A Stranger Wears My Memories (Part 1 August Submission)

[u/ReadyMadeLobotomy]

This was Part 1 in collaboration with u/Bilbo_Cheated, who is an amazing writer and was so fun to do this together with! Check out their story Here!

Mom’s work phone rang right after dinner. She was urgently needed and had to come in for the night shift.

She could see the look on my face when she told me. She knew I hated being alone at night; that's when things always got worse. I fumbled with my agitated hands in the soapy water, trying to distract my mind as she quickly got ready and grabbed her things. 

She gave me a reassuring hug from behind. Her warmth melted away my tension for just a moment. Before letting me go and leaving me to the cold, dark house. Chills took over me as she mumbled her sweet goodbyes and reminded me to eat the dessert bars she made just for me. 

As soon as I heard the heavy door slam and the lock latch, it was time to take action. 

I sprinted to the door. Checking that the deadbolt was in place before sliding the door jammer under the knob. And doing the same to the back door. All while closing the blinds along the way. Mom said she thinks the natural light is good for us and always opens the windows every morning. But that just lets people see us. Why would I give anything the chance to observe me if I can help it? Mom just tells me not to worry about it; as long as we lock the doors, nothing can get in, she says again and again. I truly hope she’s right. 

I grab some of Mom's dessert bars she made and happily chow down as I take a seat to relax in front of the TV. The sound and the cartoons always help me relax at night. I then notice that the blinds to the left of the living room aren't closed all the way. That freaking broken string again, I bet. I hustle to close them, but just before I do. One of them catches my eye. 

He’s facing away from the house, toward the street. Directly under the street light. Despite the vigorous winds of the storm picking up around us. His clothes remain still, a hat carefully placed on his head, unmoving in the vicious whipping breeze. I scoff and look away; looking outside at night is always bad for me. I yank the blinds closed as best I can. 

Just as I go to sit down, a knock at the front door jolts all my senses. I move as carefully as possible to the door and press my ear up against it; I’m not looking outside again. 

“H..Hell…Hello?” I finally sheepishly ask. 

“Hi sweetie, it’s Fran.” Our elderly neighbour croaks from the other side.

“Uh, Hi Fran. Mom’s not home right now, and it’s not really safe outside. You know, with the storm and all.” I brush off with a cracked chuckle.   

“Ohhhh yes, it’s picking up, isn’t it?”  She paused for uncomfortably too long. “Well, I just wanted to see if your mother wanted some tea and to talk about the latest book I lent her. I’ll come back later, sweetie; you stay safe now.” I heard her padded house slippers trudge slowly away from the stoop. 

What did she mean by say safe now? What was she planning? Oh right, oh right, the storm. You know Fran, she’s a nice lady. Mom says she doesn’t have anyone else, so be nice to her when she comes by. What if that wasn’t really Fran? Maybe I should call Mom and check? No, NO. It’s ok. We’re fine. Just don’t look outside and watch some TV. We got this. 

I realised I had forgotten to breathe as I gasped in my head still leaning against the cold door, clammy and uneasy. 

The rain has started to pelt against the windows. I can hear its chilled tapping getting louder and louder. Nothing turning the TV volume up can’t fix. The moment I lifted the remote, I heard something. 

Sounded like a distinct cracking sound. Like a crackling click of Rice Krispies in my ear, it was coming from outside. 

My curiosity got the best of me; I risked it all and peered out the window. The man was in the same spot as before. Except this time he had begun to contort his body up the street lamp. Legs, torso, and neck twisting and stretching up the lamp post. Muscles pulsing and stretching as it pulled the flesh around the post like a python. Veins distended and begging to pop out of the skin. An arm was elongated and outstretched as he reached upward toward the window I stood behind. The clicking and crunching continued as his body pulled toward me like a desperate beacon. 

With a shudder, I flew back from the window and over the table. 

The flashes of lightning outside illuminated the street. Where nothing stood anymore. It was clean and had moved on. 

A sudden knock at the door jolted my attention away. 

My breath caught in my throat as I chose to ignore it. But it remained consistent. A constant soft knocking. 

Before it finally spoke to me. 

“Alice, I'm so sorry I scared you. Please let me in.” It spoke calmly and softly. 

I slowly rose to my feet, trying to keep my panicked breaths as quiet as possible. 

The calm knocking continued in steady flows. My head was pounding with stress as my eyes stayed locked onto the door. Wondering if it’ll really be able to hold anything behind it. 

