Dawn (When They Return Book 1)

by Allen, M'Renee

  The apparition stopped and faced her. Wearing a bloody grin it began running straight for her. Dawn jumped to her feet and raced the rest of the way to her mother’s car. She didn’t look back, too afraid of what she might see. Once in her mother’s vehicle, she slammed the door shut, and locked it.

  Smack.

  A bloody hand slammed against the car window.

  Smack… smack… smack.

  Breathing hard, Dawn faced forward and buckled her seatbelt, ignoring the pounding against the window. ‘It’s not real’ she repeated. If her mother didn’t hear it, it couldn’t be real. It seemed like it took her mother forever to pull out of the parking lot.

  Dawn let out a sigh of relief when the car finally sped off. She glanced in the rearview mirror. The apparition was gone. Relieved, Dawn leaned her head against the seat.

  Smack.

  The headrest shook. Dawn leaned forward and peered in the back seat. She whirled back around and covered her mouth, refusing to scream.

  ‘She’s not there. She’s not there.”

  Smack… smack… smack.

  The headrest continued to vibrate. Oblivious to what was going on, Dawn’s mother kept her eyes on the road. Dawn nodded her head up and down as her mother attempted to make small talk. With her teeth clenched, she held her scream in all the way home, too afraid to move.

  What if it touched her?

  Could it touch her?

  What did it want?

  Why wouldn’t it stop hitting the seat?

  Her mother said something else. Dawn nodded, having no clue what her mother had said. One more stop sign to go through then they would pull into their driveway. She counted the seconds it took to do so, fifteen.

  When they made it home, Dawn rushed upstairs to her room, closing and locking her door behind her. Her mom yelled to her that dinner would be ready in an hour and that her dad would be home in a few minutes.

  Great, another person to give her weird looks over the dinner table while she tried to ignore the girl that was haunting her. This should be fun. Dawn glanced around her room. Once she was sure she was alone, she changed out of her school uniform and into a pair of worn jeans and a purple T-shirt.

  Comfortable, she grabbed her backpack, walked over to her desk and sat down. She looked around her room one more time before pulling her books out. Homework always helped take her mind off her real problems. The only homework she had today was math.

  She hated math. But she loved math ten times more than she liked sitting around wondering where she would see the creepy girl next. So math it was. With her books open, Dawn read over her assignment.

  It took her longer than usual to do each problem. She was too busy casting glances at the mirror over her vanity table thinking she’d seen someone walk past it. Finally she told herself to focus and get her work done. Twenty minutes into her studies a chill crept over her flesh.

  Had her mother turned on the air conditioner? Her dad liked for the house to be cold. Perhaps she was getting it ready for him. Their fondness for cold weather was the only thing she and her dad had in common.

  He liked the cold because he said it was cuddling weather. She liked it because it was the only temperature she could feel which was why she wasn’t allowed near the stove. All it took was one burning incident for her mother to ban from being near anything hot.

  Dawn went back to work, but became distracted again when she sighed and smoke billowed from between her lips. She breathed in deeply then blew it out and watched the smoke slowly disappear. It was really cold in her room.

  Smack.

  She tensed, senses on high alert. The sound had come from behind her, too close for comfort. She didn’t have to turn around to know the mirage was standing there. She could see its reflection in the mirror over her vanity table. Though she told herself not to be afraid, her pencil still shook slightly in her hand.

  “She’s not real,” she whispered as she stared down at her homework. “She’s not real.”

  She uttered the chant two more times and still the room remained cold. Dawn nearly jumped out of her skin when her mother called upstairs, telling her that dinner was ready.

  So soon?

  It hadn’t been an hour yet. She glanced at the clock seated on the corner of her desk. It read four thirty. An hour had passed. Dawn glanced down at her homework. She was nowhere near done. Where had the time gone?

  “Dawn, dinner is ready,” her mother called again. “Come eat.”

