↳ ❝ [ ⱤɄ₦ ₣ØⱤ ɎØɄⱤ Ⱡł₣Ɇ] ¡! ❞
TW: Censored swearing, mature topics
↳ LANA
I walked sulkily back home, groaning about the same things again: The heavy weight on my back, and how I'd have to go through that dirty, dark alleyway to reach my house. As I kicked a pebble off the curb, I once again complained- silently to myself- about us being poor. If we weren't poor, if my dad hadn't left us, then we would probably be living in better conditions.
Us meaning my mom and I.
She was the only relative I had, Mom had no siblings and her parents were dead before I even met them- a lung sickness, Mom told me- and so it was just me and Mom. And of course, I'd never met my dad because he was just some guy who drunkenly slept with Mom for one night.
I turned a corner into the alleyway, wincing and walking on for a minute or two before emerging in front of our 'house'. It was a small apartment, really, since we couldn't afford much.
I ignored the smell and climbed up the stairs to the apartment. I opened the door and threw down my schoolbag, happy to have gotten rid of that stupid weight on my shoulder. I flopped down on the small couch, tired.
It was only me in the house. Mom was at work, and she wouldn't come back until midnight or so.
I'd gotten use to the loneliness already.
I started to do my homework, with nothing else to do. A few minutes later, I got up and went to the bathroom.
'Flush..' I flushed the toilet after I finished. Washing my hands, I stared at the skinny girl wearing cheap, used clothes looking back at me from the mirror. I ran my wet hands over my stringy, light brown hair, trying to make it look smooth. It didn't work. Dim, tired eyes looked back at me. I took in my appearance, sighing.
Mom had always told me to not compare myself to anyone. She's always insisted I was beautiful. But I looked nothing like blonde-haired, blue-eyed, designer clothed, beautiful Jessie, did I? I pictured the cheerful, popular girl, and a surge of anger, self hatred, and envy arose.
'Just don't compare yourself!' I mentally berated myself. I looked away. Just then, a glimpse of a person standing behind me flashed on the mirror. 'What?' I thought. There wasn't even anyone behind me. Did I imagine someone standing behind me?
Yes, it could only have been a hallucination. Or maybe just me being very tired.
I decided to get some sleep. Homework could wait.
A few hours later, I woke up, feeling as if I'd only slept for two seconds. It was about 6 p.m. already, and I was feeling hungry, so I decided to cook dinner. I stumbled out of bed into the kitchen. Opening the fridge, I reached inside, taking out what limited food we had on the fridge. I set down the food, rubbing my eyes as I'd not yet fully awoke yet. I reached out to close the fridge door.
Through my bleary eyes, I suddenly saw the fridge door open slowly. A ghostly hand seem to reach in and... I blinked. My eyes were wide open now, and I was alert. The hand wasn't there.
"What the- the heck?" I thought, my heart pounding. I was seriously having hallucinations now.
I decided to not cook dinner. Grabbing an apple, I settled on the couch and munched on it. Every once in a while, my eyes would dart to the kitchen, remembering the weird hand I saw. I was getting irrationally scared now.
I couldn't take one more minute being near the kitchen, so I ran out the apartment, through the alleyway, onto the street. Under the warm glow of the street lamp's glow, and in the city's bustling noise, I felt safer. Calmer. I sat down on the floor, finishing my apple.
Long after I finished my 'dinner', I sat there, my mind blank, just quietly listening to the traffic noise, observing the people that passed me. It was quite peaceful, and being surrounded by people made me forget about the hand and the irrational fear.
I didn't want to go back inside.
But I had to. I still had school tomorrow, and homework to do. I would have given anything to stay out here, feeling strangely comfortable.
I reluctantly stood up and climbed the stairs back up to our apartment. I anxiously opened the door, immediately switching on the lights because that made me feel safer. My heart raced before calming down as I realised nothing was going to jump out and scare me.
'Okay, relax, Lana, relax...' I thought to myself as I settled on the couch.
I gave a short laugh.
Everything was fine, wasn't it?
Two hours later, I stretched and yawned. I was finally done with homework. Closing my book, I decided to go back to sleep. I glanced at the kitchen and this time, my heart didn't race. It was definitely just a hallucination.
As I lay on my bed, I closed my eyes and urged myself to sleep... but my eyes darted wide awake. I tossed and turned, trying to find a more comfortable position, but it always felt like I was sleeping on needles. I tried ignoring it, but it only got more uncomfortable. It felt like I was sleeping on rough, cold ice now. Drenched with sweat, I sat up, throwing off my blankets.
I stood up, looking back at my bed.
'Holy crap.' My bed was entirely drenched with some thick liquid, and the surface, it didn't look smooth at all. It was lumpy under the bedsheets. I squinted, unable to see clearly in the dark. Walking over to the light switch, I flicked it on.
I screamed.
My bed was covered in blood. Actual, red, dripping blood. My heart thumped as I walked near my bed. So the thick liquid was blood, then why was my bed lumpy? I noticed a small gash in the bedsheets, revealing what had replaced my mattress-
Flesh.
I screamed again, dashing out of my room and down into the hall. Shadows seemed to creep straight out of the darkness, sneering and cackling. I ran again, as fast as I could, convinced that they were chasing me-
I ran out onto the street. Somehow, it was entirely empty. No one in sight. The nearest streetlamp flickered, but it didn't go out. I didn't feel safe at all.
So I kept running, desperate to find anyone, anyone who could keep me safe.
But no one was there.
Until I saw a silhouette. Illuminated under the faint glow of a streetlamp, the man had his back towards me. I rushed towards him, and suddenly, the streetlamp went out. I stopped, paralyzed.
The man was glowing.
↳ ❝ [ ɎØɄ ₵₳₦ ⱤɄ₦ ฿Ʉ₮ ɎØɄ ₵₳₦'₮ ⱧłĐɆ] ¡! ❞
↳ A/N
-Ghost ghost ghosty ghost ooooo~
-If you're confused with what Lana has to do with Matthew, just wait, there is a connection >:)
-Word count: 1156
