Mistaken

"Bye Sandra! See you tomorrow night!" Tessa shouted over her shoulder before walking away. "See you!" Sandra shouted back, going to the other side of the street. She just finished from her part-time job and she was really tired. She wanted to lie on her bed and sleep all night long with their air-conditioner turned on, but she has no other choice.

I must study my lessons as soon as I get back home, she thought, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh as she waited for jeep to stop by.

Minutes have passed there was still no sign of jeep. Suddenly, a honk of a familiar grey Vios astounded over her. She jumped in shock, cursing under her breathe. She threw a harsh glare at the driver of the car on her left but it was soon replaced by a look of relief when she recognized who the driver was.

"Nick!" She called out, running towards the car. Nick was her 26-year-old neighbour who takes care of her little devil of a brother named Bryan while she's away from school and her part-time job. Nick knew the siblings very well and that he treats them as his children. Well, if you're thinking Sandra and Bryan were already an orphan, you're wrong. It was just that their mother works abroad so they were left in the Philippines without any relatives. Their father abandoned them when Sandra was 6 years old. And now, she's a 17-year-old working student at a restaurant.

Nick gave Sandra a wide proud grin as he unlocked the door at the back seat of his car. "Hey," She said prolonging the word. "Nice timing over there, huh?" She paused, throwing smile at him in the reflection of the rear view mirror. "Where's Bryan?" asked Sandra.

He didn't say a word. Nick only chuckled and Sandra recognized this chuckle of his. "What the- You left Bryan all alone in my apartment?!" She yelled. Like who the hell would leave a 4-year-old boy at an apartment all alone!? Who knows what he might do in there?! She thought. "He might mess up the kitchen and the living room! And my room! What if he tears the pages in my books-!" Sandra yelled, but she did not finish her sentence because Bryan, who was hiding enough beside the driver's seat for Sandra not to see him, interrupted her with a scream.

Sandra was surprised by it. Her eyes widened, "What the hell? Bryan, you scared the hell out of me!" She shouted at the now giggling Bryan seating in the front. "You were always the biggest chicken, Cassandra." Nick commented, making Bryan's laughter even louder.

Sandra frowned, slamming her palm to her forehead. "Geez. I shouldn't have gone with you two."

"But you did anyway. Regret was always at the end, my dear."

"Stop saying that! You sound like gay, Nick. I'm starting to think if you really are one." Sandra snapped at Nick, mumbling the last part.

The two were laughing their heads off the whole drive, although Nick was slowly calming down since Sandra pinched him hard in the sides.

"Get off there you two, we're here." Nick told them, climbing out of his car along with the two. "We are already out!" Bryan exclaimed, running towards Nick who was unlocking the door at Sandra's apartment with the spare key she gave him. Sandra walked in her apartment after Bryan and Nick did.

Bryan slumped down the couch in the living where he always spent his time, while Nick was in the kitchen pouring a glass of cold water for himself. Sandra slumped down on the couch with Bryan, sighing. Bryan's gaze turned to her sister, throwing her his cute puppy eyes.

Sandra narrowed her eyes at him. She knew he does this kind of thing only whenever he wants something. "What do you want?" She asked him.

"Well, can I sleep at Nick's place tonight? Please?"

"Why? Don't you want to sleep here with me tonight?" She frowned, trying to sound cute.

Bryan's puppy face dropped, putting on his disgusted look. "No way! Sissy's so ugly!"

"Yeah. I am your sissy yet you call me ugly." Whoa. That rhymed! Sandra thought.

Nick walked in the living room, causing the siblings to stare at him. "So... What? Did your sister let you?" He asked Bryan. Bryan stood up from the couch, grabbing his hands tightly in his two little hands. "Come on, Nick! Just let ugly sissy be alone with the monster in here!"

"I told you! The monster I was talking about was only a fictional character I got from an anime!" Sandra snapped.

"Wow. You call her sissy then you call her ugly." Nick smirked.

