In My Head | Aahana Kulkarni (9)

The dark night sky is like a veil covering the city, it's late, I don't even know why my mom kicked

me out of the house. The second I turn eighteen, she just cast me away, like I've been a burden

all these years. I speed walk past alley ways and stray cats, I flinch at every sound. My mother

always knew that I was afraid of the dark, and yet she didn't look back even when she forced

me to pack my things and I left. I left the house that I grew up in, I left all my memories behind.

The moon glints up above like a light shining through the darkness, providing some comfort for

my fears. In contrast to the safety net of noise the bustling city has to offer in the day, the night

feels eerily quiet, the only source of sound are the echoes of my footsteps.

My hair whips at my face as the wind blows its breeze. My steps grow closer to the end of the

street, but I soon realize that I'm not the only one walking the city at night. The sound of

footsteps that aren't my own near the dark alleyway stops me in my tracks.

tip...tip...tip...tip..tip

I freeze.

Fear grips me and I can hardly see past the pitch black darkness that surrounds the alleyway.

I've heard about the creeps that walk about this city at night... but even so, it's unusual for

anyone to be out this late. I thought I was all alone in the sleeping city.

"Who's there?”, my voice wavers, I'm shaking.

Only the whispering of the wind echoes in response.

But then...

Tip.tip.tip.tip.tip

The footsteps are drawing closer to where I'm standing, but I stay where I am. I try to tell my

body to move. I try, I really try but I just can't. I don't remember how long I stood there, waiting

for the mysterious figure to come out of the dark alley. Maybe it was all in my head?

I'm still embarrassed at what happened last night, people's natural instincts to danger are

usually fight or flight... but I froze instead. Does my fear of darkness really have that much

power over me? And what was that voice? I found a friend to stay with for a couple of days, but

I'm struggling to really see a bright future for myself.

Knock... Knock...

Knock

I woke up in a cold sweat. What is happening? Did the figure I saw earlier manage to get into

my friend's house? The noise sounded like it was coming from the door. I gather up my courage

and slowly take small steps while fighting the urge to hide under the covers of the mattress that

my friend lent me. The door creaks open.

Nothing is there but empty darkness.

I was already on edge since yesterday, but now I'm feeling the side effects of my fear. Is

something haunting me? Or is this all in my head? I turn on the light switch and hide under my

covers for the rest of the night.

Nights go by like this, the same routine, the knocking comes in the middle of the night wakes me

up, I open the door, nothing's there. I turn the light on and hide under the covers every time.

Sometimes I try to ignore the sound and pretend like it's never there, but when I do the knocking

always comes louder than ever. I've stopped sleeping completely. I think my friend thinks I'm

crazy, maybe I really am. I just can't seem to get that knocking sound out of my head.

The last night I stayed at my friend's house was supposed to be the same as the others, but

something was off.

Knock... knock ...

knock

I was already awake when it came, I knew something was wrong the moment the clock hit

midnight.

Knock.. Knock...

knock

Usually it only lasted a few seconds.

Knock... knock.. Knock.. KnockKnock.. Knock...

knock...Knock.. Knock... knock...Knock.. Knock...

knock

I tried, I really tried to just ignore the sounds coming from outside the door, but I just couldn't

stand the sound.

I swing the door open.

Nothing but pure dark...

I step outside.

Thud...

I hear the door close behind me.

I let the darkness swallow me whole.

...

Except it doesn't and I awake to the sound of machines beeping and doctors worrying and most

importantly, light. Beautiful light. They say that I was found near the alley. Paralyzed they say.

Frozen in shock they say. They say I will gain feeling over time, that I will get better soon.

But I know I won't

I know I will never fully escape the darkness that follows me.

I know I can't escape the terrors of my own mind.

Was it really all in my head?