Prologue
I was so little yet I remembered every second, every little thing that happened that night.
The thundering sky, pouring rain and dimly lighted candles made my surroundings. My hands were being held tight, pulled forward along the endless dark corridor. My little steps were being dragged and pulled, trying to catch up.
"M-Mom?" I said in between my breathes, trying to slow down but unable to as she pulled harder and faster.
The alley was dark, somber and lifeless. It reeks of stifling smells. I don’t want to sniff them but I am out of breath, everytime I take a breath, I want to vomit.
Mom halted at an old wooden rundown door. She lightly tapped the door, turned the doorknob open and all I saw was darkness and nothing else.
"M-Mom?" Fear gripped my heart and my tiny hand tightened our hold.
Again, mom didn’t utter a single word, instead she pulled me into the darkness. Pushing me behind her as she shut closed the door with glowing palms.
“Come.”
Mom dragged me onto some sort of stairs, lifted me up in the darkness and placed me above her. All I saw then was her eyes, staring back at me with tears brimming in them.
“My baby.” She paused with glassy eyes. Tears streamed down mom’s cold cheeks.
“We will be playing a long hide and seek. You are the best at this game, so I need you to go all out, camouflage and use all the skills you had.” I had my hands on her face, cupping them.
Bitting down my lips, not wanting to play tonight. Especially not now when mommy was acting strange. My heart was telling me no, I just didn’t want to part with mom. “Mom.”
She gave me a smile despite her tear-stained cheeks. I ran my thumbs on her face, wiping the tears as she placed her forehead on mine, placing lingering kisses all around.
“My sweet smart baby. I will be with you, eternally.”
I felt my eyes burning, “M-Mommy, I don’t want to play today.” I sobbed in her arms, shaking my head, snaking my arms around her.
“I am sorry, baby. Mommy is sorry but you need to, I beg of you. Please.” Mom pulled us apart, cupped my face and brought it to hers when a blood-curdling scream rang just outside the door. “M-mommy.”
“Go now!” Mom yanked her necklace from her neck, placing it into my hand, and pushed me deeper into the dark.
“Go! Hide.” Her palms were raised towards me and a strange light enveloped myself, then pushed me to a wall on my back. When I lifted my eyes up for her, mommy was not there anymore.
“Mommy!”
The ground beneath me quaked, sending me down on my knees, eyes forward searching for mommy again. A sudden gush of bloodlust touched me, making my body shiver, unable to move or lift a finger.
“Mommy..”
At that moment, the ground beneath me crumbled, sending me down. I ran my eyes around, both hands clenching the necklace as my breathing was heavy. It felt like something was stomping down on me.
“Mommy, mommy…” My heart chanted hers.
When the pressure lessened, I lifted my eyes and saw something flying down towards me. Instantly, I drew back to the wall when it landed on the ground.
The thing rolled around and halted on my feet. I held back a yelp, my heart was frantic when the light slowly breached the darkness. My vision blurred, my head burning when the thing came to light.
I could hear my own heart beating, unable to process and believe what's in front of me.
“Mommy? Mommy? Mommy…”