The first thing I noticed when I woke up was that I was in my room. In my bed. My initial thought was why hadn't my mother taken me to the hospital but I realized I probably also would've put this down to anxiety or something.

Instead of getting up, I laid there. I didn't want to face my mother and her questions. I also didn't want to face any realizations or eureka moments that would put me back in my bed.

I rolled over and looked at my pedestal. A bunch of tissues, a Pixar lamp, a book and a dead rose.

🇿🇦

When I finally made it to my mom's impromptu office (which fyi just happened to be near the TV) I was out of breath, hyperventilating again.

"Mom," I said very slowly. ", why is there a dead rose in my room?"

Her eyes widened as she took my statement in. She was probably already upset that I was out of bed, as mothers do, and this on top of it yet she lifted a finger and pointed to the kitchen counter where a bouquet of dead roses laid.

The roses he somehow gave me.

Lightning brought me out of my daze. My head snapped to the sliding doors where I could see one of the biggest storms were taking place.

"What time is it?" I asked, suddenly distracted. "It's four o'clock. Still afternoon though you couldn't tell if you looked outside."

Crap. With everything happening with my mom and me passing out, I had completely forgotten about the medium meeting Shay was having at her house. I guess everybody was there right then and I began to wonder if they storm was natural.

"I tried throwing it away but the more I tried..." My mother grew quiet, her body slightly shaking.

"Mom..."I grabbed her hands to stop them." The more you tried what?"

"They just kept reappearing. Why is this happening?" She was full on trembling. Inner me took a step back, shocked at my mother's state but I continued to hold her hand. "I mean we don't deserve this, do we? We're good people?!"

The lights suddenly cut out. We frantically looked around as if to see something but there was nothing.

I tried to move but my mother pulled me back. "Don't. Move."

"Mom," I said, trying to hide the fear in my voice. ", I'm just gonna get the candles. This could be loadshedding because of the storm."

I pulled again but she wouldn't let me go. My hand reached for her phone, tapping the desk until I found it. I put the flashlight on.

In the phones light she looked even worse, the tear streaks looked strangely like deep cuts in her face. I instinctively wiped some away.

"I'm just going over there. You can still see me." I, somehow, calmly told her and this time she did let go. I didn't know if that was a good thing.

I slowly made my way to the kitchen, taking every step agonizingly slow. It was in this moment that I rebuked my mother for putting in wooden floors because every creak was agony on my nerves. Though, in all honesty, the constant smash and bang of the storm was already doing that every second.

After what felt like ages, I finally made it to the sink. I bent down and paused. My own breathing was all I could hear.

Breathe Toni, I urged. It's just a kitchen cupboard. He can't get to you. You're just gonna open the door and grab the candles and lighter. Nothing will happen.

And yet it did absolutely nothing. So, out of sheer desperation, I yank the doors open.

Nothing. Nothing except what I needed.

I quickly grabbed the candles and lighter, putting them on the counter. I flicked the lighter on.

The lights flickered on. My eyes widened. Standing behind my mother was him. A shadow. A cruel smile. White eyes. The lighter dropped out of my hand. Time froze as his hand raised.

Then I blinked and he was gone. I continued to blink. I suddenly realized that the storm was much louder than before. That was because the sliding door was open.