Don't Stay Up Late Read Online Free PDF

a whisper. “Don’t say that.”
    â€œWell, will I ever be normal again? Will I?”
    She stepped into shadows. I couldn’t see her face. I couldn’t hear her whispered reply. My question lingered in the air like a forgotten whisper.
    *   *   *
    The next morning I slept in and woke up refreshed. I thought about the day. I remembered I had an appointment with Dr. Shein. Before that, I wanted to walk over to Nate’s house and apologize for how badly I treated him the day before.
    Of course, Mom thought it might be too much for me. “Why don’t you invite him over here?”
    â€œMom,” I said, “I can walk three blocks in broad daylight. Seriously. You have to let me try to do normal things. It’s the only way I’ll ever return to a normal life.”
    I didn’t shout and I didn’t plead. I kept my voice low and steady, and I think my argument won her over.
    â€œMaybe you’re right. Walk to Nate’s. Go ahead. Get out of the house for a couple of hours. I don’t want to hold you back. Let’s see how you do.”
    A couple of hours? She was treating me like a mental patient. But so what? I got my way. I texted Nate and told him I was coming over.
    It was a warm spring afternoon. I pulled a blue, long-sleeved top over a pair of denim shorts. “You need a jacket,” Mom called from the kitchen.
    â€œNo, I don’t,” I shouted.
    â€œDon’t forget your appointment with Dr. Shein,” she yelled.
    â€œI won’t forget.” I stepped outside, squinting into the sunlight, and took a deep breath. The air smelled so fresh and sweet.
    Across the street, the dogwood trees in the Millers’ front yard were just beginning to show their white blossoms. Two little boys in their driveway were tossing a Nerf baseball back and forth. They waved to me as I walked to the sidewalk.
    Our front lawn needed to be mowed. It was overgrown with weeds, and the brown fall leaves hadn’t been raked. Dad had always taken care of the lawn. Mom probably hadn’t given it a thought.
    I crossed Pines Road. An SUV filled with kids in soccer uniforms rumbled past. The houses on this block were big, with wide sloping lawns. I saw two robins fighting over a fat brown earthworm, a real tug-of-war.
    A beautiful spring day and I was enjoying my walk, feeling like a human again, feeling like I could face the world and move on. Just move on.
    The walk was refreshing and enjoyable—until I arrived at Nate’s house. And then I was heaved back … back into a world of horror.

 
    10.
    Nate lives in a long, ranch-style house, dark redwood with purple shutters beside the windows. The purple shutters were his dad’s idea. His dad is kind of an old-style hippie. He tries to be very cool. He sells life insurance, but he’s also a jazz musician and a painter.
    Nate’s mom is tall and thin and very pretty in an old-fashioned TV sitcom way. She likes to chatter and gossip. She is the nicest person in the world. Nate has a younger brother, Tim, who looks like a Nate clone, but I don’t know him very well.
    Actually, the whole family could be clones. They are all lanky and tall with straight black hair and dark eyes.
    I walked up Nate’s driveway. His dad’s red Prius was parked at the top of the driveway. The sun was reflected in their living room window making it glow like gold. I turned toward the front stoop but stopped when I heard voices. From the backyard?
    Yes. I made my way around the side of the garage, stepping over a coiled green garden hose. I smelled something sweet from the open kitchen window. Mrs. Goodman is an awesome baker.
    Nate’s backyard is fenced in by tall, straight evergreen shrubs. I saw a row of shrubs, gleaming in the sunlight. And then I heard a scream.
    I stepped past the garage onto the back lawn. And cried out as I saw a hideous green creature. A demon. From out of my