"Hey, that was my exact line when he said that earlier!" Sandra uttered in complete wonder.

"I don't care what you two are talking about! And for your information, ugly sissy, he didn't say the exact same thing!" Bryan shouted as he dragged Nick to the door, sticking his tongue out at her.

Sandra was taken aback by her brother's action and turned to Nick, giving him a killer look. "Nick, have you been saying bad things about me to my brother? I noticed he's been acting so mean to me these days." She asked, slightly nodding on the last sentence she said.

Nick cursed under his breathe before snapping to Sandra, slightly annoyed by Bryan. "W-What are you talking? I have nothing to tell him something bad about you. Well, except for your warfreakness, if that's even a word." He shrugged, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Seriously, have you been?" Sandra asked once again.

"Stop it! Ugly sissy!" Bryan chimed in. Sandra opened her mouth to protest but before she knew it, Bryan slammed the door right on Nick's face, leaving Cassandra with her mouth hanging open.

"Oh fudge! Uh! My nose, Bryan! You're going to ruin my almost perfect face!" Sandra heard Nick from behind the door. Damn that arrogance she thought.

"Don't mind it, Nick. It doesn't matter, I'm more perfect than you!"

"Uh. Never mind, come on. I think you broke my nose."

Sandra was amused to hear their silly conversation outside that they made her laugh a bit, turning around. She was so unsure of what to do next, but then, realization rushed over her.

"Oh God, I have to study. Why do we even have to do four quizzes tomorrow? Argh! College life, you're the worst." She groaned, storming into her room.

<> <> <> <> <>

It was already 10 o'clock in the evening when Cassandra finished studying. "Aish. That was really tiring. But- oh damn. What time is it?" She whispered to herself, grabbing her phone from the bedside table. "Uh. 10 o'clock? For real?"

She stood up from her bed, leaving her books scattered all over. She didn't want to fix them all up, like she said, her study time was so tiring, she didn't want to increase her tiredness even for a little bit.

Heading out of her room, she felt thirsty so she walked inside the kitchen, deciding to pour a glass of water for herself. After a while, her thirst was gone. She started walking back to her to sleep but then, again, she felt a need of little bit entertainment.

She smirked, "Movie time, it is." And yes, she entertains herself by watching a movie, but it was mostly reading books in Wattpad. Sandra shoved out everything out in the small box hidden inside Bryan's room. It was where she kept every CDs she bought from the mall.

"Where is it? Where is it?" She chanted over and over again until she found the movie she haven't watched since the day she bought it, she was always busy at school or at work.

She ran to the living room and quickly started setting up the TV and the DVD player while humming the song Part Of Me by Katy Perry. After that, she inserted the CD inside the player. Grabbing the remote control, she hurried towards the couch and slumped down on it.

Sandra pressed the play button and she was grinning widely, until that time when the sound effect of the movie at the start played. She bit her lip. Seconds later, the sound next played was the sound of what I think is a film playing from the older days. The first image shown in the movie was an eye of a creepy doll.

Yes, you were right. She was watching The Conjuring. Nick said: You were always the biggest chicken, yet she always wanted to watch horror movies like this.

A couple of minutes later she was already in the middle of the movie. She suddenly felt a need to pee. Groaning in annoyance, she stood up and headed for the bathroom without pausing the movie. The floor was so cold that night, it made her regret that she didn't wear her slippers. They were inside her room under her bed. Finally, she walked in the bathroom and closed the door behind her quietly.

While she was doing her 'thing' in the bathroom, a sudden cold breeze of air brushed her skin. Confused, there were no windows in the bathroom. Worst, there aren't any windows out there, only in her room and Bryan's. She fixed herself first and she grabbed the knob, but the lights blinked twice. Hell, Nick just changed the light bulb in here last week  she thought. She was a chicken so she became scared so easily. Now, she remembered those horror movies she watched recently. There was cold wind that passed over me, must be a sign that a spirit passed through you. The lights blinked even though it was a new one, must be a sign that the spirit was playing with yo- Ah shut up! Stop thinking non-sense. Those were only in movies! But wait, it's raining outside. What is this? A cliché suspense scene happening in real life? God, this is driving me crazy!

