I jumped up out of my sleep drenched in sweat and gasping for air. I’d just been awaken for the 5th night in a row from a nightmare of me being choked. Except when I would look it was just pitch black nothing there but the hands felt so real. I decided to get up for a quick restroom trip and to splash some cool water on my face. I open the door to my room walking towards my bathroom. I hear my dad pacing back and forth in the kitchen whispering something but I couldn’t hear the words. I watched him for a few seconds pacing back and forth in the dark continuing to whisper inaudibly. “Dad why are you in the dark are you okay? I just had one of those nightmares again” I called out to him. I couldn’t hear his response as I rushed into the bathroom cause nature was screaming at that point. I do my business flush wash my hands and splashed the cold water on my face. I glance up at the mirror and smile at card my dad had given me when I moved out.
He’s always so supportive. I glanced at my reflection and immediately froze. I noticed two large handprint shaped bruises on my neck and a long fresh scratch right under each shoulder blades as if someone with hands too large to be human had been choking me. As I observed the bruise I froze as a terrifying reminder popped in my head…I moved into my new apartment last weekend. I live alone. So who or even worse what had I seen pacing the kitchen. All the lights went out at that moment I felt it’s presence before it spoke in a bone chilling voice, “You’re not like the last one, you’re nice with a beautiful soul I can smell it, so I’ll give you 15 minutes to leave and never return because next time” the lights flashed back on revealing a horrifying creature so tall it was hunched over peering down at me with a razor sharp toothy grin. It licked its lips excitedly before continuing, “ I won’t be able to stop myself from eating you limb by limb and sucking that delicious soul out of you”. I was out the front door before he even finished the sentence. I left everything and never looked back and tried to forget it and I almost did.
I was scrolling on my phone in my parents living room while they watched the news: “A gruesome discovery indeed, 22 year old tenant was found dead. Her arms and legs were ripped off. Investigation is still ongoing cause of death is undetermined. Landlord said she’d just moved into unit 156 the weekend prior…. I couldn’t hear anything else instantly filled with dread. That had been my unit. Could it really be- My thoughts cut off at the reporters next words “it seems the killer left a message that nobody can seem to make sense of” The camera turned to a wall with words written in blood I heard my mom and dad both gasp in horror. The message read: See what happens when you don’t take the 15 minute head start.
It’s been 5 years. I’m still living with my parents and finally saved up enough money and courage to try moving on my own again.
“Sweetie you have a package”! My mom yelled. I jogged down excited I’d been waiting a shipment of marvel comics so I quickly ripped the box open and immediately heard blood curdling screams…I realized they are my own as I looked at the hundreds of pictures of me sleeping showering etc but the note is what made me pass out…15 minutes are up I’m comingggggg! It read.