It was near dawn when Aubrey heard the a creepy noise outside the kitchen door. When she was about to open it, she was startled upon someone's voice.
"Why are you still awake?!" The landlady who suddenly appeared in the kitchens door.
Aubrey gasp after reassuring it was just the owner of the building she live in.
"I feel hungry so I come here to eat..." She explained, though it was just a lie.
The lady noticed the table has nothing on it. So she raise her brows to make Aubrey clarify her actions. Aubrey who was now nervous tremble as she noticed the lady was not easily be fooled by her lies. So she thinks on creating more lie to explain herself for the owner to understand.
"Miss, rules are rules. I told you to not roam around every 10pm to 3am, so you won't disturb your fellow board mates. Or maybe..." Aubrey interrupts the landlady's sermon cause she knew the lady might thought she just arrived after sneaking out in the house.
"The truth is I have these habit of waking up at these hour to eat." She sarcastically said then gave a fake smile.
So the land lady decides stop investigating Aubrey, and slowly close the door to live. When it was not fully closed Aubrey saw a dark hand wrapping around the lady. So she pulled the door back open making the landlady surprised. But she was more surprised to find no one except the land lady herself.
"Miss, any problem?"
"I forgot to ask you if my mom has fully paid my stay here." She lied, of course she should deny to herself from what she saw. It might cause a huge quarrel if she said stupid things like black hand wrapping the lady's shoulder.
The lady thinks deep who would be this young ladies mother. Aubrey just outwit her hence she already knew that the lady was still not familiar with her mom so she again lied, " Oh I remember! I still owes 500" then bids the lady a good sleep. The lady doesn't mind her foolishness. Then closes the door, after that she hurriedly run back to her room. And she was wondering if it's a real ghost or it was just an illusion. She remembers that when you were lack of sleep you will experience hallucinations. So she returned to her old habit surfing online 'til 3 am passed.
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During class many students could tell Aubrey was not alright. Her looks were pale as a dead. The dark shadows on the corners of her eyes makes here look like a masked raccoon. She can't participate in class whole heartedly cause her brain is full of air. Indeed they noticed these after a week of her acting weird. Not just at school but even in the boarding house she live in, her boardmate noticed it too. And she finds Aubrey scary and weird, cause she catches Aubrey staring at her not blinking and with a neutral expression. The land lady also finds Aubrey roaming around and making up excuses and lies when she was caught on the act. Until one of the older on the house asked is she was suffering into some stuff. She was silent cause she doesn't know what to say and she doesn't like having someone worrying about her. So she once again said,
"I might have sleep walk" or it's the habit of her's.
The landlady heard their conversation, so one night when Aubrey starts to sneak out and proceeds to the receiving area on the house she approached her. And starts a whispering conversation.
"Lady Shang... Why are you here?" Aubrey who was surprised on the lady's presence.
"I heard your conversation while ago... I just want to talk to you." The lady replied.
"Was these about the house rules? Cause I can return to my room, right now."
"No... It's not about it. I want to talk to you about the thing you you said, the habit of your's and the sleep walk thing. Cause I don't believe those lies." Aubrey was just silent. The lady seat on the couch and begin to make her spill her secret.
"Tell me miss, are you suffering on something. Thething that makes you not sleep?"
"It's called insomnia." She started. "Actually I was suffering on it for 3 months. I was admitted with that disease, that's according to the person I know who studied these kind of field, the mental health. She told me that my case was insomnia."
"Is that dangerous?"
" Yes if I don't seek professionals to help me cure it."
" Why don't you asked your parents to go to mental clinics?"
" I don't want them to worry. Plus, we don't have enough money. But I know I can handle it myself."
"When did it started?"
Aubrey then sighed. Then begins to reminisce the fresh and faulty event that happened in her life.
"I was on my way home from one of my friends debut when I passed by an old building. I happen to catch a glimpse by the broken windows. Suddenly I saw a lady doing something weird, like offering someone on the devil. It was a young man, because I was too nosy back then I watched the whole thing. But suddenly by a blink of an eye the young man being offered and the lady vanished. It should feel okey but I'm having this feeling. A goosebumps and I know someone was then watching me. So I walked fast as fast as could, but when I stopped, I feel someone passed behind me. And when I turn around I saw the face of that woman. Her looks were very evil and that made me faint and gave me fever. After weeks of that event she approached me on the dream. And was determine to haunt me for disturbing her rituals"
After hearing those, the lady pitied Aubrey. She was just young but already haunted with evil people using their dark magics.
"So you were coursed?" She asked.
"I don't know if it's a course but yeah it feels like that."Aubrey replied.
Suddenly the lady come up with a brilliant idea.
" Miss, do you know what, there was also someone here before who also experience that illness. Even everyone got surprised that he finally overcome his problem. But the truth is he has secret."
Aubrey was now excited and curious about it. "What did he do?"
" He has these book." Then showed the book that she hides inside her cardigan.
Aubrey's eyes sparkled, "I want to end up like him."
But then the lady face fades and is now terrified, " No! I cant gave it to you. The previous owner of these book went missing and I heard from him before that he doesn't finished reading the book. That I must keep it cause he will return. And also that the book has a spell, it makes you dream beautiful and you'll have a good night sleep. But..."
"But? what?" Aubrey asked out of confusion.
" It take souls and locked them inside their dreams." Then gaves a horror look to Aubrey.