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Day 1: September 1, 2013, Sunday.
For me and my dad, today marked the start of our new life. We recently moved to Magnolia, a famous town often mistaken for a city because of its great tourist attractions and high-quality establishments. We moved here to start anew, to forget that tragedy. My mom passed away four months ago in a massive fire incident. I was in school when it happened, and Dad was at work. Sadly, Mom didn't survive and passed away. We wanted to forget, but how could you possibly forget something terrible like that? So I guess moving on was the right word to use.
But moving on would be extremely difficult; losing someone you love so dearly wasn't easy. I couldn't accept it, especially considering the anomalies and strange circumstances surrounding what happened to Mom. The authorities said it was an accident—a faulty fuse blew up—and my mom was unfortunately caught in it. Their investigation might have been accurate and correct, but the authorities were unaware of some strange events before the fire. Mom was acting very odd in the days leading up to the accident. Her behavior was so bizarre and sudden that it made no sense.
"Nicole, are you done unpacking? Want some help?" My dad asked me as I was lost in thought.
"I'm almost done, Dad. Just a few boxes left, I got this," I answered.
Ever since we lost Mom, my dad took on the role of becoming both my "father and mother," and he was doing a great job at it. He was an author; that was where we got most of our income. He decided to use a pen name instead of using his real name, "Reuben Fenton," for security and privacy purposes. I didn't mean to brag, but Dad was quite famous. His books were well-received and always sold out because he really has a knack for writing good stories.
As an avid reader, I always found myself reeled in by his great works. Also, probably because I was a book nerd and an aspiring author myself, he would always ask for my opinion. For example, he would tell me his new ideas for his book, and if I said it was good, he would go with it. And if I said it was bad, he would think of a new one. He also lets me be the first one to read his books; I guess that was my privilege as his daughter. Or you could say that my dad was just a doting father. But I really appreciated him and everything he did. In addition, it helped me with my goal of writing a book someday.
"Hey Nicole, want to hear your papa's new idea for a new book?" he asked as he helped me sort out some of my belongings, even though I told him I was almost done.
"I'm all ears, Dad, and thanks for the help, that's the last box," I replied.
"Okay, listen, I plan on writing horror this time, what do you think?"
It was his first time writing a horror novel, but knowing Dad, he must have studied the genre already and had the basics covered. And even if he didn't, his amazing sense for writing was more than enough to make it work.
"Well, that's a first. Did you specifically pick horror because I like the genre?" I playfully asked.
Dad laughed heartily and said, "Was it really that obvious? I want to try something new, and horror is in the trend."
"I'm sure it would be great, Dad. I take it you already studied the genre and are ready to cook something up?" I said while pointing to his study.
"You bet I do! With your approval, I'm sure this will be a big hit! Time to start working."
Dad swiftly went to his study with a huge smile, but before he entered the room, he said, "Why don't you go out? Explore around a bit, familiarize yourself here in Magnolia."
"That's a good idea, Dad. I might as well pay a visit to my new school. I don't want to be late on my first day tomorrow and be called a delinquent transfer student," I jokingly said.
"I'm sure your new classmates will like you! Take care, Nicole. Don't stay out too late, okay?"
As Dad finished speaking, he gave me a pat on the head and went to work on his new book. Since I had a plethora of free time, I decided to explore Magnolia a bit. I put on some new clothes, fixed my ponytail hair, and grabbed my bag.
But before leaving, I overheard something. It seemed to be coming from the television—a live interview exchange between a tourist and a TV host.
"We are now live with the on-the-spot interview, where we roam around our lovely town of Magnolia and ask our lovely tourists what about our town piques their interest!"
"Hello, sir! May I ask for a little of your time for a short interview? We are currently live on national TV!"
"Really? Sure! Hi Mom, I'm on TV!"
"Awesome! Have you seen the whole town yet? May I know what you think of our lovely town of Magnolia?"
"It's been great so far! I especially love the view from the lookout tower! And—"
The exchange between them continued. I was about to turn off the TV when the tourist said something that caught my attention.
"We came here for the tourist spots, but the viral rumor going around this town is what really made us come here! A curse plagues this town for 13 days, from the start of the month until the 13th day. So cool! So, we want—"
"13 days, a rumor, and a curse"—those words caught my attention. Besides Magnolia's great tourist attractions and high-quality establishments that made it popular with tourists, this particular hearsay also attracted a lot of people and pulled them into the little town. A curse the people called The 13 Plagues—
"Lame..." I murmured.
I mean, come on. Who would believe such things? What was wrong with 13? It was just a regular number, so I guess the real question would be, what was wrong with the people believing those kinds of rumors? But funny enough, I found it hard not to believe in the same rumor I called lame just now. There had been several strange reports and cases in this town over the past few years, and the odd part was that they all occurred between the start of each month and the 13th day.
