The Last Petal

Ahhhhhh I jolt awake. Chills shot up my spine when I heard that blood curling scream. Where did it come from? I arose from my bed and quickly slid into my slippers. Creak, creak. Something was coming for me, and I wasn't prepared to face it. I ran to the closet, closing the doors quickly behind me. The blind-shade doors made it easy to see a dark figure enter my room. It looked tall and lean. It did a poor search of my room before retreating into the darkness. "What was that?!" I panicked. I slumped back in my closet, sliding myself down the wall until I was sitting on the cold floor. Beep beep beep. I wake from the dream and slide into my slippers. What was that? I slowly opened my bedroom door as to not wake anything else in the house. I headed down the stairs to make myself a coffee. "Who are you?" Asked a little girl. "I'm Sophie," I replied wearily. The girl had dark brown hair and bright green eyes. She reminded me of someone. "Who are you talking to?" My roommate asks, entering the kitchen. I turn to look at my roommate, then back at the girl. The girl wasn't there anymore. Almost as though she had become thin air. "I was just talking to myself," I smile weakly. "Make me a cup and I'll grab the paper?" Alex asks. "Deal," I reply. As I watch my roommate leave I feel the floor slightly indent by my feet. Looking in it's direction I see the little girl again. I rub my eyes and she's gone. "I'm going to need this coffee" I mutter. I take my cup of coffee and place it on the counter while I grab a new cup and restart the coffee machine. The door slams causing my head to turn violently towards it. "Hello?" Nothing. "Hello...?" My roommate jumps in front of me with a "boo!" sending my heart racing. "Hahaaa you should have seen your face," Alex snickered. "Yea so funny," I scowled. If only she knew the dream I had last night. "So who's the little girl?" I asked. "What little girl?" Alex questions. "The one you brought over? Maybe a boyfriend's kid or little sister?" I chuckle. I wouldn't let her scare me twice. "I didn't have anyone over last night Soph. Are you feeling ok?" She looks concerned. "Hahaaa so funny. Alex c'mon. You already scared me," I try reasoning. "Soph I don't know what you're talking about..." Alex says sternly. "Yea, right. Your coffee is there, I'll be in my room." I run up the stairs and back into my room. I open the closet to pick an outfit for the day. I went with black leggings and an oversized white sweatshirt due to the chilly autumn weather. Odd day today... A few moments later I step out of my room and head for the front door. "Alex I'm going for a stroll," I yell before closing the front door behind me. I was right to wear this outfit, it is chilly outside. I turn left onto the sidewalk. Birds are chirping, the sun is hiding behind the clouds, the aroma of fresh cut grass is in the air. It's just a beautiful day. "Good morning," an elderly lady smiles at me eerily. "Good morning," I say, quickening my pace to get away from the woman. I was at the end of the street now. I look left and I see a dark forest, I look right and I see a patch of dead flowers with a single live flower. Stunning. I cross the street to head towards the flowers. "You should take it," the old woman says from behind me, startling me. "Oh I shouldn't," I smile. "It usually dies when someone tries to grab it... Yet it's still alive and you're so close to it. Grab it," she insists. A flower that dues when anyone tries to grab it? That seems odd and unlikely. "Fine," I say, grabbing hold of the bright yellow flower. The flower hadn't died. Not in my hands. Was this old woman insane? I turned back to face the woman but she had vanished, just as the little girl had earlier that morning. A breeze started to pick up so I started making my way home, glancing at the flower in my hand every so often. When I walked back into the house I can see Alex on the couch watching the tv, the little girl beside her. "And you said you didn't know her," I scoff. "Know who?" Alex asks? "The little girl! She's literally beside you!" The little girl looks at me as Alex looks at her. "Soph are you feeling okay..?" Alex looks at me wearily. "Alex, you're not going to scare me. Reach out to your left and wave your arm around," I instruct. Alex does as I asked and lifted her right arm waving it from side to side. My mouth drops open as I watch her arm pass through the little girl I was seeing, a scream leaving my throat. My roommate covered her ears quickly and I raced to the kitchen. "Soph what the hell?!" Alex hollers, following me to the kitchen. I pulled open a drawer and grabbed a knife. "Soph! What the actual hell! Put that down!" Alex scolds. I run back to the livingroom with the knife in my hand only to be greeted with an empty room. "Where is she?!" I cry. Alex takes the opportunity to rip the knife from my hands and place it on the coffee table. "Sophie, calm down and tell me what's going on." We both take a seat on the couch. Which part of my story did she want to hear? The little girl? Should I start with the nightmare? "I had a terrible dream last night, I am just on edge. Please don't worry about it." "Soph. You just grabbed a knife and came running into the living room, I'm going to worry about it. Tell me what's going on," she pries. The flower was still in my hand. It had lost a petal, but was still bright yellow and living. "In my dream last night a tall dark figure crept into my room and tore it apart before leaving. This morning when I was making our coffees I saw a little girl with brown hair and green eyes. When you walked in she disappeared. I just saw her with you on the couch. I think I'm going insane..." I say, tears coming from my eyes.