Phobia

34. Lights Out

I stared at the mirror. My stupid hair was sticking up in all directions again. 'It'll look better in the morning,' I thought as I sighed and resumed brushing my teeth. Even the thought of sleep made me realize just how tired I was. Who knew watching videos the whole day with your cousins because they refused to take a single step outside the dark living room could tire you? Another deep sigh escaped me as my younger cousin knocked on the locked door, her impatience evident by the volume of the knock. And then the lights went out. 

The ticking of the clock in the next room amplified until the sound was almost deafening. Tick- tock, Tick - tock. I heard a muffled whisper somewhere. What? I wasn't usually the kind of person who imagines stupid things in the dark, so what was that voice in my head? Screaming loudly when the lights went out was more my cousin's thing. Now that I thought about it.... my younger cousin didn't scream this time. Did she finally grow up? For unknown reasons, I felt like someone was watching me. I shivered. It really was pitch black in here. Some cold draft must have blown in. Yes, that's it. And then a voice spoke right behind me, causing me to jump. "You're such a scaredy-cat."

That brat. It must be my cousin. I couldn't see her in the dark, so I crossed my arms and answered. "As if you didn't scream every time before." Tick-tock. Tick-tock. She chuckled, and the sound unsettled me. It made me remember a vital detail I had missed earlier.

"Wait... the door was locked. How did you get in?"

Her voice morphed until it sounded like a cacophony of disturbing sounds. "A mere door isn't enough to stop me." 'She' chuckled again, the sound of nails on a chalkboard. Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

The lights came back on. The door creaked open. Mimi entered, annoyed at the long time her cousin took to brush her teeth. "Gosh, you came out so soon, you know."

Her cousin smirked, and her shoulder brushed against Mimi's. It was cold to touch. She replied, "It won't happen again. Sweet dreams." Mimi paused. Why was she acting so weird all of a sudden? She dismissed the thought and continued on. Her mom did say teenagers were strange.