Dr. Creepen's Dungeon - S5 Ep229: Episode 229: Terrifying Relationship Horror Stories

Episode Date: March 25, 2025

We open tonight’s podcast with ‘There’s Something Wrong with my Fiancé,’ an original story by The Life of Nikki, kindly shared with us at NoSleep and narrated with the author’s kind permission:  https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/8515hj/something_is_wrong_with_my_fiancee_part_1/ Our closing tale of terror is ‘There is Something very Strange Going on with my Wife,’ an original story by Dark Hawkz, kindly shared with us at NoSleep and narrated with the author’s kind permission:  https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/337lqx/there_is_something_very_strange_going_on_with_my/

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BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. Welcome to Dr. Creepin's Dungeon. Bad relationship stories are terrifying because they expose the raw vulnerability of human connection, revealing how trust can be manipulated, love twisted, and loyalty shattered. These stories tap into our deepest fears, the fear of betrayal of being trapped in a toxic dynamic, or losing ourselves to someone who is not who they seem. They remind us that even the people we think we know the best can harbor darkness, and that the worst kind of horror is the one that's hidden behind closed doors

waiting to unravel everything we thought was real, as we shall see in tonight's two feature-length stories. Now as ever before, we begin, a word of caution. Tonight's tales may contain strong language as well as descriptions of violence and horrific imagery. That sounds like your kind of thing. Then let's begin. Friday, March 16th, 2018. Something really weird is going on.

and I don't know what to do. I've created this Reddit account to document my story. I doubt anyone can really help, but, God forbid, something happens to me. I at least want a record of what went down. There's no gentle way to open this up, so let's just dive on in. My name is Nikki. I'm 23 and engaged to a wonderful man named Mark. We live together in a small apartment on the top floor of

an old house in a small town in mid-Illinois. Overall, we have a happy relationship, however, lately the stress of work and wedding planning have begun to get the better of us, and we've been bickering. Nothing relationship ending, but bickering nonetheless. Last Friday night, we got into a pretty heated argument regarding the budget for the wedding and money in general. Still, a little he had to leave for his overnight security shift at the hospital. He gave me a kiss and suggested I'd take a bath before bed and told me we would look at the budget together tomorrow night as he was off of work for a weekend.

Saturday I had to work a double shift at a local bar. I picked up this job to help pay for the wedding. It's just a few nights a week but every penny helps. Mark hadn't yet returned home when I left for work at 11 a.m., which was unlike him, but I figured he was just taking some time to cool down, and we'll be back shortly. I left him a note on the counter saying that I loved him and that I would be back later tonight. Work was fairly uneventful, until I went out for a smoke break around 5pm. I had several missed calls from Mark, and one voicemail that was just a bunch of garbled noises.

I tried calling him back, but it went straight to voicemail. A moment later, I received a text from him. It read, Something has come up. I'll explain later. I love you. I returned home at around 10pm. Mark's car wasn't there.

Inside, the house was slightly torn up. It was apparent that someone had been there and had been looking for something. But it didn't look like we'd been robbed. In the kitchen, I love you too, was scribbled on the bottom of my nose. note in Mark's handwriting. In the bedroom his gym bag and some clothes were gone. Obviously he'd gone

somewhere for the night. I tried not to be too upset, so I just had a glass of wine, picked up the mess he'd left, and went to bed. Mark didn't return all day Sunday. Every time I tried to call, it went straight to voicemail. I received a text finally around 9 p.m. saying that a shift to become available at the hospital and that he was taking it. Sunday shifts come with a nice pay bump, and he knew we needed the money. Again, he told me he loved me, that he would see me tomorrow.

Monday, I'd taken the day off from my regular job at the dog boarding facility in town. Mark and I were supposed to go for a cake tasting in the afternoon before I had to bartend at night, so I took the morning to sleep in. Around 9.30 a.m. I jolted awake when the bed shifted under the weight of a human body. Mark was quietly climbing into bed next to me.

Hey, I croaked out groggily. Where have you been? He slipped an arm around me and kissed me on the forehead. Bringing home the bacon was his only response. I started the coffee brewing. What would you like for breakfast? After he left the room to start cooking, I woke up enough to process the situation.

Mark doesn't cook ever. It's not that he can't cook, he just tends to burn everything he doesn't over salt. He must feel really bad about being gone all weekend. Or he fucked up bad. I wasn't sure I wanted to know which it was. The rest of the day went smoothly. The rest of the week actually went smoothly,

uneventfully. We went cake tasting. We met with the florist. Mark painted the bathroom Everything was pleasant Nice Really nice actually Until yesterday

Thursday afternoon I was at the boarding facility filling water bolts for the docks Getting ready to start wrapping up my shift I had to go straight to the bar after I was done here And wasn't going to have time to stop home There was a knock on the door and in walks Mark.

Immediately, the dogs all went crazy. Barking, howling, growling, pouring at their cages, all of them. Strange. Mark is great with dogs. Dogs usually love him. We retreated to the lobby to talking quiet. I just wanted to bring you a snack,

since you weren't going to make it home for dinner tonight. He said with a grin. His sleeve rolled up as he handed me the bag he'd brought, and I noticed a pretty nasty spot on his arm. It looked like a burn or a scab or something. Hey, what did you do to your arm? I asked, concerned. He jerked his arm back and quickly pulled down his sleeve, muttering some half-ass excuse about burning it on the stove

before excusing himself and heading back out the front door. He didn't kiss me goodbye. Later that night, I went out for a smoke break at the bar. I tried calling Mark, but it went straight to voicemail. He texted me saying that he was on the phone with his mother and couldn't talk now. And then my phone rang. An unknown number. Here's the conversation that followed.

Hello? Can I speak with Nikki? This is she? Ma'am. My name is Detective Smith. I'm calling in regards. to your fiancée, Mark. Is he there with you now?

No, he's not. Why? What's going on? Ma'am, when was the last time you saw Mark? Earlier today, he brought me food at work. Why? Are you sure? Of course I'm sure.

What is this about? All right, ma'am, thank you. We'll be in touch if we need anything further. and then he hung up. The call bothered me through the rest of my shift. Something just didn't seem right. I mean, I know the police have to be careful what they say in regards to open investigations.

What investigation could they be doing involving Mark? I vowed to call that detective back and get some answers. But by the time I got out of work, it was nearly 2 a.m., and I was tired. I just went home and crawled in bed next to Mark, deciding it would be easier to deal with in the morning, with a clear head. The owner of the kennel had given me the day off work anyway. And that brings me to today, when I finally realised that something isn't right. I woke up this morning around 10 a.m. Mark was gone. He left a note for me saying he was going to the gym and we'd be back later.

Does that man ever sleep? I took the opportunity to call Detective Smith Mac. The phone just rang and rang. I gave up and called the local police department directly. They informed me, quite confused, that they didn't have a Detective Smith on the force. Then Mark's mom called me. She asked me how I was, how work was,

and how the wedding planning was, and how Mark was. She said she hadn't heard from him all week and that she was getting worried. But Mark had told me he was on the phone with his mum when I called last night. I told her I'd tell him to call her and then retreated to my bedroom. I packed a small overnight bag with just the essentials, a few changes of clothes, laptop, charges, toiletries and so on, and deposit it in the kitchen.

Then, in a moment of what I can only do. describe as blind, thoughtless action. I returned to my bedroom and packed a second suitcase with some extra clothes, my important documents, or anything I thought might be important. I stashed that bag in the trunk of my car out of sight. Then I sat in the kitchen and waited. Mark returned around noon with a smile. He asked if I had any plans for the day. This was the moment of truth. Remember, babe, I'm going with Kelly this weekend to check out that resort for my bachelor's party.

Of course, Mark replied. How could I forget? You'll be back Sunday. Yeah, probably late, I replied with a smile. I gave him a kiss and headed out the door. I'd lied, and it had just proven my fears. Something is wrong with my fiancé. I have no plans with my sister

My bachelorette party has been planned for months My mark knows that I called my sister Kelly in the car and told her to meet me at the hotel a few towns over I told her that something was wrong That I would explain everything in person She booked the room using her husband's card So that no one could find us

We've gone over the whole story of the last week inside out and she agrees that something doesn't sound right. This doesn't sound like Mark. Well, I'm sitting here typing this out to you, kind folks, while she runs to pick up some food and supplies. Tomorrow we're going to call the police station to follow up on this Detective Smith call I received and see if they can help me at all.

And from there, well, I guess we'll see. Wish me luck. Saturday, March 17th. 2018. Well, I'm still alive. Kelly and I are no longer at the hotel. We decided moving locations might be best, just in case, especially after the events of today. We're staying at a cabin in another nearby town for tonight. I left my car at her house again, just in case. Mark doesn't know what kind of car she drives, seeing as she's just bought a new one. This morning, Mark called me to see how things were going. He said he was going in for a meeting with his boss in a few

hours, and then he might be going up north to Chicago for training next week. If he gets the promotion he's being considered for, that is. I wished him luck and told him that I loved him. Then we took off for the police station. By the time we got into town, Mark would have been in his meeting. At the station, things got, well, odd. At first they gave him. At first they gave me the same runaround as they did when I called yesterday. They told me again that they had no Detective Smith on the force. They told me they couldn't release any information about open investigations, even if they were investigating Mark. They told me that they could, however, assure me that Mark was not under any investigation at this time. When I showed them the phone number

that had called me, things took a turn. They started taking me a little more seriously. They did a system search on the number to ease my mind And then Kelly and I were quickly ushered into an office Where we were introduced to Detective Jones Detective Jones informed us that the number that had called me belonged to a detective Ian Smith From a county about two hours north of here He'd been passing through town on his way to visit family in Kentucky last Thursday And that, well

He had never arrived at his destination The last contact with his wife had been that he was stopping here for the night and that he would call her in the morning. Hotel staff reports seeing him leaving his hotel early Friday morning, apparently for a job, and never return. Detective Jones is investigating the disappearance. He asked me a lot of questions about the conversation I had had with Detective Smith, or whoever had called me off of his phone. He asked if I knew Ian Smith or if I had ever been to his hometown. He asked me if Mark knew him or had ever mentioned anyone by that name. Where Mark was originally from, well, things of that sort.

Of course I told him no. I have no idea who this man is or how he got my phone number for that matter. He gave me his card and told me to call him if anything else happened. Mark called me to say that he got the promotion and that he would be leaving me. Monday morning for a week of training in Chicago. I congratulated him and told him I'd try to come back earlier tomorrow so I could see him before he left. He said to enjoy my time with my sister and then hung up to begin packing and prepping for

his trip. Kelly and I settled in with a large glass of wine to try and process through what was happening and decide what to do next. And then the phone rang. it was Detective Smith The conversation went like this Hello Can I speak with Nikki

Who is this? How did you get this number? Ma'am, my name is Detective Smith I'm calling in regards to your fiancé Mark Is he there with you now? What is this in regards to? Ma'am, when was the... last time you saw Mark. I would like to know what this is in regards to so I can contact a lawyer before I speak with the police.

Are you sure? If this is a prank, it really isn't funny. Tell Mark, Chicago is a beautiful city. Good night, ma'am. And then he hung up. It's not lost on me that this was almost the exact conversation, verbatim as the other night. He asked the same questions in the same order, no matter what response I gained. The last thing he said, though, it chilled me to the core.

He knew about Mark's trip to Chicago. Does that mean he's watching him? Watching me? Stalking us? Does he have our phones tapped? And how the hell is he using Detective Smith's phone number? My fear must have been ridden all over my face, because Kelly was already dialing Detective Jones by the time Smith hung up on me. He said that he would be here soon to discuss the situation in detail with us.

I voiced my fear of phone tapping, and he said just to sit tight, and that he would call a buddy over at the department in this town to send an officer over in the meantime. It was a small comfort, but not much. Detective Jones left shortly before I'd sat down to tell. type this. We'll have an undercover office station nearby all night. Just in case this asshole really is stalking. Detective Jones said to keep in contact with him. No detail is too small. We'll get to the bottom of this together. The usual cop speech you always see in movies and on the TV. Apparently, I am now involved in a missing person's case and I drag my sister into it as As afraid as I am right now, I know that this probably means I'm a suspect. I have no idea where to go from here.

My investigation options are running out. Provided nothing else happens tonight, I'll be going home tomorrow afternoon. I hope Detective Jones gets to the bottom of this soon. At least Mark will be out of town for a week. I love my fiancé, but, well, I don't trust him right now. something just isn't right and now I've wasted two days chasing down the phone number of a missing man who I don't know calling me about my fiancee what does Mark have to do with any of this what do I have to do with any of this nothing makes sense I just want my life back Also, I want to apologise for the lack of detail regarding town names and exact locations.

