7

  A nightmare. That’s all there is to it. My heart is beating fast and it feels like I’ve been running. I can see my chest heaving as I look around, trying to figure out where I am again. Why does everything feel like I’m stuck in one place until I wake up and the cycle repeats?

  The place isn’t familiar, it is dark and unkempt—abandoned perhaps—but somehow it looks recent. Possibly the people who once lived here just moved a few hours ago. But I don’t know why I’m here or how I got here.

  My pace is slow, conscious of where to step; I’ll be honest, I don’t want to step on something squishy—not that there is but I’m expecting. There are grains in my vision like some low quality video and it isn’t my fault—it’s the darkness’ fault.

  I don’t know how long I’ve been walking around but I think I’m going circles because I’m back in the living room and there’s no street lights outside and the neighborhood seems empty. I head to the man-sized window and stare at nothing—possibly expecting for someone to appear.

  Nothing. I sigh and walk away but I notice my reflection does not follow. I stare at it from the corner of my eyes because I’m afraid if I turn around it will do something—I don’t know. My heart beat is fast again and I’m stuck in my position like it’s illegal to move.

  I hold my breathing and don’t blink. Will it move if I’m unaware? The floor creaks and I slowly walk away. The other V is looking at me. V? Where did that come from? My brows furrow and I take another step.

  My reflection stares back at me with no expression on its face. Is it mimicking how I look or what I wish I look now?

  The floor creaks once again, except this time, louder and it makes the other V move. It follows the sound and looks to the right, opposite from me. I heave a small sigh of relief and squat walk, making sure I shift my weight from each foot I step to make less noise.

  I look back at my reflection and it does not move since then. I lean on the hallway wall and breathe deeply to calm my nerves.

  “V, where are you?” a high pitched voice calls out for me somewhere. The voice seems like it’s going everywhere, at the same time, nowhere. While inhaling deeply, I walk away from my spot and head to the stairs.

  Why does this place look familiar now? Have I been here before? Creaks emit from my footsteps, my throat tightens and awful gut feeling is making me stop from going any further.

  “V.” the voice continues and this time it prolongs like “Veeeeeeeeeeee.” I climb the stairs slowly, just so I can think of actually going or running away.

  But where do I run to?

  Groans and lullabies start playing in the back of my mind—or is it from this house? I gulp to drown the lump that formed in my throat. I can feel my sweat trickling down the side of my forehead.

  Then I could hear a music box playing softly—then static… The song repeats from the beginning, I don’t know what tune it is though but it sounds really familiar. Have I heard of this before or—

  There’s a room with a slightly open door and I go there. I know it’s crazy to do that but there’s a gut feeling that I’m going to find something there. And I’m desperate to find answers. There’s a few more steps left and I can hear voices telling me to turn away. I don’t know where they’re coming from, there’s lots of them and they seem to be arguing with one another. My head aches from all these voices. Stop.

  The closer I get to the room, the more voices clouded my thoughts. Like a war with no beginning and end. My hands form into a fist, then it unclenches… I stop walking once I’m close to the room. I unwillingly push the door and the static overshadows the voices I’m hearing. They stop but the buzzing n