3:33AM

Waking Up

Hello, My name is James Matthews. I don't have much time and I'm not sure how to start this, so much has happened and I have so very little time to explain it. So I'll just start at the first encounter:

My eyes flew open, my body was cold. I looked out my open window, it was still dark, 'What time is it', I thought as I reached out too the side table and picked up my phone. It read 3:33 am, 'wow that's way too early for me'.
So naturally, I got comfortable and tried to fall back to sleep.
It was weird that I woke up at such an odd time, I've never done anything like that before. But as anyone would do, I brushed it off and went back to sleep.

I was so helpless, if only I knew what I know now, maybe things could have turned out differently. Maybe I could have saved them, I don't know. It feels almost certain I can't do anything to save myself. I'm stuck in this dark hole, and it's only getting darker, slowly consuming me, eating at my mind. I can almost literally feel myself slipping away from this world.

The next day I told my friends at school what happened last night, they all thought it was weird.
John even went on to say "You know there's a 90% chance that you are being watched by someone, or something when you wake up at around 3:33 am" and the moment he said it, I was taken back. My reaction was to laugh, as is most peoples reactions to extraordinary events. It was funny that he said this, because at this precise moment, I had that flush of goosebumps that undoubtedly meant- someone was watching me. They weight of eyes on my almost dropped me to the floor. But it was only a random feeling though, wasn't it? I mean, it is school after all, everyone is watching everyone. But I knew it felt different that time.

"Well that's nice to know", I said jokingly, everyone had a little laugh, I went on with my day.
All was well and normal until I saw this man. He was standing there, posed outside the school gates, looking in at me. It gave me chills, the way he just looked at me like I was a sad painting. It felt like he was writing down details about me, but he had no note pad. He just was watching, studying every detail. I wasn't sure if he knew I could see him, but he must've known I could. He was a rather pale man, mature, in his late 30s by the looks of him. He wore a dark trench coat, gloves and boots. His face was slim and clean shaved, his hair was short, white-blond and combed back.
I was so fixated on this peeping Tom that I didn't think to tell anyone, but when I finally turned to tell my friends, the bell rang and distracted me for a moment. I called out too them, but when they got there, he was gone. How cliche.
And of course they thought it was a joke, but John believed me.

Later on, when I arrived home I told my mum and dad about the man. They insisted that he was just some creep looking to freak out some kids. 'Well it damn well worked'
I didn't bother competing with them. Once they made up their minds about something, it was final.
But I could always persuade my dad later on when mum wasn't around. He had a soft spot for me.

I finished my dinner quite quickly that night. I really wanted to get to my room and practice my piano skills. I would usually play every day after school, it relaxed me. I had an electric piano, so I could play as late as I wanted, due to it being compatible with earphones.

Smash! My face crashed into the piano making a loud tone come out of my earphones.
"Owch!" I shot out, must've fell asleep on the piano again. I checked my phone, 1:47 am 'ahhh not again, I'm staying up way too late' I think silently as I make my way to my bed.
I gradually slip into my comfortable sheets and shut my eyes, it didn't take long for me to slip back into the blackness of sleep, I was exhaust.

My body jolted up, I eyes rapidly opened. I had woken up again at night, and once again I checked my phone. It said exactly 3:33 am.
I was kinda creeped out this time, but once again, I treated it as a odd coincidence, and brushed it off.

I was such an idiot, to think that I had the luxury of safety, but how could I have known! All I knew was that I woke up a couple times at night. There was no warning for what was coming for me. I was a helpless lamb being led to slaughter, and if they didn't get me then, they will now.

The next night, it unexpectedly stuck me again. I woke up at exactly 3:33 am, It creeped out much more this time round.
I knew that once is chance, an event that happened once meant not much.
Twice is coincidence, but a third... a third was a pattern.
And I could almost feel this night was different. The air was different, my room looked different, the smell was different and the light was different.
Then it stuck me, this deep dark evil, this feeling inside. My body almost instantly broke sweat, and every hair on the back of my neck stood tall.
I had never felt anything like this before. But What was it, it felt lonely, scared, helpless, useless. It was the moment you feel before you're murdered, it was that feeling just before a knife plunged into your heart, it was the feeling before the trigger on a gun is pulled, aiming at your head! It was a dark wave of death and it was heavy.

I did not know what was happening, but I started screaming, I had no idea why. I just knew somehow that my life was in danger and that I need to call for help, it was like a natural instinct.

All of a sudden my door flew open, it's my parents. They flicked on the light and rushed over to my bed, all while saying "what's wrong? what's wrong! is there someone in here? What happened. Are you hurt?!"
Their confusion was just as barren as mine. I did not know what to say, so I thought it better to simply tell them, "It was just a nightmare".
Perhaps it really was just a dream. A dream treading much too close into reality. But as far as my perception of the it goes... It was real.

They calmed me down and I got back in bed. My room was quiet and that horrible feeling was gone, thank god it was over.
I was trying to remember what had just happened, and then I suddenly realised that there was nothing. All I had was just a strange, terrifying feeling. It must have been a bad dream.
I told my self my mind was playing tricks on me, and that there was nothing to fear.
I wish I was right.

The nightmares had only just begun.