Ravenous Revenge

Prologue

The soft patter of rain against my window is the only sound in my room. I should be asleep, but I can't. Mama and Papa will be mad if I'm too tired for school in the morning. But I just can't sleep. I don't want to go to school tomorrow. The kids are mean. They call me names and push me around. It's not my fault, I'm smart. I thought being smart was a good thing. Mama says it is. She says I'm going to do great things when I grow up. I want to be a doctor and help people. But the kids at school think I'm a loser. They always copy my homework and cheat off me.

I look at my Hello Kitty clock. 3:00 a.m. I need to sleep. Maybe warm milk will help. Mama always gives me some when I can't sleep. But I'm ten now. I can get it myself.

I slide out of bed, careful not to make a sound. The moonlight spills through my window. My room feels so quiet—too quiet. I glance around. My twin bed with grey sheets, my elephant comforter. I love elephants because they're smart, just like me. My desk is piled with books. My dresser has even more. Books are my safe place. When school is done, I don't just read—I gobble them up. That's one reason the kids pick on me.

I slip my feet into my slippers and tiptoe to the door. I don't want to wake Mama or Papa. He works late, and I don't want to bother him. The hallway is dark. That's weird—Mama usually leaves the bathroom light on. Maybe she forgot. I flick on the bathroom light just enough to see the stairs.

I creep down slowly. I don't make a sound. But at the bottom, a cold gust of air brushes me. I look. The back door is wide open. Papa must've forgotten to close it. The rain has soaked the floor in the mudroom. I shut it quickly and lock it. It's fine. We live in a nice, safe neighborhood. Nothing bad happens here... right?

I don't know what Papa does at work. He's always tired and doesn't talk much. The kitchen is past the mudroom. I don't turn on the light. I just want to clean up the rainwater and get my milk. But as I step inside, I feel something squishy under my foot.

"Ew! What's that?" I wrinkle my nose. "Another mess. Ugh!"

I move toward the light switch near the dining room and trip on something big, falling face-first into the cold, sticky stuff.

"What the heck!" I cry, crawling out. My hands reach the switch. I flip it on. The light hurts my eyes. I blink a few times. Then I look around.

I freeze. The sticky stuff on my hands and feet is red. Red like blood. My heart jumps into my throat. I turn around.

Mama and Papa are on the floor. They're not moving. Their eyes are open, but they don't see me.

"No! No! NO!" I scream, shaking them. Nothing. Tears pour down my face. My body shakes. I have to get out. I have to get help. I run to the mudroom, hands shaking as I unlock the door. Rain pours on me. I run... and crash into something hard.

It's a man.

He's dressed in black. I can't see his face. But his eyes... his eyes are ice. Cold. They make me shiver. I know he did this. He killed my parents.

I turn and run back inside. My legs are small and slow. He grabs me in an instant, holding me tight. I scream, but he doesn't let go. Then everything goes black.