Jesse's dad, Troy, knocked on Uncle Jim and Aunt Marnie's front door. Uncle Jim came to the door, smiling.

"Hey Jesse," Uncle Jim said. "You're growing like a weed."

"Thanks for looking after Jesse while Amy and I are in Atlanta," Troy said.

"Family looks out for family, right?" Uncle Jim said. Aunt Marnie came to the door. She adjusted her glasses and embraced her nephew.

"Hi, sweetie," Aunt Marnie said.

"Hey, Aunt Marnie," Jesse said.

"Thanks again," Troy said. "I have a plane to catch."

He gave a final:

"Be good," before driving off.

Aunt Marnie showed him to his room. There was a desk, a dresser, a closet, and a bed. He put away his things, pulled out a comic book, and started reading it. Aunt Marnie noticed the cover.

"You like comic books about ghosts and monsters,s huh?" Aunt Marnie asked.

"Yeah," Jesse replied. "I love a good ghost story."

"Don't you ever get scared of having nightmares?" she asked. He stuck out his chest and smiled.

"No way. I'm almost thirteen; that stuff doesn't scare me."

"That's good," Aunt Marnie said. "Why don't you go outside and play? It's a gorgeous day; you shouldn't spend it inside." Jesse placed a bookmark in his comic book and went outside to play.

A neighbor girl came out to play as well. She had been riding by on her bicycle and noticed him tossing a football to himself.

"Hit me; I'm open," she said. Jesse tossed it to her, and she caught it.

“Nice catch.”

“Thanks,” she said. “I’m Andi.”

“Andi?” he snorted.

“It’s short for Andrea, okay,” she said. Her cheeks were tinting pink. “Are you living here now?” she asked,d trying to mask the hope in her voice.

“I’m just staying with my Aunt and Uncle for a couple of weeks,” Jesse confessed. “Just until my parents get back from a business conference.”

“Cool,” Andi said. “It’s nice to have another kid my age in the neighborhood for a change.”

“I’m glad to have met someone my age while staying here,” Jesse said. “Do you play sports?”

“I play softball,” Andi admitted. “You?”

“I’m a quarterback,” he said. “Also, I’m a point guard when basketball season comes around.”

“Awesome,” Andi said.

“What position do you play?” Jesse asked.

“I’m a pitcher,” she said.

“Cool,” he replied.

“I want to know something,” Andi said.

“Sure, what is it?” he said. She leaned in conspiratorially.

“Do you believe in ghosts?” He shook his head.

“No. Why?” She looked around as if she were looking for eavesdroppers.

“I think my house is haunted,” Andi whispered.

“Why do you think that?” Jesse asked.

“Well…” Andi started. “I hear weird sounds,s and stuff moves around on its own.”

“Can you show me?” Jesse asked. Andi eyed Jesse.

“Do you want to come over for a sleepover tonight?”

“Sure,” Jesse said. Andi nodded.

“So, what do you want to do?”

“How about we pass the football a little longer?” Jesse suggested.

“Sure,” Andi said. Darkness fell while Andi, Jesse, and Andi’s d, ad Mike sat around the campfire. They all toasted marshmallows.

“Andi was just talking about hoping more friends could come over,” Mike said. Andi blushed.

“Dad,” she said. She avoided Jesse’s stare. The stars twinkled overhead. Crickets chirped, orangish red flames crackled and popped. Then Jesse noticed the blue flames and commented on them.

“Why are some of the flames blue?” Jesse asked.

“The blue flames are the hottest part of the fire,” Mike answered.

“Oh wow,” Jesse replied. Mike reached into the cooler and grabbed a soda.

“Is your house really haunted?” Jesse asked.

Mike cracked open the soda and shot a look at his daughter.

“Andi has a bit of an imagination,” Mike said. “Our place is ghost-free.” Jesse nodded. He let out a sigh and began to relax.

Later that night, Jesse was sleeping on the couch when he heard a knocking noise. He looked all around; he was still groggy. He was starting to wonder if he had only imagined the noise when the knocking continued. He looked around again.

“Where’s that coming from?” Jesse thought. He heard it again, and it was definitely coming from the wall. Three knocks rang out from the wall; the sound was near his head. He leaped off the couch and stared in wide-eyed horror. Time seemed to stand still. Jesse refused to move a muscle. Everything fell silent. The knocking was coming from the ceiling now.

“What the heck?” Jesse exclaimed. Now three knocks rang out. Mike entered the room. He answered the front door and found nothing. Mike grumbled as he closed the door. He locked the front door, turned, and headed back to bed.

In walked Andi.

“What’s all that knocking?” Andi whispered.

“I don’t know Jesse shrugged.

“I told you this place is haunted,” Andi said.

“I’m starting to believe you,” Jesse admitted.

“I told you,” Andi said. Jesse ran his fingers through his blonde hair. His mind raced with thoughts. He thought of making up an excuse and heading back to Uncle Jim and Aunt Marnie’s house. He was sure of one thing: he had to leave this house.

“Please don’t go,” Andi pleaded. Jesse stood there momentarily dazed. He did not want to hurt his friend’s feelings.

