"Bedtime!" Mom called from downstairs. "Time for all the good girls to go to bed."

Adalee and I were in Adalee's empty room and playing with her dolls. My sister loves when I spend time with her because during the months that I was in the stupid hospital and doing stupid physical therapy, I just never had the time. And when there was time, I was too tired and too stressed. But believe me. I would rather spend time with her than lose my arm and leg.

Adalee was always sad whenever I refused to play with her, but it is not like that she threw a tantrum. She was old enough to know what was going on - and probably Mom and Dad explained it to her. She would bring her books and her dolls to the hospital and either put on a show using her dolls or read to me.

There is one story that I love to death, and it is actually one that she both wrote and illustrated. It is titled, "My Cool Sister." Yep. My sister wrote a story all about me. She assumed that by writing a book about me, I would get better faster. Is she not a funny sister or what?

I set the dolls on the floor that I was playing with. "You hear that, Adalee?"

"Hear what?" She was occupied by her dolls.

"Mom says that it is time for us to go to bed."

"What are the exact words that she said?"

I rose and stretched. "She said that it is time for all the good girls to go to bed."

"I thought so." She threw her dolls on the floor and got up and started walking to her door.

"Where are you going?"

"I am...uh...getting what I need for bedtime."

"But everything is here. Everything that you need is in your room." I motioned to her belongings. "You have a sleeping bag and your blankets. You have a pillow and your stuffed animals and some snacks."

"I do not have water."

"I will fetch you a glass of water."

"But I wanna get the water."

Her door suddenly opened, and Mom came in.

"Why are you girls still playing?" she asked. "It is time for bed. Did you not hear me?"

I was going to answer, but Adalee beat me to it.

"We heard you, Mom. Allison is getting ready."

Mom put her hands on her waist. "What about you?"

"I do not need to go to bed."

"Oh, yes," I said. "Yes, you do."

"You cannot stay up all night," Mom said. "You are too young and need to help us tomorrow."

Adalee stomped her foot. "I can stay up - and I will."

"No, you will not."

"But you cannot do anything about it."

"I will because I am your mother."

"But you said that the good girls have to go to bed."

"I did."

Adalee pointed at herself. "I am not a good girl."

Now we understood what she was getting at. Mom put a hand on her stomach and laughed.

My sister glanced at me, and then back up at our mom. "What is so funny? Why are you laughing, Mom?"

Mom stopped laughing and wiped a tear. "Adalee. You cannot go to bed because you are not a good girl?"

"You got that right. I am not a good girl anymore. I am a bad girl."

"Why would you ever want to be a bad girl?" I asked.

"So I do not go to bed and meet...the monsters."

Mom got down to her level. "Oh, sweetheart. What has gotten into you? You know that monsters are not real."

"There are monsters in Forlot. I know it. I can feel it."

I got an idea. "Adalee, I can stay with you for the night. I can sleep in here with you. We can have a sleepover."

"A sleepover? Ooh!"

"That is a fantastic idea, Allison," Mom agreed.

I walked past them and out the door. "I will grab water for the two of us."

I hurried downstairs and into the kitchen - and saw it.

Saw the hand coming out of the lake.