WEBVTT
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Hey there, my spookies. Enrique Cuto here, your narrator and host.
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School is back in session and the halls are haunted. Tonight.
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We're sharpening our pencils and our fangs for eight school
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time terrors to get you perfectly primed for back to school.
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Think sticky cafeteria trays that blink when you're not looking.
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Think a pop quiz that grades you back. Think a
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guidance counselor who knows exactly what you're afraid of because
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it wrote your phobia on the blackboard before you walked in.
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Maybe you'll hear a cheer from the empty gym, or
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a whisper from the dark side of the trophy case.
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Maybe that hallway draft isn't the aircase conditioning, it's something
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pacing the lockers, checking every combination until it finds yours.
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And if you've got detention, well make sure the clock's
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secondhand actually moves. Some rooms don't let time pass the
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way they used to, so grab your hall pass, keep
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your head down during roll call, and whatever you do,
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don't open the note that says meet me after last bell.
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Every threat waiting for you, we've circled in red pen
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Eight lessons you won't forget from the deep archives of
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weekly spooky Attention Students. Class is in session, the lights
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are flickering, and rumor has it the substitute isn't human.
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It's time to go back to school with weakly spooky Now,
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please take your seats and don't look behind you. The
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Chain of Time by Killian Crane. Andrew Leed felt like
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a freshly poured fountain drink from his blonde curls to
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his pudgy twelve year old belly. He absolutely fizzed. He
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was blind to the children enjoying recess around him on
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the playground of Pine Mill Middle School. His entire world
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was a bridge of grass to Claire Ellis. Claire sat
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in the front corner of his class. Andrew, who would
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never admit it to anyone, found himself looking at her
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more often than the whiteboard. She faced away from him,
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staring into the expansive forest behind the school. She had
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brown hair held up in a long ponytail by a
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pink ribbon. He knew he had no business talking to
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a girl like her, but he decided that morning that
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he would ask her if she'd liked to go to
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the Gumbo Festival with him. He just couldn't seem to
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move his feet. He finessed past several crinkling snack wrappers
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and drew his brass pocket watch. Flipped open, it showed
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there was still fifteen minutes of recess. As he tried
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to put the watch away, the chain went taut and
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flew from his hand. Bewildered, Andrew turned to see Thomas Daniels.
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Thomas jiggled the watch, making it glint wildly. What you
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do in chubb, Thomas asked, Andrew's fist clenched. Thomas, please
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just give it back. Oh I will, Thomas jeered. He
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swung the watch evenly. If you can catch me, Andrew
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saw Claire still staring into the woods, and then focused
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on Thomas. He made a clumsy lunge, and Thomas pulled
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it taut, palming the watch, then letting it fall free again,
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as if he was walking the dog with a yo yo.
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Try again, Faddy, Andrew did, but Thomas still held the watch.
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Cut it out Thomas. The metal grazed Andrew's fingers before
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it was pulled free a third time. Children gathered around
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to watch the spectacle. Thomas, the circus master, led Andrew
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in a wide circle like a prize animal. Uh uh uh.
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He teased. Andrew's face grew blood red with anger and effort.
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He charged head low. Thomas dodged and stuck his foot
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out to catch Andrew in an embarrassing trap. The crowd
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roared with approval as he thudded to the ground. He
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struggled to his feet, his heart limping in his chest.
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He put his hands over his head, fighting the need
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to puke. Look at those fat titties. One kid squealed,
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Andrew instantly shamed, covered his chest with his hands. Who
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said that he squeaked, spinning around, trying not to jostle himself.
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No one answered. They simply pointed and laughed. Thomas spun
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the pocket watch high above his head, cocking his arm
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to throw it. When an adult voice cut through the
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laughs of thehich children. What is going on here, miss
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Minner demanded. The circle fell instantly silent, her eyes locked
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onto thomas office. Mister Daniels, everyone else back inside. Recess
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is over. There was a collective groan as the crowd
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headed for class. Thomas flung the watch hard into Andrew's chest.
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Once the watch was safe, Andrew searched the crowd for Claire.
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He didn't see her pink bow anywhere. The tree line,
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like a storm on the horizon, loomed silent and empty.
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Ten minutes into class, Claire still wasn't in her seat
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in the front corner. When he saw that Miss Minner
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still hadn't noticed, Andrew raised his hand. In the five
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weeks after Claire's disappearance, Andrew gained twenty pounds. He sat
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at the dinner table of his mother's small apartment watching
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a man who claimed to be an expert on the occult.
