Someone was knocking at the door. She wasn’t expecting anybody. She was told not to answer the door. Her parents were out for the evening at some official business function. Her dad was a vice president for a growing techno firm which made micro processors for many things including toasters. She found it silly that a toaster would need a computer in it but her dad explained that that’s how she never gets burnt toast anymore, the micro processor can tell when the toast is done and pops the toast out so she could enjoy it. She hasn’t eaten a toast since. Something about freaked her out about computers taking over everyone’s life. She never went on the internet even though by now in school it was almost mandatory. She lied to her teachers about not having a computer at home so she could use the one in school with her best friend Molly sitting in front of the keyboard while she asked her to look up some stuff. She would do it next time she kept telling herself always getting Molly to do it for her. She looked over to the lamp and wondered if she should turn off the light. Try and pretend no one was home. She realized that doing that would probably alert whomever was on the other side of the door that someone was home. No lights suddenly just go off do they. Well unless the light burns out she thought. No she would leave the light on. She looked at the phone and wondered if she should call her dad’s cell phone. He was probably still at the reception banquet for the Japanese investors. He would be mad if she called. It was the first time they had actually let her be alone at home. She was so excited that she told Molly all about it during her English class. Finally at 13 her parents were starting to trust her. Well she wasn’t 13 yet, she would turn 13 tomorrow. She had grown so much in the past few years, her hair had gotten a little bit darker from the blonde it usually was. It used to be such a golden color, now it just looked, drab. She wasn’t very tall at 5’5 but her hook shot made her one of the most popular players on her basketball team. She was very active in school: soccer, volleyball, field hockey, prom committee, drama club and she even was in the student council the year before. She decided against it this year because she wanted more time to so she could work in her mom’s arts and crafts store so she could earn enough money to go to the movies with Molly and Alyson her other good friend. Maybe even Derek, the guy she had a crush on. Again the knocking could be heard at the door. She told herself that maybe she should at least go and see thru the peep hole, maybe it was Derek coming over to kiss her, having heard from Molly that she was alone at home. Maybe a happy birthday kiss? It was almost midnight, so yeah anything is possible if you close your eyes and wish hard enough.

  She put her book down and got off the couch. There was the knock again. Her heart was pounding… what if it’s a serial killer with a long knife? A chainsaw? A double barreled shot-gun? She sighted in desperation at herself and promised herself never to watch those stupid horror movies again. But Derek liked those movies, and she wanted him to like her so she had to watch them too. She got to the door and stood up on her toes to be able to see thru the peep hole. At first she didn’t see anything at all. She thought that maybe she had taken too long and that the person had left. He suddenly drifted back into view. It wasn’t Derek as she had wished so much. It was her English teacher Mr. Connors. He was drenched from head to toe. His hair was matted over his head. He was looking down at his leg… as if something was wrong. She didn’t unlock the door, she was afraid to. She called from the other side of the door: “Mr. Connors? What are you doing here? Are you OK?” He looked up with a week smile directly into the peep hole. He was a handsome man, very young for a teacher barely even 25. He was replacing Mrs. Montgomery who was away on maternity leave till the end of the school year, which incidentally was almost three weeks away. His glasses were speckled with droplets of water and he was shivering in the cold May wind. He asked her ”I’m sorry to bother you so late, my car broke down and slipped and hurt my leg. I saw the lights on and all I need is to make a phone call. Just to call a cab or a tow truck.. Please I’d be ever so grateful.” She hesitated a moment, she wasn’t supposed to open up for no one… but this was her teacher, she could trust her teacher right? She unlatched the deadbolt and removed the chain. She turned the handle and opened the door for her soaking teacher. He looked at her and smiled. “Thank you Sally. Its really pouring out there. I don’t know what I’d have done.” She giggled slightly and brushed the hair out of her face, “It’s o.k. Mr. Connors, let me get you the phone.” She turned towards the couch and looked for the pretty little red phone she had left somewhere there. She never did notice that Mr. Connors had pulled out a hypodermic syringe full of rohypnol and stabbed her in the back of the neck before her forehead hit the floor.