Chapter 2

Kathleen slammed the car door with a ferocity that made Christian wince. "Best friend for ten years, my ass!" she hissed, crossing her arms and seething with barely contained rage.

Christian followed her into the car, his frustration evident as he settled into the driver's seat. "Why did you storm out?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm, but the disbelief in Kathleen's eyes cut through him like a knife.

"And you're taking her side?" she spat, her voice trembling with anger.

"This isn't about sides," he sighed, trying to placate her. "I'll always take your side no matter what, but this is about respect and boundaries. Samantha's still haunted by her past. Give her time. She'll open up when she's ready."

Kathleen's fury only grew. "Ten years isn't enough time? And obviously, you are taking her side."

"I'm not!" Christian protested, rolling his eyes. "You're her best friend. You're supposed to understand. She has every right to keep her secrets."

Kathleen scoffed. "Yeah, whatever you say, Mr. Jones," her mockery did little to lighten the tension.

"You're not going back in?"

Kathleen shook his head, glancing back at Samantha's old, decrepit house.

"Let's call it a night," she said, signaling Christine to start the car.

The house loomed ominously, a testament to the tragic history everyone in town whispered about—the unexplainable disappearance of Samantha's twin sister, Agatha.

Rumors swirled about a curse placed on their mother by a vengeful ex-lover, a curse that would claim one of her children at a said time. Some said Agatha was abducted and murdered; others whispered about a sleep demon. Samantha denied everything, claiming Agatha was only living abroad with their relatives for financial support.

Kathleen never believed her. The family was wealthy; why would Agatha need to be sent away?

Kathleen's frustration simmered. She couldn't shake the compulsion to uncover Samantha's secrets, despite Christian's pleas for patience. Her desire to dig into Samantha's past burned with an intensity she couldn't understand.

That night, after arriving home in stony silence, Kathleen went to bed. Around 3 AM, an eerie feeling jolted her awake. The window was open. As she moved to close it, a tingling sensation crawled up her nape, her hairs standing on end. A shadowy figure stood outside, sending her heart into a frenzied beat. Christian was nowhere to be seen.

A lump formed in her throat. She wanted to run, to scream, but fear rooted her in place. The figure drew closer, revealing a grotesque, blood-covered face. Kathleen screamed and bolted downstairs, only to be confronted by a little girl with a sinister smile and a filthy doll, her eyes bleeding.

Kathleen's terror intensified as the girl began to hum a chilling lullaby:

"Hmmm...

tili-tili bom...

zakroy glaza skoreye.

Kto-to khodit za oknom...

i stuchitsya v dveri."

The blood in the girl's eyes trickled down her cheeks. Kathleen's legs trembled as she tried to back away, but her body refused to obey. The girl’s humming grew louder:

"Tili-tili bom...

krichit nochnaya ptitsa.

On uzhe probraisya v dom.

K tem, komu ne spitsya."

The girl's smile faded into a blank stare. "Come with me, Sam..." she began, but her words were cut off as a pair of hands, dripping with black, greasy liquid, pulled her into the floor, leaving only the creepy doll behind.

Kathleen's vision blurred. Just before she passed out, she felt an arm around her waist. She woke with a gasp, seeing Christian sleeping soundly beside her. It had been a nightmare, but the terror felt real. The girl's last words echoed in her mind:

"Come with me, Sam..."

Was she referring to Shane?

Disoriented, Kathleen got ready for work, her mind replaying the nightmare's vivid details. She ran late, ignoring Christian's offer of breakfast. Her thoughts were consumed by the dream and its possible meanings, but decided to shrug it off as she has so much to do.

At the coffee shop she co-owned with Samantha, Kathleen noticed a woman lingering outside. Although her appearance was unremarkable, there was an unsettling intensity in her gaze that aroused Kathleen's suspicion.

Ignoring her unease, Kathleen rushed inside to ensure everything was running smoothly. Her mind still reeled from the nightmare as she headed to her real job and workplace.

Kathleen Anne Abad, a supervisor and interviewer at the largest BPO company in the Philippines, was expected to be at her workplace before 9 AM. Yet here she was, sprinting toward the elevator, nine minutes late. As she rushed through the office, her co-workers greeted her, and she offered hurried nods in return. Just as she was about to open her office door, she saw Samantha talking to one of her trainees, Jay.

