It was a normal morning for Kyler Fizeoni. He pours a bowl of Frosted Flakes, gets a glass of orange juice then heads off to school. But today was no ordinary day; it was his first day at a new house in a new school.

When he got to school a boy came up to him and said in a creepy voice, “Watch out for Jacob.” 

“Who’s . . .” but the boy was not there. Kyler was wondering all day who’s Jacob?

Why would he watch out for him?

He was walking home from school when a different boy walked up to him and said, “Tough luck.”

“Wait, why?”

“You moved into house 1313,” the boy replied. 

“So. what's your point?”

“A kid named Jacob . . .”

“Jacob?!  People keep talking about this person named Jacob. Who is he?”

“An 8-year-old boy named Jacob Wire lived with his parents in your new house. Fifty years ago they all woke up one morning, and he was gone. Most people say he was kidnapped. Others say he died, but no one knows.”

“So everybody thinks there’s a creepy ghost-boy living in my new house?”

“Yep!”

“Geesh, don’t they know there’s no such thing as ghosts?” But just in case, that night he kept his door a smidge open just to make sure no one would break in. But then Kyler thought if the ghost named Jacob is real, he would just walk right in. So he got up and closed the door and hopped back in bed. But then he heard a creek. His heart was pounding. He was sure he saw the doorknob turn. The door swung open and a little boy, who looked about 8 to 10 years old, was in his pajamas. He was also holding a teddy bear that had the name Jacob on it.

“Hello,” Jacob whispered.

“Uh, hello,” Kyler whispered back. “Is your name Jacob?” Kyler asked.

“Yes it is. What’s yours?” the boy with the teddy bear asked in a timid voice.

“Kyler, Kyler Fizeoni.”

“Kyler, why are you in my house?”

“Well, actually you're in my . . .”

“Kyler, why are you in my house?!” the boy named Jacob yelled.

“Jacob, what year is it for you?”

“1971.”

“Jacob, how did you die?” Kyler asked.

“Well, I wanted to try to be Santa Claus, so I went down the chimney and I didn’t know that . . . that the fire was in the fireplace. ” While Jacob explained his cruel story, burn wounds started appearing on his skin. He started crying.

“That's why they couldn’t find your body,” Kyler thought.  A cruel scream came from little Jacob as the marks seeped into his skin, burning him alive in just the same way 50 years ago until he was totally gone. Only ashes and a teddy bear remained.

It was nearly impossible for Kyler to fall asleep that night, but eventually he finally did. The next night, the same exact thing happened. Jacob walked into the room and then started burning. It happened for days, weeks and even months. One day, Kyler climbed up onto the roof, looked down the chimney and saw the fire crackling, and then thought of the pain Jacob must have endured. A shiver crept down his back, and then he heard a voice. It was Jacob. 

“Come and join me.”

He felt a push from behind, and down the chimney Kyler went.