It was a peaceful night when I decided to lay on my bed. I never shut my eyes nor sleep immediately, rather I wait for the hysterical noises that never fail to extremely agitate me. I looked over the clock hanging on my wall to see that it's half midnight until the horrifying screams that I've been waiting started to break the silence. I tried not to flinch and my body felt like it was completely frozen.
It has always been like this every night. I've been hearing too much agony and pain disguised as defeaning screams made out of different voices and it was never easy. It's terrifying how my mind would play tricks on me, causing my eyes to get puffy and my body close to debilitating from lack of sleep.
The time when the day casted away the cloak of night, I got myself out of my bed and started preparing my own breakfast. Then I heard the door bell ring. I knew it was Mr. Gregory. The door screeched as I carefully opened it and I saw him flashing a bright smile over his face with a tupperware of food placed on his hands.
"Oh poor Sandra, you haven't got a chance to sleep again? I can see the tiredness in your eyes," he said nonchalantly with worries written on his face.
"Like it always have been," I replied, trying not to make myself fall into sleep. My eyes are starting to feel heavy that it would close anytime soon.
Mr. Gregory once suggested for me to sleep during day time to atleast recover some energy instead of trying my best to sleep at night when it's impossible because of the noises in my head. Yet it's hard especially if I have to get to work early in the morning just to get home late at night.
"Your medications wouldn't work well if it continues."
He was right, but I had no choice. I'm living all by myself so there's no one to support my financial needs. My parents passed away and I am their only child so I have no siblings to lean on. How terrible my life is. Five months ago, I left my family's house and moved here and that was time when I started hearing voices during nightfall. So it's been five months too that I was having countless appointments with a psychiatrist. I was told by my doctor that my mind might actually couldn't accept the past memories I left in our old house that's why it is trying to make noises in my head when I moved out.
Crazy how our mind works. It can break us anytime, can play with ourself and worse, it can control us. Our mind is probably our greatest enemy. It is the hardest to heal when it comes to sickness, and the hardest to deal with when it tries to betray us.
"Anyway, I cooked this meat soup for you. You can bring it to your office and share it with your workmates. They might love it," he said as he handed me a tupperware full of hot and savory meat soup inside. I thanked him genuinely before he could ever walk back to his house.
Mr. Gregory have always been a good neighbor. I was told that he used to live with his wife before, but she died years ago and they have no children. He must have been lonely, but I never see it in him. Maybe it's because he always used to wear such smiles on his face and never fail to bring out a good vibe in front of me.
My house is the only one that is standing near to his and I'm not minding it. He's not problematic after all. From the very first day I moved here, he have always been offering me foods that he cooked and I love it all—especially the meat. I wanted to know all of his secret recipes because it all never taste like anyone's. And I always try my best to show my appreciation, thinking that he's simply doing it because he treats me like a family considering the fact that we both have lost our own.
I spent the remaining hours of the day working and went straight to my house at night when I finsihed my duty. I wasn't able to sleep peacefully again because of the high pitched screams. It took hours to end so I only had a few hours of sleep. When will this ever stop though? I'm having enough of this thing.
I woke up the next day and was surprised to hear people mumbling outside and the noises of sirens couldn't be helped. I covered my face with my pillow, hoping to hear less. It have always been peaceful in this neighborhood so what could be the reason of this sudden chaos?
My eyebrows furrowed when I realized something. Wait—are those police cars?
I checked through the window of my bedroom and saw some police men gripping on Mr. Gregory's arm as they try to arrest him. Some people from our neighborhood were screaming against him and throwing some disrespectful words. What is happening? What did Mr. Gregory do to be arrested? Is this some kind of false accusation?
I rushed outside the house and came near them. A police man gave me a daring look when I forcefully tugged his arm. I swallowed thickly, my mind considering the possibility of him getting mad because it was kind of impolite.
"Why are you guys arresting a poor old innocent man?!" I shouted in anguish. My heart's starting to beat fast out of nervousness but I couldn't help to make a scene.
"Young lady, you were being fooled by this not-so-poor-old-innocent-man. You should be terrified for having a serial killer right beside your house," the police man explained with a smirk on his face as he motioned me to stand next to him and catch sight of the dead bodies being carried by the coroners. My eyes started to get wider as I twitched my hands unconsciously.
I saw a lot of body parts that were cut and frozen in a refrigerator that made my stomach upset. The police man gave me more informations that are difficult to sink in my head. I suddenly felt like a cold wind went right through me, then a fresh set of tears flowed down my eyes in disbelief and frustration. I was sicken of what I've witnessed.
It is when I knew that I wasn't hearing noises from my head all this time. The voices were passing from a wall over Mr. Gregory's house that are enough for me to hear because it was just from a room next to mine. They were voices from people screaming for help as they let out their agonizing pain.
A lot of people were tortured to death inside his house every single night until they were cut into pieces and parts of their bodies were stored in a refrigerator. I quickly placed my hands over my mouth when I realized something—the human flesh were the ones that Mr. Gregory used to cook food and offer it to me, the exact reason why it tasted so different than anything else. It is also enough for me realize that I was unconsciously being a cannibal. I laid my hands over my stomach and tried my hardest not to throw up. All this time I was being tricked by an old man whom I thought was pure and innocent, but deeply has dark and horrendous intentions inside.
I glanced over Mr. Gregory who's now sitting inside the police car then I saw his head slowly gazing at me through the window. I was paralyzed on my spot as he gave a menacing look along with his devilish grin—enough to show the danger in him.
