EPISODE ONE

                   

It intones into my ears, “Come to me... Son, I won't hurt you,”.

The voice of an old lady, feeble and faint, trembling with echoes and whispers,  sends shivers down my spine as I perceive a strong smell of burning wire.

She's here with me, I can hear her, but I can't see her because of the absolute darkness.

“Who are you?” I ask.

“I'm someone who has a message for you...”

“What message?” 

“Heed! Heed! Heed!” It says, and I gasp out to reality, waking up to realize that it was just a nightmare.

I try to flip on the lamp switch but it's not working... I just have to roll out of bed to hit the light switch back on. I really feel the need for the light bulb to illuminate this place, and I also fell the need of taking a bathroom break from the nightmare I just had. I would like to go pee it all out.

“What time is it, anyway?” I mumble to myself as I trudge to the light switch. I hit the switch and my eyes fall to the alarm clock on the stool beside my bed.

“2:00 AM,” I mumble.

I can't think of anything else than to go to the bathroom and ease myself of the burning liquid in my bladder.

I take one step after another, gradually, slowly.

I don't know why I'm so cautious right now. I mean, this is my room, I don't really have to be so careful like I'm trying to sneak up on someone or something.

I reach the door of my bathroom and I halt. 

I don't know why, but my instincts won't allow to get through with opening the bathroom door even though my bladder is literally begging me for ease.

I exhale, as fear of what I don't even know clouds the part of my brain that handles decision making. I let out a sigh as I decide to go back to bed and go to the bathroom tomorrow morning instead.

I lie back down on my bed and I stare at the ceiling until I sleep off

               MORNING 7:13 AM

“Gareth! Sweetheart?” Mom calls to me from downstairs. I can hear her call in my half conscious state, but not clearly.

I don't need a priest to tell me that mom will come banging on my door with her knuckles in the next 30 seconds.

I hear the knock on my door, and I can't tell the difference as I'm not fully conscious. Mom's knock is usually single with at least 30 seconds interval to let me respond before knocking for the second time.

Gracie knocks multiple times with an interval which is less than half a second, if that even exists. If you don't respond after the first series of knock, she opens the door with a spare key and walks right in.

I hear the creaking sound of the door. Of course, it's definitely Gracie.

My eyes open and I become fully conscious as I listen to Gracie ask me the regular question.

“Gar, have you taken your drugs, You remember what the doctor said, right? Take them before the clock hits 7:20 which is just 5 minutes away. Mom asked me to remind you, she's downstairs getting your breakfast ready,” Gracie says.

“Alright, can you pass me the pills from the drawer? And, get me a glass of water please, I'm so tired,” I say and she nods.

She grabs my medication out of the drawer and beats the container on her palm to get out only two pills. 

“Thank you!” I say to her and she nods..

“I'll go get you a glass of water, just stay right there, don't even move your fingers,” she says and I sigh.

She comes back in with a glass of water and hands it over to me, “here you go,” she says as I clasped my hand unto the glass and make my hand go around it”

I throw the pills down my throat and gulp it down with two sips of water.

“Aren't you guys tired of doing this?” I say to Gracie as I hand the cup back to her.

“What are you talking about?” She asks.

“You know what I'm talking about, Gracie... You know exactly what I'm hitting at,” I say and she looks down.

“I don't know what you are talking about... Gar,” Gracie says and I sigh.

“Alright, I'm still going to tell you even if you and mom pretend not to be doing all this because of the incident. I'm fine now. It was just something that happened once. I don't think it's going to happen for the second time. I'm tired of being treated this way. You guys now do everything for me like I'm some toddler. For goodness’ sake, you are only 16... Gracie, and you are already acting like a single mom,  just because your brother fainted at a grocery store?” I say to her and she looks up.

“If taking care of my elder brother would make me look like a mother, then so be it. If that's what it takes, then fine. No one's complaining, mom isn't complaining and look at me, I'm standing here giving you your medications and I haven't laid a single complaint,” she says.

“Does it not occur to you I'm the adult here? Common! I'm 4 years older, I should be the one taking care of you, and not the other way round,” I say and she laughs.

“Lemme guess, you saw it in the constitution and it forbids 16-year-old sisters from taking care of their 20-year-old brothers who fainted at a grocery store, huh?” she says, rolling her eyes at me, and I frown.

