How far would you go for the one you loved the most? What would you do to protect the person you most cared about? Would you die? Would you kill? Have you ever been to a situation where you had to choose? My name is Lysandra and this is my story.

It all begun one godforsaken night, when the air pierced your body like a pair of pins, its cold embrace making your teeth chatter, and when the dark covered your body like a blanket swallowing you whole.

I was walking down the road on my way to my boyfriend’s house when I heard this piercing sound and a scream. I moved towards the sound without really thinking about it. My curiosity always getting the best of me. As it turned out, it wasn’t far from where I was going after all. I walked with caution not wanting to be noticed and I had a look. Someone was standing just around the corner. I was so close to him that I could touch him. Another scream pierced the air. It came from the house around the corner. The man was standing right in front of it demanding all of his attention, which was good for me. Less of a chance of being noticed if the man wasn’t looking at my direction. The house looked normal, a little dark; maybe too dark, even for a night like this, but it gave no reason for concern. The scream came again louder than ever and the man lifted the corners of his mouth in approval. Then the screams ended and after a moment of notice the man disappeared into the thin air like he was never there. I shook my head in confusion. Then I looked again. Nope, he was still gone. The man had somehow disappeared without being seen. Did that really happen or was I hallucinating?

I moved towards the house and stopped in front of it like the man had done before. It looked normal, brighter even. I walked around the house but couldn’t see anything through the closed curtains so I went up the stairs and towards the front door. I lifted my right hand and placed it on the doorknob. The hair on my hand had gotten up, funny I hadn’t noticed that before. I hesitated for a moment but turned the doorknob anyway and entered the house.

“Hello?”

“Hello?” I said again. “Is anybody here? I heard someone screaming. Is everyone ok?”

The silence was deafening.

I went into the house and looked at each room. Nothing. There was nothing there. No sign that any human had ever been inside this house. The furniture where there, unaligned, some were upside down. The water in the bathroom was still running overflowing the tub. Yet, there was still no sign of a human presence, no man or woman, anywhere inside the house.

I started walking backwards towards the door when a draft of wind touched my face. Having checked the house earlier, I knew that the windows where closed. So where did the wind come from? I jumped the remaining stairs and run all the way to my boyfriends’ house. Not waiting for him to fully open the door I got in the house and slammed the door behind me. I made sure it was locked and then collapsed on my boyfriend’s sofa, trying to catch my breath.

“What the hell Lys? What happened?

“I... I’m not really sure.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means I Don’t Know! I don’t know what happened. I don’t understand it.” I said hugging my legs and resting my chin on my knees.

“Why don’t you start with the beginning?” Jonathan put his hands around my arms pulling me closer to him.

“I was coming to you when I heard it.”

“Heard what?”

“A scream… Well, a sound and then a scream. There was this loud piercing sound like a thunder or a lightning flash hitting the ground and then the woman screamed. At least I think it was a woman. So, I went to see what it was and−“

“Wait. You went to see what it was? People usually turn around when they hear people screaming and you went towards it? Geez, Lys! What were you thinking?”

“Well, apparently nothing!”

“Okay, okay don’t get pissy.”

“I’m not getting pissy.”

“Tell me what happened next.”

“Well, there was this man standing in front of the house.”

“What house?”

“The house the scream came from. Aren’t you listening to me? He was standing in front of the house staring at it with intensity and when the other scream came he smiled. Can you believe it? He actually smiled!”

“Calm down.”

“I can’t calm down. The man disappeared in front of my eyes!!!”

“Okay now I lost you. What do you mean he disappeared?”

“He disappeared! Like that, poof, he was gone. One minute he was there the next he wasn’t like he teleported or something.”

“There’s no such thing as teleportation Lys.”

“How would you know?”

“I’m pretty sure, we’d know if such a thing was possible.”

“Well, you tell me what it was then. I’m telling you, one minute he was there and the next he wasn’t. You tell me what it was. And that house…. Where did the wind come from and where did all the people go? Where did the woman go?”

“Okay now I lost you again. What wind and what woman?”

“THE WOMAN WHO SCREAMED! What am I telling you all this time?”

“To be quite honest I’m still trying to figure that out.”

“When I went into the house, there was no one there. The woman−“

“You WENT into the house? Lys, that’s breaking and entering, what the hell were you thinking?”

“I was thinking that someone was in trouble and needed help. Now shut up and let me finish!”

“When I went into the house there was no one there. The water in the bathroom was running and the bathtub was full of it but there was no one there. No woman, no one. Where did the scream come from?”

“Maybe it was from another house.”

“It was from THAT house. And the wind… All the windows were closed but there was wind blowing on my face.”

“Are you sure you didn’t imagined it all?”

“Is that what you think? That I’m crazy?”

“That’s not what I said. Stop twisting my words.”

“You said I imagined it all. That means I’m crazy.”

“No, it means that you’re tired and your mind was playing tricks on you. How many hours have you slept this week? The exams aren’t everything.”

“They are for me. A scholarship is my only way of getting out of that house, you know that.”

“Yes but−“

“No but. And that’s not the point right now.”

“Yes, it is. You need rest, that’s why you’re seeing things.”

“I’m not seeing things.”

“Lys – “

“I’ll prove it to you. Come on.”

I got up from the sofa, grabbed his hand and dragged Jonathan to the door.

“Where are we going?”

“To the house, where else? I’m going so show you I’m not crazy.”

15 minutes later:

“You see? You see that?”

Water was running down the stairs coming under a closed door next to them. ”You see? That’s the bathroom. The water is still running. And there’s no one here.”

“Maybe they left.”

“And left the water running? Don’t be a fool.”

“At least I’m not seeing things.”

“Is that my imagination?” I said pointing at the furniture.

“Maybe not that but a man disappearing into thin air? Come on Lys, stuff like that just don’t happen.”

A loud, piercing sound echoed all over the house making my ears bleed and the dark enveloped us both.

“J..John? Jonathan?”

“Lys? What’s happening?”

“I don’t know.” My voice barely a whisper.

I’ve never been so frightened in my entire life. Not when my dad left bruises on my skin unable to control himself nor when he threw me down the stairs of my house breaking two of my bones. I really thought I was going die then. This was a different kind of fear, the kind that slipped inside of you, freezing you to the core.

A black hole opened in the middle of the room swallowing the last rays of light. I watched in horror as a wide, green tentacle came out of the hole to where John was standing. Without really thinking about it I jumped towards him and pushed him out of the way. The tentacle slipped around my angle. Its greasy scales burning my skin. It moved up my leg and around my waist dragging me closer to the hole. I screamed, trying to hold on to something. Asking for a help that never came. The last thing I saw before I fell into the hole was John running through the door. His screams following me into the abyss.

I am the darkness now. Turned into the very beast that took me. My soul had been ripped apart, till nothing remained but me. The hollow. The emptiness. The hunger. I live to feed and I feed to live. Would you like to see me? Do you see my hand waving at you? At least I think it is my hand. One out of many. I’m covered in scales now. You see? Dark green scales that burn like acid. Come closer. Don’t be afraid. I’ll show you. I am waiting for you. I’m right here, in the dark. Can you see me? Soon you will be like me and we will be together for ever.