Then, frozen to the spot, unable to breathe, the darkness swirling around me, the gravestones spinning in their own black shadows, I thought: What is he going to do to me?

I'm surrounded by death, I thought.

Dead.

I took a step back, my sneakers sinking into the soft ground. The air was heavy and still. No one made a sound. Nothing moved.

"I'm sorry. You weren't supposed to find out yet," he said, his voice floating low and heavy on the stifling night air.

"Ray --" I managed to call out. My voice sounded faint and far away. "Ray, are you really dead?"

"But -- how? I mean… I don't understand…" I looked past him to the darting white light of the flashlight. Josh was several rows away, almost to the street, still searching for Petey.

"Petey!" I whispered, dread choking my throat, my stomach tightening in horror.

"Dogs always know," Ray said in a low, flat tone. "Dogs always recognize the living dead. That's why they have to go first. They always know."

"You mean -- Petey's… dead?" I choked out the words.

Ray nodded. "They kill the dogs first."

He took a step toward me, his eyes lighting up red, burning into mine.

"You weren't supposed to see this," Ray said, his narrow face expressionless except for his dark eyes, which revealed real sadness. "You weren't supposed to know. Not for another few weeks, anyway. I'm the watcher. I was supposed to watch, to make sure you didn't see until it was time."

"Were you watching me from the window?" I cried. "Was that you in my room?"

"No!" I screamed and took another step back, nearly losing my balance as I bumped into a low marble gravestone. I jumped away from it.

Again he nodded yes. "I used to live in your house," he said, taking another step closer, forcing me back against the cold marble stone. "I'm the watcher."

I forced myself to look away, to stop staring into his glowing eyes. I wanted to scream to Josh to run and get help. But he was too far away. And I was frozen there, frozen with fear.

"We need fresh blood," Ray said.

"What?" I cried. "What are you saying?"

Ray's eyes glowed brighter. He was standing right in front of me now, his features set, hard and cold.

I could think the words. Why couldn't I scream them?

I could feel myself start to choke. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. I opened my mouth to call out to Josh, but no sound came out.

He started to raise himself off the ground, to float over me.

Now I'm dead, too.

In the darting, zigzagging beam of light, I could see Josh moving closer, heading our way.

His red eyes flickered. "I'm really sorry."

I looked down the rows of gravestones but couldn't see his light.

"I messed up," he whispered. "I was the watcher. But I messed up."

"Ray -- what are you going to do?"

Josh? Where was he?

Run, Josh, I thought. Run away. Fast. Get someone. Get anyone.

"Ray?" Even through my jeans, the marble gravestone felt cold against the back of my legs.

Ray floated up a little higher. He hovered over me, choking me somehow, blinding me, suffocating me.

I'm dead, I thought. Dead.

"The town -- it can't survive without fresh blood. None of us can. You'll understand soon, Amanda. You'll understand why we had to invite you to the house, to the… Dead House."