Encounter, With What?

Karina did not waste any moment and raced to the door. Not a single doubt in her head.

How can she fall again! And outside too! She told me not to come out at this time and she does it herself!

There was nobody outside. Karina checked to the left and to the right of the door. Nothing. Just darkness. And silence. Not a single insect made a sound. Yet Karina was only focused on finding her grandma.

No animals making annoying noises? That couldn’t be right! Whatever. I definitely heard her voice coming from around here.

Karina started to walk towards one side of the house. The one where the kitchen looked out into. The wood around the house creaked loudly under Karina’s steps. As she reached the corner, about to turn…

‘WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT GOING OUT AT THIS TIME?’

Karina fell to the ground from the suddenness of Winona arrival behind her. Her fall was impactful that it shook the old house.

‘You’re…’ Karina looked toward the other side of the house. ‘But, you were just.’

‘Get in!’ Winona barked.

Karina despite being shaken, stood up quickly and dusted herself as she walked back into the house. There was loud rustling on the bush behind them, creeping Karina enough to rush in. After entering, she looked back to let Winona in and to lock the door. However, there was no Winona.

‘Lock that door now!’ Shrieked Winona, coming down from the staircase.

‘I! Uh!’ Karina’s head snapped between Winona from the staircase to where she thought Winona would’ve been.

‘CLOSE IT!’ 

Karina slammed the door close and just as she did, something slammed on it from the outside.  

‘Kyaaa!’ Karina screamed.

‘Karina let me in! It is grandma!’

Karina’s knees gave way and she fell to the ground, curling into a ball and shaking. Winona was still trying to get down the staircase slowly.

‘What did you see?’

Karina started crying.

‘What did you hear?’

Karina sat up and watched her grandma made it through the last step safely, still shaken.

‘You…’ Karina said shakily.

‘I heard your voice. It felt so real. The thought of it being not you did not even cross my mind. I just know you needed help and that was it.’

Winona slowly made it to Karina, putting her own knitted rainbow cardigan around Karina’s shoulder. Instead of thanking her grandma, Karina flinched. Winona noticed this but did not mind. Or maybe, she just understood.

‘Then, you appeared out of nowhere.’ Karina said, almost choking. ‘You stopped me from getting to the side of the house where I heard the voice from. You commanded me to go back inside.’

‘There was no way I wouldn’t have heard the footsteps.’ Karina said with tears. ‘You were suddenly behind me.’

Winona listened patiently, as she made sure the door was actually locked.

‘And as I was walking in, I heard a noise from the bushes. Then you weren’t behind me.’ Karina continued.

‘Then you are coming down the stairs.’ Karina shakily hugged her knees.

‘I left the door open as I went outside…’

‘Who is the real you?’ Karina looked up, meeting her grandmother’s stare.