*THIS MIGHT BE SHORTER THAN USUAL. SOME SHIT'S ABOUT TO GO DOWN. BLAH BLAH BLAH. RANDOM STUFF THAT I SAY THAT I'M SURE YOU GUYS DON'T CARE ABOUT OR DON'T PAY MUCH ATTENTION TO. IMPUT WEIRD FACE HERE-> (◉◞౪◟◉) AND YOU ALL KNOW WHAT COMES NEXT. STAY CREEPY, MY FRIENDS!~*

Chapter 59

I woke up in the morning, rested, relaxed and comfy. The Sun was already out and coming in through the window above the bed. I yawn softly, careful not to wake up Jeff, who slept next to me. I looked up at him and saw that he had that sleeping mask on. When did he put it on? He must've had it in his pocket or something. I smiled and raised a hand to stroke his hair back but then I freeze. My hand was bleeding. Did I hurt myself during the night? I looked at it and as I looked closer I saw that my flesh was slowly withering. I gasped and bolted up. I looked back down at my hand to see that...it was perfectly fine.

Wh...what? How did it...? Why...? What the hell happened?

My breathing had been heavy and short but it started to go steady once again. I sighed and I heard Jeff groan. I looked down at him and saw him stretching and yawning loudly, unlike me. He removed the sleeping mask and looked up at me. Noticing my frazzled appearance he asked, "What's wrong? What happened?" I just stared at him, unsure of whether to tell him or keep whatever happened right now a secret. I don't know what it was. I can't tell him until I figure this out.

"Um, nothing's wrong. I just woke up a bit startled, is all," I lied. He eyed me, determining whether or not I was telling the truth. Before he could figure anything out I leaned over and kissed him. We stayed like that for a few moments until I pulled away and said to him, "I'm fine."

He still seemed unsure but he nodded and let it go, for now. I hugged him and he hugged me back, kissing my temple in the process. As he was turned away, I looked at my hand again to see it practically rotting once more. I shut my eyes closed and tightened my hand into a fist. I tried to maintain my breathing and keep myself from shaking. I waited a few seconds to open my eyes and then I looked. It was normal again. Thank god.

We pulled away from the hug and Jeff kissed my forehead sweetly. I smiled and was about to say something when the door suddenly opened and in stepped my Grandma.

"Okay, rise and shine, Ellie! We gotta-," she then gasped so loud I thought all of Iowa could hear it. Once she finished gasping she just stood there, face contorted into an appalled expression. Maribel suddenly ran off and a few moments later came back in with a broom and a stern look. Oh shit...

She came up to the side of the bed and started whacking Jeff with the broom. He tumbled off the edge and fell to the floor with a loud thud. Even when he was off she still kept hitting him. "Ow, what the hell?!" he exclaimed as the broom hit him in the face.

"You son of a bitch," she growled and kept whacking. "How dare you deflower my granddaughter?!"

"Deflower-? Oh...," Jeff muttered and then quickly tried to explain himself but my Grandma wouldn't stop whacking him. "I told you no foolin' around, didn't I?!"

"Yes!"

"What'd I tell you?!"

"No fooling around!"

"And what'd you do?!"

"But I didn't do anything to her!"

Whack. "Lies!" she exclaimed and kept whaling on him.

"G-Grandma, he's telling the truth! He really didn't do anything!" I tried.

She looked up at me and gave me a shocked look, "My god.... He manipulated you!"

"Wait no-!"

"God dammit, Jeffery!" she said and ran out of the room only to come in with the spray bottle and dump the entire thing on him. Then she started hitting him with the broom again, "Bad Jeff! Bad!"

"I DIDN'T DO SHIT!" he wailed and flailed around as he kept getting hit with the broom. Maribel exclaimed, "Did you at least use a condom?!"

"GRANDMA!!!" I shrieked.

"I NEED TO KNOW THESE THINGS GOD DAMMIT!!!" she replied and kept hitting Jeff. I just watched in horror. Then I saw Toby rush in, asking frantically, "What's all the commotion about?!"

"Adultery was committed in here! Disinfect the entire room!" Maribel exclaimed with another whack.

"Nothing happened!" I said, exasperated. My Grandma looked back at Toby and ordered, "Get Elizabeth out of here, and get a pregnancy test!"

