Possession
1/1
“Kylie, come on!” I turned as I heard my best friend yelling for me. She stood at the door to the house, bouncing on the balls of her feet, face just a little too flushed to pass for sober. My mom was going to kill us if she found out how late we were coming home. At 2:30 in the morning, I was well past curfew considering I was supposed to be going to school the next morning. It was my birthday though, and in celebration of turning 18 I had no plans of going to school in the morning.
“I’m here Jen, I’m here,” I said, giggling before I could stop myself. Admittedly, I’d probably had a bit too much as well. “Is the cab here already?” She nodded, winding our fingers together so we could stumble outside together. The air was cold as it blew around us and I shivered, rushing to get to the waiting taxi. Jen was laughing loudly, protesting at how fast we were having to walk in heels, but following nonetheless.
“Where am I taking you girls?” The driver asked, looking absolutely sick of his job as he glanced in his rearview mirror. I hesitated, feeling awkward giving a stranger my address, but doing so anyway. Plenty of people did it all the time I figured, and Jen didn’t seem at all concerned. She was normally more paranoid than I was anyway.
The driver didn’t speak as he took us home and the only sounds in the car were the classical music from the radio and our giggling. We tried to stifle it but it was better to get it out now than wait until we were trying to sneak into my house. My parents were both fairly strict and my mom was a light sleeper. No doubt she’d hear if we even breathed too loudly.
“$6 even. Have a good night.” Jen paid him the money, insisting it was part of my birthday present, before we made our way up the walk. He drove away immediately, no doubt off to find another group of teenagers too drunk to get home any other way. If nothing else, I figured my mom should at least be happy we hadn’t chosen to drive home.
“We have to be quiet. Like, totally,” I reminded Jen, pulling my blond locks into a ponytail. I wasn’t really sure what I thought it would do but it seemed like it might help; all the spies did it after all. She was nodding even as I unlocked the front door and slipped inside.
From the foyer I could see a dim light in the kitchen. Jen pointed to it, flailing her hands in what I guessed was concern. I nodded, pulling her along as quietly as we could. I almost tripped over the small end table in our living room but just managed to catch myself. Jen held in a laugh as she tried to catch my arms, blue eyes twinkling in the poorly lit hallway.
As we finally made it into the kitchen- we had to go through it to reach the staircase- I saw my father sitting at the table, back to us. He had the paper propped up on the table, his small reading lamp on. I could only hope he had fallen asleep while he was reading the paper. Jen and I tried to inch by him and, much to my surprise, we were successful. At a closer angle I could see that his head was bent down in the way it always was when he fell asleep reading. I couldn’t help but give him a fond smile; my father and I were close and I’d watched him fall asleep that way thousands of times when he read me stories years ago.
Jen didn’t share the same sentimentality and she was already bounding up the stairs, intent on not being caught. I followed her, trying to keep quiet and dodging the third stair that always creaked under my weight. I thought we had made it until I looked up and nearly ran into Jen’s rigid back. Glancing towards the top of the stairs, I saw my mother standing there.
There was a knife in her hands, blood all over it, and her bright white nightgown was covered in dried blood. I wanted to laugh, I would have, if I hadn’t realized that we had just been caught. She always went all out for Halloween, loving to scare us all, but for once I couldn’t enjoy it. Or at least I thought so.
“Really Kylie? You thought you could sneak out?” my mom asked, laughing at me from where she stood on the stairs. “Happy birthday though.”
“I’m sorry mom. I just-“
“I know dear, it was your birthday,” my mom said with an easy smile, waving her knife in dismissal. She took a step down, still completely at ease, but when I realized it was one of our real kitchen knives I started to get a little nervous. I was paranoid already, and watching her walk around with a huge knife was concerning. What if she fell? “You though Jen, you have no reason to be out.”
“I was making sure Kylie wasn’t alone Mrs. M,” she said immediately, glancing back at me.
“No, I don’t think that’s a good enough reason.” My mother’s voice changed then, darkening as she glared at my friend. She took the next two steps at a slow walk before cocking her head to the side.
“Mrs. M?” Jen asked, hesitant and sounding terrified. I had to keep from laughing at my friend’s fear; my mother always knew how to get my friends the best.
“Quiet,” she demanded, suddenly reaching forward to grab Jen’s shoulder. I watched with wide eyes as she shoved the knife into Jen’s chest. She screamed in pain, loud and blood curdling. I hesitated, wanting to help, until I saw my mother yank out the knife and drag it across Jen’s throat. Blood spattered, warm and sticky, against my skin, and I turned, sprinting down the stairs and into the kitchen.
