Spooky

at bolt upright, worried if it was probably too

?” She leaned towa

naged to mutter amids

oved downwards and stared fi

?’ I

s on your neck,”

hed myself during my sleep,” I stu

aid as-a-matter-of-factly, indicating

furiously. “And for some reason there’s a

deep breath and looked outside, there was no sign of any accident or nurses in

d?” I asked, breathi

ers from New Jersey.” He said chee

io, Dad?” Jess suggested a

ng back. “You two just wanted

now that’s not tru

re over, starting now.” He snapped his fingers and

bother joining in myself, if the two women in his life couldn’t ma

vered as I pictured the plump nurse in my mind's eye, realizing that although

ything out of the ordinary did happen in the real world and not just in my dreams. A sudden surge of panic enveloped me as my hands

ned back towards me, waving the piece of p

er out of her hands in a split seco

r should I call the cops?” She whispered

st to get in on the conversation, but if he did hear Jessie, he didn’t act

why do you have her

lacing it after fishing out some paper and a pen. Je

big troubl

re-read what I’d written, and then she took the pen from me and wrote

ll had the same nightmare

back, still at

night is called Dreamwoods. I wrot

the paper, her writing speed noticeably picking up pace. Wait! I know that place! It’s supposed t

and drew the paper from my hands, writing even faster now. But i

The sign at the second hotel read: T

ending over and scribbling furiously now. So doe

as I spotted a sign reading New Jersey looming overhe

ew that we would be getting into something scary pretty soon. Dad suddenly put the radio on, making us jump as meta

, Jessie’s slammed the paper and pen in my hands. I gave

y you have a Clarissa’s

ck. She’s the one who told me all about Dreamwoods, she offered

she reached for her phone and pressed it in

y still at wor

opens her phone, which is

her and opened her Gmail app, when nothing came up I peered a

plied, her voice a

” Mom asked, s

ghing nervously as she cast me a furtive that definitely me

oed, sitting

here.” Mom said, raising her phone and moving it

,” Jessie ans

pot for me?” Mom grinned, unlocking her phone. “I’

’d said nothing instead. “Uhm, Mark started the challenge, wh

Um actually, it's just a thing where you try to o

ow, it wasn’t a full minute before she turned

.” I said quickly

e this,” Mom said. “Come on

nces, and then she threw he

t, dear?”

aid, feigning frustration and shootin

t. But how do you open a bottle without

ny?’ I

entally spill the contents on the floor?

hat’s ever happ

post their fail v

on!” I and

ing it could

ersey!” Dad exclaimed with a hear

chorused, happy to be spared from

e in no time!” Dad continued, whistling a t

created.” Mom said, raising her phone to her face. I and

half-hour, finally pul

now, kids!” Dad annou

ediately I felt something between fear and c

t house say Sixty-

t’s probably the name of the company that owns the neigh

house, painted in brown and white, with long spherical windows. In

o anyone, even a little bit?” Jessie

their heads; they had forgotten the d

s is a new house, built only

ad snickered, stepping out of

and exchanged gla

paper,” She whispered. “Now let’s just p

” I mu

could towards the house, which meant a slow crawl for me. With ea

were lights on in the house, muffled v

right house? Why are ther

plaque beside the doorpost. “See, it says The Wordsworth

to come in, just as in the dream. Me and Jessie exchanged

om, much too similar to the one from the cottage, but

om we spotted a man seated facing the