Chapter 6

His sister was pretty, with long black hair held in place by a pink ribbon. She had a radiant smile that enhanced her beauty. On the other hand, her brother maintained a serious expression, rarely cracking a smile.

I wondered what kind of person he was, seemingly disinterested in everything. "What are you guys looking at?" Jessica interrupted our thoughts, entering the room with a brown paper bag, presumably containing food. "Jessica, come and see," Alice beckoned her, pulling her towards the window.

They both looked outside and noticed the same thing. "Oh my gosh... don't tell me those people are moving to this neighborhood," Jessica exclaimed. "Of course they are," Alice confirmed, placing the brown paper bag on the table.

I left the window and sat on the bed while they continued observing our new neighbors. "That guy is attractive, Bella," Jessica commented, still gazing outside. "I think I'm already crushing on him." I scoffed at her remark. "That's ridiculous," I told her, but she disregarded my response and redirected her attention to me.

"Alice, don't you think we should go and help them settle in?" I proposed. "Hell no, I'm not doing that," Alice quickly replied.

Jessica, curious about my lukewarm reaction, asked, "What's wrong with her?" Alice retorted, "She hasn't been herself since she saw the guy... Wait a minute, don't tell me you already like him?"

Alice's statement caught me off guard. "What nonsense, Alice! I don't even know him, and you're already assuming things about me," I retorted.

Jessica and Alice exchanged glances before turning back to me. "So you're saying you don't like him?" they asked simultaneously, leaving me wondering what they were plotting. "No," I responded firmly. Jessica concluded, "Well, we'll see about that soon enough," and opened the brown paper bag she had brought.

"Alice, I got your favorite," she handed her a sandwich. "Thanks, I was craving this earlier," Alice said, eagerly devouring the sandwich.

Jessica, with a mouthful, offered me some, but I declined, standing up to check if our new neighbors were still around. They had finished unpacking and retreated into their house.

I left the window, not wanting to draw attention from Alice and Jessica, who were prone to asking probing questions. As the evening approached, Jessica returned to our house, already dressed up and ready to go out with Alice.

I sat in the living room, watching them argue over whose dress was better. They were unpredictable when it came to fashion, but I stayed silent and observed their banter.

Deciding to intervene, I couldn't let their argument delay their night out. "You two need to stop this argument. It's making me angry," I shouted, finally capturing their attention. "Thank you. Now, what's wrong with the dresses you're wearing?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest. "Look, both of you look gorgeous in your outfits, so stop arguing and get going. You're already running late for your clubbing," I urged them. Alice checked the time and realized they were thirty minutes behind schedule.

Leaving me alone in the house, they hurried upstairs to freshen up, knowing they wouldn't return early. After I finished my own chores, I noticed that the window next to mine had suddenly opened, and the lights in the neighboring room turned on.

I paused, captivated by the scene unfolding before me. The lights flickered off and then on again, causing a momentary unease. "What's going on?"

I whispered to myself, cautiously approaching the window to investigate. Without warning, a mysterious figure leaped out of the room through the window and disappeared into the bushes along the adjacent street.

Instinctively, I ran downstairs and followed the figure into the bushes, although fear gnawed at me. I continued walking until I heard a noise that intensified my anxiety.

Frozen in place, I scanned my surroundings with a flashlight, catching sight of a peculiar shape standing before me. Overwhelmed, I let out a piercing scream, dropped the flashlight, and sprinted back toward the house.

Although I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, I stumbled and fell to the ground, uncertain of what had caused my fall.

As I lay there, disoriented, I felt someone scoop me up and carry me out of the bushes. I wondered where this person was taking me. Hours later, as I stirred, I sensed someone's gaze fixed upon me through the window.

As I opened my eyes, I locked gazes with the same figure, its eyes shimmering like those of the new guy who had recently moved into our neighborhood.

Fear overwhelmed me, and I screamed at the top of my lungs. The figure promptly vanished from the room, leaving me alone and petrified in the house. Trembling, I wrapped myself in a blanket. Within minutes, I felt a touch on my body, and I screamed again. Then, I heard someone speak, "Bella, what's wrong?"

The voice sounded like Alice's, but I couldn't be sure in my current state. I continued to scream, and the person pulled the blanket away, embracing me tightly. "Please don't hurt me," I sobbed, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Bella, it's me, Alice. No one is going to hurt you, okay?" she reassured me, holding me close. Gradually, I calmed down, and Jessica sat by my side on the bed. "What scared you, Bella?" Jessica asked, concern etched on her face.

I couldn't find my voice to respond, so I pointed towards the window. Jessica got up and inspected the area but found nothing. Returning to my side, she said, "There's nothing there, Bella. What did you see?" she inquired.

I replied, trembling, "I saw a strange figure with a human form and shining blue eyes. It kept staring into mine." A sudden silence fell upon the room.

Alice removed her dress, took a shower, and returned to keep me company while Jessica tried to lull me to sleep, running her hand through my hair.

After some time, I finally drifted off to sleep, temporarily escaping the terrifying encounter. Jessica decided to sleep beside me to provide comfort and support, while Alice returned to her own room. With my best friend by my side, I felt protected.

When I woke up, I momentarily forgot the events of the previous night. It seemed as though everything was back to normal, and I was safe in the house, enjoying time with my little sister and Jessica. "You two didn't tell me how your evening went yesterday," I reminded them. Jessica proceeded to recount the night's events. "It was fun, but we closed early," Alice added. Curious, I asked if they had met any new people. Jessica shook her head in disappointment.

As I made my way back to the window, drawing the curtains, memories of the terrifying incident rushed back to me. I hesitated but ultimately decided to confront my fears and approached the window once more.