Here's the fifth part to my novella (finally). They seem to be getting longer, though, so advice as to how to shorten it is most welcome. If the length is fine, though, say so as well.

I don't think I did a very good job, though, with the actual horror part. Tips on that are welcome. Oh, and I started putting the dates up before each part for my sake and yours, lol.

Part 5

December 29

“What’s up, Phil?” my dad asked as he clapped me on the back.

I didn’t answer. I stared blankly across the kitchen table, my thoughts drifting to Mabel. What kind of prank was she pulling? Whatever it was, it wasn’t on my Christmas list.

“Phil?”

I looked up at my dad who was only a head taller than I. His brow furrowed, confused at my behavior. “I’m alright,” I said quickly.

“Go fetch the box of presents, then,” Dad said and I left his side immediately. Running upstairs and into my parents’ room, I found Mom sitting on the floor, adding the bows on top of all the presents before setting them in the big cardboard box.

“Oh, Phil, is Dad done with you?”

“No,” I replied, walking next to the box. “He told me to take the box down now.”

“Almost finished, then,” Mom said. I watched her stick the bows on top of the colorful gifts until there were no more. I picked up the box as Mom said, “When you deliver that, I need you to put Teddy’s and Sara’s booster seats into the car. They’re still in my car. Dad didn’t bother moving them yet.”

I grunted, adjusted my grip, and left the room. I was walking down the stairs and down the hall when Sara called out my name. I groaned and stopped in the middle of the hallway as Sara ran up to my side, her arms wrapped around Teddy. The toddler held his stuffed giraffe and was gently playing with its neck, his own head lying on Sara’s shoulder.

“Was Susie up by Mom?” she asked. “I haven’t seen her all morning.”

“She’s probably still asleep, then,” I said, readjusting the box in my arms. It seemed to be getting heavier the longer I stood here. “She wasn’t with Mom.”

Sara sighed. “Alright, I’ll go talk to Mom.”

Sara left and I continued down the hallway as quickly as I could, my arms turning into noodles. My dad wasn’t in the kitchen, which meant he had to be in the garage. I reached the door and growled, seeing it was closed tight. I inched toward it ‘til the box rested against the door, my fingers reaching painfully for the doorknob. I gave up, a huge breath escaping my lips. I readjusted the box against the door, took another breath, and reached for the doorknob—

—when the door opened and I fell backwards. Dad quickly pulled the box from my arms as I fell back onto the floor. I groaned as Dad’s laugh rang through my ears. “Watch the door, buddy,” he said before walking back into the garage. I scowled before standing back up.

“Phil! Take Teddy, please!”

I sighed with exasperation and turned to see Sara quickly walking toward me, both Teddy and Susie in her arms. Susie looked completely exhausted, her blonde hair a disaster, her little arms wrapped around her stuffed elephant. Teddy reached eagerly for me when he heard Sara say my name.

“Sara, I have to put the car seats in Dad’s car,” I said, refusing to take my brother.

“I have to dress Susie!” Sara replied with irritation. “I can’t watch both of them at once!”

“Yes you can!” I said. I sighed and put my hand on her shoulder in a sarcastic manner. “I have faith in you.”

Sara’s high-pitched shriek echoed in the hallway, her face turning red. “Stop being so difficult! We have to leave. We’re late as it is!”

I rolled my eyes, knowing full well that Sara was right. I took Teddy who wrapped his arms around my neck, the giraffe dangling from his hands behind me. I walked outside without another word with Sara and set Teddy by Dad.

“What’re you up to now?” Dad said, glancing at Teddy and me.

“Gotta strap in the car seats,” I said for the umpteenth time. “Watch Teddy. Sara gave him up.”

Dad chuckled and leaned back into the trunk of the car, adjusting the box so our suitcases would fit as well. We were to spend the night at our grandparents’ house as we usually did for Chrismas.

I did the job I had been asked to do so long before. As soon as I was done, I lost sight of Teddy, but noticed Dad sitting in the car trunk. I growled. “Dad! Where’s Teddy? I told you to watch—”

“My, don’t you sound like your mother?”

I flushed angrily, my hands curling into fists. Dad chuckled again. “He’s in here with me. I told him to count the presents to make sure we have them all.”

I looked deeper into the trunk and found Teddy standing up, the box supporting his little weight. His hand jumped from one gift to another, slapping everyone he counted. He repeated a few of them so many times, it was almost funny. “… two … five … siteen … fo’ … Pil … tebenteen …” My eyebrow shot up at the sound of my name among Teddy’s collection of numbers. I hoped it was only a coincidence that I came before seventeen, since I was sixteen years old.

Eventually everyone was in the car and we were driving out the garage. Forty minutes later, we arrived at my grandparents’ house. As soon as I stepped out of the car, Gramma’s arms flung around my neck. “Phil! You’re getting so tall!”

I fell back against the car from my Gramma’s surprise hug. As soon as she let go, I took a deep breath of fresh air—her perfume was overwhelming. I shook Grampa’s hand as we usually greeted, but Sara and Susie walked up to him for hugs. Teddy was still hugging Gramma.

