Peekaboo, I'm Still Here.

Regret.

"I'm still here.." The shrilling whisper got deeper and deeper, cutting through the tension of the air. The voice was familiar, yet firm and unrecognizable. Lila couldn't figure out why it was haunting her, so many years. Her eyes shut, hoping to disappear. Hoping the voice was all just a nightmare. The mumble of chants she learned off the Internet escaped the softness of her lips. The voice kept repeating the same statement, ringing louder to softer, softer to louder. She wanted to rip her ears out and throw them to the rivers.

The noises got louder with each step she took. Her route was to get out of the room as quickly and safely as possible. Her feet fumbled through the dark, the coldness of the walls against her palms. Her breathing quickened, feeling trapped. Where would she go? Where could she go? "Don't even try to leave pretty lady.." The voice was harsh and rough against her ear drums, causing her to shut her eyes. Suddenly she froze, the air still but chilly. The bumps on her arm rose as she found herself shivering a bit. The chatter noises.. The sound of teeth clicking against each other, she tried to conceal.

One.. Two.. Three.. She counted over and over again. The voice had officially died down and the air was returned to the warmth that she loved. The chattering stopped, the goosebumps vanished. Her eyes slowly opened as she felt for the light switch. The room was soon illuminated with the flourishing light of the bulb from the ceiling. She blinked about four times, trying to adjust herself to the newly brightened room. It was as if everything was normal again. But still, she wished to leave.. Free herself of the room.

Slowly and cautiously, she began to walk towards the door. Perhaps she had just imagined it all, none of that could really happen. Maybe she was just sleeping walking or maybe her imagination was on it's wild side. Her finger tip didn't even get to touch the door when a sudden burst of the window collided into her room. The room flashed.. Dark to light, light to dark, dark to light, light to dark. The tiny shards of glass glistened on the floor against the late night moon. Frantically, Lila looked around to see what to do. A locking sound caught her attention, someone had locked the door.. She was officially trapped.

'Your secret is not safe with me..' Was written out in the dark, dripping liquid against the white bedroom walls. Someone knew.. They knew what she had done. The memory of that night quickly flooded back to her. The wet tree leaves splattering against the top of her head. The musky air that surrounded her. The screams and threats from the person who stood before her. And the most fearful few seconds of her life. The black handle that held the silver sharp blade that fell to the floor. The last few shrieks before dead silence. The sticky, stained liquid that left residue between her fingers and on her palms. The way it fell onto the clean, wet green grass beneath her. His regretful, staggering eyes that forever stared at her, the ones that would haunt her for the rest of her life.

The earth seemed to spin in rapid circles, everything seemed blurry. The shrilling screams echoed through the deep woods. The blood on her body was visible by the moonlight. What would she do? Cry.. Laugh.. Scream, smile? Emotion held no place in her at the moment. She killed him.. She had committed a murder. Yes.. He was about to shoot her. The way the cold nozzle of the gun was placed against her right temple. Yes, he threatened to murder her family if she broke up with him. When he noted the location of every single of her relatives it made her heart skip one too many beats. But still, that was no excuse for the damage she had done.

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Lila jolted up and out of bed as the alarm rung repeatedly into her ear. Her breath was hitched, her bed soaked with sweat. Her finger tips gently touched the wetness of her cheeks. The mirror on her bed stand reflected a broken soul, a girl whose eyes were bloodshot. It was no longer Lillian Smith that stared back at her. It was the vile, disgusting soul that murdered someone. She wished that all of it were just a nightmare, not just the part of being trapped in this place. Her bedroom.. The place where she last told him she loved him. The place where she had officially broken up with him. His soul was after her and she was in trouble.