She had no idea why Samantha had paid her a visit; perhaps she wanted to make amends. Kathleen shared that desire, but her demanding schedule didn't allow for it. With a pang of regret, she hurried inside, slipping out of Samantha's sight.

Throughout the day, Kathleen's thoughts kept returning to the dream and amantha's appearance at her workplace added to her anxiety. She tried to focus on her tasks, but the girl's haunting lullaby echoed in her mind.

"Hmmm... tili-tili bom... Zakroy glaza skoreye!"

"Ugh! Stop!" Kathleen whispered, clutching her head. The chilling melody seemed to grow louder, a relentless reminder of the nightmare that felt all too real.

As the day dragged on, Kathleen's unease only grew. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. Every shadow seemed to hide a lurking presence, every creak and whisper in the office setting her nerves on edge. She tried to drown herself in work, but the ominous hum of the lullaby was a constant, tormenting backdrop.

By the time she got home, the sky had darkened, and a storm was brewing. She hurried inside, drenched from the sudden downpour despite riding a car, her mind a chaotic whirl of anxiety and exhaustion. Christian greeted her with a worried expression, but she brushed off his concerns, too drained to explain the relentless nightmare that haunted her waking hours.

She skipped dinner, opting for a hot shower to wash away the chill that seemed to have settled into her bones. As the water cascaded over her, she tried to push the nightmare from her mind, but the image of the bleeding-eyed girl and the haunting lullaby refused to leave her.

After a restless sleep filled with unsettling dreams, Kathleen woke again in the middle of the night. The window was open once more, the curtains fluttering in the cold breeze. Heart pounding, she rose from bed, her steps hesitant and fear-laden. As she approached the window, the same tingling sensation crawled up her neck.

This time, the shadow outside the window was unmistakable. The grotesque face from her nightmare stared back at her, its eyes glinting with a malevolent hunger. She screamed, stumbling back, only to find herself cornered by the same little girl from her dream, her doll clutched tightly in her hands.

The girl began to hum again, her voice an eerie, melodic whisper:

"Hmmm... tili-tili bom...

Zakroy glaza skoreye.

Kto-to khodit za oknom...

i stuchitsya v dveri."

Kathleen's knees buckled, and she collapsed to the floor, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The girl's eyes bled as she stepped closer, the doll's lifeless eyes staring straight at Kathleen. The melody grew louder, more insistent, as the girl reached out a hand.

"Come with me, Sam..." she whispered, her voice echoing in the room.

Just then, the grotesque figure burst through the window, its gnarled hands reaching for Kathleen. She scrambled backwards, but there was nowhere to go. The creature's touch was cold and slimy, and Kathleen felt her strength ebb away as it pulled her towards the window.

Suddenly, Christian was there, pulling her back with a force she didn't know he possessed. He shouted something, but the words were lost in the roar of the storm and the girl's haunting song. He wrestled with the creature, his face a mask of determination and fear.

Kathleen's vision swam as the room seemed to warp and twist around her. The last thing she saw was the girl's malevolent smile, her blood-red eyes boring into her soul.

She woke up in bed, drenched in sweat, Christian's arms wrapped protectively around her. The storm had passed, leaving the night eerily silent. She glanced at the window, now firmly closed, and felt a shiver run down her spine.

"Was that all just a dream?" she whispered to herself, her voice trembling. "No... that was a nightmare."

She pressed her lips together, disassociating for hours as she tried to make sense of the night's events. The girl's last words echoed in her mind, a chilling reminder that the terror was far from over.

Kathleen went through the motions of her morning routine in a daze, her mind replaying the nightmare's vivid details. She barely registered Christian's concerned questions, her focus consumed by the haunting melody and the terrifying visions that felt all too real.

At the coffee shop, she saw the suspicious woman again, her presence a disturbing echo of her nightmare. Kathleen shook off the unease, trying to focus on her responsibilities, but the fear gnawed at her, relentless and consuming.

The rest of the day was a blur of anxious thoughts and unsettling visions. Kathleen's every step felt watched, every shadow a potential threat. She couldn't shake the feeling that something dark and sinister was following her, waiting for the right moment to strike.

"This," she whispered to herself, "this might be what Samantha is warning us all about."

As the evening drew to a close, Kathleen's nerves were frayed to the breaking point. She knew she needed to confront Samantha, to find out the truth behind the nightmare that refused to let her go.

But as she steeled herself for the conversation, the haunting lullaby began to echo in her mind once more, its eerie melody a chilling reminder that the terror was far from over.