The Madness Within ✓

XXIV.

When I woke up, it was already time for lunch. Except when I woke up, the only thing on my mind was what happened last night. What was that foghorn sound? Were all those creatures I saw previously human? What happened to them?

I shot up from bed and looked outside the window. The blood that the window was covered with last night was now gone. I stood up from my bed and walked to the window, then looked outside. There was no blood anywhere around the house. There was no blood anywhere in the forest. Everything was now back to normal, just like it has always been. No sign of any 'ceremony' anywhere.
I sighed and wiped my eyes with my finger, then went to change into some comfortable clothing.

After a delicious breakfast (that I definitely deserved after all this), I put on my boots and coat and went outside. As I took a step outside, I felt my heart begin beating faster. This is the first time I stepped outside alone after such a long time.

No, I'll be fine.

I took a deep breath and walked around the house, looking for anything that could prove that the ceremony actually happened and that whatever I saw last night was actually real. There's no way I just imagined that, is there? It must've been real. The screams felt real for sure.
I searched around the house, but found nothing. Not even a single drop of blood.

As I was about to return back home, I saw a car driving towards my house. It was Chris. The sight of his car immediately made me feel way better. Maybe he can tell me what happened last night. The sounds were so loud, so there's no way he didn't hear it.
Chris parked the car near the entrance of the house and got out. As soon as he saw me, a light smile appeared on his face.

„Clara, everything's fine, right?" he said and began walking towards me. I nodded and invited him inside while explaining that I'll tell him everything there.

We went up to the library. The door to the attic was still open with the ladder leading up, but that'll have to wait. Chris and I sat down on one of the chairs by the table with the statues and I began explaining everything that happened.

I told him about the screams. About the sound of a foghorn. About the creatures running through the forest. I told him everything I could remember. And I still remembered a lot, as there's no way this memory will ever leave my mind.

Once I finished explaining everything to him, he was clearly shocked. He stared at me for a while, then looked down at his hands.

„That's.. a lot, wow," he eventually said, chuckling to himself.

„You don't think I made all this up, do you?" I frowned as I stared at Chris. He looked up at me and shook his head.

„Of course not. It's just.. shocking to hear. I didn't hear anything last night."

„You didn't..?" I asked cautiously, I was beginning to doubt my own thoughts. It must've been real. Right?

„Yeah, but that's because the villagers played a lot of music. They used all sorts of instruments and everyone went around celebrating. Everyone was talking and having fun and at midnight everyone began cheering and clapping, so I couldn't hear anything else. Sorry," Chris explained and scratched the back of his head. I signed and shook my head, then smiled at him.

„I'm glad it wasn't as bad there at least."

„Yeah."

There was silence for a moment.

„I just wonder how all the blood and everything disappeared. There was so much of it last night and suddenly it's all gone?" I said to break the silence and Chris frowned.

„Yeah, that certainly is weird. But then again, the creatures are in control of this forest, who knows what kinds of things they can do," Chris said and looked at the statues on the table.