Another chance

Everybody wants another chance at life, another chance to correct past mistakes, to live more fully and to find better things to do, the same was true for Rachel too, she had undertaken a long and dangerous journey because of a hope of another chance at life.

Her motivation to continue the journey kept wavering during the journey, the longer it got and the more she became aware of all the risks involved in her journey, the more she questioned whether it was all worth it or not.

It started with random things, she would keep misplacing her things and find them in the most unusual places, her hairbrush would disappear, only to appear lying next to the sink, the lipstick would be found next to the tv, even though she was sure she had kept all her lipsticks in the drawer, it always baffled her when things would go missing randomly like that.

Looking back she wished she had paid more attention and not thought she had become clumsy, slowly as time went misplacing her things was not the only worrying thing in her mind.

She would check all the windows and drawers before she went to bed but would find them open the next morning, initially she thought she was just getting forgetful but when it kept happening regularly she started getting worried something else was at work.

The thought that the place might be haunted or even worse a ghost might be after her and not just the home was haunted bothered her, she wanted to put up a brave face and tried not to be afraid, giving in to fear was the last thing a rational minded person like her would do.

But she would eventually curse her rational mind when she started hearing weird noises at night, she was sure either she was going mad or a vengeful spirit was after her and her useless rational mind was no help at all!

Tap! Tap!

Ttattatta!

Clang! Clang!

The noises got louder as time passed, she was sure there were no rats or any insects in the house, nor any malfunctioning machine, the thought somewhere at the corner of her mind had started growing louder and although she didn't really believe in ghosts or haunted houses, she knew she just couldn't sit around and wait.

She decided to consult a paranormal investigator and though she was wary of someone she found online, she knew she didn't have any other options, the investigator straight up told her that she was haunted by a very dangerous and vengeful spirit and if she wanted to protect herself, she needed to shift immediately!

At first she was at a loss of words, she couldn't grasp anything he said but she decided to go with his advice, to her dismay though, even shifting homes didn't help her out!

She brought protection charms which had no use either, her desperation even led her to consult a fortune teller because she was sure she couldn't rely on the paranormal investigator alone, the fortune teller unfortunately was of no help either, she outright told her that a bleak future awaited her.

The thought of the fortune teller made her reach for her bag, but all her hand grabbed was empty space, she looked around, her anxiety getting up to her, she had read the area was notorious for robberies, but her desperation mixed with hope made her take the journey.

It was getting dark, she knew she had to find the place before it got too dark, it wasn't safe to venture alone in that dangerous an area, but then she recalled, safety was something she had long given up, she couldn't even think now what safety even felt like!

Her eyes had become baggy from the lack of sleep, and her skin had grown pale, whenever she looked in the mirror she couldn't even recognize herself anymore, there was no solution to her ordeal no matter how hard she tried and searched.

She was positive she could see shadows in the dark and she could see someone moving around too, she was sure she wasn't hallucinating, staying at a friend's place didn't bring her comfort either, it was like the sounds and shadows followed her everywhere.

She could hear someone taking a shower in the middle of the night, but when she would get up to check there would be no one, even though she lived alone, she tried to comfort herself by getting up to check whenever she heard any sound, but slowly even this failed to comfort her.

She felt she was going mad or maybe she had gone mad already and just didn't realize it, the investigator had given up too, he told her he could have done something if she would have approached him earlier.

With every passing day she was growing paler and thinner, sleep had become unknown to her, she knew she would die if things continued the way they were, but even the thought of death felt comforting to her now if it could end this terrible reality she was in.

After a lot of searching, she finally reached the place she was looking for, this was her last hope and she knew if this failed to work, there was nothing in the world that could save her!

It was a rundown house that looked like no one even bothered to maintain, as she entered, the floor creaked beneath her, it made her startle a bit but she quickly regained composure.

Something about the place felt strangely reassuring, she was sure this was the first time she had come to the place but then why her mind was recalling fond memories of the place?

The memories seemed really old, but strangely, they didn't feel old to her, as her gaze fell on her reflection in the dusty mirror, she became aware of something, it surprised her but then she smiled, as she looked more closely in the mirror, she realized she wasn't Rachel anymore.