WiTh tHe sUpeRNatUraL

He hugged the pillow in comfort with the blanket tangled around him. Laying on the bed still, Winston tried to sleep. But it seemed useless. He kept tilting to one side then the other trying to find the perfect posture to relax. But maybe it was not the right time. He threw the pillow away in madness and stared at the clock that struck 12 in the night. He had laid on the bed several hours ago, struggling to sleep. Yet, it felt like he had just woken up. Lastly, the poor soul stood up, and to his surprise, he felt a pleasant flow down his spine. A smile appeared on his face, and he walked to the kitchen. Checking the refrigerator, he took out a bottle of cold water. Winston uncapped the bottle and directly took sips from it. He drank all of it and put the bottle on the kitchen shelf, uncapped. He made great strides towards his room. He sat on the couch beside his bed but felt his breath tighten. It was warm inside. Winston looked up at the fan that spun slowly. He stood up, moved the curtain to the left, and opened the window. A cool breeze circulated inside the room, and he felt refreshed.

Winston unwillingly looked outside and observed something in his neighbor's house. There stood something palest, figured like a human. It stood behind the windowpane in the exact center facing the opposite side, still. He kept observing it. It looked queer. All at once, It moved back and looked at Winston with its dark red eyes on a shadowy black face. Winston's eyes opened wide, and his heart palpitated wildly. He moved back, closed the window, and hid under the blanket. He could sense his heart pulsate and could hear the sound of his pulse. It felt like his heart would pop out. He sweated heavily but Winston didn't move. Somehow, he managed to survive for an hour or two under the blanket. He slowly moved out of the blanket and moved towards the window in a bent position. He peeked from behind the window curtain, but there was no such thing. Winston stood there for a solid 5 minutes but, there was nothing. "I was probably hallucinating." he thought and sighed. Winston relaxed on the couch. 

He didn't know when he slept but, Winston woke up at 11:00 am. It was a bright morning. Winston felt energetic since he slept well. He took a bath, grabbed his wallet, and moved out for breakfast. After an hour later, Winston arrived home. On his way, he met his neighbor and friend, Steve. Steve firmly greeted him and, they both went inside his house. After the traditional conversation, Winston unwillingly narrated to Steve the hallucination he had last night. Steve looked at him in surprise and moved his head in a no. He made a guess, "Maybe, it really was your hallucination. There's no supernatural here. I've been a part of this community for the last three months. There's never been such an incident." Winston listened and shook his head in a yes. He remained quiet. They both went silent for a short time, and the conversation continued again. Winston stayed there for almost an hour before returning home. 

It was 9:00 pm. Winston took out a novel from the side table and rested his head on the headboard. "Ah! Horror! Anyway, let us read." He smiled and kept reading the book. On page 12, he stopped as he read something similar to yesterday's hallucination. "And as he looked outside the kitchen window, there stood something white more of something shadowy like a silhouette in the pale light. He moved back in fright, and the shadow turned real. It made great strides while its red, bloody eyes stared at the boy. The boy hurried to his room, locked the door, and hid under the blanket and so on." Winston read it and realized that he had suffered the same. "What a coincidence!" He whispered to himself. And he could only read eight more pages when his eyes got tired, and he drowsed madly. He slept with the novel in his hand.

Winston opened his eyes as if he had entered a new world, peaceful and calm and so delightful. "So Fresh! What's the time? I have gotten up earlier, I guess". He caught hold of something as he rubbed his hand against the bedsheet to find his phone. "What's this?" He questioned as he looked at it. "WiTh tHe sUpeRNatUraL ... This is indeed a good novel. I'll show it to Steve. And except for that coincidence of the hallucination." He laughed as he put the novel on the side table and stood up. "Oh! Did I put this on charging?" He thought as he came near to the windowsill. There was his phone on charging. He picked it up and observed the time, "2:00! Oh my! It's already afternoon." That day passed usually.

"It's 10:00. I should get to sleep. Wait! Steve! Why is he calling at this time." He picked up the phone and listened. "Winston! Hello! Could I come over to your house? I forgot the keys inside. It's 10, and there won't be any locksmith at this time." Winston agreed. Steve came over soon. They both had dinner, and that was the end of the day. They slept in Winston's room.

