[ V i s i t o r ]
I had a dream, a terrible one. Every moment in that dream changed so fast. Before I could react, the dream immediately changed into another one. It was like a bunch of dreams jumbled into one.
...
"Phoebe, wake up! You have to run!" said a voice. That voice was really warm and sounded familiar. I've heard it before, but my brain couldn't recall when. "It's your time, they'll save you!"
"Who will?" I shouted. "I can't leave. My mom is here!"
"She'll be fine," the voice answered. "It's dangerous. You have to go. Take this." Something floated in the air. There were a few white cotton balls floated then they started to spin. They spun so fast until the only thing I could see was white circle. Their speed slowed down and something came up. It was a silver necklace. The necklace was simple and light, it shone like moonlight. "This will protect you."
"Seriously? A necklace?"
"I'm so sorry, you are a very special kid. Now, listen carefully. Go to New York, go to Miniapolis Café and wait there."
The voice became very small, I couldn't really listen to it. "Wait for what?"
"I'm losing my time. They finally knew about you."
"Who did?"
...
I saw Mitchell lying on the road, his body drowned on his own pool of blood. Lots of sharp things stabbed his body. I was so scared. It was really horrible. Mitchell's face was in shock, his eyes were still open, but he did not breathe.
"You are next."
...
I smelled something fresh. Smelled like strawberry and grass. I opened my eyes slowly, apparently I was on top of a hill. I looked down, there was a camp, a strawberry field, people practiced using swords and arrows, I saw a half man half horse as well, lots of cabins, and a boy. He had dark raven hair, he had deep green ocean eyes, he looked a bit taller than me, he wore an orange t-shirt and a black jeans. He ran toward me with a panicked face.
It seemed that he screamed something to me but I couldn't hear his voice. I looked closely, I think he said.
"Run!"
Why everybody kept telling me to run? From whom I should've run? My mom? Oh yeah like she will kill me.
The sky darkened. I smelled something burned. I could not hear anything other than cutting sounds. I saw three grannies – they looked like Mrs. Holden – they knitted socks as big as their body. They stared at me sternly. Those cutting sounds got louder.
"No." I said to myself. I closed my ears with my hands. I was so scared but I didn't know why. I didn't even know them.
"Oh, oh, my dear..." said a voice. "Isn't it scary? This whole world is a scary place. You should come with me dear. You won't feel a thing. Come to me, child. I can help you. Just give up, lie on the ground and scream my name loudly."
"Who are you?"
"Me?" she laughed. "I'm where you are standing." I looked down. Plants root wrapped my feet. Suddenly I could see the lands from afar, I could see a woman face from the shades of earth. She was sleeping. But her voice came to my mind like a stereotype.
...
"Arrrrggghhhhhh!!!!!!!!" I jolted. I crunched my bed sheets. My body full of sweat. I could not control my breath. I woke up from my bed and tied my hair. That was the scariest dream I've ever had because it felt so real. I reached a glass of water in the table beside my bed. There it was. The silver necklace.
My heart flustered. I touched the necklace, it was real. It wasn't just a dream. I took the necklace and put it on me. It fit perfectly. If this necklace was real, should I consider everything that happened in the dream was real as well?
It was 6 a.m. I could hear sizzle coming from downstairs. My mom cooked something. I rushed down. "Mom!!"
"Oh my gosh! What is it, honey? Why are you screaming in the morning?"
"I-" I ran out of breath to talk.
"Honey, you are sweating. Are you ill?" she came closer to me, her soft hand checked my forehead. "You should take a bath. I'm sure you will get better. Come on, we will have pancakes and orange juice."
It felt normal. Like there was no way some kind of creatures would come and kill me. I decided to put my dream aside. I ran upstairs and took a bath. I put on my purple sweatshirt and denim short. I rushed downstairs, I was ready to fill my tummy with pancakes. I took out my iPod to start my favorite song. "Hey mom, want to listen to morning music?"
"Sure, why not." She was still busy plating up her own pancake. I started the music.
"Looks like you're getting a bit slow vibes today." She laughed with a plate full of pancakes and maple syrup.
"Where'd you get that necklace?" my mom asked. "It looks beautiful. Did your friend give it to you?"
I was about to answer when suddenly my necklace felt really cold. "Oh! It's shining!" my mom squealed happily.
What was that supposed to mean? Why was it shining? I walked towards a mirror, it did shine. I felt something would...
Knock...knock...
"...come." I gasped.
"Who is that?" asked my mom to herself. She looked at the clock. "It's too early for visitors." She huffed and walked to the door.
"Mom, no!!!" I screamed loudly. "Mom, stand back. I will open the door."
"Why?"
