My foot bounced up and down as I sat at my kitchen table, just thinking. I had a cup of coffee in my hands, even though it was close to 9 at night. An open book sat in front me as it waited to be read but I couldn't get my mind off what has been happening. I knew it was Penny, I knew he was doing this, but why? Why try to scare me? I was brought out of my thoughts as I heard the doorbell ring. I opened it to see my neighbor, Finn, on the other side.
"Hey, sorry to bother you. I think I got your mail." He handed me an envelope.
"Oh, thanks" I took it before giving him a smile and closing my door.
I looked at it and huffed as it didn't have a return address. I set it down with the rest of my mail and decided to take a shower before bed. I walked around my apartment, a towel wrapped around me as i waited for my pre-bedtime tea. I opened my mail and sighed as I just saw bill after bill...I hate adulting. Finally I picked up that mysterious plain envelope and got my letter opener. As I sliced the paper open I felt a sharp pain in my finger and noticed a few red dots appear on the stationary. I hissed and sucked on my finger as I got out a bandaid. I looked at the envelope, now unsure if i wanted to look inside. My gut was telling me to open it but my mind was telling me not to. I sighed after a moment and picked it back up carefully, I looked inside and to my surprise, all that sat was a few scraps of paper, each with a single word on it. I dumped them out onto the counter and tried to arrange them in order, but it was no use. I scratched the back of my head as I racked my brain for answers. After what felt like hours I finally gave up, put the scraps back in the envelope and headed to bed.
"MOM!" I heard Robbie yell in the distance. "Mama!"
I ran through the water that had soaked through my socks. It was pitch black, I couldn't see an inch in front of me but I kept running as I heard Robbie's voice call for me. I tripped over something and caught myself, feeling my palms make contact with a rough ground. That didn't stop me though, I got back up and made a break for it. A red glow came into view and I ran even faster as I heard Robbie once again.
"Where are you?" I cried out, praying for an answer.
As I got closer my eyes became weaker, I had a hard time keeping them open as I squinted at the bright glow. It seemed to get more intense with each step I took. I closed my eyes, trying to block out the blinding colour that took over the once dark space. As I opened them I found myself now in the middle of a large, dim room.
"Mom?" I heard Robbie's voice say, making me turn around, "Mom, i'm here."
My eyes opened slowly as my mind adjusted back to reality. The sun was now gleaming through the small cracks in the curtain. I hesitantly got out of bed and made my morning coffee. Rubbing my tired eyes, I grabbed the newspaper and sat down at the table. I tried my best to focus on the articles printed in front of me but I couldn't. I sighed and quickly grabbed the open envelope off the counter before returning back to my seat. I laid each piece in front of me and counted them...
5.
I sighed as I picked up my mug and brought it up to my lips. I took a sip of the warm liquid and as it touched my tastebuds I grimaced. Looking down into the cup I gasped and let go of my grip on the handle. It shattered as it made contact with the floor, red blood splattering all over. My palms began to burn as I shot up from my seat and backed away into the wall. Tears were streaming down my cheeks as I looked at the cuts that covered both my palms. Panic began to set in and my tears never stopped flowing. My fight or flight response went into overdrive and before I knew I was running out of my apartment and down the hall. I pressed the elevator button vigorously as I impatiently waited for the doors to open. Once they did I got in and clicked the lobby button as my fingers trembled. I rubbed my eyes while trying to calm myself down. My cheeks were soaked and stained with tears and I tried to rub them away before i got off. The elevator was quiet beside the low hum as it further descended. I took a few deep breathes but they were suddenly caught in my throat as I heard a small whimper from behind me. I hesitantly looked over my shoulder in the direction of the low, soft sound. Standing behind me was a little boy, dressed in yellow. His head was low and his shoulder bounced slightly as he continued to cry. He slowly raised his head to meet my gaze. As his eyes met mine the elevator began quiet again. Then, the little boy muttered 5 words.
"We all float down here."
***
Sorry for the late update! Had some stuff going on but I hope you like it! Happy Halloween season 🎃☠️👻🎈
x, purplebookworm