Kitten || Ateez Seonghwa Fanfic

chap 4

I was 11 when it happened. I still remember walking into that mansion, how I felt as if several eyes were watching me, even though nobody lived there at all.

After my dad got promoted, our family decided to upgrade our house. From a cozy, comfortable two story house, we moved into this Mansion, at the east side of Pool Coast, our town.

It was spread over two acres. Very huge. Too huge for just four people. Make it three as my elder brother only came home from his hostel during vacations.

My mom and dad were beyond ecstatic. I was too, as there was a pool and an arcade in the mansion. But that bliss didn't last long. It evaporated the moment I stepped on the threshold of the house .

I just knew there was something there. Maybe it was the way goosebumps lit up on my body or the feeling of being watched. The way it felt as if there was a fourth member there with us in the house.

It first started the fourth night of us in the new house. I just set up my wardrobe and was about to climb into bed, when I heard a knock.

I sighed, thinking it must be mom, asking me for milk. Peeling myself off the bed, I walked to the door, flinging it open, only to find no one.

The entire hallway was empty.

One explanation could've been that it's a prank, that would be it if my brother was here. The other one was that I was hearing things.

Ignoring the dreading feeling in my chest, I settled my thoughts on the latter as I shut the door tightly and climbed shakingly in my bed, pulling the duvet all the way over my head.

The second night I heard knocking again. It was two knocks this time.

I was staring at the door, my heart in throat.

Knock knock.....knock knock....knock knock.....

I abruptly got off the bed and flung the door open, only to find no one again. Just darkness. My entire body was vibrating wierdly. I felt so scared seeing the dark hallway.

I slammed the door shut and jumped under my duvet, crying silent tears, my body shaking.

The next morning I told my mother about it during breakfast.

"It must have been just your imagination, Dmitry" she said, while she poured me and my dad, who was totally busy in reading a newspaper on his iPad, orange juice.

"I heard it two times mom. Yesterday and now. It kept repeating"

"Honey there is no one here except us. If that was the case we would experience something too don't you think?  You always had an overreactive imagination" she again brushed it off, stealing a glance at my dad.

"Mom I am not lying! I think this house is haunte-" my dad slammed his glass on the table, making me flinch. Did I mention he had severe anger issues?

"Stop with this bullshit Dmitry? There is no one is this damn house and I am tired of you bickering. I just want to have a peaceful breakfast before going to my office so if you still want to rant, go do it in your school copy or something" he glared at me.

"Richard, please. We have talked about this. He is just eleven" my mom scolded him in a soft voice, snapping my dad out of it. He turned off the heat in his gaze and took a deep breath.

"I am sorry Honey, it's just I am really stressed out-" his gaze cut towards me again "-i am sorry son. If you feel scared again, just come to our room okay?" he said with an attempted smile and side glanced at my mother who was beaming at him.

He is actually a good father minus the anger issues.

No matter how much of a jerk dad can be, he was just different with my mother. I just don't know but he just loves her so much? No matter how angry he could ever get, mom could always pull him out of it. And he listens to her. Her voice, her presence is like the antidote to his fire. I feel like if me and my mom would be drowning, he'll save her and leave me. Not that I want the opposite to happen to be honest. I feel really relived from their relationship.

"Okay" I said. But who knew I would never make it to their room that night at all?

-----------------

The moment I turned of my lights and climbed into my bed, the knocks started. Three knocks this time.

Knock knock knock....... knock knock knock.......knock knock knock...

I was defiant against the urge to run and fling the door open and run to my parents. I can't. What if it's out there? What-

The door opened. All on its own. I watched the dark hall in petrification. I felt my entire body going still.

The hallway was so dark. But then a light flickered on. Pale yellow light. Then another turned on. Then another. Then another until this sequence reached the end of the hallway, and when the last light flickered on, it's spilling light revealed someone standing just there.

My heart was in my throat. I hands were like claws grasping the duvet. A feeling of indescribable fear washed over me.

I couldn't tell what it was. Only that if was a person. And there was this cloth draped over their head and they were wearing a cloak.

We both stayed still, watching each other, until suddenly it broke into a run, racing like an abnormal titan right towards me.

Screaming I flung out of the bed to shut my door but I was too late. The figure slammed into me, it's claws digging into my shoulder.

"MOM!" I screamed, crying, my eyes shut, trying to block the person's hold on me.

"DA-"

Hands grappled my throat, killing the remaining scream. My heart felt like it's going to explode into a million heartbeats as I was turned to face it's face.  The cloak lifted, lifting my breaths with it.

Its hands eased on throat as tears began pouring out from my eyes hard. I was shaking helplessly as it's sharped claw went inside the left of my chest. The stinging pain turned into agony. My entire chest felt as if being stung by multiple needles. But I wasn't able to take my eyes off it's face to scream or beg. I couldn't talk. It had me in a trance. A helpless, petrified trance.

And then the pain lessened. And the figure started to melt. It started to melt away, evaporating into thin air leaving me there on the floor.

I was so cold. So so cold. As if I was frozen. Stuck in ice. Immobilized.

The door opened with a jolt and the scream that followed was familiar enough so break through the chill.

"Dmitry!!"

I only managed to see my mom's tear stricken face before everything went black.