THE BLOODY PATIENTS

CHAP: 11

That night, the kids met up in the pantry for a discussion and a snack. They had not eaten dinner in protest to Mr. Dinkles. Granny had called them many times, even offering to cook something else. But they had just ignored her. After they were sure Granny was asleep, they all crept to the pantry. Clara started the conversation. “So,” she said business like looking at Josh and Sarah who were stuffing their faces with Oreos. “We can all agree that there is something very wrong with Granny?” Josh and Sarah nodded, their mouths full. “So,” continued Clara, opening a bag of cheep chips. “So, here is what we are going to do. The next time Granny is out of the house or goes missing like last time, we will go to her room and look for clues. Anything that looks out of ordinary, we tell each other. Got it?” Sarah nodded, now putting chocolate in her mouth. Josh raised his hand, as if to ask a question. “Yes Josh?,” said Clara, feeling like a teacher. “Your plan is good,” said Josh. “But where does Mr. Dinkles come in this?” Clara thought for a moment, then replied. “Well Josh, we know that Granny has done something to Mr. Dinkles. So, if we find out whats happening to Granny, we will also find Mr. Dinkles.” Josh nodded, satisfied. They stayed talking for a while but realized the time. It was almost 3 am. As they made their way upstairs Sarah told everyone to lock their doors. “So, nothing else can happen.” They all agreed and went to their bedrooms. Sarah fell asleep at once. But for some annoying reason, Clara could not sleep. She lay in her bed, listening to Sarah’s breathing. An owl hooted outside. A creak came from outside their door. Clara saw a shadow pass from underneath the door. But Clara was not worried. The door was locked from the inside and Granny had once told them how her late husband had put the keys on a boat and forgotten about them. Suddenly, the door creaked open. There was nothing but darkness. Just then BLOOD RED eyes appeared out of nowhere. They had no head, no body, just eyes. Clara froze, opening her mouth to scream, but it seemed like she had been paralyzed. The eyes vanished. The door closed again. A strong pungent smell invaded the room, making Clara dizzy. Her vision blurred. The world seemed to be tilting. As she fought against the smell, it got too much. She fainted. The scent left the room, leaving it as if nothing happened.