So, the night comes. Darkness approach. He stood there. Waiting for something to come out. Waiting to fight something he doesn't know.

TING TONG

The bell's ringing. Again. Again. And again. Mark, who is scared as fuck, didn't bother to check it out. He just stood there and didn't move even an inch.

Then his phone's ringing.

He reach his pocket. He saw his phone.

And then there's a message from Annie. She is waiting in the front door.

Mark: Sorry. I was watching a film. [hold a sec] It was so intense, I can't hear any bell rung.

Annie: Liar. You are the one who told me we will watch a film together.

Mark: I forgot. Sorry.

Annie: Can I go in there, now? It is so cold outside.

Mark: Sure.

Annie came in. Mark look outside and make sure nothing is watching him before he closes the door.

Annie: Wow, you are getting paranoid, aren't you?

Mark: I'm not.

Annie: This house is very bright. It's not like you.

Mark: I'm just making sure that nothing is lurking in the darkness --my house.

Annie: Don't worry [smile] I'm here now.

Mark replies with another smile. Then, a sudden silent. The atmosphere is a little bit awkward.

Annie: How about starting the film?

Mark: Sure, why not? I'm going to set up the player.

Annie: I'm going to prepare the snack in the kitchen then.

So Annie walk into the kitchen. It was dark.

Annie: Ah, maybe he forgot to turn the lights on. I wonder where is the switch?

Annie walk through the darkness. Mark's kitchen is isolated so there's no light coming to this room.

Then something happened.

***

Mark has finished setting up the DVD Player. But, he's wondering. Why Annie hasn't come yet.

So he decided to check out the kitchen.

He was surprised that the kitchen is still dark.

He walk into the kitchen. He feels the floor was wet. Then, he turn the lights on.

He was shocked.

Annie was there. Lying on the floor with a knife sticking to his throat.

He calls 911.

***

Mark sat down and an investigator was in front of him.

Investigator: Are you sure she is dead when you came in?

Mark: Yes.

Investigator: Are you sure?

Mark: No way I could kill her. I was setting up a dvd player when she came into the kitchen.

Investigator: No one else's in your house?

Mark: Only I and Annie.

Investigator: Thank you for your cooperation. We will investigate this as fast as possible.

Mark: Thank you.

Investigator leaves him. Now, Mark is all alone. Again.

***

His house is now a crime scene. There's no way he could live there. So he came to his psychiatrist office and talk to him.

Mark: I wasn't ready. I couldn't save Annie.

Psychiatrist: Nobody's ready for it. Nobody will.

Mark: What do you mean?

Psychiatrist: Human manifest fear into many things. Murderer. Monster. Something under your bed. Darkness.

Mark: Yeah, I know. But, what is it? What is killing my friend?

Psychiatrist: [taking a breath] It is in your mind. It is you, interpreting your fear, manifest it into what you call a murderer.

Mark: Are you telling me I was the one who killed my friends? I was the murderer?

Psychiatrist: Not like that.

Mark: So like what?

Psychiatrist: You are fighting fear.

Mark: So, I was fighting my fear?

Psychiatrist: Yes.

Mark: But that doesn't make any sense.

Psychiatrist: Because you don't want to.

Mark: So, if I accept it as true then it will be the truth?

Psychiatrist: Um, kinda like that.

Mark: What the fuck. I came to wrong psychiatrist.

Mark, without hesitation, left him. The psychiatrist just sat there fixing his eyeglass position.

Mark doesn't know what is going after him.

Or to be precise,

What is going after everyone around him.