"I'm sorry (y/n)."

Was the last thing she thought before the curtains of her life shut. There was only one person in the audience that didn't want the play to end, but that wasn't enough for the director now was it?

For some odd reason, it felt colder than usual. It was sprinkling and the rain was getting heavier and colder, but that's not what you were talking about. No, it felt ice cold, like you were in a freezer. Someone was staring. You could feel someone's eyes on you. The were coming closer... they were coming too close. What if they were bad, what if the killed you... what if... what if...

They raped you?

They could have a knife or worse, a gun. How would you fight back... would anyone help you if you screamed? You were doomed, but

You weren't scared.

You didn't know what fear was supposed to feel like. It's not like you had anything to lose anymore, so who cares. All those scary thoughts that ran through your head were your mother's thoughts. She rant about it every time you came home too late.

She was probably right though... you should be scared.

A ice cold hand brushes over your bare skin. They were light, soft touches, but they were so cold. The sound of the rain was muffled. All you could hear was steady breathing, but it wasn't you. You we're listening to yourself...

"(Y/n)?"

The cold air quickly disappears, the sound of the rain could be heard again, and the fast beating of your heart slowed down to a steady pace. You were quick to recover. Why was your heart even beating so fast in the first place and more importantly, why was he here? It was Thomas. The man who had (e/c) eyes, and (h/c) hair. You too even shared the same skin tone. You two looked alike... so alike that your mother hated your face like she hated his.

"What." You say.

You were sitting down at the park, staring at your shiny, black shoes.

"What are you doing in a storm like this?" You real father asks.

"What are you?" You say, not taking your eyes off your feet.

"Haha well..." Thomas sits next to you. "I was worried about you."

"Why?"

"Well... when I saw you run off I just—"

"How'd you see me if your weren't invited to the funeral?" You asks, finally looking into his eyes. "You would have to be near by to see me and... I doubt you were just casually hanging out at a play ground."

"(Y/n)...Someone I cared about died too."

"Cared? Why is it past tense?"

"The person that I cared about is dead now. They have no value to me anymore." Thomas says, smiling innocently.

"Yet, you attend their funeral. I don't think that's why you were there. Who died?" You ask.

"Well... your mother did. I don't care about her... I never really did, but she had something of mine."

"... you lead her on. What did she have?"

"My child."

You eyes widen. That... shouldn't have caught you off guard. You should have known.

"W–what." You gasp.

"Don't worry about it (y/n). It's dead now." Thomas's eyes give off an odd twinkle. "Why don't you come live with me now?"

"You... don't even care about it's death..."

"What would you know about caring? Calling my child an 'it'. Then again... it was more if an object than anything. That child was, indeed, my property." Thomas laughs. "Buuuut... It's dead. I can't bring it back, but that's okay because I have you, who is living."

"..."

"Your mother is gone." Thomas scoffs. "She is dead and she will be like that forever. She is nothing but a husk of what used to be a living, breathing, human being. Eventually she will rot, and her skin will fall off, and the worms will eat her and use her as nutrition. Then maybe, she can contribute one last time... maybe she will help a tree grow, but other than that... she is nothing now. A little speck of what used to be." Thomas smiled kindly at you. "But I'm living (y/n). I will love you, just like she loved you, but this time, I won't leave you. I would never leave you. Don't you want to feel that warmth again?" Thomas puts his hand out of you to take. "You're so special to me. Even if you did die.. I would care. I would do a lot to get you back, because—" Thomas's eyes go blank.

"You are me."

Static... all you could hear was static. Your hand twitches and then it begins to move closer to his hand.

Closer.

Closer.

Your hand was right above his...

If you touch his hand, would you ever be able to leave him?

And as your hands are about to touch, you yank your hand back.

It was so close.

"No." You say, standing up. "I'd rather die."

Thomas watched you leave, his face blank, his eyes dull. He was so lonely.... so... so lonely.

(Time skip)

You found yourself outside of Aiden and Liam's house. At this point it was pouring. Your clothes and hair stuck to your body like cling wrap. Thunder could be heard.

"One Mississippi..."

Your mother liked thunderstorms.

"Two Mississippi..."

When the power went out,

"Three Mississippi..."

She would tell you stories.

"Four Mississippi...."

Lightning strikes and what followed was thunder.

She was dead.

