I was cold. Death. Am I dead? Wake up! Get up! My brain was screaming at me, but I couldn't move as if my body was glued to the floor beneath me. My head was pounding severely. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around from my position. It was dark; I knew that much. After fighting the urge, I pulled myself up by my elbows, looking around the room. I saw nothing to fear as I stood up slowly. Something isn't right here… I quickly realized I was in my house, but it wasn't my house, and I didn't see anyone. "Mom? Dad? Anyone here?" I was scared and visibly shaking. "What the…" I trailed off as I tip-toed quietly to the drawer underneath the sink, fiddling for a flashlight. Grateful I found one, I flipped it on and shined it around the room. The room was cold, as if someone had left the A/C consistently running for days.
Shining the bright light around the room, I knew where I was. I shined the time on the clock and the date on the wall to confirm my suspicions. "May 10th, 2022; 3:45 pm" Time stood still, and I found my parents at this time, a time I will never forget. I turned around, shining the light on the stove to see the leftover breakfast from that morning still not put away. The air still hinted at the maple bacon mixed with my mother's favorite vanilla perfume. I'm not scared. I had to keep reminding myself of that, but I knew I needed to be strong. I needed answers. Am I dreaming? As they quietly crept into the living room, my feet seemed to have a mind of their own. I took note of the chilling space. It was frightening and cold. There were times of laughter on the couches and dining room table near the back window. Nothing was here, almost as if it had been abandoned for centuries and yet, completely spotless.
I called out again, Frantically moving my flashlight into every crevasse of the room. This house had four rooms, two bathrooms, and no stairs, thank goodness. Every room I crept through was as empty and cold as the last. What am I doing here? I flashed towards my mother's old bedroom again, taking note of all the light particles surrounding me. Taking a deep breath, I walked toward her room, and the sound of the door kicking in through and glass shattering made me jump out of my skin. I turned swiftly, shining my light towards the back door, and I heard a scream coming from my mother's bedroom. "Jacob! Help me! Someone help me!" I gulped and ran into her room, nearly slipping on the puddle of blood dripping from the door frame. The pool was getting bigger, and all I could do was stand there in disbelief and disgust. The urge to scream my head off was there, but I couldn't seem to open my mouth.
I shined my light around the room, down to the bottom of my white cross-trainers to the bases covered in bright red blood. I nearly stumbled over in shock and had to put my hand over my mouth as the smell of fresh blood and decay almost swallowed me. I turned my head away as the tears began to blur my vision. I sat against the wall adjacent to my mother's room and let my head fall between my legs as the tears started to fall. I don't think I can do this. I shouldn't be here. After taking a moment to cry it out, I lifted my head slowly, took a deep breath, and stood up from the wall.
"Alright, let's see what else we can find." I walked out of the hallway back towards the front living space. I shined the light around the empty spaces again, my red-stained shoes creeping from one room to another. My mother's screams for my dad were still ringing in my ears as I was stopped dead in my tracks by another chilling scream coming from the kitchen. I shined my light towards the back door and could see the stream of fresh blood pouring into the hardwood living room floor. I heard a screeching scream again, this time as if it was right in front of me; "Get out of here! You don't belong here! Someone help!" I put my hand over my mouth as the flashlight slowly slipped from my fingers, sweat and tears pouring from my eyes and face.
I strolled into the empty kitchen, shining my light to ensure nobody was around to cause harm. "Hello? Anyone here?" I yelled out as I walked around the island to see a constant stream of blood painting the remains of my trainers red. I gagged at the smell. I shined the light toward the tile floor and saw the spatter of patterns and brain matter scattered at the bottom of the cabinets and appliances. I couldn't breathe. I dropped my flashlight and screamed at the top of my lungs, breaking down on the granite countertop. Mom, Dad, who did this to you? I need to wake up now! Wake up, Juniper! Wake up! Get us out of here!
"Like what you see?" A dark and senseless voice around me made me stop, and I froze. "Your parents put up a brave fight, you know." So cold. So evil.
I turned around slowly to face a tall figure dressed in all black and no face whatsoever. I slowly picked up the flashlight and shined it at him directly. His voice was unfamiliar to me; it was disguised as something else. "What have you done? Who are you? This is foul!" I spat out angrily, my hands shaking fiercely again. He said nothing as he plopped down on the granite countertop above me. He tapped the tip of the long 9-inch chef's knife, dripping slowly with my parents' blood. I had no idea who or what this thing was. He stayed silent for a moment before speaking up.
"You will never find me, Juniper. Stop looking. I am nowhere, and I am everywhere." He jumped from the counter and walked towards me, grasping the weapon behind him. "I win. I always win." His words pierced through me. By a wave of anger, I lifted my hand to strike him and was met with a sharp pain in my abdomen. A pain I had never felt in my life. The pain repeated multiple times more until the last forced me to shriek. "Why…" The figure moved my tear-stained head up to look into his exposed dark-filled eyes swam in a blue sea.
He bent down to my ear, whispering to me as the blood began to pound in my ears, and I could feel myself getting weak at the knees. I was scared, and I did not want to die here, and I do not want to die here. I want to go home, and I want out of here. Please get me out of here. "Oh, Juniper," He said as he shoved the long-winded knife further into me.
"You know me. You may not know it yet, but you know me very well. If I were you, I would just stop looking. Everything is right before you and had you listened to everyone and stayed out of my business, your parents would be here, and you wouldn't have had to spend the first day of summer break attending the funeral with the rest of this shitty town. You would have never seen it coming, had you listened like a good girl. This is your fault, and I am not going anywhere until I break you into nothing. I am a constant reminder of everything you lost. Remember that." This is all your fault repeatedly echoed in my head as I was pushed into the countertop. I gasped for breath. Do not give up now! You can fight him! You can get out! I was becoming weaker by the second, and I couldn't move.
He laughed then and pushed me to the ground, climbing over me. "A pity." I couldn't breathe. My chest was compressed as if someone was standing on top of me. "Go to sleep, bitch. I'll see you again soon." The shape was the last thing I remember looking at before the overwhelming pain took me back into the darkness again.