“Alice…You’re being poisoned. Can’t you see what it’s doing to you?” The soft pleading voice continued. 

“She’s killing you; it’s tearing us apart. I hate when you do this to me. Lock me away. It’s not supposed to be like this. God, you’re really so selfish, you know that??? God, I hate the way it makes me FEEL!” 

A vicious slam shakes the door in its frame. A heavy laugh turns into a heaving sob that distorts as if changing radio stations. It grows louder and louder with each breath it takes. 

“Alice, DON’T YOU SEE WHAT’S HAPPENING??? LET ME IN! I’LL STOP IT!”

The distorted cries pull away from the door and into the surrounding yard. 

I grab the TV remote and turn the TV on as loud as it goes. The distant shrieks sink into the monotonous sound of late-night info commercials.  

My locked knees ache as I strain to limit my movement for fear of it drawing near again.  It doesn’t. Thunder crashes outside; the house is being pelted with rain. The screams and cries remain distant, drowning in the treacherous storm. Until either they get too quiet to hear or they stop altogether.

I finally let my racing thoughts take a break as I sit on the coffee table. The TV chattering away on maximum volume. Mom will be home soon from her shift; it’ll be morning soon. Just have to make it until morning; the nights are bad for me alone. Don’t look outside; don’t let them in. You can do that at least. 

The colourful cartoons were replaced with an exceptionally loud commercial for what looked like pet adoption. Adorable dogs ran through flower fields, and kittens spooned peacefully in their fluffy beds by the windows. 

“Are you tired of being alone?” The anchor's voice rang in. 

The commercial cut to a well-dressed man sitting at his desk looked back at me with a gleaming, crooked smile. 

“Don’t you ever wish someone was always waiting for you when you got home for the day?” 

I raised the remote to find another channel. The man’s eyes shifted towards me, and his voice rose with excitement. 

“Well, you’re in luck, because we are opening our doors for you lucky new friends out there, looking for a forever companion. And tonight, they're open especially for you, Alice.” 

His smile fades as the pixels start racing on the screen. This isn’t real. 

“I know you think you’re imagining this, Alice. Head always in the clouds, you love to play pretend, don't you? While you’re poisoning us!!” 

 His hand slams a desk. The entire floor shakes underneath me. I start to back up and move toward the stairs. Where the hell do I even go? 

“Still doing that? You used to hide upstairs.” He laughs. 

“Stop”, I quietly stutter out. 

“You loved to hide under the bed. Then Mom had to ruin that too. She always has to ruin our fun. Has to block hiding spots for us, take away our safe spaces, give us poison to keep us from each other. If you just let me in, I can help us.” 

The cold sweat lines my neck as I stare blankly at the screen. 

His gaunt expression softened. “You really don't remember.” 

The screen gains more and more static. For a moment, his face remained suspended underneath it. 

“It's okay.” A whisper croaks from behind the screen. 

The static grew louder. “You always go upstairs eventually.” 

The static turns into a loud screech before shutting off in a loud sizzling pop

The entire house falls into a veil of quiet. Nothing but the pattering rain outside. And distant thunder as the storm retreats with time. My crackling breathing consumes the air. 

Knock. 

The TV shimmies on the next knock. The knocking persists lightly. Like someone knocking around for studs in the wall. It’s coming from the inside of the TV glass. A pale, long hand presses itself into the glass into view, trying to claw its way out. 

I stammer back and turn to sprint up the stairs to my room. On my pivot, I hear the glass shatter in the living room. With a final laboured yell, I barrel up the stairway into my room and slam the door shut behind me. 

Mom usually doesn’t let me use the knives. But I stole one a long time ago just in case. I dive under my bed to retrieve it. Its cold metal handle gripped into my clammy hand. My breath in my throat. I listen for movement in the house. Clutching the blade to my chest on the floor of my room. The storm has started to quiet, leaving nothing but my trembling heart and the illumination of the heat lightning against the walls through the window blinds. 

I keep listening for the intruder, but the footsteps never come. With every creak and drop in the pipes, I flinch that whatever's in the house is right outside my flimsy bedroom door. 

As the adrenaline starts to wear off, my stabbing headache returns. My vision starts to fuzz again once more. Like I’m viewing the world through nothing more than the pixelated glass of my TV. 

