...Underneath the lamp post,...

...In the middle of the night,...

...The bus makes a silent stop....

...A strange and fearful sight,...

...at the bus stop at your corner....

...Something big and green climbed down....

...It's looking for your bedroom,...

...and it has searched all over town. You...

...thought it couldn't find you,...

...That you were safe and you were sound....

...You thought you could hide,...

...where you never could be found. But now...

...it's almost here,...

...You know it loves, the dark of night....

...There's only one thing you can do,...

...Quick! Turn on the light!...

"Then Boom", suddenly Eshal's mom startled her.

"Mom, you are scaring me", Eshal looked at her mom with tiny eyes.

"You can't do that and I'm not gonna believe in this", Eshal told her mom.

"Oh really", Erin raised her eyebrows and smirked.

"Yeah, so try something new and I would prefer some tangible things than fictional one", Eshal said it in her fancy way.

" So, you want something realistic things?", Erin asked Eshal.

"Yes", Eshal replied.

"Do you know, there is a lot of good and evil things around us? Do you believe in such kind of feelings?", Erin asked her daughter.

" Mom, are you trying to say that ghost does exist?", Eshal asked Erin.

"Maybe it's not a ghost or maybe yes. Or maybe something stronger than that or maybe something beyond our thinking", while saying it, the atmosphere became very tense.

Eshal widened her eyes and grasped Erin's hand all of a sudden.

" Mom, I'm scared", Eshal placed her head in my arm.

I held her up in my warm embrace, comforting her and said,"Don't worry baby, your mom is here. No one will scare my baby".

"Mom, what is that?", Eshal asked me.

I exhaled firmly and said," It is something else that is not for our world".

"Where do they live?", Eshal asked.

" They are from hell", Eshal raised her brows, "Hell!".

" Yes,hell",. I replied.

"What do they want from us, mom?".

"They want us. They want to destroy our humanity and soul".

Eshal looked down but suddenly screamed," Mom, someone is there".

She pointed to the window, the window was open and the curtains were swaying in the breeze.

I got up to go there. I moved the curtain and looked outside.

"See, there is no one. It's your hallucination", I told her.

" No mom, I saw a black shadow with red eyes".

I sighed and called her to me.

"Now see, these were lamp post honey".

"But. I saw something was moving. Lamp can't be moved", Eshal looked up at me.

" Yeah, It's a devil if you don’t go to bed, he will take you with him".

"Mo'ma", Eshal grabbed me.

I burst into laugh and carried her up. " It's nothing honey. Mom is with you so no devil can hurt my baby".

While talking I took my to upstairs. I lay beside Eshal.

"Mom, so devil take soul".

" Yeah".

"So, did devil take my dad too?"

I paused for a while and kept looking at Eshal. He sacrificed himself for us, for me. I kissed her forehead and said, "Baby, close your eyes. you remember your grandpa will come tomorrow".

" Oh yes, I have to sleep now or else I can't go to airport to receive him".

I smiled and kept moving my fingers in her smooth hair. After a while Eshal fell asleep. I immediately went near the window. I saw the same what my child saw. Your illusion can't hurt me nor my child. We have already overcome our bad memories long time ago.

Let's back to the story-

I got up from bed and walked towards the window. I saw a burnt body standing there, waving hand to me.

Bullshit, I hate this type of cat-and-rat relationship. If you want me then confront me. I don't even know what you had planned for me. Suddenly someone knocked on the door as if someone was trying to break down the door. Dad slightly opened his eyes and sat up.

"Honey",

" Dad, wait here. lemme see", I forced him to sit.

"No, you can't", Dad suddenly reacted badly.

I stood there and sighed. Dad, I can handle myself now. Why can't you believe me.

Dad took a iron stick and stopped in front of the door. Slowly that guy knocking on the door very loudly. Dad asked, "who?"

But no one said a word. Dad shouted,"Who is it?"

But slowly the sound subsided. I came near him and held his dad. I blinked my eyes to say him everything is okay, I'm with him.

I extended my hand to unlock the door. but dad was stopping me to not open.

"Dad please".

I opened the door despite his prohibition. I found no one and came out immediately.

" Erin, wait don't go", Dad called out me but I ignored. Because enough is enough. I have faith in myself and believe in God. If I have really something in me then I can protect me and dad. I'm not afraid of her evil things nor her.

