Suddenly I felt a cold and heavy hand on my shoulder. It gently pulled me towards it. When I turned at it, I observed a creature with hair strayed all over its face.
For a moment I got so scared that I felt my heart in my throat. I gathered whatever courage I had to look closer and realised that scary looking creature to me was my mom!
Only then I recalled that she sleeps with her hair unbraided. But didn't she acknowledge her presence? What was the need of standing and scaring me that way?
She sat beside me and grabbed me near her. This was not harsh but sudden "Why did you come to the room, is there any problem?" She whispered in my ear. I gasped, maybe out of fear. "Because dad didn't come to check on me!" I replied. She nodded saying that he might've been tired of traveling, gently releasing me.
I agreed, as I straightened myself. That could be the reason he slept.
"Why aren't you asleep?"
"New place. Did I wake you up?"
"No, I couldn't sleep either!"
Saying this she looked at Edith. I looked at her too. She then looked back at me, taking my hand and kissing it. I felt strange. My mom, though she loves me, never kissed my hand. She kisses my forehead or nose sometimes.
Even if she did, it wouldn't feel like soft cotton doing it. Her hand felt extremely soft, to an extent that I checked twice if it was her hand. It was also white. Not of normal skin color, but extremely white. I pretended to not feel unusual about it. Then I recalled about the manicure she does and the mask she applies to her hands… maybe it was this?
I don't know why I took a step back. She looked like my mom so she was my mom, right?
For a while she kept looking at me, unblinking. I felt awkward but brushed it off saying to myself that she might be sleepy. But then, she suddenly started rubbing her hand against my back. Mom does that but I never feel the way I felt that day. Her rub was hard, though her hands felt soft… I don't even know how to describe how I felt… Those soft hands rubbing so hard?
She then started poking my chubby cheeks with her nails.
Suddenly I looked at her nails and realised they were bigger than usual. Not only bigger, they were disfigured…
Something was off about that mother! Though I knew mom, at that point She felt like a complete stranger. I didn't even know if I was in front of mom.
She then asked "Do you love me ?" I replied yes by moving my head. She suddenly jerked her head at me, stretching her smile ear to ear, tilting her head.
That smile, I never forgot. Just couldn't do it… It was the most horrific smile I've ever seen… She kept staring at me, smiling that way. Her eyes were as wide as they were about to burst. Her grey hair covered half of her face, revealing only one eye and half smile. I didn't realise the chills that ran down my spine twice, my hands shivering in a subtle but noticeable way and the uneven breathing pattern of both of us.
Suddenly the lights went out. The moonlight crept in through partially open windows, lighting up her face.
Her eyes had turned red. She didn't blink once. I didn't see her doing that.
With darkness surrounding her, it also invited eerie silence… intercepted by the sound of her uneven breathing.
She exhaled on my face, the hot wind smelling like rotten meat. Was she doing this even before the lights went out? How come I not notice it then?
My heart was beating faster than ever. I heard every beat, loud and clear.
This awkward silence continued. I calculated every possible way to trying to escape it.
After a while she asked "What do you think about this place? We should stay here a little longer right?" She didn't change her position or stop smiling. I replied yes in the same way. At this moment, I felt like giving up and running as far as my legs could carry me.
I was talking to mom but I didn't feel that I was! She did seem like my mom but didn't feel. I neglected these points thinking mom would be mom.
She then straightened herself and for a moment she no longer appeared the way she was looking a second ago. Her pale face changed, appearing like my normal mom. She then brushed my hair saying she loves me. I smiled as mom does that. But I was confused! How did her appearance change? Her face no longer looked pale! What is happening?
She just looked like my mom. She then asked me if I wanted water. I replied no. But she wanted to and she felt scared to go downstairs alone. She pleaded me, in other words, begged me to accompany her. I looked back for a second longer than necessary, processing her.
"Please, please don't say no! You know I'm afraid! Can you please help me get water? I request you! You wouldn't say no to your mom right?" Again, she repeated.
My mom just orders! I've rarely heard her say no… Is she really her?
Mom has nyctophobia, no doubt, but since when she started pleading and requesting? To me?
She then took my hands again, pressing it hard and requesting. How could I agree? I was scared!
But I agreed. I had a plan. When she leaves the room, I'd close the door behind her and lock it.
As I was getting up from bed , she stared at Edith with an angry expression. I thought maybe because I acted arrogant, took too long to respond?
"She shouldn't have done that right ?" I nodded in the same way.
Oh, so she was angry at her! Why? Because she ruined my plans?
I was slow and calculating for the right moment. No sooner had she stepped out of the room, I tried to close the door.
