I startled up in a sitting position, my heart racing with the remnants of fear still coursing through my veins. Frantically, I scanned my surroundings, half-expecting to find the menacing eyes of the predator lurking in the shadows of my room. Yet, all I encountered was the familiar sight of my mundane wardrobe bathed in the soft glow of morning light.
As the sun's rays invaded my sanctuary, I shifted in my bed, seeking refuge from both the intrusive brightness and the relentless pounding of my bedroom door. The rhythmic banging echoed in my ears, a stark contrast to the eerie silence of my dream.
Bang bang bang...
Slowly, the realization dawned upon me: what had felt so vivid and terrifying was nothing more than a figment of my imagination, a nightmare born from the depths of my subconscious. But try as I might, I couldn't shake the lingering unease that clung to me like a suffocating shroud.
The memory of those haunting eyes, their transformation into pools of fiery red, haunted me still. It was as if a primal instinct within me recognized the danger they posed, triggering a visceral reaction that left me trembling in their wake.
And then there was that fleeting glimpse of white, a detail that lingered on the fringes of my consciousness like a half-remembered whisper. Could it have been teeth, bared in a predatory snarl? The thought sent a shiver down my spine, leaving me to ponder the true nature of my unsettling dream.
"Rose Blair Gabrielle, get up! It's already 8 am, you're going to be late for your flight, again, if you don't get your skinny ass out of that bed. Now!"
My aunt's frantic voice sliced through the haze of my thoughts, dragging me back to the harsh reality of my morning. Groaning inwardly, I reluctantly peeled myself from the comfort of my bed, the remnants of my unsettling dream still clinging to the edges of my consciousness like cobwebs in the corner of a neglected room.
Oh joy.
As if the day wasn't already shaping up to be dreary enough, now I had my aunt's scolding to look forward to if I missed yet another flight to the infamous "Painesville." Just the name alone was enough to evoke a sense of dread, reminding me all too well of the tumultuous past I'd left behind in my hometown.
While most people tend to get all sentimental and nostalgic about the town or city they were born and raised in, or simply spent most of their lives in, I find myself harboring anything but fond memories of that place.
It's almost as if that town has a knack for bringing nothing but death and chaos upon the Gabrielle name.
Yet, despite the seemingly cursed nature of our family's connection to the town, the Gabrielles have never turned their backs on it. We played a significant role in building it, and we remain committed to its people. However, it's hard to ignore the grim reality that every member of our family has met their demise within its borders, all through tragic accidents, leaving them six feet under the same ground they once called home.
The curse — if I dare deem it as such — stretches to the point where I might very well be the last Gabrielle standing.
Unless there are some potential hidden offspring from the Gabrielle escapades that once captivated the town, long before my time. Perhaps my great-great uncles or granddads weren't as dull as they seemed.
They certainly knew how to stir up gossip and intrigue — and let's face it, every small town thrives on a bit of scandal, especially when it's no bigger than a few city blocks and boasts a population about the size of patients in an asylum; always growing, yet never diminishing, yet never spilling over either.
There's not much about that town that I care to remember, but if there's one fond memory I can recall, it's of my one and only best friend.
Despite being separated since childhood, our friendship endured through phone calls, internet chats, and occasional visits—mostly initiated by her.
Apart from those fleeting memories, I have only a handful of hazy recollections of what I assume to be my parents and me as a family before that fateful day.
Since then, everything changed. Not just for me, but for everyone in town.
And now, reluctantly so, I must return.