I shouted,"Who the f@ck is it? come out and face us."

"Erin", Dad called me.

No one answered me. Only my words, only my words echoed in my ear and the barking of some dogs and the sound of some insects.

You have to face me today or tomorrow mom.

" Erin, my baby don't be angry. I think they were our neighbour kids", Dad tried to explain to me. But I know it's not.

I knew what was that. If my illusion isn’t wrong then they exist. Dad took me inside and locked the door.

I went upstairs angrily and slammed my door. "Erin", Dad knocked my door.

" Dad, I'm okay. I want to be alone. You have an office tomorrow. Please take rest".

"But Ba-", I stopped dad because I knew what he was going to say.

"Dad, I'm not afraid. It's just kids", I uttered.

Dad didn’t say anything but he was standing there. I could feel it. And I could hear his heart beat too. I sighed and opened the door. Seeing me all of a sudden, dad became stunned.

" See, I'm okay", I gave him a careless look.

"Oh heh- " Dad tried to be normal and pretend to be cool.

"Oh I-I was about to leave but Y-you opened the door".

" Okay then Goodnight honey and please don't lock this damn door". oh my God, I sighed and nodded.

I slightly closed the door but didn’t lock. Not because of me, it's because of dad. If they hurt my dad then?

I turned off the light. Slowly Erin's room became illuminated but suddenly stopped.

Dad came again to see me so, I stopped using my power. I pretended to fall asleep. Slowly he trudged out there.

Scene shifted to outside.

......Someone maybe a shadow or a man or woman, standing under the lamp post, covered his body with a black long cloth, so tall, too skinny, have a hunchback. ......

I woke up early and without waking dad up, I went for morning walk.This morning was a little foggy than the other morning, as well as a little cold. I started running, I ran almost 30 minutes.

I ran too long today. After a while I stopped and gasped for air.

I lay down on the ground and looked up at the sky.

Sometimes silence brings peace. I closed my eyes and inhaled so deep.

...Fresh air, cold breeze, quite environment can devour anyone so easily....

I don’t know when I slept there and how long I slept but a sound woke me up. I propped myself up with elbow. I rolled my eyes around. I sighed and sat up. But again I heard a sound and that was coming exactly from my behind. I turned back and noticed someone hid behind a tree immediately.

I got up and spoke out, "Who is it?".

No response. I frowned and walked there. I could see a piece of black cloth. I suddenly came to the front but there was nothing but a piece of cloth. I took that piece, strange but I clearly saw something so tall.

Suddenly I heard someone's foot steps. I narrowed my eyes, my heart was pounding so fast. I was little scared because it’s the first time happening while I was alone. I could feel a shadow was running around me so fast. I missed my dad now, I always said him I could protect myself. But It's not so easy. It's the first time I felt myself lowly, helpless. My heart was about to come out, my head started spinning, my vision became blurred slowly. I grabbed tree and leaned on it.

I heard a voice, is that woman or man voice. I couldn’t identify. But the sound of his voice cracked.

" Erin, you have to accept me and your fate", His hoarse voice was piercing my brain. I knelt down and screamed in pain. I held my head with my both hands, water rolling down from my eyes.

I realized I had already gone under him or her. It's not my mom. It's not her. Then who is it?

"Ahh... ", my head was hurting so badly, it seemed someone was hitting my brain with a hammer. It was about to burst.

"Erin, Erin you only belong to me", that sound echoed in my ear and slowly my vision became blurred. Before I lost my consciousness I saw a dark shadow in front of my eyes.

I regained my consciousness to get a light slap from someone.

" You okay?", I saw a boy leaning over my face and giving splash of water on my face.

I narrowed my eyes and propped myself up with elbow. My head was still hurting, I spoke out tiredly,"What's wrong?".

"I-I don't know. I was going through here and then found you. You were murmuring something", that man spoke out.

" How do you feel now?", He asked me.

I raised my head and stared at him. He was quite handsome, drawn nose, brown eyes, also his muscular physique quite good.

He extended his his to hold me his hand.

"I'm well now", I replied.

He smiled at me gently and said, " Where is your residence. Lemme walk you there".

"It's okay. I can go by myself".

" But, we have only one way to leave this forest. Can I be with you at that moment?", He asked me nicely.

I fell into a very embarrassing moment. I couldn't say yes, I couldn't say no. I sighed and nodded as yes.