Burning people, roaring wolf, flying white birds, a man with no face, and Avery… looking apprehensive and holding a… weapon? A weapon I can't make sure, but it looks sharp. Then, I felt someone behind me pushing. Before I could look back, however, I found myself falling in a dark abyss.
I don't know if this is a vision, a dream, or a fucked up realm, but my whole body felt like it's descending, and then my surroundings changed. I was pushed from the rooftop, by a guy in a uniform. Though he had no face, his extended palm claimed my sight.
I screamed in fear as I look up at the dark, yet shining sky. The stars twinkles before me, and as I near the ground, I closed my eyes. With that, I fell to my knees as I was brought back to reality.
"Make it stop! Make it stop!" I begged the wicked culprit. I rarely shed tears, and most importantly, I never show myself to others as I cry, but this time is different. The sobbing simply wouldn't stop. My ears are covered by both my hands, and a sea of sweat and river of tears has claimed my countenance.
As the silence consumed the vicinity of whatever realm I ended up in, I had one question.
What have I gotten myself into?
"Joaquin…" Avery's voice suddenly rang in my ears despite having my palms cover it. She's on my left, but I have no strength to look.
I could only ask after a burly cough, "W—What are you?"
"Open your eyes and you'll know."
As the rain came the open window that banged, the wind that wanted nothing more than to announce its arrival also showed itself. And so, it went on, the grass outside flattening in waves that reflected the light and the surface of the river covered in waves as if it were in open water.
I'm not even in game, but the situation I'm put upon has been the most heart-racing circumstance I've ever experienced. I'm still on the ground, cowering in fear before her presence, my ears covered, and my eyes closed. After counting up to 3, I finally heaved and slowly made my next move. Slowly pillaring my hands away and onto my knees, my head turned to my left.
I still have my eyes closed, so by the count of 3, I planned to finally see.
One, I took a deep inhale.
Two, I held my breath until I felt suffocated.
Three, I exhaled and temporarily got rid of my apprehension.
With that, I slowly opened my eyes, but yet again, I'm greeted by the door situated next to me. Other than that and some flying dust particles, nothing else. She's not there.
I turned my head to the other side and then… "Boo."
I let out the most blood-curdling scream ever. I haven't though of having that rage, but Avery's bloodied face, pale complexion, dry lips, and white pupils as she crouches on the ground in all fours really got me crawling away.
I slapped my back the door, yelling for help as I hear the woman speaking gibberish bullshit with a creepy smile. "Help! Fuck… Help! Please…" I begged and banged on the door, occasionally looking at the woman who now had a smile. After a while, everything about her changed and spiraled into the wind as blue specks of shining particles. Then, she retorted back to the image of when I first saw her.
The uniform paired with her snapback and black trousers. Her expression also changed to a soft one, yet my fear remained still. I cried for help and wished to get away from here.
"Yo, you can stop now. I was just messing with you!" She shared, scratching her nape all of a sudden as if everything about her was normal.
"Help! Please, Principal Gourd, let me out of here!"
Avery pulled both her hands up and attempted to move close to me, but I jolted and begged even harder. "Someone! Open this door! Please!"
So, she suddenly stopped with an offended look. "Joaquin, I said calm down. Shit, was I too harsh. I had too much fun, I should've toned it down a notch." She placed her pointing finger on her chin as if in deep thought. "Whatever, at least I now know what I'm capable of."
She threw me a glance and looked enthusiastic more than ever. "So, how was it, Joaquin? Did you like the vision?!"
"W—What are you? Are you a witch?" I nervously asked, not knowing where I got the courage to ask such a question.
She tilted her head and I admit that it made me wince like a fucking coward.
"No, aren't witches supposed to be riding brooms with kinky hair flying at night all the time? Don't tell me I look like that to you!" she jested, squinting her eyes with pursed lips.
"Then… What are you? You're scaring m—me…" Out of all the times I could've stutter, this is the one that makes me all the more nervous. Her face dropped, and in a swift moment, she appeared before me with wide eyes.
I held my breath as my world slowed, absorbing the unprecedented madness.
I dropped my jaw, caught my breath, and screamed internally. I'm not the most religious person, but I'm praying like Virgin Mary. 18 years of existence, and never once did I think about sinister shits.
"I'm your playful phantom, keeping me at your service," she muttered with a smile, and it was my cue to scream even louder than before.
"Ahhh!"
"Hey… Dude, chill…" I heard her coax as my vision blurries. Little by little, my strength diminished and before anything else, I just felt my head thudding on something. Whether it's on the floor or the door, I'm not aware. But I'm sure of one thing, I ended up fainting after witnessing the first-ever ghost I encountered.
"What a coward! Joaquin, wake up!" she exclaimed with obvious worry before everything faded. Ugh, who am I kidding? I'm sure, her concern is… a sham.
…
"Haaa…" I took a big, hefty inhale the moment I gained consciousness, It was so loud and precise that my bed jostled as well as my fingers. White light dominated my sight. For a few seconds, I was out of my wits until I heard a voice coming from my side.
"He's awake! Thank goodness!"
"Joaquin…"
"Call the doctor, hurry!"
My throat ran dry, and my head is still light and dizzy, but I managed to mumble my question.
"W—what are you doing… Where am… I?"
"The sound of a faint smile rang beside me. I tried to turn my head, but it was unfortunately stale that I couldn't move that much. "Lay your head down still. It's not safe for you to be prying around," Jim pushed me a little, and Dominic automatically propped the pillow under my crown.
The resounding footsteps from the open door came next to me. He wore a while coat and worried countenance. "Mr. Joaquin Astley? You're in the hospital for Syncope due to extreme stress and abrupt change in environment," he says while clattering some things on the table next to me.
"W—what?" I asked weakly.
"You fainted."