Flicker. Fade. Fall.

As I walk down the hallway towards my apartment, which is on the fifth floor and for my bad luck the elevator had to stop working just today. And had to take the stairs.

Great.

I can literally feel the tiredness oozing out of my body, making my mind numb and my eyes droppy.

I somehow managed to open the door and got inside when a ding sound resonated in the silent apartment. I turned on the lights and kept my bag on the couch in the hall before fishing my phone out of my pocket just to notice that it's past 1 in the morning.

I opened it and saw it was  a message from my assistance from work, informing me about some details on the current case we are working on.

How can he work at this unholy hour.

I decided to ignore it and thought to take a warm bath to relax my muscles. I opened my wardrobe and took out my nightwear and placed it on the bed.

I went to the bathroom and opened the tap and let the bathtub be filled with lukewarm water to a certain level before slipping inside it.

A relaxed sigh left my lips as the warm water touched my skin. I rested my head on the head rest of the bathtub and closed my eyes.

Ahhhhhhhhh.......

My eyes snapped open after hearing a shrill banshee like scream. My eyes widened in fear and disbelief taking the scene in front of me. The bathroom is completely wretched, dirty and filthy. My breath spiked up as I came out of the tub.

"Ahhhh.." This time a scream left my own throat looking at myself covered in blood from my chest down to my feet. My throat clogged up.

I hurriedly opened the tap with my shaking hand but no water came out. I again heard the same ear piercing scream but this time with footsteps and banging like someone is falling.

My whole body was shaking in dread, I grabbed the towel on the floor and did a futile attempt to clean myself. I came out of the bathroom and saw many people running here and there.

Flicker. Fade. Fall.

I don't even remember putting on my clothes before someone yanked me by my arms and now we all are running somewhere and from someone. But the sound of the same scream resonates in the air from time to time.

"Wha-- what's happening??" I asked the person running down the stairs with me. Not getting any reply I looked towards him only to see a faceless person standing there and doing some movement with his hands.

And then I heard it again..

Flicker. Fade. Fall.

I shrieked getting away from him when with a slash sound his head was detached from his body. I covered my mouth so as not to vomit at the sight. I felt my whole organs rearranging at the sight of it as I slid down on the stairs. Tears making their way down my cheeks.

"Run.. Run.." Someone said shaking me by my shoulder. I looked towards her and saw a beautiful girl with cuts on her face. Before I can say something her facial features also started disappearing.. "Your.. Your fa--face.." I whispered trying to grasp what the hell is going on. "Run.. He is co--" She was trying to say something when all I can notice is her hand moving without a sound.

Then I heard it for the third time..

Flicker. Fade. Fall.

And not a second later her head is laying on the floor getting detached from her body. I screamed covering my face when her blood splashed on my face. I panted and looked around me and saw lots and lots of faceless people whose heads were getting detached from their body by an invisible force.

And just the same three words echoing in the air.

Flicker. Fade. Fall.

I started to run just like the beautiful girl told me to.

I reached the ground floor where I noticed a child crying on the floor. I decided to leave him but his crying wasn't letting me leave him there.

I ran towards him and picked him up before making my way out of the building but as I said my bad luck the door was locked. I banged on the door when I heard someone shouting.

I looked back in fear but I saw a group of people with their facial features still present calling me towards them. In this chaos I came to know just one thing that the faceless people are going to die.

I can still hear the blood splashing sound and the three words which God knows meant what?

I looked around myself and decided to go to them. I entered the room before they closed the door shut.

"What's happening.. Can.. Can someone please tell me.." I cried looking at them but they weren't answering just looking at me before one of them asked me to sit down.

"We can't tell you.. Just know.. Everyone is going to die.. Because of you.." One of them said in a bitter voice before his facial expressions also started to fade. I knew what's going to happen now.

I hid the child's face in my chest before we all heard the three words again.

Flicker. Fade. Fall.

And again just like every time the sound of slash and blood splashing. I hugged the child close and kept my eyes closed as tears were still escaping my eyes.

We all are going to die.

"Your-- your.." I opened my eyes when I heard their voice. "No no don't say that.." One of the men stopped the other to complete his sentence. "What??" I asked.. "No.. Nothing.." They said. I panicked..

My heart started thumping painfully hard and my breath became erratic.

"Relax.."  I hear someone's voice but I disregarded their voices and put the child aside before looking frantically around the room and found a broken mirror.

I picked it up.. "No, girl, put it down! No! "Someone said but it was too late I already put it in front of my face and I screamed..

My face was fading.

"My.. My face.." I whispered.. "Don't say it.. Damn it.." A girl cried. But it was again too late. As I heard the three words again.

Flicker. Fade. Fall.

And I know that this time it's for me.

I turned around and saw the child's face distorting into something so disgusting and disturbing and then he lunged towards me and held me by neck twisting it in a painful manner.

You are the cause.

Flicker. Fade. Fall.

My eyes opened again. I sat on the bed. My whole body is covered in sweat. I panted and tried to control my breath when the sound of my alarm made me flinch.

Dream.

It was all a dream. But then why it felt so real. Ahhhh.

I looked at the clock and saw it was 7 in the morning. I hurriedly left my bed as I got a call.

"Yes.. Yes.. I remember.. I am coming.." I said and decided to skip the shower and just brushed my teeth and washed my face and got ready for the office.

In all this chaos, I forgot a crucial detail of the last night.

How did I end up in bed when I don't remember leaving the bathroom? And who changed my clothes.

Who?

[The end]