Bethany Tarnower is a young girl, with an older sister named Mary. Mary came down sick the night before and is in a coma, and Mommy is staying in the hospital with Mary tonight. |
|
Bethany says her prayers and crawls into bed. After asking about Mommy, she curls up under the covers. Dad kisses her goodnight and leaves. After he's gone, Bethany sits up in bed, thinking about Mary and scared. She races over to the window to pull the curtains closed, before curling back under the covers once more. Her window opens, and a strange creature, the shtriga, turns her over. Bethany screams, as she is held, helpless, while her life energy is drained away and she, too, falls into a coma.