Nightmaresýin the Daylight: Childrenýs
Short Sci-Fi Stories

By Patricia L. Lee

The four short stories in Nightmares in the Daylight depict kids in everyday situations that devolve into humorous happenings and strange events. These events make them wonder, get nervous and then frightened as their lives change through a weird or unexpected twist.

Fast-Forward. Kerri always wanted to be old enough to do what she wanted and go where she wanted without her parents' consent. One day, she finds an odd watch that literally changes her life.

The Fog? John is a mischievous kid who enjoys life at the expense of others until he meets a mysterious stranger. He doesn't realize it until it's too late, but when the "fog" floats away, life as he knows it floats away too.

The Red Sand. The Taylor family loves spending time at the beach. This is especially so for their son, Michael, who wants to live there. Then something unbelievable happens to him that may make his dream come true.

Act Like An Animal-Treated As Such. Dante is a good kid that made a bad decision to get what he wanted. He never dreamed that the consequence would leave him trapped like an animal with no way out.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jun 6, 2006
• ISBN: 9780595825899

Patricia L. Lee

Patricia L. Lee was born in Munich, Germany. She has since moved from Maryland to Florida and is now self-employed doing what she enjoys?reading and typing. Patricia has one daughter and four grandsons.

Book preview

Nightmares, in the Daylight

Children’s Short Sci-Fi Stories

Patricia L. Lee

iUniverse, Inc.

New York Lincoln Shanghai

Nightmares.. .in the Daylight Children’s Short Sci-Fi Stories

Copyright © 2006 by Patricia L. Lee

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN-13: 978-0-595-38220-0 (pbk)

ISBN-13: 978-0-595-82589-9 (ebk)

ISBN-10: 0-595-38220-7 (pbk)

ISBN-10: 0-595-82589-3 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Fast-Forward

The Fog?

The Red Sand

Act Like an Animal—Treated as Such

Fast-Forward

While walking home from school one Friday, Kerri Evans saw something sticking out of the grass. She bent down and picked up what looked like a watch. It was black with bright red letters going around the dial instead of numbers. That’s odd, she thought, but she put it in her backpack and forgot about it.

As soon as she got in the house, she got a snack from the kitchen and ran up to her room to call her best friend, Felicia.

I can’t wait until tomorrow, she told Felicia. I’m packing right now.

Great! Come over as early as you can, okay? Felicia said.

Saturday morning, Kerri woke up excited because she was finally going to spend the night at Felicia’s house. This would be her first time spending a night away from home, because her parents were very strict. However, on November 5, a week before, Kerri had turned thirteen, and her parents had agreed to allow her to stay overnight with her friends.

It seemed like her brother, Tony, could do anything he wanted, even though he was just two years older than she. Kerri thought that wasn’t fair. She always wished she were older.

Early Saturday afternoon, Kerri’s mom took her to Felicia’s. The girls had loads of fun. Kerri and Felicia phoned a few boys they liked and giggled through each conversation. Later they played video games, watched rented movies, and stayed up practically all night talking. Felicia was so happy that her best friend was there.

"Kerri, I’m glad you finally got to come to my house to stay."

Yeah, me too! My parents are too strict. I can’t wait until I’m old enough to do whatever I want, like my brother, Kerri told her.

You’re lucky to have a brother to talk to and do things with. I don’t have any sisters or brothers, so I get lonely sometimes, Felicia admitted.

Are you kidding? You’re not missing anything. It seems like he’s never home, Kerri said. Anyway, you and I are like sisters. That’s better than having a brother.

You’re right, sis! Maybe now we can take turns staying at each other’s house all the time, Felicia said, with a big smile.

They continued talking until they finally fell asleep.

Sunday the girls woke up late. Felicia’s mom fixed them brunch and drove them to the mall to see a movie afterward. She told them she would pick them up a few hours later and left.

Kerri felt so free. Wow! I have never been in the mall without my parents. I’m loving this!

After the movie, Kerri and Felicia walked around the mall until it was time to meet Felicia’s mom.

Early evening, Felicia’s mom drove Kerri home. See you tomorrow at school, Felicia said, as Kerri got out of the car.

Okay! Thanks for the weekend, Kerri said. She couldn’t wait for another weekend with her best friend.

After Kerri ate dinner with her family, she went to her bedroom to get ready for school the next day. While going through her backpack, she saw the mysterious-looking watch. She pulled it out and looked at it closely.

It looked brand new; there wasn’t a scratch on it. The small bright red letters going around the shiny black dial were the abbreviations for each month of the year, starting with Dec at the top. Oddly, it only had one hand—no minute hand or second hand, just the hour hand, which was bright red like the letters. She turned it over, and on the back of the watch, it read: Wearer Beware—Forward to Change—No Turning Back. Kerri wondered what that meant.

She immediately called Felicia and told her about the watch. Felicia, I forgot to tell you about what I found Friday. It’s a weird watch. At least, I think it’s a watch.

What does it look like? Felicia asked.

"It’s black, and instead of numbers around the dial, it has the twelve months. Also, it just has one hand; the hour hand or I guess you have to call it the month hand," Kerri explained, laughing. Then she told Felicia about the warning on the back.

Wow! Bring it to school tomorrow so I can see it, Felicia told her.

I will. See you then.

The next morning, Kerri got dressed for school and decided to wear her new watch. On her way downstairs,