  She stood up and before she could turn around, her bedroom door began to creak open. She chanted her ‘it’s not real’ mantra, over and over again as she slowly turned around. Her bedroom door was wide open. But no one was there.

  Moving slowly, she crept over to the door, glancing from left to right, fearing at any moment, the bloody mirage would jump out and grab her. She made it out into the hallway with no problems.

  In the hall the temperature was normal. She stared over her shoulder into her bedroom. Why was it so cold in there yet regular out here? She strode over to the stairs. Below, her mother and father were talking about his travels.

  They sounded happy. They would begin singing a different tune once she arrived, especially if she told them what she was seeing and feeling. Dawn gripped the handrail and before she could take one step down the stairs, she felt a cold hand on her shoulder.

  She spun around and stared into the blood shot eyes of her mirage. She opened her mouth to scream for her mother, but no sound emerged as the mirage shoved her. Dawn fell back, toppling down the stairs.

  Pain radiated through her body, starting from the place on her shoulder where the mirage had touched her. Touched her… the mirage had really touched her. That was her last thought before her body crashed into the stairs.

  Chapter Three

  ~ Remembering ~

  Her mother was sobbing.

  Her dad was yelling.

  And there was another voice whispering for her to remember.

  Dawn could hear all of them, but she couldn’t open her eyes. Darkness surrounded her and though she knew she wasn’t moving, she felt like she was still falling. She’d been pushed by her mirage.

  It was still hard to believe that thing had actually touched her. That made it real, not a figment of her imagination. Though her mirage had been with her for a year, trying to get her attention, it had never done anything this drastic. It had never psychically hurt her.

  “Remember.”

  This time the whispered word came across louder than the voices of her parents. Still, she ignored it, trying to focus on her mother and father. They may not want her, but at least they didn’t try to hurt her… physically.

  Dawn heard her father tell her mom to stop crying. Her mother was begging for him to take Dawn to the hospital. The hospital? Was it that serious? Dawn couldn’t recall the last time she’d visited a doctor other than her psychiatrist, Dr. Gholar.

  “We can’t take her to the doctor,” her father yelled. “They’ll ask too many questions.”

  “But she won’t stop bleeding. She’ll die if we don’t take her.”

  Won’t stop bleeding?

  Die?

  What was her mother talking about? Dawn didn’t feel any pain. Where was she bleeding from? Her father’s next statement confused her.

  “Die?” His laughter was borderline hysterical. “We both know she won’t die, no matter how badly we wish she would.”

  What?

  The desire to cry welled up within her, but Dawn knew the tears wouldn’t come, even if she tried to force them. She never cried. She was never sick. And even though she slept at night, it wasn’t because she was tired.

  Her body seemed to shut down every night around the same time. Nine p.m. And no matter how hard she fought to stay awake, she always succumbed to slumber. And she was always haunted by the same dream.

  Something was wrong with her. And the fact that her father wished her dead was proof. She wasn’t natural and no matter how many times
her psychiatrist told her she was, she knew it would never be true.

  Her mother sobbed louder. Dawn didn’t miss the fact that her mother didn’t object to what her father said. They both wished her dead. Sometimes Dawn wished the same thing. Her parents had been her only hold on reality.

  Now that she knew what they really wanted, her fragile grip on reality slipped away and Dawn felt like she was falling faster. A chill crept over her, sinking into her bones causing her teeth to chatter.

  “She’s shaking,” her mother cried.

  “Grab another blanket.”

  “We have to do something. We need to call the ambulance.”

  “Just get the blanket,” Roy, her dad screamed.

  Dawn didn’t need a blanket. It wouldn’t protect her from this bone-deep cold she was feeling. Though she tried, she couldn’t open her eyes. Was this it? Were her prayers finally going to be answered? Would this be the day she died?

  “Remember.”

  This time the word was whispered in her ear. It wanted her to remember. Remember what? Why? For over a year she’d tried to ignore the voice, ignore the mirage. Maybe it was time for her to listen to it.

