When Sunshine awakes, she finds that a warm towel has been pressed to her forehead. She blinks drearily, head lifting slowly. She gazes her surroundings before realizing that she's — she's in her room. In her bed, as a matter of fact.

Sunshine groans, clawing her fingers through her tangled hair. She needs a shower. And — and then the recognition of last night's events dawn on her, and Sunshine is left gripping the blankets strewn across her body for comfort.

She doesn't think she'll ever forget those screams. Those — those marks on the door, the bloody handprints, the dents where a child had obviously kicked.

Sunshine purses her lips, hands shaking. She's feeling better, but must have — have fainted. She can recall a blurry image of the lights curling around her unconscious body. Everything after that is black.

Is her mother okay? She worries for a moment, and wonders if the inside of the bathroom door is the same. Maybe she'll check later. Maybe not. Probably the latter.

A sigh wrenches from her lips and she tucks her head in to her pillow, ignoring the light of noon speckling her sheets. She needs to upload the video and get a — a professional or something in here. That's the best thing to do.

Though she's not sure if anyone will be so willing.
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"Hey guys, so clearly I don't feel well," she says to the camera four days later, trying to smile. "I look like crap, don't I? Whoo. Anyways, so, um, the video — this is my follow up to it."

She pauses and blinks slowly, trying to think of her words and how she can get them out of her mouth. "We are really worried about it — I know you guys are worried about it too — we're not, you know, happy with it either, but uh... I think my mom's gonna get — well, we are going to; my mom's on the phone right now — but, we're planning on getting a priest in here to bless and.. maybe get some paranormal people and stuff. I don't know. We're really concerned right now, so... we'll keep you posted, guys. Thanks for your concern. Bye!"

She shuts the camera off, turns on her side, and cries.
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Sunshine doesn't want to admit that she's been having nightmares. It's hard to leave her room. She doesn't — she doesn't want to go downstairs. She doesn't want to relive the memories.

It hurts. Her heart aches with the pain of that little girl's screams. She clutches her chest in agony when the blood-stained door flashes in her mind. God. She should've convinced her mother to call someone earlier so she wouldn't have to go through this.

Unfortunately she can't change the past. But if she could, Sunshine would in a heartbeat.
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So. Creepy Lady is here. Why does she never have her camera readily available during these events?

Sunshine runs upstairs, turns the screen on, and quickly makes her way back down. "Alright, so the creepy lady from the other day who dropped by and she was all freaking out and stuff —" The camera grows staticy for a moment. "She's here. She's outside — I left her outside so I could come and get you guys, and, be my witnesses in case I die today and all that."

She rushes out of the hallway, sliding down the stairs. Sunshine jogs through the kitchen then stops dead in her tracks, eyes wide. "She — she's in the house.."

Yep. She is. When the camera is turned, Creepy Lady is there in all her glory, standing still and upright with a box tucked between her hands. There's some kind of brown writing — or, symbols, maybe? — around the sides. It's weird. What's even weirder is that this woman is in her house. Without permission.

That's not normal behavior, is it?

The camera flickers as Sunshine nears the woman. "What are you doing in my house?" she says, voice defensive. Creepy Lady is — well, you guessed, wearing the same thing as always.

There's a long, drawn moment of silence as the woman stares at Sunshine. "I have something for you," she finally replies in that monotone voice of hers.

"You... brought me.. a gift?" She looks uncertain.

"It will protect you."

Creepy Lady extends her arms, holding the box to Sunshine. She creeps closer, examining the paintings all over.

"..Thanks?"

Creepy Lady is quiet, lips pressed in a firm line. "You must never open it."

"Wh — why not?" Sunshine reaches for the lid.

"Never — NO!"

The camera glitches and spirals, streaks of color coating the screen. Creepy Lady's dark blue eyes widen as she holds out her hand.

"I just —" Sunshine tries, but is cut off.

"Don't ever open it!"

"Well, what's inside it?"

"It will keep you safe."

"Well, for —"

Creepy Lady shifts, inching her head and wide eyes to the camera. Sunshine can hear her mother near the room.

"Hi mom, this is —" She hesitates as Creepy Lady continuously grows closer. Sunshine backs away.

"What is this?" the woman asks, almost hissing. She waves her fingers over the screen.

"It's a camera," Sunshine says, raising a brow.

"No." Creepy Lady jerks away as if she's been burned. "No. No. No! NO!" She turns and sprints out of the house, trenchcoat waving behind her. Kat jumps forward, blinking as she watches the woman run away.

"Honey, what is —" Her mother turns with concern, pulling the door shut. "What is going on?"