Dad and I delivered our suitcases to the two guestrooms before returning to the living room filled with aunts, uncles, and cousins. My dad’s side of the family was too big for me to even listing who was who. Even I forgot their names once in a while, if not often.

After a huge dinner of ham, Taquillaberry Salad, mashed potatoes, green beans, and cheesecake, we gathered around the Christmas tree in the living room. I sat next to the window, away from the younger cousins and the adults. I regretted leaving my book on the armchair at home, but hopefully I would get a new book to read for the rest of the evening and on the way back home.

Susie and our cousin, Trisha, handed out the gifts. One after the other, everyone opened their presents and shared their thanks. Sara snatched on of the books off my stack and read the back, obviously as bored as I was. We were the only teenagers in the room, and neither tiny children nor adults seemed interesting to engage conversations with.

“Here, Phil.”

I looked up from my stack of gifts, and my head almost hit the blue present in Trisha’s tiny arms. My heart immediately sped up and my face paled. I scooted backwards, shaking my head. “You sure you read the tag right?” I asked, my voice shaking.

“Phil, it’s from Mabel,” Sara said. My eyes darted to Sara who watched me anxiously. After what had happened yesterday, she seemed more cautious. “Just open it.” Her voice was not as demanding, and I felt better. I wondered if Sara was finally starting to believe me.

Trisha set the gift on my lap, her tiny hands slipping across the glossy paper as she let go and ran back to the tree. I didn’t move an inch, afraid that the present would explode this time. Sara hissed at me to hurry up because everyone was watching. I flushed and opened it, thinking this would prove why I was so nervous about Mabel’s gifts.

I threw the paper aside and set the box on the floor in front of me. I stared at it for the longest time, not wanting to open it.

“What is it?” Aunt Kim asked, craning her long neck to see what the box was.

“He needs scissors, I guess,” Mom said helpfully. “Gramma, do you have any for Phil to borrow?”

“Of course! I’ll be right back—”

“Oh, don’t worry about it, Gramma,” Mom said, giggling. I stared blankly as Teddy pulled at the tape with all his strength. He fell backwards, his hands all taped up. However, I didn’t thank Teddy at all. In fact, I would have scolded him if it weren’t for the rest of my family watching me anxiously.

My hands shook as I reached for the lid. I closed my eyes and turned my head away as I slowly slid the lid off the box. My hands stopped right over the box, waiting for that explosion I expected…but it never came. I opened one eye and glanced at the box. Nothing was happening. My brow furrowed as I took the lid away, then braced myself. Again, nothing happened. I glanced inside and waited one last time for something to happen as the image of the five golden bands flashed in my head.

This was getting rather irritating.

“What’s inside, Phil?” Mom said, breaking the awkward silence in the room. She sounded worried, but I didn’t care. Better safe than sorry.

“Five…golden…rings…” I muttered, watching the rings inside. They were all different sizes, but there was no way I was going to pick them up, let alone put one on.

“Five golden rings?” inquired Kim and Mom explained to the whole family how fabulous of an idea Mabel had for my Christmas gift. They were all impressed, but I was confused. The gold rings had done nothing, not that I was complaining…

We continued opening the presents, the box of rings set far away from me. I fell silent again, wondering how Mabel’s present ended up here in my grandparents’ house. Half of me was excited that I wouldn’t receive one today, seeing as I was forty minutes away from home. Someone in my family was stashing the gifts somewhere, and I was going to find out.

“Here, Gramma!” Trisha said, holding out a present to her. Everyone smiled when they noticed Gramma reclined back in the armchair, her eyes closed. I didn’t laugh; Sara chuckled uneasily. Aunt Kim nudged Gramma before Mom could stop her rudeness.

Gramma didn’t budge. She was sleeping hard.

“Gramma,” Trisha said, setting the present on Gramma’s lap. “Your turn!”

“Betty?” Mom said uneasily, standing up from the couch. My heart raced once again as Mom inched toward Gramma, calling out to her. My face paled when I noticed Gramma’s chest was not rising or falling. Sara and I exchanged frightened glances.

“Call the ambulance!” Aunt Kim shrieked, jumping out of her seat for Gramma’s chair. Dad ran out of the room immediately, shoving the camera in my hands. Aunt Kim grabbed Gramma’s hand and I dropped the camera in my lap.

One of the five golden rings was on her index finger.

I whipped around to see the lid of Mabel’s gift lying carelessly next to the box itself. To my horror, Susie was holding the golden rings in her tiny hands, wondering which one would fit her fingers.

“Susie! No!”

The camera rolled off my lap as I dragged Susie away from the box just as she was about to put one on her own finger. I snatched the rings from her and threw them into the box before handing her off to Sara. I replaced the lid and hid the box under my pile of gifts, my hands sweating ridiculously.

“The rings…?”

I turned back to Sara. Her eyes were filled with fear, and they widened even more when I didn’t answer her. Her arms were wrapped tightly around Susie, who was crying from my rough reaction. I leaned against the wall, watching my family cry over Gramma’s death, clueless as to what happened. There was no way I was going to tell them, or risk being sent to the mental institution. My mind wandered to tomorrow.

If someone died on the fifth day…what could possibly happen on the sixth?