bit her lip.

So, what questions do you want to ask me? Susan started, taking a drink from theglass now grasped in her palm. And I will take you up on that offer to throw you out if Idont like the questions.

Picking up on the fact that Susan wasnt fond of reporters being in her house, muchless interviewing her, Amy placed a hand on Taylors knee under the bar as though to warnher to keep her inquisitions kind rather than abrupt. Nodding in recognition of the touch,

Taylor flipped back the cover of her notepad where Amy could see questions alreadyscribbled down, almost as though she had been preparing for this during the time it took torent a car and grab breakfast.

You said Molly was taken from her bedroom, correct? Taylor began, pausing toallow Susan to respond. And you also said that you saw her disappear in a puddle of water?Is that true?

I didnt see her, no, Susan clarified. Molly, my daughter, has a rather activeimagination. Before I took her to bed, she was telling me a storyjust like she does everynight, usually some creation of her ownabout a man drenched in water who grabschildren from their beds. According to her, she heard it from someone at school, but thatswhat she claims about everything she says. When she told me, I thought it was just anothertall tale, but I noticed she was acting a little different than with all of her other stories, asthough she believed it instead of recognizing it was something she made up.

Frowning, Taylor scribbled down a note. How was she acting?Well, you know kids when theyre scared. Pulling up the blankets, locking the

windows, turning on the nightlight, Susan sighed. I put her to bed and came down here.When I got here, I noticed the ceiling was leaking and tried to call a plumber to come checkit out, and thats when I heard the screaming. Stopping a second, Susan closed her eyes. Itwas Molly, and it wasnt the pretend screaming she usually yells out whenever shes playingwith our dog. It was like someone was in there. I tried to help her, but the door was locked.


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Locked? Amy piped up, furrowing her brow.Yeah, which is weird because Mollys door doesnt have a lock on it, Susan

frowned, frustration setting in. I kept pushing, but it wouldnt budge until it was too late.By the time the door finally opened, she was gone. But there was nothing there except for apuddle of water that trailed in from the bathroom. The windows were still shut andeverything. Licking her lips as a tear threatened to fall down her cheek, Susan stopped a

moment. But that wasnt the only weird thing. My daughters teddy bear, Mr. Bear, wastorn to shreds, almost like something had eaten it.

Swallowing hard, Amy glanced at Taylor, who seemed neither bothered by theinformation nor shocked by the revelation. Instead, she continued to write down tidbits ofthe conversation into her notepad, almost as though she had expected Susan Walter to saywhat she had just explained. After a long minute, Taylor suddenly snapped her notebookshut to place in the purse swung over her shoulder, looking up at Susan with curious eyesthat seemed to mirror how Amy felt inside.

Do you mind if we take a look at your daughters room?I dont Susan trailed off, looking at Amy instead of Taylor again.Giving the woman a small smile, Amy tried her best to be comforting. Its okay.

We promise not to do anything that would upset you. You can come up with us if youd like,

just to make sure we dont disturb any of Mollys things.No, no, thats okay, Susan frowned. You can have five m inutes, then I want you

up and out of here, alright? And make sure no one else from your paper comes by to talk tome when youre back at your office. I understand you guys want to get the word out, butone reporter is enough.

Grinning despite the harshness of Susans words, Amy nodded. Okay. We will.Okay. Up the stairs, first door on the right.Exchanging a glance with Taylor, Amy let her friend lead the way up the stairs,

taking Susans directions and finding Mollys flowery pink room right where the womansaid it would be. Leaving the door open a crack, Amy pushed open the curtains while Taylorbegan to mill around, looking in and under everything in sight. Not sure what to do or howto help, Amy remained posted at the window, peering around while Taylor searchedbeneath the bed.

I half-expect cartoon birds to start braiding your hair as soon as we walk outside,Taylor whispered while she opened one of the drawers of the small nightstand beside thebed. I knew you were a softy, Aims, but I didnt think you were such an angel.

Frowning, Amy shrugged. The womans daughter is missing. We should be nice.Shaking her head and smirking, Taylor turned toward the built-in bathroom,

staring down at the hardwood floor as though looking for signs of the trail Susan hadmentioned. Turning on a lamp to shed more light, Taylor stood back and bent in oddpositions, as though trying to get a different angle on the glossy chestnut. Theres somewarping here, like the water settled and no one wiped it up.

Remaining silent, Amy watched while her friend disappeared into the bathroom,only to come out a few seconds later. As she took in Taylors practiced movements thatmade it seem as though she had been doing this her whole life, Amy wondered exactly whather friend had been doing in the month between the demon attack and now. So far, Amyonly knew that Taylor had been looking for information online, but had the Internetcontact taught her more than just where to go for a good read? Deciding to ask, Amy pipedup.

Youre way too good for this to be your first time.Laughing, Taylor glanced under the bed once again before getting to her feet.

