Sweet Summer

Chapter Ten :

In the dimly lit cabin, Natalia sat on the edge of her bed, her fingers lightly grazing the worn edges of an old photograph of her mother. She traced her mother's soft smile, a smile that Natalia hadn't seen in years. Her heart felt heavy, weighed down by the sudden rush of memories that always seemed to surface late at night. The wind howled outside, making the wooden beams of the cabin creek ominously. It was almost as if the very air around her could sense her growing sorrow.

Suddenly, the temperature in the room dropped. Natalia shivered, pulling her blanket tighter around her shoulders. The faint sound of wailing echoed from the woods outside, a soft but eerie cry carried on the wind. At first, she thought it was just her imagination, but then it grew louder, unmistakable, piercing.

She froze, her breath caught in her throat. That sound—it was too familiar. The same agonizing cry she remembered from the night her mother passed. The night her mother's spirit seemed to leave this world, torn away in a cruel twist of fate. Her hands trembled as she slowly got to her feet, the photograph slipping from her fingers and fluttering to the floor like a forgotten memory.

Natalia's mind raced. Could it be? Is it her? no..it can't be, she's been dead for years!

The wail came again, louder, as if it were right outside the door. She moved cautiously toward the window, her heart pounding in her chest, a sickening feeling rising in her gut. Peeking through the curtains, her eyes searched the dark woods, but she saw nothing. Just the dense trees swaying in the wind, the moonlight casting eerie shadows across the ground.

Then, in the distance, a figure appeared—a pale, ghostly figure draped in tattered cloth, hovering just at the edge of the woods. Natalia's breath hitched as she recognized the face. It was her mother. But no... it wasn't her. Not really. The creature's mouth opened wide in a silent scream, its eyes hollow and void of life.

Natalia stumbled back, her mind reeling. The creature wasn't just any banshee—it had taken the form of her mother, as if mocking her grief. The room seemed to close in around her, the air thick with the weight of the past. She backed away from the window, her pulse racing as the wail grew louder, more piercing..

"..Mom?.."

Natalia asked, the imagine of her mother brought back memories and feelings she thought she had buried. Tears began to form as she stepped further from the window. Her hands trembling as it clutched the fabric of her blanket,

Natalia's breath quickened as the banshee's hollow eyes locked onto her through the window. In an instant, the creature's eerie floating came to an end. With a sudden jolt, the banshee dropped to the ground, landing on all fours like a predatory animal. Natalia's heart pounded in her chest as the creature began to move—first slowly, its long, clawed fingers digging into the dirt, then faster, gaining speed with each stride.

Its bones cracked unnervingly with each movement, and its tattered rags fluttered like wings as it charged toward the cabin. The sound of claws scraping the earth filled Natalia's ears, its form a blur of white and shadow, racing with unnatural speed. The creature's pale face, still contorted in a twisted version of her mother's, grew more horrifying as it neared.

Natalia froze, watching in horror as the banshee closed the distance. Within seconds, it slammed against the window with a deafening thud, its clawed hands splayed against the glass, leaving streaks of dirt and blood. Its mouth opened wide in a silent scream, its eyes wild with fury, the banshee's breath fogging up the glass as it stared directly at her.

Natalia's eyes widened as she locked eyes with her 'mother', despite the stinging sensation she couldn't find her to blink or look away..their clothes were a ragged hospital gown, one much like her mothers. Lifting a foot to step back or at least make a run for it

As if on cue, the banshee lunged through the broken window, its jagged, clawed fingers closing around Natalia's neck with a terrifying strength. The moment its cold, deathly grip touched her skin, a sharp pain shot through her body, forcing a scream of pure agony from her lips. But instead of backing off, the sound only seemed to fuel the creature's ferocity.

The banshee let out a low, guttural wail as it pinned Natalia to the floor, its weight unnaturally heavy for something so gaunt. It loomed over her, its eyes wide and empty, its decayed mouth twisted into a grin that mirrored the horror of her mother's last moments. Natalia's vision blurred as she struggled, trying to pry the creature's bony fingers from her throat, but her strength was no match for the banshee's inhuman power.

The room around her seemed to close in, the dim light flickering as the air grew colder. The banshee's face hovered just inches from her own, its breath icy against her skin. Its long, stringy hair brushed against Natalia's cheek as it leaned closer, the smell of decay making her stomach churn.

"Mother..." Natalia gasped, her voice barely a whisper as her vision began to fade. Her mind raced with memories—her mother's death, the strange, suffocating silence that had followed, and now this creature, this monstrous shadow of the past, suffocating her in the same way.

The banshee's grip tightened, and Natalia's thoughts blurred into a haze of pain and fear. Was this how her mother had felt in her final moments? Was this her end too?

"..I-..I love you.."

Were her last words before blacking out.