On their way home, Maryne held Lishawn's hand as they drove home. Arriving, Lishawn could see the stares the neighbours and others were giving her as she began to feel uncomfortable. Their mother ran, jumping as she pulled them both in for a hug. Lishawn struggled to breathe while Maryne avoided the tears and snot that were leaving her body.
They made their way into the house as Maryne took out her phone to call her friends and Lishawn hurried back to her room. Up the stairs, Lishawn started to hear whispers as she looked around but couldn't see where they were coming from. The whispers got louder as she made her way to her room. Touching the door, right behind her ear, a voice she had known mocked her situation as Lishawn rushed in and slammed the door shut. She started breathing heavily as her room grew wider.
I miss you, babe.
She started looking at the corners as Lishawn knew that that wasn't her boyfriend. She heard the wind blow in as she closed the window shut. Turning around, she jerked at the sight of blood drooling down the wall. She moved her hand slowly to the wall as she touched the blood and she could feel its warmth, a figure standing behind her but she was too afraid to turn around.
The door opened as Maryne had a bag on her. "Hey, you okay?" she questioned, Lishawn turning back to the wall and seeing that the blood had disappeared. "Uh... Yeah. Where are you going?" "Out with my girls, we have something to investigate," Maryne said, eyeing Lishawn as if there was an issue. "Are you sure you're okay? I can stay if you want." "No, I'm fine. I'll be fine. Just be careful, this thing is still out there. "Yeah, I know. Don't worry," Maryne said, kissing her sister on the cheek and heading out. Lishawn made sure everything was shut and locked as she nervously unpacked.
"Don't you want to stay a bit?" Maryne's mom questioned, worrying about her only sane child. "Trust me, Mom. I'll be fine. I have to do this - it's really important," Maryne said as the vehicle arrived. Maryne hugged her mom as she took her stuff and headed for the car outside. As the trio drove off, Lishawn watched them leave as the sight of the creature caught her eye and she stood stunned. It stood near a tree as its teeth shone, exposing its hunger with a yellow substance dripping down its mouth.
Lishawn left the window, heading for the dining room as she saw her mom get ready for work. "You're leaving?" "Yes, I have to put food on the table, sweetie," she said, Lishawn's anxiety taking over her. "Can I come?" "What? No. You're old enough to stay here alone and take care of yourself. My gosh, I can't believe you, you don't want to be left alone... What's going on with you, sweetie?" Her mom said, heading for the car and heading for work. Lishawn is eyeing every corner.
The trio continues to go through the old man's records as they arrive, with one exposing his early childhood. "Look, said the old guy, who was adopted after he allegedly killed his parents, although no evidence was found," Sounds like something a creature that lurks in the dark would do," they agreed as the cab stopped a kilometre away. They got out and the cab drove fast away as a mansion caught their eye.
It had open windows everywhere as the doors were locked shut with part of the roof being damaged. "You think that's the place?" "Definitely, let's go," Magdalene said, leading them. About to ring the doorbell, a string set off an alarm as the floor broke open and the three of them flew in as a hidden rope tied around their legs and let them hang upside down. They began to lose blood as a figure appeared and the next thing they knew, they had lost consciousness.
They awoke to a bright light as they couldn't see clearly because of the bright lights everywhere. "Gosh, why is it so bright in here? Did someone steal the freaking son?" Tracey wondered, trying to see where they were. "That's the point," a voice said as an elderly person made his way to them. They finally managed to get their vision and smiled when they saw the old man. "It's you! The man from the newspapers and articles... You're alive?" "What are the three of you doing on my property?" he asked, moving his hand in his pocket.
"I know this may sound crazy or at least offensive - but we think you can help with something regarding a blood thirsty creature?" Maryne said. The old man moved his torch around as he could see that they were telling the truth and laughed when he couldn't imagine that there were actually people who believed him. "Uh, are you okay, sir?" Magdalene asked, worrying. "Okay? I'm jubilant. Finally, someone believes me," he said in joy. "I'll help you guys, just let me untie you... There's a lot you need to know," the old man said, the trio eyeing each other in concern.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
The whispers get louder. Lishawn can't handle this anymore as she gets her phone and heads for the door. She then held her chest when she thought she saw something standing behind the television. She then remembered an old friend and walked there, the place already crowded. Her friend was ecstatic to see her as more of her friends came in for a group hug. "Girl, where have you been? We've been worried sick." "Yeah, we saw you got arrested and were suspected of the disappearance of the kids," they said, constantly questioning her as Lishawn felt like she was going crazy.
"Guys, I understand that you must've been concerned but I really need to crash for a while. I just need a little sleep, okay?" she asked softly, the rest of them nodding. Once she landed on the bed, her eyes shut and she went straight to sleep.
"My friends used to love going on adventures, especially going places far and wide from the city. It was our special bond that made us stronger but then we arrived at a place we thought we could cherish that would only lead to your death...
BACK THEN
The old man and his friends found the abandoned factory and were in shock when they saw its potential. They then made it their sort of tree house as they added all kinds of stuff and had the most fun. It felt like a home for them and they mostly spent their time there until one day, one of their friends heard something from behind a door in the other room.
His curiosity got the best of him as he headed over there and saw a weird, slimy black pipe. He tried picking it up but it was so wet and warm, he dropped it in disgust and tried to head to his friends as the pipe grabbed his ankle and threw him across the stairs. They all stood up as one of theirs grunted in pain. Next thing they knew, a silhouette of a odd shaped being appeared as the lights burst and the thing screeched.
