The Glitch

Episode Three: Reality Sucks

He stepped into the hallway and the front door was open and a trail of mud footprints led into the living room. Billy followed him shivering in fear. He grabbed Victor by the wrist and pulled him back as he was about to enter the living room.

"I really think this is a bad idea Vic, let's call the cops first."

"No, what if it's a false alarm and if it's something supernatural then the cops can't help either. It's up to us."

He inhales deeply and marched into the living room with his chest buffed like he has been working out. The lights were off and all the curtains were closed. The TV was on but was glitching and a man was slumped deep into a comfy red single sofa and the muddy footprints leading to him.

"I don't like this Vic." Billy whispered.

The man heard them and grouched. Fear coursed through their veins as the man slowly stood to his feet. Their eyes widened as they stared in suspense waiting for the stranger to reveal his face.

"Mr. Lou?" Billy gasped

"Hey there kiddo, I hope you didn't mind me letting myself in."

"But how did you get in?" Victor asked curious.

"The door wasn't locked so I came in."

"No I'm definitely sure I locked it after coming in." Billy assured with furrowed eyebrows.

"Maybe you forgot Vic, Mr. Lou wouldn't lie about something so petty." Billy said.

"I brought pizza, let's eat." Mr. Lou said and lifted two boxes of pizza out of nowhere and headed for the kitchen.

"What about the TV?" He points at the TV as they were leaving the room, "It is glitching."

"No it isn't, are you sure your fine kid?" Mr. Lou asked.

He turned to see the TV on and showing a program on dolphins and the curtains were opened. "But how-how can...?"

"Let's go Vic." Billy said and left with Mr. Lou to the Kitchen to set up the table. Victor was confused and curious to know what just happened. He slowly walked into the kitchen with eyes firmly focused on Mr. Lou. He pulls out a seat at the dining and sat next to Billy who was busy stuffing his face with slices of the pizza.

"Something's off and I know it." He whispered with his eyes still on Mr. Lou.

"Can't you just enjoy the pizza Vic?" Billy said out loud with his mouth full. Mr. Lou glared at Victor with his eyes widened and his eyebrows raised. His calm gentle face vanished for a second and Victor felt like he was eating with a monster. Fear engulfed Victor's heart as he was intimidated by Mr. Lou's facial expression.

"What's with the silence?" Billy asked raising his head to see what was going on.

"It's nothing; your friend was just apologizing for his attitude." Mr. Lou answered.

Mr. Lou flashed a fake smile at Victor and he smiled back when Billy turned to him to know if what Mr. Lou said was true. He nodded in affirmation and quickly ate his slice of pizza. The kitchen was beautiful and spacious. The dining was on the left side of the room and the table was round and white with red wooden chairs and a centre rug with floral designs to tie it all together. A counter divided the dining from the kitchen. H e devoured his slice as fast as he could and got up to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"Home, I'm not feeling well right now."

"But you were supposed to sleep over." Billy swallowed the last bite that was now a mush.

Mr. Lou pushed aside his chair and got up. He dusted his clothes and fetched a glass of water from the kitchen sink and walked up to Victor who was still standing at the door.

"He clearly doesn't want to stay because of me. Don't worry I'll show myself out." He scoffed.

"But..."

"It's no problem kid. You can finish the pizza with him." Mr. Lou smirked at Victor and happily left the apartment. Victor stared at him with furrowed eyebrows and clenched fists.

"Why do you hate him?" Billy walked up to him.

"There's something off not just about him. I just don't know."

"It's probably too much spell casting on your part. Let it be, want to play some video games?"

"Yeah, that'll be great but I have to lock the door first." He quickly dashed to the front door and locked it with the keys and even bolted it. Billy laughed so hard his eyes popped out and he staggered into his room to set up the game.

Reality

Richard returned home to see Mary and Macy sleeping comfortably in the bedroom. He dropped his bag beside the foot of the bed and pulled out his phone from his left pocket and called the hospital. The call keeps going but no one was picking the calls. He knew Mary would be worried if he didn't have any updates for her when she woke up so he quickly drove down to the hospital himself to see what was happening. He was already stressed and tired from work and needed sleep but he drove to the hospital anyway. He set the radio to play soothing music for him but little did he know the music was too soothing. The gentle sweet voice of the female singer slid into his ears and echoed within his skull. His eyelids slowly became heavy and his grip on the steering wheel loosened up. His sight became blurry till all he could see was nothing but darkness. His hands slowly slipped off the steering and music sent him on journey to relaxation. He quickly jumped awake at the loud honking of huge truck he was about to crash into. His eyes widened and the light from the truck blinded him, he quickly got grip on the steering and with his might made a sharp bent and drove off the road and into the woods. The car galloped down the sloppy woods and all he could was watch as he met his end. The car rammed right into a pine tree and Richard smashed his head into steering wheel right before the air bags popped up knocking his back. The car honked loudly and non-stop with its head lights blinking brightly. The truck driver pulled over and called an ambulance as soon as he saw the smoke fuming from the car.

