"Welcome back~" she greeted us, her eyes lighting up as she saw my father. "Did you buy what I asked for, hun?"
My father walked over to her, a gentle smile on his face. "Yes, dear. Here are your snacks."
"Hehe, thank you~"
She looked at me with a warm smile. "Xian, if you're hungry, I made your favorite chicken leg soup."
I nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Mom."
She returned to her book and her chips, a contented sigh escaping her lips.
I walked to the dining room, the aroma of the soup drawing me in. As I sat down and took a sip of the warm broth, the events of the evening replayed in my mind. The eerie silhouette, the chilling voice, the overwhelming sense of dread...
I shivered, despite the warmth of the soup.
Was I truly losing my grip on reality?
"Geez... I should take my meds immediately." I muttered to myself, a shiver running down my spine.
The unsettling events of the evening had stirred up a familiar unease, a creeping doubt that gnawed at the edges of my sanity.
I spooned the soup into my mouth, the warmth a stark contrast to the chill that had settled within me. Each swallow felt like a desperate attempt to regain control, to anchor myself in the mundane reality of chicken broth and familiar surroundings.
Finishing my meal, I started up the stairs, pausing halfway to glance back at the living room. My parents were nestled together on the couch, the flickering television light casting a warm glow on their faces.
At least they're happy.
I thought, a bittersweet pang of envy washing over me.
I continued to my room, closing the door behind me with a soft click.
"Sigh... meds taken... now what?" I muttered, walking over to my desk and picking up my phone, which had been charging.
The screen lit up, revealing a flood of notifications.
[25 notifications on InstingConnection]
[99+ unread messages]
Hmm... who could be texting me so much?
I opened the messaging app, my eyes drawn to a group chat for my class. I tapped on it, a sense of unease growing within me.
[Marcel: Haha! We were right! Xian Ying would never tell us about that!]
[Dinda: Of course he wouldn't...]
What are they talking about?
I quickly typed a response:
[Me: What are you guys talking about?]
few moments later, a reply from Marcel popped up.
[Marcel: Dude, you were trending on Bwritter today! Remember that girl who screamed and fainted in the hallway yesterday? She said she saw a ghost, a tall figure with long hair. Sound familiar?]
[Me: What about her?] I typed, my brow furrowing in confusion.
[Marcel: Dude, just look at Bwritter. Here's the link.]
[Marcel: https://Bwritter.com/...]
I clicked on the link, my heart starting to pound. The video that loaded was from the school's CCTV camera.
"Oh, there I am..." I muttered, leaning closer to the screen. It showed me standing in the hallway near the stairs, my long hair obscuring my face.
A girl approached, her steps quickening as she neared the staircase. When she glanced up, her eyes locked on my figure. A bloodcurdling scream ripped from her throat.
"Aaaaa!" She collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
"I remember this... it was just yesterday..." I scrolled through the comments, a mix of amusement and disbelief.
[Anon: Lol, she screamed over a boy just standing there!]
[Anon: Wait, isn't that at school? Why does that student have such long hair?]
[Anon: 😂😂😂😂]
[Anon: Bro fainted for nothing!]
[Anon: Bro just standing there and random girl scream at him!]
Was the girl's reaction just a coincidence, or was there something more sinister at play?
A cold dread washed over me.
"This video's getting a lot of views..." I murmured, scrolling through the comments with a mix of amusement and unease.
[Me: Yeah, I saw it. It's kinda funny.]
[Marcel: See! Haha! Also, that girl is a year younger than us. She's supposedly a genius. You know her, right?]
Know her...? I don't think so.
[Me: Nah, never heard of her.]
[Dinda: See? He doesn't even know her.]
[Marcel: No way! You're a handsome dude, you're supposed to know every girl in school!]
[Monic: Marcel... your brain is nothing but women and more women. You should really stop obsessing over it.]
I scratched the back of my head, a wry smile on my face.
"What are they even fighting about..." I mumbled, getting up from the desk and flopping onto my bed.
As I lay on my bed, I opened the video again, zooming in and out, scrutinizing every detail.
"Wait a minute..." I muttered, my eyes narrowing. "The girl wasn't actually looking at me. She was looking at something behind me..."
I zoomed in further, my breath catching in my throat. Behind me, a shadowy figure flickered on the edge of the frame. It was the same silhouette I'd seen earlier at the minimarket, the same one that had vanished into the warehouse.
A cold sweat broke out on my skin. My heart pounded in my chest like a drumbeat of dread.
"You finally recognize me," a voice whispered in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.
I froze, unable to move or speak. My body was paralyzed, yet my mind raced, frantically trying to make sense of the impossible.
"W-Wha..." I managed, my voice barely a croak.
I turned my head slowly, my gaze falling upon the familiar silhouette standing beside my bed. Its form was clearer now, more defined, yet still ethereal, a dark apparition from the depths of my nightmares.
I forced my eyes to focus on the face, a swirling mass of shadows beneath a dark hood. The only discernible feature was a mouth stretched into a grotesque, unnervingly wide smile.
"You think your meds are working?" it rasped, its voice a chilling echo in the silence of my room. "Huwah..."
A strangled sound escaped my throat, but no words followed. I tried to speak, to scream, but my vocal cords refused to cooperate.
"Relax," the figure continued, its tone softening slightly. "I am not your enemy, Xian Ying. I am simply... someone you belong to. Have belonged to, since birth."
< Chapter 003 > Fin.