When I was in high school, I wanted to major in criminal forensics instead of American


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English. I thought it would be cool to do things like on CSIor whatever.What changed your mind there? Amy asked, grinning.Its all fun in theory, Taylor smirked. My uncles a police officer in Cicero, right?

I guess my mom told him what I was looking to study at Yale and he took me on a ride-along with him back in like, March before I graduated. About half-way through the night,someone called in a murder and he had to go check it out. First sight of a dead body and I

was so completely done. I think I threw up, too.Thats lovely, Amy grimaced.Yeah, tell me about it, Taylor laughed. Anyway, lets get out of here. Im pretty

sure Ms. Walters waiting for us to leave.


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FOUR

West Willow LibraryWillow, Connecticut

Friday, October 6, 20063:23 PM

Taylor sighed loudly from across the table as Amy sifted through the pages of the thickvolume in front of her, trying to decipher lines of text that had been written in a languagethat was neither in English or legible. Beside the book splayed before her, a translationdictionary sat open, one that would hopefully give meaning to the Spanish inscribed on thepage.

For the past three hours, both Taylor and Amy had been trying to narrow down thenumber of possibilities as to what could be behind Molly Walters attack, with Taylorimmediately jumping on the water-drenched, child-snatching creature theory that Susanhad mentioned during their interview. As Amy browsed aisles of folklore on her friendsbehalf, not really sure what she was looking for and pulling down books at random, Taylorchecked her phone for messages from across the room, sometimes verbally complaining thatshe had a feeling her e-mails werent being forwarded to her mobile. Suggesting that shecheck the computer, Amy sat down and waited for Taylor to sign onto the station besidethem before returning a second later, groaning audibly in disappointment.

Knowing that her friend was waiting for a reply from A, Amy began to feelimpatient for her, wondering what the e-mail Taylor had sent had contained and whether ornot this guy would get back to them with the right information. For some reason, Amy hada sense that the reply would enclose only tidbits of what they needed to know to figure outjust what kindof demon or spirit or whatever they were dealing withif they were even inthe right ballpark, which chances were they werent. According to various volumes, these inEnglish, there were about ten different species of aquatic beings that went after children,some of them sprouting from folklore in Ireland and carrying across the pond. So far, she

had read about rawheads, a creature that dwelled in damp places to attack kids who hadbeen disobedient of their parents; cryptids, species that existed and defied scientificclassification; and Leviathan, a serpent that dwelled in water and seemed to derive fromChristian mythology. Unfortunately, none of those things appeared to match thedescription of something that could materialize inside of a locked room, then vanish to leavenothing behind but a puddle of liquid.

Deciding to crack open the more challenging of books, Amy had immediately begunto translate the first page ofLos Demonios y Los Monstruos del Mar, which apparently meantDemons and Monsters of the Sea. As she worked line-by-line, scribbling down her botchedrendition of what had been written onto a yellow legal pad Taylor had pulled out of herpursewhich seemed to contain just as much stuff as the grandmothers bag fromHalloweentownAmy occasionally glanced up to check on her friend, noticing that the other

girl was just as absorbed in another piece of text, this one more recent than Amys.Urban Legends and their Roots? Amy read aloud with a grin. Interesting choice.Its proving to be, Taylor muttered before tearing her eyes away from what she

was skimming. Did you know that theres a video tape that kills you if you watch it? Itslike The Ringin real life. Maybe thats where they got their inspiration for that movie.

Smirking to herself, Amy shook her head before turning back to her work,wondering if Taylor was truly buying into everything that was scrawled in that book.While she was sure it was better to believe it rather than attempt to disprove it, especially ifwhatever Taylor was reading about turned out to be real, Amy wasnt so sure about VHS


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murders. Kicking the thought aside, Amy continued to finish the first page of what she wastranscribing, finally coming to the end and reading it aloud:

Of the many creatures of the deep, there lives one that dwells inshadows and attacks only in the night. In this book, such a being isdiscussed, as well as many others that are like it, though none are as

horrible as those that dwell beneath the earth. Contained in eachchapter is information pertaining to every sea-dweller known toman, and some not known to science. Whether alien, amphibian, orotherwise, those mentioned following this page are sure to shockand alarm.

Glancing up, Amy tried to hold back a groan while Taylor grinned, obviouslyfinding enjoyment in the fact that her friend had worked for an hour on translating nothingbut the foreword. Deciding to try to find mention of something familiar in one of thefollowing pages, Amy thumbed through them, stopping every now and again whenever shestumbled across los nios pequeos, which she knew was Spanish for little children.Ultimately, though, the more she tried to mentally translate the context surrounding thewords she understood, thanks for a brief stint of Spanish class at St. Marys in Northbrook,the more a headache began to form, causing Amy to want to take a break.