“This isn't funny, Gracie. Seriously, how many times do I have to say this to you guys, ‘I'm fine now, I don't need you guys to do my stuffs for me anymore.’ The next thing you two will be up to is shaving my beards for me,” I say and she laughs.

“Look in the mirror,” she says between laughs and I get so curious.

I hop out of the bed quickly and move to the mirror.

“Whoa! How did you do this without waking me?” I ask, as I see that my beards have been shaved already.

“You see? This shows we are better than you in taking care of you,” she says, does that even make any sense?

“Come, let's have breakfast,” she says as she clutches my arm and drags me from the front of the mirror.

“Let go of me, I'm not a toddler. I sure know how to walk?” I say and she turns her deaf ears.

I give her a frown and she raises her hand in submission, “Ok fine, you can walk down the stairs,” she says and I turn away from her, still with the frown on my face.

I take one step down the stairs and I notice that something is holding on to my shirt by its collar. I look back the moment I notice this, and Gracie halts and smiles sheepishly. I can tell that she was the one holding on to my shirt.

“Mom! Gracie is bothering me,” I intone and mom laughs as I walk down the stairs.

“Be nice, Gareth. Your sister is only trying to help,” Mom says and I slap my forehead.

“How are you doing honey? Are you still having pains on your elbow?” She asks.

“No mom. I'm fine now, I don't feel any pains at the moment. Besides, it been two days, when are you going to stop asking?” I say and mom sighs.

“Yes, I know that honey, but I'm the mom here. It's my duty to be overprotective, so get used to it,” she says as I sit on a chair and place both my hands on the table.

“Guys, I don't enjoy this, I really prefer to do my stuffs myself. Shave my beard, do my laundry, and even help you with the dishes mom, I don't want this. When will you finally believe that I'm ok and I can handle things myself once again?” I say and Gracie sighs while mom serves me my breakfast without saying nothing.

“If this is about going back to working at the store, you won't be going back until next week, and don't worry about the manager, I already spoke to him and he understands your condition perfectly,” mom says as I pick the sandwich off my plate.

“What condition? You are saying it like I have some kind of disease or something. It's not a disease mom, I'm fine. I only lost consciousness. It happens to everyone at some point, it might be as a result of stress or any regular activity. You don't have to worry about me. I mean, the doctor said it himself. He said there was nothing attached to it and I'm a 100% healthy, why are you still worried?” I say and mom yells at me.

My sandwich slips through my hand the moment she yells...

“Dont! Gareth, don't! You are going back to work next week and there's nothing you can do to change my decision. Your sister and I will take care of you until then,” she yells and I say nothing.

“I'm so sorry, sweetie,” Mom apologizes as she breaks down in tears.

I get up and embrace her.

“I'm sorry, but I can't let anything happen to you. We lost your dad to this, and.. and.. and I just can let it happen to you and also take you away from me. Yes, I know the doctor got you checked up and he said there was nothing wrong with you, but doesn't that line sound familiar to you? That was the exact same thing you father got from the hospital when he first fainted, and then we overlooked it.

It hit the second time and took his life,” mom says as I pull back a little and wipe off her tears with my palm.

“Your reports are fine, but that was exactly what your father was told before the second incident which took his life,” mom says.

“I know that mom, trust me. I was there when it happened, but I promise you it won't happen to me again, and you guys will not lose me... I promise,”  I say, and Gracie also joins in to make a group hug.

“I promise,” I whisper, and mom nods.

                 

      AN HOUR AFTER BREAKFAST

                       (9:00 AM)

“Honey, come help your brother to the garden, he wants to take a walk,” mom calls to Gracie, who is upstairs, studying her physics textbook so she can get better at it before her school resumes.

“Mom, she's studying... I'll just walk the garden myself,” I say and mom nods.”

“Alright, but be careful. If you need anything, just call on me, and I'll get it for you,” mom says and I nod.

“Don't move a muscle Gar, I'll take you!” Gracie yells as she runs down the stairs.

“Gracie, no. Go back and study, I insist,” I say and she protests, “No! I won't let you, I can always get another time to study, but I can't always get another Gar as a brother,” she says with a smirk and mom laughs.

