The night carried a warm breeze through my bedroom window, the first in what felt like in forever. It was a week before my history final and my parents were going to a housewarming party of a family friend.
“Are you okay?”
“You don’t have to stay home.”
“I’m sure you’ll be able to make up for tonight tomorrow.”
“You can take one night off.”
My parents had worried a lot, they always did, but I honestly knew I would be fine.
I sat in my desk chair as I heard the downstairs door close and my father’s car start. I sighed. I wish I could have ditched studying and watched a movie. There was this fantastic new horror movie that I hadn’t watched yet but I knew this was my best chance at cramming before the final.
I sat in my plastic desk chair, warped myself in my softest blanket and set in for a night of listening to dates, myths, names and facts of Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire again in the hope I’d remember something. A couple hours into it, I was hyperaware of my empty and cold mug and after short debate; I set to get more hot chocolate. It took a while to get myself untangled but I was soon sipping a glorious, hot mug. The liquid warmed my heart and I sighed in contentment.
I turned around and in the corner of my eye, I saw a movement. What on earth? I moved closer but all I saw were red glowing eyes of a cat. The cat had beautifully silky fur and a long, elegant tail. It stared over its shoulder, holding me in a staring contest but it leapt away into the darkness.
I finished my mug and walked upstairs with another hot chocolate. I tried to get back to my work but I kept on thinking about that cat. Now that I think about it, why would a cat be in my house? I don’t even own one. I decided that it would be worth checking on so I went downstairs to see if the cat was still there and I saw it again, with a dead rat in its mouth. It dropped the rat and smiled a toothy smile at me. I smiled back at the cat but my smile turned to horror as the cat lunged at my neck. I could now see how sharp its teeth were, how bloodshot its evil eyes were.
I turned away and ran to my room, slamming and locking the door. I leant my back on it and tried to catch my breath. I rubbed my hands against my face so it was only when I looked up that I noticed writing on my mirror. It read:
Bloody Mary
Bloody Mary
Bloody Mary
With horror, I realised it was written in blood. If it wasn’t for the freakish cat downstairs, I may have wondered what type of childish prank it was but as it were, I instead closed and locked my window. Except when I looked back, it was gone. I walked over and peered at it. My mirror was wiped clean but suddenly, my eyes started bleeding. I didn’t know why and I couldn’t stop the stream constantly flowing from my eyes. I whipped my cheeks vigorously with my fingers but then they just got bloody. Fear coursed through me as I watched in horror and soon everything was blood and tears. I got my mobile phone off the table and dialled my Mum’s number.
“Hey, honey, are you okay?” My Mum’s warped voice said. I couldn’t manage a reply through my tears and blood but the message got through. “We’ll be home soon.”
I put down the phone and looked in the mirror to assess the damage but suddenly my eyes weren’t the biggest problem. There was a figure behind me. She was in a long white gown with a freshly blood-soaked hem and her eyes were bleeding like mine. Except she looked deadly, she radiated an aura of pure evil.
I turned away and she wasn’t just in the mirror. I screamed in horror and backed away, towards the door. That cat may have been crazed but this chick was holding a bloodstained knife so I took my chances. I sprinted down the stairs, almost tripping over my feet a couple of times but I safely made it down. I made a dive for the pantry and sat in the corner, praying Bloody Mary wouldn’t find me.
I sat in the foetal position out of pure fear for what felt like days. Time stretched on in unbearable silence but at least twice, I swear I saw a sliver of Bloody Mary’s feet from my view from under the pantry door. I nearly collapsed when the front door opened but I was glad I didn’t because it only took me a second to realise it was my parents.
I stumbled out of the pantry and almost winded them with my hug, I was so glad to see them.
“What’s wrong?” Dad said, looking at me with worried eyes.
“There was this cat inside, I saw it sitting on the couch and then it lunged at me and tried to hurt me so I ran to my room but I looked in the mirror and my eyes were bleeding and then Bloody Mary tried to kill me.” I was a sobbing wreck, gripping my parents’ arms for support.
“But Isaac,” Mum, looking straight into my eyes with a frown, “You’re blind.”
Author’s Notes:
Isaac had Charles Bonnet Syndrome which causes visionary hallucinations in someone who has vision impairment.
I've been thinking about writing this one for a while, before I read @poojaa_xo's amazing story, Hidden Beasts but if you like this, you should definately read hers.
-xx
