I raised the glass of water to my lips as I walked down the hallway. The floor creaked as my foot touched the smooth wooden floor. I turned left at the end of the hallway, shivering as it got colder. I’d need to tell Dad to fix the air conditioner back here again.
I set the glass down, wiping my mouth on the sleeve of my shirt. I walked over to my mattress, which was conveniently placed on the floor. My blankets, sheets, and pillows were strewn messily around the room. I sighed deeply, gathering them in my arms and tossing them on top of the bed.
I had woken up a few minutes ago, and had gone into the kitchen for some water to quench my undying, never ending thirst. My throat was dry.
I sat down on the carpeted floor, setting my nearly empty glass down next to me after a final sip. I grabbed my phone, pushing my thumb down on the home button. It was 10:07. I still had plenty of time to clean my room, if I didn’t procrastinate. I set my phone back down, lifting myself a few inches above the ground using my palms and moving next to my bed.
I grabbed the sheets, stretching them over the corners of the mattress. I pulled my excessive amounts of blankets over the sheets, then plopped my stained, dirty pillow that was at least 14 years old on top of the blankets. I took a deep breath, sitting back to look at my masterpiece. It was missing something.
I scanned the room, spotting my pile of stuffed animals.
“Aha!” I exclaimed, lunging forwards. Ignoring the beady eyes of the animals staring at me, I threw them on the bed, humming contentedly. I set them up in the way I always did, flopping onto my side when I was done. Unsure of what to do now, I stared at the wall. The pattern was somewhat alluring, somehow managing to catch my attention and study the patterns of drywall.
Feeling dizzy, I closed my eyes. I rolled onto my left side. I sat for a bit with my eyes closed before opening them.
I cried out in fear. Everything was white, like I was in a blank room. Do you know those silly videos where they edit someone into a white background, endless milky white stretched in all directions? Yeah. A porcelain doll, dressed in an eerie white lace gown with an umbrella, stood before me. It didn’t blink, a creepy smile formed by pale pink lips.
I tried squeezing my eyes shut, but it was worse. Pitch black was everywhere except for a lone spotlight shining on the doll. I opened my eyes again as they got glassy. I was tearing up, my fingers digging into the array of blankets. The doll stared emptily at me. I turned to my right quickly.
What I saw there was worse.
A wrinkled, sickeningly pale woman was mere inches away from my face. I inhaled sharply, scrambling backwards in my bed. Her eyes were pure white, besides bloodshot veins webbing over the surface. She made a low mumbling noise, making raspy breaths through a deflated nose. My lower lip wobbled, my arms and legs shaky. I heard my dog barking in another room, which felt so far..
The woman shrieked without moving her sagging lips, small dots of black forming in the corners and spreading quickly. They filled rapidly, her white eyes now pitch black. Black liquid that looked like ink spilled out like tears, a wailing and whimpering noise echoing in my ears.
I shoved my face into the pillow, shaking as I waited for the woman and the doll to leave.
. . .
Over an hour later, I lifted my head again. The doll and woman were gone, no traces of them left behind. It wasn’t a dream, was it? It felt so real. Tired, I dropped my head and fell into a troubled sleep.
. . .
Finally finding a moment to relax, I grabbed my phone. I texted the group chat with my friends, who exuberantly told me about their new TikTok followers and how their days had gone.
I continued to type, smiling. Maybe it was just a dream.
Oh, if only I could go back and tell past me that something even worse was coming that night.