IT FOLLOWS

Here I am about to start my brand-new life and I couldn’t be more terrified. It all started when my parents got killed in a car accident over six months now. I was acting selfish, there was this big storm on the road, and I kept bugging my twin sister Justina about my blouse that she was wearing, after constantly hearing my mother telling us to stop bickering. The car lost control and started to spin as if it had no means to stop, then suddenly everything went numb and unseen, and I woke up in the hospital learning that my parents didn’t survive, and my sister was in a coma.

With no other family who didn’t want the responsibility to care for us, I had to move to England to live with my god mother Herma. I didn’t know my godmother very well because her visits were always short, but there were some untold stories about her being married four times, and her husbands all dying of mysterious deaths, but to Justina and me, those were just bedtime stories told by our older cousin whenever he visited when we were younger. When herma arrived, she was accompanied with the most comforting smile on her face that led me to believe that Justina and I would be taken care of. After getting her famous cheek pinches that I use to feel once every two years, we had a brief heartfelt conversation then headed to the airport, and before I knew it, I was in England.

It was my first time here; how beautiful it is, I said to myself as I was enriched with accents and the cool air that surrounded me. Herma introduced me to her main driver George and then my sister was then placed into a hospital just a few miles from the house and I was somewhat at ease until I found out that I had to go to school the next day. After only living in Wyoming all my life and only travelled overseas when I was a baby, I was a bit excited for the change, then tears started gushing down my cheeks as I remembered all the events that led to this moment. A while later, I arrived at my godmother’s home, her house was like a mansion with lots of open spaces and windows. I then met her family, her husband Joe, and her stepdaughter Madison. After getting settled, we sat around the dining table and ate dinner quite formal which was new for me since my family never ate together. I was uncomfortable and so were my eyes after not knowing which direction to look and finally resting them on my soup after seeing everyone’s stillness as they ate.

After dinner, Madison gave me a quick tour of the house then showed me to my room. The house seemed to have about twenty rooms, so it was easy to get lost, but I felt adventurous, so I decided to explore the rest of the house on my own. after walking from halls to halls I heard a soothing distant sound coming from outside, I was a bit unwilling to go see where the sound was coming from because it was only my first day here and I was jetlagged, but my feet felt like it was in a trance as I slowly walked towards it. Suddenly, I found myself deep in the woods behind the house. As the music got closer and closer, I then saw someone sitting on a log playing a violin. I couldn’t see his face, so I got a little further and I stepped on a branch then instantly the music stopped, and the silence was then accompanied with a voice asking who was there but before words left my mouth, he took up his things and ran.

I quickly ran after him still trying to catch a glimpse of his face then I tripped and tumbled down a hill and SPLASH, I fell into a freezing lake, while trying to catch my breathe. In great shock of how cold the water was, I quickly leaped out and began to wring my hair while limping slowly as I tried to find my way back to the house and luckily, the mansion was massive, so at that moment, it wasn’t hard to find. As I reached inside, I limped as fast as I could so no one would see me, and after much confusion to find my room, there he was by my door playing the same song from the woods. He then stopped and looked straight at me almost like he could see through me with his piercing grey eyes. “I’m Edward, herma’s stepson, but everyone calls me Lin” he said as he reached to shake my hand, “hi my name is Justine” I replied shakily as his grip was quite strong then continued, “Why does everyone call you Lin, Is that your middle name?” “No, it’s short for violin and they say I’m always holding one.” He responded as he gripped his instrument tighter.

I then stared with a hint of curiosity as I tried to study him as he stood there poised with a touch of danger, then I looked at his fingers as they quietly grazed his violin, then said “you play beautifully, so why did you run from me in the woods? “I didn’t run” he replied with a giggle, “I just left because I heard a noise, and you could have said something.” “I would of if you gave me the chance.” I blurted with a displeasing look on my face, “what were you doing there anyway? “I was exploring, and I got lost”, he paused for a few seconds while staring intensely at my right arm then whispered, “stay out of the woods, it’s not SAFE.” I chuckled then asked, “if the woods are so dangerous, then why were you playing there?” The conversation left me even more curious as he quickly walked away, leaving me puzzled as he refused to explain what he meant, while avoiding my last question entirely.

