The Creek

Part 4

Maria was dozing off on the chair, still holding a book she had been reading to Jenny. The buzzing of her cellphone suddenly made her jump slightly as she opened her eyes. She looked down on the screen. A text message from Amber, her best friend. 

Amber: How is she?  

Maria: sigh, the same. still sleeping.  

Amber: I'm sorry. what did the dr say?

Maria: nothing much. he left a little bit ago. he can't diagnose her unless we take her to the hospital. he wants to run some tests and have her there under observation. but idk. she could wake up any minute! i don't want her to wake up in a strange hospital room. 

Amber: right, i understand. but Maria, she's been out for like what, 3 days now? it's not normal and u need some rest too.

Maria: I know, I know. Well, my sister is coming over soon and then maybe i'll get some sleep. 

Maria gripped the phone in her hand and sighed. Amber was right. She was tired. Tears began falling on her face as she stared at Jenny. She loved everything about her. Her freckles, her curly,  messy brown hair. Her beautiful hazel, bright eyes. But it was her laughter that made her heart melt. Oh how she loved her.

Maria closed her eyes for a moment and remembered what she saw 3 days ago before Jenny collapsed on the floor. She knew she hadn't hallucinated or imagined what she saw. That thing wasn't her Jenny. And it wasn't like anything she had seen before in her life. She had, no, IT  had pale skin, like milky white. Big dark empty sockets where her eyes should have been. Mouth wide with tons of razor sharp teeth that seemed too small but filled her whole mouth. Maria remembered how that thing slowly walked following her. With every step, there was a snap at the hip section. Her neck turned from side to side with each step she took, making the same snapping sound. Then, the shriek! Oh that horrendous shriek that came out of it's mouth. It shattered the glasses and her ears bled from it. 

Maria shook her head, trying to erase the image from her head. It can't be real, she tried to convince herself.  A knock on the front door startled her. Sarah. She thought. She stood up from the chair, but it took her a minute or two to balance herself. She had been overly exhausted, watching over Jenny, not taking care of herself. She knew she needed to eat something and sleep a little. But if she could be honest with herself, she was too scared to sleep. 

Maria walked downstairs and over to the front door. The door was red with glass sections on each side that let in light from the outside. She always peeked through one of the sides before opening the door, but as she did this time, she didn't see anyone. She wondered where her sister was. Hmm....maybe she left something in the car. She thought as she opened it. There was no one on the other side of the door. Maria stepped out, looking both ways. Nothing. Her sister's car wasn't parked on the street either. Perhaps she had imagined the knock? She sighed and walked back in, closing the door behind her. 

She began climbing up the stairs and was almost at the top, when she heard the knock again. Maria stopped and waited. A few seconds later, there was the knock again. She quickly turned and ran down the stairs, back to the door and opened it abruptly. But once again, there was no one. She pressed her lips together, still holding the door handle. "This isn't funny!" She yelled out. She decided she was not going to step outside. No way. She had seen one too many scary movies. So she walked back, locked the door, and waited, with her back to it. Maybe it was just kids. She peered through the glass section of the door and looked around. Nothing.
She sighed again and closed her eyes. 

A loud knock on the door made her jump. But this time, the knocks were heavy, making the door shake with every pounding. Maria started to cry, holding the handle on her side of the door. "Stop! Stop!!" She begged.

The knocks stopped. She quickly glanced through the glass section. Again, there was no one. She kept crying, terrified. A loud scream came out of her daughter's room. 

"Jenny!" Maria cried out and ran up the flight of stairs to her daughter's room. But Jenny was still sleeping, undisturbed. 

Maria then quickly grabbed her phone and dialed her sister. "Please hurry Sarah. I think I'm loosing my mind." 

"Maria, where ARE you?! I went over to the house. There was no one home! I knocked a few times, but no answer. Then I called you and texted you. What the heck is going on!" Sarah was obviously worried. She had never seen her sister loose her calm. Not even after her husband passed away suddenly from a rare brain cancer. Maria was always the strong, collected one. 

"What are you talking about?" Maria tried to fight her tears, but she couldn't hold them back. She was trembling and felt more confused than ever. She sat back on the chair, eyes gazed on Jenny, still holding the phone in her hand, but no longer to her ear. She couldn't hear what her sister was saying anymore. She felt as if she was entering some sort of trance. 

And then she whispered "Help...me".