It was on a night like any other, yet the atmosphere was strange and unfamiliar. A scene I had never seen, in a movie I'd watched over a thousand times.

It puzzled me, but one thing was for sure. It had been there when I had gone to bed, it had been standing awkwardly in the corner of my eerie bedroom; wait was it . . . .

Yes . . . .

Yes, it was?!? . . . .

A tall, slender shadow slouched over in the dark as if --- As if it was trying to pick up or point to something on the hard oak floor. I could also feel a chill down my spine as I swore that I had felt it was watching, staring at me; a young 14 year old girl who was alone in her room.

I was in my bright pink pj's, as my ocean blue eyes peered into the pitch black abyss of the night. My hair like long, brown tangled pieces of barbed wire in comparison to my pearly white face, which radiated with such beauty; or so I was told.

Suddenly, I found myself slowly getting up and caustiously walking toward the light switch, making sure to keep my eyes pinned to the creature. I felt tense and afraid, however, as I pressed the life like switch, it illuminated the room with vibrant shades of purple, blue and cream.

This was to such extent that the figure in the corner had seemed to have escaped existence and I mean that, it was as if it was never there in the first place!?!

As I myself, still staring into the corner, fell into a state of shock after seeing the figure appear and disappear as if it were air . . . .

Nothing . . . .

Nothing was left. Not a single trace. I glanced down to where I thought it had awkwardly slouched over at, but there was not even a single speck of dust there, nothing was on the hardwood floor . . . .

Terrified. Afraid. Curious. I felt these emotions simultaneously, even though this was not the first sighting of it's kind and certainly not the last time this creature would visit.

Ever since my father died five years prior, it has appeared in my room every night without fail, doing the exact same creepy thing every time. No matter how hard I search I can never find any reason as to why this might be happening!

However, I do suspect tha--- that it may be him, my father I mean. Maybe he is haunting me for not saving him, maybe he just wants to help me, or maybe . . . .

Just maybe, he might be trying to warn me about what the cruel and cryptic future may have in store for me next . . . .

Puzzled, I flicked the now dull light switch off, slowly clambered back over to my comfy bed and jumped back in. Whilst still keeping my ocean blue eyes glued to the corner of my room until I finally found my way back to sleep.

Unbeknownst to me the shadow visited once more that night...

'goodnight my sweet daughter' the creature quietly whispered as it kissed my forehead.

Then like before, it disappeared without a trace . . . .

5 years ago . . . .

Although the day had started in laughter and joy, it ended with despair and grief. For no one could ever have comprehended the misfortune of one family in particular . . . .

For on this day there had been a terrible, destructive storm. However, it was not just any ordinary storm. For it had appeared so spontaneously that it was as if magic had been it's creator!

...****************...

It had started off as a warm sunny day, the sky was a clear blue, the sun a dazzling yellow orb in the sky, and there was a cool summer breeze that blew from time to time.

And on this beautiful day there was a little girl and her father. They loved to play down by the calm river, that resided round the back of their quaint home. Hovering over the calm river was a cute, small stone brick bridge, on the other side of the river was an array of colourful flowers in a luscious field.

Everday, the father and daughter duo would walk to the field on the other side and play until the orange glow of the setting sun would appear in the sky.

However, on this particular day, as they were happily playing in the field, they're joy gradually shifted to despair and grief.

At first it started off as being a light rain shower, but it rapidly began to grow stronger and heavier.

"Ray, I think it's time to go home now!" anxiously exclaimed the father.

"Ok Papa" replied Ray.

The little girl and her father started to hurriedly return home, but as they reached the small bridge the little girl slid on the slippery mud and fell down the bank which had been made slick from the incoming storm

Struggling to hold on she tried to pull herself up off the bank of the now raging rapids!

"HOLD ON RAY!!! YOU'RE GOING TO BE OK I PROMISE" the father yelled over the ever-increasing downfall from the heavens.

The father swiftly went to where little Ray had fallen in, crouched as low as his weak and feable body would allow and reached out with all his might to save his little girl.

Ray pulled herself up as much as she could before she reavhed to grasp ahold of her father's reassuring hand.

Nearly, just a little more and then she will be safe. Then a scream! She had missed her father's hand and slipped into the jaws of the monstrous rapids!

Momentarily it had felt as if time had stopped or the father as he watched as his little girl fell, into the raging abyss.

