Tales of the Many: by Nicole M (ebook reader online txt) 📕

What was that noise in the kitchen? Should I go look? What if something’s wrong? What if someone’s breaking in? This can’t be happening again. I could be hurt. How would my parents know?
Why am I being so silly? It’s probably nothing-But wait, there it is again. Maybe I should go check it out. I’ll just open my door slowly, breathe lightly, and creep down the hallway as quiet as possible. That’s it, now I just have to look around the corner. There’s no one to my right. But what about my left? If I’m not quick whoever is there will get me. Oh, there’s no one there.. But what about behind me? Someone could’ve followed me down the hallway from behind! Oh great, in turning around I have made myself step out in the open. Now I’m vulnerable. Way to go Nicole, you’re a genious. Now a complete 360-degree turn to make sure no one’s after me. All clear.. But just in case, I better keep my breathing low.
What’s that on the counter? It’s just our cat? But what’s that on the floor? She knocked over a bowl? Hmph, I’m worrying too much. I’ll go back to my room and lay down for a bit- Wait, my dad’s bedroom door is open. It wasn’t like that before. Or was it? Maybe he left his door open before he left.. Or maybe someone is in there looking for things to steal. What if he has a gun or knife like the guy before? Okay Nicole, calm down. There’s no one in the house, I’m just being paranoid.. God I am so stupid. Okay okay, just walk down the hall at a normal, non-paranoid pace… Or maybe jog down the hallway and glance behind me several times, because that’s totally normal and not paranoid at all. Open the door slowly once more, stand still and look at the end of the hallway, wait several seconds… Okay I’m in the clear. Now it’s time to leap into my room and shut the door as fast as I possibly can. Phew, I made it. And now to prepare for several repeats of this scenario until my parents get home.
Did I just hear something in the garage? What if someone really is breaking in again? What do I do this time? I’ll just stay here, maybe whoever is there won’t come into my room.. But what if he does? How will I defend myself if he has a weapon? Maybe I should go to sleep, when I wake up this will all be over.
Or I could have a nightmare of someone breaking in. I shouldn’t even be afraid anymore, that was three years ago! I wish I wasn’t such a baby. How will I ever go on thinking someone is breaking into the house all the time? Why does this only happen when I’m home alone? Why can’t I be in school right now instead of here?
Did the front door just open? I hear keys. Mom is home, now I’m safe and can do whatever I please without looking over my shoulder constantly. But that’s right, I have to deal with this again soon when I’m home alone. And it’s even worse at night! I’ll just worry about it when the time comes. For now, mom’s home and things are okay again now that I’m not alone.

I've been in this never-ending nightmare for too long. I don't even remember anything else. Only this. This.. Emptiness.
I'm Emily, I'm 11 years old with long strawberry blonde hair and light blue eyes. Everyday I wake up, and I eat the same breakfast. I use the same shampoo when I shower. I shower at the same time every day. I don't go to school anymore. I watch tv at the same time every day. I watch the same show on tv every day. And the same episode as well. I go out every day in the evening, at 6:47 sharp, and I play with my twin sister Annabelle, who lived with Dad. I live with Mom.
We do the same thing every day. We go out on the cliffs that overlook the ocean, we climb down and play in the salt water, and by the time the sun is at it's last moments of life, we walk back home.
Every night when we walk home, we cross a large street. Cars stop for us. Except for one. The same one always keeps going. My sister and I would push and shove each other playfully, and she shoved me too hard. I was sent flying in front of the car that refused to stop.
Realizing her fault, Annabelle would jump and push me out of the way. Quick enough to save us both. We would just sit looking at each other, then we would burst out laughing.
On some days I would ask, "Do you ever feel like we do the same thing every day? Like, everything keeps repeating?"
But she would just stare at me and say "What are you talking about? I haven't seen you in nearly a week." Every time.
At night, I would have the same dream of that car that doesn't stop. I fall asleep at 10PM, and wake up at 9AM. A hollow life, that I live.
But this dream, is different. Everything is black. I'm just standing still, staring into nothingness. It's like this for what feel like hours. But suddenly everything is running past me in a big bright blur. Fragments of memories and people talking. And I'm staring into white lights.
My eyes are open, and I can smell the stench of hospital equipment. I lean up slightly, looking around. I'm not in a small room. It's quite large, and there are other people in hospital beds lined up next to each other. A passerby stops and looks at me. Is she a nurse?
Her eyes grow wide and she rushes off out of the room. She returns moments later with a doctor by her side. He leans over me.
"Get in backup" he says urgently to the nurse beside him who obediently goes off in search. As more people in pale blue storm in, the doctor yells "This one's awake! She's awake! Get her out of here and into another room. She could go into shock!"
Shock? Of what?
I'm rolled immediately to a smaller room. The air smells cleaner. Slowly the doctors file out except for the original doctor, and the nurse. As the doctor stands by and looks at me, the woman starts asking me questions.
"Can you tell me what your name is?"
"Emily Norman." I don't recognize my own voice. It sounds distorted.
"Alright, can you tell me how old you are and what year it is?"
"I'm 11, it's 1997" I'm confused.
The doctor sighs before speaking "I'll go call her family."
The two quickly walk out, leaving me alone to wonder to myself, discombobulated.
About thirty minutes pass before two people enter my room along with the nurse from earlier.
"Emily.. sweetie..?" One of the two is a woman, whose voice is shaky and hoarse. She's very old. The man is obviously old aged too.
I stare at the woman "Who are you?" I ask.
"Emily, this is your mother and this is your father." The nurse speaks up.
"No they're not.. They're old" I say through odd lips.
"Emily, you've been in a coma since June of 1997. It's now 2024. That's 27 years, and you are 38." She says slowly to me, looking into my eyes.
"That's not right. Just yesterday Annabelle and I were playing together." I protest.
"Emily," My so called dad begins, "on the last day you and Annabelle saw each other, you walked out in front of a car that didn't stop or slow down. Your sister pushed you out of the way, saving you, but she couldn't save herself. She's dead now. It was a hit and run, and the criminal who killed her was never caught.. When she pushed you, you fell and hit your head on the pavement.. You had to get stitches and staples in your skull. Ever since then, you've been in a come." He's on the verge of tears, I can tell. I don't understand.
The nurse asks me if I want a mirror so I can look at myself. And when she brings it in, I notice my hands are slightly wrinkled, a sign of aging.
I see a face of clear skin, slight wrinkles in the corners of my eyes, and my hair is long and has turned a brown color. I realize then. I don't look like me.
It's Annabelle staring back at me, a twisted grin on her face.

The two young girls walked along the damp, dark dirt path on a humid night in midsummer. Looking back at the glow of orange street lights lighting up the black sky, they drew further and further away from town.
Mosquitoes bit the bare flesh of their legs. The pre-teenage girls wore too-big shorts that covered their skinny legs to mid-thigh, and too-big tank tops that covered their flat bare chests. Definitely hand-me-downs from ten years ago in the 70’s. The wet air stuck to their skin like gum to a school desk.
They walked down a path that winded down next to a pond surrounded by tall grass and cattails. Off a bit from the path and pond, was a very deep, large cave. They had found their destination. The town, was now almost out of sight. The sky around what was visible of the town, was a slightly transparent orange tint, unlike the dark, black wilderness that surrounded the girls at their current location. If not for the moon, the girls could have well been blind. The soil of the path, had turned into a wetter mud, much like the mud on the floor of the pond. A foul stench blew out of the cave.
“You really think there’s something