Pop!

I thrust back into reality as my burning bacon sizzles and crackles with ferocity, thankfully I’ve escaped my blissful dream state just in time to save my food from an untimely demise. I guess my music distracted me from even just the basics of cooking. I made myself a lovely Caesar salad draped with bacon, cause I like the taste and it’s just a bit healthier than the copious amounts of microwave dinners I’ve stored. I lift the pan holding the delectable topping to my fine salad and empty it onto a cutting board for preparation. Everything else is ready and in the bowl for convenience. All I need to do is dice the bacon. I grab a serviceable knife from the drawer and prepare for a hack job on the poor bacon. I cut it to mixed results but hey I tried. Over the past few days, I’ve been suffering from a nasty illness that's completely drained me, making every little action that much more of a chore. After the hardships of living, I think I deserve a break where I can watch television and heal as the doctor recommended. 

As I search for something to watch while I eat my phone buzzes to life. I reluctantly stop my hunt for an enjoyable film to watch and check on the, what must be important, conversation being played out on my phone. It's a text from my buddies asking who can hang out later this evening. My illness has kept me from hanging out with anyone, it’s not my style to get others sick and drag them down due to my gluttony and pride. Well, I’ve told them this already so I feel no real need to answer. I silence my phone and set it aside so I can finish my food and enjoy the horror movie I've decided to watch, seemed interesting and I am a sucker for horror, even if it haunts me for the rest of the night.

As I sit and watch I can’t stop thinking about my friends. I do enjoy their company and our time together. The last time we hung out was great, we played some tabletop games, drank, and took our minds off of things. I miss them but it won’t be much longer until I see them again. Still boring just sitting here all day.

Tap!

As I’m lost in reminiscence I hear a faint tap on my window. It's not a rare occurrence because of the orchard right in front of my house but usually, it comes from upstairs. This current tap sources from a window located to my right, where the orchard has all but stopped. This window sits like any ordinary window, with a faint light barely peeking in from the thick curtains I have for privacy. I must be crazy, the movie I’m enjoying is a bit freaky so I must be on edge or spooked. I’m not going to pay much attention to that and will focus on the rest of the movie. An hour passes and the credits to what was a pretty enjoyable, thrilling flick roll across my screen. I think it's right about time I head to bed, not an exciting day but it was a day. I just hope for a little more action once I’m past this sickness.

I stumble my way up and do my nightly sweep of the house, turning things off, making sure everything's locked, the usual. I close up shop and jaunt upstairs towards my bathroom so I can get ready for bed. When I make it to the precipice of the stairs a sudden and shocking thought passes my mind. 

“Did… did I see something?!” It’s an out-of-place, terrifying idea but it just appeared in my mind. As I open the lavatory's ivory door, I remember this thought's origin. About halfway up the stairs, I swear I saw something to my left in a faint dark corner of my living room. Yes, the bottom floor was pitch black, and yet I swear near my window I saw a bright object. Not bright as in illuminated, but bright as if it was a light colour in a room so void of such a thing. After this grueling recollection, I remembered I was in a restroom preparing for bed. I continue with such preparation but can’t shake that awful thought. Maybe I’m still in a state of shock and horror from the movie. It's a theory I’d support much more if I didn’t keep thinking about the object. 

Now I’m off to bed, but as I step into the hallway a chill expands throughout my body. The hall is so dark and with the fresh idea of something being downstairs, I begin to dread being here. I walk towards my bedroom door with vigor, like a child afraid of the dark. I’ve stopped in front of what I presume is my door. I’m working off of muscle memory and grabbing for the handle in the dark. In my state of childish worry, I miss the handle and leave myself there, in the cold dark hallway with no presumable way out. 

Eventually, I reach the handle and break open the door to my cozy, hopefully, safe bedroom. I scan the room because I have reverted to my childish ways, and after I find nothing I close my door and lock it. Not a new habit, it’s just nice to always feel protected. Even when no danger is lurking. I flip my light switch off, set my phone on the nightstand, and crawl under my covers filled with ecstasy as my body warms from the heavy blankets laid on top of me. 

With this comfort, I barely feel the effects of my sickness and fall right into slumber. That should be it but, about three hours into my rest I have an unusual dream. Now, many of my dreams can be categorized as “unusual” but this one’s different. I’m back on the staircase, now staring directly at the dark corner near my window. I sit there, watching, observing. Lo and behold without any warning the object I swear I’d seen in my waking life appears. But now I have a perfect vantage point. Instead of it being in the corner of my eye, I’m looking right at it. And I do not like it. 

It appears to be a disproportionate human head abundant with wrinkles and a toxic smile, larger than it should be while seemingly painted on. It lacks a nose and ears while the rest of its facial features are covered with parts of broken masks. The masks are so white they nearly light up the room. It’s such a stomach-churning vision I see and yet I still cannot fully grasp its features because of the darkness. It’s just sitting there staring off into nothing. I’m left standing here horrified by it, yet I cannot deter from it. The air around me is thick, choking me with every breath. The thing in front of me, the thing in my living room is beyond comprehension. I know it's a dream yet I cannot control any part of me. Abruptly I shoot out of sleep. I feel something I’ve never felt before, something unnatural. Like I’d just seen something I shouldn’t have. Without thinking I grab my phone and turn on the flashlight to light up my room. This time I don’t feel like a frightened child, my actions feel fully justifiable. Again I see nothing, as time crawls I assure myself that wasn’t real. It slightly calms me but sleeping feels like a foreign possibility now. I’m going to sit and listen for a bit then try sleeping some more.

Alas, I wasn’t able to sleep much. I think I dozed off for a minute but it's really hard to tell. It's about 10 am, and I need to get up, make breakfast, and get through the day. My illness has become part of me so it’s not going to keep me in bed today. I’m scared to leave this room. I mean it’s normal for a nightmare to spook people but it just felt so real, and nothing will shake that feeling. Reluctantly I unlock my bedroom door and exit into the hallway. It's still so cold. Usually, it can get quite cold in the morning but because of last night, this feels off. In a state of morbid curiosity, I walk past the restroom and towards the stairs. As I reach the peak, I don’t see anything. The bottom floor isn’t too dark, not nearly as dark as last night or that awful dream. I continue my journey down the stairs so I can explore my living room, and even more so that corner near the window, where it appeared. I make it down safely and nothing worrying appears to be here. I’m glad this is the case but that dread still lurks. And the presence of that horrid thing lingers.