9/20/2023

After I had finished dinner, I walked over to the kitchen sink to wash the dishes.

"Charleigh!" My mother called from the dining room.

"Yeah?" I yelled back, scraping spaghetti off of my plate, and into the garbage disposal.

"Don't forget, you have dishes tonight!"

I sighed. Why did my mother always have to tell me to do things right before I do them?

"I know..." I said under my breath. When everyone was finished with dinner, I washed the dishes. "Ugghhh!" I grumbled. "I'm so tired." I looked at my dog, Potato, as if he understood what I was saying. I was about to go into the dining room to check for dishes, when all of the sudden, I see a dark figure in the corner of my eye. Assuming it's my brother, Shane, I approach it.

"Why are you standing in the dark, you weirdo?" Waiting for a response, I flick on the overhead light lighting up the room with warm tones. Only to see no one there.

I was confused.

"Wha - Shane?" I say frozen in place.

"Shane!" I say again, this time angry.

Had he been playing tricks on me? This wasn't funny. I wasn't laughing.

Shaking it off, I took the discarded dishes off the table, and dropped them into the sink.

"Another load." I thought. This'll take forever.

As I finished the last of the dishes after what seemed to be hours, I started heading upstairs. But sure enough, the same shadow from before was there.

"Shane!" I said this time, almost yelling. "Stop scaring me dude, it's not cool."

I watched as the shadow went to my door, and back to Shane's.

"Am I hallucinating?" I thought. I was about to get a closer look, but I blinked, and the shadow was gone.

I couldn't sleep. I was tossing, and turning. Over and over again.

I looked over at the clock. 1:32 A.M. and then 1:48. Then 2:59.

I tried to shut my eyes. Only to have my eyelids fly open to what sounded like...a knock?

"Yes?" I said quietly wondering if it was my mother. Another knock.

"You need something?" Silence...followed by another set of knocks.

I sighed, threw the sheets off of myself, and opened the door.

No one. Literally. No one.

Angry, I shut my door, almost slamming it.

At 3:36 I was woken up to my bed shaking.

Aggressively. Like someone was under it, shaking with all of their might.

"What the - " I tried to say. I couldn't talk. I tried lifting my arm.

Stiff. Numb. What's happening? I can't move.

And then I see him. It. Standing at the corner of my room. Grinning.

Grinning at me like I was a trophy. His most prize possession.

In a swift movement, he was hovering over me. I tried to scream.

He was here...and there was no stopping him.