Everybody has at least one fear. No matter whether it was from childhood or adulthood. Monsters that hide under the bed or the mortgage that is due next week.

Everybody has one fear.

My fear is what hides in the dark. The pitch black darkness that keeps me wondering whether someone or something is watching me.

My name is Charlotte and I am 13 years old. I come from a small town in New Orleans called Abita Springs. The new house I live in is quite cozy. I live in a small house on Cypress Street. It’s one story tall with white brick walls, a bright red roof, and a brown door. It has two bathrooms and two bedrooms that seem to never be enough, even with a family of three. Although, I never use the bathroom that is near my room.

At night, I always see something just standing there. My door is broken and can never seem to fully close, even with something heavy blocking the door, so I have a clear view of the bathroom that is closest to my room. The Thing that always stares at me, but only at night. It was taller than the doorway so it had to hunch over. It’s this sickly, tall figure that I could only see in the shadows. It never shows up during the day. I got up to check it out one night, but The Thing ended up being my shower curtain.

Every. Time.

After school, I had to walk home because both of my parents were working. My mom is a professor at a college far from home, so she is often out of town. My dad is a pilot, so he’s rarely home, too. They’re amazing parents when they actually are home.

So, it’s just me in the house most of the time.

My best friend, Isabella, walked to my house with me. Once we got in my house she began to walk to my room. I tried to stop her, but some invisible force held me back. I couldn’t stop her. The Thing won’t let me. Isabella walked towards my room. The same hallway that connects to the bathroom. Her footsteps were normal paced, but it felt like every step was a step to her death. Every step sounded like a drum. My heart pounded so fast I thought it was going to rip out of my chest. As she walked to my room, a red light shone from the bathroom and that reflected off her skin. She then turned to face the bathroom. “Hey, Charlotte? Is that some sort of decor for Hallowe-”

Her sentence was cut short and replaced with a blood curdling scream that came from the bathroom. Isabella tried to run back to me, looking at me as if I could do something, but the sad truth is: I couldn’t. I saw a long black hand coming from the bathroom, reaching for Isabella. She ran towards me as if she had a chance at survival, but the hallways got longer and longer. Then, she could no longer run because The Thing grabbed her ankle and dragged her into the bathroom.

I ran to the festival happening at our school to find help from Isabella’s other friends because authorities weren’t going to believe a teenage girl claiming a monster took her best friend. First, Jocelynn, she had been friends with Isabella since sixth grade. Second, Jackie, who I’m not exactly on good terms with, but Isabella likes her for some reason. Lastly, Maddie, who I disliked even more than Jackie, but I guess she was a good friend to Isabella.

We entered my house, all four of us, to get Isabella. But once we all walk into the house we see Isabella sitting down on a chair at the counter. The counter stood in the middle of the living room. Isabella has her back facing us, and a singular lightbulb shone down on her head. She sat up straight. Too straight, in our generation of bad postures.

Jocelynn walks over to Isabella.

Isabella didn’t respond. Instead, her neck got longer and longer until her head was touching the ceiling. Then her head turned a full 180 degrees to face us, her face was
pale, her eyes were fully black, and her mouth was stretched open as if Isabella’s scream was stuck in time. The girls just watched. Too speechless to even scream or say anything.

“The darkness will come for you next,” Isabella said in a disoriented voice. Or should I say, The Thing. Maddie wasn’t so fortunate. The Thing that used to be my best friend wrapped its long neck around Maddie’s body so that she couldn’t run.

“There is no escape. Darkness is everywhere. Even in light,” The Thing says as the door refused to open and now we are trapped. Maddie was then lifted by The Thing, her life force being sucked out of her like a smoothie. Maddie now has pale skin, full black eyes, and a stretched wide mouth. Maddie is now gone. She is with Isabella now.

I say nothing as I walk towards The Thing.

“No! Charlotte! Get away from them! It’s not them anymore!”

“Oh. I know.” I said as I walked right next to The Thing. “I got your four sacrifices. Will you bring back my parents?” I asked The Thing. It smiled widely and gestured to my parents room. All of the girls were gone in a blink. Now they are all together.

“Mom, Dad! I’m home!” I yell as I run towards my parents room.

You thought I was the victim? All storytellers tell a story, but I only told you what I
wanted to tell you. Not the truth.