Chapter XIV:

I still can’t get her out of my mind. She still won’t leave me to this day. Even on the ship she managed to find me. I found out on that first night. I wasn’t even asleep when I was aware of her presence. First, I felt her hot breath against my nape. Against my better judgement, I glanced behind me. I saw a cold red eye starting at me. I swallowed a mouthful of air.

“Who are you? What do you want from me?” I asked. She only smiled at me. I looked around in the dark. Her ghostly fingers ranked down my chest. The soft giggling made my stomach turn.

“Please leave me alone,” I begged. She shook her head.

“But why?” I asked. Her nails started to sink into my skin. I could see her smile turn more demonic. She said something that chilled me back when I still had a heart.

“We’re not done with you yet.”

What did that mean? I didn’t want to think about it. But she had already pulled me in.

That was just the first night.

Every night, she would lay behind in me in my bed. I can still remember her hands all over my body. She felt so cold against my skin. The closer she got the sicker I felt. Soon I couldn’t work properly. I didn’t understand what she meant by saying they weren’t done with me yet. Who was this we that she was referring to?

No. I refused to let her ruin my life even further. She already took away my family. I was going to let her take my new start either.

I sat up on my bed. I clenched my fists at my sides.

“Why can’t you just leave me alone?!” I hissed under my breath. “Who the hell are you?! What do you want from me?! You’ve already taken my family. What more could you want from me?!” Silence filled the room. I looked around, holding my breath. I knew she was there.

“Well?” I asked. “Come out and say something.” I about fell backwards as her face came within inches of mine. Her lips curved into that demonic smile that only caught a glimpse of from the corner of my eye. I wanted to run. I wanted to scream. Why couldn’t I move my body? Then she said that creepy rhyme.

“Ladybird, ladybird. Fly away home. You house is on fire and your children all gone. All except one. And that’s little Ann. And she has crept under the warming pan.”

And then she was gone. She killed something in my soul even further that night.