The Girl Next Door

“I know a game, but you gotta come over here to play.”

“I can’t without my mom.”

“Sure you can. Just walk around the fence. It’s a secret game just for kids.”

The Chase family had been in their new home for a week, but Christie was still unpacking boxes and setting up the kitchen. She glanced up from the sink and saw her six-year old son Dillon standing next to the weathered privacy fence that cordoned off the backyard, appearing to be talking to himself. Wiping her hands on her pants, Christie walked outside.

“Hey, kiddo, whatchya doing?”

“Talking to Ally, the girl next door.”

“Cool. I didn’t know our neighbors had kids. Hi Ally.” There was no reply.

“I think she went inside,” said Dillon.

“Yeah, probably. Come on, I’ll fix you some lunch.”

Over bowls of mac and cheese, Christie and Dillon sat in unusual silence.

“You’re quiet today. Everything okay?” asked Christie.

“I guess. Ally’s kind of creepy.”

“What makes you say that? I thought maybe I could invite her over here to play.”

Dillon’s eyes widened. “No. I don’t want her to come over here.”

“But why?”

“I just don’t. That’s all.”

The afternoon passed quietly. Dillon played in his room while Christie rearranged the cupboards, giving up on trying to get anything more from him about the girl next door.  Nagged by Dillon’s odd reaction to Ally, Christie decided to introduce herself to the neighbors as a pretext to see for herself what they were like.

She called up the stairs that she’d be outside for a few minutes, and then walked quickly down the sidewalk to the door of Ally’s house. Repeated knocks brought no response and when she peeked in the window, she saw the home was empty.

“There’s no one living there,” a voice called out. Christie turned toward an elderly woman in the next yard wearing gardening gloves. “Something happened to the youngest daughter in the family. Had to institutionalize her. Nasty little thing. The family moved out a few months ago and I won’t say I was sorry to see them go.”

“Thank you,” replied a confused Christie as she walked slowly back and turned down her driveway.

“Mom.” Christie stopped and looked up. Framed by the second story window of his bedroom, Dillon whispered loudly through the screen. “I told you not to ask the neighbor girl over.”

Christie opened her mouth to speak, but instead a terrified shriek escaped when she saw a pair of eyes just over Dillon’s shoulder.