But as quickly as she had fallen his body seemed to move without hesitation and within the time it had taken for her to fall into the rapids, he was already in the water grabbing ahold of her.

Out of nowhere her developed a strength that would outshine even the greatest of deities, it would only last a few moments but that was just enough time to be able to get his offspring to safety.

In turn sarificing himself to the ever-increasing waves of despair and grief. 'At least she is safe now' he thought to himsel, knowing that this would be his last moments alive in this world.

All that was heard before he was dragged beneath the surface was a faint voice strangled with screams of fear.

...****************...

"DAD!" a strangled voice screamed off in the distance.

A woman rushed to her back door snatched her rainoat grom its peg, hurled on her wellington boots and propelled herself ouy of her house, toward a river witb a small bridge and what seemed to be a young girl standing by the side of the raging river.

Drenched by the rain the little girl staggered towards the woman. The woman vould see that the little girl was crying and screaming...

Before she even asked her daughter the woman already knew that something dreadful had happened but didn't want to accept the thought of it being true.

First, she looked around to make sure, but he was nowhere to be seen. To find out what took place she would need to calm down her daughter who was now in her calming embrace.

"Calm down Ray, tell me what happened!'' the woman's voice was sweet and gentle. She had big, beautiful eyes that were as green as a glistening jade and lips as red as the colour of love.

"W-we were p-p-playing..." the little girl stuttered. "I-I fell in the river, dad caught me b-b-but... But he fell in instead! T-then it started to rain heavier, and the lightning and thunder I-I-I..."

"Ray go back to the house, quickly go call and ambulance"

"But... But..."

"No buts! NOW RAYNA!"...

That was the last time me and my mother talked to each other that day. We never saw my father again, well not alive at least...

They found his lifeless body after the storm passed at the other end of the, now calm, river that was in the middle of our strange and deranged town.

For at least a month afterwards, I sealed myself in my room, as I could not stand the thought that it was my fault as he sacrificed himself to save me, but also that in an alternate universe it would have been my lifeless body that they had found instead.

But one thing didn't make sense: why did the storm grow stronger as he fell. Was this a sign... 

I guess that is just one of the many unsolved mysteries that exist here in hauntington; our creepy town was named that since so many deaths had taken place within its borders, and it is believed that those who die here aren’t able to leave and so haunt the living.

However, it isn’t surprising that someone would die under weird circumstances in our dark corner of the world, this is because many do still die…  

Present day 

The next morning, I awoke in my small lavender bed that was covered with stuffed animals feeling relaxed and refreshed. Impatiently, I hurtled myself down the crooked stairs and into the kitchen.  

Three of the kitchen walls were painted a creamy colour and a fourth was a deep purple, the shelves were made of Victorian style oak and had glass built into the doors.

The cupboards below matched the shelves above, although these did not have glass, the kitchen counters were made of marble that was a white and grey colour.

We had a small 80’s retro style fridge-freezer, it was black and old, we also had a few other kitchen essentials that were necessary but nothing much. 

I found my mother at the oven baking some maple syrup pancakes with crispy bacon. Yum, my favorite!

But there was something else that had been on my mind, so as usual I just said what was troubling me; It kind of went something like this... 

“Mum, hey mum. That scary figure is still appearing in my room at night…” I tried explained to my worn-out mother. 

“Not another silly fantasy again Rayna, I can’t take any more of this damn creature you keep talking about” replied my mother agitated. 

“But it is real, he was there again last night, and he has been there every night for the past few years, I think it may be da…” 

“Ray do not finish that sentence, I know how this is going to end and it will not be like that, go to your room!” 

“But… but it really is…” 

“RAYNA ROSEMARY PHANTOMHIVE!!! I said go to your room, NOW!” 

I stormed off to my room, sulking as I dragged my feet up the old creaky stairs that leadup to the bleak hallway on the second floor.

Sluggishly, I walked through the passageway to the second door on the right. 

. 

. 

.  

My room has a worn, lilac colour plastered one of the walls, and a washed out white on the other three.

I have a small bed that was to the far left of the room, an old writer's desk with an old office chair that had wheels under the window that was on the left side of the back wall.

There is a vintage wardrobe on the, that is slightly broken with age, opposite the window. On the right side of the wardrobe is a small Victorian style chest of drawers, upon which is a small mirror and a little alarm clock.

A cream-colored rug also lies in the dead center of the room. Oh, and I cannot forget the mountain of cute, little teddies that I snuggle up to every night. 

