Chapter Fifteen: Papa of the Swamp:

Something called to me in the swamp when I was younger. I would lay in my bed and hear whispering over my head.

“Miranda?” I asked. She didn’t answer. In fact, she was sound asleep next to me. I heard a shuffling noise above my head. I looked up at the ceiling. There came the whispering again.

“Kinsey… Kinsey…” they said. I sat up and looked around in the room. The voice came from the window.

“Kinsey… Kinsey…” it whispered. I turned and looked out the window. A face was pressed up against the surface. For some reason, I was not afraid. The empty eyes called out to me. I slowly put up my hand. I heard the voice whispering outside again.

“Kinsey… Kinsey…” the voice whispered. I pressed my hand up against the glass. The face disappeared. I sat back, blinking. For some reason, I had the need to get out of my bed. I slid my legs out and climbed out. Miranda was said asleep the whole time.

I don’t know when or how it happened, but I found myself walking into the swamp behind my house. I noticed when I heard splashing at my feet. I turned around but saw nothing but darkness. It didn’t feel cold or hot around me. A strange sensation came over me as I noticed that Miranda was nowhere in sight. This was the first time she wasn’t at my side. My body shivered.

“Miranda?” I asked.

“Shhh,” that same voice whispered. I whipped around. Something like a giant hand held me in place. I tried to look up, but nothing was there. I could see glowing eyes looking down at me.

“Shhh,” they said again. “You are here.” But why was I here? A hand grabbed me by the cheeks. Those glowing yellow eyes stared deep into mine. I could see the gleam in his teeth.

“Yes,” the voice said with a growl. “You will do just fine.” Sweat broke out all over my body. W-W-What did he mean by that? Suddenly, another hand grabbed me by the shoulder. I felt a heavy breath against my back. Part of me wished that they would make a sound. Even them laughing wouldn’t be so bad. The heavy breathing was absent from theses… creatures.

“Get off of her!” I heard in the distance. The voice sounded muzzled, but I knew what they said. The hands let go of me. I turned to see Mr. Greives standing inches away from me. His body was covered in scars. His glasses looked bent and broken. He still had chains around his neck. My lower lip trembled.

“You’re…” I said. He put his hand on my head.

“You do not belong here,” Mr. Greives told me. “You have to go back to your home.” I opened my mouth, but he shook his head.

“Hurry back home,” he said. “I will show you the way.” Mr. Greives grabbed me by the hand and led me away. The whole time, I couldn’t think about what I wanted to say. We didn’t run home either. We just walked through the swamp in silence. I had never seen so many scars on his back. I tried to look anywhere else but his skin. Finally, he glanced down at me.

“You should not be friends with her,” he told me. “She is really a demon. Cut the ties with her before she pulls you down.” I didn’t understand what he was saying at the time. Before I could ask, I found myself back in my room. I looked around, but I heard no voices calling out to me. It was just me back in my room. I turned to see Miranda still sound asleep in my bed.

I didn’t know it at the time, but Mr. Grieves warning would come clearer years later.