Autophobia

Chapter 7: Silhouette of a Woman

AUTHOR'S NOTE: There's self-harm in this chapter- it's not intentional but it's self harm. Please be aware. 

Charlie both pondered and loathed the two small blue pills in her hand. Her boyfriend was arriving early the next morning to prolong their time together- if she took the pills, she'd be disoriented and cranky. If she didn't, she'd be disoriented and paranoid. At least, she assumed that would be the effect. She hadn't been without them since before she'd started taking them. She put the pills back in the bottle and strode defiantly back to her room, closing her door but not locking it. If she did, her father would pound on it until she got up.

Much to her surprise, her eyes grew heavy after just a few minutes of lying down. She pulled the quilt around her body, excitement for the next day building in her mind. Despite the lack of medication, she fell into a deep sleep, only waking up when she felt her father shaking her.

"Charlotte?"

"Mmmf." She acknowledged, looking up at him with glazed eyes.

Henry stroked her forehead with his thumb and then left as quickly as he'd arrived. It took her a few minutes to relax again, but she fell into another dreamless state. She wasn't sure how long she'd slept when she woke up next- her digital clock was flashing 2:01 repeatedly. Rain was falling roughly against her window and thunder shook the house's foundation- storms like this were common in Hurricane and had inevitably knocked the power out. Thinking nothing of it, she rolled over just as the door creaked open.

"Yup." She said automatically. There was no response, only soft footsteps. He was probably going to shine his mini flashlight to verify that she was indeed conscious. Charlie braced herself for the light that never came. Instead, she opened her eyes to the darkened outline of her father. At least, she assumed it was her father.

"Dad, it's okay-" She picked up her cellphone and flipped it open. The backlight didn't reveal Henry- it revealed something far more sinister. It was a yellow animatronic with a gaping jaw and a torn chest cavity. Whatever it was, it recoiled when struck by light. She heard the haunting melody of the music box yet again, and with a flash of lightning the creature was gone. Charlie didn't realize she was hyperventilating until her chest started to hurt. Kicking the covers off, she made a beeline to the bathroom, her phone's screen serving as light.

She fumbled through the medicine cabinet fruitlessly, her shaking hands knocking down everything she touched. She found the bottle at last but only succeeded in spilling its contents all over the tiled floor. Then she saw it out of the corner of her eye- It's me. The words were scribbled all over the walls in an ink-like substance, fluctuating between a large font and a small one. The hallway window shattered-she heard it and felt the rush of wind and rain fill the house. There was the terrible sound of howling wind, and then skittering sounds. Pieces of paper were covering every square inch of the hallway and bathroom floor, caught in a vicious updraft. Charlie closed her eyes and stumbled into the hallway and pressed her face against the cool, smooth surface of the wall, hoping it would turn into her pillow.

The papers began slicing at her flesh, leaving microscopic cuts and stinging her. She remained pinned against the wall but opened her eyes, shielding them with her forearm. She became aware of the silhouette of a woman looming by the window, her features blurred and skin chalk white. Somehow, her first instinct was to walk towards the woman. The papers swarmed her as she pushed forward towards the window.

"Charlotte? Charlotte!" In the blink of an eye, the hallway brightened and Charlie was standing with her hands gripping the windowpane. She whirled around to see her father, frantic but tentatively walking towards her. She could feel a cool breeze licking her face- the window wasn't smashed but was wide open. The papers were nowhere in sight. After steadying her and pulling her away from it, Henry slammed it shut. Charlie covered her ears, her pounding headache returning.