Dinner

You are going about a normal Sunday with your roommate. Your at the store getting your supplies for the week when you see it. A being shrouded in darkness with stark white eyes staring, watching, from the shadows.

Concerned, you ask your roommate if they can see it.

“There is nothing there” they tell you, so you go on with your day thinking your mind is playing tricks on you.

This goes on for months, you doing your routine, and seeing this thing watching you from the shadows. One night you wake, unable to do anything but open your eyes. It’s crouched above you on your bed, bright, glowing, white eyes staring right into yours.

“I have learned a lot about you” a ghostly voice says. “I have learned all of your routines. I know exactly what you are going to do, every hour of every day.”

The voice is shrill and broken, so light it’s almost hard to hear.

“I know you so well, I know you are going to go back to sleep in 3…2…1” and just like that your are sleeping once more.

In the morning you wake and the creature is gone. You go about your day as normal, but notice one thing is off… the being is gone. You look in all of its normal hiding places from a distance, but it isn’t anywhere to be found.

At the end of the day you go home, and head to your room. You are on edge, thinking it will appear and kill you the moment you enter your room. But nothing is there. Everything about your room is ordinary. Not a single thing out of place. You sigh, relieved to not be dead.

You change and start to relax. Your roommate has been strangely quiet, normally greeting you when you get home. You decide to call them, they could just be out. They answer almost immediately, and you ask where they are. Suddenly you hear a voice that is not theirs.

“ Hang up and call again. See if you hear it. We won’t answer so quick this time.” It tells you, then the call is ended.

You call back, now worried. You hear ringing and follow it. It leads to your kitchen, sounding as if it is coming from the oven. You open the oven and shriek.

There you see the severed head of your roommate, cooked brains leaking out of their nose, ears, and mouth. Eyes seemingly popped from being cooked, and their skin nearly charred. They are almost unrecognizable. You back away from the oven, only to back into a body. To turn, only to see the being that was watching you.

“ You look cold.” They say, “ I know somewhere warm you can go.”

They then grab you. You try to fight but they are strong. In the midst of your flailing, they bash your head onto the counter.

When you wake it is boiling, and you can feel that you are in a small space. You open your eyes to see a glass panel separating you from your kitchen. The being is standing on the other side. They suddenly crouch.

“See,” it questions, “ That’s much better now isn’t it. The oven is very warm.”

Your eyes go wide, only now realizing where you are. You begin to scream and bang on the glass, but it does nothing.

“Are you still cold?” The voice jests, “ Here, let me turn up the heat.” It’s broiling now, so hot you can no longer stay awake.