I woke up in a jump. ‘Tik-tak Sparkle’.

-No!- I screamed, holding my head trying to suppress the turmoil going on inside this Pandora’s box called brain.- It’s not real!-‘ it can’t be real.’.

 I am a rational person, I know that my mind is playing games with me. Years in intensive therapy and tons of medicine will not go to waste just because I am emotionally drained.-Get a grip girl.- hand-combing my wild hair, trying to make it look more like human hair and less like a lion’s mane, looking around the living room in order to calm myself down.

The morning sunlight was providing an eerie effect to the place. Speckles of dust danced between light and dark. My body complained about the night in the old couch. Deciding to make the best of the worst scenario, I pushed myself up and opened the old dirt curtains. This place needed light and a lot of cleaning.

After a cold shower and the traditional battle with my hair, I went to the kitchen. The dinner table was still doing its temporary job as a door lock. I had brought my coffee machine along with my favorite brand of powder with me, and the heavens know how much I need it right now. Watching the old machine work its magic, I made a mental to do list: groceries, cleaning this house, fixing the door, not go insane in the meantime. That would take me the whole day.

Most of the houses in the neighborhood were much like mine. Two stores Victorian-style buildings. This part of the town was known for keeping the old architecture. The houses in which the back yard leads to the Dark River were almost abandoned. No one that was born and raised in Mount Khont would risk living so close to it. The other side of the street was more alive with happy families living their lives like any suburban family. Standing on my porch, I risked a glance at Vhid’s house. It was the last house on the river side of the road. His house was smaller than most, with a cute white fence and a beautiful multicolored garden.

Walking the 45 minutes' distance to the nearest supermarket felt nostalgic, and the relaxing 6am fresh air brought a smile on my face. Walking from aisle to aisle I lazily filled up the shop cart: food, cleaning products, some paint, a lot of trash bags… ‘ I need a job’, I thought, looking at the register monitor numbers going dangerously high.

-That will be $345,22, Ma’am.- The sleepy cashier punched me in the guts.- Cash or card?

- Does this place accept kidneys?.-I need to remember that I am broke. The girl didn’t appreciate my joke.

-Cash and Credit only.

-Debt Card. There is a delivery service here?

-Yes ma’am- Her nasal voice was destroying my good vibe.- please write your address here by ma’am, and it will be delivered to you by midday.

-Thank you.

Grabbing what I could easily carry, I started my way back home. I notice the Alas Karask Notice glued to almost every wall, post and outdoor. It is mid October and, if I remember correctly, the warnings begin around August.

No one actually know what the creature looked like or if it was real. Personally, I believe that it is just a urban legend created to bring tourists over. And the “Chain Incidents”? Honestly, people die every day, every month, every year, everywhere; and it happens that someone very smart and very crazy found out how to get away with a murderer. People call it “ Alas Karask Festival”, but in reality is nothing like a festival. Every November, the town goes into “Survivor” mode. Stores close an hour before the sunset, and no one is allowed to wander the streets at night. ‘Tik-Tak Sparkle.’ The voice brought me back from my thoughts.- Whatever, Shadow!- I murmured, resuming my way back home.

I put the groceries at the dinner table, checked the old wall clock, it was almost 09am and I had a lot to do. Starting in the kitchen, I began opening every door and window.

Shadow’s voice kept coming back now and then. And it pisses me off. I mean, it was cool to have an imaginary friend when I was a child, but now? I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all. Remembering his voice made me scared. To tell the truth, everything about him was frightening. Drª Hayes told me once that my mind needed something to protect me. So, little me created her own badass monster to defeat the Real Monsters that she was facing at the time. It never had a face, just a Shadow. Said monster didn’t want to be seen, so he was always at my back casting his shadow over me. His voice was something inhuman, throaty. He sounded like he was talking through a water wall or something. I loved him when I was younger. And the time we spent together helped me a lot to get over my traumas.

Now? I am a grown up woman, I don’t need a imaginary friend… And definitely not a nightmarish one.     

By the time I received the rest of my groceries, I was starved and not even close to finishing.

-Instant Noodles will have to do as lunch.- Conformed with today’s menu, I grabbed my phone. As much I like free meals, I would be a piece of nothing by dinner time, dialing the Thomás number I awaited.

-Hello?- A different voice picked up.

-Um..Hi, is this Thomas Bellford’s number?- I asked, the man on the other side sniffed..’Is he crying?’

-Yes, it is his number- That guy is definitely crying.- S-sorry, but Thomás was found dead this morning. I am his friend- he stopped to take a breath-  They asked me to hold his phone a-and inform his friends and clients abou’ but… but it’s hard. 

I’ve just meet Thomás yesterday, but he was a good man. Maybe it was the shock or the fact that we get along so well, maybe the Friend’s pained cry on the phone, or maybe I am just becoming weaker but I was shaking with my own crying.

-Are you still there Lady?-

-I.. I am.- ‘breath in… breath out’ – sorry, I didn’t expected it at all.  W-what happened to him?