While I'm posting this to make sure everything is documented, I don't want anyone being able to track Mark or me down. And after everything that's come to light so far, I feel it's best to keep it that way. I don't want to interfere with Detective Jones's investigation either. Please just bear with me here. life has very quickly become far more complicated and frightening than I ever dreamed it could be. I just hope tomorrow brings better answers. Sunday, March 18th, 2018.

Well, Reddit, today did not in fact bring answers. It brought the exact opposite. A whole lot more questions. Kelly and I had a fairly restless night last night. We were informed that there would be an obvious station. nearby to keep watch but we never actually met him we never actually saw him I wanted to trust that he was there and that he would keep us safe it's very difficult to ever feel safe when you know someone is out there keeping tabs on you and your loved ones this morning

we reverted back to base level girl sleuthing yep the internet we did a search for detective Ian Smith Ian Smith disappearance detective Ian Smith missing Illinois and came up with a big fat nothing there was one article from his hometown proclaiming him missing praising his police work and asking anyone with information to come forward and contact the police there wasn't even a photograph no social media accounts that we could find it's like this man is a ghost i got home at five o'clock this afternoon mark was very happy both to see me before he left and for the opportunity

he is pursuing the apartment had been cleaned grocery shopping for the week had been done carryout was on the way it was nice I took a quick shower before the food got there when I got out Mark had set the living room coffee table

with candles and wine had my favourite show queued up to watch it was like he was himself again my Mark By the end of the meal I started to think maybe I was overreacting to this whole situation Maybe Mark wasn't being all that weird after all We're both really stressed right now

Stress can do weird things to a person I began thinking that maybe It was time I filled him in on what had been happening About the phone calls and the missing man who owns the phone number I decided I would tell him as soon as he got out of the bathroom as he'd gone to shower himself. I went into the bedroom to get ready for bed. I got the bright idea to sneak a pair of my panties into Mark's luggage,

as a little surprise to make him smile when he got to the hotel. I know. Who does that? Well, I do, folks. I'm that weird girlfriend. But, regardless, I wound up not doing it after all. Because when I opened the little inside pouch on his suitcase to hide them, I found something. A dagger. It was about as long as my forearm, thin, sharp, with a really ornate handle.

I've never seen anything like it before in my life. There was something engraved on the blade, but it was in another language that I didn't recognize. It was beautiful, but terrifying. For one, there's the fact that I've been with this man for five years. I've never seen anything like this in his possession before. It looked like something out of a movie, and I wondered briefly if it was in fact a movie prop. But why would he be taking it with him to Chicago?

And more to the point. The second thing, the thing that really terrified me, was the feeling it gave me. As soon as I touched it, I felt this horrible sense of foreboding. It was like this darkness, like something watching me right over my shoulder. I quickly put it back where I found it, and went back out to the living room to wait. I decided not to fill Mark in after all.

A little while later, while we were back to watching TV, I missed a call from Detective Jones. I excused myself to go outside and smoke. While I was outside, I called him back. He told me that Detective Smith's cell phone wallet and car keys had been recovered earlier this morning, along the riverbank running through town. He said the cell phone was so water damaged, there wasn't a prayer of getting that bad boy to turn back on any time soon. I thanked him for the update and headed back inside. At least tonight I can sleep, knowing I won't be getting any more stalker calls from the mysterious Detective Smith or whoever had his phone. So, why am I not sleeping, you ask?

Mark is sound asleep, fully packed and ready to drive north in the morning. I tried to go to bed with him, but I just couldn't. I can't seem to shake this feeling, the feeling of being watched, like someone is right over my shoulder. And that dagger, what could he possibly need with something like that? No, something weird is definitely going on. And now I'll have the whole week alone to try and figure it out. I just wish I knew where to go from here.

Good night, Reddit. Sweet dreams. Tuesday, March 20th, 2018. I apologize for the delay in updating guys. But I assure you I'm not dead. Not yet, at least. A lot has happened in the past few days. I can't tell if we're getting closer to answers or further away

But I know we are heading somewhere Mark left bright and early yesterday morning With the promise of calling me as soon as you got there By all accounts I had a pretty uneventful day for the most part I went to work at the kennel I went home for a fast shower I went to the bar for my night shift And then things got a little weird

early on in my shift, a creepy-looking man strolled into the bar. I'm always on high alert with customers, especially after some of the horror stories I've read about crazy customers attacking their servers in a fit of rage. We were pretty busy with a dinner rush, though, so I lost track of him after the hostess escorted him into the main dining room. This was probably around 5.30 or so. Around nine, I see the same man come back into the bar.

This time sitting up at one of the Thai top bar tables way back in the corner, all alone. At this point I again lose track of him, as I'm working on liquor restocking, which required me to go down to the basement liquor storage multiple times. When I'd finally finished with all that, I glanced back at his table to see that he's gone. But an empty glass and some money sits on the table, so at least I know I didn't imagine him being there. Finally, around 11. I go outside to smoke while I wait for the manager to be ready to count my drawer and set me home.

I see a lighter spark out of the corner of my eye, and turn to find that this same creepy man is lighting a cigar and leaning against a very nice yet old car, parked in the part of the lot that the lights don't reach. It looked like a 50s Cadillac of some sort. I finished my cigarette quickly and hurried back inside. I made one of the busboys walk me out to my car when I left just to be safe, but the man had gone. I realised when I got home around midnight, but I still hadn't heard from Marr.

I tried calling him, and it went straight to voicemail. After making sure the volume was all the way up, in case he called, I went to bed. It was a very restless night. Every time I started to doze off, I would be awoken by strange noises all around the apartment. Tapping at the windows, like pebbles being tossed. What sounded like footsteps, but above me, which would mean someone was on the roof in the middle of the night. An eerie, gentle knocking at the front door. Of course, no one was there when I looked through the peephole. Around the apartment, but never in the apartment. Today I was off work in the

morning, so I slept in as much as I could. When I finally dragged myself out of bed around noon, I still hadn't heard from Mark. I tried calling again, but again, he went straight to voice me. I went down to check the mail, and I noticed the same car from last night parked a little down the block. I wasn't sure as I walked to the mailboxes, but, after a good, long look at the car, The driver's door opened and the man from the bar gracefully stepped out. Did this creep really follow me home last night? Had he been the one making all the noise around my apartment all night? Was this the mysterious detective Smith?

I rushed back inside and locked the door. I called Detective Jones, hysterical, and choked out the story about this man between shaking sobs. He told me he would be over as soon as possible and to lock all the door. and windows in the meantime. Stay away from the windows, so I couldn't be seen, and that he would call me when he arrived, so I knew it was safe. When he got there, he informed me there was an officer searching the area for the car I'd described. He asked me a lot about the man. I described him as best I could, but, truth be told, I hadn't got a good look at him. All I knew was that he was driving a black Cadill de Ville Coupe.

I'm no car expert, but Mark is, and I got a much better look at the car in the daylight. And that's a classic. Also one of Mark's favourites, his dream car. The officer returned to report that no such car would be found in the immediately surrounding area, but they would be keeping an eye out for it. Jones thanked the officer and sent him on his way. But Jones himself did not leave. He asked me very sincerely if we could talk for a few minutes, off the police record.

I said, of course. He told me that, beyond the phone and wallet being found, there have been no new leads turned up on Smith's disappearance. He said that it appears they'd simply been thrown off the side of the road into the water and carried downstream, and that he's not as optimistic as some about finding a body washed up somewhere further downstream. Then he asked me the weirdest question. What do you think is going on, Nicky?

I told him the truth that I had absolutely no idea. I'd never heard of an Ian Smith a week ago and now suddenly I'm involved in his disappearance. Or at least, I was until his cell phone was recovered. I told him that it was all very confusing and overwhelming. me. Then he asked me an even harder question. What do you think all this has to do with Mark? I almost answered with the same, I don't know, that I've been using for every question this man asked

me. But then I thought a little bit harder. I told him that, if I had to hazard a guess, I'd have to say that Mark and Ian Smith probably knew each other, or at least had known each other at one point. I told him that if they had known each other, Mark had never mentioned it. But if Mark had never mentioned him, they must not have been friends, or at least not close. But that still didn't explain why he was calling me. Detective Jones smiled a strange, sad-looking smile, and told me to be careful and to call him if anything else happened. Mark's mom called me while I was getting ready for work. Surprisingly, she didn't ask about Mark, which was nice because I don't know what I would

have told her if she'd asked when I'd last heard from him. I wouldn't have wanted to tell her the truth and worry her. But I couldn't lie to this woman who was welcomed me into her family like one of her own children. No, she just asked how I was feeling, how work was going, basic small talk. Then, right before she hung up, she said something that threw me off. She said, You know, it's funny that Mark went to Chicago for training. That's where he's originally from.

I knew that Mark had been adopted as a young child, but I'd never pride for details. Still, I didn't understand why this was funny, or why she sounded kind of set about it. So, I asked. Really? That's interesting. He never mentioned that. Why is that funny, though? She sighed and paused for a moment before saying,

Sometimes situations like this leave some lasting memories. He wasn't a baby when we got him. I don't know how much he actually remembers, but Chicago was not good for him. She quickly changed the subject after that. We hung up shortly thereafter. So strange. I wish I had more to tell you, but I'm running late for work as it is.

I'll let you all know if anything else happens. I just want one calm night to try and get my head on straight. Wednesday, March 21st, 2018. Well, so much for a calm night. I guess I'll pick up right where I left off yesterday. Work was a nightmare. Have you ever worked in a bar or restaurant? You'll know how it is when things go from absolutely dead to swamp in a matter of minutes.

Tensions run high. Everyone is sprinting around trying to do ten things at once. So, when my manager, Anna, strode up to the bar around 9pm, neither she nor Detective Jones at her side were welcome sights. Anna told me that she would be clocking me out manually, that she would be finishing up all the tabs I had opened for right now. and that she would wrap my tips up for me to pick up tomorrow. But that right now, I had to leave.

I asked why, fearing I'd just been fired or worse, that I was under arrest. But Detective Jones told me he would explain everything in the car. But there was something that I needed to see. The next two hours are a blur to me. Detective Jones explained in private that some teenagers had been messing around in the woods earlier in the evening. and that they had stumbled upon a dead body. The body was burned, almost beyond recognition. Facial features were not discernible, but the body was intact.

I asked what this had to do with me, and he got really quiet. After a moment he said that, upon police investigation, they had found several personal items in the pockets of the victim's clothing. among them were a credit card in Mark's name and a wallet-sized copy of our engagement photo Detective Jones told me that they think the body might belong to Mark I immediately started crying

he asked when the last time I'd heard from Mark was when I told him the truth that I hadn't been able to reach him since he'd left for Chicago on Monday morning as we pulled up to the station he told me that unfortunately he needed me to attempt to ID the body. The morgue was not nearly as morbid as I had imagined it would be.

It felt rather like a doctor's office, except for the cooler drawers lining the wall. When they pulled back the sheet, I damn near vomited. The sight was horrible. I can't bear to describe it. All I will say is that I truly hope none of you ever have to see something like that. God, it will haunt me. me forever. However, Detective Jones was right. The body was fairly intact. Honestly, there were

minimal burns below the chest, which is really disturbing to think about, but it helped. I told them with absolute certainty that, no, this man was not in fact my fiancé. They asked me how I could be sure with all the facial damage, but well, that was easy. That was I told them that Mark had a full-sleeved tattoo on his left arm, which spread up onto his chest, which would have still been visible below the burn. The forearms weren't even touched by the burn, however, they also had no tattoos. This was not Mark. After that, Detective Jones took me back to his office and asked me a lot of questions about Mark,

his birthday, his hometown, his family life, any siblings, work, and so on. I gave him as much information as possible. When we were done, Detective Jones took me back to my car. He told me that he would tell me home, and that he was going to station an office outside my apartment to watch for any weird activity. He seemed rather concerned that this John Doe had mine and Mark's photo went. Honestly, the implications of that photo and the credit card

had not really sunk in until that point. So no, I didn't get much sleep. I called off of work today. I'm just way too overwhelmed to try and be pleasant to strangers right now. But of course, nothing can be normal. No day can be relaxing. I don't know what to think anymore. I work up early to call my boss on the kennel.

I explained the situation and she told me to please just rest and to call her tomorrow morning if I needed another day. I texted Anna, my manager from the bar, and told her I wouldn't be coming to pick my tips that day. She asked if everything was okay and I told her that, well, honestly, I didn't know. She, being a friend of mine since before I started at the bar, said she would bring my tips and some lunch over for me when she finished up with her paperwork in the office. She said we could talk about it if I wanted. I thanked her and went back to bed. I woke up around noon, showered, and was in the kitchen making some tea when I heard a knock on the door.

