*Jake's Pov*

It's day three, now we're up and at it again with another investigation around town.

An desperate attempt to find a way out.

Melody had a nightmare last night. She told me she had seen the shadow man. The one that I have saw occurance dreams apparently as well.

That's strange...

Ever since we got here. We been getting bad dreams lately of some shadow entity haunting them.

First it was me...then it was Melody...is it possible Tommy has similar experiences. Even if I pretend not too, but I can tell he's been awfully quiet lately maybe I can ask him later.

Me: You too, huh?

Melody: Y-Yeah! Isn't it perculiar. Everytime we sleep, we see a strange shadow man in our dreams?

I saw the shadowman looking over me on my bed. I couldn't move or scream.

Melody had her encounter in the bathroom. Well, at least in her dreams.

It's also strange how we are able to remember them when we usually forget what we were dreaming about.

Melody: Well...Shadow people are supposed to be harmless.

Huh? What the fuck are you talking about now?

Me: What?

Melody: Well...according to some stories on Wattpad. Usually the shadow people appear as a silhouette of a person; however, on other occasions they have appeared as dark blobs or mists that ominously fill an otherwise dimly-lit room or space. They're frightening but they're harmless.

Bullshit.

Me: If that's true then how do the explain the scratch marks I have gotten two days ago.

Melody:....We could be going through what others would call...A paranormal activity.

Paranormal Activity?!

Oh shit...At least I can believe her on that. If this was a different scenario. I probably wouldn't.

Melody: Like how ghosts are. These beings have been known to haunt a particular person, as opposed to a specific house or building, and even more intriguing is the fact that many of these "hauntings" last for a short period of time and then cease to recur.

Me: Is it a possible chance...the shadow people haunting us...could be a person who had experienced life after death.

Melody:....That is a plausible theory. The author, Michelle Belanger's book had told several of her psychic friends' experiences in which they were visited by shadow people. These shadows did not hide in the corners of those witnesses' peripheral vision, but rather watched out in the open! Most people had experience these types of paranormal activity before but weren't able to tell a soul due to being scared of backlash they could get if they share their story to non-believers.

I can totally see that. Unless someone else went through similar experiences, no one would believe you. They'll think it's just your mind playing pranks on you, looking for attention, or it's just your overactive imagination.

Me:....Ya know. If things were different, I probably wouldn't believe you. But since I'm also experiencing some shit myself...I...don't know what to believe anymore.

Melody:....I don't blame you.

Tommy:....

Me: Tommy. Are you okay?

Tommy: Can we please stop talking about ghosts. It scares me...and I'm hungry.

Me: Fine. Fine. We're stop at the store, find some food and resume the investigation.

Tommy nodded while once again holding onto that teddy bear. I swear, he doesn't go anywhere without it.

But is it me...or is there also something strange about that bear.

I'm not sure why though...

....

Today, Tessa wasn't coming with us this time. She had plans to do her own investigation. Her first stop was to go see the mechanic in his shop to see what was taking so long to repair her car.

I asked her would she really be fine on her own.

She claimed she'll be fine. I hope that'll be the case.

Before I knew it, we ended up running into Dudley while we were on our way to the store.

Me: Dudley!

Dudley: Ah! There you guys are, Jake and his little Sibs~! I was wondering where you guys were!

Me: Where have you been! You had me worried sick! When I couldn't find you at the bar! I was nervous something bad happen.

Dudley: Ah...sorry about that. I'm currenly doing my own investigation around these parts.

Damn. Is everyone going commando here?!

Dudley: What happened on your end?

Me: Well....

Me and Melody explained everything to him. First starting with the Misty's posters being torn, occult symbols, and the monster that attacked the girls in the Warehouse.

When we finished, a surprised look came on Dudley's face.

Dudley: W-What the hell? You sure that wasn't a coyote?

Melody: IT WASN'T!!!

Dudley jumped back a little at angry yet distressed tone in my sister's voice. It begin to break as she started crying.

Melody: Why...Why?! Why does no one believe me! I'm not crazy!

Dudley: Whoa whoa...hey. I'm sorry! Please calm down!

I rolled my eyes at them. I scoffed.

Me: Don't worry about her. She's just having another hissy fit.

Dudley turned to me with a frown. What he's so angry about?

Dudley: Jake. This is serious. Monster or not, your sister seems utterly traumatized. You can't just brush it off and pretend nothing is wrong is her.

Hearing that made me feel guilty. Wow. I never thought I actually feel bad for Melody. Usually, I don't feel bad for anybody that isn't me...

Me: Okay. You're right. I'm sorry Melody.

Melody : R-Really?

Me: Yes. I am. Really.

Melody: *Sniffs* O-Okay...

Tommy:....

I know neither Tommy nor her weren't really in a talking mood again. So that left me to get some answers.

Me: Anyway. Let's get back to the topic. Did you find anything.

Dudley: Oh. I found a lot. You have to listen to this. It's another little secret that this town has also been keeping that I found out from the archives in the library not too far away from here.

Oh boy. From the grin on Dudley's face. I can tell this gotta be interesting.

Me: Enlightened Us.

Dudley: Okay. Did you know dude...? That this town Dustville also had another name about a couple of years ago.

It was called...

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Nightmare Town.