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The man waved his hands excitedly. In fact, people back
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then always kept precious medals on their person. Certain medals
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were believed to ward off the evil eye. Andrew's mother
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changed the channel to the news. The oven chimed, and
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soon a baking sheet, packed end to end with French
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toast lay before Andrew, crispy crusts, buttery middles, and the
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perfect amount of cinnamon. It was Andrew's favorite dessert. Thank you, Mama,
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Andrew said, as he dug in. She tussled his hair.
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Love you, gummy bear. The Lead family hadn't always lived
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in a small apartment. Once upon a time, the Leads
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were the proud owners of a successful restaurant. Andrew's father
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ran the business and his mother was head chaff Andrew
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was the professional taste tester. If he finished his homework
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Monday nights, when business was usually slow, they watched Westerns
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at the bar. Despite great business, Andrew's father had made
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many mistakes with the money. The last thing Andrew ever
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heard his father say was it's getting where we can't
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even afford to feed him. Warning his father was gone,
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Andrew's mother sold the restaurant, their house, traded in her car,
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and moved them into an apartment. Despite their tight budget,
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she always made sure their son was fed. She cooked
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three hearty meals every day, with plenty of snacks in between.
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Shortly after his father left, Andrew began to gain weight.
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The telephone rang, and she quickly answered it. She looked
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over her shoulder before going out of the room to
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take the call in private, Andrew wiped his fingers clean
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and down the last of his chocolate milk. On the television,
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the window over the reporter's shoulder faded into a picture
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of Claire, sheepishly smiling. A piece of ice lodged itself
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in his heart, and the reporter's words drove the ice home.
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The search for Claire Ellis, twelve year old daughter of
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James and Olivia Ellis, has been discontinued by authorities. Claire
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was last seen wandering into the woods behind pine Hill
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Middle School. The Ellis family asks that anyone with information
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involving Claire's disappearance called the number below feet pattered from
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down the hall back into the living room. A candlelight
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visual will be held Saturday at six pm at the
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Pine Hill Middle School on behalf of all of us
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here at Channel six news. The channel abruptly changed to cartoons.
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Andrew's mother held out the remote, letting out a sharp
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breath as she replaced the phone. I'm sorry you saw that,
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gummy bear. Let's not think about that tonight, okay, But
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Andrew had thought of Claire every night. As far as
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the police had learned, Andrew was the last one to
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see Claire. Despite being full, he wanted something to snack on.
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He flipped open his brass pocket watch. It was only seven.
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His mother sounded like a cracked china cup as she spoke,
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what's your watch say, cowboy? The previous year, Andrew and
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his mother went to the movies and saw a vintage western.
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When the hero strode into town, two bad guys leveled
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their guns. The hero pulled out a brass pocket watch
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from his duster and said, will you look at that?
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It's high time things changed round here. He pulled his
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gun and shot the men down. Andrew had been overjoyed,
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clapping loud enough to draw sh from somewhere in the dark.
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On Christmas Day, Andrew had an exact replica of the watch. Seven.
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It's getting late, he told her, holstering the watch. Though
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he truly loved the watch, it reminded him of times
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with his father watching westerns. They had been a family then.
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And Andrew, whether he meant to or not, had ruined
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that he was the reason his father left. The more
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he thought about his failures to his family to Claire,
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the more he wanted to eat and forget. He rose
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and gave his mother a gentle hug. I'm going to
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go to bed, Mama, I feel really tired. She hugged
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him back, and Andrew remembered a time when she had
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been able to wrap her arms all the way around him.
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Good night, gummy bear. I'll have a big breakfast for
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you in the morning sounds good. Mama, love you, love
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you too. He drifted to his room, closing the door
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behind him. He no longer felt nice and full and sleepy.
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He felt fat. If he hadn't been fat, he wouldn't
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have been picked on by Thomas. He wouldn't have had
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a problem asking Claire to go to the Gumbo Festival
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with him. Claire wouldn't have disappeared. The large bag of
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pretzels he kept in his nightstand lay in his lap open.
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He sat on his bed, watching the pocket watch tick
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away the seconds, silently eating the pretzels until they were gone.
