Modeled after Giovanni Boccaccio's classic from the 14th Century, this collection similarly brought 100+ short stories to Wattpad readers. The original's premise was simple: ten individuals entertained themselves over a span of ten days by telling a...
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That was the first-time Kiran saw her nightmares jump out on her.
Just take a look inside the closet.
That was what her little sister said to her, just before Kiran's ninth birthday. She shouldn't have thought of the horrifying man she saw in her nightmares the night before just seconds away from opening the door to encourage her little sister to believe the fact that monsters weren't real, but she did regardless. She thought of the way his eye sockets were empty, and how he was wearing both eyeballs like rings on both hand's index fingers. She thought of the lack of teeth in his mouth, and how when he opened it to give her a wide smile his tongue slipped out and landed on her dark blue shoes.
She woke up in bed just when the nightmare man jumped out on her sister and her. Kiran was quick to think it was a dream, only to have the news broken to her during breakfast that her little sister was missing and no one could find her.
Just take a look inside the closet.
She'd heard that sentence thirty-eight times (and counting) in her life. Most of the time, she didn't open look. Sixteen times, nothing happened. It was broad daylight, she was giggling with friends or her twin sister Karan, and she thought nothing of what night terrors the darkness had bestowed upon her the night before. Two of those times, she opened the closet door thinking of what her mind had conjured up to terrorize her sleep, and both times she ended up having something taken from her.
The first was her sanity. The second was her six-year-old sister.
The phrase haunted her. Followed her. It wasn't supposed to be a phrase someone heard commonly in their lives. But it was. It was worded the same way, used in the same way, and always said by someone close to her. Always those words, always near a closet, and always said by her friends and family.
"You're Kiran Montague, right? Like the Montagues from Romeo and Juliet?"
A small smile flickered across her face despite the lack of sleep Kiran had last night. She was already up for twenty-six hours straight now. Add another seven hours of ninth grade high school and she'd be a goner before she could have a chance to walk home. "That's me," she said cautiously. "And you are?"
The camera around Daniel Winter's neck was decorated in Kpop stickers from strap to the actual thing. Of course she knew his name. Everyone knew his name. He was the guy obsessed with Kpop and photography. Also known as the happy go-lucky guy everyone liked and was envious of at the same time.
"I'm Daniel Winters," he said, like that would explain the reason why he was standing in front of Kiran. He frowned. "Yeah, no. My name isn't going to tell you anything. Sorry. I'm in yearbook and was wondering if you could pose near that wall behind you so I can get something in for the seniors before they blow my head off."