"God dammit- I'M NOT PREGNANT!!!" I exclaimed. Toby came rushing towards me, about to grab me. But then he faltered and looked at me, shuddered, grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around me. Then he finally picked me up yelling, "Come little, half-naked, burrito!" I just sighed as he carried me out of the room and down the hall, leaving Jeff to get beaten with a broom by my Grandma. I can already tell that this is going to be a weird day.

...

Once my Grandma had stopped beating up Jeff and got both me and him changed she called us to the kitchen. I sigh, knowing that this wouldn't be good. Maribel was seated at the breakfast table and pointed to chairs on either side of her, gesturing for us to sit. We both took a seat and my Grandma cleared her throat. "Now that this morning's 'freak-out' is over," she started, looking at Jeff and pulling out a needle of broomstick hay from his messy hair, "I'd like to discuss something very important."

"Okay," Jeff and I said in unison. She gave us a smile and took in a breath. She exhaled and said, "When a man and woman love each other very very much..."

Jeff and I groaned at the same time and Jeff slammed his head against the tabletop. I just sat in my seat, slowly sinking down as my Grandma went on and on and on and on and on about baby-making. We didn't even do anything... Dammit. I looked up at Maribel and nearly died as she was doing a demonstration of what it was with her fucking hands. "Oh my god, Grandma! What the fuck?!" I yelled.

"Well, this is how it works," she said while still doing the example. I clap my hands together and say, "Fuck this, I'm out!"

She pointed at me and scolded, "Oh no you don't! Sit back down right now!"

I cringed and said, "Don't point that finger at me when you used it to represent a di-!"

"I know what I used it for, now sit yo' ass down and listen to how life works!"

"Grandma-!"

"Do it!" she hissed and I had no other choice but to take my seat again. I sighed and she said, "Now, where were we...? Oh yeah, fertilization!"

I groaned loudly, practically roaring, as I sat there, listening to her explanation. I want to cry so much right now. This is painful! How the hell is Jeff standing this? I look over at him and finally realize that he fell asleep. That son of a bitch... I looked at my Grandma and sigh as she was still talking. This is going to take a while. God, kill me now.

...

After the very uncomfortable, excruciating and weird talk, Maribel finally let us go. Once we were out of her vision I slapped Jeff upside the head and he whined. "You bastard, you slept on me!" I growled.

He shrugged and mumbled a tired, "Sorry." I sighed and walked to the bathroom to clear my head. I closed and locked the door behind me and exhaled a loud breath. I looked in the mirror and saw how tired I appeared. I leaned over the sink and turned it on, catching the running water in my cupped hands and bringing it to my face. I did this three more times until I felt more awake and refreshed and looked back in the mirror. I had to backtrack as I saw something peculiar. One of my eyes was red.

I scrunched my nose in confusion and leaned over to get a better look in the mirror. I pulled my eyelids further apart to see my eye and what could be wrong with it. How is it red? They're blue. And the lighting in here isn't what's making the color change, for sure. My eye got a little dry and I blinked to moisten it. I pulled my eyelids apart again and then noticed black veins circling my iris. I gasped and let go of my eyelids. What the hell...? What's wrong with me? As I stared at myself in the mirror, trying to figure this out, I saw something brimming at the edge of my bottom eyelid. Blood...

I wiped it away but more started coming, racing down my cheek. I got toilet paper and cleaned up the blood but it never stopped. More and more kept coming and I started panicking. I closed my eyes to keep the blood in but that only made it burn. I yelped and leaned over the sink as blood kept coming out of my eye, flowing perfectly and not in jagged patterns. I kept wiping the blood off, hands getting covered, and it dripped onto the tile floor. I screamed as it seemed my eye was about to pop out but then the blood stopped abruptly. I got up to check the possible damage but then I saw that there was no blood to begin with. My cheek and hands were clean, my eye was blue once again and the scattered, crumpled toilet paper that lay around the sink wasn't stained with the blood. I was clean, everything was clean. So, what the hell was all of that about?

There was a knock on the door that startled me and I opened it to see Toby. "Are you okay?" he asked. I nodded reluctantly and stepped out of the bathroom to let him take it. "I'm fine," I lied and walked down the hall to my room, leaving him confused. I hurried inside and shut the door closed. I leaned against it and slid down. I sighed, brushing my hair back and leaning my head back against the door. I pulled my hand away and noticed that it was withering again. I stared at it in utter horror as the blood got darker the more it dripped down my arm, making itself more like black ink. I closed my eyes and tried to steady my unstable breathing. I opened them again to see that my hand was back to normal. I let out a shaky breath and close my eyes again, only to have quick millisecond long flashes of macabre things. Torture, dismemberment, destruction, death, disease, insanity, war, cannibalism, sin, monsters, me dying....and Him. I shot open my eyes and just stared forward. I was as stiff as stone. What am I seeing? Why am I seeing it? What's happening to me?