  It wasn’t like she had anything to lose at this point. Her parents didn’t just dislike her, they weren’t merely disappointed in her, they wanted her dead. Dead! Normal parents didn’t wish there babies dead. She wanted to know why hers did.

  “I want to remember,” Dawn thought, hoping the specter would hear her.

  “Finally,” it whispered.

  She was startled when cold fingers pressed against her eyes pushing them open. Suddenly the darkness was replaced by a bright light and Dawn was no longer in her home. She now stood all alone inside a tiny bathroom. White walls surrounded her.

  As the light dimmed, she noticed how dirty the walls were. In fact the whole room appeared a mess. Crumpled wads of tissue decorated the floor. The sink appeared stopped up with dirty water and so did the toilet. But the smell was the worst. It smelled like poop and vomit.

  Seconds later her mother rushed in. But she looked different, she was slimmer and her hair was shorter. She was dressed in a pair of denim shorts and her face was heavily made up. That was strange.

  Her mom never wore make up. Her mother’s light brown skin was ashen, and despite the makeup caked on her face, Dawn could see the bags under her eyes. Confused, Dawn watched as her mother ran for the toilet.

  Kneeling in front of the commode, she began to vomit. Dawn stepped back, not wanting any of it to get on her. A moment later her father entered the room holding a lit cigarette between his fingers. He looked angry.

  “Why won’t you just get an abortion? Drinking bleach isn’t going to kill the brat, it’s going to kill you,” he said before taking a puff from his cigarette.

  Her mother wiped the back of her hand across her mouth. “We can’t afford an abortion, Roy. Stacy said she got rid of her problem this way. I’m sure I can do the same.” As soon as those words left her mouth she gagged then leaned over the toilet, vomiting again.

  “I don’t know why you won’t go to your mother for help,” Roy said. “She’s into that voodoo crap. Maybe she can cook you up something.”

  “Are you crazy?” Her mother spit into the toilet.

  “I’m sure it’s safer than drinking bleach.”

  “My mother may be into voodoo, but she doesn’t believe in abortion. She’s not going to help me. You know what? Just get out.”

  “Look, we don’t have time for kids, Taneka. And we damn sure ain’t got the funds for them.”

  “Maybe if you stop spending your checks on coke we would.”

  “Whatever, you don’t say that when you’re next to me snorting it, do you?”

  “Just get out Roy, damn. I’m doing the best I can. If this doesn’t work we’ll just have to have a damn baby, because we can’t afford no abortion. Close the door.”

  “This is some bull.”

  “Close the door.” Her mother yelled before leaning over the toilet again.

  “Forget you.” Her father slammed the door on his way out. Shocked, Dawn continued staring at her mother who had tears streaming down her face. So they never wanted her, not even in the beginning.

  Her mother wiped her eyes. “You’re a little fighter, aren’t you?” she said, rubbing her stomach. “I sure don’t want you. But I can’t pay that doctor all that money to get rid of you. I guess you’re here to stay. If you’re a boy, I’ll name you Roy, after your dad. I don’t really like the name, but I’m sure when he gets used to the fact that you exist, he’ll want you to have his name. If you’re a girl, I’ll name you after my mama. My mom’s name is Donna Marie. I don’t really like the name Donna, so I’ll name you Dawn Marie.” Her mother laid her head on the toilet and closed her eyes. The tears continued to fall.

  The light surrounding Dawn faded to black. Dawn stared around frantically. Why was it dark again? She couldn’t see. Stretching her arm out, she tried to hold on to something, anything. There was nothing there, just the sinking feeling one felt when they were falling.

  “Remember everything,” the voice whispered.

  “There’s more?” Dawn called out. No answer.

  The bright light reappeared, chasing away the darkness. This time Dawn was standing by a lake. It was the same lake from the recurring dream that haunted her every night. She heard voices behind her.

