Running. My bare feet carry me along the wet muddy path. I don't know what I'm running from, but I can't stop. The mud splashes everywhere, bathing me in the filthy substance. The wind scrapes against my ears and the rain pelts me like shards of glass. I force myself to turn my head and see what's chasing me. I can make out a blurry figure. Is it a young girl? Before I can even try to understand what is happening, my feet are sinking and I am almost waist deep in marsh. All of a sudden I am taking in gulps of thick muddy water. My lungs are screaming in pain. I can't breathe or move. A hand is pushing me under - deeper and deeper.
"AHH!" A short yelp escapes me. I feel my arms and legs move and realize I am only in my bed. "What a horrible nightmare that was," I mumble to myself. I roll out of my bed, slip into some clothes, and make my way downstairs. It is dark out this morning.
"Maybe moving out here in the woods wasn't such a good idea." I rub my hands against my face to help wake me up. "Living in the quiet woods all by myself isn't all that bad," I try to be positive. "I get all this land to myself which is great." I waddle into the kitchen to grab my coffee cup. I find it lying on the floor... smashed.
"How did this happen?" I ask myself. As I look around I notice that my journal and pens are scattered across the floor. I don't ever recall moving my journal from the office to the kitchen. Suddenly, I hear a noise come from the basement. I grab a knife and sprint to the stairs, making my way down as quiet as possible. The lights are turned off and it's as dark as my nightmare. There's a rustle coming from the corner of the room. I leap at the noise, stabbing it with the knife to slow it down. I run to the light switch to see what creature is lying in the corner of the room. The flood of light shows a creature with long brown fur. I come closer- slowly, cautiously. It looks like a dog. My dog. Charlie. Lying dead on the floor- motionless. I burst into tears and remove the knife from Charlie. Holding Charlie I yell at myself in anger and frustration. For the rest of the day I sit outside staring at the dead dog that lies before me.
The next morning I find myself sitting in my wooden chair outside on the front porch. There is an awful smell. I look down to find my dead dog lying at my feet. I grab a shovel and start to dig. By noon I have finished digging the hole. I wrap Charlie in a bag, pick him up and place him in the hole . As I fill in the hole, thoughts rush through my head. "How did Charlie get into the basement? How did I do this not thinking it was Charlie? Is there someone in my house? How did my stuff get moved? Am I hallucinating?" Way too many thoughts.
I go inside and begin to make myself some lunch. Since the death of my dog, I have always had a knife handy in case there actually is somebody watching me. So far I have been feeling on edge.
Thump thump thump!
"Well speak of the devil." I mumble to myself. Quietly and carefully I make my way upstairs gripping the knife. My knuckles are turning white and my heart is pounding out of my chest. I stand at the top of the stairs and make my way towards my bedroom.
Thump thump thump!
I instantly turn around without even thinking and race towards the noise.
"Who's there?!" I yell with anger, "Show yourself!" By now I am furious.
Thump thump thump!
The noise is coming from downstairs! I run down the stairs and into the living room. Just as I enter I see someone leaving. At this moment I realize .... I am not alone.
Shocked and baffled I stand as still as a statue.. My body fills with a waterfall of emotions. I am angry, sad, scared, and astonished. I don't know what to do. Should I try to find the person? Should I leave? Before I know what I am doing my feet seem to know what to do. They lead me through the living room and into the dining room. The house listens with me as I strain to hear any unfamiliar sounds. But everything is peaceful. I can barely hear the wind from outside over the sound of me breathing.
That night I decide to carry on with my life. I sit down at the dining room table and start in on my meal. Once again, I hear another thumping noise coming from upstairs. I sit motionless in my chair. I reach slowly for the knife in front of me. I hear another thump thump thump, except this time the noise is coming from the basement. Slowly and cautiously I rise from my chair.
Thump thump thump! More thumping noises grow from the living room. There is a moment of silence, but then the thumping noises come from everywhere all at once. Standing frozen in my shoes I listen to all the thumping noises which grow from shrieks to screams and then cries for help! My vision is becoming dizzy and hazy. I wobble around and slam into the wall. I try to regain my balance but before I can I have a vision.
I see a blurry figure, a girl perhaps, cowering in the corner- bleeding.
I snap back to reality and hear more shrieks and cries of pain. I wobble into the living room knocking over chairs, tables, lamps, and paintings hung on the walls. I collapse on the floor and go back to the vision I was having.
I am holding a knife. With it I approach the girl in the corner and raise it behind my head. Before I stab the young girl she shrieks "No! Please don't hurt me daddy!"
Once again I snap back into reality. My heart and head are pounding as I roll around on the floor screaming for all of this to stop. I manage to sit up. Across the room from me I see a girl. She is wearing a torn dress covered in blood and her hair is filthy and messy. As my eyes meet hers, she whispers to me " Why daddy? Why?" She gives me the most evil smirk I have ever seen. I scramble, scurry, stumble, and slide out the door.
Running. My bare feet carry me along the wet muddy path. I turn around to see my daughter chasing me. The mud underneath my feet is slippery. I find myself tripping over my own feet and falling face first into the marsh. Taking in large gulps of thick muddy water, I feel hands forcing me under- deeper and deeper.
Then everything goes black.