I heard knocking on my own door now and opened it to see who it was. My Grandma was there and she said, "Breakfast is ready." I managed to flash her a smile and say, "Okay, I'll be there in a sec." She nodded and walked down the hall to get to the kitchen. I waited in the doorway for a few moments, staring blankly at nothing. My eye twitched and I shook my head to get my composure back. I straightened my back and strode out of my room, ready to have a nice, decent breakfast with the others. At least I hope to.

...

Maribel was busy cleaning around the house while I sat in the living room, trying to relax. Jeff and Toby went out to search for a ride again so I was basically alone. I looked over at the telephone in the corner, thinking about calling my parents again. I got up and grabbed the phone, dialing my parents' house phone number. It rang a couple of times, and I anticipated to hear my mom or dad's voice. The line stopped ringing and I heard my mom. "Hello?" she said. I smiled and said, "Hi mom!"

"Elizabeth!" she squealed. "It's good to hear from you again! How are you? Is everything okay?"

"Yes," I started, "everything is fine. I'm doing great. How have you and dad been without me?"

She sighed and replied, "It's been pretty lonely without you here, I must admit. We miss you a lot. Your dad always talks about how he should plan a welcome home party for you. I find it silly but sweet. And we can't keep stalling your friends forever, Ellie."

I sigh and mumbled, "I know, I know. I'll keep trying to find a way home. I miss you guys too and I really want to see you all again. And at least you and dad know where I am. Addie and Johanna must be worried sick."

"They are," my mom added in. I sulk slightly and say, "Well, I'll keep trying. I'm bound to find a car soon."

"Just keep hoping, honey," she said and that made me smile. "Thanks mom," I said and I heard her say you're welcome. After that we talked and she told me what's been going on lately. Dad is happy with his promotion and is earning more money in his paycheck than before ,which had helped out a lot. My mom talked about this party she went to with dad and she told me all about how this woman had a god awful taste of fashion, or how one man couldn't shut up. I laughed when she said she nearly shoved food down one snobby woman's dress. "As if that dress wasn't messed up enough as it was," mom remarked and I lost it. She's so weird sometimes.

And dad was no better. Two men tried flirting with mom but dad got in the way and nearly pummeled their faces in. My mom said that at that moment he looked like the boy she fell in love with so many years ago. I thought that was sweet and romantic. My dad is so overprotective but it's not a bother to me or my mom. We both find it sweet. My dad's just a big softie.

We talked for a little while longer until my mom had to get going to work for her afternoon shift. "Okay, mom," I started, "I'll call you again soon. Tell dad I love you for me, when you can."

"I will, honey," she said and I could tell that she was smiling on the other end of the line. "Love you mom," I said.

"Love you too," she said in a sweet, melodic tone. I smiled and hung up the phone. I checked the time on the clock in the living room and gaped at it. I've been talking to my mom for at least two hours! Time sure does fly...

I got up and started walking to the kitchen when the front door burst open and in stepped an excited Toby and Jeff. They practically danced with each other and Toby dipped Jeff. They whooped and I finally asked, "What's got you two so excited?" Toby was still leaning Jeff forward and Jeff said, "We finally found a car!"

I immediately squealed in excitement and jumped up and down. "No way!"

"Yes way!" Jeff and Toby said in unison. I kept dancing around and grabbed both of their hands. We went around in circles and screamed in joy and success. My Grandma walked in and watched us jump around. She said over our commotion, "What's going on?"

"We found a car!" I exclaimed. She stared at us in shock and smiled. Jeff opened up his arms and said, "Bring it in, girl!" Maribel shook her head and chuckled as she joined us in our happy little circle. We started jumping around and dancing like idiots. Toby suddenly whooped loudly and threw his jacket open while popping out his chest. We all slowly stopped dancing and Toby was left to self-celebrate. He finally noticed that we stopped and he muttered, "Too much...?"