"Hey, Dad! Do you know about the rumor going around this town? Don't tell me that's why you wanted to move here of all places, you want to use it for your new horror book?" I yelled jokingly to my dad, who was now inside his study across the living room where I was in.
As I waited for him to respond, I suddenly felt a cold breeze; it was so frigid that it felt like I was inside a fridge.
"S-s-so cold..." I said while shivering.
I looked at the windows; they were all closed, and our fans couldn't emit such a cold breeze.
"Dad! Why did it suddenly turn ice-cold here? Do you have some secret super-powered AC in your study?" I shouted humorously again to my dad.
While waiting for my dad to throw back a joke my way, I proceeded to turn off the TV. However, I noticed that something was very off about it. And the more I stared at the TV, the clearer it was that something unusual was happening. First, there was no sound coming out of it. It was dead quiet—not just the TV, but the whole room suddenly went silent. Second, the videos shown on the TV were not the same ones I was watching earlier; they were different. I couldn't make out or ascertain what it was; there was just a sequence of bizarre flashing images. However, I could clearly distinguish a lone woman, just creepily standing there in the grotesque graphic shown on the TV. Not to mention the fact that it was freezing in here; things were getting pretty strange.
As I gazed intently into the TV and tried to understand what was happening, it suddenly turned off, leaving me staring at my reflection on the TV. Then I immediately noticed something from the reflection—our house's front door was now wide open.
"Why is the door open? Did Dad go out?" I stared at the door, confused about what was happening.
I tried to rationalize what was happening—the cold temperature, the TV, and now the front door. These series of events were not your typical daily occurrences that would just happen in any household. Also, I just noticed that my dad has been eerily quiet for the past minute or so.
Needless to say, I was quite terrified at the moment. Even for a horror buff like me, who has read and watched countless horror books and movies, this was too much. I hurriedly went to the front door to close it.
"I know I closed you earlier... Don't go opening on your own again, okay?" I said to myself amusingly while locking the door. I tried to make light of the situation to relieve the tension I was feeling.
Now, it was time to check on Dad, who has been relatively quiet for a while now. Maybe he just didn't hear me, or he was just too focused on his writing. Perhaps the walls in his study room were thick, or it was just plain soundproof. While absorbed in my thoughts, I suddenly felt something on my shoulder.
"Huh!" I gasped and quickly turned to see what it was...
And it was just my dad.
"Whoa... are you all right, girl? You looked like you'd seen a ghost, why are you shaking? Are you not feeling well?" As he said that, he placed his hand on my forehead.
"You startled me!" I exclaimed.
"I was calling for you earlier, you didn't hear me?" I followed up.
"I'm sorry... I was so fixated on my writing and didn't hear you. Did something happen?" My dad asked me in a concerned tone.
He was probably worried about me since the way I reacted was pretty uncharacteristic of me. Well, I mean, anyone would be freaking out if they were in the same situation I was in just now. And speaking of that, the temperature was back to normal. I glanced at the TV, and unsurprisingly, it was now turned on again.
"I'm fine, Dad. I was just going to ask you if you want anything from the store. I'm planning on stopping by one later," I said in my usual composed and calm demeanor. I didn't want to worry my dad over something that I was not even sure really happened or was just a figment of my imagination.
Due to what happened to my mom a few months ago, I suffered from PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder. The first few days after the incident were so hard for me; it was hell. I couldn't eat, talk, or even do things on my own. It was a total shock. I was very close to my mom, so her death was too much for me. Similar incidents like this happened before, I could see visions others couldn't see, and I would undergo strange situations or events that were all inside my head. In particular, I would always see my mom in my dreams every night, reaching out her hands to me as if she were asking for help. And worst of all, even while I was awake, I would still see her...
If not for my dad, I could say that I wouldn't be here anymore. When I realized and saw that I was not the only one who was devastated by Mom's passing, I decided not to make things worse for Dad. Instead of worrying him and causing him more pain, I vowed to myself that I would be there for him and support him with everything I had. And now I could say that I was in a better place mentally and emotionally. Thanks to my dad and the treatment I received.
I didn't want to worry him again. I figured I was just tired from moving, and the anxiety of living in a new town caused me to hallucinate again after some time.
"Oh great! Can you fetch me some energy drinks? I'm planning to go all out tonight! The ideas are brimming in!" my dad proclaimed excitedly.
"I got you, Dad. I'll be back in a few. See you later," I said as I waved goodbye.
"See you later, Nicole. Have a nice stroll around town," said my dad while waving back to me with a huge smile.
And with that, I went outside to explore the new place I live in, Magnolia... A town that has more to it than meets the eye.
(Stay tuned for Chapter 2.)
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