In the hushed stillness of the night, Evelyn found herself entangled in a web of restless thoughts. The anticipation of Jane's return gnawed at her, a persistent itch beneath her skin. She reached out for her phone to connect with Jane, only to be met with a stubbornly unresponsive device that had mysteriously died and refused to charge. The room, shrouded in darkness, offered little solace except for the comforting weight of her Professor's jacket draped across a nearby chair.
As sleep gradually enveloped her, Evelyn felt a strange surrender in her muscles, a yielding to an unseen force that ushered in a familiar sense of paralysis. This sensation, a recurrent visitor in the corridors of her nightmares, triggered an unsettling uneasiness. The blanket, once a source of comfort, now felt like an oppressive hand pressing her down into the mattress. "Let go!" she hissed inwardly, her jaw locked in the grip of the paralysis.
In the midst of this nocturnal struggle, the lingering shadow emerged once more, a dark wraith from the recesses of her subconscious. 'Why is this happening again? I could have sworn I didn't touch that plant thingy again!' Her thoughts raced as the shadow crept closer, causing an ache deep within her core. The voice, more distinct this time, whispered disturbingly close to her ear, taunting her with promises of dubious pleasure. "Shall we have some real fun tonight? No exploring this time?"
To Evelyn, it became evident that this was not the familiar hallucination induced by the plant. The voice persisted, and a cold palm pressed against her inner thighs, as if warding off the encroaching cold from seeping into her insides.
"Get off me!" she demanded, her voice carrying an unusual stiffness, breaking the silence that had held her captive for so long. For the first time, she found the strength to resist the shadow's advances. "Oh, so you speak now? The raw pleasure I'm about to give you will make you do more than just speak," the voice taunted, a disconcerting breeze that sent shivers down Evelyn's spine.
"I said get off me!" she resisted, but the shadowy hands were relentless, tearing off her panties, leaving her exposed and vulnerable. Before anything more could unfold in this dark dance, the door to her bedroom burst open with a deafening crash. The shadow, startled by the intrusion of light, vanished instantly, leaving Evelyn breathless and free.
As the room bathed in the glow of the outside world, Evelyn hastily pulled the bed sheets around herself, a makeshift shield against the horrors that had threatened to consume her. Her gaze, now alert and searching, fell upon the dog standing in the doorway. Its eyes, steady and almost human-like, offered a sense of reassurance.
"Gosh! I almost—I almost got..." Evelyn's voice choked on her words, tears streaming down her face as the weight of the ordeal bore down on her. "I'm so scared! I want my mom! I want to go away from here! There's no hallucination! There's a real-life thing following me in my sleep! I'm so scared!"
As she cried out, the dog maintained its distance, a silent guardian witnessing her vulnerability. The night air was charged with a mix of fear and relief, a volatile cocktail that lingered in the room like an unspoken echo.
For a while, Evelyn allowed herself to be consumed by the waves of fear and sorrow that crashed over her. The dog, still in the doorway, didn't inch closer, maintaining a watchful stance. As her sobs subsided, Evelyn wiped her eyes, her breaths shaky but composed.
"I'm going to take a bath. I feel disgusted by myself. You stay here and watch out for anything sneaky, okay?" she communicated to the dog. Its head nodded slightly, a tacit acknowledgment of the unspoken pact between them.
Evelyn entered the bathroom, leaving the door slightly ajar, a precautionary measure against the ever-lingering unknown. The dog, respecting her need for privacy, turned away and gazed out of the window, its attention diverted from the woman who sought refuge in the cleansing waters.
The steam from the warm bath curled around Evelyn, creating a cocoon of solitude and self-reflection. The events of the night swirled in her mind like a tempest, and with each droplet of water that fell from her skin, she tried to wash away the residue of fear and violation that clung to her.
The dog, stationed in the doorway, remained vigilant. It was as if a silent understanding had been established between them—the unspoken recognition of shared vulnerability and the need for protection.
As Evelyn submerged herself in the water, the echo of the shadow's chilling voice still lingered in her ears. "Shall we have some real fun tonight? No exploring this time?" The memory sent a shiver down her spine, and she scrubbed her skin with a determination to cleanse not just the physical remnants but also the haunting echoes of that otherworldly voice.
In the dim light of the bathroom, with the dog keeping watch and the water offering a temporary sanctuary, Evelyn felt a renewed sense of strength. The bath, though unable to erase the scars of the night, provided a respite—a moment of reprieve in the ongoing battle against the unseen forces that sought to invade her
After luxuriating in the warmth of a long shower, Evelyn emerged from the bathroom, the tendrils of steam dissipating around her as she wrapped a plush towel around her form. The damp tendrils of her chestnut hair clung to her shoulders, glistening in the soft light of the room. With purposeful grace, she tore away the bed sheets that bore witness to the night's turmoil, casting them aside like a discarded shroud. In their place, fresh linens adorned the bed, a silent proclamation of a fresh start.
Outside, the dog maintained its vigilant post, its eyes unwavering as if attuned to an unseen rhythm in the air. The night had unfolded in inexplicable ways, and now, in the aftermath, a newfound tranquility filled the room.
Evelyn, with a brisk efficiency born of both exhaustion and determination, completed her bed-making ritual. The dog, sentinel of the night, observed her actions with a quiet curiosity. Once the task was complete, she tiptoed towards the furry guardian, seizing it from behind in an impromptu embrace. "Gosh! If you weren't here, I would not be like this now! I love you so, so much!" she exclaimed, her gratitude manifesting in a tight squeeze that momentarily left the dog frozen in surprise.
"Grr–" The dog emitted a mild protest, its annoyance overshadowed by Evelyn's effusive display of affection. She paid little heed to its vocal displeasure, overjoyed by the comforting presence of her loyal companion. "Okay! Come on! From now on, you will sleep here!" she declared, pointing decisively at the bed.
The dog responded with a quizzical noise, a canine query seeking to understand the sudden change in its sleeping arrangements. "What? You have to be here at all times! I need some rest, and I don't want weird things around my house anymore. If I had known that sending them away was this easy, I would have bought a dog ages ago!" Evelyn proclaimed, crossing her arms, still clad in her towel.
"Now, get your ass on the bed! It's not every day I let anything crawl into my bed! You are the first one I am letting on there!" she declared with a hint of playful authority. The dog, initially prepared to place its paw on the bed, hesitated at her proclamation. It seemed to contemplate a strategic retreat, but a stern glare from Evelyn left it with no choice but to comply. With a tentative ascent, the canine companion gingerly acquainted itself with the mattress.
As Evelyn boldly joined the dog on the bed, the canine withdrew slightly, as if suddenly apprehensive of sharing the space. However, her reassured demeanor soon put the dog at ease. It tentatively rolled into a sizable blob on the mattress, occupying a considerable portion and leaving little room for Evelyn. Undeterred, she settled in, finding solace in the shared warmth of the bed, despite the dog's momentary hesitations.
In this peculiar alliance forged in the aftermath of a night fraught with shadows, Evelyn and her newfound canine companion navigated the unspoken understanding that now defined their shared sanctuary. As sleep beckoned, the room echoed with the soft sounds of their breaths, a harmonious lullaby against the backdrop of an eventful night.