On my way to school the next morning I asked the driver to stop by the hospital so I can visit my sister, he seemed a bit reluctant at first, but then took me to the hospital. after what seemed like hours of waiting, I was told that my sister was not a patient there and that I was misinformed. I was confused, so I tried calling Herma but got her voicemail, I then decided to wait until I got home to find out what was going on. At school I was invisible, no one bothered to notice as the teacher introduced me, except a red hair girl who stared at me as if I stole her young, but I didn’t care because all I could think about was Justina, and as I continuously watched the clock, time winked at me as it sprinted by and before I could wink back school was over.

Trying to rush so I could be on my way, I bumped into a squeaky voice with red hair apologizing for being clumsy. “I’m so sorry, my name is belle, and you are?” she uttered as she too gazed intensely at my right arm, “it’s a birth mark.” I blurted as I looked at her from head to toe. “My name is Justine, please to meet you.” I hurriedly shook her hand then swiftly ran to my driver before she could get another word out. It seemed quite rude but all I could think of was my sister, so as I arrived home, I impatiently waited for my god mother to appear with answers glued to her face. When she finally arrived, I ran straight to her demanding her attention as I rambled about what was said at the hospital, but she quickly cut me off as she explained that she had moved Justina to a private clinic in London so that she would get better care. “So, when can I see her” I said with relief, “it won’t be for now I’m afraid,” Herma uttered as she pretended to be distracted. I had so many questions in mind, but something taped my mouth shut as it led me to walk away and as I slowly walked to my room, I could sense that there was something strange about my godmother.

As awkward as supper still was, I pretended to be sick so that I could head back to my room. As I sat by my window, I stumbled across the words that was said by Edward about the woods not being safe. I was then left with eight lives as curiosity led me to sneak off into the woods behind the house. I prowled through the woods with eyes all around me without a clue of where I was going or what I was looking for, then I found myself at the same spot I saw Edward. I knew it was because I could picture him sitting on the log playing while my ears danced with praise and my feet followed soon thereafter. It felt like a fairytale as I looked around and saw gorgeous trees sitting in all directions as birds chirped while butterflies danced around the blooming flowers.

As I closed my eyes and danced while feeling the breath of the grass as it touched my feet, my ears started to bleed to a screeching sound blowing in the trees, I quickly opened my eyes and there it was standing behind me, I couldn’t see it, but I could feel the heat of its breath on my hair. I slowly turned around hoping that I would see the sun kissing a rainbow, but there was nothing in sight. I was a bit confused until I realized that my breath was accompanied with another highly above mine, suddenly this thing appeared with discerning charcoal eyes and pale red skin almost peeled like it was bare flesh with sharp teeth and even sharper claws, I somehow remained still and couldn’t move as if it had freezing powers.

It then opened its mouth like it was about to devour a prey with the same screeching sound, and then I started to feel my body being sucked dry as if someone stuck a straw inside my neck. My body grew weaker, and everything became blurry while I stared death in the face and as soon as I saw the light, I heard the beautiful alluring sound of Edwards violin. I wondered if it was playing in my mind as it got louder then instantly, the creature started to hold its head as it yelled out like it was in pain. I began to feel my feet as I watched it fall to the ground, then I ran as fast as I could while praying that this was a dream. As I ran, it felt like hours as I constantly looked back hoping that it wasn’t following me, I finally exhaled as I saw the back gate to the house, I dashed through the gate as if I could walk through walls gasping for air as I hurriedly tried to open the back door. I desperately tried to open the latch, but it was like a puzzle and my eyes started to bleed as I heard the screeching sound getting louder, then in a blink of an eye, everything went black.