I assumed it was Anna, but when I answered, I found the last person I ever expected to see. The creepy man from the bar. The man who had been outside yesterday morning. How he managed to get past the office or outside is beyond me, but, well, he smiled and said, good afternoon nicky i believe we have some things to talk about may i come in i immediately said no to which he smiled and replied very well smart woman perhaps a seat out here on your patio would be better that sounded reasonable enough i joined him outside i don't know why i did it i know i should have slammed the door in his face and called the cop's but i didn't We sat at the small table market I have on the patio outside our door.

He lit a cigar. This man was not nearly as disturbing in the daylight. He seemed rather normal, while not being normal at all. Oh, place him in his early 30s, tall, reasonably well-built, well-groomed, despite slightly shaggy black hair, with the brightest blue eyes I've ever seen. He wore a nice suit, but looked as comfortable in it as most men would be in sweatpants. He had an air of confidence and wisdom. By all accounts an attractive, well-mannered, well-educated man. Yet he still made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Once I was seated, he waited for me to say something. When I didn't, he dove right in. Your fiancé is not dead, Nikki. he said. I never thought he was, I responded. What an odd thing for him to say. But you have to admit that you wondered, when Detective Jones showed you the body,

part of you was afraid you were wrong. How did he know that? Before I could ask, he continued. Mark is alive and well, and in Chicago. Worry not. I should know. I sent him there myself. Are you his boss? I asked, confused.

The man laughed. No, not exactly. Although I have worked with him in the past. You see, I met Mark a few weeks ago. Friday the 9th, if I remember right, you had been fighting. I remember the night Mark left for his shift and didn't come back until Monday morning. He was worried. He said you to a strap for cash, with the big nuptials just around the corner.

I offered to help. So he was working with you all that weekend. Is that why he didn't come home? I simply helped him earn a few extra bucks. He did what he had to do. I know nothing else of where he went or what he did. The man replied, dropping his sly smirk for the first time since his arrival. That is none of my concern.

I'm simply here to give you a friendly piece of advice. And what's that? I asked. The grin came back. Decide what you want and stop asking questions. Remember what curiosity did to that poor cat after all. He set a business card on the table and rose. Call me if you need anything. I'm sure we could reach a mutually beneficial agreement.

The card was thick and heavy, matte black with glossy script, delicately placed on its surface. Samayel Sulabate, 6663397. When I looked back up, he was gone. I know I should have just thrown the card away, or better yet, given it to Detective Jones. But I didn't. I slipped it into my wallet. Maybe this mysterious Samail has Samayel. answers after all.

I started cleaning the apartment after that. Maybe Mark left behind some clue in his haste to pack everything up. Maybe I can find some record of him knowing an Ian Smith. Anything to start making things make sense. Some other weird artifact like the dagger. A love letter from another woman. Something. But I came up empty.

I gave up after a while. and just took a nap, laid in bed and watched TV. All around just sulked and felt sorry for myself. Anna eventually did come over and wound up staying most of the evening. Kelly joined us for a late lunch. I didn't fill Anna in on everything. No need to drag her into this madness. I just told her that I hadn't heard from Mark since he left on Monday and that the police wanted to talk to me about an ongoing problem I had some knowledge about. When she left, I felt my sister in on the body. I didn't mention the visit from Samihel.

Eventually, Kelly also left and I cooked a late dinner. Then I returned to searching the apartment for any possible clue as to what the hell was going on. I think I made a bigger mess than was here this morning, but I don't care anymore. I want answers. I want to know what's the same. going on and how it involves me and Mark, I want to know. Then the phone rang. My heart nearly stopped when I saw the number. Hello? Can I speak with Nikki? This is impossible. Ma'am, my name is

Detective Smith. I'm calling in regards to your fiancé Mark. Is he there with you now? No. Detective Smith's phone was found in the river on Sunday. Who is this? Ma'am, when was the last time you saw Mark? This isn't real. Are you sure? By the time I hung up, I was in tears. I still can't believe this is all happening.

There's no way in hell that number should be able to call me. There's no way Detective Smith, whoever he is, is looking for me that hard. And even if he was, there's no way you could call me three separate times and have the exact same responses no matter what I say. Except this time. This time the... Are you sure? Sounded an awful lot like a challenge. Detective Jones is on his way here.

I don't really want to be here at all right now, but I most definitely don't want to be anywhere alone. I hope he arrives with answers, or at least advice on what I should do. But what can I do? I think I hear him pulling up outside now. Well, until next time... Oh, P.S. I still haven't heard from Mark. Friday, March 23rd, 2018.

To everyone who's still following my story, thank you. I don't know where I would be. be without the support. I know I've not been replying to most comments and I'm sorry about that, but I am reading them all and I'm taking the things you're saying into consideration. However, I'm not going to light Mark on fire. I'm not going to kill him or anyone else. Thank you for your participation. Also, no, I do not in fact have a death wish, nor am I stupid. I'm trying to live my life as normally as possible so as not to alert Mark. or anyone else involved, that I feel something is off.

That being said, buckle up. The last two days have been a doozy. Life is never going to be the same. Of that, I'm sure. So, to pick up where I left off, Wednesday continued fairly uneventfully. Detective Jones came over to talk to me about the most recent phone call I'd received

from Ian Smith's phone number. I could tell from the look in his eyes that he's getting sick of this case. Nothing makes sense. And no one even really knows where to go from here. This man is just gone. But his phone isn't. His phone was found, destroyed.

Which means someone is using his number from a different phone. Back to square one. When he left, I laid him bed awake for a long time. God, I just want my life. life back. Yesterday I went to work in the morning. My boss at the kennel seemed a little surprised to see me. She gave me a pretty light day, training a new girl that we're hiring to help out over the summer. Let me tell you, it isn't very hard to show someone how to fill water bowls and organise food when every dog literally comes with their own supplies. But I still appreciated

the easy day. And it will be nice having an extra set of hands around to help. I closed with Anna at the bar. No weird phone calls, no creepy customers, no detective showing up mid-shift with earth-shattering news. It almost felt like a normal day. Almost. Except for the Cadillac de Ville coupé, part in the back of the lot when we left at the end of the night. I got home around 1am to find Detective Jones waiting by my door. he looked incredibly grim and serious. I asked him if everything was okay, and he simply asked to come inside and speak with me.

I jokingly asked if I was under arrest, and he said no, but there were some important things that needed to be discussed. Inside, he proceeded to ask me all about my whereabouts and activities between Thursday, March 8th, and Sunday, March 11th. The weekend that Mark didn't come home. I told him that Thursday I'd work my day shift at the kennel, followed by a night shift at the bar.

Friday, I worked a mid-shift at the bar, got off around seven, came home and wound up fighting with Mark until he left for his shift at the hospital. Saturday, I worked my double, came home to find Mark gone in the house a wreck. Sunday I had the day off, but I went grocery shopping. Yes, let me refer you back to the first episode of this saga. He asked if I had any proof of any of this. So I got out my little accordion organiser from my purse. I keep all my pay stops, punch in and punch out slips from work,

receipts from stores and gas stations. Well, I'm really organised with that type of thing. I like to see where my money is going so I can track any unnecessary spending. That seemed to be good enough for Detective Jones. But he did ask to take the file and make a copy, just for the investigation record. Next he asked me a harder question Where had Mark been that weekend

I told him that he'd work Thursday, Friday and Sunday But that he had not come home while I'd been there between Friday and Monday And that he never really told me much about what had been going on He asked when I'd last heard from Mark And if I thought he'd be willing to speak with the police I told him that I'd not heard from him since Monday morning when he left but asked if he wanted his cell phone number. After a little thought he told me no,

but to call him as soon as I heard from Mark, and again as soon as he got home. He rose to leave, but before he got to the door, curiosity got the better of me. I asked him, why the sudden change? Why do I suddenly need an alibi?

I've had a hunch I was a suspect, but he never really treated me like one until now. God, what the hell is going on? He sighed and looked me in the eye. I'll never forget the words he said next. Off the record, we did an autopsy on the burn victim found in the woods. He's been identified as Detective Ian Smith. We are investigating, but between you and me, be careful.

This looks like a very personal crime. to me, and he did have your picture in his wallet. Call me, if anything, and I mean, anything happens. Well, I didn't sleep much last night, despite the undercover officer I saw a part out front when I went out to have a midnight cigarette. Today, today I did the last thing any of you would probably want me to do. Today, I pulled out that black business card from my purse, and I called. called Samayu.

I'm desperate. I'm lost. I'm confused. I'm at my wits end. If he knows anything about where Mark was that weekend, well, it would be a start at least. We met at a coffee shop in the next town over, just to be safe. When I arrived, he looked every bit the calm, cool and collected man he was the last time we spoke,

suit and all. He smiled and asked what he could do for me today. Part of me wanted to cry, wanted to have a meltdown and sob out every last detail of the nightmare I've been living the past two weeks. But I didn't. Instead, I looked at him and very calmly stated that I needed to know everything he knew about where Mark had been the weekend of the ninth. He laughed. I'm sorry, my dear, but I'm afraid I can't tell you that. You see, my associates and those we work with, such as Mark, tend to prefer a certain level of privacy.

If I could tell you I would, but, you see, I'm under contract. What can you tell me then? I asked, trying to keep the tremble out of my voice. Samoa thought for a second before responding. Non-potest essay, nissi unmus. He answered with a grin. At least I think that's what he said. I have no idea what language it is or what it means, but I'll be damned if his voice didn't cut directly to my core

and chill me to the bone. It was like his words were engraved in my mind. I can still hear the way you spoke them as I sit here and type this. I asked him what it meant. The universe doesn't like to share, Nikki. Sometimes you have to make your own luck. Nothing is coincidental, not in this life. I don't understand.

He leaned forward and spoke in a hushed tone, with a gleam in his eye. Remember what I told you last time we spoke. Decide what you want and stop asking questions. So, what do you want? I want my life back, I answered, confused. I want to marry the man that loves me and cares for me and doesn't vanish without a trace. I want this all to stop. Is that so?

He asked, still grinning. I nodded, tearing up for the first time, unable to stay strong any longer. He rose and stretched a hand to help me stand too. Very well. As always, it has been the pleasure. He kissed my hand before releasing it. You know how to reach me if you need anything else. And with that, he left the shop, leaving me standing there confused.

Regardless, I returned home and got ready for work. I dragged myself to the bar around 4pm and poured drinks like nothing was going on. Truthfully, I began to relax a little bit. The repetition that comes with my job and the constant constant. customer interaction help me to loosen up a bit. Even so, the feeling of an ease that has been following me around for two weeks now, still gnawed at the back of my mind. I finally got a smoke break around 8.30pm, and as soon as I stepped outside, my phone rang. It was Smith. I thought about not answering, but then I got an idea. This man has been dead since before I started getting

these calls. So, let's see what this person has to say. Hello? Can I please speak with Nikki? This is she. Ma'am, my name is Detective Smith. I'm calling in regards to your fiancé, Mark. Is he there with you now? No, he's in Chicago for work. I've also not seen or heard from him since he left. I do however know that Detective Smith is dead. Ma'am, you are not wrong. So, let me ask you a question. All right. Go ahead. What do you want? You keep calling me. What do you want? If you had one statement to make, to convey whatever it is you want me to know, what would it be? Mark isn't himself. He is a very dangerous man.

I would recommend you be very careful, ma'am. I wouldn't want to see you end up hurt or worse. I'll keep that in mind. Thank you very much for your call. All right, ma'am, thank you. We'll be in touch if we need anything further. I've finished my shift normally. No more phone calls.

No more surprise appearances. No more anything. I asked Anna to cut me early, told I wasn't feeling well. When I got home, my phone pinged with a message from Mark. It simply read, Be home Sunday around noon. After not hearing from him all week, this is all he has to say? No explanations, no, nothing. Okay, I didn't reply.

Instead, I called Jones. I told him that I'd gotten a text from Mark. told him when he would be home. He told me to make sure I was not in the house Sunday when Mark got home. Oh don't worry I won't be. Tomorrow, after my shift at the bar, I'm taking off. I'm running. I won't be here when Mark gets home and he won't know where I am, at least for now, until I figure out how to tell what's real and what's not. This is how it has to be. As always Reddit, I'll keep you posted if anything happens, but right now I have some bags to pack. So, until next time, whenever that may be.