You look up, staring into one of the upstairs windows. There was a woman staring at you. You couldn't see her face. You two stare at each other for a while and then—

"(Y/n)?"

The front door was open. Standing in the doorway was Aiden. He was wearing gray sweat pants and a baby blue, loose-fitting T-shirt.

"Um... do you wanna come in?" He says.

You nod, stepping into the house. Aiden led you through on of the many doors that were on the bottom floor. You were in their living room. Their furniture was just like their doors... not a single one matched. The was a brown leather armchair, a muted green bean bag, a glass coffee table with sky blue table legs, a black lamp with a cream colored lamp shade, and a soft, cool brown, L-shaped couch. To add to that, the floor was covered with a warm gray carpet, and the walls were painted with a color that you could only describe as some type of rusty orange.

John and Liam were watching the weather forecast on an old looking TV. John was sitting in the leather armchair and Liam was sitting on the bean bag.

"I'll go get you something to dry yourself off... actually... I'll get your some clothes to change into." Aiden says, leaving you in the living room with his brother and stepfather.

You stood their quietly. Somehow, Liam and John didn't notice you.

The door to the living room opens again. It opened very slowly as if who ever was opening it didn't want to make too much noise. You turned to look at whoever it was and it was the woman you saw in the window.

It was Aiden's mom.

She had more color in her skin. The marks on her neck still looked pretty nasty, but she looked lively. She places her hands on your cheeks and she looks at you lovingly.

Her smile was as warm as the sun.

Your heart hurt, your eyes began to water... that terrible feeling returned. The feeling your felt all throughout the funeral. She grabs your hand, leading you away from the living room and up the stairs.

You were back in what you assumed to be her shared bedroom. The room that you saw her in the first time. She closed the door as quietly as she could.

"Hello." She says to you, still gripping you hand. "Are one of Aiden's friends?" She asks.

"I suppose." You say.

"I know this is weird, but.... I always wanted a daughter...." Aiden's mother sighs dreamily.

"Okay."

The woman leads you towards the bed, sitting down. She was waiting for you to sit next to her. You did.

"I'm sick. That's what my husband tells me, but I know there is something else. Recently.... I've been terribly scared of the dark and I can't remember why it scares me. What's lurking in it?"

"I wouldn't know." You says, staring blankly at the woman.

"But you would. My husband would pray to something... someone and do you know what he says?" The woman waits for you to reply.

"No."

"'I promise I'll bring her to you.' He would say and suddenly, the fear would go away for a while."

"Okay." You say.

"Is the 'her' he's referring to... you?" She asks. "Is it you that is causing me such pain? I'm sorry if what I'm saying is weird... but my husband is making me take medicine and it makes me act... strange."

"Oh... okay." You say. What was she talking about? "I don't think I'm the one causing you pain."

"Whoever he is praying to is after you young lady. As a mother... I can't let it take you." She whispers. "You are so young... I can't imagine how your parents would feel if their child just... went missing."

"I can." You say, looking at the woman.

Aiden's mother reminded you of your own. She was beautiful and caring... it was nice.

Back down stairs, Aiden had walked into the living room only to see that your weren't there.

"Hey, where is (y/n)? Did she go to the bathroom?" Aiden asks.

"(Y/n)? Was she here?" John asks, confused.

"Um.. yeah...you didn't see her?"

"No... I didn't even know there was someone else in the house..."

"I don't care where she is..." Liam scoffs. He was still upset about what you said about his step mother.

"She has to be around here somewhere. I doubt she went back out into that storm." Aiden says.

Not even seconds after he finished his sentence, the power went out. Most families would have just thought of that as an inconvenience, but this family knew better. John... knew... better. There was a monster that only comes out when it's dark, and once it's dark, it feeds.

A scream could be heard from upstairs.

"Louise!" John yells as he stumbles around in the dark room, his sons doing the same.

When the power went out, Aiden's mom began to hyperventilate. She did say she was scared of the dark. You tried to comfort her, but it did nothing. You thought that praying would help because that's what John does for her...but... you didn't know how to pray. What were you supposed to do...?

A cold chill rolled through the room. The same cold feeling you felt outside returned.

Suddenly, Aiden's mom wasn't next to you anymore. She was in front of you, her feet dangling right above the ground as the tall ominous figure behind her, held her up by the neck.

"Well now... when was the last time I've had a good meal?"