 He was trying to control his sobbing.-I am sorry miss… it is just so difficult.-

-It’s ok. I understand.- I tried my best to not make it worst for the poor dude.- Is there..- I was cut midsentence

- Some son of a bitch killed my buddy!!- He blurted out angry.- Fuck! Fuck! Someone killed him and I don’t know what to do!!- he was sobbing uncontrollably, I’ve heard some commotion at the background and the call was abruptly  disconnected.

Rooted to the spot i was in shock. I could not believe. I just could not imagine why someone would kill Thomas… I know I just meet him, but I don’t know, he doesn’t seem to be the type to go looking for trouble.  

After that disturbing news, I went thought my cores almost robotically, felling sad and angry. ‘ I didn’t even got that dudes name.’. It was getting dark outside and I was screwing the new door handle in place when someone knocked on my front door. – One second- I screamed from the kitchen, smiling after successfully closing the kitchen’s door. The house was looking almost like a home now. After a day of work, and lots of small fixing I’ve managed to exorcise the “Haunted House” aura.

-Who is it?- I asked before open the front door.

-Especial delivery to Miss Wilson.-

- But I am not expecting anything…- I laughed. Open the door wide.- What it could be?   

-A Welcome gift!- Vhid raised pack of beer.

-Thanks dude! You didn’t have to. – I step aside motioning for him to come in.

- You right, I didn’t have to, but I really wanted. Someone have been busy- 

Laughing I closed the door,- Glad you notice. Had you have been inside before?-

-Yep- sitting on the couch, he opened a beer and offered me one.- That’s how a meet your Father. I helped him fix the roof couple of years ago.-

 -Really?- I took a sit on the opposite chair. As much I want to throw myself in his arms. I need my brain working tonight.- Tell me about it.

- There’s nothing exciting about it, a storm damaged the roof and he need help so he hired me.- he winked at me.-

- Oh, so you are a Handyman? – why I was excited about knowing more about Vhid’s life? I have no logical answer.

-Nop.- he poppet the “P”- I am tourist guide.-

- A What?- I laughed.- Why my father needed a tourist guide to help him fix a Roof?-

- Hunter’s Logic is something I gave up understanding a long time ago.- his laugh echoed, and I swoon. – Fucker was insane. He saw me making a small repair at my own roof, and insisted on hire me!-

- That look’s like something my Ol’man would definitely do. – He really looked huge on the old couch. Sprawled like he owns the place.- You don’t look like a tourist guide.- I couldn’t hold my tongue.

- Why?-

-Hum…-  The way he was looking at me, raised brown and that sided smile made me blush like a shy teenager.- You just don’t. I mean… If was the one to guess I would risk firefighter…or cop…or personal trainer…. – He laughed loud.

- Do you always judge people based on how they look?- he grab another beer.

-God no! – he was messing with me. I knew it, could feel it..- You just gives this ‘don’t fuck with me vibe.’-

-You think I look like some though guy huh?- I just gave a nod, and he looked amused.- I will take that as a compliment.

-You're welcome..- why can’t i speak properly in his presence.

- So tell me how is it going?- 

I went for another beer.-Normal… I guess…I mean. There’s a lot to do yet, and took me a entire day to clean just this part of the house.

-That’s not what I asked.-  sure my face show my confusion cause he completed.- I know what happened to you in this house. I am asking about you, not about the place.

I was stunned. – I am ok.- the way he talked, I don’t know, it was almost like he could see right through me.

 -The only lies I like Milla, are the ones I tell.- all the atmosphere changed. It was hard to breath. Vhid was serious.- Try me again.

-I’m not lying.- No way I gonna bend all the way just cause he looked intimidating.- I know that you caught me in a bad situation yesterday. But I was just overwhelmed.- That is not entirely a lie, but yeah.- It is ok now.-

- Right.- His expression was unreadable, he ran his hand trough his hair, just like I’d imagined.- I’ll pretend I believe it.

-Look Vhid, we barely know each other and I don’t want to sound rude but I owe you  no satisfaction- I was stunned…. Why would he be so invasive?- I am telling that I am fine, and that’s is the true.-

-Ok.- his face was emotionless but that was something in his eyes that gave me the wrong kind of chills. - I’m going home now. If and when you decide to face the house’s first floor, fell free to knock on my door. Thank you for the beer.

For the second time in a row, Vhid walks away leaving me rooted to the spot, astonished.

-What the actual hell was that?-

   A message notification brought me back to earth. Dragging my confused self to the kitchen and grabbed my phone. It was an emergency report from the local newspaper it said “ Attention: The first Chain Incident was reported and confirmed this morning! “ going through the article made my blood boil. They were saying that Thomas was the first casualty. ‘Oh Hell no’. I am not buying this shit! Somebody killed a good man, and now is going to get away with it, just because the authorities were too lazy to actually investigate it!

I was starting to write a very angry comment when the lights start to dimming, the air was bit by bit hard to breath, the hairs on my neck were all standing in formation. The oppression sensation was enough to make me dizzy. The battery of my cell phone went down like a reverse chronometer until it finally “died”. My head was aching.

-Tik-Tak Sparkle.

I was wide wake this time, and Shadow was here, right behind me.