Wednesday, March 28, 2018. Well, well, well. Hello, Reddit. My, this is a strange turn of events. I suppose some introductions are in order. My name is Mark. It's taken me a long time to get here. But here we are. I was a little surprised to find my darling fiancée's little blog, but damn, I have enjoyed browsing through it,

as well as all your comments. But, that being said, I think it's time you all hear the full story. from me. It all started Friday, March night, just like Nikki told you all. She came home, and we started looking at the budget for the wedding. We began arguing about how much we were willing to spend on certain things. I left for work, promising we would talk about it tomorrow. Now, that night at work, we had a lot of new patients admitted to both the ER and the psych ward. Around 3 a.m. this man came strolling in, asking to release a psych patient into his custody.

He said the patient's name was Ian Smith. I asked him for some identification, and he presented me with an ID bearing the name Samale Sulabade. The proper paperwork was completed, and Ian Smith was released into Samail's care. I was not the one to send them on their marriage. way. So I had not yet met Ian Smith. When I got off work, around 7 a.m. Some ale salibade was waiting in the parking lot for me. He was leaning against his Cadillac de ville coupe. My favorite car. Impressed, I shot the shit with him for a few minutes about the car before he asked if I wanted a ride. Of course, I said yes. While we were driving around, he was. He was a car. He was a little. He was a

made plight small talk. We got on the topic of Nikki in the wedding, money and whatnot. I confess that we were a little strapped for cash, and we'd both been working non-stop to try and fund the big day. No one really warns you how expensive weddings are, and no one was helping us pay for any of it. Not that we wanted help, we were just not prepared for how pricey things like flowers and a bar actually can be. Regardless, He piped up and told me he could help if I was interested. Well, he had my attention. He explained to me that he and his associates work in a shadow of secrecy,

but that they were there to assist those in need, as long as a mutually beneficial agreement could be reached. They accepted no monetary payment for their services, but everything has a price. You see, some information. male sulubid is one of many human forms that the devil himself takes. I myself was not a man who believed in God or the devil, but I gave his proposal a listen. He explained to me that there are ways to increase your luck, wealth, anything really, that sometimes, in some cases,

luck and wealth were shared. And if the secondary party were to be a limit, all the luck and all the wealth would fall to the one remaining. I didn't fully understand, but I must say I was intrigued. Not just for the money, for curiosity's sake as well. I asked him what I had to do. He pulled back into the parking lot right next to my car, gave me an address to meet him at sundown. We shook hands and parted ways.

When he pulled away, I realized that it was nearly four o'clock. We'd been gone the whole day, but it felt like a matter of minutes. At home, I quickly packed an over nightbag, unsure how long I would be gone. I must have accidentally pocket-diled Nicky, and when she tried to call me back, well, I had no idea what to tell her. So, I simply texted her that something had come up that I would explain later, assuming that I would have an actual explanation later on. Before I left to meet Sam, I saw Nikki's note on the counter and wrote that I loved

her too. When I met up with Sam, he ushered me into his car once again and began driving in silence. I can't say that I was scared or concerned, really. frankly I didn't much care what we were going to do. I was committed now. If what he said was true, for the first time in my adult, independent life, I wouldn't be scraping by, pinching pennies, worrying about the next paycheck. To be honest, I would have done anything in that moment. He parted the car along the side of the road and told me we would have to walk the rest of the way. When we arrived at a small clearing in the woods, we were met by two other men.

One dressed much like Sam in a nice suit with a disconcertingly slyly grin. And one unconscious on the ground. There were five small fires set up in a circle. And on the ground connecting the circle and the points was what looked like sand or salt or something. I realized it was a giant pentagram. For the first time I started to believe that this man may actually be the devil himself. He explained to me that the unconscious man held half my luck and half my wealth, and that if I wanted it back, he would have to be eliminated.

I said I understood, and he handed me an ornate dagger with riding on the blade. Pachiscor, signatus est enum. As soon as I took the dagger, something... washed over me this incredible feeling of strength and power I walked to the man on the ground and was taken aback when I realized he looked

almost exactly like me I looked to Samal for an explanation he smiled and said non potest esi nis i see unus there can be only one

And I knew he was right. I murdered my doppelganger that night, Ian Smith, the twin I never knew I had. I murdered him and stole every last bit of luck and wealth we'd been sharing all these years. When the deed was done, Samail handed me a can of gasoline and a book of matches, told me to erase him. I burned his body I erased him we were no longer identical

we no longer had to share non-potest esenis I blacked out when I woke up the next day I was in some motel room somewhere I had a nasty burn on my arm from where the fire

snuck up on me the night before I felt incredible no better than I've ever ever felt before. I got up and went for a run, and when I returned, some male was waiting for me. He explained to me that no one was ever to know what happened in the woods. I was to forget that man ever existed. I didn't even know his name at that point. I got a call shortly thereafter, asking if I wanted to pick up a shift to the hospital. Sunday pay, plus they offered to

throw in a few extra bucks an hour for asking me so last minute. Well, my luck was turning around already. Now, as my darling fiancée has explained to you kind folks, I returned home every bit the loving and attentive man. Everything was going great. Truth be told, after reading Nikki's little diary here, it all makes sense now. I had no idea that she was getting these phone calls, but that definitely explains why it all went to shit one day. To clarify, I truthfully was in Chicago training for work last week. Like I said, my luck is turned around. The pay increase will be incredible. I was adopted out of Chicago as a young child, but I have no memories of my time there. I suppose Ian Smith also would have been adopted out of Chicago, but I don't recall

having a twin. My childhood is still a mystery, I suppose. But I've begun to wonder how much of that is repression, and how much of it is the new and improved mark. I should also explain, for any of you out there thinking, this sounds easy enough, make a deal with the devil and get my perfect life. Make no mistake. Magic, even black magic, even black magic from the the source himself. It's like physics. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. You can receive without giving something back. Like Samal said, a mutually beneficial arrangement. A deal. A contract. As for me, well, I paid with my soul. I am no longer the same mark I used to be. I'm Much, much better.

So, I suppose at this point you're all properly wondering where Nicky is. Worry not, she's been taken care of. I returned from Chicago to find her missing, as well as her suitcases and a lot of her belongings. It took a few days, but I tracked her down. Bank statements don't lie. It wasn't hard to figure out. where she was staying. She was holed up in a motel halfway from here to Indiana. When I arrived at her room, she freaked out, screaming and throwing things at me, backing herself into a corner. She was like a

caged animal. I knew she knew something was going on. Someone in the room next door called the police. When they arrived, I talked them into transporting her home. for mental evaluation. I told them, as the concerned husband to be, that I thought the stress had just gotten to her and that she had a mental breakdown. That's where she is now, being mentally evaluated to see if she's a danger to herself or others.

No one will believe her story, even if she tells them anything. She's just a hysterical, overworked bride-to-be that needs a break. well that's what I'm counting on should at least buy me a few days to figure out what to do about her maybe I should call off the wedding pick up and start over maybe I should run with this calm

convince her she really did just have a mental breakdown or maybe she needs to be eliminated maybe she's already caused enough trouble Hmm, decisions, decisions. To clarify, I didn't hack into her account. When she was taken for psych evaluation, I brought her electronics and things home. I know my fiancé's laptop password. This account was already logged in with Reddit bookmarked.

As for Jones, he came by the house. I told him I'd been working all weekend when Smith disappeared. and that I had avoided Nikki because we'd been fighting. He can't prove I was anywhere else, and until he does, I don't anticipate seeing him again. If he wants to search anything, he's going to need a warrant, and he doesn't have enough reason for a judge to approve one. Well, this story is most certainly not over.

I'll let you all know what I decide to do with Nikki real, soon. Worry not. Monday, April 2nd, 2018. Hello, Reddit. It's me again. Nikki. Actually, me.

No, not demon possess my body, Nikki. Not Mark pretending to be Nikki. Really, it's me. And everything is fine, I think. I think it might actually all be over. Okay, let me.

explain. First of all, I want to apologise for the fact that my post last Friday got deleted. There were some formatting errors on my part that I didn't realize I'd made. I've simply been too busy with the things that have been going on and I didn't notice it had been removed. As such, I've simply decided to start over to explain what happened between Mark's post and my attempted post and what has happened since then. Enough as being going on that I was planning on updating you all anyway, but let's just squeeze it all into one big update. I'm sure you're all getting tired of hearing it anyway. After work last Saturday, I ran, just like I said. I packed up, grabbing everything I could. I contacted my bosses and told them there was an emergency and I would be MIA for a few

days. I drove until I found the smallest hole in the war motel I'd never heard of. I paid cash for the room. I thought, well, he couldn't find me that way. Unfortunately, I fucked up. I had to pull cash out of a nearby ATM. I used my debit card to get gas. I wasn't thinking. Those are the transactions he saw when he checked my bank statement. He found me on Tuesday.

And when he did, I freaked out. He wasn't Mark, not even slight. He walked different. He spoke different. It was like a completely different man wearing Mark's skin. He tried to be gentle and sweet, feigning concern to convince me to come home with him. When I didn't go with him quietly, he got evil, twisted. He smiled this evil grin and calmly, quietly told me what he had done. Yes, he told me. everything. He told me that he murdered Ian Smith with a dagger and then burned his body. He told me he was a new man since the ritual, that everything was so much better, that he was so much

better. He told me not to ruin his new perfect life. He was confessing everything, so I took the opportunity to pry. I needed to know what happened. I asked about the credit card and the photo. He told me there were a link between him and Smith. The credit card was to transfer the wealth and the photo was to show that they were doubles. I don't even think he realized he'd left them in Smith's pocket when he left. He didn't know that he'd left evidence. Now that he's read everything, well, yes, now he knows. The demon that's taken over is just too proud, too confident. Too to see the errors that he's made, leaving behind evidence and then going and announcing it on my Reddit. The demon inside is just too cocky. Well, that's my theory at least, that

a demon has taken over Mark's body. It's the only thing that makes sense. It's easier to stomach than the idea that Mark was always inherently evil. Above all, he told me that, even if I told anyone, no one would believe me. so I should stop being so difficult. I tried to keep him away from me. I had no idea what he would do if he got close. I didn't want to find out. Evidently, one of the other motel patrons got concerned and called the authorities

because the police showed up saying they'd received a report of a domestic disturbance. They spoke to her separately, trying to get a grip on what was happening. I told them that he was my fiancé. that I was afraid he was going to hurt me. I didn't know what to say to them, but somehow I ended up being sent to a mental health facility. I spent the next two days being evaluated by every professional under the sun. And the whole time, Mark's words rang in my head.

No one will believe you. No one will believe you. No one will believe you. So, I lied, well, half-lied. I told them that we'd been fighting. I told them that his demeanour had changed, that he'd become angrier, more hostile, and darker. I told them that I'd grown afraid for my safety,

and that's why I ran away. I told them I'd only acted out to keep him away from me in the motel room because I thought he would hurt me if he got his hands on me. Yes, I left out. the detail with the devil. The satanic ritual, geez, I'm not crazy. But the whole truth would have made me sound like I was. Eventually, Thursday evening, I was deemed mentally sound enough to return to my life if I chose. I checked myself out and immediately changed my emergency contact from Mark to Kelly. I didn't need him knowing that I was out. I didn't have a car, a phone,

anything. So, I used the office's phone to call. First Kelly, and then the police department had asked for Jones. I told him where I was and asked him to come pick me up, that I would explain everything in person. Kelly was stuck at work and couldn't get out to come get me. Thankfully, he obliged. We went to the police station and settled into his office.

I broke down crying and told him that I think Mark had to be. killed Ian Smith. I told him that he'd confessed it to me, but he told me that no one would believe me because it was part of a satanic ritual. That sort of thing just doesn't happen around here. Upon the mention of a confession, Jones got serious. He asked me more specific questions about the crime. He asked about the murder weapon, the dagger with the burning being performed post-mortem. When the crime had occurred, things like that. Details that were determined from the autopsy, but had not been made public knowledge. Details had only the police, and the people involved should have known. When I answered his questions to his satisfaction, he got really

quiet. I know that this was a tricky spot. What was he to do in this situation? By all logic, I should be arrested on the spot for my intimate knowledge of the crime. That should have made me suspect number one, but had already provided proof of my alibi. Still, who's to say I didn't have a hand in the crime, and now was trying to pin it all on Mark? We decided to break and step outside for a cigarette. While outside, I remembered that I had left his account logged in on my computer. my computer which Mark now had I was worried what he would do if he found the posts here

but then I wondered if he'd taken them down or altered them somehow to hide his guilt I asked Jones if I could get on the internet somehow to test a hunch curiosity had gotten the better of me imagine my surprise when I found Mark's post the timestamp proved that I was under psyched lockdown at the time of posting so there's no way it could have been me.

That being said, it also didn't prove that it was in fact Mark. Once we were sure Mark would be at work, I asked Jones to drive me home. Once there, I promptly tore the apartment apart. In my mind, if we could find that dagger, it might just be enough. It would be evidence.

