Dark and Twisted by Heidi Acosta

someone attacked her, Billy, then she was attacked.” Essie pats my knee.
    “Ess … If Eden is not telling the truth—” Officer Benson starts.
    Essie holds up a hand, silencing him. Bill Benson went to school with Essie and my father. He played ball with my dad, and he saw my family shunned when Essie came back different.
    “If that will be all then, Officer.” Essie words come out sharp. “Eden needs to get some rest. She’s had a trying night.”
    Officer Benson hesitates. “Essie I …” He searches her face as she stands with her chin jutted out in defiance. He sighs again, “If you remember anything else.” He takes a card out of his pocket and hands it to me.
    I stare at the raised black ink on the card. No one believes me, except Essie, and her word has no legs to stand on. Essie walks Officer Benson to the door. She looks so strong. Dad always said she might look small, but she could be as feisty as a pit bull when cornered.
    I look up at Pete, who is still in the room watching me. He shakes his head and mumbles, “Freak,” before exiting.
    “I cannot believe the nerve of some people.” Furious, Essie stomps back in the living room.
    Glad she is on my side, I Jump up and run into her arms. We are the same height, but I still fold easily into her embrace. She squeezes me, and for a moment, all of my fears and doubts disappear.
    “Come, let me make you something to eat. You must be starving.”
    I arrange Essie’s bottles of pills while she makes a can of soup. She repeatedly stabs at the pile of gel that still resembles the can shape, but after losing the battle, she spoons a lumpy cream of mushroom soup into two bowls and sets them on the counter between us .
    Bon appétit . I move the soup around with my spoon, not hungry. My mind cartwheels, thinking about what occurred. What was it that attacked me? Whatever it was, I’m sure it was not human. People don’t have eyes that glow or hands of fire. I reach up to my neck, it is still warm, but there is no sign of any damage.
    “I want to show you something,” Essie says interrupting my thoughts. She pulls out a folded piece of paper from her pocket and pushes it toward me.
    Carefully, I unfold the newspaper clipping.
    “I always keep this with me as a reminder that they are out there.” She points to the ceiling as if “they” are upstairs.
    I look at her for a moment. Could she be right? Could the person who attacked me be from another world?
     
    Missing Teen Girl Found.
    By Shelia Friend
    A 15-year-old girl who disappeared in the Copake Falls area has been found. Esmerelda Jean Day is being reunited with her family. Police are categorizing it as a runaway case. She went missing on the 15th of October while taking a shortcut home from school through the woods behind Copake Falls High School.
    According to police, she was found by her twin brother, and his friend, Billy Benson at 8:15, October 30th. She was found unharmed, besides a few scratches and torn clothes. While her mental state is still in question. Day claims to have been abducted by aliens. A spokesperson for the family stated, “The family believes that Miss Day is suffering from a mental break down. It’s very sad thing to see in such a young girl. However, with the right medication, she should be back to herself shortly.” Day will remain at Bright Horizon’s hospital under observation. Police say that Day does not have a history of running away.
    I fold the paper and hand it back to her. I grew up hearing whispers of the story, but this is the first time I have ever seen physical documentation. When I asked my parents, they told me it was in the past and dredging up old memories would just be bad for Essie.
    “I was your age when it happened. I was on my way home, on the same trail where you were today.”
    I stare at my soup, my stomach churning.
    “At first, I thought he was just a shadow or someone trying to play a trick on me, but the closer I got, I realized it was a