Placing her pen in the spine of the book to mark where she had left off, Amy sat upstraighter to look at Taylor, noticing that her friend was staring intently at her phone forwhat seemed like the hundredth time. Knowing that asking if A had gotten back to herfriend yet was useless, Amy remained quiet as she massaged her temples and closed hereyes, feeling Taylors gaze on her after a long moment.

Are you okay?Yeah, fine, Amy replied, not bothering to return the stare.Dropping the subject, the sound of pages cracking open again came from the other

side of the table as Taylor continued reading, obviously more engrossed in the words infront of her than anything else. Keeping her eyes shut, Amy tried to stare into the blacknessof the back of her lids, something that usually helped her headaches fade. Instead, all she feltwas the pounding growing the more she kneaded her forehead, as though the motion wascausing a bigger boom inside of her head. Deciding to give up on easing the throbbing pain,Amy opened her eyes and looking around the library, noticing that the group of people thathad been sitting at a table nearby had left.

Suddenly, the sound of Taylors phone chiming once echoed throughout the nearly-empty building, causing the four people within earshot to turn around and glare angrily atthe abrupt noise. Ignoring them, Taylor eagerly flipped open the mobile to read themessage contained on the screen, frowning deeply as her eyes passed over the contentsmore than once. Turning it around for Amy to see, Taylor held the phone out while shescanned the text, finding nothing but a book title underneath a pair of e-mail addresses.

From: [email protected]: [email protected]

Els Dimonis Mortals D'aiguaby Agust Alexandre

Forwarded to Mobile, 3:20 PM

Furrowing her brow, Amy glanced at Taylor as her friend snapped the phone shut,looking disappointed that her contact hadnt given her more information than that.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Deciding to help alleviate the dissatisfaction, Amy began to search through the titles of thevolumes she had retrieved from the shelves, hoping to find the one that had beenmentioned. Unfortunately, after reading five different front covers, none of them containedthe foreign language that had been sent Taylors way. Getting to her feet, Amy watched asTaylor flipped open the phone again and headed for the stacks containing folklore,disappearing down the aisle and leaving Amy to continue with her translation of Los

Demonios y Los Monstruos del Mar.After a long moment, Taylor returned looking disheartened, slumping in her chair

and shoving her phone into her pocket as though to signal that she was through checking it.Shooting her friend an encouraging look, Amy pushed the Spanish book away and placed iton the pile beside her, wrapping up her notes and sliding the legal pad back over to Taylor.Not seeming to care that something had been shoved in front of her and instead choosing tostare at it, Amy bit her lip, wondering why her friend was so crestfallen. This A guy wasnothing but a web contact who had, according to Taylor, only given small snippets ofinformation and links as to where to find the best intel and not much else. Hoping that hewould come through with more than that, that someone from behind a computer screen wasgoing to help and point out where to go, was foolish for her friend to count on. Still, Amyfelt bad for Taylor, who seemed enthusiastic to throw herself into this case, even if she

was a little misguided and overly expectant.Maybe the Yale library will have it, Amy suggested quietly, leaning forward as

she prepared to take the books she had pulled off the shelves back to where she had foundthem. That place has literally everything you could want to read. This is just some small-town joint. Maybe youve been given more of a lead than you think you have.

Nodding slowly, Taylor placed the notepad Amy had put in front of her into herpurse and rooted around for her keys, standing up a moment later when she had foundthem. Handing the clinking metal to Amy, Taylor absently pulled her phone out again toread the message, seemingly becoming obsessed with taking in the singular sentence theforwarded e-mail contained. Snatching the keys, Amy lead the way out of the library,directing them toward the silver Lexus that was sitting in a metered stall right outside ofthe front doors. Getting behind the wheel, Amy pursed her lips as she waited for Taylor toget in, suddenly remembering that she hadnt driven in quite some time. Trying to recallthe last occasion she had been in the drivers seat, Amy tapped her fingers against thegearshift for a moment, thinking that it couldnt have been any sooner than spring breakwhen she had navigated their way to New York City. All summer, she had sat shotgun withJohn, and hadnt had anywhere to go once she had returned home.

Chewing the inside of her cheek, Amy started the car, wondering if it was possibleto forget how to drive. Thankfully, right at the moment she shifted gears, her thoughtswere eased as she pulled away from the curb and pointed them toward the freeway.


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FIVE

Hollbrook ResidenceWillow, Connecticut

Friday, October 6, 20069:33 PM

David Hollbrook didnt know which was more of a battle: his years spent in Vietnam or thetime it took to get his daughter, Natalie, to bed. While the former contained dodging bulletsand racing through a tropical jungle, the latter entailed having to chase down an excitablenine-year-old who seemed to have more hiding spots inside the house than the Vietcong hadin the marshes of Vinh Lc.