Before anyone says anything about the legality of this, No, we didn't have a warrant. But this is my home. My name is on a lease. I'm allowed to search my own home whenever I want, and I'm allowed to have whomever I want there while I do so. And, well, I'm glad that I did. I found the dagger in Mark's Jimback,

along with a brand new canister of lighter fluid, a book of matches, duct tape, candles, and a business card almost identical to some else, but with no contact information printed on it. No name, no phone number, just a plain, matte, black business card. It was like the name and number had just been erased. I wouldn't even have known what it was

if I didn't have an identical one in my purse. Evidently, Mark had made the decision to eliminate me. And from the looks of it, he was trying to turn it into another ritual. What for? I don't know. But there it all was, right there on the floor of my bedroom closet. Mark was arrested that night around midnight while he was at work. He's being held, awaiting trial for the murder of Detective Ian Smith. Jones has told me that he thinks I should pursue charges for attempted murder,

or conspiracy to commit murder or something like that. I don't know. It all seems so much right now. I feel like I need to meet with a lawyer. In the meantime, no one has left me alone for even a minute, which I am incredibly thankful for.

I had to go back to the police station to give an official statement about finding the murder gear, which was horrible. I'm staying at Kelly's house until I figure out what to do. My bosses at the bar and the kennel have been incredibly understanding,

giving me some time off. The owner of the kennel even slipped me an Easter bonus to help. Detective Jones has been by every day, checking in and gathering information. Now, obviously, the wedding is off. I'm planning on officially moving out as soon as possible.

I can't bear to stay in the home where I once had such a beautiful life, and loving relationship, the home where my fiancé, the man who I was supposed to spend the rest of my life, plotted to murder me. I just can't do it. Now, here begins the new information, things that have happened since I tried to update. I had to call Mark's mother on Friday and fill her in. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, telling a mother that her son is for the murder of his long-lost twin. But he had apparently been planning on murdering me as well.

She was heartbroken, destroyed, confused. She said she would call me tomorrow once she'd calmed down and we could talk more. Saturday evening she did call me back. She asked how I was coping. And then, with a shaky breath, said that she thought she might be able to fill in a few blanks for me. Then, Mark's mother proceeded to give me the story of his pre-adoption childhood, according to his birth mother. At least the pieces that she had been told when they adopted him. Mark's birth mother had been a wreck. She'd been

pregnant four times before Mark and Ian, losing each pregnancy for various reasons. Mark and Ian were the first children she carried to term. She was 19 years old. Rumour had it, she'd been kicked out of her home at 16 due to her first pregnancy. Her father was evidently highly abusive. After a period of living on the street, she began living with her new boyfriend, a much older man who prostituted her out for extra money. Because of this, it's unclear who exactly fathered the twins. Eventually, she turned to drugs.

Somewhere around the time Mark and Ian turned one, their birth mother ran into a dispute with her drug source. she tried to get more but she owed him money he refused to supply her addiction until he was paid the debt one way or another she told him that she had the money

it was just at home with her boyfriend that she would go get it and bring it back to him to ensure that she returned they took one of the babies she had nothing else of value for them to hold on to evidently she never returned the only hard evidence of this is the court records that show that a one-year-old baby named Ian was anonymously left at the hospital with a note giving the name and address of his mother when the authorities went to the house she was gone along with baby Mark upon trying to contact any next of kin I discovered that her mother had passed away and her

father was in prison. Eventually, Ian was adopted by the Smith family. Fast forward about a year and a half, an elderly woman called the police reporting that she had heard her neighbours fighting the night before, not an unusual occurrence, but that she also heard a baby crying from the apartment all day. She was concerned for the child. The police arrived to find a two and a half year old Mark crying in his crib and his mother, beaten to death on the front of the first. floor. Mark was taken into custody of the state. That is, in short terms, how Mark wound up with his adoptive family. Unfortunately, however, there is no proof that these are the exact happenings. Most of what is known came from a diary that his birth mother kept. While first-hand accounts are nice,

she was also a drug addict who had been abused most of her life. There's no telling how much of what she wrote was real versus how much she got twisted in her deteriorated mental state. She told me she never told Mark any of this as to not upset him. She asked several times if he had any memories of Chicago and he'd always said no. So rather than risk some long repressed memory being triggered, she gave him the best life possible. But, well, I know this still leaves a few unanswered questions. First, how did Ian Smith end up in the mental ward of Mark's Hospital in the first place? Well, I don't have the full story, but from the bits and pieces I have heard, I've gathered that he was mugged while out for his morning run the day he disappeared. The mugger stole his phone,

wallet, keys, everything, and ended up throwing the evidence into the river to dispose of it. Ian stumbled his way to the hospital for help, injured, I assume, from the mugging. He had no identification and lost consciousness in the ER. He awoke violently, swinging at hospital staff and freaking out. That's when he was transferred to Syke, to make sure he wasn't a danger. That's when Samail came to have him release from the hospital. But, like I said, I miss. missing many of the details.

This is just the basic gist I've pieced together from the bits I have heard here and there. Second, who was calling me, claiming to be Detective Smith? I wish I hadn't answered for you, but I just don't. Could it be someone who cloned his phone number? Yes. Could it have been someone pranking me? Sure, but neither of these options explain how they knew. to call me? How they knew Mark was involved? Could it have been demon Mark? Just fucking with me.

Yeah, but why wouldn't he have confessed that in his poorly planned tell-all post? Could it have been Samail's doing? I guess, but assuming Mark is right and Samail is who he says he is, do you really expect me to believe that Satan has nothing better to do with his time? And remember, what he said. He couldn't tell me much. He's under contract. My best guess is that maybe it really was Ian Smith. Like a call beyond the grave. Yes, I know that sounds crazy, but come on, with everything that's happened, who am I to draw the reality line at ghost's phone calls? Third, how did Mark's deal fall apart? He was supposed to have luck and wealth, and he ended up getting arrested.

How does that work? I'm no expert on satanic contracts, but the way I see it, there are three possibilities. First, Mark messed up and cancelled out his deal somehow, or did something to reverse it. Second, there never was a deal at all, meaning that Samail wasn't actually the devil or a demon, but rather you have. just a fucking psychopath who convinced an innocent man to murder his twin brother. If you ask me, this is the least likely of the three. Some hell is just too eerie. He knows too much.

He creeps the hell out of me. Something about him is definitely not human. Or, third. Another deal was made by someone else that trumped Mark's deal. Possibility number three. scares me. When I think back to my meeting with Samail in the coffee shop, I deeply hope that the deal wasn't mine. Which brings me to the question, what if I did just make a deal with the devil? What now? I said I wanted to marry the man who loved me. I wanted my life back. I wanted all

this bullshit to stop. And now I've lost my old life. lost my fiancé. This is not what I wanted. I'm really hoping that means no deal was made. But if I did, what do I have to give? What is my payment? What more do I have to lose? I'd rather not think about that for now. Everything's okay right now. I just need to figure out what my new normal will be. Without my old life. I'll be okay, I hope. Everything is fine.

One last thing before I go. I want to tell you all that I have in fact been paying attention. I've read the comments, I've gotten your messages, I've seen the YouTube videos. Oh, you can believe what you want, but... I know the truth. I know the hell that I've been going through. I know because I'm living it. If you have any questions on that matter, please feel free to contact me directly.

Put yourself in my shoes. The last thing I need to deal with right now is my sister finding a video of some girl reading my story and explain to the world while I'm full of shit. Why she's just so over it. and my fiancé murdered a man in cold blood. My fiancé almost murdered me. You think you're over it? I'm over it.

I'm done living in this horror movie. But you don't get to direct your life. For those of you who have followed along and supported me through all of this, I'm forever grateful to you. I couldn't have gotten this far without your encouraging words. Thank you for listening. Thank you for believing me. As for the rest of you, maybe Mark was right.

Maybe people will never believe me. But that's okay. As always read it, I will update you if anything else happens. But I think, I think for now this may be goodbye. We can hope at least. Monday, April 23rd. 2018. Hi again, all. I'm back. I suppose I should have known I wouldn't be able to stay away for too long. I told you, life will never be the same. I wish I could say that this is a good update.

I even wish I could tell you it was going to be just a bad update. I wish I could tell you how I feel about what has been going on, but as it is, well, I am numb. I'm at a loss, but more than anything. I am scared. Since I last updated, I've returned to work at both jobs. Well, I'm no longer concerned about the extra money for the wedding, but I have to say I rather like working at the bar. I love my co-workers, I love my managers.

My regulars obviously have heard rumours around town, and they've all been coming back in to check on me. It's a great support system, and I'm never alone when I'm here. However, it's not enough to live on, so I'm keeping my job at the kennel too. I've cut my hours down a bit, for my own sanity mainly. I also found a place to move.

It's nice on the other side of town. Just a little apartment. I don't need much room if it's only me. Kelly and Detective Jones helped me move in about a week ago. Jones and I have become quite close, if I'm being honest. He has been a huge support throughout everything. I'm very thankful for him. He doesn't need to care this much.

It's above and beyond his job description, but it's also very nice. Well, I decided to get a dog, a German Shepherd rescue, who needs me as much as I need him. It makes me feel safe, and my boss at the kennel lets me bring him to work with me. Things really started to go well.

I was coping. I was able to sleep through the night. I was getting the help I needed mentally and legally. But I started getting sick. Typical stress sickness type symptoms. Annoying and inconvenient, but nothing to be too concerned about. I wasn't concerned, honestly, until it started causing me to risk work. I can't exactly be taking care of people's pets or serving food if I'm throwing up. And, as understanding as my bosses have been, they've got to the point of requiring me to have a doctor's note, otherwise I would start getting into trouble.

I went to the doctor and was planning on just asking for some anti-nausia meds, some sleep-aid, anxiety medication, something like that, something just to take the edge off and help me relax. They say they'd be happy to prescribe me the best thing to help, as soon as they did a full once-over to make sure we weren't dealing with something more serious. They asked me the typical questions, doctors ask. Any recent trauma? Any change in diet or medication? Allergies, height, weight, when my last menstrual cycle was.

I answered, as you do at the doctor, but told them I was on birth control and, as a side effect, hadn't had a menstrual period in over two years. It's pretty common with this birth control. They said as much, and they weren't concerned about it. that fact but they needed to run some tests regardless before they prescribed anything to check

everything out make sure they were giving me the right thing these symptoms can point to some more serious health issues apparently to cut a very long and very painful story short the test results showed I was in perfect health I hadn't contracted some crazy virus and I was fine to continue working however I had elevated levels of certain hormones. Basically, all signs pointed to pregnancy. They recommended I set up an appointment for an ultrasound, so I did. It was this morning. I've been effectively numb. I refused to believe this was happening. Every part of me hoped that they would tell me there was some mix-up and the doctors had been wrong, that I wasn't pregnant, that this was all just something.

sick joke. This couldn't be real. That's not what happened, though. The ultrasound technician rubbed that wand around my belly for a few minutes. The sounds on the monitor went silent over my own thoughts and breathing and heartbeat. I waited for her to tell me there was nothing there. Then she spoke up and said, "'Congratulations, ma'am. Is this your first pregnancy?' And my heart stopped. I could have thrown up. No, no, no, no. Robotically, I told her that yes, this was.

She asked if the father was in the waiting room, or if I wanted to call him with the good news that everything looked eh okay. I told her no. The father was in prison on trial for murder. She went pale. I may have been too blunt, but I was numb. Why bother sugar-coating the situation? She recovered, kind of, and continued on normally.

We finished the appointment. She gave me information about what sort of timeline I have for tests and check-ups and things of that sort, but I didn't really process any of it. I couldn't. I don't want this to be real. That brings me to now. Now, I'm sitting in the parking lot of the police station. I'm here to talk to Jones.

He's the only one besides Kelly I can turn to right now. And I've already left her a voicemail to call me ASAP. I don't know what I'm going to say. I don't know what I'm going to tell him. I just don't know what to do. Because the tech told me one thing that I did process. Yes. She said that everything looked just.

fine development look normal strong heartbeat two of them both babies look fine growing up I always feared monsters evening college which most would consider to be the time when you can be called an adult my greatest fears were the monsters under my bed in the closet or at the window I would always tell myself how silly this was seeing as I was an adult at this point and I was still afraid of something I knew did not exist. That was until, until I met my wife. But before I tell you what happened, let me elaborate on how I met my wife to be and how much she means to me. I met Natalie in college.

