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The frigid air whipped Dej’s long red curls through the air.She clutched her warm coat closer as she walked down the street with her Grandma Sarah.She smiled at her granddaughter as they continued their trek to the grocery store.

The two reached the sliding glass doors and sighed in relief at the warm air inside the building.Dej pulled a cart off the long line of them as they walked down the wide aisles.Every once in a while, one or both of them would take things from the shelves that they needed.

Dej and her Grandmother had their own way of communicating, with soft glances and smiles.Sara wasn't one to talk much anymore.

They turned the corner to see a boy who was Dej’s age staring up at the shelves in front of him with a curious expression on his face, as if he was deciding on which brand to buy.He glanced at them as they walked toward him.He seemed frozen.

"Hello Aran.”Dej smiled at him and picked up a box of pasta from the shelf next to him.

"Uh…Hey,” he grinned back.He was her best friend, and the first person who talked to her after she moved to New York last year with her grandma.

"See ya.”She gave him a little wave and followed her grandmother down the aisle.

Dej paid for their purchases and they walked back into the cold.Dej carried the paper bag with our groceries in it.

Lots of people were walking towards the store, hurrying a little to get out of the cold.A woman holding her two children by the hands fought the air.A man shrugged away from the grocery store’s brick wall to walk to his car.An old man walked in front of them and to his beat-up truck that he got into.A girl about Dej’s age with two friends laughed and ran into the warm store.

Dej pulled her hood closer against her skin, her grandma sped up.She seemed upset about something.

"What’s wrong?”Dej asked, stumbling along behind her, trying to keep up with the older woman.

Dej was confused, but did as she was told.Sara turned down a dark alley that was unfamiliar to Dej, and she followed, still puzzled about her grandmother’s strange behavior.She paused half way down the alley and turned to face Dej.

"Leave the groceries here.”Sara commanded, and she set them next to a dumpster.As soon as Dej let go of the bags, she grabbed her hand in a vice-like grip and pulled her away from their food.

"What’s wrong?”Dej asked again, but Sara pressed a finger to her lips and pulled her into the comfort of a building.It was a church, the sign read:‘St. Benjamin’s, A safe place for those who are lost'.

She pulled her towards the altar, and off into a pew.She crouched down and pulled her granddaughter down next to her.

"Just listen.” Her Grandma Sarah whispered, "We are being followed.I want you to do something for me.” She pulled the small half a locket out from under her shirt and unclasped it.She pressed it into Dej’s palm with a sense of urgency."Go to the top of the bell tower.I will ring the bell for you, and on the thirteenth ring, you must squeeze the locket and jump.”

"What?” Dej hissed, but her grandmother pressed a hand to her mouth.

Dej froze as she heard the unmistakable sound of a hard-heeled boot on the church’s tiles.She peered under the seat of the pew to see the black boots of their pursuer, and she knew he was looking for them.

Her grandma took something out of her purse that looked like a marble and rolled it silently along the church’s floor.Their voices came from the other side of the space and the boots paused before following the sounds of the conversation they had just had.Her grandma was pulling at her jacket.Dej followed her quietly to a set of spiral stairs.

"Goodbye,” the old woman pulled her into a bone-crushing hug that Dej didn’t know she was capable of."Remember the thirteenth ring.I’m sorry you have to do this now.”She whispered and pushed her granddaughter towards the stairs before Sara could start to cry.She seized a fraying rope and pulled.The bell tolled at the top of the tower.

Dej glanced one last time at the woman who had raised her, before dashing up the stairs.

Dej counted as she climbed in endless circles up to the tower.

Her legs started to burn from running up stairs.

The bell stopped, but Dej didn’t.She was sure that he had reached her grandmother, and Dej prayed she was all right.She must have been, because the tolling started again.

Dej could hear someone else running up the stairs behind her.His labored breathing made her run faster, even though her legs-and lungs-protested.

Dej reached a trapdoor and pushed it open with a grunt to see the top of the bell tower laid out in front of her.She hopped out into the freezing air.

It had started to snow again and the wind tossed her hair around the small space.There was one side of the tower that was open to the elements, so the bells could be heard.That’s what she frantically ran towards.

"Wait!” the man had reached the top of the stairs and had tossed the trapdoor back."Wait!” he called again as Dej reached the edge of the roof.She prayed that the bells would toll faster.

The locket in her bare hand burned against her skin.Dej could see that people on the ground had stopped what they were doing and were watching the church, wondering why the bell was ringing.

"Wait!” the man dashed across the roof to get to her.He had a kind face, but Dej was still afraid of him because of how oddly her grandma had acted before.She quickly climbed onto the tall railing along the open space.

Was that thirteen?Dej had never been one for God, but she prayed that it was and jumped backwards off the tower so she wouldn’t hit any of the things on the side of the church on the way down.She could hear the people below screaming because they had seen her fall.

"No!” the man grabbed frantically at the empty space where Dej had been a second ago.

The snow swirled around her as she fell.Dej squeezed her eyes closed and prayed that she wasn't about to hit the concrete, and that she was safe at home, dreaming.Maybe…Hopefully…