You Can't Come in Here! by P.J. Night Page A

person—it was all a dream, a long, terrible dream,” Emily muttered to herself. She looked down and saw that she was sitting on the floor beside her bed, completely tangled up in her blankets. “Okay, Emily, first . . . get up off the floor.”
    She rolled to one side, then pushed herself up, tossing the blankets back onto the bed in a heap. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she tried to make sense of the crazy nightmare. She felt as if someone had been shaking her and shaking her, refusing to stop. The actual events of the previous evening slowly came to her, as if a fog in her head was lifting. She could once again begin to distinguish between reality and the dreamworld in which she had been spending far too much time lately.
    Emily remembered searching the woods for real—she believed—with Drew and Vicky, and finding nothing. Nothing except for a few small animals that belonged there. She recalled deciding that she had had enough of all this wolf business and vowing to put it out of her mind. But apparently her mind had other plans.
    It’s one thing to believe you saw a wolf strolling through the neighborhood , Emily thought as she tried to remember what day it was. At least that is possible, even though it’s not very likely. But a wolf shape-shifting into a person?
    She had read enough science-fiction books and seen enough scary movies to think that the idea was pretty cool. But the “fiction” part of “science fiction” meant that it wasn’t real! And whose face was that in her dreamanyway? She couldn’t recall any details other than the overwhelming feeling that this person-monster-thing was someone she knew.
    â€œEmily! Are you up? Breakfast is ready!” her mother called from downstairs.
    â€œBe right down, Mom!” she yelled back. Emily knew she had better get moving before she missed the school bus.
    Hurrying through her shower, Emily tried to wash away the sickly feeling that still lingered from the dream. After dressing quickly, she bounded down the stairs, looking forward, more than usual, to the normal, boring breakfast chitchat that she sleepwalked through most mornings. She, of course, had decided to tell no one about her dream.
    Slipping into her chair at the breakfast table, Emily began shoveling spoonfuls of cereal into her mouth.
    â€œSo how’s the sleepover planning going, honey?” her mom asked.
    â€œOkay,” Emily replied, guzzling down a glass of orange juice. “Hannah and Ethan have come up with some pretty good ideas for the party. Well, Hannah has, anyway.”
    â€œWell, you just be sure to let me know if there’s anythingI can do to help. I used to love sleepovers when I was your age.”
    â€œThanks, Mom.”
    â€œWhat about Drew and Vicky?” Emily’s mom asked.
    Emily felt herself tense up. Her mind shot back to their expedition in the woods and then to her horrible dream.
    â€œWhat’s the matter, honey?” her mom asked.
    Emily quickly realized that her expression must have changed.
    â€œDid you and Vicky have a fight or something?” her dad asked, looking up from his phone.
    â€œHave you invited Drew and Vicky to your party yet? Are they planning on coming?” her mom added.
    â€œNo, no, we didn’t have a fight,” Emily answered her father. “Sorry, my mind wandered for a second. I did invite them, and I really hope they come. But they haven’t had a chance to talk to their parents. Mr. and Mrs. Strig are kind of funny about Drew and Vicky going anywhere. I guess that’s why they’re homeschooled.”
    At that moment, Emily felt as if a lightbulb had switched on in her brain. “Homeschooled!” she repeated. “Of course. That’s it.”
    â€œThat’s what?” her mom asked.
    â€œI’ve been going about this all wrong,” Emily said. “I’ve been overlooking the obvious. I’m the one