That's Where Aurabelle Lives

Chapter 17: Headaches and Sleepless Nights

Sarah wakes up groggily, her head throbbing from a restless night of sleep. She glances at the clock below the TV clock and sees that its already 11 in the morning. She rubs her eyes, trying to shake off the fatigue, but it seems to cling to her like a heavy blanket. She sighs, knowing that she won't be able to get any more rest today. There was so much that happened. She knows she has explaining to do when she goes home.

She gets up and heads to the bathroom to wash her face, hoping that it will help her feel more awake. But as she stares at her reflection in the mirror, she notices something strange. Her eyes are dark and sunken, her usually rosy cheeks are pale, and her lips are twisted into a menacing smirk. She blinks, not recognizing the person staring back at her and shakes her head, thinking that it's just the bad lighting in the bathroom.

But as she goes about her morning routine, getting dressed and ready for the day, she notices that something doesn't feel right. It's like there's a presence lingering inside her, controlling her every move. She tries to brush off the feeling, chalking it up to exhaustion.

Sarah heads out to the kitchen where Lisa, is already making cereal. Lisa greets her with a smile and a plate of toast with jelly, but Sarah can't help but feel uneasy around her. It's like she's seeing Lisa for the first time, and she can't shake the feeling that something is off.

She takes a seat at the kitchen table, trying to act normal, but her mind is racing with thoughts and fears. 

Lisa notices her friend's strange behavior and asks, "Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Sarah says, but her voice sounds different. It's deeper and more menacing. She clears her throat. "Just nervous about everything. Ahem...my parents."

Lisa nods. "I understand. We'll have to confront it eventually but for now, maybe we can just wait until they come looking for you."

Sarah forces a smile, trying to act cool. "I guess. I can't stay here forever though."

Ethan walks inside the kitchen and yawns out loud. "Good morning, guys." He raises his hands for a stretch. "My back hurts. I think I'm going to stay in and rest. I didn't sleep very well at all."

"Oh Okay," Lisa bites into a piece of toast. She looks at Sarah. "Skatepark?"

"What?" Sarah looks at her. 

"We can go have a day in the skatepark," Sarah responds back. "Forget about things for a day. We can bring the camera too."

Silence.

"Come out, Sarah. You LOVE looking at all the cool dudes skate," Lisa jokes.

Sarah shrugs. "Okay."

***

As they head to the skatepark, Sarah can feel the presence inside her getting stronger. It's like she's being taken over by something, and she can't fight it. The more she tries to resist, the more powerful it becomes.

Take her to the house. 

Something whispers in her ear.

At the skatepark, Ethan shows up. He greets them with a smile, but as soon as he looks at Sarah, his smile fades. He can see that something is wrong with her, but he doesn't say anything, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. 

"Hey guys, changed my mind. Something told me to come out today...so here I am," he says.

They spend the day at the skatepark, but Sarah is barely there. She feels like she's watching everything from a distance, and it's making her anxious. She can't focus on anything, and her mind keeps wandering back to the presence that's inside her.

As the day comes to an end, Lisa suggests that they go back to the abandoned house where Aurabelle is. 

"Why would we go back there?" Sarah shouts.

"Because," Lisa stands up and glares at Sarah. "You've been acting so weird! Lets be honest here. You killed your parents pet and you can barely look around without looking terrified."

"So you think going back to the place that caused all of this is a good aidea," Sarah says.

"I'm tired of this," Lisa gets up off the ground, storming away. Before stopping she looks at Ethan. "Both of you look off today. Somethings wrong. I can feel it."

"Me?" Ethan points to himself. "I'm just tired. Let's admit, it has been a rough couple of weeks. No?"

Sarah looks down at her shoes and plays with the laces. She knows she can't tell them the truth because they won't understand.

"I don't know," Sarah finally says with a sigh, "Maybe I'm just going through a rough patch."

 Lisa brings up the idea of going back to the haunted house again. 

"Come on, guys. It'll be an adventure. We can finally figure out why all these weird things have been happening," Lisa says with a fake excitement in her voice.

Sarah immediately shakes her head, "No way. I'm not going anywhere near that house."

Ethan joins in, "That house gives me the creeps. But we should see what happens. Before anything else happens. we have a dead bird and angry parents. Lets not make things worst."

Lisa pouts, "Oh, come on. Don't be such chickens. We'll go during the day, and I promise nothing will happen."

Sarah and Ethan still seem hesitant, but Lisa manages to convince them to at least talk about it some more. They continue to skate around while discussing their plans to visit the house again. However, as they bicker and argue, little do they know that the evil spirits inside of Sarah and Ethan are enjoying their discord. They feed off the negative energy and use it to manipulate their thoughts and actions.

Suddenly, Sarah stops skating and clutches her head, groaning in pain. Lisa and Ethan rush to her side, concerned for their friend.

"What's wrong, Sarah?" Lisa asks with worry in her voice.

Sarah's eyes are tightly shut, and she grinds her teeth, "It's...it's nothing. I just have a headache."

Lisa and Ethan exchange a worried look, knowing that something is seriously wrong. They suggest going back to the skatepark to take a break, but Sarah refuses. She insists on going home, claiming that she needs rest.

As they walk home, Lisa and Ethan can feel the dark presence growing stronger in Sarah. They know they have to find a way to get rid of it before it's too late. But first, they have to figure out the connection between the evil spirits and the haunted house.