But she was quick! She pushed it open and raised her hand. It landed with great force on my cheek. Due to it, I almost fell on the floor.
She then dug her nails in my wrist to get a hold and began pulling me. Crimson drops escaped my body and spread across my arm.
I quickly pulled it and slammed the door with whatever force I had on her face, not caring about how she'd feel and quickly locked it.
For a moment silence stretched like a hot toffee. I closely examined the wounds, they were bleeding!
I was feeling real off about mom but I still thought that woman to be my mom. Why would she do that? I had a rollercoaster of emotions, scared, Furious, in agony and the little excitement of the night!
She didn't make any noise, the room felt like nothing happened. River of tears flowed down my cheek, a hand put on my mouth to not let a scream escape.
I ran to Edith and started waking her up. I shook her violently not caring it might hurt her. She didn't even respond!
Fear crept my body, consuming it! I moved here and there like a psycho!
Suddenly there was a gentle knock on the door.
My whole body jerked as if I saw death. It felt the same way!
This knock became continuous and violent over time. I ignored, whispering whatever prayers I could remember.
Then, she started beating the door so hard that the whole room shook.
I was amazed at the fact that this didn't affect Edith! I thought I'd pretend to sleep by not answering the calls made. I had to distract myself and wait until this night finally ends!
I connected Bluetooth, picked up the phone and unlocked it. I played whatever I was watching.
To not waste a single second, previously I had opened the movie. Then I didn't want this night to end, unlike now.
I wished I had changed to something else, but my fingers were shaking so violently that it felt impossible.
Suddenly it became quiet. The knocking stopped. This one didn't feel heavy… It felt like relief.
I finally relaxed a bit and focused more on the movie, or at least pretended to.
By the interval of the movie, I already began forgetting whatever happened to me by the new fear of this horror movie. During the process I saw something crawling outside the tightly shut window. Wait, was the window shut?
Thinking it my imagination, I neglected that fact. Once I sensed a face stuck close to the window. Instead of getting scared, I got up and moved the curtains to prevent that. Wait, the curtains were partially open right?
Then, I felt like something crawled under the bed. It moved swiftly and was heavy, causing the floor to creak beneath it. I ignored that too.
Finally the movie was over. It was 4 am. My eyelids felt heavy and the thought of burying myself in that blanket closing my eyes, was taking over.
Suddenly I recalled about mom. I thought to check on Mom.
As I got up, I noticed someone's feet standing at the other side of the locked door. Those feet looked like mom's. The light from the store room casted the shadow of her feet inside the room. Wait, when did the lights come back? It was pitch black after the darkness consumed us, right?
And Mom? What the Hell is she doing there ? She was ready for me to open the door but I didn't.
I went back to sleep.
I saw a dream of the door getting opened by itself. Mom entered with a fierce look on her face.
I was awake but I pretended to sleep. After fixing her bombastic gaze on me for a while, she bent down. Her both palms on the floor and the position like a cat about to attack. I gasped out of shock! Why is she doing this?
Then, she began crawling! Slow and deliberate crawl… Her movements were scary. I quickly closed my eyes shut, trying to calm myself. I couldn't stop the tears from shedding on this sight. I remained motionless to avoid her from coming closer. I tried moving but I was frozen and stuck to the spot like gum.
But she reached my bed, climbing my chest like a spider! I tried breathing. The air was so heavy that I could not even breathe… My heart was not beating, it was thumping. I saw her face closely and realised that though she looked like my mom, she wasn't my mom!
Her real eyes were inside her mouth! She raised her head high about to bite my neck. I didn't know why I was unable to move or scream.
This led me to open my eyes with a jerk and realise it to be a dream. I felt so relieved at that moment.
It was 5 in the morning and I got up . My jaw dropped when I saw the door open!
Edith was still asleep like nothing happened! Maybe she got up and opened it, I thought. In other words, I consoled myself to not be scared.
I got up and went out to see if anyone was awake . The door of the guest room was closed . Mom wakes before dad and closes the door to let him sleep peacefully and prevent the noise caused by her to enter . So mom was awake .
I went downstairs in search of her and the reason for the cause of her actions . As I was getting down , I heard the laughing sounds of mom and aunt .
When I approached closer, I saw they were giggling and laughing . I cleared my throat to let my presence be known to them . Both of them looked at me, yawning constantly .
As I sat beside mom , aunt got up to make coffee for us . As soon as she left I looked fiercely at mom and asked
"What happened to you last night ?"
"Why what happened ?"
"Was it necessary to be that hard ?"
"When ?"
"Oh , you really don't know when ? Look at this !"
I showed her my hand and I tried to show her the wounds but they mysteriously disappeared …