I was a nerdy guy, and yet she saw something in me that no other girl in my life had. She was an extremely kind person who always had the sweetest of intentions. As I spent more time with her, I realised how many things we had in common. To me, she was the most beautiful girl in the world. I could stare into her green eyes for the rest of my life, and that's what I chose to do when I proposed and we finally got married. Fast forward to married life. I'm working now, while she is working.

on an online master's degree. Life is good. Life is actually perfect. Too perfect. Ever since we got married, I've told her everything. My deepest secrets, my deepest feelings, and most importantly, my deepest fears. I remember when I first told her about my silly fear of monsters. At first she just laughed it off. But over time, she noticed how I would sometimes shiver in bed, lying awake in fear. Being the sweetheart that she is, she would hold me and tell me it would be all right. My wife became my protector. She became the one to keep my fears in check. Her face became that of an angel to me, one that would protect me from whatever scary things life had in store for me. I came to trust those beautiful green eyes, and every time I saw her, I knew I was safe. Now, to the more

weird things that have been happening of late. The first incident that I can recall that could be defined as strange happened at 3am one night. I woke up feeling extremely thirsty, but, being the fearful guy that I am, I grabbed the flashlight to get some water. As soon as I turned on the flashlight, I noticed my wife wasn't in bed. I looked over to the bathroom and the light was on and I could hear the water running so I assumed she was there. Half asleep I walked downstairs to the kitchen and almost had a heart attack when I saw my wife standing in a corner drinking water. As soon as I saw her though I felt safe. She smiled at me as she sipped the water from the glass.

I was too tired and I mumbled something about how hot it is as I got to. some water. She continued to smile at me as I finished my water and headed upstairs. As I walked back upstairs, I called out that she should come back to bed, seeing as it's so late. When I got back to my room, there she was, sound asleep. This was the moment I became wide awake. I could have sworn that she was downstairs having water. In front of her, to go back downstairs. I woke her up and told her what had happened. Half asleep, half upset, she comforted me and told me to go back to bed. The next morning she joked about how I'm so afraid of the dark that I see her everywhere as my protector. Besides, I was using the bathroom when you

thought I was out of bed, she claimed. With that warm smile, how could I think otherwise? A week later, another strange incident. This was in broad daylight, well on a Saturday morning. Natalie woke me up at 11am and told me she was going to get groceries. At around half past 11, I finally got out of bed and dressed up for a late brunch with my beautiful wife. I went to the kitchen and found her drinking a glass of water. I smiled and said, Back so soon, honey.

She didn't reply She just smiled as she sipped on her water Before I could approach her The doorbell rang and I immediately went to see who it was I opened the door Yes It was my wife Back with all the groceries

Oh help me with all this would you She jokingly snapped as she put down the paper bags by the door As soon as she saw my colour her drained face. She knew something was wrong. She sat me down, got me some water, and I told her what had happened. This time it was in broad daylight, and I knew what I'd seen. As much as I'd come to adore her beautiful green eyes, for the first time I saw in them a strange fear. My wife was the strong one, never afraid. She told me, there's something she should have told me a long time ago. She said this happened to her as a kid, a lot, where her parents and siblings would see her

in places they knew she wasn't. They could never explain these occurrences, but seeing as it caused no harm, they came to live with it without really questioning these encounters. It took me a few months to process everything she told me. But I started to live with it too. Like I said, my true perception of fear was monsters, not my beautiful wife. Several similar incidents happened. For instance, I would see her sitting in bed, only to find her cooking in the kitchen downstairs. And in all these instances, when I would interact with this entity that I still saw as my wife,

she would smile and not say anything. I actually came to find comfort in seeing my wife all the time, always smiling, always happy, and always perfect. It is important to note, however, that in all of these incidents there was never any overlap, meaning I never saw her in two places simultaneously. I guess any sane person would have called out to their wife when they thought they were seeing the entity, but, like I said, I found comfort in her green eyes, in her smiling, face, so honestly, I didn't really care. And then, today, everything changed. My wife told me she was

going to visit her grandparents who live in an hour away from where we do. She invited me to go, but seeing as it was a Sunday, and I just wanted to be lazy, I told her to go ahead without me. This is when it finally happened. The overlap. I was in my living room watching TV when I got up. to get myself a Coke. There she was. My wife again, sipping water from a glass and just smiling. I was so used to it by now, knowing that this was the entity. I smiled and said, "'Hh, nice to see you're still watching over me.' She smiled and continued to look at me with those beautiful green eyes I'd grown so fond of. That's when the phone rang, and I turned away from the entity to pick it up. I'm going to run a little late.

since Granny insists on me staying for lunch. It was my wife, and as soon as I heard her voice, I heard a glass shatter, which my wife on the phone also heard. I turned around and saw that the entity was now glaring at me, the smile no longer there. But rather, a very disturbing grin. She was pointing at me, with her head tilted at a perfect 90-degree angle. But that wasn't what disturbed me.

It was her eyes. They were no longer the green that I'd found so much comfort in. They were pitch black, like those demons in the movies. I stared at her as I was at a complete loss for words. Honey, is everything okay? Did you drop something? My wife asked on the phone. I whispered back into the world.

the phone. I didn't. She did. At this point my wife screamed into the phone. Hang up and look away. I don't know how I found the strength to do so, but I did exactly what she said. When I opened my eyes a split second later, she was gone. Confused and scared, I called my wife back, who said she was already on the way. It shouldn't have happened. It shouldn't have happened. It shouldn't have happened. They said it wouldn't. They said she was harmless. I'm too scared to just sit around and wait. I still keep looking over my shoulder. My wife should be home any time now. As soon as she gets back, I'll ask her who she meant by they, and what the hell is going on. She knows something, and I have to know what it is. Never did I think that the one I hold so near and dear to my heart,

The one who protects me could become the monster that I fear the most. When my wife Natalie got back, she came in crying and wouldn't stop. She kept saying, you don't deserve this, we don't deserve this. You weren't supposed to overlap. I love you. I care about you, your family. Oh, you shouldn't have overlapped. At this point, I was really. confused. I comforted her, held her until she stopped crying. Then, when she finally settled, I asked, Love, you're not making any sense. Who is she? Are you referring to the entity?

She told me that she doesn't have a name for it, and she's never actually seen her. Only others around her can see her sometimes, but she has always been described as someone who looks just like her. The same radiant smile and the same lovely green eyes. But when you screamed in the phone earlier, you knew that what I was seeing was... You knew, didn't you? How? She looked at me and started crying again. Oh, God, I only kept it from you because I didn't want you to freak out, she said.

It's all right, just tell me everything, I replied, pulling her close. then she told me the story of the last person who overlapped meaning the one who saw her and the entity at the same time when Natalie was in high school her family namely her parents and two brothers were used to seeing it well as I call it for lack of better word they were used to seeing it around the house

she was always described as a smiling girl who would usually just be sipping on water This occurrence only seemed to happen in her house, never at school or outside. Her parents, knowing the situation, would never allow her to bring any friends over for fear that they might freak out when for fear that they might freak out at what they see. But one day, upon her insistence, and arguing that seeing it has never done anyone harm, her parents let her bring over a friend. Natalie and her friend Chris were working on some homework when Natalie decided to do. go down to the kitchen and grab some snacks. While she was coming back up, she heard Chris saying,

"'You're very funny, but you're weirding me out with that smile.' Natalie stopped dead in her tracks, but it was too late. The door to her room was open, and she was in direct line of sight of Chris in the hallway. He turned to look at her, his face completely pale, as Natalie heard glass shattering. She was completely in shock. Chris was looking at them simultaneously. Staring him wide-eyed in the corner of the room, she heard him say,

What in the... Natalie ran towards her room, but the door suddenly slammed shut. She started banging on the door. Chris, don't look at her, just don't! She screamed across the door. But, silence. The door.

opened five minutes later and she found him unconscious after taking him to the hospital they found out that Chris had gone blind the doctors couldn't explain it and when they asked Chris to describe the last thing he saw he struggled for words that that grin those eyes black eyes and her head oh god her head was tilted 90 degrees I never thought such a beautiful face could be so twisted. She thinks the only reason I can still see is because the overlap happened over the phone, so I wasn't able to feel the full effect, whatever that means. I was surprised that another overlap like this hadn't occurred throughout her life.

And that's when Natalie told me that they said she was harmless, and they will not actively try to overlap. So then I inquired about the they that she just mentioned. Well, when I was a kid, my grandparents knew something about this. They were all very hush-hush about it, but apparently it had happened in the family once before. So it was clear then. We needed to go and see her great-grandmother. It was the only one left that could provide us with any answers.

Natalie called her mum and was told that they hadn't been in a family. contact with their great-grandmother for the past two years. Ever since her husband died, she'd become depressed and had asked not to be contacted and broke off all ties. She lived out in the country by herself, secluded from the rest of the world. It was going to be a three-hour drive, so we decided to attempt to get some rest in before our drive the next day. We barely got a few hours of sleeping. My wife woke me up this morning, telling me, breakfast ready as she walked downstairs. I noticed both of us must have missed our alarms

because it was 11 a.m. already. The first thing I checked when I woke up was the bed to make sure I wasn't seeing it. When I finally went downstairs, I nearly fell backwards when I saw my wife sipping from a glass of orange juice facing the kitchen entrance. Jeez, don't do that, I snapped.

She can't. I am rushing towards me. Sorry, she mumbled. I walked over and gave her a big hug. It's all right. We're both on edge. We'll work through this. After a breakfast that neither of us had the appetite for,

we hit the road to find some answers. As we were driving, my wife held my hand, and I felt safe once again. It was a strange sense of security, because even after the crazy events, it was bright and sunny outside, and I was just peacefully driving away with my wife. She smiled at me.

I smiled back, looking at her beautiful green eyes, while fighting internally to take the image of the twisted entity off of my mind. We remain quiet for most of our journey until we finally reached the house. The house was located deep off of a small highway, on a narrow dirt road. There was an old van parked, but it didn't look like it had been driven for weeks. The house also looked like it had been abandoned for a while.

My wife reached out and I held her hand. Let's hope for the best and see what we find, I said. But before I could open the door, my cell phone rang. The moment the first ringing sound broke the quiet air, my wife clutched my hand just a bit tighter. She was on edge, I could tell. I looked over at her, and she was smiling ever so slightly. I pulled out my phone, looked at the caller ID.

It read Natalie. The grip of the hand that I was holding started getting tighter and tighter. I suddenly got the feeling I was not with my wife at all. Call it a gut feeling. I picked up the phone. as I realized the person in my peripheral vision was changing their expression. The breathing also got heavier as I heard the neck starting to turn. With what little bravery I had left, I turned away, not daring to see that twisted face.

It's not me! Natalie yelled from the phone. The instant her voice reached my ear, I felt the glass shattering sound in a burning pain on my hand that lasted for a split second. I recoiled in pain, responding, I know. God, I think he's gone now. I looked over to see, and sure enough, she wasn't there anymore. I breathed. Don't hang up and drive over here. We need to see this thing through. on her drive over she explained how when she woke up she was seemingly stuffed under the bed as if someone had knocked her out and slid her under there when she woke up and realized that i wasn't there she knew something was up and called immediately at this point i was freaking out a lot so many questions rushed to mind it talked it acted just like my wife

How was it holding my hand? How in the world did it get out of the house? Most importantly, how do I tell it apart from my wife? That's when I remembered the stinging pain and looked at my hand. There was a very clear, lucky, burned into my hand. While I waited for my wife to drive over, I started thinking. The entity said, breakfast ready. and sorry.

And why in the world was it sipping orange juice? Is it evolving? Is it learning how to fool me? I wondered for a long time what all this meant until my wife finally arrived at 5pm. It was getting dark and I wanted to go to a motel and come back tomorrow. But my wife insisted that we at least check out

to see if someone lives in the abandoned house. before she got out of the car though she took the cigarette lighter from her car and burned it on her hand I got very upset when she did that but she said it might help me tell them apart at this point any idea of rationalising this fear sounded great we went and knocked on the door

as the doorbell seemed broken did you hear that my wife looked at me terrified hear what I wondered. The scream. It sounds like someone is in pain. My instinct was to back out, and I really wish I had.

But before I could do anything, my wife was opening the door, leading me in. I held her hand, while keeping one foot in the door. I was all too familiar with the classic door slams behind you in a creepy house to walk in completely. inside everything was dusty and full of webs it was also unnervingly dark as my eyes adjusted to the dark i noticed that the house was completely trashed with strange symbols scratched into the walls and on the broken furniture in a shade of red just then my wife started feeling lightheaded and began to fall I feel so dizzy, she mumbled. I immediately caught her as she passed out.