“I told you my house was haunted,” Andi said quietly. Jesse let out a sigh.

“I thought you were just kidding with me.”

“I was telling the truth,” Andi said. “I understand if you want to leave.” She hung her head, allowing her brown hair to totally fall over her face.

Jesse placed a hand on Andi’s shoulder.

“It’s late,” he said quietly. “There’s no sense in leaving tonight. She looked up and brushed her hair with her hand away from her face.

“Really?” Andi asked. “You mean you’ll stay?” Jesse nodded.

“I’ll stay.” Andi hugged Jesse.

“Thank you,” she whispered. She leaned into his touch. Her forehead was damp with perspiration. She pulled back and smiled.

“Goodnight,” she said, waving once more before heading to bed. He tossed and turned for the rest of the night. He expected to hear more knocking. Daytime eventually came before he was finally able to fall back asleep.

The next day, he walked through his Aunt and Uncle’s front door and saw a clown staring at him. He turned to his Uncle and asked him a question.

“Where did you get the ventriloquist dummy?”

“I bought him at a pawnshop next to my office,” Uncle Jim said.

“He’s kind of creepy,” Jesse remarked. Uncle Jim locked eyes with the clown.

“He’s not creepy,” Uncle Jim protested. “He’s neat.”

“I thought you had given up being a ventriloquist,” Jesse said.

“I have been looking into getting back into it,” Uncle Jim said.

“Have fun,” Jesse said. “I am going to take a nap. I didn’t get much sleep last night.

“Sleepovers are like that,” Uncle Jim said.

“I guess they are,” Jesse replied. He waved and headed upstairs.

As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was asleep. The dummy climbed onto the bed. He crawled on Jesse’s body. He sat on the boy’s chest and grinned at him. He tilted his head and silently watched Jesse sleeping. Jesse woke up and laughed at himself when he realized he had only dreamt of the dummy climbing on top of him. He saw Uncle Jim enter his room.

“What’s up?” Jesse said,d rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He noticed the dummy was sitting on his uncle’s knee.

“Why are you in here?” Jesse asked. Especially with that dummy.”

“I’m a little rusty; I need all the practice I can get if I’m going to start touring again.” Uncle Jim said.

“You’re going to start performing inightclubsbs again?” Jesse asked.

“I am,” Uncle Jim said. “I’ll be performing at the Night Owl Saturday night.”

“That’s awesome,” Jesse told him. “Congratulations.

“Thanks,” Uncle Jim said. Aunt Marnie entered the room with Andi following behind her. Aunt Marnie smiled and pointed to Andi.

“Your friend is here,” she said. Uncle Jim and Aunt Marnie exited the room; they closed the door behind them.

Jesse noticed the confusion in Andi’s eyes and addressed it.

“What?” Jesse asked.

“Why is your Uncle playing with a doll?” Andi asked cocking her eyebrow.

Jesse burst out laughing. He shook his head.

“He’s a ventriloquist.”

“Oh,” Andi blushed. “Did staying at my place totally traumatize you?”

“It freaked me out,” Jesse admitted.

“I get it,” Andi said. “The place has gotten more active.”

“Really?” Jesse asked. “How so?”

“Things are starting to move around on their own,” Andi confessed. Jesse’s eyes widen.

“Have you called any investigators to come and help out?”

“Yeah,” she admitted. “They are all up in our business, and I was hoping you’d let me

spend the night here.”

“I’d have to ask my Aunt and Uncle,” Jesse admitted.

“I already asked your Aunt Marni,e and she said yes,” Andi said.

“Cool,” Jesse said.

They played video games for the next couple of hours. In walked the clown ventriloquist dummy. Aunt Marnie and Uncle Jim were standing beside the dummy. They were walking as though they were marionette puppets dancing on strings.

“What’s going on?” Jesse asked. What did you do to them?” The clown chuckled.

“I’ve turned them into puppets, ts, and I plan on turning you both into puppets.” Jesse grabbed the puppet, but Aunt Marnie and Uncle Jim grabbed Jesse, causing him to drop the dummy. Andi grabbed the doll and was about to throw it into the fire when she locked eyes with the clown.

A week later, Amy and Troy knocked on the door. Jesse opened it. Amy and Troy gasped when they took in their son’s wooden appearance.

“I met this really cool girl named Andi,” Jesse told his parents. She appeared next to Jesse. She was clearly a puppet now as well.

“Do you want to see a puppet show?” Andi asked. Amy stuttered and shook her head.

“N-no thanks.” The clown appeared.

“How about a quick little nap?” he asked, snapping his fingers. Amy and Troy fell asleep. They also turned wooden. They found themselves being chased through a terrifying funhouse. Running after Amy and Troy in their nightmare were Aunt Marnie, Uncle Jim, Andi, and Jesse.

“You’ll only be trapped in a nightmare FOREVER!” Andy and Jesse laughed.

“SILENCE,” the clown said, snapping his fingers. Andy and Jesse fell asleep. The clown laughed. He snapped his fingers again,n and Aunt Marnie and Uncle Jim fell asleep. Everyone was trapped in a nightmare they could never awaken from.

Nightmare Doll

Nightmare Doll

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