The next day Winston called the locksmith who made the key. Steve remained at Winston's home till midnight. They were so engrossed in talking they forgot the time. Almost at twelve, Winston looked at his phone. Steve laughed, and while talking, Winston came with him to the door from where Steve left. Winston entered his room. He looked at Steve from the window going to his house. Winston waved at him, who waved back at him too. He saw Steve go. Winston stood there for some time before going to bed. He looked at Steve's home and that window where he had seen that mysterious figure. Winston saw Steve opening the door and go inside while he saw another Steve go inside from the back door. It happened simultaneously. He got stunned, and a cold shiver sent down his spine. "This was, this was Steve. He entered from... the... the main door... backdoor... Steve... Two Steve... Who... Who... was that?..." He thought in terror. He moved back and stumbled upon a small ROCK. He looked at it in shock and threw it out of the window. Winston hid under the blanket and tried not to think about it. "It was a hallucination... Yes!.. Yes! It was definitely a hallucination... How can there be two Steve? There is one Steve that lives here... He is my neighbor... Yes! It was nothing... It was not real." He cried as he whispered to himself. He was so afraid. He couldn't sleep that night. Winston sweated heavily, but he didn't pull out his head even. He kept thinking about Steve, who had entered from the front door and the back door. And the hallucination before this one kept striking in his mind too. Winston tried to stay awake, but, almost at dawn, he drowsed madly and slept. After the usual morning routine, Winston remembered the night scene again. He got terrified and even got afraid of Steve. But he calmed himself by declaring it as another hallucination though he kept freaking out. Later that day, Steve called him over for a sleepover. Winston unwillingly agreed. 

They both enjoyed talking and eating. Winston still felt afraid. At night, they both went into Steve's room. And to his surprise, it was the same room, and there was the window and that spot where Winston had seen that mysterious figure. He took small steps backward, but Steve didn't notice his uneasiness and grabbed Winston by his arm, taking him inside the room. They both sat on the couch when Steve excused himself. He went to the bathroom on the right corner of the room. Steve looked at him go and sighed. His feelings were strange, he felt afraid, yet he felt calm too. Winston looked around the room and at the window. The surroundings were peaceful.

He stared at the door, trying to read a poster when unexpectedly, the door opened, and Steve entered in. Winston went motionless. His eyes stared at Steve in fear. Steve came to him, tapping him on the arm he sat on the couch with him. "What's up?" He questioned. But Winston had no response. He just stared at the bathroom door and the Steve in front of him. Winston seemed panic-stricken. He stood up and opened the bathroom door, but there was no one. He looked at Steve and counter-questioned, "Are you, are you, St... Stev... Steve?" He asked as he shivered in fear. Steve laughed at first, but he got serious. "Yes! I am Steve. What happened to you?" He asked, but Winston didn't reply. He moved past him to the door but, Steve held his arm. "Winston! What's the matter? Buddy! Why are you so afraid?" Steve took him to the couch, they both sat down. Winston remained quiet. Steve grasped him in sympathy, firmly asked him again. But the answer was null. He stood up and moved out, saying, "I'll bring you some water." After 5 minutes, he entered in with a water bottle in his hand. Winston looked at him in silence and took the bottle from Steve. Winston stared at the water and drank all of it. The water had slightly calmed him. Winston looked at Steve and asked him the same question, "Are you, Steve?" Steve looked at him in confusion and moved his head up and down in a yes. Winston sighed and remained quiet. They both sat there for some time in dead silence. Suddenly, the lights were gone. Steve turned on his phone's flashlight. "This doesn't happen usually." He broke the prolonged silence. Winston spoke as he felt better, "Don't know! ... Where are you going?" he questioned as Steve stood up. "I'll be back." "Can I come with you?" Winston asked him. Steve moved his head in a yes, and they moved. He checked the light and spoke, "Looks like we have to wait for the light to come back on." They went inside the room again. Steve and Winston both laid on the bed to sleep. Then suddenly, Steve whispered to him, "Behind you!" and he smiled creepily. Winston looked at him in confusion and surprise. He looked back, but there was nothing. Winston said as he looked back, "Steve! There's no one here. What are you talking about..." There was no one on the bed as he looked back. In fact, no one was there. And suddenly, he heard the door open. He looked as Steve entered in, "It will take time. The lights will be back soon." Seve informed him as he entered the room. Winston just froze with his eyes stuck at Steve. He stood up and made great strides out of the room. Steve looked at him go and walked behind him. "Winston! Winston! Winston! Come on, buddy, what's the matter? Why are you acting like this?" Winston replied without looking back, "I'm, I'm going home. We will, Yes! We... We will meet someday soon." He walked forward. "Why not now?" He heard a bizarre noise. Winston made big paces out of the house without moving back. 

"It's been a week since I've met Steve. Forget all that weird stuff. He's a nice person. I can't leave him like this. Wait! NO! What if? No! I won't go there. It's not safe. But, It was my hallucination. I will go! For sure, I will go!" Winston said to himself, and he called Steve. "Hello! Steve! Sorry for that weird behavior last week. Can I come over?" Steve agreed. Winston hesitated in the first place, but there was no fearful act till now. He noticed Steve at every point. But there was nothing odd till now. Winston calmed himself. And so time passed. In the night, Steve went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. But the grocery had finished. He moved out as he thought of coming back early. Winston didn't notice as he was in Steve's room reading a novel. 

"And as the boy heard a blood-curdling scream, something grabbed his arms, and the light turned off..." "What a curious ending. This novel is great for sure." Winston smiled. The lights went off unexpectedly. Winston looked around, "Strange! What co-occurrence this is!" And he put on his slippers. But Winston heard someone say in a light yet spine-chilling voice, "What a coincidence!" and something seized him by his arms from behind into the dark and Steve was not home.