The Ghost

Chapter 20

Kayleene's P.O.V

We're about to enter the house when someone grabs me around either side of my waist and throws me back, into the grass. I manage to tuck in my chin at the last second and my head thuds against the ground, but I manage to escape a broken neck.

"Cecelia!" It's Keith. 

I open my eyes and stand despite the pounding in my head. "I'm fine," I tell him. I can't find the person who threw me. Strange. 

He walks over to me and hands me my purse. He examines my head. "It doesn't look like any real damage. It's going to be sore for awhile, though."

"Yes, I've got that much, thank you."

"Cecelia!" This one's Alice. Shrieking in fear.

My hand goes to my purse, and I pull out the pepper spray. 

Everyone is either drunk or half asleep inside. The sheriff, maybe, but I can't get to him in time. Also, I don't even know if he's still there. 

"Alice?" I call, my pepper spray in hand.

Keith has his hand on the small of my back, and he leans down to speak into my ear. Except, the voice I hear isn't Keith's.

"You might want to give up the act, Kayleene. Save your two friends the pain."

I go cold. Of course it's this guy.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I whisper. My hold on the pepper spray is iron. I'd like to see him pry it from me. 

"Cecelia?" Keith asks, from somewhere on the ground. I hadn't even noticed him get attacked.

"Jason?"

There's a thud noise. My stomach churns at the pain-filled sound that follows, obviously from Keith.

"Jason?" I ask again, injecting more fear into my voice. I'm not scared. If anything, I'm furious. If they did something to Keith...

"Lovely Kayleene," someone whispers into my ear, "you'd best just give up the act, or your friend isn't going to live to see another day."

Something in me snaps. To hell with my Alias.

 I send the bottom of the spray can into the man's groin, with as much strength as I could muster. He gasps, and falls to the floor, clutching the offended area. To be sure, I spray his face with the pepper spray. 

"Alice?" I call again. It had gone awfully quiet.

"Cecelia?"

"Where are you?"

"I-" she's cut off by her own terror-filled scream. Crap! 

"Jason?" 

I hear a groan, and then, "Cecelia?"

"Are you alright?"

"No."

"I can't see you," I say. "I don't know where you are."

Alice starts screaming again, and light floods the backyard as the back door opens. I immediately put a terrified expression onto my face, and look at Lisa and Sheriff Johnson, as they see the scene before them.

A man, curled up on the ground in silent agony. Keith, on the ground with blood trickling from his nose, lip, and a wound on his forehead. Alice, still screaming, trying to free herself from another man's grip. Me, a terrified look on my face, a black can in my hand, and my dress ruined by grass stains. 

"What is going on?" Sheriff Johnson asks, his voice booming.

I make tears of fear fall down my face. "I... These men attacked us," I say in a soft, trembling voice. "One of them kept calling me Kayleene."