"Yes hurry I think it's bad." He hung up and gentle ran down the slope to the car. The doors were sealed shut but he tried to force them open but to no avail."I have to get him out somehow, yes! The windows." He quickly grabbed a rock and smashed the window and made sure he broke the glass thoroughly then grabbed on tight to Richard and yanked him out of the car. Both men fell to the ground and rolled further into the woods. An hour and half later the sirens of the ambulance ran through the air and finally came to a halt behind the truck. The paramedics quickly ran out and down towards the car witch bright torch lights.

"Where are they? There's no one here." They looked around the area till the suddenly heard something move from a distance.

"Over here!" The truck driver called out to them waving his hand as high as he could. The paramedics caught sight of both men stuck in a ditch. More men went down to pull them out and as soon as they were out Richard was quickly rushed to the hospital.

"Hello?" Mary picked the call after the loud ringing of her phone woke her up. She slowly got up and left the room before she wakes Macy up. She went into Victor's room and sat on the bed.

"I'm sorry Mary but I need you to come to hospital immediately." Dr. Kirby said

"Why? What happened to Victor?"

"It's your husband; he was in an accident earlier."

What?" She rose to her feet, "I'm on my way." She dashed out of the room and ran downstairs grabbing the car keys and went out the door. "Wait, I'm forgetting something. Macy! I can't leave her alone." She pulled out her phone and calls the nanny she has been planning on hiring after an interview with her and Richard. Forty five minutes later the nanny arrived and the door bell rang. Mary leaped towards the door and almost ripped it off its hinges.

"I'm really sorry for calling you at this time but it's really important. Watch Macy, I have to go to the hospital."

"Don't worry ma'am, I'll take good care of her." The nanny assured her and Mary ran out and into her car, inserted the keys and drove off.

On her way to the hospital her eyes caught sight of the scene of the accident and it looked devastating. She slowed down as she passed by. The doors were all jammed and the bonnet was knocked off. Smoke emerged from the engine and tires were all punctured and the windows shattered. Some mechanics were trying to free the car as it was stuck to the tree it crashed into."This is serious." She thought to herself and stepped on the gas pedal and drove off quickly.

She quickly barged into the hospital without parking her car properly and ran to Dr. Kirby's office. The receptionist saw her and ran after. "Ma'am, wait! Who are you looking for? Ma'am!!" Dr. Kirby was just about leaving his office when Mary ran up to him with fear ridden face and right behind her was the fat black receptionist who was sweating profusely and had only exercised once in her entire life. "Dr. Kirby" Takes In a few breaths, "I couldn't stop her, she was... She was so fast." The receptionist spat out gasping for air.

"Now do you see why I asked you to exercise and go on a diet? You barley ran a mile and you are already about to collapse. Don't worry she's here to see me." The receptionist sluggishly goes back to her desk whilst Dr. Kirby took Mary to see Richard.

"How is he?"

"Don't worry he's unconscious but fine. No broken bones or severe damages. He'll have to stay the night though." He opens the door and Mary rushed to his side.

"I want to stay the night with him, I hope that's okay?"

"No problem, I'll ask one of the nurses to bring you a blanket."

Dream State

Victor suddenly wakes up confused in his bedroom. He keeps seeing flashes of Richard lying unconscious in the hospital with Mary sleeping beside him. But then he remembered seeing the nanny. The old wrinkly evil smile on her face. She was home alone with Macy who was sleeping comfortably in his parents' room. Suddenly the nanny was gone and an evil cackle came from his parents' room followed by the cries of Macy. He quickly ran up the stairs and with every step he took, his feet became heavier and he could hear her heartbeat slowly stopping. He dragged his feet across the hall and Macy's cries grew louder. He feared the worst had happened. He barged in to see blood splattered across the room and at her feet laid Macy's intestines and guts. He looked up to see that disgusting smile on her face as she threw the baby's lifeless body at his feet. Filled with rage he tried to attack her but his body froze right where he stood. The deranged nanny with her body covered in blood and a sharp kitchen knife on her right hand walked up to him. Macy's blood dripped from the tip of the blade and smashed into the floor. He stared into her cold dead eyes and saw nothing. It was black and as he stared she pierced his heart quickly with the blade and then he woke up.

"I've got to be sure if Macy is okay." He quickly sneaked into his parents room and as he entered he saw Richard was fine and sleeping, so as Mary and Macy. But he still wasn't satisfied and so he tiptoed downstairs to the nanny's room to see the old hag herself. He slowly pushed the door open and saw her still in her bed, but then he heard the sound of drops of blood hitting the floor and when he looked down he saw Macy's lifeless body at his feet and her guts all over the floor. His body froze as he saw the sheets move. The nanny slowly turned around and her dead eyes fixed on him. He gnashed his teeth in fear and drops of sweat ran down his face like they were racing. His heart kept pounding trying to break out of his chest, then amidst the fear he looked and realized the woman was asleep. He looked at the end of the room and saw a cup of water spilt over on the desk and the drops of blood he heard were actually drops of water. As soon as he realized this, Macy's dead body vanished and he unfroze. He inhaled deeply and was filled with gratitude for his life and slowly shut the doors and went back upstairs to his room. He lay on his bed trying to get back to sleep but he couldn't get the scene of Macy's death and the creepy look in her eyes when he went to her room out of his mind. He jumped out of bed and sneaked into his parents' room and carried Macy to his and slept with her next to him, holding her hand.

Ep 04: Victor Is Awake (Dream or Reality, What's The Difference?)