We're Already Dead

Chapter 2

The night was spent with continuous tossing and turning. No matter what position I got in my mind wouldn't register the fact that all I wanted was some sleep. After the porcelain doll incident I rushed to the spear bedroom down the hall from my mother's. The room was a dull as can be. A single bed was jammed against the wall with a small table at the side. A massive built in wardrobe stood opposite the bed with a mirror at the side.

Laying on the bed the outline of the table reflected off the mirror. It spent chills up my spine and suddenly I regretted all the horror movies I had ever seen before with my father in our old apartment building. I turned on my back to face the ceiling above me. A dark spot from a previous water leak stained the area above the bed. But then again, how could there be a water leak if there's no upstairs?

I shrugged off the idea; the roof was old and probably needed some repairing. After what seemed to be hours of closing and opening my eyes and trying to eliminate the awkward sounds from the single window across the room; my tiredness got the better of me and I was fast asleep on the bed that felt like needles and pins on my back.

The sun rose outside a couple of hours later. The sound of cheery rosters was what awakened me. Rubbing my eyes, I eventually got the stamina to get my lazy self off the bed. The room was brighter as the light poured in from the window. Only then did I notice the little details of the room that went unnoticed last night. The window sill was decorated with dead flies that never got the chance to escape the room, cobwebs hung from the ceiling above the wardrobe and the mirror that adorned the room was stained around the golden frame. Reflections were blurred considering it wasn't cleaned in a ridiculously long time.

I push away the thought of the room, thinking that I'd tidy it up afterwards and focus on neatening back the bed and getting decent. When that's done I place my phone in the pocket of my running shorts and attach my headphones. I was surprised to find the house empty since my mother is an early riser. That's until the scent of eggs caught my attention and I proceeded to the kitchen where I found her standing next to the stove.

"What are you doing?" I asked even though I already knew the answer.

"Making some eggs. You're dressed, where are you going?" she questioned with a slight concern in her eyes.

"For a jog. I go almost every morning. I'll be back in an hour or so, may be less considering I don't know the place too well," she sighed when I mentioned that and turned her head back to the dish.

"Oh, do you want to eat first?"

"No, just leave it until I come back," I replied while hastily making my way out the house. Her penetrating voice grabbed my attention on my way out. Like a lightning bolt she held onto my arm and dug her nails in a bit, almost causing me to gasp in shock.

"Be careful out there. Don't wonder into the forest. I don't know what lies there and careful not to fall into the lake," she warned in a hushed tone as though it would be heard by someone.

"Mom, I can swim," I ensured her. She finally let go of my hand and smiled for the first time in the morning.

"Right, I forgot you used to swim there as a child."

I took another took at her and nodded before running down the steps and placing the buds of the headphones in each ear. Adrenaline rushed through me as I listened to the beautiful music by Green Day that has been starting off my days since I can remember.

Before long I was running up the stone/dirt pathway called a road, the oversized cabin disappeared from view as I turned a corner. Trees dominated both sides of the road. Spots of the river could be seen here and there until eventually the entire thing came into view. I paused in my tracks for a minute to take in the scene and pulled out my headphones.