Then, to my horror, as I looked up, I saw her in the hallway. I could barely make out her figure, but her finger was pointed at me, with her head tilted at that unnatural angle. I did not need to stand there until I saw the rest of her. a creepy figure. I immediately turned round while dragging my wife with me. The door behind us slammed shut, but luckily my foot was in the door. I groaned in pain from the impact and lunged towards the barely open door and crashed outside with my wife. I looked back wishing she was gone, but she was still walking towards us, very slowly, very deliberately. The next moment's a kind of hazy, as I was full of adrenaline.

I somehow managed to throw my wife in the car and get in. As I looked in my rearview mirror, I saw her. Her mouth was now wide open, and she screamed. As I hit the accelerator, I heard what sounded like the windows of the house smashing. I drove for half an hour to a small motel to rent a room for the night. At this point, my wife. wife is asleep, but I haven't slept at all. I dare not look away from her. What does the message on my hand mean? Is it toying with me, telling me I'm lucky my wife called to save me? Should I go

into the house again with someone else? When my wife woke up, we had a long discussion on what our next step should be. While we were talking, I casually glanced at her wrist and noticed the burn Mark was still there. She saw me looking, and her usual, radiant green eyes became dull. It's me. I wish I could tell you not to be afraid for me, but I don't even trust myself anymore. Tears started running down her face as I gave her a hug and comforted her without responding. She was right. I was starting to doubt the one person I trusted to protect me in any situation. though I took some solace in the fact that she was still the one who saved me twice from the twisted entity. Besides doubting ourselves, we came up with a few theories that seemed to make sense in light of recent events.

First, it seems that the entity is unable to appear in my wife's presence, proven by the fact that the moment she passed out, I was able to see it. Second, the entity is either evolving since it was able to speak and move out of the house. or there might be multiple entities, as some of you have suggested. Third, technology could potentially be a weakness for this thing, as the phone call has saved me twice now. And finally, there's something very wrong with that house, and the entity definitely doesn't want us there.

The house is something that has to be explored. But it's too dangerous to just go back without any further knowledge. So we decided to talk with the only other person in Natalie's life who had experienced the overlap, her high school friend Chris. After making some phone calls, we found out that Chris lived in a nearby town and had become a support group speaker for the visually impaired. It turned out he was actually speaking at 11 a.m., and we still had enough time to be able to make it. We got to the small community hall just in time as they closed the doors.

Most of Chris's speech was very uplifting and full of emotion, talking about all he had achieved in life. He ended his speech by saying, The day that I lost my vision was the day that I truly stopped living in fear. We stuck around after, and when the hall had emptied, we approached Chris, who was standing next to his wife, whom he had introduced earlier during his speech. I didn't know how to even begin to ask him about his vision loss. but before I could say anything, he pointed to me.

Ah, so the overlap happened. She said you were come. He then went on to tell us that ever since the incident, Natalie's great-grandmother had been in close touch with Chris. She felt very guilty about what had happened and was determined to find as much as she could. She also insisted that it was only a matter of time before the overlap had. happened again around Natalie and she wanted to find a way to stop it. When we told Chris about the condition of the house and about the symbols that I'd seen, he became very serious.

Oh, then she tried to do it. She tried to bind what holds the sisters together to her house. I'm afraid she may not have survived that. He said, quietly, I was really confused at this point. Did you just say his sisters? I asked. Chris then told us to follow him home, as there was a lot we needed to discuss. While Chris's wife cooked us lunch, he told us about the day he lost his vision. So I never told this to anyone except your great-grandmother.

But that day that I lost my vision, before I passed out, I'm pretty certain I saw a second entity behind the one that I was staring at in disbelief. and as I drifted into unconsciousness I heard a whisper, feed. He went on to explain that Natalie's great-grandmother called the entity's sisters since she was certain there was more than one of them. Additionally, she believed that they feed off of our fears

and not just fear, but the greater the fear, the more attracted the entity becomes. This made sense, seeing as I've been afraid most of our fear, my life, and now I'm at the peak of my fear since the one that I saw as my protector has become the subject of my fear. After years of research into ancient law, demonology, mythology, and family history, Natalie's great-grandmother found a way to pin the sisters. That has to be why there were strange symbols in the house, and why the sisters didn't want us going near the place.

She must have found a way to bind them there. However, seeing as the entity still appeared and drove with me in the car. That means they are still able to move freely, but they might have a vulnerability in that house. All of this was progress, yet the thought of not knowing how to deal with these sisters was quite troubling. Lunch is ready, caught out Chris's wife as we made our way to the kitchen to enjoy a much-needed meal. Chris wanted this to end as much as we did, so he insisted that we spend the night with him for our safety. Considering I hadn't gotten any sleep lately, I welcome the idea. We all stayed in the living room, and Chris's wife and I took shifts staying up to make sure

nothing happened. I woke up at 3am, feeling thirsty yet again. I laughed at myself, as I thought maybe I have a medical condition of waking up thirsty in the middle of the night. I looked over at Chris's wife since it was her shift to be on watch. Sure enough, she was awake and looking over at me with a gentle smile. I whispered, water? As she pointed to the kitchen. I walked over, half in fear of seeing the entity again. The kitchen was, thankfully, empty, as I went to look for water in the fridge.

No cold water in the fridge. I figured they might have some bottle water in the pantry. When I opened the pantry, I saw that it was very spacious and dark. I went to turn on the light and saw something very unexpected and horrific. In the corner lay Chris' wife, tied up, seemingly unconscious. Then it all hit me. lunch is ready those were the only words spoken by chris's wife that day i was so caught up in figuring out what was chasing us that i missed that fact completely i rushed back to the living room to find my wife missing and chris sound asleep what ensued after is beyond bizarre i woke up chris and called the cops immediately i knew they must have taken her to the

house. I didn't have time to tell them my wife was missing, so I rushed out of the door and headed for the house. Yes, I know this was very stupid, but we do stupid things when our loved ones are in danger. It's just human nature. During the drive, I kept asking myself, how did I miss that? Why is the entity involving so fast? It took another form. Is it because I wasn't supposed to survive an overlap, much less twice? Is it hunting me down? But why take my wife? I'm the one they want.

I finally reached the house. It was now six o'clock in the morning. Before I could step outside my car, my phone rang. It was Natalie. Hello, honey. Are you okay? you? I yelled as I picked up. I'm so confused. I thought we slept at Chris's house. I'm home. I'm home, please, just come back. Now I was really confused. Is that still my wife on the phone?

Honey, your wrist. Before I could finish, she replied. Yes, there is still a burn mark on my wrist. And so, I decided to drive back. As I started reversing, I saw it, standing in the window of that decrepit house, sipping water from a glass, smiling at me with eyes shining greener than usual. I left for home, frustrated and not understanding any of what was going on. On my drive back, I wondered. It knew I was going back to the house to look for my wife. It wanted to see. It wanted to see. see me, but why? When I got home, Natalie came running and gave me a hug. I felt cold-hearted for doing this, but I immediately pulled out her wrist to find the burn mark on it. She looked up at me in disappointment.

It is me. As I finally looked into her eyes, my heart stopped. Her eyes, they were dark, black. The iris of her eye was no longer the beautiful green that I had come to find comfort in. They were deep black. Natalie has been crying a lot ever since she looked in the mirror and I'm still processing all of what's just happened.

It's been a complete day since her eyes changed colour and there have been no more sightings of the entity. Life is seemingly normal. Not perfect anymore, but normal. Natalie is still herself, but seems to be a lot more of a serious person now. I spoke with Chris on the phone, and he told me that him and his wife were doing okay, and haven't seen the entity since. At this point, I'm writing this update, and, well, I'm not sure if I should go back to the house and investigate.

I can't help but think it wanted me to see its eyes that day at the house. It wanted me to know What it had taken from me I don't even know if destroying the sisters will bring back Natalie's beautiful green eyes And with that said I'm keeping a close eye on her Just when I thought maybe I'd found peace Just maybe I could move on with everything

Things got weirder Natalie's eyes remain black After a couple of weeks of pretending at a third things were okay, I tried to talk to her about the whole situation, but she would always find a way to skirt around the conversation. Things have never really been the same. We eat dinner in silence. I wake up at night and find her staring at the ceiling. Enough was enough. I couldn't continue to live like this. I needed to find a way to fix things. And the only way I knew how was to go back to that disturbing house.

I sat down with Natalie, and we had a long conversation about everything that had happened, and she reluctantly agreed that we needed to go back to the house. Whatever these sisters were, we needed to confront them. So, before we headed to the house,

we came up with a plan. A lot of you guys suggested that mirrors might help, so I made sure to bring a mirror with me. I mean, at this point, why not? Additionally, knowing how dark it was inside the house last time, I brought some night vision goggles. Now, the question about whether Natalie would accompany me on the trip or not, considering that she has been my saviour every time,

we decided it was best that she went with me. However, I wasn't going to let her enter the house under any circumstance. I've also taken your suggestion on making sure that it is her. Even though Natalie has been significantly quiet to them before, I make it a point to ask her numerous questions and expect answers to make sure it's her. I can see the sadness in her eyes, how she knows that I've lost the complete trust I used to have in her. But she complies and responds to my questions,

knowing it's the only way I can keep a straight head in this entire situation. We arrived at the house around 11 a.m. in broad daylight. Not that it made a difference since the house was dark as ever inside. Since it was a pretty remote area, I didn't feel bad hooking up a chain to the front door and pulling it off with my truck. I wasn't letting any door close on me this time. I had Natalie stand about 10 feet away from the doorframe so that she could still see me as I walked in. My theory was that these sisters seemed to be unable to face her. So, as long as I maintain a good line of sight with Natalie, I half-heartedly hoped they wouldn't appear. With my night vision goggles activated, I stepped into the house with Natalie nervously calling out from behind me. Be careful, honey.

Even though so much had happened, I still found a sense of comfort in her voice. It'll be all right now. I promise. We will fix this. I called back. The air was heavy inside the house. And I found it slightly hard to breathe. But nevertheless, I'd planned for this trip for quite a few days, and I wasn't about to back out now. I saw the symbols again on the walls, and I pulled out my phone and took some pictures. Everything in the house was trashed and dusty, except a small cupboard on the wall across the living room. So far I'd been walking in a straight line,

maintaining a vision with Natalie. But this cupboard seemed odd. It had too many symbols around it, and it was the only object in the house that seemed to be untouched. There had been no sign of the sisters. I'm going to go check something out real quick. I'll be back right away, okay? and called out to Natalie, who shook her head. Okay, please just hurry. I want to leave already. I sprinted across the room and looked through the drawers. All were empty except the last one, which had a small pocket-sized leather-bound diary. I immediately put it in my jacket pocket and started back.

Just then, I turned around to find the smiling face of my wife. with a glass of water in her hand, an eyes that looked greener than ever. Honestly, for a moment I admired her beautiful green eyes, only to immediately snap out of it and realize this was the entity I was facing. I slowly began to walk past it in an arc. Just as I had passed her,

is everything okay in there? Natalie yelled from outside. The moment the sound of her voice reached me, I heard a glass shatter behind me. I knew what was going on, and in that adrenaline-filled moment, I said, screw it, I'm going to give this a shot. I pulled out the mirror, turned around, and held it in front of its face. Now I could see her through my night-vision goggles, head tilted, grinning. It let out a scream and shattered the mirror in my hand. I slowly began to back up towards Natalie's line of sight.

Eyes closed shut. Just when I thought I was almost there, I bumped into someone. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder and a face right next to mine. You came back to us, it whispered in my ear. The most disturbing part wasn't that my eyes were closed. It was the fact that it sounded like five people saying it at exactly the same time, with some deep and some higher-pitched voices. Then I felt another hand, as I swung around to the ground with a force I could not comprehend.

As I fell, I crawled towards what little light was coming through the door. I barely got far enough to see Natalie screaming outside. and running towards the house. Stop, Natalie, stop, don't come in, I yelled as she halted a couple of feet from the door. No, no, no, not you two. They can't have you too. They said they wouldn't. At the time I didn't really pay attention to what she'd said. I felt a hand holding my foot, knowing that they were trying to drag me out of her vision. I noticed my phone had fallen out.

At this point, I became very dizzy, and I reached to unlock my phone. Even though it was dark, Natalie's face lit up on my phone screen background. Her beautiful green eyes, as radiant as ever. I gave her one last look as I began to pass out. But right before I passed out, I felt the hand on my foot, release. I woke up at the hospital As my blurry vision became clear Natalie jumped at me and gave me a hug

Oh thank God you're okay Can you see Look at me, can you see As she moved back The first thing I noticed were her green eyes They were just as radiant as they used to be Your eyes I mumbled

Natalie let out a scream of joy when she realized I could see. Yes. Yes, honey, my eyes are okay. I feel like myself now. Oh, everything is okay. I had so many questions in that instance, but the doctor insisted that I rest.

