Dabbles : Random Thoughts

X - The App

The Playstore recommended a new app. 5-stars reviews and seemingly normal like all the other apps. The logo was of a wolf with only a black background. Bored out of our minds, we quickly downloaded it to try.

We eagerly watched the download bar to fill—chanting it to go faster. And once it had successfully downloaded, we opened it together. At first, there was only black. Then, the word 'Welcome' appeared written in red—looking very much like the color of blood. A chill ran down my spine at the image but in fear of being teased, I kept quiet.

The screen turned black once more. My brother was liking every second of it since there was this scary background music. And I don't know why since nothing was happening but my heart was beating like a drum and I was started to sweat.

The screen was slowly turning white. But—instead of a game there were more words that appeared.

"Beware those who seek the darkness—for the darkness will consume you. Never go to where there is no light—for the guide of the abyss is there to take you,"

This time, I couldn't stop the shiver of fear and my brother laughed at me. I glared at him and turned my phone off. "This is not funny. This is scary as hell! I'm uninstalling it!"

His laugh got louder. "No, it is funny. Especially how scared you are! Uninstall it if you want but I'm testing it. Lemme borrow your room,"

"No!" I shouted but he was already running towards it. With a shake of my head, I looked back on my phone to see it was still opened. But I clearly remembered clicking the power button. I quickly closed the app and went to the settings to uninstall it but there was no such button.

With fear gripping at my heart, I looked up at the direction of my room with a wide eye. The lights were off. And as if something pushed me, I quickly ran towards it. I pushed my door open and a scream left my throat as my grip on my phone loosen and it fell to the floor with an echoing thud.

My brother was reaching his hands towards me and his mouth was open as if he was screaming but there was not a single sound coming from him. But—what scared me the most was not my brother's terrified appearance but the creature behind him.

It was a wolf-man. Its furry arms wrapped around my brother as if embracing him, his nails digging into my brother's skin. The wolf's huge mouth could barely close because of his sharp, canine fangs. And when his mouth curled up into what looked like a smile, I noticed the thick liquid that was dripping from his mouth.

My breathing turned labor in fear as something continuously gripped at my heart; making it harder to breathe. And as they started to slowly vanish—my reality, like a piece of the puzzle coming together, pushed me into action.

I jumped towards my brother and held his hand. I started to pull him towards me and away from the monster but he was not even budging. Both of our faces were wet with nonstop tears and despite that, he had no voice I could hear him pleading with me not to let go of him.

"I'm not letting go! I'm not letting him take you, damn it!" I kept screaming as I pulled him with all my might but the monster behind him just smiled at me; as if taunting me that I could not win. I glared at the monster through my blurry eyesight. "I'm not letting you take him!"

The wolf's smile grew wider and I realized that the thick liquid that was dripping from his mouth was blood. A new set of fear gripped me and I held onto my brother tighter as I pulled. But—it was no use. Our hands were slipping as he was vanishing like a mist in a light.

My heart skipped a beat in realization. 'Never go to where there is no light,' was what the app said. I looked back at my phone on the floor and I slowly started to reach for it using my foot. My tears continued to fall as I cursed at everything. I couldn't reach for it. I couldn't reach my phone no matter how I slid my foot on the floor.

My hands almost slipped away from my brother and I quickly looked back at him. "Don't let go! I'll kill you if you let go!" But my hands were getting numbed. And as I looked at my brother's eyes, I could see hopelessness in them. "Don't you let go, jerk! I'm not giving you up, damn it!"

But he shook his head at me and a sob escaped my throat. "No! No! No! Don't!"

With teary eyes and a sad smile, my brother's grip loosened. My grip was not enough to pull him and he vanished like smoke in front of my eyes. But the wolf hadn't. Instead, he looked up at me, and a whole, new fear unlike before ran through my veins.

I quickly jumped back and picked my phone up and ran out of the room. I ran towards the front door but it wasn't opening. I looked back to see if I could leave using the back door but the lights there suddenly turned off by itself. With shaky hands in panic, I had a hard time opening my phone's flashlight but I finally did.

The lights on the hallway were blinking and every time it was dark, I could see the silhouette of the wolf, standing nearer and nearer to the living room each time. My sweaty and shaky hands were having a hard time gripping my phone as it almost fell a few times.

Then, the lights in the hallway hadn't turned on again. My breathing labored as my heart started beating like it was in a marathon as the lights in the living room started flashing. Each time, I see the wolf closer than before.

And as he was near me, the lights had not turned on again. With only my flashlight lighting the place, the wolf could only stand an arm's length away from me. He was still smiling. As if taunting me that he could wait all day. I forced myself to glare at him and to appear strong but I was scared shitless.

I don't know how long we were staring at each other's eyes but a sudden beeping sound interrupted me. I looked down at my phone to see a low battery warning. I gulped down a lungful of air in realization. It was just 12 A.M. Sunrise was almost near but my phone wasn't going to make it.

And I knew I wouldn't as well.

Resigned, I couldn't stop the new tears that started streaming down my face and I opened my gallery to look at the photos; trying to bury them in my mind. And as my phone died, I felt a hot blowing against my nape as a furry arm wrapped around me, its nails digging into me and I closed my eyes in utter, and horrendous defeat.