The Other Side: The Awakening.

Chapter Fifteen: She Isn't Who She Claims To Be.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN. 

Kathrine hadn't left her room since she had returned from the hospital last night. Tanya was beginning to get worried.

'Maybe I should go check on her,' Aunt Lisa said.

'She's just sleeping because of the hospital medication. I'm sure she's okay,' Max assured. 

Tanya also noticed that Jenna had been unusually quiet since the hospital, too. John, on the other hand, seemed more bright than usual. 

'Yeah, don't disturb her.' Uncle Larry agreed with Max.

'I'm still gonna check. The sun has almost set. She can't still be sleeping.' Tanya was already walking up the stairs.

The family had originally planned to leave the house and go to a hotel, but the whole thing with Kat made them decide to come back. However, Aunt Lisa said she was looking to rent a condo for a while for the family. 

As Tanya reached Kat's door, her hand suddenly paused over the doorknob. An unexpected feeling of dread overcame her. She felt a strange, cold presence with her. She placed her hand on the knob. The coldness of the doorknob pricked her palm and sent shivers through her. Tanya turned the knob and pushed the door open. 

Kat's room was terribly dark. That should've been impossible, since the sun hadn't even set yet. Tanya noticed that Kat's dark green curtains were pulled over the huge bay windows.

Tanya switched on the light. Kat's bed was empty. She heard a weird scratching sound. Suddenly, a small hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the room.

Tanya spun around in shock, only to see Jenna.

'It isn't Kat,' Jenna whispered.

'W-What?' Tanya asked.

'She isn't who she claims to be. The girl we brought home from the hospital wasn't Kat.'

Tanya didn't need to hear anything else. She had already out the pieces together. She heard the scratching sound again. 

Without hesitation, Tanya walked boldly into Kat's room once more. 

'Where are you?' she called.

She could feel Jenna pressed close behind her. Jenna quickly grabbed Tanya's palm. The door slammed shut as the lights shut off, leaving the girls in darkness.

Tanya screamed as a searing pain ripped through her stomach. She reached out into the darkness and felt her hands entwine around something, probably someone's arm. A palm connected with her face as the person slapped her hard. Tanya let go in surprise and the person scurried away. 

The door opened and slammed again. 

At once, the cold presence Tanya had felt hovering around vanished. She knew immediately that Kathrine had left the room. She held Jenna's hand and walked hurriedly out of the room. When she was finally in the lighted hallway, Tanya examined her stomach, which had been burning.

Three long gashes were cut across her flat stomach. Blood was trickling down and being soaked up by the waist of her jeans. It had to have been someone with claws who scratched her. 

'Quick, tell everyone downstairs to get out of the house now,' Tanya said to Jenna.

Jenna nodded and ran down the stairs. 

Where could Kat be? Tanya wondered.

She heard something above her. Footsteps.

The Attic!

'Great!' Tanya muttered sarcastically. She walked to the end of the hallway, and pulled on the string attached to the attic door. The door opened and the ladder fell out. 

Tanya gripped the ladder and climbed into the attic. Particles of dust swarmed around her. She could hardly see anything. She took small breaths of air, breathing in dust. 

As she stepped into the attic, something scurried over her foot. Tanya suppressed a scream. It was probably just a rat. 

Suddenly, she heard another sound. Someone seemed to be crawling around. The sound was definitely too loud to be a rat or a squirrel. Not even a raccoon. 

'Kat?' Tanya called, her voice shaky.

The sound stopped immediately. Could Kat see her, even in the darkness?

Tanya boldly stepped into the attic, the darkness growing thicker around her. The rotten floorboards squeaked beneath her bare feet. 

Tanya made out a figure crouched in a corner. She inched closer and closer.

'Kat? Is that you?' she asked in a small voice. 

She gripped the person's shoulder. Suddenly, Kat let out a ferocious growl. She turned around and lunged at Tanya. Tanya let out a scream as Kat's feet wrapped around her hips and her palms found themselves around Tanya's neck. 

Kathrine's weight was too much for her, and Tanya fell backwards and landed hard on her back. 

She heard the floorboards make a crack, and then she was falling. The rotten floorboards couldn't support both her and Kat's weight. The boards collapsed completely and both girls fell out of the attic and through the roof. 

Luckily, they had been right above the bedroom, and Tanya felt her breath knocked out of her as she landed on a bed. 

Even though they had fallen, Kat still had her hands gripped around Tanya's neck, squeezing tighter. Instinct kicked in and Tanya punched Kat hard. 

Her grip loosened around Tanya's neck and Kat rolled off the bed. Tanya took in thankful breaths of air. 

'What the hell is going on?' Max ran into the room. 'One thing I knew, Jenna was chasing us out of the house, and then I hear you screaming!'

'Kat's possessed!' Tanya choked out. 

She looked down to the floor where Kat had fallen. The girl was lying unconscious on the floor, a black eye already showing.