The flash on the camera snapped and everything went black. “Hello?” I cried, my voice echoing into the void suddenly surrounding me. “HELLO!” I wailed, hoping for something or someone to respond. The only sound was my voice trailing off.

I shut my eyes as tight as I could, like I did when I was little and thunderstorms would cast shadow monsters across my room. When I would open my eyes, the monsters would be gone. I was certain that this time when I opened my eyes, the darkness would be gone.

I stopped dead in my tracks, my heart nearly beating right out of my chest. Okay, deep breaths, L. I thought to myself. Nothing to be afraid of. I’m sure it’s just a branch or a bird. A nocturnal bird. I worked to slow my breathing as I made my way back down the stairs. Nothing to be afraid of, I whispered, grabbing the knife off the kitchen table as I made my way back to my room. Nothing at all.

I set the knife on the nightstand. I flipped on the light and grabbed my book. Sleep was long gone by now. As I read, the words started to blur, my eyes fluttering softly.