Epiphany

Chapter 20 Part 1~Scream

It felt as though an eternity passed by with me sleeping because when a thudding sound woke me up, the first thing my mind ordered was to look for a clock.

How many hours did I sleep?

But then this concern that felt significant to my knowledge got shrunken when I realized the sound that woke me up was the front door.

It being kicked open.

I jolted upright and jerked my head to the side and right as my eyes caught the figure standing in the doorway, the tiredness that I wore like a thin shirt was taken off straight away.

The sweat-inducing scene in front of me reminded me of those in horror movies.

Outside the house, under the soft illumination of the moon, stood a lean figure and because of the moonlight, the figure’s features weren’t perceivable. It was as though he wore a full-body dark fabric, hiding his countenance. But it was revealed to me who it was because of the gleaming yellow strands.

And just like in those type of movies, he had to be clutching something in his hand. The killer usually held a chainsaw or a knife but this one grasped something unexpected. It wasn’t even a weapon. It took a few seconds for me to make out what it was but it was a person.

A crooked one.

A person who barely stood on their own feet.

As soon as the taller figure took a step inside, he tossed the weaker one in the middle of the room. The weaker figure came crashing to the ground, long messy hair hiding the identity.

But all I needed to see was the color of the hair and the length to make out who it was.

The next thing I knew was my body moving on its own accord as my legs took me at the same pace I took when I tried to escape this place.

And the next thing I felt was the coldness soaking out of her as my body smashed into hers.

Was this real?

“Julia!” I cried, tightening my grip around her.

How was that possible?

“You’re alive!” I gasped, clutching her clothes.

Wasn’t she dead?

“Oh my... God...” I felt a slimy substance trickle down my nose as I buried my face into her shoulder. “You’re...”

Alive.

And she was in my arms too. “Julia... Thank... Thank God...”

I squeezed my eyes as tightly as I could and after I made sure that this was indeed real, I rested my chin on her shoulder.

I felt a nearby wave of emotions approaching when a certain question occurred to me.

“Julia, are you… okay?”

Did they hurt you?

I tilted my head to the side a bit, her hair strands clinging to my lips and cheeks in return.

A bolt of panic hit me when she didn’t respond, further proving my suspicion.

“Julia?”

It hit me again when her body felt limp against mine.

Something was wrong.

I pulled back, still holding her shoulders, and before I could look her in the eyes and study her state, her head drooped in a painful angle.

Like a corpse.

“Julia!” I gave a harsh shake to her shoulders, and there wasn’t a hint given to me that she was even conscious.