Just Tell Me It Was Real

I know you’re not going to believe me, but I’ve decided that I don’t care at this point. I need to get this out. Whether you believe me or not, this has to get out.

It started a few months ago. I was in my kitchen doing the dishes when I first saw it. There’s a window directly in front of the sink, so it wasn’t like I was bending backwards to see out the dining room window. I just saw a flash of movement. That was it. A shadow bounding over the fence that goes from my yard into my neighbors. It didn’t freak me out. It was a normal thing. So I just went about my business and continued washing the dishes.

After doing up the few dishes in the kitchen, I decided I would go to bed for the night. It was rather late and I had to work in the morning. So I folded the dish cloth and put it over the faucet on the sink and slunk off to bed. While going up the stairs, I realized something was a little odd. You see, I have a dog. He normally sleeps outside, although I had tried several times to make him an inside dog, he simply wouldn’t go for it. And he absolutely hates cats, so he’s constantly barking and nothing I do can get him to shut up. But I realized he wasn’t barking at all.

I shrugged it off and decided the neighbors probably got rid of their cat and with that thought I headed off to bed. The next morning, I had gotten up and taken a shower as was the usual routine, and after making coffee and and breakfast I noticed that Grover, my dog, wasn’t making a noise at all. I walked outside to check on him and immediately wished that I hadn’t.

Near Grover’s dog house, was his body. You would have thought he was sleeping by the way he was positioned, aside from the blood smeared over his light brown coat. Lying on the back porch were Grover’s internal organs, every one of them. His blood was covering the dirt surrounding his dog house and on the fence opposite it. I let out a scream, ran back into the house, and called the police. When they got to my house, I pointed them to the backyard. After doing an inspection of the backyard, they came in with quizzical looks on their faces.

They told me that I shouldn’t call them unless it was an emergency. I asked them what they meant and they told me that my dog was fine. That his blood wasn’t all over my backyard and his organs weren’t piled up on my porch. They told me not to call again unless it was an actual emergency and left. I was a little shocked to say nonetheless and went out back to see my dog, completely fine laying in his green and beige dog house.

That was only the first disturbance. The next occurrence of the strange shadow was a few weeks after that.

I had just got home from work and had thought nothing about the disturbance since it had happened. I set my keys down on the table, like I always did, and made my way to my bedroom upstairs. I was going to change out of my uniform and into some comfortable jeans, when I noticed the strange smell coming from the bathroom, which is located right across from my bedroom. I sniffed the air once more, trying to make sure I wasn’t just imagining it, but whiffed in a burst of putrid, foul-smelling air instead. I blanched and tried to keep my lunch down. The smell alone could make you vomit.

I inched closer to the bathroom and peeked my head in. The smell was intensified immediately. I clapped my hand over my mouth and used the other hand to turn on the bathroom light. With the light on I could clearly detect what was causing the putrid smell. In the bathtub, a dead carcass of what appeared to be an animal was decaying and flies had swarmed over it. Blood filled the sink and written on the mirror were the words “Is it real?”.

I stumbled out of the bathroom, down the stairs , and outside where I emptied my stomach of that days meals. After composing myself, I cautiously stepped back inside and went back up the stairs. I stood on the landing and inhaled. I was met with the smell of my Fa-breeze air wick candles. Just what the hell was going on? I checked the bathroom and it was just as I had left it that morning.

The final occurrence happened two days ago. With the thought of the last two disturbances out of my head, my life had gone back normal. My dog was just as happy as could be and I had been promoted. But that had to come to an end. Oh yes.

It was Saturday morning and Grover was sitting with me on my couch watching cartoons, a normal thing for us, when suddenly I hear this faint scratching at the door. I got up to check it and when I peered outside, Grover came bounding up the steps and waltzed in the door. I was clearly confused, because Grover had just been sitting with me watching TV. I shut the door and when I turned around, I was met with the shadow. He had been masquerading as Grover all morning long and had finally decided to make an appearance.

He stared at me, or I presumed he did anyway. The shadow didn’t have a face, it was just a figure. I held in my scream and slowly slid around him, when he touched me. I shivered at the connection, but then my vision blackened out. And here I am now. I don’t know where I am. I can hear sounds, but I can’t figure out what they are.

Just tell me it’s real. Tell me I’m not crazy. Tell me that it’s just a dream and I’ll wake up soon. I can feel something pressing into my eyes. I’m not sure if I should scream or not. Maybe this is all a dream.