"AAAHH!" Lincoln woke up from a bad dream.

He walked out in the hall with the intention of getting a drink, when he ran into Lana.

"Hay Lana, can't sleep?" Lincoln asked.

"I keep having nightmares." Lana said.

"Me too." Lincoln said.

"Ever since that thing tried to eat me in the park." Lana said. "I haven't been able to sleep. I... I just see the inside of that thing's stomach every time I close my eyes."

"Oh, I almost forgot." Lincoln said. He went back into his room and brought out something for Lana.

"MY HAT!" Lana smiled.

"That government guy said he found this in the woods." Lincoln said, handing the red hat to his little sister. "Guess that's why he wanted to talk to me."

"How's you hand." Lana asked.

Lincoln's hand was wrapped in bandages. It was burned in what he was told was a gas fire. The memory of what happened still felt fake somehow.

"Getting better." Lincoln said.

"Does it hurt?"

"A bit yeah. But not as much as you would think." Lincoln explained. "Something really did happen to you back in those woods, didn't it?"

The two siblings had gone downstairs and sat on the couch.

"You wanna talk about it?" Lincoln asked.

"Well I already told you," Lana said. "I was looking for the Fishmens, and this thing swallowed me. I found what was left of the Fishmens in its stomach."

"What did the monster look like?" Lincoln asked.

"kind of like a cross between a spider and a frog." Lana explained. "But it was the size of a bear."

Lincoln could tell Lana wasn't making this up. Weather the monster was real or not, Lana believed every word she was saying. Plus, Lincoln could vaguely remember the government guy saying something about Lana's hat being found in a puddle of black goo. This was definitely something more than a little girl's imagination.

"I would have been d-dead just like the Fishmens if it wasn't for..." Lana said.

"for what?"

"Something else pulled me out?" Lana said.

"Pulled you out?"

"Like it ripped out the spider-frog's guts." Lana said. "Then I was able to escape."

"Well what was the other thing then? The thing that saved you?" Lincoln asked.

"I didn't get a good look at it." Lana replied. "But I don't know if it was trying to save me, or just trying to eat the other monster. So, what about you?"

"Me?" Lincoln said. "What about me?"

"What's been giving you nightmares?" Lana asked. "Was it the fire?"

"No." Lincoln replied. "This may sound weird but. It's like something is calling to me. Something from deep space."

"Is it that Red King guy again?" Lana asked.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is." Lincoln said.

"You think the Red King is somehow related to the spider-frog?" Lana asked.

"Could be." Lincoln said. "it all started on that camping trip. Lynn, Lisa and I found this staircase. Lynn dared me to climb it. When I was up there, it was like I wasn't alone, someone, or something was watching me. I think that is when I became connected to this, Red King."

...

Leni was fast asleep in her bed, cuddled under her covers. She started to wake up a bit when she sensed something moving in her room. Without opening her eyes, she assumed Lori was getting up to go to the bathroom.

A few moments later she opened her eyes to see Lori was fast asleep in her bed.

If that wasn't Lori, then... Leni turned her sleepy gaze to the foot of her bed. Her eyes shot wide open.

A creature sat at the foot of Leni's bed. It was long and skinny. It was panting like a dog, and the way it sat was unnatural, as if it were injured. 6-inch claws extended from each of its fingers. It was the creature Leni saw in the woods, the one Lucy had told them about, it was the Rake.

"Lori!" Leni squealed under her breath, trying to be quiet as to not get the Rake's attention. "Lori!"

Leni picked up a box of tissues and threw it at her sister.

"Ah! Leni what the heck..." Lori quickly shut her mouth when she saw the monster at the foot of Leni's bed.

The Rake got to its feet and turned around to face Leni.

The two girls were helpless as the horrifying monster stood in their room.

...

"It feels so good to finally be able to talk to someone who believes me." Lana said. "You can't imagine how frustrating it is, to have something so horrible happen to you. Then not be able to talk about it, because no one believes you."

"Well I'll always listen to you." Lincoln said.

"I... I was so scared." Lana said. "This feeling, when... when you know you're going to die, that everything you have ever known is about to end... It's hard to describe. Lincoln... where do you think we go when we die?"

Lincoln was taken back by this. That was a really heavy question for an 11-year-old to answer. "I don't know." Lincoln said. "Heaven I guess."

"You ever worry we might go to Hell?" Lana asked.

"What?" Lincoln said.

"Or maybe... nowhere at all." Lana held her knees close to her chest. "What if it just... ends? If we're just... gone."

"Well..." Lincoln said. "We don't have to worry about that for a long time."

"Sometimes." Lana said. "I feel like... like I'm still inside that creature, being digested. Like this is all just in my head. Like my brain is trying to cope or something."

"Lana you're not..." Lincoln said. He really wanted to help his little sister, to make her feel better. But he had no idea what to say. Her questions were just... to deep for him to answer.

"Sometimes." Lana said. "When I'm alone with my thoughts. I can still feel it... the burning."

Lincoln didn't say anything. He just grabbed his little sister and held her as tight as he could, tears running down his face.

"It'll be ok Lana." Lincoln cried softly. "I'm here for you. I always will be."

That's when they heard the scream. It was coming from upstairs. The two siblings rushed up the stairs

The loud siblings gathered outside Lori and Leni's room.

They burst open the door to see the grotesque, boney, beast hovering over Leni's bed (not literally, the Rake can't fly.) Drool dripping from its long sharp fangs. Its massive claws tracing down the length of poor frightened Leni's body.

The beast turned to see the crowd, then leapt through the window, shattering the glass.

"What happened?" Rita and Lynn asked as they got upstairs.

"We heard screaming." Lynn Sr. asked. "Are you kids alright?"

The kids were speechless.

...

I know some readers may be disappointed that the Harvester wasn't in this chapter, as I had teased him in the last chapter. But don't worry he will be in it soon.

And don't forget to leave a comment.