Reality

Chapter 12: Aftermath

A few hours had passed when I regained consciousness. As I looked around, I realized I was in a different room. With my parents by my side, I felt vulnerable, hoping all of this would end soon. I tried to remember as much as I could about the incident that took place in the hospital. I could still recall the decapitated patient and the flickering lights amidst the chaos.

While I was eating with my parents, we heard a siren, signaling that the police had arrived to investigate. Officers entered different rooms to interview the patients. It didn't take long for one to show up in mine. The cop introduced himself and explained that he wanted to interview us. My father mentioned that they weren't in the hospital when it happened. I said I was, my voice shaking.

The cop began asking various questions, which I answered honestly. I told him everything I could remember, except the part about witnessing the patient's murder. Then a thought occurred to me. "Weren't there any CCTVs here?" I asked. "They weren't working when the nurse was killed due to the electrical problem," the cop replied. I felt more terrified than before because it meant one thing: the creature or dark shadow had planned this to remain unsolved.

When the cop finished the interview and said goodbye, my mother went out to get some water for me. I wiped my face with a tissue. Then, I asked my father for a pencil and a piece of paper. Knowing that I draw when I'm bored, he got them for me. As soon as he handed them to me, I began drawing. I didn't know what possessed me, but I drew a tall creature with stitched-together body parts and a missing head. I guess that's how I remembered it.

My father shivered when he saw my drawing. "What's that?" he asked. "Nothing, just something I saw in my dreams," I replied. I paused my drawing when I got a notification on my phone. It was from Niklaus. The message said that Vincent had been bullied and was missing for 12 hours. Worried, I tried calling Vincent. He didn't answer any of my calls. I texted him, but had no luck either. My mom returned with the water.

I told them what had happened, and they got worried too. They contacted Vincent's parents, who sounded like they were crying. My parents decided to go check on Vincent's parents. They said they'd be back in an hour or two and left me some snacks. That's when I decided to go out of my room for some fresh air.

As I roamed the hospital, I suddenly felt the need to pee. I went to the nearest restroom. I couldn't shake the feeling that someone or something was watching me. After finishing and washing my hands, I looked at the doorway and saw it—the dark shadow or creature watching me.

I immediately followed it. Despite my fear, I needed to confront why it killed an innocent patient. After following it for a while, I reached the hospital's basement. There it was, face to face with me. The creature looked directly at me. It spoke. "It's almost time"