They immediately made a run for it as the thing chased after them. The friend tried standing up but the thing was so fast, the pipe lifted him in the air and the thing jumped at him, devouring him in one bite.
They made it out as they got on their scooters and rode home, never heading back there ever...
PRESENT
"... We thought we had made it out alive but that thing- we only made it mad as it made sure that none of us lived to see tomorrow...
BACK THEN
The old man and his friends went through hell as they were bullied into thinking they were crazy as the creature chased every opportunity to get them. Week by week, each of his friends died horribly with their bodies either missing or their parts disassembled in horrific ways. The old man was the last to be attacked as he was more hurt because he managed to fight against the creature when it attacked him but it had an advantage as it went straight for his parents.
The old man was traumatised to see his mom and dad get consumed as their screams made it worse for him. Their organs were detached and their skin pulled as he could see the look in his mother's eyes as she screamed and when she stopped, the creature took one last bite, cramming them down his throat. The old man immediately ran away as the pipes grabbed his foot and neck. He tried cutting them off but a third one hit the knife out of his hand.
He tried fighting for air but the pipe was too strong as the creature brought him closer and began to open its mouth, the hundreds of teeth beneath with blood dripping down its mouth, clearly exposing that it was his parents. Just before the creature could get a bite, flashing lights from a car shone on the thing, dropping the old man quickly as it roared and instantly disappeared, the old man catching his breath and trying to grasp what just happened.
The people came out and car and took the old man in as they drove off with him, gazing at his house and tears flowing down his face as he couldn't believe his parents had been killed, jumping back when he saw the creature stand behind a streetlight and vanish into the shadow of the pole.
As life went on, the creature never gave up on the old man when he was young, chasing every chance it got but the old man knew its weakness and managed to survive, carrying his flashlight everywhere he went until it figured out that the creature had finally left him alone.
But when he had his child, he had to leave the mother with his offspring as it made its return and threatened to kill his family, the old man relocating to the current house and remaining vigilant to become so cautious, he always left his light on when he slept and never allowed the smallest pinch of darkness touch his surrounding areas, ever...
PRESENT
"... And I'm still learning its ways because I can see it. It's red eyes. Watching my every move, to see if I'll ever fumble and give it the chance to enjoy every bite of me," "But how sure are you its weakness is light," "Because if you haven't noticed, it thrives in darkness. Shadows. Corners. Places where it's absolutely dark and no chance of light, expect it to appear and one thing about this THING! Once you become its target, it's never going to give up until it kills you. If there's anyone out there being hunted by this thing, they are in danger," the old man said as the sun began to set and his instincts made him turn on every light in his house, the trio squinting their eyes to the surprise light.
"We should go. Thanks a lot, sir," "Be careful, girls. This thing has only one weakness and it even knows how to overpower it and when it does, it becomes dangerous and imminent to stop," he said, pushing them out as they saw through this window how he turned on all the lamps, torches and flashlights across his house, amazed and concerned about what the creature did to him.
"We'd better get back, I need to make sure Lishawn is okay," Maryne said, the trio catching the bus.
Lishawn awoke to quiet as she got up and searched the place. Nobody. She then tried going outside but the door would not open as she tried heading to the balcony but stopped when she saw someone standing still. She gasped when she saw her boyfriend cry while holding his hands to his face. "Why won't you join me, Bae? WHY ARE YOU AVOIDING ME!?"He yelled as she tried running up the stairs but halted when she saw all her friends who died at the factory stand walk down the stairs.
She began to breathe fast as she tried running for the balcony door but the voices of her friends got to her head as she pressed her hands against her ears.
COME WITH US! JOIN US IN ETERNAL FREEDOM, LISHAWN!DON'T YOU MISS ME BAE!COME! IT'S WARM AND NICE HERE!
She tried tuning them out but they were loud as Lishawn's heart dropped when she heard a familiar voice.
Come on darling, don't you miss me?
She looked up and saw her father. Bruised and injured, just like the day she saw him after the accident. He moved slowly limping towards her as she couldn't grasp all that was happening.
You're the reason I'm here, sweetie. Come with me, join me
He said reaching out his hand as she stood up steadily and once she held his hand, she said the following, "FUCK YOU, MOTHERFUCKER!" and used the vase to smash against her father's neck. Everyone screamed as they all held their necks and the room began to vibrate. All of a sudden their bodies were dragged to her father's as they joined together and morphed into a black figure where red eyes appeared and a tail as Lishawn immediately ran but the tail grabbed her and hit her against the wall.
She grunted as the creature moved near her face, roaring. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" She exclaimed. It didn't hesitate as it's mouth began to open and her father and boyfriends hand grabbed her legs and started pulling her in its mouth as Lishawn moved furiously but she could then feel the heat in its mouth as she started crying and just as she remembered, she took her finger and slammed it against her throat as she hit her gag reflux and threw up black liquid as she looked up and saw everyone gazing at her.
Breathing heavily, she grabbed her stuff and ran home as her friends tried to stop her but she moved fast, leaving without saying goodbye. Arriving at home, Lishawn locked her room's door and turned on her lights, lying on her bed as she was shaking moving back and forth, wiping the tears with her shivering body.
She then looked at the one corner and backed up when the same red eyes appeared and now with white multiple teeth, grabbed her phone and left the flash facing the corner. She had become paranoid. Checking every corner and making sure no source of light is turned off.
She then realised that she feared the dark.