In the Dark

                Powers out again?, Alaina thought as she felt around her couch for her phone. The power had gone out again for the second time that day and she couldn't figure out why. At first she thought maybe it was a downed power line or a problem to do with the power company, but when she went online to check the website there had been no reports of any issues with the company in her area.

                 There it is, she thought as she pulled her phone out from the crack of her couch. The room lit up as the flashlight illuminated her small living room. Her apartment wasn't very big, but it was all she needed. The front door opened into the living room, which connected to the kitchen through a small archway, to the right of the living room was a small narrow hallway that had her room at the end of the hall with the bathroom on the right side of the hall and a closet on the left. Alaina walked to her kitchen and took out a lighter from a drawer. She went back to the living room and lit a few candles to help add some light. Carefully picking up an already lit candle she brought it to the kitchen and set it on the counter, she did the same with another candle and brought it to the bathroom.

              There at least now there can be some light. I think I'll ask Lisa if her power is out as well. A soft glow of light lit up Alaina's face as she unlocked her phone and found her text conversation with Lisa. She began to text her to see if she could offer any advice or answers.

- Alaina: Hey

- Lisa: Hey girl, what's up?

- Alaina: My power is out, 2nd time today. Is yours out?

- Lisa: My power has been fine all day

- Alaina: Have any ideas on what I should do?

- Lisa: Maybe you have a faulty fuse or something? Idk girl, maybe call your dad or the landlord if you can't figure it out

- Alaina: Alright, well thanks, I'll check the fuse box. Talk to you later

- Lisa: Bye!

                 Alaina walked down the narrow hallway to the utility closet. As she opened the door the broom and mop fell, clanging as they hit the floor, in the silence the sound was deafening. Alaina flinched at the sound, I really need to organize this better, she sighed and picked up the mop and broom setting them in the corner of the closet. Once she pushed the vacuum out of the way she was able to reach the fuse box on the back of the closet wall. As she opened the fuse box door it creaked. Alaina looked at all the fuses, flicking each switch back and forth to see if it would offer any solution to the power outage.

                After going through all the switches twice and seeing no change she sighed and closed the fuse box door. Guess that idea was a bust, she thought as she walked back down the hallway to the living room. She plopped down on the couch and wrapped herself in her favorite cozy blanket. I might as well take a nap while I wait for the power to come back on, she decided. Alaina laid down on the couch and put on a podcast to listen to while she fell asleep. Her vision blurred as she started to fall, objects turned into blobs and dark figures, and then complete darkness as her eyes closed.

                Alaina jolted awake, a side effect from the nightmare she had in which a hooded figure was staring at her from across the room, moving closer with every breath she took. As she opened her eyes it took her a moment to realize that she was in fact awake and not still dreaming. The apartment was pitch black, the sun had gone down and the candles had burned out. She pulled her blanket tighter around her, Its so dark in here I can barely see my own hand in front of my face. She picked up her phone to check the time, 10:30pm, that was a long nap, it's late now, and the power still isn't back on. What's going on? And my phone is at 12%, great, she sighed.

                My battery is so low because of that darn podcast, she thought as she turned off the still playing show. She looked around to see if she could see anything, but it was too dark. Maybe I should text Lisa again.

- Alaina: Hey, just woke up from a nap, power is still out, its pitch black over here!

- Lisa: Still out? Wow, you should call your landlord in the morning, maybe it's faulty wiring

- Alaina: Good idea, but for now I'm stuck in my cold, dark apartment\

- Lisa: Don't let the boogeyman get you!

- Alaina: Not funny Lisa, you know I have a fear of people breaking in here.

- Lisa: Sorry girl, try to go back to bed, I have work tomorrow so I'm going to bed, night!

                 Alaina sighed, she looked at her phone and saw it was on 6% now, she locked it and set it down on the couch. As she stood up, she put her hands out in front of her to help her feel her way around. Although, as soon as she took a step forward, she smacked her shin on the corner of the coffee table, "Shit!" she exclaimed.

                 Alaina rubbed her shin, That hurt like a bitch. She continued walking forward, feeling along the wall to round the corner into her slender hallway. As she walked it felt like she was walking into the void, endless darkness. The apartment was silent, any sound made would be heard, she could even hear her leaky faucet in the kitchen. Alaina started to feel uneasy, Stop worrying yourself Alaina, its just your apartment.

                 She opened the door to her room, which felt larger in the void then it was. There was a sliver of moonlight shining in from the window on the far side of the room. The curtain moved softly with a gently breeze coming in. Alaina approached the window, as she got closer, she could see the window was in fact open, just a crack. Did I leave that open?, she began to worry, her heart began to beat faster as she shut the window and locked it. I must've left it open, stop overreacting, she reasoned with herself, breathing in deep and exhaling out slow.

                 She moved to her bed and sat down, I just need to go back to sleep, when I wake back up it'll be morning and this place won't feel as creepy, she decided. Alaina crawled under her covers, the fortress of protection from all things evil, blankets always make situations better. She pulled them tight around her shoulders as she rolled over to lay on her side. Taking deep breaths, she tried not to let her anxiety take over. She shut her eyes tight, hoping to fall asleep soon.

                  Just as Alaina began to fall asleep, she heard a soft noise, a shuffling sound of sorts. She slowly opened her eyes to look around, What was that? Did I hear something?, realizing she couldn't see anything she closed her eyes again. It was nothing, its fine, she reasoned. Then again, a faint shuffling sound, soft but easily heard in the silent room. Alaina kept her eyes shut, her anxiety took over and her heart began to race, Stop Alaina, its nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, she tried to calm herself down.

                 Once more, the shuffling sound, this time closer. Alaina shuttered, she thought she could feel a presence next to her, You're going to turn around and there will be nothing there, everything will be fine, she reasoned. She took a deep breath and slowly turned her body till she was facing the opposite direction. Open your eyes, it'll be fine, 3...2...1...

               As soon as she opened her eyes, she was paralyzed. Staring right back at her was a man in a mask with a smirk on his face. Alaina flailed her arms and legs as she tried to push away from her. He grabbed onto her wrist tightly and held onto her, holding his hand over her mouth. He took out a small blade and held it to her neck, it felt cold. She was terrified. She knew she was powerless to do anything.

"I guess you should've called your landlord about that power outage, little did you know I'm the one who tampered with the wiring, I've been watching you for months Alaina, so naive, always leaving your living room window unlocked just asking for invaders to come in." The man spoke with a husky voice, "The bedroom window being open was just to scare you, I've been coming in here every night through the living room for the past week, planning my attack, and now the time is finally right." 

               Alaina saw the knife glimmer against the sliver of moonlight as he raised it, and then, darkness, the void, there was no more.