At home, Regan was as drown in thoughts as she was in the school. She didn't know if she should tell her aunt or not about the red roses. Monica had lectured her about sleep and about her absence in Mrs. Claire's class.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRsra9Hovrv
But Regan still didn't care about it more than she cared about the roses. She went to her room, expecting a rose, but there wasn't any. She wondered if there would be one in the morning.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVW0PtBujP
She went to the backyard and sat there, watching the wind sway the trees gently. Suddenly, she felt a piercing sensation in her face. She ran her hand over it, and it was the scar that hurt. It was strange because she never remember it to hurt. The sudden pain only lasted for about two seconds and then went away.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCuAjNaA1Ks
Still, her mind was clouded with the never-ending cycle of intrusive thoughts. She didn't know what to worry about first.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpL2hMtyOEr
She went inside and studied in the living room. It was better to change place of study after all. Her room brought up strange vibes.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFj4NYHDxhy
However during her study, she ended up procrastinating. It was all unusual, because whenever she studied, she'd focus easily. These times she found it hard to focus.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT6UqkZF09P
Her mind wandered around at all sorts of matters. It had been just three days and the mysterious man had gotten inside her mind insanely. And the red roses....the fact that someone sneaked in her room, was terrifying.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWZn4A6nme
It was infuriating. Thinking about that....that man nonstop and seeing his icy eyes wherever she closed hers. She had been anxious her whole life, had felt like she didn't belong, and she still did. Her mind was so clouded and foggy that it was impossible to try and find the way out of the maze in her brain.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7FJNLlv0k
Although her aunt cared for her, she felt lonely. Maybe it was because of the cage she had put herself in. Maybe she had isolated herself from certain things and ended up this way. She wasn't sure.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9lwFMUwOC
Her aunt would think her as completely normal, because Regan never told her anything of what she felt and thought. If she did, was pretty sure that Monica wouldn't understand. And of course she didn't blame her. She blamed herself only.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJajC4e1YD
"Dear, you're still awake?" Monica's voice startled her. She was so lost in thoughts, that didn't even notice her.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3stVF7sUUr
"Here are your pills, I bought you milk so you can sleep well," Monica said, putting the tray on the nightstand.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlv1LDR97u1
"Thanks," Regan murmured. It was half past eleven. What a mess. Had she been lost in thought for all this time?
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZwtOMNXdhy
"Goodnight, dear."
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JHD78u1jD
"You too, aunt." Monica left, leaving Regan on the desk. But before leaving, she did give Regan a weird look.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYBgDOFm9e9
She was in mood for nothing, not even sleep. Nothing felt safe. She drank the pill and then as she was scrolling through Instagram, an idea struck her. What if she recorded herself while sleeping?
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRZgmirHhs
She walked around the room and found a good place on the window, so it would capture the view. The phone was fully charged and she put it on record. Using cameras was better, but she didn't have them.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh533ME80ng
She slipped on a pair of pink pajamas, and then just a quick glance on the mirror made her heart race. There was another red strand on her hair. She rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was imagining this.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUibPZYIEq
"Oh, God," Regan murmured.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ71RgVl9j74
She stepped back to her room and fell asleep in her bed.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNjB0tNi2D
***
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtsVTkTuXQH
She woke up in the middle of the night from thirst and realized she had sweats all over her. She did saw that chilling dream, hated that she couldn't escape, and hated even more that the sleeping pill didn't help her sleep.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG0t1SwWaSN
She reached for the bedside lamp and turned it on, only to see something black flashing outside the window within a second. Regan's breath hitched.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuvTiNsJNA
She walked over to the other window to find her phone dead. Her heart was pounding in her ears. "What the hell? How did you turn off?" she muttered, furrowing her eyebrows.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgse8vutPu1
She pressed the power button and well, the battery wasn't drained at all, so it was unbelievable how it turned off. There weren't even videos of recording.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHB04vKJAe3
She slammed the phone on the table angrily, and grabbed it again to see the clock. It was half past two. The room either turned suddenly hot or she was hot, she wasn't sure. She opened the window for some air and leaned against the railing.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaN2f297Ho3
The night was quiet, save for the sound of crickets. The breeze of the wind made contact with her bare arms, making her feel a little cold. She stayed like this for about five minutes, and then went inside again.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhxzpKKSWnT
She didn't want to wake Monica up and decided she'd go downstairs. As stepped down the stairs, a sudden sound made her freeze. The bathroom door slammed shut.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOJ0ql49LB
First, she thought it was her aunt, but seeing the bathroom's lights were off, she changed her mind. Why would Monica keep the lights off?