"That is my friend."
"So?" she raised her eyebrow. "I can't meet Stacy, Rihanna and Hilda?"
"No!" I squealed. "It's privacy. Please, pretty please. I just want to have a little talk with them. Please mom, can you just sit in the dining room?"
"Oh, god, are you pushing me away?" my mom stood in disbelief. "Okay, go ahead." She rolled her eyes, went back to the dining room.
Okay. I put my hand on the door knob. My heart beat really fast. I took a deep breath and opened the door.
I saw that boy. The boy who got injured last night in Mrs. Holden's bakery. "Mitchell." He sweat really badly. His face looked scared as hell, it was like he saw a ghost come out its grave. "Mitchell are you okay?"
"They are after me." That was all he said. My brain recalled the dream I had last night. Shit! I grabbed his hand and closed the door.
"Listen to me, do not go anywhere. Just stay in my place. Okay? Can you do that?"
Right in that moment, there was a flapping sound above the ceiling. I couldn't hear it if the bird were small but I could feel this bird was almost as big as my house. The flapping sound got closer. I heard a loud voice coming from the upstairs. He had landed on my rooftop. This was shit moment!
My mom ran from the dining room with a small backpack. "Phoebe, you got to run!" She gave me the backpack.
"What? How'd you know?"
"Run!" my mom yelled. "They won't hurt me! Trust me! Just go!"
"You know about this all along?"
"I'm sorry. I think this is it." She took a deep breath. "Phoebe, you got anything that you need inside this backpack. Your iPod and phone, I've already put it inside. Now, you have to go! Take this kid with you!" she yelled.
"But mom!"
ARRRKKKKKK
A loud shriek came from the outside. It was really loud like a train horn. The house ceiling trembled, it tried to get in.
"How many birds chase you, Mitchell?"
"One bird."
"Okay." I said to myself. "Mom and Mitchell, both of you need to hide in the basement."
"What are you doing?" mom yelled. "You've got to run!"
"It's useless. It will catch me in no time. If it is really big, it shouldn't have a lot of space to spread the wings in the house. I can stab the head."
BRAKKKKK
"Hurry! Basement!" I pushed them inside the basement door and locked it. I took three kitchen knives, and hid inside a small space under the stairs. I heard the monster's feet walk down slowly yet rough. The monster feet were really big so every step it took made my house shaken.
That creature came down and went to my dining room. His body was full of metal feathers. They looked intimidating. Those feathers looked really sharp, I could see my own reflection from the feather. It had to fold the wings because of the small space. Okay, the bird wouldn't spread its wings. Maybe it wouldn't. If it did, then I fucked up.
I took a deep breath. Just remembered how to play sneak and run. It was a game created by Aunt Selene. Rule number one, do not make any sound (checked). Rule number two, hold a knife on each of your hands and put one in your mouth just in case (checked). Rule number three, had a plan (unchecked). I didn't have a plan. I didn't think I could stab the head just like that without making it move and see me. I had to make the bird blind.
I saw a bed sheet in the cabin. This must be mom's laundry. I took the bed sheet, rolled it, and got ready to throw it at the bird. Okay, Phoebe, on three.
One, two, three! Shit! I counted too fast. Slower, one, one in a half, two, two in half – here we go nothing – three!
I ran toward the giant bird. I threw the bed sheet at him. Now, his body covered with a flowery bed sheet, at least it looked less scary. But then the bird screamed angrily. Shit.
Before I could reach the bird, something came through the bed sheets, it swung right into my face. Somehow I could see what that thing was. It was the feather. I fended that metal feather with my kitchen knife.
"Wow, how could I do that?" I was amazed by my hand reflex. I got a bit confident.
That bird started to toss all of its feathers to every direction because it couldn't see where I was. I threw my knife to its back and it screamed loudly. Then the bird tossed its feather toward the same direction where I stabbed. I did the same thing again to the other side, but that was just a decoy. When he focused in a different direction, I stabbed his head. I was surprised because his head was pretty small, so my knife cut through his head. His body changed into ashes and gone. The only thing that was left was mom's flowery bed sheet with holes.
I rushed to the basement. "Mom! Mitchell!"
"Oh God! You're okay!!" mom and Mitchell hugged me. She kissed my cheek hundreds of times. "Oh my God! I was so worried with all of those screams!"
"I'm okay now." I patted my mom's back. I realized, my hands were shaking.
"They will come back! You have to go now!" she shook me. "Go Phoebe!"
"Okay, but you'll be fine right?"
"I will." She got rid of my hair from my face and smiled. "I will be okay."
I nodded. "Promise me we'll keep in touch, mom." I said firmly.
She nodded. "I will."