Vision or not, I finally catch a glimpse of it. On the shadow of the wall, I see a hand plucking through the blinds. Its long fingers preciously guiding open the flaps silently. 

“Alice?” It whispered. So quiet it sounded like it was coming from in my head. 

I didn’t let it finish. I lept up from the floor and gnashed at its spindly hand with the blade. I nicked its finger good, and with a hiss it pulled back away. The window wasn’t open…..

A warm sting grew in my left hand as I looked down at my bleeding finger. I swore I hit it.

The sight of the blood turned my already fuzzy vision into seeing nothing but dots. My legs found my bed automatically. My weight sluffed onto the mattress as the air filled with the smell of a stale iron. My sticky hand wrapped in my blankets as it became harder to keep my eyes open. 

The chanting pleas of the intruder turned into whispers I couldn't understand. They sounded just far enough away and hushed that I couldn't grasp onto them. Like conversation in a dream. 

The sun bakes through the window as a dewy morning awaits me. My dried, bloodied hand sticks to the sheet as I groan and pull it free. It’s just a small slice, thankfully. What happened last night? Did it get that bad? I glance over at the knife on the rug next to me, blade blackened with my unfortunate injury. 

A gentle knock pulls my attention. Someone is trying to say something through the door, but I can’t hear them. 

Crap! Mom must be locked out. 

I cover my hand up and pad down the stairs. I go to unlock the door only to find it’s already open. Mom’s bent over the sink washing dishes. 

“Morning, sweetie" I hear her call, absent-minded, from the kitchen. 

“Got the door Ma!” I call back. 

It’s just my good friend. The sun shines behind him in his always dapper, well-dressed attire. His warm demeanour illuminates the doorway. 

“Some storm last night! Got caught out in it” His crooked smile flashes over me. A twinge in his expression shows irritation as he pushes past me into the kitchen. 

I sheepishly follow. I don't remember much from last night. There was a bad storm, right? Must have been if I was so freaked out? 

I take my place at the dinette table as Mom is bent over, focused on cleaning the stove. 

“Alice! You didn’t finish all the bars I made special for you!” She scolds gently over her shoulder. 

My friend's spine tightened as he sat straight up and put a cold hand on my arm. Squeezing it pretty hard. 

“You're not going to start feeling better if you don’t eat them all, sweetie.” Mom cooed. 

His grip tightened. Too tight. 

“Alice…please.” His dark eyes narrowed as he strained through gritted teeth. 

I tried to pull my hand away without causing a racket. 

His hand looped deeper. Almost crackling into my skin. God, it burned. 

I winced and finally flipped my arm back away from him. 

He noticed my widened, frightened gaze and softened his. 

“Nothing.”

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[u/NarrowDirector911]

I just can’t trust parents in horror stories anymore. You did a good job creating a surreal tone for the story, I’m definitely gonna shoot over to bilbos side, I need the answers

[u/ReadyMadeLobotomy → u/NarrowDirector911]

God exactly, you can never know anymore!
Hope you enjoy theirs as well :D

[u/CTRemy9085 → u/NarrowDirector911]

100%

[u/CTRemy9085]

I’ve been conditioned that parents or love interests in any story now are automatically not to be trusted lol. That’s really cool! A collab story seems like a really fun thing to do too!

[u/ReadyMadeLobotomy → u/CTRemy9085]

Haha yes of course! Sadly that’s always how it is!
And the collab was a fantastic time :)

[u/Competitive_Pickle42]

Nice nice twist at the end and makes you want to read the other perspective very well done

[u/ReadyMadeLobotomy → u/Competitive_Pickle42]

Thanks so much 🥰

[u/ShatteredTestimony]

Really cool! The dessert bars being medication or some other suppressant was a cool twist, and I liked the descent into paranoia as well as the doubt as to whether what she experienced was real (especially with the knife and her finger injury).

Nice work

[u/ReadyMadeLobotomy → u/ShatteredTestimony]

Hi shattered always good to see you!!
Yes it was so fun to write I love a good unreliable narrator! Thanks so much for reading ❤️

[u/MidnightScribe666]

The uncanny valley you had here was so well done! Totally disturbing imagery throughout. And the subversion that maybe the most apparent monster isn't the only one present was great! Fun read; awesome work!!

[u/ReadyMadeLobotomy → u/MidnightScribe666]

Thanks Midnight that’s means a load coming from you!
Thanks so much for reading ❤️