It started with packing. I hate moving. My parents are in the middle of a divorce, making my stress levels worse than they already are. I live in a two-story house with a big backyard that leads to a forest or creek, whatever you call it.
My mom is packing up our supplies for when we move out. She was done packing the stuff in her room, closet, and bathroom. She was about done packing up the stuff in my baby sisters’ room. I never liked their room. It made me feel uncomfortable anytime I walked near it or was in it. I felt as though I was being watched.
I heard sounds coming from inside of it, and assumed it was my mom packing up the last bit of toys or clothes, logical thinking. I peeked inside and saw nobody. I thought. My sisters had the type of closet that has sliding doors and then inside, a rod across the top for hanging clothes. I thought I saw some clothes that my mom had forgotten to take out when she finished.
I had to squint to be able to see into the closet – I never wear my glasses, like I’m supposed to. Still couldn’t get a clear view of what was there. I walked closer and I saw it. It was a tall, shadowy, figure. Its eyes were white, with no pupil, iris, nothing. Yet I still had the feeling that it was staring at me. I never should have looked into its eyes.
After that, I saw it more often, until I started seeing it every. single. day. I dreaded waking up in the morning because I knew I would see it standing there, at the foot of my bed. Once I sat up, it would disappear. It never did anything to harm me, but that didn’t stop me from feeling uneasy when I felt it there.
It started affecting my everyday life. On the days I would go to school, I would see it standing across the road from my bus stop, the front of the school building, and the back of classrooms. I would tell my friends about it being there, beside them, but they never noticed. They didn’t feel anything or see anything.
The only way I can escape it is by sleeping. I’ve started sleeping during class, which lead to me being sent down to the nurse to take naps from time to time. I sleep after school, I sleep the whole weekend, and I slept as much as I could. Then it started appearing in my dreams, now nightmares.
It’s following me. I’ve never seen it move. It only stood there. I can’t get the image out of my head. When it moves it tangles its body and glitches across the floor, it’s not the best explanation but it’s the only way I can word it. It hasn’t gotten too close, it stays at least a couple of feet away minimum. It moves from the dark corner beside my dresser to the side of the bed that I’m farthest from.
I feel as though it is going through stages of comfort, it only started moving after months of standing around me. Again, months later after the moving stage, it’s getting closer. It sits on my bed. It sits in my bus seat, on the edge. It watches me eat. It won’t leave me alone.
It can run. It doesn’t just teleport in areas like it used to. It stands by my side and then follows me wherever I go. No matter how fast I run around my house to exercise, it always matches my pace. I can’t escape. The only way I’ve ever lost it was when I went on a road trip with my mom and siblings.
It lost track of me when I changed my routine, usually I eat breakfast, then run down the stairs, but this time I just ran. It wasn’t expecting it. I found its weakness. It was too slow. I made it. I just wish I didn’t have to go back home. I’ve kept my same routine, breakfast then stairs, to be prepared when I do escape.
Today is the day. Today is when I run away forever and it finally leaves me alone. I skipped breakfast and ran. I ran as fast as I could. I ran down the road. It was confused, but it stayed far behind me. Or I thought. I looked back and I saw it sitting there, just sitting. I thought it could only match my pace, I looked forward and there it was. It was faster. I hate it. It stood up. This time it was… bigger. Bigger than I remember. It towered over me.
It stared down at me. I couldn’t do anything, I was paralyzed from shock. I just glared back at it. It put out its hand and touched me. It. touched. me. Then disappeared. I don’t know what happened, I hope this doesn’t affect me or ruin me.
I don’t remember seeing it much after the incident. I am still dreading the day that I do see it again, I feel that it won’t end well for me. I don’t feel the need to write about it anymore.
My body feels different. I don’t remember being this short. I don’t remember being noticed by multiple people. I don’t remember looking in the mirror and seeing the reflection of a teenage girl.