The Haunting Encounter: A Tale of Unseen Terror

Under a moonlit night that promised nothing more than quiet solitude, I, Ethan Collins, found myself in a peculiar situation. I had just indulged in a feast of skewers and beer from a local food stand—six skewers of lamb kidneys, thirty dollars worth, washed down with eight bottles of beer. The night had started with the usual camaraderie and lightheartedness, but it was about to take a grim turn.

I mustered up the courage to reach for a delicate hand from a petite vendor named Rosie, who had been serving us all night. Just as I was about to make my move, a sudden, shrill cry pierced the night: "There's been an accident!" The voice belonged to my landlady, Ms. Zhang, and it was so filled with despair that it sent a chill down my spine.

Rosie's surprise made her drop a skewer on my face, a sharp sting that momentarily diverted my attention. But the commotion drew my focus quickly. Everyone had rushed toward the street, and with a haze of drunkenness, I stumbled after them, trying to see what had happened. The sight that greeted me was both shocking and grotesque.

There was a collision between a sleek red sports car and a heavily laden truck. The sports car's trunk was crumpled in a way that suggested it had been forcefully opened. The truck driver, a man in his thirties, stood in a daze beside the wreckage, his face ashen. A woman who had been accompanying him was sobbing uncontrollably, her hands covering her face.

But the most horrifying scene was the young woman in a fashionable red dress lying on the ground. The front windshield of the car was shattered, and she had been thrown from the vehicle, landing in a state of grotesque disfigurement.

The alcohol in my system twisted my perception, and as I took in the horrific sight, my stomach revolted. I heaved violently, the contents of my stomach splattering onto a friend's shoulder. The friend, Little Five, recoiled, and I, in my dazed state, lost my balance and fell onto the ground,

Her face, though beautiful in life, was now a horrific mask of blood and gore. This sight was so shocking that it induced another wave of nausea, and I vomited again. As I lay there, struggling with my disorientation, I noticed something eerie—her eyes, though lifeless, seemed to stare directly at me. Her mouth, possibly due to the impact or the distortion of her features, appeared to curl into a faint, unsettling smile

The macabre scene began to affect me deeply. I was overwhelmed with fear and revulsion, and as I tried to leave, two bystanders—regulars at Rosie's stand—blocked my path. They accused me of disturbing the scene, which, in my intoxicated state, felt like an unfair burden.

"I have a heart condition," I protested, trying to push past them. "Did you push me just now?"

They backed away, but my relief was short-lived. The arrival of the police turned my night into a farce. Caught between guilt and frustration, I was taken to the station. After a brief interrogation and a fine of two thousand dollars for tampering with the crime scene, I was finally allowed to go home.

Exhausted and still shaken, I collapsed into bed without even changing my clothes. My dreams were invaded by a red silhouette, elusive and disconcerting, hinting at something unsettling yet familiar. I awoke to find myself in a state of eerie paralysis, a condition known as sleep paralysis, where I was conscious but unable to move.

The sensation was terrifying. I could hear the distant sounds of traffic, the rustling of leaves, and even the faint sound of a man coughing in the night, but I couldn't move or cry out. It felt as though something cold and heavy was pressing down on me, an oppressive force that filled me with a deep sense of dread.

Desperate, I tried to scream and clench my teeth, but my efforts seemed futile. The fear intensified as I felt a chilling presence, adding to my growing terror. Eventually, through sheer willpower, I managed to make a sound, like a click or a snap, and the paralysis broke.

I sat up abruptly, drenched in cold sweat, and noticed a fleeting red shape vanishing into the darkness. The image of the deceased woman flashed through my mind, sending a shiver down my spine. Just then, my phone rang, its jarring melody cutting through the silence. There was no caller ID, and when I answered, a cold, monotonous voice on the other end asked, "Do you find me attractive?"

The voice was devoid of emotion, sending waves of icy fear through me. I screamed in terror, dropping the phone as my mind raced to make sense of the situation. The call had left no trace—no record of incoming calls. I was left with a chilling uncertainty and a growing suspicion that something beyond ordinary was at play.

As I gathered my composure, I noticed a piece of red fabric in my hand—part of the deceased woman's dress, stained with fresh blood. Panic surged through me. I rushed to the bathroom, trying to dispose of the fabric and clean my hands, but the blood seemed to cling persistently, defying my attempts to rid myself of it.

Looking in the mirror, I was horrified to see my reflection: dark circles under my eyes, bloodshot sclera, and an ashen complexion. The realization that I had encountered something supernatural hit me hard, leaving me with an unsettling sense of dread.

This was just the beginning of what would prove to be a haunting and enigmatic journey into the unknown, marked by terrifying encounters and the struggle to uncover the truth behind the spectral presence that had invaded my life.