Spooking Your Nights

The Lemon

I don't have much time left.

I'm seated here in this confined room, writing this down on the paper from which you currently read. He is coming...he is coming for me...

It had been a gloomy day for me. Well, everyday was gloomy considering I had the same routine. Get up, go for work, get some groceries and head back home. Living in a small town, it did not have much hustle-bustle either. Everything was quiet, none would know if anyone would disappear anytime.

Today I was walking back from my office to home, carrying an umbrella as it was raining heavily. I had my ear pods on, playing some pop music as I made my way carefully in the dark. Afterall all, it was already seven in the evening.

My phone buzzed as I picked up the call. "Hey mom!"

"Hello Nina, how was the work today?"

"It was okayish," I replied. "Getting boring day after day of managing so many accounting calculations. Ugh, my brain is hurting!"

"But it's for your own good Nina," mom replied. "You know you have to..."

A sudden sound caught my attention. Sounded like I had stepped on something squishy.

"Mom, I'll talk to you once I reach home," I said.

"Okay honey, take care."

I hung up the call and looked around. Nothing seemed suspicious except that there were woods to my right. However, the entrance was fenced behind which, the ground rose higher, extending further into the woods. To my left was the civilisation, all quiet in the pattering of rain.

I sighed. Not my shoe again! Could this day get any worse?

Bending down, I raised my leg. What in the world was a lemon doing under my foot?

Ignoring, I walked on, wondering on what would I have to make for dinner.

As I reached my house, I began unlocking the door. I couldn't ignore the fact however that I felt the presence of something uncanny around me ever since I had stepped on that lemon. Shrugging it off, I opened the door.

"Nina!"

I turned around and watched as Joseph came running towards me. He was drenched due to the rain as he climbed up my porch.

"Oh, hey Joseph, what're you doing out here?" I inquired.

"Nothing much, had come out for a little jog and the immediate rain drenched me." He laughed it out.

"Oh that's bad," I sympathised. "Come inside, I'll help you with some tea and get you an umbrella."

"That's so sweet of you Nina," he replied as he entered inside. I walked to the kitchen as he seated himself on the sofa. Yes, that made me scrunch up my nose. He was all wet and now had drenched my couch as well!

Shrugging it off, I began preparing the tea. Placing it to boil, I came out as I watched Joseph look around the house keenly.

"You've been here already," I mentioned while sitting in front of him, "so what is it you're looking for?"

"I-I dunno," he replied. "I just...something feels off here today."

I looked around the room, feeling some sort of dread crawling into me. Yes, I felt the same but did not want to confirm my suspicions.

"It's just our imagination," I said.

"So you're feeling it too?" he asked.

"I-"

"I'm out," he stood up and began leaving. I got up and blocked his way. "No please, don't! At least drink the tea. You're all wet, it won't do you any good if you went out not feeling warm!"