. 

. 

. 

 As soon as I entered my room, I slammed the door and threw myself on bed of soft teddies angrily because my mother never believes me about these things; She always limits it to my overactive imagination.

Well, she is wrong. I know what I am capable of, and I know that it isn’t just inside my head, she just doesn’t understand!  

For you see, I have this... gift, of sorts. I have had it for years, it allows me to see the dead, it has also come in handy when catching criminals as the dead see everything and anything that happens.

Some people even called me a witch for it, but I am not, the real name for what I am is a seerer.

Either way they don't really care because otherwise they would call half of the town witches or warlocks, as at least half of the town have a gift of their own. 

This was different though, the slender figure, it felt weird, it was not like the other apparitions (or ghosts as some people call them) that I had seen or heard of before.

This one was more secluded and desperate than the others; there was a sort of sad, yet eerie vibe around him. Though it felt as if it was … familiar! 

“RAYNA” shouted my mother. “Are you ready, we have to go to the shops to buy some things?” 

“I will be, hang on!” I replied honestly. I quickly threw on a pair of pitch-black leggings and a cream turtleneck, grabbed my washed-out white trainers and rushed downstairs.

Swiftly I brushed my hair then put on an ocean blue denim jacket that I had left hung up by the front door and was ready to leave. 

“RAYNA” my mother roared. 

“Yes, mother I'm at the front door with the bags” 

“Oh ok, let’s go then”. 

------------------ 

The buildings, trees and countryside went by like a blur as we drove to the supermarket. Why did I have to go?

I could stay at home and do homework or clean the house, but no, she says I am too young and well… yes, I guess I am, but I am also sensible and responsible… actually, no I'm not responsible or sensible, I had ‘accidentally’ nearly killed the cat once.  

I didn’t mean it, I swear!

I was paying more attention to my ghostly friends than what I was feeding the cat; I had accidentally fed Mr. Whiskers the plant food instead of the little food pellets that he usually eats!

It's not my fault that they look the same and Mum shouldn’t put them so close together! 

It had felt like forever until we reached the supermarket car park. While mum look for a car parking spot that was free, I felt a strong and odd sensation, it’s as if I am in a dream, like I'm not actually here but here at the same time...  

Freakishly, though there was this sort of strange aura surrounding or even emanating from within the depths of the supermarket, it sent chills down my spine and made me feel physically sick inside.

Dread was now flowing through me; I remember this feeling from once before; that day was the first time I had felt power like that.

It was the power of true evil, something hard to come by in this world as no-one ever knows how to find it but people like me find it now and again; some embrace it, others fear it, and some even challenge it! 

What about Me! Well, I try to ignore it, but you can’t really ignore something that smells like rotting corpses and a sky that turns blood red like a river that was made from the blood of all the people that it has claimed as its victims.

This could only be seen by angelic seerer’s like me though, so I always feel a bit… Well, let’s just say that I am a little different! 

This ominous being made it feel as if all the happiness in the world had been drained and from the looks of it, my mother hadn’t even noticed it was there.

I would have been fine if it was something I saw daily, but I was not ready for this… well whatever this evil was.

Unnervingly this being was stronger than anything that I had ever felt before and that, frightened me! 

I suddenly realize that the cars and people that were around me only a few moments ago had just evaporated from my sight.

I stagger out the car door coming to the realization that this aura needs to be eradicated, but by whom shall it be defeated? 

Mum started to walk towards the now desolate supermarket without knowing of the danger that was towards.

I must stop her, or she will get hurt and leave me just like dad did.   

“Mum wait!” were the words that screeched out of my lips that were quivering out of pure fear. 

“For what, no-one is h…” she slowly replied as if she had just been in a dream. Slowly she looked around in a slight daze discovering that everyone had disappeared in an instant. 

“Exactly, where is everyone, it is usually busy by this time on a Sunday and there’s a…” 

“A what Rayna!” anxiously asked my mother with a sort of curiosity 

The dark and ominous being seemed to grow and bulge as if it had just eaten a massive feast.

It was growing and I feared that this was just the beginning of something more than just conflict between the two worlds of the living and the dead.

Suddenly I felt queasy and about to faint, who would face an evil so great that it could rip holes in the fabric between dimensions… now I understand.

The reason for my gift was this, I was the one! I was the last defense, but was I ready…