I don't have much time left.

I'm seated here in this confined room, writing this down on the paper from which you currently read. He is coming...he is coming for me...

It had been a gloomy day for me. Well, everyday was gloomy considering I had the same routine. Get up, go for work, get some groceries and head back home. Living in a small town, it did not have much hustle-bustle either. Everything was quiet, none would know if anyone would disappear anytime.

Today I was walking back from my office to home, carrying an umbrella as it was raining heavily. I had my ear pods on, playing some pop music as I made my way carefully in the dark. Afterall all, it was already seven in the evening.

My phone buzzed as I picked up the call. "Hey mom!"

"Hello Nina, how was the work today?"

"It was okayish," I replied. "Getting boring day after day of managing so many accounting calculations. Ugh, my brain is hurting!"

"But it's for your own good Nina," mom replied. "You know you have to..."

A sudden sound caught my attention. Sounded like I had stepped on something squishy.

"Mom, I'll talk to you once I reach home," I said.

"Okay honey, take care."

I hung up the call and looked around. Nothing seemed suspicious except that there were woods to my right. However, the entrance was fenced behind which, the ground rose higher, extending further into the woods. To my left was the civilisation, all quiet in the pattering of rain.

I sighed. Not my shoe again! Could this day get any worse?

Bending down, I raised my leg. What in the world was a lemon doing under my foot?

Ignoring, I walked on, wondering on what would I have to make for dinner.

As I reached my house, I began unlocking the door. I couldn't ignore the fact however that I felt the presence of something uncanny around me ever since I had stepped on that lemon. Shrugging it off, I opened the door.

"Nina!"

I turned around and watched as Joseph came running towards me. He was drenched due to the rain as he climbed up my porch.

"Oh, hey Joseph, what're you doing out here?" I inquired.

"Nothing much, had come out for a little jog and the immediate rain drenched me." He laughed it out.

"Oh that's bad," I sympathised. "Come inside, I'll help you with some tea and get you an umbrella."

"That's so sweet of you Nina," he replied as he entered inside. I walked to the kitchen as he seated himself on the sofa. Yes, that made me scrunch up my nose. He was all wet and now had drenched my couch as well!

Shrugging it off, I began preparing the tea. Placing it to boil, I came out as I watched Joseph look around the house keenly.

"You've been here already," I mentioned while sitting in front of him, "so what is it you're looking for?"

"I-I dunno," he replied. "I just...something feels off here today."

I looked around the room, feeling some sort of dread crawling into me. Yes, I felt the same but did not want to confirm my suspicions.

"It's just our imagination," I said.

"So you're feeling it too?" he asked.

"I-"

"I'm out," he stood up and began leaving. I got up and blocked his way. "No please, don't! At least drink the tea. You're all wet, it won't do you any good if you went out not feeling warm!"

Joseph sighed and sat back on sofa. I relaxed and after smiling at him, went into the kitchen.

The tea was made. I poured it out into two cups with the help of a sieve to separate out the tea leaves. Once done, I placed some snacks on a dish and took them all together on tray.

"And here we are," I spoke, bending down and placing the tray in front of him on a table. "Here, have your tea."

I picked up the cup and bent over to hand him the cup. Suddenly, I felt a push on my back that made the cup bounce off my hand, immediately after which the tea spilled on Joseph's face.

"AAARGH!" he screamed in pain as he got up and began wiping off the hot tea from his face. I was dumbstruck at what had just occured.

"What the fuck Nina!" he yelled, still wiping the tea with his hands. "Why would you-"

"I didn't," I spoke. "I dunno, it just...it just felt like someone knocked my arm."

Joseph immediately stopped his writhing, his face already swelled and red. But it displayed another hue, pale.

"I'm out," he declared. Joseph approached the door and turned the knob. However, it wouldn't open.

"What the hell!" he yelled. "Why is this not opening?"

I rushed to the door and turned the knob. Yet, the door did not open.

"H-How's that possible?" I said dreadfully. "Why is it not opening?"

"We are not the only ones here," Joseph spoke which sent a chill down my spine. "There's someone else-"

Suddenly the lights started to flicker. And soon, the electricity was out. The house was in dark, with little to no visibility.

"But how's that possible?" I cried out.

"Did anything weird happen today while you were coming back from work?" he inquired.

"I... I'm not sure..." I pondered. Instantly, the memory hit me. "Oh yes! I did happen to step on a lemon I guess."

"YOU DID WHAT?" he shouted, terrifying me to the core. "Don't you know that people often trap spirits in such objects so that they can hurt anyone else that comes across them?"

"But isn't that a hoax?" I replied.

"Is this all a hoax to you?" he yelled, waving his arms around. "None of this is!"

"But what should we do now?" I asked, terrified.

"I don't-" Before he could've completed his sentence, we saw something dreadful that choked our hearts.

Up the stairs stood a dark figure, standing as if it was watching us with its long hair swaying behind. I was left speechless, sweat trickling down my neck.

Joseph came out of the horror faster than I did as he caught my arm and together, we ran towards the kitchen. Goodness knows how but a sudden gust of wind emerged from our backs as if something heavy and bulky had just joined us.

Before we could've reacted, the gust of wind slammed against our backs, making us fall to the floor. I couldn't decipher anything for a moment due to the impact on my head as we lay on the kitchen floor in pain.

Before I could've comprehended any further, I felt Josheph catch my foot while laying on the ground.

"HELP!" he screamed as he caught on my foot tightly. I couldn't understand why would he cry it out until I felt the pull. Yes, something was pulling us back.

My nails dug into the floor as I attempted to get up but instead was being pulled by Joseph and he by the one who was after us. I screamed in terror as a sudden pull almost dragged me out of the kitchen but thankfully I caught the edge of the entrance firmly, not allowing to be taken away.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING?" I yelled at Joseph as I felt my foot being ripped apart. Although my grip on the wall was good, but if this continued, I would soon be footless.

"I DON'T KNOW!" he screamed. "SOMETHING IS PULLING MY LEG!"

I screamed in pain due to the pull on my foot. A sudden crack and there it was, my foot had been ripped off my body.

"AAAARGGHH!" I cried as I lost my right foot alongwith the slipper I wore. Joseph screamed as he pulled my foot away and got lost into darkness.

"NOOO!" I cried out in pain. I kept screaming as I lay on the floor, the floor getting drenched from the blood flowing out of my torn leg.

No sooner, I felt the gust of wind again, realising that I must make a quick move.

Immediately I got up on my left foot. Limping and crying in pain, I took a backward turn and hurried towards the stairs. I had to get into the basement, I needed to.

No sooner did I reach the staircase, I opened the small door which consisted of a small room, containing a chair and a table with some writing material.

I quickly entered inside and settled myself, waiting for the obvious.

And here I am, scribbling this down like crazy as I hear the thuds above my head, hearing someone come down. No sooner will I be gone and this will be the end of it all.

Oh... it's outside. I think this is my-