The lights blinked twice again, bringing her back in reality. She twisted the knob of the door but she still did not pull it open. Sandra was thinking What if there is a white lady standing behind this door waiting for me to come out and then grab my neck and choke me to death? She turned to the shower curtain on her right. And what if there is a dead body lying behind the curtain?

As you can read, she was really the biggest chicken, even I wanted to scold her because of it. Screw her mother who liked watching horror movies with her when Sandra was 8 and then always scare her about it. Now, she got used of always being scared.

Trying to be brave, she pulled the door open, her eyes widened in shock when she didn't see anything waiting for her. A sigh of relief rushed over her. Well, of course. It was just your imagination, Sandra she thought.

She then walked back to the living room. It was dark that time, she didn't bother to turn on the lights since she was scared that something will suddenly show up, only the brightness of the TV provided her dim light. Weird. That was the only word I can say if you're asking me what she feels.

"Cassandra. . ."

She opened her mouth in shock, looking behind her back. She shook her head. That must be my imagination, I'm hearing things she thought.

She started walking to the living room again, only that she stopped on her tracks when her eyes landed on the scene playing in the TV. It was the scene when April showed the music box with a mirror to Loraine Warren. Lorraine twisted the key and the music started playing. The music was so creepy, it gave her shivers. The mirror was now moving in a circular motion. She remembered the line April said to her mother that time before they played 'hide-and-clap'.

. . .when the music stops, you will see my friend standing beside you in the mirror.

"In the mirror," she repeated. Then finally, the dead boy appeared. Sandra screamed in horror, she was so shocked that she turned around. She was surprised again, she realized there was a full-body length mirror standing behind her. She covered her mouth with her hands to prevent her from shouting, Sandra was panting so hard and sweating.

And then it hit her.

No. No. It really is happening in real life she thought.

Suddenly, she saw a shadow move behind her in the mirror. She turned around, breathing shakily, she checked if there was someone. But no, there wasn't. She locked the doors when Nick and Bryan got out. Curse Nick and her brother for living Sandra all alone by herself. If something to her, I will put the blame on them.

Sandra felt something vibrating in her pocket, she looked down and it was her phone. Right, my phone! I should call Nick! She thought. She quickly pulled it out from her pocket and someone was calling her. Sandra flipped it open and the caller I.D says unknown number.

Sandra hesitated to answer it since she was scared that some creepy voice would speak. After five rings, she decided to just answer it. She pressed the accept button, her hands and knees shaking. She nearly broke down on the floor.

"H-hello?"

No one spoke.

"H-hello? Who is t-this?" Sandra stuttered.

[In the kitchen] Something creepy voice whispered.

Her mouth was hanging open in shock, tears forming at the sides of her eyes. Then she thought of an idea. She quickly started typing the letters in her phone, she was trying to call Nick, but before Sandra knew it, her phone dropped from her hands. Making a loud sound of thud.

"Crap," she whispered, kneeling down to grab it again. Her phone was now dialling Nick's phone. "Please, Nick, pick it up." She begged, closing her eyes.

[The number you dialed is currently not available, please try your call later. . . The number you dialed is currently not available, please try your call later. . .] The operator repeated again and again. Sandra nearly threw her phone in annoyance at the wall.

I should get the hell out of here she thought. She put her phone back inside her pocket and stood up, stumbling two steps back. She ran for the door and reached for the door knob, she twisted it. "No, no, no. This is impossible, I think I'm going crazy."

The door wouldn't open. She can't even twist the knob. What was happening? She did not have a single clue. Then it happened, there was loud crashes coming from the kitchen, to make it worst she also heard two screams before the crashes, both voices were familiar to her.

