Violent Sea

1) I trap a snake in a dumpster

**4 years ago**

Heavy rain was thrashing furiously against the window panes. The sky was so dark that night, not even the street lamps lit could light up the wet concrete roads. No star in the sky would shine through the thick grey clouds that loomed over the city of Manhattan.

Noa sat on the couch in the living room, with only the tv screen as her source of light. Holding a PlayStation controller in her hand, she had her eyes fixed on her game, so concentrated that sweat was beading at her hairline. You wouldn't expect a kid with strong ADHD to be so concentrated, yet she was. She began to hear a heartbeat, faint at first but suddenly grew louder and louder as something grew closer.

Noa flinched and screamed at the top of her lungs as the killer in her game began chasing after her, "OH MY GOD WHY ME!" She yelled as it slashed her character and threw her on a hook.

Noa's Mom, Carmen Alvarèz, came sprinting down the stairs. She looked as though she might have a heart attack any second.

"What happened! Noa, are you okay?!" Carmen asked frantically.

"Jeez mom relax, I'm fine!" Noa rolled her eyes, "you do this every time, it's just my game. You act as though someone's gonna actually kill me!"

Noa's mom softened her grip on the banister as she noticed her daughter was perfectly fine. "I'm sorry honey, I'm just paranoid because I love you."

"Yeah yeah." Noa said, barely paying her mind any attention.

"I really wish you wouldn't play games like that Noa, what game is that?" Carmen asked as she leaned her head to peak at the screen.

"Dead by daylight." Noa mumbled with her eyes still glued to the screen.

"Isn't that an 18?" Her mom asked.

"Uh huh" Noa hummed.

"You're 11, you shouldn't be playing that." Carmen sighed, "I worry when I hear you scream, I think something might be attacking you. What happened to you playing that mining game?"

"Minecraft got boring, besides you're being dramatic. Why would I even be attacked?" Noa laughed.

Carmen felt her chest tighten and lump form in her throat, "switch it off after that game and go to bed please sweetie, it's already past 9 pm".

No response came from the young girl.

"Noa!"

"Okay mom." Noa replied, giving a thumbs up to her mom.

~~~

Noa in fact did not go to bed after that game. She spent another hour with her eyes glued to the tv, completely unaware of the time ticking by. However, her attention was finally broken by a gentle knock on her front door. It's a bit late for an Amazon delivery, Noa thought to herself as she put her controller down and shouted for her mother. When she got no response, she decided to get up and open the door herself, undoing the 4 locks that her mom put on it and swung it open.

An old woman stood on the doorstep smiling down at the young girl. Her hair was grey and wirey and her skin was sunken and all wrinkled. She wore a long purple raincoat and a waterproof headscarf thing that grandmas typically wear. The lady had a crooked smile with matching crooked teeth.