Tick… tock… tick… tock.
The table clock hammered in her ears like an explosion, each second louder than the last. She crawled deeper under the blanket, wrapping herself head to toe as if the thin fabric could shield her from the nightmare that had stalked her for three relentless weeks. Her heart was beating so hard, she could practically hear it inside her head. Her lips kept moving nonstop, whispering words only she could understand. And then—she heard it. A lyric from a song that used to be her favorite, but now it felt like a curse, the scariest sound she could imagine.
Close to You by The Carpenters.
That is why… all the girls in town… follow you… all around…
"No… no, not again. Please. Please, go away…" Her voice cracked as she pressed her hands over her ears, desperate to block it. But the harder she pushed, the louder it sank in, crawling under her skin, straight into her bones.
"Don't… please… just go away."
She begged, even though she knew it wouldn't help. But still, a small part of her hoped for a miracle.
Then the singing shifted.
Hmm… hmm… hmmm…
Now it was only humming—mocking, broken up by faint laughter.
Under the blanket, she shook her head hard, like she was trying to shake the sound out of her brain. But it only got louder. Clearer.
It was closer.
Hot tears streamed down her cheeks. Her whole body was shaking so badly she could feel the cheap bed trembling under her. With her eyes squeezed shut and her hands pressed tight over her ears, she tried to drown out the voice by humming her favorite song. At first, her voice barely came out—just a weak little sound—but slowly it grew stronger, louder, and faster.
After a few minutes that felt way too long, she slowly lowered her voice, her ears on high alert, trying to check if the voice was still there.
Silence.
The singing was gone, replaced only by the sound of rain hitting the roof and the ticking of her clock on the table.
Tick… tock… tick… tock.
It was gone.
She let out a shaky breath, trying to steady herself, but she still didn't dare pull the blanket off her head.
Tomorrow. I don't care what it takes. Tomorrow I'm leaving, she promised herself. Just one more night.
If she could just get through this night, tomorrow she'd pack her things and run. She didn't know where. She didn't care. Anywhere but here.
The silence went on, leaving only the sound of her own breathing, the rain outside, and the ticking clock on the table.
She's gone… she told herself. "Thank God… please let me get through tonight," she whispered her prayer as she slowly lifted the blanket.
But just as the blanket slid down from her head, she heard it.
Knock… knock… knock.
She jumped in shock, and before she could stop herself, her head snapped toward the window.
And she froze.
There it was. A silhouette of a woman, hair long and messy, standing outside. The faint glow from the outside framed her shape perfectly. With the hallway light on, the darkness only made the figure clearer.
It was her.
The nightmare.
The scream tore out of her chest, sharp and endless, like it would rip her lungs apart.
"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!"