We all nodded quietly and he slowly and awkwardly zipped up his jacket. We all laughed and I decided to check out the car. I put on my winter clothes and headed out with Toby, Jeff and my Grandma. The car was right outside and it was perfect. It wasn't fancy but it was definitely perfect. Maribel walked up to it and lifted up the hood. She checked the engine, exhaust tank and fuel tank too. She also checked the tires and interior. She leaned back and said, "It's in good shape. The only thing it needs is some sprucing up in the tires, a rust remover on the engine and a major car wash.

"I can get the rust remover!" I chimed in.

"Jeff and I can stay and fix the tires and wash the car," Toby added. Maribel nodded and said, "I'll do the tires."

"Why can't we do the tires?" Jeff asked, scowling slightly. Maribel stared at him and Jeff mumbled, "Yeah okay, you got the tires...."

"Good," Maribel said and ran inside. She came back out with a tool box and money in hand. She handed me the money and said, "Go out and buy the rust remover. Will you be okay by yourself?" I nodded and she was reluctant to hand me the money. I told everyone good-bye and ran into the forest to make my way to town. In a few minutes I made it and found an auto shop. I ran in, found a good priced rust remover and paid for it. The cashier gave me back my exact change and I ran out of the shop. I walked through the town again and made my way to the tree line. Just as I was five feet away from the first tree, flashes of a dark figure fluttered through my mind. I stopped in my tracks and waited for the flashes to stop. My head felt kind of funny but I could handle it. No more flashes came so I started walking again.

A few minutes into the forest and another flash came. This time the dark figure was closer. I stopped again and looked around. I didn't feel right. I inhaled and started walking once again. Flashes came more quicker and parts of this dark figure became more vague. It had sunken eyes, greyish, murky skin and a wide malicious smile. I shook my head and tried to get it off my mind. I'm sure it's nothing important right now. I kept walking, feeling tense and paranoid. I feel like something is after me. Probably just some wild animals wandering around. After a while, I could finally see the house through the trees. I rushed to the tree line and saw Maribel bolting the right front tire in place. Toby and Jeff must be inside. She sighed and wiped some sweat from her forehead. I called her out and she looked up at me. I took out the rust remover and waved it around to show her that I got it. She smiled and got up from the ground. My Grandma dusted off the snow on her legs and looked up. Her expression slowly turned from happy....to frightened. I gave her a puzzled look and asked, "Are you okay? Is there something wrong?"

From here, I could see her tremble. I was growing concerned. Why is she acting this way? I was about to talk to her again when she whipped out her magnum and pointed it at me. I yelped and raised my hands up in surrender. "G-Grandma, what are you doing...?!" I asked nervously. She shook her head and snarled. What did I do?

"You damned bastard," she growled and cocked the gun.

"M-Maribel-?"

"I thought I was done with you!" she screamed. What's she talking about? Why does she want to kill me again? Does she hate me? No, that can't be!

I pleaded desperately, "Grandma, please put the gun down-!"

"Get the Hell away from her!" she yelled. I froze. She...she's not talking to me. What-?

"Ellie, whatever you do....DON'T turn around," she warned me. She reached out a hand for me to take but I was frozen with confusion and nervousness. What is she talking about? She beckoned me to come over to her but I couldn't help but disobey her. I slowly turned around and looked up to see....

"Oh my god..." I breathed shakily. Something was behind me, looming over me, watching me. It's the figure....the one I saw in the flashes. It was just as hideous as it was terrifying. That same malicious smile. The eyes. This thing looked human but I know it's not.

Its grin grew wider and so did my eyes. It reached a hand up to touch my face and I wasn't stable enough to run away. What is this thing...?!

"Ellie!" my Grandma yelled. I didn't turn around, fear that this thing would attack me when my back was turned. "Run!" she ordered and this time I obeyed her. I bolted for it, trying to make it to Maribel in time but that thing chased after me. She shot at it with a volley of bullets until it stopped. It seemed unaffected by the damage. Once she reloaded the gun, she hissed, "I whooped your ass once before and I can do it again! I'm not letting you take her!"

"What is that?!" I finally asked out loud. She answered without looking at me, "That....is the one thing that I hated second to Zalgo."

"Who?" I asked. There was a pause of eerie silence and then she muttered, ".......Shadowlurker...."

It seemed to grin even more by the mention of its name and I gulped audibly. This thing is Zalgo's main henchman. Why?

Shadowlurker suddenly scowled, making my blood run cold at the more horrendous sight and came after us in jagged yet swift movements.

I think I'm about to find out.