I woke up in the morning; sunlight and all. I do not have time to describe nature in the most acceptable way like other stories do, but I can say the sun was shining brightly enough. My room was all messed up. I didn't quite remember what I was searching for, but I hoped I had found it. I raised my head to stare at the sun. At least it was not as lonely as I was. I was as lonely as a... whatever you would call lonely.
The door flew open. My little sister hopped in holding her doll. I never played with one as a kid, not that I wanted one either. I was stuck to my video games.
"Lila, Lila!" she stumbled over my scattered clothes. I wondered what she had to say this morning too. She was annoying. Not annoying-annoying, but the type of annoying you wouldn't want to let go of. Of course I loved the little creature.
I kept watching her as she climbed onto my bed and got to where I was, dropping beside me.
"What is it, my chubby teddy?" I asked, holding both sides of her cheeks and pressing them softly. She was chubby for sure. I wondered where I had passed. I was slim, but not skinny.
"Mom said come down for breakfast. You woke up late today. I woke up first, me and my dolly." She held up the doll to my face, maybe trying to spite me. It wasn't working.
Hana was just three, but the words that poured out of her weren't that of a three-year-old.
"Just for today, Hana. Just today. Next time I will wake up early, before you and dolly. Now run along and tell mommy I'll be there."
"Okay!" She jumped off the bed, over the clothes again, and out of the room.
I could hear her footsteps as she jumped down each step, and I heard her when she told mom I was coming. I looked around the room and sighed. I got off the bed and started packing my clothes from the floor while humming an unknown tune to myself. After that, I went to straighten my bed-sheet.
I suddenly heard glass breaking, followed by a piercing scream from Hana. Terrified, I rushed down to see what was wrong.
The living room window was broken. There was blood on the sill and broken pieces of glass right below it. The living room was a mess.
Then I saw Hana's doll in the kitchen doorway.
I ran to the kitchen, calling out to her and mom.
"Mom! Hana! Where are you?" I scanned the kitchen, searching for them.
It was at that moment that I realized the outside had gone dark. But it was morning. How could the place be dark?
A sound from the kitchen cabinet behind me startled me. I turned and walked slowly toward it. I hesitated. I looked around for something long to open the cabinet door. My hands trembled as I backed slowly into the storeroom and saw a rake. I grabbed it and shakily advanced toward the cabinet.
I used the pointy ends of the rake to hook the handle and pulled it open.
"Hana?"
I dropped the rake and bent down to hug the little girl. She was shivering, as though cold water had been poured on her. The poor creature. She burst into tears as soon as I held her.
"Hana, where's mom?" I asked.
She cried even louder.
"What's wrong, Hana? Where's mom?"
I knew it was irrational to ask a little girl of that age something like that, but I was scared. She stopped crying almost immediately and started shivering again. Slowly, she lifted her hand and pointed at something behind me.
I turned swiftly, expecting to see mom.
Instead, I saw a gruesome-looking creature.
It stood about twenty feet tall with six wobbly tentacle arms; three on either side. Each arm had three clawed fingers. Its head was unnaturally shaped, with about twelve eyes scattered all over its face. It didn't even have a neck. Its mouth was wide open, exposing uneven rows of sharp brown teeth, and a black, snake-like tongue hung out, dripping with a weird slimy green substance.
The same liquid oozed from pores all over its body.
A drop landed on the window sill, and a strong scent of burning metal filled the air.
It wasn't until Hana said "Mom" that I realized one of the creature's hands was holding her.
I quickly covered Hana's eyes.
Mom had no legs. I wanted to cry, but I had to stay strong for Hana.
"Hana, it's not real. None of it is real. We'll be alright." I tried to assure her. I knew I was lying to myself too, but what else could I do?
There was a sudden thud at the other window.
The monster threw the remaining half of mom's body at us.
Her eyes stared lifelessly. Her face was frozen with fear and horror.
We had to run.
I grabbed Hana and dashed out of the kitchen. One slimy tentacle shot toward us from behind. Another burst through the broken window in the living room. How long were its arms?
The burning scent grew stronger as the slime ate through everything in its path.
I headed for the backdoor.
"Hana... we have to leave."
"Dolly." She pointed at the doll lying in the kitchen doorway.
I looked at the doll. Then at the flailing arms.
"Hana... we have to leave it. I'll get you a new one."
"But my dolly. I want her now."
She struggled and cried.
I set her down behind the staircase. "Alright. Calm down. Stop crying. I'll get it."
I pushed her further under the stairs.
"Stay here. I'll be back."
I took a breath and stepped forward.
Then I froze.
The monster had stopped moving.
It stared directly at me, as if calculating my steps.
I stared back.
My heart pounded.
I didn't know whether to move or stay still.
I moved.
One step.
Nothing.
Another.
Still nothing.
I reached the doll and picked it up. The creature didn't react.
I turned and ran.
"Hana, come out."
"Dolly!"
"I know. Let's go."
She hugged the doll tightly as I carried her toward the backdoor.
The monster only watched.
Outside, cold wind rushed past us. It was pitch black. No one in sight. Nowhere to go.
I turned back to look at the house one last time; the house that held my childhood.
That was when I realized my life was no longer just my own.
I had stepped through a gateway into the supernatural.
I woke up this morning, only to be greeted by a gory night sky.