As an injured war veteran, a man who had been shot in battle, David had a difficulttime tracking down Natalie inside their three-thousand-square-foot Colonial homewhichhad been bought back when Natalies mother, Natasha, was still alive and the two had beenplanning on more kids to fill the space. But with an injured leg that had to be fused togetherat the ankle after a shotgun slug had hit him just below the shin, David often had to hobble

after his daughter with the cane he had to use to walkand even though his daughter knewof his handicap, she didnt make it any easier on him.Running up the stairs, down the stairs, into the den, into the spare bedroom, around

the kitchen, into the backyard, and finally to one of her favorite alcoves, Natalie wouldusually lodge herself somewhere David had a hard time reaching, even on a good day.Sometimes it was the crook of a tall tree, or a cabinet hidden somewhere in the wall leadingto the attic, or, most likely, inside the doghouse. While the Hollbrooks hadnt had a pet inquite some time, David had kept it there after both Natasha and Scooter, their aged GermanSheppard, had passed awaythough his intentions had been to keep the memory aliverather than allow Natalie somewhere else to burrow.

However, Natalie always knew to come when David called in the tone he used to lether know that if she wasnt upstairs in less than five minutes she would be grounded, with

her more often than not racing inside from her cubby and jumping in bed dirtier than beforeshe had taken a bath. Usually choosing to pick his battles wisely, David would always forgothe argument that Natalie had to get in the tub again, instead knowing that he could coaxher into doing so while she was half-asleep in the morning. By then, at least David wouldhave gotten some rest and gained enough energy to deal with his over-enthusiasticdaughter.

But as night came on the horizon at the end of the week, with no school the nexttwo days, David often allowed Natalie half an hour extra to tinker outside. As duskedturned to dark, Natalie would still continue to play in the backyard with the other childrenin the neighborhood until David came out to break them up. In that time, while the kidshorsed around and screamed their lungs out, David would sit comfortably in the Laz-E-Boywith a book placed firmly in hand, trying to remember where he had last left off as he

listened to the loud laughing taking place outside.Unfortunately, tonight seemed different than the weekends before, almost as thoughevery child and parent who had heard the news, which was just about everyone, had decidedto keep their doors and windows locked to hold their kids safely inside. Though David, oneof the only ex-soldiers who lived in Willow, knew that hiding out did nothing but prolongthe inevitable, especially if the enemy was coming straight for the person in question, hecouldnt help but oblige the unsaid curfew that had fallen over the townand it seemed asthough Natalie was just as eager to remain indoors. Coloring quietly at the table, Nataliestared intently at the outlines in front of her while David took up residence in his chair,


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relaxing his cane against the end table situated between where he sat and the couch facingthe television. The furniture had been Natashas choosing, a style that had been in when shehad died of breast cancer back in 2001, but now seemed dated with its white leather againstthe sunburst orange walls. Though David had thought it as an eyesore as soon as he saw itthe first time, he couldnt bear to part with it now, especially since Natasha had been soexcited to show him what she had learned from HGTV about decorating in contrasts and

differences.Sitting back in his recliner while the clock ticked loudly, David picked up his book

and bid his time until half-past-nine chimed from the mantle. When the hour finally came,and just as he was about to engross himself in the finer details of Major Roger Bellmangetting captured by German enemies in 1943 Tunisia in the novel he had been trying tofinish reading over the past month, David kicked down the recliner with his good leg andplaced the book aside, getting to his feet unsteadily as he grasped for his cane. By the timehe reached Natalies coloring station, at which she had been working relentlessly for thepast few hours, David was more than ready to go to bed as soon as he took his nightlymedication.

Thankfully, Natalie didnt seem inclined to argue with him, instead dropping thecrayon that had been in her grasp the moment her father reached her and pushing aside her

work. Letting it be in case she wanted to pick it up again tomorrow, David turned awayfrom the table she had been sitting at and held out a hand. Grabbing it with her smallfingers, Natalie wrapped her digits around Davids thumb as they headed up the stairs, aquiet filling the house that seemed eerie. Usually at this time of night, Natalie would beattempting to convince him to let her stay up another half an hour, especially on weekends.According to her, there was good stuff on television after nine, things that she wanted towatch when they were on instead of having to fast-forward though the tape David oftenmade of the kids shows that played during the late hours. Though, for purely selfishreasons, he preferred that his daughter watch Zoey 101 andAre You Afraid of the Dark?whilehe was there to discretion it and to keep her occupied during the day, David also knew thatnine-thirty was somewhat early for a nine-year-old to go to bed, especially one with somuch energy.

However, tonight Natalie seemed intent on keeping quiet and following orders,heading straight to her room and climbing under the covers without a debate. Watchingher, David couldnt help but wonder if the story of Molly Walter had scared Natalie morethan she was willing to share. As soon as he had heard what had happened, and as soon ashe found out th

Documents

Little Children, By Elizabeth Shawnessey