My story starts at the age of 14. Prior to this story, my dad’s house was not a very good place to live. There was no gas, one bedroom, if you can picture such a situation I’m sure you can imagine it was not only difficult to eat but difficult to shower. Me and my younger sister would shower at our mom’s every other day. However, everything changed when my dad finally moved.
Our new home was out in the country. Not too far from others, but not nearly as close as they used to be. We had nearly an acre of land now. In front of our house was a beautiful lake, created from an old quarry, dropping 50 feet to the bottom immediately. There were no shallow spots, so I never went near it unless I was with my dad or his girlfriend. It glimmered and sparkled in the sunlight every morning and evening. The sunset behind the house was a sight to see. Like a natural wonder of the world. I would stare in awe every other evening, just admiring the gorgeous sunset.
I was always that kind of person. I took time to enjoy the beauty of nature, since I could never enjoy being around family. I would lay in our driveway when it finally got dark, just for some time alone to listen to music. Music had and still is a huge part of my life. I once told my own mom that music was more important to me than she was. In my defense, I know this sounds horrible but my mother was abusive and narcissistic.
Returning to the point, it was beautiful. I loved our new home. A few things did scare me. Not just the spiders, listening and watching every move you make. Behind our home, just below the glamorous sunset, was a cemetery. It creeped me out. Now because it was a cemetery, but because of the noise emitted at night. On that note, I’m not very superstitious, but I believe heavily in ghosts. I believe that though they are dead, they happen to have a higher intelligence than…regular… humans.
This superstition caused me to believe a video I once saw. Here’s the important information. “…they are heavily attracted to limestone and water.” As you now know, there is the lake in front of our home. It is indeed filled with limestone. For obvious reasons, I had to mention the cemetery.
I feel as thought I’ve wandered from my story. I must return to the point as to not let them catch me. I must move on soon.
As I mentioned before, I would lay on the driveway when it got dark, under the stars. It was just as beautiful, the blanketed comfort of the night, of the dark. The world fell silent when I walked out there. I would normally lay for about an hour, or until my phone died. Either way, I would hear it when I was walking back into the air conditioned house. A slight hiss, as though tires were going flat while a snake crawled around said tires.
I thought nothing of it. What a mistake I had made. I walked inside, wide awake, but relaxed. I walked into my room, shutting the door behind me. Now, nothing happens yet. I always kept my closet door and my curtains closed. Even during the day. I had no space under my bed in which to hide. I walked in and changed into pajamas, grabbed my toothbrush and toothpaste, and went to the bathroom, to brush my teeth before bed, the works.
At the ages of 8 and 10, I gained depression and anxiety. More often than not, at night, I turned off all of my lights and laid in my bed, silently crying or screaming to music to calm me down. That night had been no different. Nothing even happened. This was just the exposition.
Weeks, maybe months later, I saw something in my closet. I wasn’t sure of what it was, but I knew not to touch it. I don’t know if it was just my natural instinct or if something really told me not to go near it, but I listened and I listened good.
I sat in my bed and put my earbuds in, hoping to ignore it. I put on some music to listen to, when I noticed particles floating about my room. For fans of Stranger Things, they looked intriguingly similar to that of which floated around The Upside Down. Creepily floating.
They were not however, they couldn’t be. Stranger Things is just a Sci-Fi show. That was true, but the safe feeling inside of my brain wasn’t the same feeling in my heart, telling me to wake my dad up and run far from that house. I should’ve listened.
As I listened to the songs in my playlist, ignoring the particles, I heard something. “Of course you hear something, you were listening to music.” Is what you must be thinking. I mean something coming from outside. I heard it through my earbuds. It was a growl..or a snarl… looking back, I know I shouldn’t have done this, but I went outside to investigate.
I didn’t do it on purpose, believe me. I don’t know why, but I couldn’t control my legs. I couldn’t stop walking toward the door. As soon as I got outside I saw it. It saw me too. I couldn’t turn to run, I knew that. I opened my mouth to scream but I couldn’t, I tried to run past it, I couldn’t move. I had no escape.
I closed my eyes. Waiting for the bliss of death to hit. But something else hit first. Not me though. It was a gunshot. It hit whatever was trying to harm me, just a second before it got to me. I saw my dad, standing behind the van, which was where it was standing.
I ran up to my dad and hugged him. He hugged back. I didn’t tell him his hug felt different than normal. It kind of hurt, like when you get vaccinated. The needle kind of hurts.
I walked back inside with him, but then I saw him on the couch… and turned to look behind me. WHAT. WAS. THAT.
It wasn’t him anymore. I don’t know what tf I just led back into our home, but it wasn’t my dad. The dog was out of her cage. She leaped at it but it smacked her away as if kicking a rock. She whimpered at she ran over to my dad and started barking, a bark I had NEVER heard. Normally, her barks are insanely loud and high pitched, but this time…it was an even louder volume, and low. She knew she had to protect. She has never even tried to kill a coyote, let alone this creature.
It shapeshifted…it was a tall, slender figure. No face, and missing part of its skull. I would say it’s face was gaunt, but it didn’t have one… I ran to my room. It didn’t dare follow. Instead, it simply disappeared. I didn’t dare go into the bathroom, laundry room, hallway closet, basement, or living room. Not unless it was day.
As for what hurt me when I hugged it, it was some sort of drug. I don’t know what it was. Nobody does. There were doctors and scientists trying to figure out what hurt me so bad, but they couldn’t.
I feel even more depressed than normal when I look in the mirror now. I look at my slender arms, long legs, slim face and torso. I do admire my head though, as now I do not have a face to make fun of. No hair to call me a dumb blonde for being blonde. Nobody can hurt me anyone. If they do, I can simply shapeshift back into this form. I use my first form for obvious reasons though.
Plus, I would never hurt my own family.
I do still wonder what was in my closet. I touched the spot and it felt…numb. I couldn’t feel it.
I do regret touching it now though.
Ignorance really is bliss, huh?