“Thank you honey, I can also help you in studying,” mom says to Gracie.

“Thanks mom!” Gracie says as she grabs my arm and pulls me along,”.

We get to the garden and we sit. 

“Do you hear that?” I ask, and Gracie knits her brows. “What are you talking about?” She asks.

“I think there was an accident, can't you hear people screaming up the street?” I ask, and Gracie still keeps her brows knitted.

“NO! I hear nothing, I think you are just stressed out,” she says and I sigh.

“No, that's not it. let's go check it out, I'm certain because I can still hear them scream,” I say and she nods.

“You know? I won't tell mom if you tell me you feel like walking the streets, it can be our secret, but you don't have to play these games. You are not good at it,” she says, and I sigh.

“What are you talking about this time?” I ask and she frowns.

“Well, what I'm saying is; you don't have to lie about hearing screams just because you want to take a stroll. It's obvious that nothing is going on out there, so..” she says.

“Do you think I'm lying about hearing screams? I can still hear them scream. How do I know if you're not the one lying about this?” I say and she knits her brows.

“Excuse me?” She exclaims.

“So you think it's nice to call me a liar, but you don't want to be called one. Hmm, that's fair!

Well, I'm saying that you may be  pretending not to hear it so you won't have to take me there. You don't want me to faint while walking up the street,” I say and she sighs.

“Alright! Since we both have doubts, we should see for ourselves and when we arrive, we can get to see who is right and who is not,” I say and she nods.

“Yeah! We should do that. in fact, we should be go right away,” She says.

She grabs me by my arm and we walk out of the garden.

Now, we are standing across the streets looking at the road, and we see Nothing. There's only one car heading up the street, and there are also pedestrians walking passed us.

“See? I told you. No one was screaming, and as you can see, there is no accident. Nothing happened here,” Gracie says and I nod.

“Well, I guess you are right. Maybe I'm only stressed out like you said,” I say to her and she rolls her eyes.

“Yeah, now let's go back home before mom finds out about you walking on the street after she specifically told you not to yesterday,” Gracie says and I sigh, “Okay! let's go,” I reply and she grabs my arm again.

I'm perfectly fine, I can walk home myself, but she won't let me.

We turn our backs on the road and even before we can take a step forward, we hear a shrill sound behind us. It is like sounds of heavy metals falling apart from one piece and scratching out the tar from the surface of the road. Voices of people who are clearly panicking, screaming out of shock, hits our ears.

Gracie gasps the moment the sound hits our ears and we both look back quickly.

“Whoa!” Gracie exclaims as we both widen our eyes. A car just hit an old man who was trying to cross the road.

The blood of an old man splattering all over the road, the completely damaged car, the driver's head buried in his car's airbag –all combines to make up one big terrifying image; too horrifying for the eyes to behold.

I look away quickly as I get shivers sent down my spine.

“What just happened here,” Gracie asks as people gather around the accident scene. Some people are calling the ambulance rather than staring and letting the old man lose his life completely.

“What just happened here?” Gracie asks for the second time.

“An Accident!” I mumble, replying to her question.

“No, I'm not talking about the accident. I mean, what is the probability that your prediction, and what just happened was only a coincidence?” she says

“I'm shocked about what just happened too. I've never believed in 'coincidence', but I do now,” I say.

“You better believe it, cause one just happened right in front of you,” Gracie says, and we look at each other.

I've seen nothing like it.

We got back home before mom could realize that we were not home.

                             NIGHT

                            9:00 PM

I'm lying on my bed, thinking about the incident that happened up the street today. I wonder if that old man survived it, I wonder if he's still alive or in a coma.

Pictures of the incident keeps flashing in my head. I just can't get it out ever since I saw it. The screams, the face of the old man, the blood that splattered all over the road, the damaged car, the feeling I got when I first turned to look at it, all of it is coming back. I just want it to go, and want to make it stop, but I can't, so I thought of doing something, something that can distract me and help me to stop recalling the incident over and over again.

I grab my phone and I play an endless runner game. I hear a single knock on my door, “Come in mom,” I say and she opens the door and walks in.

“How are you doing son,” mom says.