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The next day, the children were allowed on the playground
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for the first time since the disappearance. Andrew sat at
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the edge of the forest, eating from a plastic sleeve
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of many donuts, watching the other kids play. Thomas was
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occupied humiliating another target. Behind Andrew. The new fence pole stood,
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but no fence barred the forest. During a lonely lifelunch
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two days before, Andrew heard Coach Bart say to another teacher,
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those guys building the fence are really dragging. But in
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the distance, Thomas gave some poor soul an atomic wedgie,
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pulling him off the ground feet kicking. I wish I
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could help you, kid, Andrew said, around a mouthful of doughnut.
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A familiar voice hissed behind him, you could help me, Andrew.
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He turned wide eyed to see the back of Claire Ellis.
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She looked exactly the same as the day she disappeared,
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down to her long ponytail tied with a pink bow. Claire,
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she laughed. There was a scream from the playground, making
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Andrew wheel around. Coach Bart, who had taken Miss Minner's
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place as Andrew's teacher, had Thomas by the ear, marching
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him towards the school. A crowd of kids followed, cheering
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and laughing. When Andrew turned back to the forest Claire,
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the smallest crescent of Claire's face peeked from behind a tree.
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Deep inside. Claire, people have been real worried about you.
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Where have you been, she grinned, saying nothing. The wrapper
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crinkled in his trembling hand. You want a doughnut? With
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a laugh, she turned and fled deeper into the woods. Claire, wait,
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he called out as he breached the tree line. She
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darted tree to tree far ahead of him. Her giggles
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seemed to echo when Andrew slowed. She stopped and watched
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him struggle to catch up. Claire, Please, He wanted to
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go back to the playground and get an adult, but
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he pressed on, heaving and walking when he could no
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longer run, wheezing please for her to stop. She laughed
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in response and ran aimlessly deeper into the forest. His
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heart pumped madly, screaming at him to stop and turned back,
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but he couldn't. It was his fault that she got lost,
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and he wanted to make it right. Pollen danced in
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low orange rays between branches. Andrew was nervous to see
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the time. Peekaboo, Claire said, disappearing behind a tree. He
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leaned on his knees, crushing the empty plastic sleeve he
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had lost all the donuts running through the forest. Claire,
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I don't know what you're doing, but we have to
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go back now. Your parents miss you, she beckoned in
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a low voice, Save me. Andrew apprehensively, he rounded the tree.
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He peeked, Not seeing anyone, He called out to her,
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but only as echo answered. The dancing rays dimmed as
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the sky continued to redden. Andrew searched for his trail
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of doughnuts. First calling for Claire, then for anyone. When
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night fell, the forest stirred with sounds of things unseen.
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Andrew didn't dare call out. A stray Andrew couldn't see
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gouged him deeply into his arm. The pain and the
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fear and the sheer exhaustion forced him to his knees.
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The harvest moon, large and orange in the sky, was
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swallowed by an inky sea of clouds. Andrew huddled against
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a tree, sobbing. As total darkness fell, the creatures of
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the night reveled in the cold void. He curled inward
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on the itchy forest floor, shivering somewhere in his tears.
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Time slowed to the pace of a bad nightmare. Then,
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as suddenly as the forest came alive, it went deathly silent.
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There was a click in the dark, followed instantly by
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blinding light. He put his hands to his face and
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cried out. As his eyes adjusted, he saw that it
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was a flashlight held by an unseen figure. Hello, Andrew
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called out, still shielding eyes. There was nothing. Acute panic
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filled his spine and his voice, Are you here to
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help me? The forest floor crunched as the light approached.
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Andrew pressed against the tree cornered, an angel gently placed
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her hand on his head. Her golden hair fell in
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strands around her white dress. Feeling her hand on his head,
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his muddy brown eyes locking with her emerald greens, his
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fear melted away. My goodness, she said as she knelt.
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What are you doing here? Andrew sunk into the angel's shoulder,
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trying to speak between loud sobs. I'm lost, miss, I
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followed my friend and I can't find her. Now, please
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help me. She rocked him in her arms, shushing him.
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The angel held his face in her hands and wiped
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streaming tears from his cheeks. What's your name, sweet, he sniffled.
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I'm Andrew, ma'am. She helped him to his feet and
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shined the light under her face, illuminating a wide grin.
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My name is Agatha. She forced him to lock fingers
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with her. I heard someone crying in the dark. Children
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are always getting lost out here. Andrew wiped his nose
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on his sleeve. You live around here, Agatha leveled her
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face with his. Not far at all. Let's get you