The next morning, while the doctors were completing all the paperwork for my discharge, I spoke to Natalie about what had happened at the house. She explained that, as I was falling unconscious, she ran into the house only to see the sisters were staring at my phone screen.

The instant Natalie saw them, they looked up at her. After a brief stare, they disappeared. She also told me that she was pulling me out of the house, and it started crumbling and collapsed to the ground as we barely made it out. Really? I thought to myself. Was it that simple? Then I remembered about the pictures I'd taken in the house. and I reached for my phone to look at them.

What are you looking for, love? Natalie asked, and she saw me desperately going through my photos. I took some pictures in the house, but I can't find them, I replied as I wondered what had happened to them. Hmm, I don't remember you taking any pictures. She grabbed my phone and slid it in her purse. But we'll worry about that later. I'm just so glad you're okay. and she gave me a hug.

She was acting a little strange. Did she delete the pictures from my phone? I noticed my jacket hanging on the door, the same one I'd worn when I went inside the house. I walked over to put it on. It's chilly in here. I smiled at Natalie. Just then the doctor called for her to sign some papers,

and as she turned away, I immediately felt inside my pocket. I could feel the small, leather diary. Ever since we've been home, Natalie has constantly been by my side, quite literally. The only time I was not with her was when I went to use the bathroom. I pulled out the diary and looked at the first page. Herein lies what little knowledge we have gained over generations since the birth of the sisters. I was about to flip the page when Natalie started banging on the door. Are you okay in there?

Yes, I'm fine, honey. I'll be out in a bit, I yelled back. Hmm. Something's not right. She won't leave me alone for one bit. Not to mention what she said before I passed out. She knows something, and she won't tell me. But I don't want to confront her just yet.

I went to work today and tried to read the diary whenever I got the chance. But, well, I had a very busy. day. The story is quite long, but I'm getting close to finishing it. Earlier today, I left work a couple of hours early and drove over to the supposedly demolished house. What I saw disturbed me. The house was burnt to the ground, as if someone had deliberately set fire to it. Why would Natalie lie to me? Did she set this house on fire? I'm more than that. I'm more than also starting to doubt a lot of what she has said recently. Natalie keeps calling for me to come to bed and, well, I'm in my study writing this update. I keep lying, saying I'm writing something for work.

I also told her I have to go into work tomorrow morning for a few hours to make up for the time when I was in hospital. She bought it, and, well, I'll be going over to a coffee shop instead to finish reading the contents of the diary. So, I'll pick up where I left off. When I finished my previous post, I went to bed, ready to go to the local Starbucks the next morning to finish reading the diary. Surprisingly, I actually fell asleep,

all the while Natalie holding my hand and telling me everything was all right. I woke up at 3am again, feeling thirsty. By now, I've realised, that this is not really normal, but then again, nothing has really been normal. I decided to go down to the kitchen and get a drink of water anyway. As I tried to slip my hand from Natalie's, she instantly woke up. What's wrong, honey? she inquired. Her eyes were not sleepy. It was as if she wasn't really sleeping at all. Oh, nothing, love. I just need to get a drink of water,

I replied. Before I even got out of bed, she was out of bed and ready to go down with me. She held my hand and walked me down to the kitchen as I got a glass of water. She was being overprotective, too protective. Mind you, there wasn't anything really wrong with her. She was herself, but I couldn't help but feel that she was making sure I would never see the entity again. which is why every chance she got, she tried to be around me. We went back to bed, and I fell asleep, knowing that Natalie probably wasn't going to sleep at all. In the morning, she asked me several questions about why I was going to work. I made up some decent excuses.

Sweetheart, I'll be fine. I thought you said it was over. They're gone. I told her. Yes, of course, but I just wanted to make sure. I just want to spend as much time with you as I can, after all that's happened, she said, with an almost sad look on her face. I arrived at the Starbucks, ordered some coffee, and, without further delay, pulled out the diary

and began reading. Before I tell you about the contents of the diary, I want to make some observations regarding the diary itself. It was very old, leather bound, almost falling apart. It had several different types of handwriting throughout, suggesting that it had been passed down and multiple people had taken notes in it. The notes within the diary were scattered, and I have tried my best to piece everything together. The diary began by telling the story of two sisters, who were born a year apart. The first was Madeline, born on March 11, 1800.

A beautiful girl with bright green eyes. she was the first child to her parents. The second daughter was born on March 11, 1801. This seemed a little odd to the parents, but they didn't give it too much thought. Since their second daughter also had green eyes, like her older sister Madeline, they named her Carolyn.

As they grew older, the parents realized that both Madeline and Carolyn were identical, and not just identical twins, they looked exactly the same. It was only later that the parents realized, not only were the daughters born on the same day, they were both born at exactly 3am. Initially, they went and saw several different doctors, but none of them could explain this strange phenomenon.

All they could conclude was that this was a strange anomaly. Eventually, the entire family just accepted the strange phenomenon and continued on with their lives. Of the two sisters, Carolyn, the younger one, was very lively and energetic. She had a way with words, and all the townspeople were very fond of her. Madeline, the older sister, was quiet in nature. She didn't speak too much, and over the years had come to envy her sister Caroline. Caroline would sometimes pretend to be Madeline to confuse people. For the most part, the sisters were like any other siblings,

with usual conflict every now and then. This next part of the story takes a dark turn. It turns out that both Madeline and Carolyn fell in love with the same man. Thomas was a very wealthy businessman, and they both got to know him because he worked closely with their father. seemingly caroline admired thomas's wealth more than anything whereas madeline was in love with thomas thomas chose to marry caroline not knowing that her affection wasn't real being the quiet one madeline didn't say anything on their wedding day however when madeline saw caroline getting ready to put on her

wedding dress she couldn't contain her anger and frustration and confronted her little sister in a heated argument she accidentally pushed caroline down the stairs causing her to die what happened next was even more bizarre in a state of shock and emotional distress madeline hid her younger sister in the closet put on caroline's wedding dress and proceeded with the ceremony madeline got married to the love of her life and proceeded to move forward with her life and proceeded to move forward with her life as if nothing had happened. A few days later, Carolyn's body was discovered. The reason they knew it was Carolyn is because the parents had secretly marked both sisters with two distinct burn marks on their backs. Once word got out, Thomas left Madeline in utter disgust. Madeline realized that her life was now ruined, realized what she had done and hung herself.

Now, I realised that Carolyn was always the one who smiled, the one who talks, and the one who can imitate people. Madeline, on the other hand, is the twisted form of the entity. So, at this point I asked myself, is that it? They're ghosts haunting the family. Well, not quite. The diary continued to explain what happened next. A generation later, the family was blessed with another beautiful baby girl named Laura. As Laura grew up, the rest of the family couldn't help but notice that she looked exactly like Madeline and Carolyn.

Slowly, the family started seeing the entity, and strange things began to happen. Now the writer in the diary claims that they do not completely understand the origin of the overlap. However, they do know that it happens when the child experienced immense emotion. I won't give you each and every detail from the diary, as the notes were quite extensive. The diary gave several accounts of different daughters being born in the family every once in a while that follow this same pattern. They look like Madeline and Carolyn, and things around them become strange. the course of the notes, the diary writer's understanding of the entity increases. All cases end with the sisters taking complete possession of the daughter or anomaly child, and then disappearing.

Over the years, the family figured out that the original burn marks used by the parents to mark the two sisters could shield items from the sisters. However, this didn't work when the marks were applied on people. The notes went back and forth. on what exactly the sisters were, until I arrived to the last few pages of the diary, which were written by Natalie's great-grandmother, at least that was my guess. Turns out, she was a neurologist. She theorised that the sisters were a part of the anomaly child. This is why no one ever found a way to end the sisters.

They reside within the mind of the anomaly child. This meant that part of Natalie was the anomaly child. the two sisters. Natalie's great-grandmother continued by saying that Natalie is not to blame. The sisters are able to communicate with her subconsciously. Therefore, she knows that they exist, but is not completely aware of what happens around her. To my horror, I turned to the next page, hoping for a solution. The final words in the diary read, it's her. They are a part of her. In every past case, the final stage was complete control of the anomaly child's body by the entity.

After which, the immediate people around the anomaly child would die and the anomaly child would disappear. The sisters are entities that feed off of immense emotion. Unfortunately, we have tried, but killing the anomaly child does not. end the cycle. They will be coming for me next, as they have seen the diary in my possession. I am hiding this diary with the prescribed markings. To whoever finds this next, I am sorry. I wrote that last paragraph without telling you how shocked I was. Was this it? There was no solution? Is that why Natalie has been staying so close to me? Does she realise that she will eventually be lost to the sisters?

How did she save me that day at the house? Did she actually interact with the entity? I close the diary, my heart racing. I cannot lose Natalie. She is my world. She's everything to me. As I looked up, I realised it was almost dark. I'd spent nearly the whole day reading this diary.

As I drove back home, I didn't know what to do. I did decide that I needed to confront Natalie and tell her about the diary, even though that probably didn't sound like the best idea. But what other choice did I have? When I got back home, Natalie rushed into my arms, and I apologized for being so late. we had a nice dinner together and afterwards she asked me if we could look at the stars for a while considering all the weird things that had happened lately i gladly agreed to finally do something normal with her

remember how we used to climb out of the roof of the engineering building on campus and stare at the stars she asked turning towards me yeah and i still stand by what i said then i don't really need to look at the stars when I can look into your beautiful love, I responded. I love you so much. Always know that, she said and started crying. I held her, as I couldn't help her think she knew exactly what was going on. That night I went to bed, fully intending to confront her the next morning. I woke up at 2.45 a.m. to Natalie quietly kissing my forehead. I pretended to stay asleep as I heard her walk downstairs.

I quietly got up and followed her down. Then I saw her, holding a suitcase and walking towards the front door. Natalie, honey, what's going on? I called out. She turned, eyes full of tears. I have to go. I'm so sorry. I have to go. Please. I wasn't letting her go. I'd gone through too much for her sake. Natalie, I know everything.

I started, but she kept glancing at her watch. No, you don't. I asked them to. I told them to take me, but to leave you alone, she screamed. Now I was really worried. Natalie, what did you do? How did you get me out of that house? Natalie, I need you to be honest with me.

For once, honey, trust me. She clasped to the floor. I begged them. I beg them to leave you alone and take me. I've been fighting them for so long. I've been fighting to keep them away for so, so long. Half the time I don't even know who's in control. They agreed.

They'll leave you alone, only if I stop them. fighting them. But it's too late now. I'm no longer fighting them in my mind. I've given them control of my body. So, run, run, run. As she said her last words, I began to notice strange inflections in her voice. Run! She screamed as she looked up. Her eyes pitch black, her head starting to tilt, a grin slowly forming on her face. The clock behind her read three a. What ensued was probably the craziest thing I've ever done. But in hindsight, these last couple of months have made me a lot braver than I ever was. As she stood up, I rushed towards her and gave her a hug. I know you're in there, love. I know you've been

protecting me all this time. You've always been my savior and now it's time for me to save you. Now it's time I protect you. Come back to me Natalie. Come back to me. You're stronger than they are. Fight back. Fight back for me. Fight back for us. I love you and I can't live without you. I held her eyes shut close. Remember the stars. Remember how we stared at them last night. night, remember how we stared at them all those years ago. Oh, I still think your eyes shine brighter than any of the stars in the sky. In that adrenaline-filled moment, I kept talking on about our most cherished memories until I felt tears falling down my shoulder. I finally had the guts to pull away from her to see that she had returned to being my Natalie. Eyes shining bright green,

full of tears. I'm so sorry, she said, as I held her for a long time. After everything that has happened, I've realized that I was just so afraid of the world. I've always feared monsters that exist in my imagination. And the only person I saw that could shelter me was Natalie. Little did I know that all along she was fighting against something much more scary. She needs me more than ever And I finally come to see that

I've realized that I have to fight for the one I care for so deeply I believe that in the moment that Natalie gave the sister's control of her body They became vulnerable Somehow they seemed to be trapped inside Natalie Life is not going to be normal anymore But I don't care As long as I have Natalie, everything will be all right. It's been a week since, and things are starting to normalize.

Still, sometimes at night, I wake up, and when I turn to look at Natalie, I see those pitch, black eyes. But I hold Natalie's hand, and in the blink of an eye, her green eyes return, brighter, than ever. And so once again, we reach the end of tonight's podcast. My thanks as always to the authors of those wonderful stories and to you for taking the time to listen. Now, I'd ask one small favor of you. Wherever you get your podcast wrong, please write a few nice words and leave a five-star review as it really helps the podcast. That's it for this week, but I'll be back again same time, same place, and I do so hope you'll join me once more. Until next time, Sweet dreams and bye-bye.