“Dad! Dad wake-“ I gasped, stumbling back when I saw his glazed eyes staring back at me, wide and blue and cold. I couldn’t see any visible injury but there was no pulse and I didn’t have time to pause when I heard my mother’s soft footsteps skipping down the stairs.
“Kylie! Kylie love, come here! Happy birthday!” she called to me, voice sing-songing and horrible. I continued sprinting, trying to get to the front door, but she was suddenly, inexplicably there. I had never seen her pass me but somehow she was waiting, knife out and slick with what I could now tell was real blood.
“No! No, mom. Don’t do this!” I pleaded, backing away until the same end table I had tripped over earlier stopped me. I reached behind me out of habit to catch it, surprised when I felt the cool metal of our lamp. It was small, easy enough to hide behind my back. I didn’t want to have to use it but I would not die here. This was not going to happen.
“You’re mother is gone.” The words were a hollow whisper that made my heart clench. At the absolute hatred in her voice, I had no doubt that the voice was right. Desperate, and refusing to let this creature take me too, I swung out with the light, catching my mother in the temple before she could stop me. She screamed, stumbling back, before rushing at me once again. I dodged the knife clumsily, the alcohol still keeping me somewhat unbalanced, but I shoved the sharp top of the lamp into her then. A sick crunch echoed as it impacted with her neck that snapped to the side. Her body crumpled uselessly to the ground.
Tears were streaming down my cheeks as I grabbed for the house phone, dialing 911. I was sobbing incoherently, I knew that, but the woman on the other end was trying to calm me, promising there would be help there in minutes. She said something about the response time being less than four minutes here before I couldn’t handle listening to her and hung up. She’d said the police were on their way. I’d be safe soon.
Shaking, I curled up against the fridge where I could see both entrances to the kitchen. I tried to keep my breathing steady so that I wouldn’t completely break down yet. I needed to feel safe before I could let myself truly break down. It seemed so much longer than four minutes when I heard sirens out front. I couldn’t make myself open the door- I would have had to pass too many bodies- but the police kicked it down fairly easily. I watched as a rather large cop entered-he had to have been at least a foot taller than I was- and his eyes widened as he looked around the room.
“Easy girl.” His voice was gentle as his gaze landed on me. Three other cops filed in behind him, all looking just as shocked, but he stayed focused on getting me out of the house. He slid an arm around my waist, hauling me to my feet. I knew I should have been more help but I couldn’t. My legs seemed rubbery as I tried to stumble along, desperate to reach the outdoors. Just as I was about to leave my eyes landed on the wall and the red writing there.
Are you really that niave? You haven’t won.[i/]
“I’m here Jen, I’m here,” I said, giggling before I could stop myself. Admittedly, I’d probably had a bit too much as well. “Is the cab here already?” She nodded, winding our fingers together so we could stumble outside together. The air was cold as it blew around us and I shivered, rushing to get to the waiting taxi. Jen was laughing loudly, protesting at how fast we were having to walk in heels, but following nonetheless.
“Where am I taking you girls?” The driver asked, looking absolutely sick of his job as he glanced in his rearview mirror. I hesitated, feeling awkward giving a stranger my address, but doing so anyway. Plenty of people did it all the time I figured, and Jen didn’t seem at all concerned. She was normally more paranoid than I was anyway.
The driver didn’t speak as he took us home and the only sounds in the car were the classical music from the radio and our giggling. We tried to stifle it but it was better to get it out now than wait until we were trying to sneak into my house. My parents were both fairly strict and my mom was a light sleeper. No doubt she’d hear if we even breathed too loudly.
“$6 even. Have a good night.” Jen paid him the money, insisting it was part of my birthday present, before we made our way up the walk. He drove away immediately, no doubt off to find another group of teenagers too drunk to get home any other way. If nothing else, I figured my mom should at least be happy we hadn’t chosen to drive home.
“We have to be quiet. Like, totally,” I reminded Jen, pulling my blond locks into a ponytail. I wasn’t really sure what I thought it would do but it seemed like it might help; all the spies did it after all. She was nodding even as I unlocked the front door and slipped inside.
From the foyer I could see a dim light in the kitchen. Jen pointed to it, flailing her hands in what I guessed was concern. I nodded, pulling her along as quietly as we could. I almost tripped over the small end table in our living room but just managed to catch myself. Jen held in a laugh as she tried to catch my arms, blue eyes twinkling in the poorly lit hallway.
As we finally made it into the kitchen- we had to go through it to reach the staircase- I saw my father sitting at the table, back to us. He had the paper propped up on the table, his small reading lamp on. I could only hope he had fallen asleep while he was reading the paper. Jen and I tried to inch by him and, much to my surprise, we were successful. At a closer angle I could see that his head was bent down in the way it always was when he fell asleep reading. I couldn’t help but give him a fond smile; my father and I were close and I’d watched him fall asleep that way thousands of times when he read me stories years ago.
