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𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐋𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 were fast asleep, their limbs intertwined and Steve's new Bon Jovi album playing quietly in the background. They couldn't sleep in silence anymore, not after everything that had happened. For the first time in a while, both of them seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Neither of them had stirred since drifting off.
It wasn't until a noise came from outside that the quiet was disrupted. Whatever it was, woke Lily up almost immediately. She sat up, rubbed her eyes and looked over to her side, checking if the noise had woken Steve up too. However, his side of the bed was empty. Presuming he had got up to go to the bathroom, Lily fell back against the pillows and closed her eyes, hoping to fall back into the same peaceful sleep she'd woken up from.
But then, the noise came again and Lily realised it was the sound of someone knocking at the door. She sat up and looked at the alarm clock on her nightstand, confused. It was three o'clock. Why anyone was knocking at the door so early in the morning was beyond her.
No one else seemed to be awake so, still half asleep, Lily made her way downstairs. To her surprise, when she went to unlock the front door, she found it was already ajar. She opened it and the colour drained from her face.
Cindy was stood on the drive, clear as day. She was wearing the same white dress she had worn to the last Halloween party they had been to. Lily stood rooted to the spot with fear, watching in horror as her friend's skin erupted in cuts and bruises right before her eyes. She tried to open her mouth to scream, but no noise came.
Cindy took a step towards her, looking more disfigured by the second. By now, Lily had found the strength to move her legs, so she ran back upstairs as fast as she could, her heart pounding as she heard Cindy following her. She managed to get to her bedroom and slam the door before Cindy could reach her. But, from the landing, her friend said something that made her blood turn cold.
"You killed me. You're the reason I'm dead".
The same words repeated over and over, until Lily couldn't bear it. She curled up on the floor and flung her hands over her ears, screaming for Cindy to stop.
Then, she woke up, drenched in sweat and shaking uncontrollably. She pinched herself, to make sure she was definitely awake, then she got up. She went into the bathroom to splash cold water on her face. Once she felt like she was no longer burning up, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were wide, her skin was pale, and she was shaking. She barely recognised her reflection.
