The Boy in My Closet | k.th

07. Are You Real?

The Human

Several days have passed since you saw him again. Nothing has happened since. You've entered and left your closet each day without another trouble or disturbance.

Though, to say the thought wasn't constantly on your mind would be a lie. Now, you were almost always thinking about it despite your earlier promise to shut it out.

You had to know more; prove that you weren't just in the wrong mind.

You had to know if there was really a boy in your closet.

As you stand alone in your bathroom that night, a safety pin in your hand, you almost laugh at yourself and wonder if you were crazy after all.

A relationship with blood.

This is the only way you could finally tell yourself you weren't just crazy.

You gently press the metal end of the pin into your finger, adding more pressure as you go down. When you finally break your skin, you hiss at the sharp sting that results from the puncture.

A small bead of blood rolls down your finger, and you grab a tissue to wrap it.

Then you leave the bathroom, making your way to the opposite side of your room; to your closet.

The light is already on when you enter the space that suddenly feels much smaller than before.

You can't help but breathe heavily, anticipation and fright getting the better of you.

You look to the area he was standing the last time; in the back. When you don't see anything, you turn your head to the left, then to the right.

Nothing. You see nothing, and then your eyes fall onto the rack of hung up clothing that blocks the wall from your view.

The first time you saw him, he was behind them, you remember.

Slowly, your hands find their way to the clothes.

Taking either side of the bunch of cloth and color, you pull it apart.

And as faint and discolored the figure before your eyes looks, you can see him.

You look at him as though it's the first time you've seen him.

You see the red bruises around his exposed chest and neck, even some on his face. You see the long sleeve shirt he wears that covers his right arm. A hole has riped part of the sleeve, and it's stained a deep red, matching the bloodied area on his abdomen.

Exsanguination and asphyxiation are ruled as the final cause of death.

This is what he looked like before he died.

He wears a school uniform; a plaid button-up covered by a maroon sweater with black pants.

When your eyes finally meet his, he's standing with an alarmed face, his body pale and hair disheveled.

You take one step, then two steps back.

You felt fear.

Not because of what the boy in front of you looked like. Not because his eyes were staring back into your own.

But because this was real. You couldn't deny it any longer.

You take another step back.

His mouth; you catch it move as though he's saying something.

Your head forces itself to look another way. You stay for another second before stepping out of the space entirely.

But when you looked back, there was nothing.

You wondered if he was still able to see you despite you not being in the closet. Or was it like how when you stepped out of the closet, he disappeared behind your eyes.

That thought remained, and you considered closing the door.

But those marks and his saddened face made you leave it open.

As you stared in the closet a moment longer, you wondered if that lonely face was also looking back at you.

[A/N]

Thank you for reading these couple chapters! I hope you enjoyed and stick around for the next ones!

Please stay safe and rest well.

- Ichiranramen <3