Chapter Text
I rushed excitedly down the stairs to the front door and threw it open. My uncle, aunt, and four little cousins rushed in, bombarding me with hugs.
"I missed you guys!" I smiled, picking up my smallest cousin, Julie, spinning her around. She laughed in my arms and wrapped them around my neck. I set her down before I got too dizzy, my dad coming into the room to say hello. My brother, as always, was holing up in his bedroom playing video games. Dead to the world.
All day we lounged around the house, sharing stories and catching up. My little cousins and I went outside a few times, admiring the trees and speaking loudly in the cool air. They were happy, seeing as they lived in a desert with nothing but each other to keep them company. My family moved to the mountains and went hiking into the dense forest every weekend. I loved it, but later those tall, green trees would darken as I realized what was happening.
During dinner everyone sat around the living room. I was on the floor with Julie, Sam, and Beth. Kyle was sitting with my brother. Julie was comfy in my lap, her small fingers scooping little pieces of chicken into her mouth.
"So, Julie," I started. "Have you begun school yet?" She shook her head, her hair brushing my chin.
"Make any friends at least?" Of course, if she didn't have school I thought she didn't have friends, either. However, she surprised me.
"Yes! He's really nice! And he gives me candy!" Her attitude was the most cheerful I've heard. She turned to me, a smile on her lips. I returned it.
"Really? What's his name?"
"LJ!"
"What does that stand for?"
"Laughing Jack!"
I was not prepared for that.
I tried to convince myself she heard it from one of her siblings. He was probably an imaginary friend that was based off of a real character. Hopefully.
"Jack, huh?"
"Yep."
"What kind of candy does he give you?" Immediately she jumped up and shoved her hands in her pocket. My heart beat faster and I furrowed my brows. She really got a piece of candy from him?
She pulled out the strangest looking lollipop I've ever seen. The stick was pink and the sucker itself was wrapped in plastic. It was in the shape of a heart. There were layers of color going towards the middle. Pink, blue, purple, green, yellow, orange. The fact that she knew about this creepy character and got candy from him unnerved me.
I frowned, handing it back. As she stuffed it carelessly back into her pocket, her eyes locked onto something tall behind me. She giggled and then ran outside to play. My heart sped up as I turned around. There was nothing.