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWjdldv2h6
She took unsure steps towards the bathroom. She had to say it was night and woke up from some weird dream, so maybe her mind was playing tricks on her. But the sound echoed on her ears, she couldn't have misheard that.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1OhJvS8ByO
She thought again it could've been Monica. Well, what else was she supposed to think to calm herself down? She changed directions and went upstairs, checking if her aunt was in her room.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBkWIk4ZgJd
She tip-toed upstairs and carefully twisted the doorknob. Then, she saw Monica sleeping in her bed. Her heart raced.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnylOwu0cfr
That meant it wasn't her who closed the bathroom's door.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadWm2lvuHb
Then how did the door close itself? There weren't any windows open to let the wind in. And as her paranoic and suspicious nature kicked in, she knew it was something she had to figure out.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIF1Xw0RzEM
When she walked downstairs again, the bathroom's door was still closed. The laptop, which was on top of the coffee table, was taken by Regan to be kept in defense. She didn't know what she was thinking. But quickly, fear was engulfing her.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQeFYGCcHO7
Her heart was pounding on her chest excessively. The beats were very loud in the quiet silence. With a shaky breath, she attempted to steady herself, hoping to dispel the lingering unease.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVry0wnrgb
She twisted the doorknob with the laptop on the other hand. The door cracked open and she turned the lights on without necessarily entering inside. The light key was next to the door.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwt85l0PkHe
But as the lights turned on, there was no one inside. She checked behind the door and saw no one. Not any trace, just an ordinary bathroom.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoepW7mTvZb
"If there was anyone, they had the chance to leave when you went upstairs," she muttered to herself.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNL1yOXGUvp
Stepping out of the bathroom, she left the lights on. And as she did, another sound startled her. It was like plates clicking from the kitchen.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTMCtCTX1K
Her heart leaped into her throat again. She sprinted to the kitchen, but there was no one or anything suspicious. She felt uncertain and unnerving. Maybe she was hearing things for sure now.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHt7sIt0ik
She wandered around the kitchen and living room, but there was no sign of interference or suspect. Still, she was afraid. Maybe she should go back to sleep.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPStjPGQ7Uf
Again, her attention was drawn to some sounds coming from upstairs, from her room, to be more specific. The sounds were just like someone was jumping hard on the ground, banging on it. It terrified her and she felt her breath hitch.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ULD3uQYlh
Finally, she took a deep breath and clenched her fists. What was going on? Was someone in her house? She decided to confront it, to face it. Gathering her courage, she sprinted upstairs to her room. She cursed under her breath for having to deal with creepy things. Her grip on the laptop was tight.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGCxuFt5J2y
She was sure there was something strange going on. As she stepped upstairs again, her room's door was open and the lights were on. She took a shaky breath, her footsteps halting as she entered in. She didn't remember leaving them on.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHyBb9HF9n
No one was in her room, but there were no words to describe how scared she was inside.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwgT9DXmvn
"Regan...."
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWAEN8dwOEs
It was a deep whisper of her name she heard and her heart flinched. No, she shouldn't be afraid, maybe she was imagining that all. But she heard something. And it wouldn't be a lie to say that she even felt a breath on her neck.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRPJXBTmDF
She tried to scream but her mouth seemed like it was chained. She was getting terrified to the core, glancing around the room and seeing nothing. Anger rose within her as well, not standing this nonsense anymore.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2qNfHmpxCY
"What the hell is going on here?!" she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Maybe she was silly or crazy enough to think her house was haunted. She never thought she'd think that. For her, it was stupid enough to come into that conclusion, but what other answer was there to be?
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhEl9BnCNc
She realized she had hit the wall near the bed, still holding the laptop near her chest. She didn't realize she ended up stepping back. And in the middle of the chilling dread, she saw silouette of a black shadow flickering to the wall. And that was it all. She screamed, but quickly covered her mouth to prevent even more. She ran away from her room. While on the stairs, she nearly tripped from passing multiple stairs.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQ0rpVpzHx
She hurriedly and anxiously twisted the doorknob of the main door after struggling hard to put the key in. The fear within her and her heart pounding on her chest, were adding up to clumsiness.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMEzVIGZa26
When Regan finally unlocked the main door, she ended up on the street of the peaceful neighborhood. Well, lately she didn't consider it peaceful anymore. She glanced back at her house and it loomed as if it was some sort of abandoned castle.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0X6YZoM1X
She wished it was all her imagination. After all, she didn't wake up in a lovely state.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmriTkoS7x
When rethinking everything, there was no way she imagined all that. The voice and the shadow terrified her the most. The voice had been masculine and the silhouette was a man's figure. There was for sure someone inside there and she was terrified to think of it.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKK5TVtxUOs
She shivered in the cold and wrapped her arms around herself as she walked as far away as she could. Second by second, she was getting even more frightened. It was night and she forgot her phone and laptop inside.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0K1DcQVbT1
Streets at nights weren't safe. She had walked quite far from the house, although she had no idea where to go or what to do.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8osZIWvOv0
Once she sat down on a bench, she thought of how she left her house and how Monica was still inside. Regan's body trembled when she thought that the 'thing' inside her house could hurt her aunt. Her courage ran out of use, she didn't have the strength to enter her house again.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4DfT9nh5fa
The cops crossed her mind but she didn't have a phone.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcOE5iobPg
What could she do? She couldn't bang on some neighbor's door and tell them she've been hearing sounds and seeing figures in her own house. They would take her as crazy.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4NeJAuvdWg
When thinking about the neighbors, Vesper appeared in her mind.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCZdorwHT0
Her weird friend was her neighbor, who stayed awake at nights and home alone. Regan stood up and took back the way to Vesper's house. It had been weeks since she moved, so she remembered the neighborhood roads very well.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKBBvDvv8V9
As she passed her house again, the lights on the first floor were all off. Fear engulfed her all over again. She stopped looking at her house, and ran to Vesper's house. The lights of this strange house were turned off. Regan hoped that she was awake.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoa96wQCgn
As she knocked impatiently, different thoughts ran through her mind. She knocked again, no response. Why was Vesper taking so long? She felt a knot form in her stomach.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXoI9r3ybO
Her eyes consistently glanced back at her house and prayed that her aunt was alright. But she was also turning around nonstop, eyeing the trees warily. There was a sense of dread about someone watching her, lurking behind the dark woods, wanting to pursue her.
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1M9aiP2Vo9
