Day 10

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

My head shot up from its sleeping position, straining my neck on the way up. I shuddered with shock and batted my arms in all directions, flailing my body to get him off of me. But he wasn't there anymore, nor was the blood. I looked over to my digital clock in the lonely corner of my room to see that it was 8:00 am, again.

"AGHHHHHHHH!!!" I screamed with frustration. I realized that I'd died and restarted the loop all over again. I was back at square one, back where I'd started every other time.

"Ten times now…" My determination was wearing out. It had already been a grueling ten loops since I'd begun this endless stream of days. Having reached this unfortunate milestone, I can almost safely assume that I wouldn't be waking up to reality anytime soon.

I was stuck.

I heaved in a deep take of breath, attempting to gather my composure before moving out of my bed. Once I did, and as soon as my foot touched the floor, I shivered. It was cold, but I could also sense a separate vibration, like someone else was walking on the same floor.

"Not again… Please…" I sobbed quietly. His appearances became more frequent by the loop, and his arrival would always come sooner than expected. What started off as allowing me to go by my daily routine, has now led to immediate pursuits. But this was all too soon. I'd only just woken up, and I could already hear his scuffed breathing from behind his mask, behind my bedroom door.

"Tsk!" I twisted the knob and threw the door open, it's hinges creaking loudly as I did.

There was nothing there.

"Huh?" Was it my imagination? I swore I had heard something, and even felt its presence. I peeked outside my room, scanning the area just to make sure, but there was nothing. It was quiet.

I cuffed my forehead tightly, as if punishing my mind for playing tricks on me. I understood that I was beginning to imagine things now. This entire experience had just been so repetitive, and so punishing, that I was beginning to develop a sense of trauma for the entire event to unfold.

The arrival of the black mask, and his cold, cold glare, followed by a horrendous amount of warm, warm blood.

I could never get used to it. Even after having experienced it nine times now, the sentiment of death washing over one's mind and body could not be tolerated. You could put the bravest, or even the most suicidal person to the task, but neither one would ask to go again.

I wasn't brave, nor suicidal, so you could guess how this might have been treating me.

"Hurghhh—!!!" I began to puke all over my floor. The compilation of thoughts that flooded my head were too overbearing. I could only handle so much in single day that lasted ten days.

After making a mess on the floor, I stepped over it and began to slowly descend down the stairs. My daily routine had now been updated to immediately check the kitchen table every morning, only to expectedly find the orange and infamous note every single time.

"I'm… not surprised…" My eyes soaked with grief at the sight of my kitchen table, presenting the very sight I dreaded every loop I repeated. The orange and my mother's note were symbols, indications that I would end the day with death no matter what. But even though this prospered, I still aimed to avoid this very conclusion. I had to, or else I'd really be stuck here forever, unable to be put out of my misery because I couldn't ever truly die.

"I need to try something new today."

I rushed upstairs and fled to my personal bathroom. I locked the door behind me, then sat in my shower with the screens closed.

All was silent, except for my heart that began to pick up in pace.

"What am I doing…?" I just realized how stupid my hiding spot was. It almost felt like I was playing hide and seek, but losing meant death.

"Urc—!" I gagged and nearly regurgitated. I was reminded of my previous death. It wasn't until my most previous loop that I'd seen my insides for the first time, churned and punctured by the hideous pair of scissors he weld.

"BLURREGHHH!!!" I couldn't hold it in. I puked again, everywhere into my lap and the shower floor. I felt sleepless, disoriented, nauseous, and unbearably dreadful.

"Fuck…" I wiped my mouth of its foul-smelling dispositions. I had thrown up nothing but stomach acid. It made a loud echoed noise when it splattered inside my shower, so I already expected the worst.

THUD—SMACK!

The door to my bathroom blew open, slamming against the wall adjacent.

Sigh.

I heard him exhale through his mask, as if frustrated that I was hiding in here.

Sigh.

My own exhale was a bit more shaken, as I closed my eyes with expectation of what was to come next.

The shower screen slid open, screeching loudly against its hinges. It was like a sound effect, straight out of the jump scare for a horror movie, and this was followed by a heavy black mask that lunged towards my face, while his scissors impaled my neck's center.

"BLOUGH—!" A mixture of vomit and blood projected forth from my mouth, staining his mask, and with clear agitation in his eyes, he pulled his scissors out and began to stab me over and over again.

I screamed with pain internally.

Death.