If you guessed that it was a scarecrow, then you deserve a prize for paying attention. He was standing in front of the couch and in a corner of the living room. Despite that everything above his neck was covered by the shadows, I was able to see that he had neither a smile nor a frown. It was a blank expression.

I covered my mouth to keep from screaming my heart out and examined the scarecrow from top to bottom. He was staying still and staring in my direction. He knew that I was awake, so why was he not attacking me?

My palms became sweaty, and my hand shook as I snatched up the remote and changed channels a few times. I figured that the scarecrow would not harm me if I stayed where I was, so I pretended to be interested in watching whatever was on and acted as if he were not in the room.

"Oh, man. I love this show," I said loud enough for the scarecrow to hear. "It is about two human girls who befriend two alien girls. Such a classic."

There was no point in watching the show or any show for that matter. It was not easy, considering that a stalking scarecrow was in the same room with me. I had to make it to the front door and to the outside world. I could make a run for it and meet Mario at his house. His parents should have been home.

"I am thirsty," I lied. "I should grab a glass of water from the kitchen."

I got up from the couch - and rushed to the front door. I swung it open and ran out and down the sidewalk. I never looked back.

Mario's home was on the other side of town, but I could care less. If it was far from the farm and the scarecrows, it was the safest place to be. I had been at his house before, so I had a good idea what the structure looked like.

Minutes passed, and my legs were as weak as water. I had to stop running and began walking. I would have been discouraged that I could not run anymore if not for the fact that my friend's house was in my view. I put on a smile of satisfaction and forced my legs to run again until I was at the front door. I knocked on the door and took note that the inside was pitch black.

"They are probably sleeping," I said.

A doorbell was next to the door. I rang it, and it was not long after that Mario and his folks were awake. The lights from upstairs flipped on.

"Who the heck could be ringing our darn doorbell at this time of night?" I heard Mario's father.

"Relax, dear. Let us just see who it is so that we can return to our dreams," Mario's mother suggested.

The family stormed down the stairs, and I put my hands behind me and rocked on my heels. I was holding my boots by the way. The dad answered the door and obviously expected me to be one of those religious people who go around neighborhoods.

"For the last time, idiot! We do not need your pamphlet!" He realized that it was me. "Robin?"

I waved to him and smiled nervously. "May I come in?"

Mario's folks practically love me like that I am their own daughter. They brought me into their home and to their kitchen. The dad said that he would make me a midnight snack, and the mom covered me with a towel and asked what happened to me. Instead of answering her question, I asked if she and her husband could leave me and Mario to talk for a minute or two. They both said yes and exited the kitchen.

"Not that I am unhappy that you are here, Robin, but what are you doing here at nighttime? You should be sleeping."

"I did my fair share of sleeping," I told him. "I slept in the cornfield and on the couch."

"You slept in the cornfield?"

"Do not ask, Mario. I do not know why. As for why I am here, I know that this place is safe for me. You will never believe what the scarecrow put me through."

"You told me all this over the phone."

I shook my head. "What I am about to tell you occurred later after I called you. And I did not put the word 'scarecrow' in its plural form because only one was in the house." I swallowed a lump in my throat. "There could have been more, but I just saw one."

"Did he hurt you?"

"Nope. I got out of there before he had the chance. He just stood in a corner of the living room and stared at me."

"Sounds like that he was trying to hide in order to do...whatever it was that he was planning to do."

I tossed the towel off me. "Could I sleep here tonight?"

"In the kitchen?"

"I was not talking about your kitchen, but I will take it as long as I am inside this house."

Mario chuckled. "You are not sleeping in the kitchen. You can sleep in my room. I will let you borrow my sleeping bag."

I blushed out of embarrassment. "Are you sure that your parents will be okay with that?"

"Why would they not be okay with it?"

I wish that I could reassure you readers that the rest of the night went normal and that Mario and I got a goodnight's sleep. Sadly, that was not the case.

Mario and I agreed to watch something on his television. We were in the other room, and he was flipping through the channels.

"Did the hospital ever send out paramedics?" I asked.

Mario stopped at a channel that was reporting the news.

"Two paramedics have gone missing," the reporter stated.