I stayed up all night trying to meditate with those meditation sessions from youtube. I stayed up for too long. I didn't realize it was already morning. It appeared I slept in a sitting position. Which I didn't think was even physically possible. And weirdly enough sleeping in that position for that long didn't hurt my back at all.
I take out my airpods from the drawer before standing up from my bed. Some of my stuff were still in boxes, I haven't finished unpacking yet. I reached out for my phone to check if I got any important notifications, but I didn't.
I was kind of hoping Madison would text me. At least to let me know she got home safely. But she didn't. I was somewhat sad about that, but then I understood she was pissed at how I spoke to her. I battled with my conscience trying to decide if I should call her now or talk to her some other time. It was hard but I came to a decision.
'I'll give her a call later.' I'm pretty sure she's still upset. It would be convenient if I go see her to apologize.
I dropped the phone in my drawer and made my way out of my room. I got to my living room and I halted. The image from last night flashed in my head and it made me shudder.
The strange figure wearing a black cloak.
Where have I seen it before, except from last night? I could swear it seemed or looked so familiar and at the same time it didn't.
At least one thing was clear to me, it wasn't someone doing some random cosplay, like I had previously thought.
Rather, it's something or someone following me. And if that was the case…
"Shit!" I muttered as I made my way quickly to my neighbor's house.
What was it doing in her apartment?
Several thoughts swam in my head and I couldn't understand any of it. But if that thing was after me, shouldn't it be in my house? Why was it in hers?
More of 'what was' and 'what ifs', kept swarming my head with no profile answers to them.
I came out of my apartment and slowly started to saunter my way there… I noticed some unfamiliar faces, which I could best describe as were the neighbors. They all wore a sympathetic look.
"Did something happen?" I managed to ask a guy who put on a black t-shirt that was close to where I stood.
"The pregnant woman slipped and fell last night while entering her house. We only heard this morning when one of the neighbors was leaving for work. We called 911, but it was too late. Lost the baby too." The man informed me. He took off the glasses he had on to wipe the tears that were flowing freely. 'They must be close' I thought.
I felt my heart skip a beat for a minute as the information sank in. I wanted to ask the man if this was some sort of prank, but with the look on everyone's face, I could tell it wasn't.
"It's sad that she has no one living with her. Might be a single mother trying to fend for herself. No one was home looking after her."
Another lady chipped in.
"But someone was looking after her", I think to myself. I had seen someone in her house but how on earth was I supposed to say that?
How was I to explain the strange creature?
Doing so I'll have to tell them where I first saw it and I would be implicating myself.
Then they would say since I was the last one with her, I might have likely pushed her.
I quietly excused myself and went back into my apartment.
I stop trying to think too much about what is happening to me and try to navigate through with what I have, with the current, with what it is. It was no coincidence I get to see that creature two times now.
Especially when someone was to die.
I had seen it a few seconds before I touched the man that had tried to rape me earlier. It's also possible that it appeared because she was supposed to slip as soon as she got inside.
Could it be death? Or the grim reaper?
But why was I seeing it? Why am I the only one seeing shit like that? Why do I have this cursed ability?
As much as I hate to admit it, it felt all connected to me. There was no way to describe why I felt this way… Or what the feeling even was. But I could feel it in my bones… I'm somewhat connected to this.
I picked up my phone and dialed a number. I was calling my parents' butler. I was much closer to him than my parents themselves.
He picked up the call on the third ring.
"Hello Miss Aurora"
"Are my parents home?" I asked, getting straight to the point.
"Your mom was home for the past two days, she was down with a fever. But she feels better now."
"So they are home?" I persist with the question.
"No, they are not at the moment. Perhaps you should try calling them?" he suggested.
"They didn't want to talk to me the last time I called. And besides, no one told me she was sick. Why didn't you call to tell me? I would have at least sent her..her favorite snack and a get-well card."
"It is not too late to do that Miss Aurora."
Right. I thought. But I didn't call to catch up on that. I called for something much more important.
"Well, I will.(I paused then continued seconds later) I called to ask you something and I need you to be honest with me."
"Sure ma'am anything."
"Do you have an idea of what orphanage my parents took me from?"
"I don't, should I make inquiries…?" My parents Butler stuttered his words as he kept coughing heavily. He sounded sick.
"Are you okay?" I asked worriedly.
"Yes. Don't worry about me" He tries to reassure me. I took his words that he was fine and went on talking.
"Do you know where my parents kept my documents?"
"Is this about your birth?"
I paused for a second not knowing what that was supposed to mean. Did he know something that I didn't?
"Miss Aurora, if you are trying to retrieve your documents because of how your parents have been towards you, I strongly oppose it."
Oh, I sighed somewhat in relief.
"Oh, no that's not it" I gave a nervous laugh. "There's just something I just need to check… Can you go to their study?"
He said yes, and requested to end the call for a while so he could source out where the documents were kept. And I let him while contemplating if I should tell Madison what I have figured out so far or not…
My phone began to ring, I quickly snatched it and picked up the call on the third ring, when I saw it was my parents' butler.
"Miss Aurora, I found something strange."
Not the information I expected but it piqued my interest.
"And what did you find?"
"I haven't been able to find the documents but I found an under compartment in your parent's drawer with a blue button. I'm not sure what it is. I'll switch to video call so you can see what I'm talking about"
He switches to video call and truly I could see the button. But what was it for? I wondered.
My butler turned the camera, now on his face so he could talk to me. And when he did, I felt my heart skip a beat before it started beating faster than usual.
There was a figure behind him. Apparently, the Butler was squatting so I could not really see the figure properly. But it was so close to him and that was the scariest part. But this time around I won't sit around and do nothing.
"Behind you!" I screamed at him.
The butler turned in panic and unconsciously tapped on the blue button. Immediately his hand pressed it, and lasers came from nowhere and shot him right in the neck.
I stood up in panic making my phone fall. I tried to regain myself from the shock and slowly went to check if what I saw was real. And truly, it was real. The butler was on the floor, the phone tossed to the corner. But it was well in order for me to take a glimpse of the strange figure before it disappeared.