"She brought me a box." Sunshine looks down at the large black circle on top, enclosed around a looped cross shape. "It's supposed to.. protect me and keep me safe."

"What's in it?" Kat sets her purse down and leans forward.

"Don't open it!" Sunshine rears back.

"Why —?"

"She said never to open it!"

"Why?!"

"I don't know! She said it'd protect me and keep me safe!"

Kat turns to look out of the windows, brows pressed down. She sighs. "Honey, I think we better open it —"

"No! We are gonna go put it in my room." Sunshine makes that her final decision, spinning on her heel.

That's that.
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So. What the hell does she think is in the box?

Well, it was dropped off by the sketch lady so it's probably just as sketch. And judging by the drawings marked on the top and sides, Sunshine can back that idea off quite easily.

Her conclusions? She wants to find out what the symbols mean — they must mean something, right? It's rather heavy, maybe bulky. There's definitely something inside.

The weirdest part? Nothing has been going on around the house. All the creepy shit that happened before the box came? It doesn't happen anymore. None of it. She's even been able to catch good sleep since the two nights Creepy Lady arrived to the house. That being said, Sunshine is pretty sure she believes it will keep her safe, but her only question is — how?

The strange woman hasn't been standing outside, either. A plus. A very, very large plus. No Creepy Lady lurking around the house. She's never felt more comfortable in her life.

Sunshine is also motivated to not open the box. Being protected is kind of awesome. She doesn't want to ruin that. She definitely won't, not anytime soon.

Things are good.
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Still no ghost activity.

The box must be doing its job.
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Sunshine rolls her eyes and motions toward the camera. "Go ahead," she announces. They're sitting on the couch, bright windows sparkling behind them.

"What?" her mother asks.

"Tell them. Tell them, this is like a therapy session, go ahead."

"You want me to —?"

"Talk to them, yes. Talk."

"Like, to the camera?"

"Mhm."

"Why?"

Oh. Did she not mention that the box is sitting right between them?

"Cause we're bonding." Sunshine nods and looks at her mother.

"This doesn't feel like bonding."

"Just — just tell them how you feel about the box."

Kat groans and waves her arms. "I hate the box!"

"She hates the box."

"Okay, alright, so just —" Kat sighs. "I'm gonna look stupid."

Sunshine laughes. "You're not gonna look stupid, they're gonna love it."

"I hate cameras."

"She hates them."

Kat shakes her head, breathing out. "I hate the box more than I hate the camera. I don't — I — I wanna open the box! Can we open the box?"

"We're not opening the box."

Her mother makes fists with her hands. "Okay, so, this lady brings this box — we don't know this person. So, then she brings this box, this gift, and tells us not to open it because it will protect us."

"Which it has been!" Sunshine points to the camera.

Kat motions toward her daughter. "She says that not much has happened since we... got the box. So, I guess, in that way it's good. But, I want to open it. And Sunshine doesn't, and —"

Sunshine rolls her eyes.

"I don't know why she's choosing to believe the lady over her own mother."

Sunshine looks like she's going to laugh.

"Have I steered you wrong before? Have I lied to you? Have I endangered you in any way?"

"Yeess," Sunshine says dreamily, waving a fist in the air.

"Outside of... this house, which you picked by the way. I'll remind you of that."

Sunshine looks offended for a moment then smiles at the camera. "I did indeed actually pick the house."

Kat goes on. "So, now whenever she leaves the house, she hides the box." Her mother looks exasperated. "She knows I'm going to try and open it."

"She does!" Sunshine exclaims, scowling. "She like, searches the room all the time which, I have now found some very good hiding spots." She smirks.

Kat grunts. "I'm not searching just for the box. Drugs. There's other things that teenagers might have."

Sunshine rolls her eyes again. "You know I don't have drugs. Anyways, so, update, box — smells." She holds it up to her mother's nose and she grimaces.

"The box really smells," Kat agrees. "Which is another reason why we should open the box!"

"We're not opening the box." Sunshine shakes her head.

Her mother sighs. "Can we at least put it outside?"

"We're putting it outside. We're putting the box outside! Look!" Sunshine stands, walking to the back door. "Compromise! Whoo!"

"I am the mother," Kat calls from behind.

"She's a little cranky," she whispers to the camera.

"Cranky cause the box smells!" her mother says back.

Sunshine lets the warm winter air shift over her exposed skin and lays the box on the grill. "There, it will lie."

She sighs. "The box. Good. We're done."

woah we don't have that long until part 2 cool

(that's two parts closer to nolan and one to le master it's all i've ever wanted)