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3.

I stared at the photo, as I did so it looked like it was changing. As if it was becoming distorted, warping in some way. She didn't look the same, her face was smudged. On purpose? Maybe.. or maybe I'm just seeing things but why would this happen anyway? If I'm not actually just seeing things then why? How could this have happened to begin with? The photo looked completely fine before so—-

"What are you doing?" Dad came up from behind me, making me flinch as I turned around to face his pale face.

"Hey dad.. this photo.. her face was smudged somehow." I took the photo off the fireplace and gave it to him.

"Her face isn't smudged. You must be seeing things. Did you get enough sleep?" He looked at me with concern.

"Yeah I'm fine. I even went to bed at 9 PM, so I shouldn't be tired." I felt disappointed in a way, not very confident in what I was feeling or what I saw, but as I looked at it again her face wasn't smudged.

Dad handed me the photo so I could put the photo back on the fireplace. "Did Edson go to school already?" He went back to the armchair to rest his legs.

"Yeah, he did.." I sat on the couch next to the armchair.

"How come you aren't at school right now?" His body was leaned back, his eyes closed.

"Well the kitchen at school went up into flames so it ended early." I rubbed my hands against my lap feeling a bit tense. It has been a while since I last spoke with my own dad. It just feels a bit weird now.

"How unfortunate, how could the kitchen catch on fire? Students still need to develop even at this age." He sighed, feeling disappointed at the school and the mistake that they made.

I stayed silent, fiddling with my fingernails.

"You may go now, I need some more rest." He waved at me weakly as a way of shooing me away.

"Alright, hope you get better soon dad." I smiled softly as I stepped outside of the living room.

I went upstairs, towards my bedroom. I put my bag beside my nightstand and laid flat on my bed. There wasn't much for me to do at this point. I wasn't assigned any homework nor did I get to go to my other classes. I sighed as I closed my eyes. I eventually fell asleep.

I woke up, the room was dark and edgy. My nose felt clouded by the dust that it was covered in. I stood up from my bed and looked around the place. The room looked old: Furniture covered in white fabric, corners covered in webs, the access covered in dust. Where am I? What am I doing here? I was in my room wasn't I? I twisted the doorknob, opening the door: the door was loud and creaky. I stepped outside of the room, there were two bedrooms: The one I was in and the master bedroom. The one bathroom and the stairs to the attic. I cannot recognize the house any more. Is it the same house that we moved into? Is this what it looked like before we moved in?

I walked down the creaky staircase, the floorboards were old and had mold in the corners. The kitchen countertops was a wreck as if something did damage to them. There wasn't a table in the kitchen, no fridge, no oven. Just the countertops. Next is the living room. There was a fireplace that was never used. Only the fireplace was in the room. There was no couch, no pictures, nothing. The room was empty, before I could step outside of the living room I saw a figure outside one of the windows. It was the same figure from the other dream I had. But this time it was bigger, much larger than before. It was strange, I could be wrong and it could be the same thing. The same figure from my dream I had.

The floorboards from upstairs were creaking loudly as if someone was up there. I looked up at the ceiling confused, aren't I the only one here? I thought I was at first until I looked back at the window. The figure was gone, the large figure wasn't at the window but inside of the house. How? WHY?! I start to panic, having a feeling that I had to run away and that I'm not safe. I am being hunted inside of the house, that is what I call the safe zone. I rushed towards the front door, twisting the doorknob like a madwoman. It wouldn't budge, it was locked! NO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING! I NEED TO GET OUT! The footsteps were coming closer it was coming downstairs. THE THING IS GETTING CLOSER!

Tears ruptured in my eyes, I felt like I didn't have any way to get out. Except there is the back door. I ran to the backdoor that's on the very left. The backdoor had a fancy looking window and.. That figure, the large figure. If that's there then what's inside with me? I start to panic even more, I can't go out of the backdoor if that thing is there and there's something else here inside with me. What is it that I could do?! I am running out of time! I closed my eyes and turned around, when I opened them. I gasped, my throat felt tight.

There was a pair of feet, almost like bigfoot. The toenails were long and yellow tipped. I looked up slowly, my heart sunk. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

My vision went blurry as I felt my head about to explode; As if there's a tight force around my throat making it feel like my head is becoming loose every second.


There were muffled voices coming from the other side, the room smelled like sanitizer. A hospital? I opened my eyes, the ceiling light blinded me. I blinked rapidly so my vision is more used to the surroundings. I look around the room as I lay upon a bed covered in clean white sheets. My ears start ringing as soon as I start lifting my upper body. Why am I here? I was confused on why I am here, a place that I was terrified of as a child. Needles and syringes are the two fears I hate having. Dad, Edson, and her came inside of the room.

"Already got someone coming over here."

She said as she sat next to me.

"Why am I here?"

"She found you on the floor, you were

having a seizure."

"What? A seizure? How? What?" I furrowed my eyebrows. Me? I had a seizure? "I fell asleep though, I was in my bed." I bit my tongue.

Dad and her looked at each other, both had a glimpse of worry.

"At Least you're alright." Edson shrugged. "Aren't you supposed to be at school? Why are you even here?"

"It's literally pitch black outside, what do you mean? Did you not notice?" I looked at the window that was behind her, it had blinds on them, but he was right, it is pitch black out there.

"H-How long have I been out for?" I stuttered as I no longer felt sure about anything, I was asleep and woke up with the house being empty. There was something inside of the house, or there were two of them.

"Almost—-"

"About 5 hours you've been out for." Dad interrupted her. "I even think that you should rest a bit more soon after you get your checkup." Dad smiled softly, even his eyes looked gloomy, dark circles and everything.

Edson and her nodded their heads in agreement.

"Alright, we will be outside of the room to hear about your current situation." Dad came towards me to pat me on the back for reassurance.

I letting them go.

I nodded, giving the doctor an awkward smile, I was awkwardly uncomfortable. I watch them step out of the room, hearing those muffled voices once again. What happened in that dream? I wondered, touching my forehead as it started to ache by trying to process what happened. What was that creature? It was tall, almost touching the ceiling without trying; by the feet it had long nails that can cut through a lot, as if it's been sharpened. I don't even think it was human, not even one bit, it felt like that thing was actually there at the house. I felt like I was actually there. But why? Why did the house look like that? I wanna say that, that's how the house looked before we ever moved in. I don't know for sure since I wasn't born when we moved in, asking dad is the only option I have to figure it out.

I got discharged the next day, they said that I could have another seizure at any moment so dad and her have to keep an eye on me.

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