Jen didn’t share the same sentimentality and she was already bounding up the stairs, intent on not being caught. I followed her, trying to keep quiet and dodging the third stair that always creaked under my weight. I thought we had made it until I looked up and nearly ran into Jen’s rigid back. Glancing towards the top of the stairs, I saw my mother standing there.
There was a knife in her hands, blood all over it, and her bright white nightgown was covered in dried blood. I wanted to laugh, I would have, if I hadn’t realized that we had just been caught. She always went all out for Halloween, loving to scare us all, but for once I couldn’t enjoy it. Or at least I thought so.
“Really Kylie? You thought you could sneak out?” my mom asked, laughing at me from where she stood on the stairs. “Happy birthday though.”
“I’m sorry mom. I just-“
“I know dear, it was your birthday,” my mom said with an easy smile, waving her knife in dismissal. She took a step down, still completely at ease, but when I realized it was one of our real kitchen knives I started to get a little nervous. I was paranoid already, and watching her walk around with a huge knife was concerning. What if she fell? “You though Jen, you have no reason to be out.”
“I was making sure Kylie wasn’t alone Mrs. M,” she said immediately, glancing back at me.
“No, I don’t think that’s a good enough reason.” My mother’s voice changed then, darkening as she glared at my friend. She took the next two steps at a slow walk before cocking her head to the side.
“Mrs. M?” Jen asked, hesitant and sounding terrified. I had to keep from laughing at my friend’s fear; my mother always knew how to get my friends the best.
“Quiet,” she demanded, suddenly reaching forward to grab Jen’s shoulder. I watched with wide eyes as she shoved the knife into Jen’s chest. She screamed in pain, loud and blood curdling. I hesitated, wanting to help, until I saw my mother yank out the knife and drag it across Jen’s throat. Blood spattered, warm and sticky, against my skin, and I turned, sprinting down the stairs and into the kitchen.
“Dad! Dad wake-“ I gasped, stumbling back when I saw his glazed eyes staring back at me, wide and blue and cold. I couldn’t see any visible injury but there was no pulse and I didn’t have time to pause when I heard my mother’s soft footsteps skipping down the stairs.
“Kylie! Kylie love, come here! Happy birthday!” she called to me, voice sing-songing and horrible. I continued sprinting, trying to get to the front door, but she was suddenly, inexplicably there. I had never seen her pass me but somehow she was waiting, knife out and slick with what I could now tell was real blood.
“No! No, mom. Don’t do this!” I pleaded, backing away until the same end table I had tripped over earlier stopped me. I reached behind me out of habit to catch it, surprised when I felt the cool metal of our lamp. It was small, easy enough to hide behind my back. I didn’t want to have to use it but I would not die here. This was not going to happen.
“You’re mother is gone.” The words were a hollow whisper that made my heart clench. At the absolute hatred in her voice, I had no doubt that the voice was right. Desperate, and refusing to let this creature take me too, I swung out with the light, catching my mother in the temple before she could stop me. She screamed, stumbling back, before rushing at me once again. I dodged the knife clumsily, the alcohol still keeping me somewhat unbalanced, but I shoved the sharp top of the lamp into her then. A sick crunch echoed as it impacted with her neck that snapped to the side. Her body crumpled uselessly to the ground.
Tears were streaming down my cheeks as I grabbed for the house phone, dialing 911. I was sobbing incoherently, I knew that, but the woman on the other end was trying to calm me, promising there would be help there in minutes. She said something about the response time being less than four minutes here before I couldn’t handle listening to her and hung up. She’d said the police were on their way. I’d be safe soon.
Shaking, I curled up against the fridge where I could see both entrances to the kitchen. I tried to keep my breathing steady so that I wouldn’t completely break down yet. I needed to feel safe before I could let myself truly break down. It seemed so much longer than four minutes when I heard sirens out front. I couldn’t make myself open the door- I would have had to pass too many bodies- but the police kicked it down fairly easily. I watched as a rather large cop entered-he had to have been at least a foot taller than I was- and his eyes widened as he looked around the room.
“Easy girl.” His voice was gentle as his gaze landed on me. Three other cops filed in behind him, all looking just as shocked, but he stayed focused on getting me out of the house. He slid an arm around my waist, hauling me to my feet. I knew I should have been more help but I couldn’t. My legs seemed rubbery as I tried to stumble along, desperate to reach the outdoors. Just as I was about to leave my eyes landed on the wall and the red writing there.
Are you really that niave? You haven’t won.[i/]