Her breathing became heavier, running towards the kitchen. She didn't care what she might see now, what she cares about now is: who the screams came from.

She stumbled inside the kitchen, it was pitch black, she barely sees anything. It was so quiet. She went for the lights, but they didn't work. She knew that there was a spirit playing playing games on her that time. That time she can't believe what she just experienced. She was feeling a supernatural occurrence.

"H-h-hello?" she walked even deeper into the darkness. Sandra stepped on something, it was sticky and warm. She took one more step and her feet were now on the sticky warm substance. Another step, she felt something touch her foot. It wasn't a liquid. It was a body.

A body! Sandra panicked, and kneeled down, she remembered her phone was in her pocket, she grabbed for it turned on the flash light. Sandra roamed the flash light around the room. She screamed in horror when the light landed on the body of Nick and her brother, Bryan.

Their dead cold body covered in red.

And it was not only a sticky and warm substance she was kneeling on, she was on a pool of blood. A pool of her kind neighbor and little brother's blood. But how did they die? Shards of glass were scattered on the floor, Sandra didn't realize she stepped on so many shards, she had so many cuts and shards stuck in her feet. There was also a knife on the floor, its blade covered in blood. It was already obvious that they were stabbed by a knife or got their heads hit with a glass or bowl.

Sandra couldn't breathe, her chest was tightening. She can't stand looking at the dead bodies of the people she was close to. Tears went rolling down her eyes. Her phone dropped from her hands again, she couldn't let out a cry. Tears were only flowing. She can't move. Can't even barely say a word. She was only talking to them from earlier, they were teasing and laughing at each other. Her brother, Bryan was so young to die.

She was shaking unstoppably along with the tears rolling down. She was too shocked, this was the first time she saw too much blood and dead bodies. Then, she laughed. I didn't know why. She just laughed in this kind of situation? She could have called the police!

She kept on laughing, then crying "What happened? Bryan, Nick wake up." She whispered, laughing again. She was probably going crazy. No, seriously, she is going crazy. Her brain couldn't stand the situation anymore. "I know you two are teaming up again to scare me. We have a lot of ketchup so you won't win over me this time, this is fake! Wake up!" She yelled, crying. Then she laughed again like witch.

But she froze when a voice spoke, "Now, now. What do we have here? Another idiot that I would kill? This is so boring, I have killed the same people for the last 2 days. And now another one?" the creepy voice smirked. It was coming from what I think is a man.

Sandra couldn't say a word, she just stared at the figure standing in front of her. She picked up her phone, the flash light still on. She flashed the floor, slowly moving upwards until she saw the killer's feet, his slacks, and blazer. The killer was wearing a suit, she also saw that he was hiding something behind him. Finally, the light was now on his mask. Yes, he was wearing a mask. A creepy clown mask that has stains of blood on it.

"Scary, right?" The man said before showing the knife he was hiding and went for Sandra who was scared and shocked. Not moving on the spot while tears flew down her eyes.

And from that Cassandra woke up, sitting up. She was breathing so hard and sweating.

The door bursted out open, a figure of tall muscular man appeared. Sandra screamed in horror when the door opened. The man ran towards her and tried grabbing her wrist. She was kicking the man but she stopped, she found herself pinned down on the bed by the man. Sandra opened her eyes to see who the man is, a look of relief passed over her. It was only Nick. Sandra immediately hugged him, she was crying. "Hey, what happened? I heard you shouting from the other side of your apartment." Nick asked her. A blush was on his face, it was the first time Sandra did this kind of thing to Nick. She pulled out from the hug and scanned her surrounding: her books were scattered all over her bed, the window was opened, she saw her phone lying on the ground and her alarm clock that reads 9:30 in the evening. "Hey, are you starting to fall for me?" Nick asked her. Sandra wiped her tears away, she chuckled. "Shut up, Nick."

She sobbed once again, "It was only. . . a nightmare."