Pandora's Box

Chapter 22

Jennifer’s Point of View

The room is dark and I don’t feel like turning on my lights.

I want to be here alone.

I don’t want anyone with me right now.

I don’t know how to tell my parents if I get home with a jar of ashes in my hand.

My heart still aches and her smile flashed in my mind.

I miss those days.

It’s her boyfriend’s fault. To begin with, and I won’t get tired of blaming that guy.

He is the sole reason why my sister is dead right now. He survived but my sister did not. There is so much injustice happening right now. I don’t want to think of it anymore.

I spread my arms in this soft bed and feel its comfort, and I imagined that this is her warm hug.

“She is my only strength sometimes,” I whispered to myself.

I remember when she talks to me giving me advice. Even it’s not that obvious that she is the only person I can talk to.

She’s gone.

I have to accept it-

I can’t.

“Ack!” I shouted as I felt a literal pain in the chest. I hold onto it and my grab tightened. It’s like I want to remove this and throw it away so I won’t feel any more of this pain. Please have mercy on me, self.

Then a loud blaring... just like what happened that day.

Yes, it has been two days since that happened.

Am I hallucinating?

I put my arms on my ears.

I DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT!

Why does it continue to haunt me?

Please make it stop.

Someone.

I can still hear it despite having both of my hands covering my ears.

Ack!

I stood up and looked angrily where the sound echoes and saw no one, but the darkness of the room. I laughed.

Am I going crazy? Then I proceeded to cry again. Yes, I am going crazy.

I stood up from my bed and went straight to the door. What is happening?

It feels so real... I slowly opened my door.

It’s real.

I can see red lights everywhere, outside my room, but there is no one here. What is happening?

“Sis,” then I heard Cheryl’s voice. I turned around but she is not there, instead, I found myself in that hallway again.

Lights flickering.

I took a step, but a loud bang almost gave me a heart attack.

Then I saw my sister in front of me. An eye brown in my eye was raised.

“Sis?” I called to her, but she did not answer instead she just stares at me menacingly and I continue to wonder what is the meaning behind that stare. “It’s me,” I awkwardly said, as I walked towards her slowly.

“You let me die,” I heard her say.

“What?” I stopped in my tracks. “What do you mean?” I asked her again. “You are here in front of me looking very much alive,” I told her as I point both of my hands to her.

“You did not come,” she muttered again and this time I am beginning to be confused.

“What is happening?” I asked her again.

“Where were you when I needed you the most?” she asked me and the lights began to flicker faster than earlier.

“I searched for you,” I answered her. “Why does it matter?” I asked her back. “You are here alive, that’s what all matters,” I added.

“You were not there when I needed your help,” she said.

“No, that’s not true!” I shouted at her, and then I realized what I had just done, so I covered my mouth. “No, I came for you,” I told her, and I began to take steps again but slowly.

“LIAR!” she shouted and a strong gust of wind hit me that almost sends me away but I persevered and I continue to take my steps.

“NO!” I shouted back at her as I don’t want to let that strong gust of wind take me where it wanted me to be.

“I WAS HURT AND I NEEDED YOUR HELP!” she screeched at me. “I WAS HURT AND YOU WERE NOT THERE,” she added with that high-pitched voice of her that is almost deafening.

But I did not cover my ears, if I am meant to be deaf, then so be it. I will not waste this chance of mine to save her from that darkness that she stumbled upon.

“I will not let you!” I said while I push through.

“WHAT KIND OF SISTER ARE YOU?!”

What?

“YOU WERE NOT THERE, YOU LET ME DIE PAINFULLY!” she added.

I can feel tears in my eyes began to quell up.

“PLEASE GIVE ME ANOTHER CHANCE TO SAVE YOU, MY SISTER!” I begged her, and I am trying my best to reach her on the other side. I reached out my hand, hoping that she will reach back to me. “Grab my hand,” I said.

“I WON’T! YOU BETRAYED ME!”

She is starting to hurt my feelings.

I won’t leave you again.

I slowly opened my eyes to look at her and then she wasn’t there anymore.

What?

What’s happening?

I stand up straight looking around, except I continue to see eternal darkness around me. Then who is the one doing that? I am pretty sure that I saw her.

“Where is she?” I asked myself as I look around in every corner, but I failed to find her.

“Y- you LeEeeT heeErR die,” a menacing groggy voice spoke behind me and it gave chills to my spine and I quickly turned around. But there is nothing there. Or no one.

Who was it?

Its menacing voice is familiar to me and it sounded so familiar to me. I think I heard it somewhere before. I tried to remember but for some reason, I felt something sharp on my neck, and I was thrown off and I dropped on the floor.

I was so sure, that there is something or someone behind me.

I looked.

Nothing but darkness, I was so terrified when I saw that a man with a scythe was standing there in the middle of nothingness.

I don’t want to move here.

It just stands there as if it was staring at my soul, despite not seeing any detail on his face just his silhouette.

I am trying to crawl away from him. I don’t want anything that might harm me.

“You LET HER DIE!”

“NO!”

I covered my ears as I cannot stop those voices to get me. How to make it stop? How can I unhear those?

I did not kil-

“YOU ARE!”

The voices are too loud.

Eek!

A thunder banged so suddenly it shocked me. A flash of light.

For a moment there, I saw nothing but our community.

It was destroyed.

I stood up; I just can’t believe that it happened to me again.

I started to run when I started to feel my feet again. I can’t let this happen to me.

Even in this darkness. The fear gave my legs the strength to run, so that’s what I am doing. Running as fast as I could. I want to escape this place.

Then that maniacal laughter started to echo out on this place again. It’s given me that creepy chills.

I am really scared deep inside now and I won’t stop until I make sure to myself that I can escape him, or them.

I can hear the footsteps behind me, and the sound of the scythe being dragged on the cement ground. I can feel my sweat forming.

“YoOUu’reE NeeEexT!” it shouted.

That does not sound so safe, so there is no stopping now. I will run until my feet can’t.

Without me knowing, I turned around. Lightning strikes again with a loud bang of thunder not so long after. The brief moment, was the most terrifying in my life when I saw the creature that is trying to kill me leaping at me.

“Ahh!” I shouted, and I tipped at something that made my heart stop beating.

I rolled on the ground and I hit something but I curled my arms onto my head to make sure that I won’t hit my head on something hard.

It’s a painful experience. It stings. My salty sweat touched my fresh wounds. It stings! Very much!

I stood up enduring the pain, and I started to run again.

“I SmeeEElLlL BlOooD!” I heard its menacing voice again that made my blood run cold. I need to run fast! Faster than lightning!

I can feel the adrenaline spreading throughout my whole system. I opened my eyes. Nothing but darkness.

I can still hear him behind m-

“GHaaAT Yah Lil Girl,” it said without much twisting this time.

Even without the sun, I can see its shadow holding its scythe. My throat went dry when I saw that man raising his scythe, preparing for a strike on my head. I can’t allow myself to see this.

There is nothing...

I closed my eyes tightly to make sure that I will not see any of this. Even the last moments of my life.

Another lightning strikes again. A bright light flashes again and I saw its hideous face again while it wears its devilish smile.

It’s ready to strike me down with its scythe. There is nothing that I can do to escape this grim fate of mine anymore.

Sis, it seems like that we are meeting soon. I can say my regrets to you.

Looking at the bright side, I can deliver my message to you personally. I can hug you again. Oh, how I miss you.

I looked at the creature, a humanoid creature. I am not sure if it is a human or a monster.

It strikes its scythe down.