  Upon turning around, she noticed a light flickering in the distance. Dawn followed it. It led her to a campsite where a fire was lit and two folding chairs sat outside of a huge tent. Her parents stood next to the tent. Neither one of them looked happy. Her dad pulled back the flap on the tent back.

  “Come on out. You’ve been talking about going camping for months, even though I told your behind we didn’t have the money to go camping. Well your grandmother sent you the money and now you don’t want to be out here.”

  “Because you’re being mean,” a tiny voice squeaked.

  “Get your little tail out here.” He grabbed the person inside and dragged them out.

  The child he pulled out was her. From across the clearing Dawn stared at herself. Not the bloody version of herself that she normally saw, but a regular version. This version had two pigtails and wore a pair of dark brown shorts and a beige short sleeve shirt.

  Was this real?

  If so, Dawn didn’t remember this day. She’d never been camping with her parents. Her family had never been on any kind of vacation, not even a trip to the movies. The girl walked away from the campsite as her mother and father sat down on the folding chairs in front of the tent.

  “I’ll call you when it’s time to eat,” her mother called to the other her.

  The girl simply rolled her eyes and kept stomping through the woods, her tennis shoes crunching on leaves and gravel. Dawn didn’t know if she should follow the girl or stay and watch her parents.

  When her dad pulled out a bag full of white stuff, stuck his finger inside of it then brought it to his nose and sniffed it, Dawn decided to follow the girl with pigtails. She didn’t want to watch her parents play with white stuff.

  She ran behind the version of herself with pigtails. The other her walked down to the lake and stood on the banks staring out at the rolling waters. It was the same spot Dawn stood at in her dreams. For over an hour she watched the girl play.

  Dawn followed behind her, smiling as she splashed in the water. When the girl grew tired of that, she started chasing bunnies that hopped over logs, fleeing her grabbing hands. There was even one magical moment when the girl spotted two deer drinking from the lake.

  The deer stared back at her, unafraid as they lapped at the crystal clear water. All in all it was a peaceful night. It wasn’t until two men appeared from the woods that Dawn grew worried. Sensing something was wrong with the men, Dawn tried to call out to the girl. Unfortunately, no sound left her mouth.

  By the time the girl noticed the men, it was too late. They were already close to her. Unable to h
elp, Dawn watched the girl try to flee, but she kept stumbling over the rocks and sticks in the forest.

  The men caught her quickly. Laughing, they slapped her around as she cried, begging them to release her. The young girl called for her mama and daddy. No one came. To shut her up, one of the men put his large hand over her mouth, covering up half her face.

  The other guy began removing her clothing. Dawn didn’t understand what was going on. To no avail, she screamed, begging for the men to release her. They didn’t hear her. No one ever heard her. The invisible one – that should be her nick name.

  The young girl bit the taller man’s hand. With a yelp, he snatched his hand from her mouth. This time she didn’t call for her mother or father, she screamed for her grandma, begging her granny to come get her. But grandma wasn’t here to help.

  Dawn had to do something. She didn’t want to leave the girl by herself but she couldn’t help her by just standing there. Dawn raced back to the campsite. She found her parents passed out in the tent, both of their noses covered in white junk.

  She screamed for them to get up, still no sound left her mouth. They couldn’t hear her either. Dawn grabbed a stick and tried hitting them with it. The stick passed right through them. Every rock she picked up passed right through them. Why was she able to touch the rock yet unable to hit them with it?

  “Remember,” the voice whispered.

  Dawn shook her head, she didn’t want to remember. For the first time in a long time, tears streamed down her cheeks as she tried to wake her parents up. She even tried to shake them but her hands slipped through them like they weren’t really there.

  She kept trying. She had to do something. Shaking the tent didn’t working. Kicking dirt at them didn’t work. Sobbing and tired Dawn stood there, staring at her unconscious parents. How could they sleep through this?

  What kind of parents took naps while their child was alone in the forest? But she wasn’t alone. Dawn needed to get back to the girl. Panicking, Dawn raced back down to the lake. When she got there the two men were gone.