Oh shoot. Oh shoot shoot shoot shoot all I can think to write is shoot. Okay.

   Okay. 

    So you might have seen the last entry wasn't finished. That's on account of the blood curdling scream that happened just then. Yeah, scary. Then my candle just went out. The curtains were drawn in my room and the door was locked from my side (another rule) so I had no idea what was going on. Then I heard a knock on my door. It was the lady who ran the place. She warned me to stay put and not open the door until I saw sunlight. Real sun light, not stuff that looked like it. She said to turn the hourglass on the table, that would last a night. Then she was gone. 

   So I turned the hourglass and waited.

    And eventually, I did hear voices. Familiar voices saying unfamiliar things. Your voice, telling me to come out, that you'd forgiven me. As the night went on,the voices grew more desperate, crying and pleading. I was so happy when I saw light from the window… but the hourglass was only half done. 

    I tried to block them out, but I couldn't take it anymore. I flung open my door… and no one was there. Just cool nighttime air and the feeling I'd made a horrible mistake. I wanted to shut the door and go back to my room, but it was too late. I walked down the stairs and out of the house. Only I didn't. I mean, physically I did, but mentally I didn't want to. It felt kinda like a dream, where you do things without questioning them. 

   I didn't see anyone outside. I didn't see almost anything. My vision got blurry, and black around the edges. And I just went on and on and on…

    And then I stopped. And there was a thing. A dark lady with brackish eyes. Or a stooped old man with a cane. Or a great beast with terrible claws. Or the shadow of a ghost. And the thing told me- or I told it- or I don't know, maybe we both just knew- everything I had ever done and was going to do. About before, about you, about what I did… I'm sorry it even knows you exist. At least, I think it does, I can't remember any specifics.

     And the creature laughed. And it was judging me. Like in an accusing, judgemental way. I felt condemned. Like I was going to die, or something worse than die. Like I would never reach you. Like I would and you would hate me. And somewhere, at the end of all that, I felt numb. 

      Finally, it asked me something. I don't know what. I don't know how I answered. But whatever I said, it left. It just… left. I dunno. 

      And then, I woke up covered in dew, by the roadside with all my stuff, outside the other side of town.

    And writing all this down has not helped me make one lick of sense of it. I don't think I was dreaming. I'm going to get moving, don't want to spend another night anywhere near here.

   I hope you never meet the creature or have a night like I did.