“I'm fine, mom, just like always. Why do you ask anyway? Do I look like something is wrong with me?” I say and she chuckles, “No, of course not,” she says.

“Yeah, you remember Danny, right? Danny, the pizza delivery guy who delivers pizza to our house from HERO-PIZZA,” mom says and I nod.

“Yeah, Danny! He lives up the street right, with his parents,” I say and mom nods.

“His grandpa who came to visit from California just yesterday, was involved in an accident across the street this morning,” mom says and my brows knit.

“Mom, when did this happen, what time?” I ask.

“I heard someone say something about 9:34, just after we had breakfast and Gracie took you to the garden. That was when it happened,” mom says and my eyes widen.

Mom is talking about the same accident, the one Gracie and I witnessed. I never knew the old man was Danny's grandpa. Wow! Knowing this makes me feel even worse.

“Mom, do you know what happened to Danny's grandpa after the accident?” I ask mom and she sighs.

“Shit happens, son. The old man lost his life even before they could take him to the hospital. 

I wonder how Danny and his parents will take this, it's so painful. He should have stayed back in California instead of coming to Washington just to meet his grave,” mom says, and I  look at her without saying a word. She notices it and asks.

“Why are you so quiet, are you scared of this, shouldn't I have told you about it because it is already night? Yeah, it's night and you might get a nightmare about this. I'm sorry son, I should have waited till morning before telling you this, I shouldn't have said it now,” mom apologizes because she actually thinks I'm afraid of the news she brought me as it is already night and I'll be getting some sleep soon, but that's not the reason I'm quiet. I'm quiet because I actually feel guilty about all of this, I feel like I would have been able to do something.

“No, that's not it, mom. I'm not scared of the news, and I will not get any nightmares,” I say and mom smiles.

“Goodnight honey!” mom says and I wave, “Goodnight mom,” I say.  She flips my light switch off and darkness floods the entire room.

I turn off my phone and now I'm in absolute darkness, the kind of darkness where I can't even tell whether I'm lying or standing.

After a few seconds of counting sheep, I fade. into my subconscious, gradually.

MYSTERIOUS OLD LADY: Look at you! Lying on your bed and having a nice sleep while someone else is fated to meet his grave because of your foolishness!

“It's you... It's you again!” I say, panicking, as my heartbeat quickens.

“Who are you and what do you want from me?” I ask.

MYSTERIOUS OLD LADY: You are to be blamed

(She intones into my ear)

“Who are you?” I ask for the second time.

MYSTERIOUS OLD LADY: Why does it matter to you, do you also want to kill me like you killed that old man?

(She whispers into my ears and I tremble)

I'm still lying in the darkness and I can feel her breath all over me. I feel like she's encircling my bed and whispering into my ear whenever she gets close to it. I can feel the continuous motion around me. I'm still, and I can't move my body.

MYSTERIOUS OLD LADY: His blood is on your hands.

“Whose blood?”

MYSTERIOUS OLD LADY: You know who I'm talking about! The old man who died because of your ignorance.

“Danny's Grandpa?” I ask.

MYSTERIOUS OLD LADY: Yes! you could have saved him, but you did nothing.

“It's not my fault, what have I got to do with it?”

MYSTERIOUS OLD LADY: You killed him!

“No! I didn't, the cabdriver did!” I yell at her.

MYSTERIOUS OLD LADY: Yes! The cabdriver hit him, but you could have prevented it, you could have prevented it.

“How, what could I have done to save him?”

MYSTERIOUS OLD LADY: ...............

(She whistles Into my ears)

“Tell me! What could I have done?” I yell furiously and she stops whistling and whisper these words into my ears,

MYSTERIOUS OLD LADY: HEED! HEED! HEED!

I gasp and jolt up my back from the bed the moment I wake up from another horrifying nightmare.

“Another nightmare!” I exclaim as I can't stop panting and trying to catch my breath.

I can't sleep anymore, I've heard this old lady speak to me twice in my dreams, just within a day. I flip the lamp switch on and I glimpse at the alarm clock, “This can't be. What is the probability that this is also a coincidence?” 

It's 2:00 AM again. I woke up at exactly 2:00 AM the previous night after having a nightmare about the old lady, and today I woke up at the exact time as yesterday after having a nightmare about the same old.