I stared at my pillow. It was the only safe place to look.

I saw red eyes everywhere else. In my closet, in my window, right in front of me. 

I didn't want to think of him. His eyes, his strange smile, how he'd killed that guy. It was too much. It didn't make sense. 

I squeezed my eyes shut, but I saw him there too. I scowled.

I needed a distraction, so I grabbed my phone and dialed a number.

My best friend picked up almost instantly, even with school. 

"Where the hell are you!" Andi shrieked into my ear. I winced, partly because of her volume, and partly because I didn't know how to answer that.

"I'm at home," I said, unable to hide the slight waver in my voice. Technically not a lie yet.

"Awww, why? Are you sick?" Andi asked. I winced. No way I'd be able to tell the truth now. I wasn't even sure what I'd seen was the truth. The more time I spent away from that park, the less real it seemed.

"Yep. Just came down with something. Sorry I didn't call earlier," I said, trying to sound unsuspicious. 

"Oh! That's okay. I hope you feel better," she said. She didn't suspect anything. I felt miserable.

"Yup! I'll be back to school tomorrow," I said. 

"Good! That's good," Andi said.

We were quiet.

It may be strange, but that's how most of our conversations went. She started out enthusiastic, I responded, her energy went down, I responded, she stopped, I stopped. Then, I said bye, and she went to hang out with her real friends. Some best friend I was.

"Well...you'd better get to class, huh?" I said, after a few minutes.

"Yep! See ya!" Andi said brightly. She hung up. 

I sat there for a little while, the phone still against my ear. My friend situation had never been fantastic. What with homework and jobs, my after school schedule was completely full. No time for proper bonding with people at school. The friends I did manage to make were mostly just distractions, there to talk to if I didn't feel like being totally alone.

It never really bothered me. When she wasn't out or drunk, my mom was okay company, and I had books, Netflix, YouTube. I entertained myself just fine.

But right then, I felt strangely lonely. Sure, Andi sounded concerned, but she hadn't even called to check on me. If I hadn't called, she probably wouldn't even notice my absence. I couldn't think of a single person who would.

I dropped the phone. I needed company. 

I swung my legs out of bed, then walked the 3 foot distance between my bed and the door.

I put my hand on the doorknob.

And suddenly, I was reminded of the last doorknob I'd touched. And what happened afterwards.

My hand started shaking. I grabbed it, then took a deep breath. I'd gotten away. I was completely safe. I told myself that, over and over, though somehow I didn't believe it. I didn't want to open that door.

But I had to. To prove that I was safe. With unsteady fingers, I turned the knob to find...

Nothing.

Well, nothing out of the ordinary. My mom was at the kitchen counter a few feet ahead of me, playing a game on her phone. I looked to my right, down the hallway leading to her room. Her door was open, but no one was inside. I looked the other way. No one by the front door either. I didn't quite feel relieved, but I was okay for the time being.

"Blythe? What are you doing?" I jumped. I hadn't realized Mom had looked up. I'd need to pay more attention.

"Nothing. I guess I just wanted a change of scenery," I said. I didn't want to tell her about my sudden loneliness, or my fear of...the creature from earlier.

Her gaze didn't leave me. Her eyes narrowed slightly, glancing me up and down. Like she could detect the lie somewhere on my body. After a moment, she nodded and turned back to her game, satisfied.

"You know," she said, "if you're bored we could always go to that park right out there."

An intense wave of fear, disgust, and just general NO washed over me. It was all I could do to keep from screaming. 

"No! Thank you! I went this morning." Oops. I hadn't meant to let that much slip. Maybe she just wouldn't notice.

But sober Mom, even with the lingering effects of yesterday's alcohol, was sharper than I anticipated. 

"This morning? Interesting. What were you doing at the park so early?" She asked, suspicious eyes trained on me again. I stared back at her, trying to make my eyes a little bigger. 

"I wanted to relax a bit after what I saw this morning." I said, fighting the instinct to look away from her. It wasn't even a lie, technically. Plus, I hoped addressing her little stunt this morning would make her feel guilty enough to drop it. Dirty tactic, maybe.

 "And you were in this park for, what? An hour?" Mom asked, completely unfazed.

"Yep! I just sat there. For an hour." I winced, then tried to cover it by rubbing my eye. My lie sounded awful, even to me. 

Mom got up from her seat. She walked towards me. 

"Blythe? Can you tell me what happened in the park?" She didn't sound angry or threatening. She just sounded...concerned. Genuinely worried about me. A rotten trick to make me want to tell her everything. And damn it, it totally worked.

But I couldn't tell her. Because telling her would make it real. I was growing more and more sure that what I'd witnessed hadn't been real at all.

"Seriously. It's nothing. I'm okay, Mom," I said. 

She didn't believe me. I didn't believe me either.

"Blythe...are you involved in anything....risky? Like drugs or gangs or...or alcohol?" 

I laughed despite myself. "I wish it was something that ordinary," I muttered to myself. 

Or I thought I did. Mom's eyes widened as she took in my words. Oopsie.

"Unordinary? Like...supernatural?" She asked, staring me right in the face. 

It was unnerving. It made me think she knew something. But that was impossible.

"What? No! You know I don't believe in that stuff," I said. It was true. I didn't want to believe in anything that couldn't be real, not even after what I'd seen.

"Right. Right, I know. You get some rest, okay?" Mom asked. She looked...oddly scared. Vulnerable. I nodded. 

I went back in my room.