Inspiration comes in many ways, for many people, during many different times of their lives. Future is dictated by the past, as is the present. Everything leads to moments which are to come. Some moments, while greater than others, those not so seemingly important, can still have significance. 

Alex knew this well, as many writers do. She knew her past would be important when writing her best-selling novels. Every minute of her life in some way, shape, or form, has led to every book she published for thousands to read. But, as Alex has asked many times before, “Is there ever a time when the past catches up with the present? Or does the collision of these two times create new stories?” When it had become apparent to Alex that her past was soon to catch up to her, where would she go from there?

When Alex believed she had written all the stories of her past, she was stuck. A tall, thick wall blocked her path of ideas, unable to be climbed or to be gone around. However, there was a simple solution to be found; just hard to find. What if she was able to write stories that weren’t her past yet? If she were, how would she see these stories? As Alex tried to find any ideas, she found but only one; a dream of which she had one night in June.

A person she named Sophia, was going to a new house, there wasn’t a sure reason why but she was. However, on her way there she ended up coming face to face with death. This dream was interesting to Alex, as she had never dreamed anything like it before. But, she especially loved it because it wasn’t like her other books. Most of her stories had been sci-fi or fantasy novels. But this was new and exciting, something Alex believed her readers would love.

As Alex wrote the secrets in the house, even she felt scared and with that came a feeling that she knew her readers would love it. Sophia grew more and more weary of the horrors around her. There were knocks coming from throughout the house, cupboard doors being opened throughout the darkness of night, an ominous grandfather clock blaring every hour which had stood broken in the corner of a small dark living room. 

When Alex came close to the end of the book, Alex’s friend, Ronan; a young man, around 25, with long dark hair and eyes as brown as a forest in the fall had called to invite her on a trip he was planning. In a week he was to go to a nice house on a beach. Wanting a break from her work, Alex complied. She had planned to finish her book that week so she was happy to finish and take a break. But when she only had a few days before she was to leave, she couldn’t see the end. Her mind was clouded and no words were appearing on her paper. She thought it might be due to her excitement for the trip, which was odd for Alex, writing had always come naturally to her, and this disconnect of imagination was extremely frustrating. So she put the story away, she had a vacation coming up soon anyway so there wasn’t much time to dwell on her work. She told herself, it would still be there when she’d come back. She hoped that reminder would ease her mind of worry. 

When she was ready to leave Alex went on her way to meet Ronan. They were planning to meet at Ronan’s house before driving to their vacation house. However, when Alex had arrived she found that Ronan wasn’t there. So, she checked her phone. There she found a message from Ronan. 

Ronan: Hey, I had to leave to get ice for the cooler if I’m not back by 12 just go on ahead.

“Just great, I guess I’ll have to wait awhile.” She groaned. It was only 11:17, so she expected him to show up before they were supposed to leave. However, Ronan never showed up. When she texted him at 12:10 he answered back.

Alex: Where are you?

Ronan: Oh sorry just go on ahead I’ll follow you. It took me a while to get the ice.

Alex: Fine :/

Alex went on ahead, angry that he wasn’t there beside her. However, this feeling wouldn’t last very long as this sort of thing was very in character for him.

Three hours later, Alex drove through a thick forest area with no surrounding infrastructure of any kind, but she could see a beach in the distance. When she arrived at the address it was nothing like she expected. What stood in front of her was in fact a house by a beach but it didn’t seem right. The house was small with white walls and white trim. It had a door in the very middle of the side of the house with four windows each evenly spaced apart on either side. Noticing the door was red, she wondered, “Why did they put such a bright color with so much white?” But, she found it easy to look past the flaws of the house and go right in. Ronan was supposed to have the key as he made the deposit but he wasn’t there. However, she was too impatient to wait so she tried the door anyway. 

It was unlocked!

The inside looked cozy, when she walked in the door she found a blue couch with matching chairs and rug facing, a small T.V. hidden in a cabinet, and an old grandfather clock next to it which didn’t seem to match the rest of the house at all. The kitchen right beside it was small. It had the basic necessities, a fridge, stove, microwave, and coffee maker. There was a dining table right next to the kitchen with one chair, “What an odd amount of chairs, I thought the standard...” Alex began, but was interrupted by the sound of a door slamming shut. 

She grabbed her bag to use as a weapon, and ran towards the living room. Only to find nothing, so she opened the door and ran outside to find there was still nothing. She stood in confusion for a moment, too afraid to move in case there was someone there. When she finally built up the courage to go back in the house she ran as quickly as she could to ensure her safety. She stood with her face to the door backing up, waiting, but still nothing happened. So she consciously went back to exploring the house. 

She eventually unpacked some of her possessions then sat on the end of the couch and tried calling Ronan. It rang and rang and rang then picked up. “H..Hello?” Alex stuttered, hoping for any kind of response. But there was only static for a moment then, the phone hung up. So she tried again, the same thing happened, ring, ring, ring, pick up, static, but this time there was a faint voice. However, she couldn’t make out any of the words. “Hello? Is anyone there?” The phone hung up. She threw the phone to the other end of the couch and got up and paced around the room. “Where is he!?” Alex wondered. She didn’t want to be in the house all alone for the night. 

Ronan was at a different house, trying to reach Alex. He was in a tall light blue house with an orange door. This was the house Alex was supposed to arrive at a few hours ago. He called her, but there was no answer. He tried again, still no answer. They both became worried as it was now 7:30 so the sun would be going down soon and they were still separated. “I knew I should have asked her to wait a bit longer.. Ugh, then we wouldn’t be in this mess!” He yelled furiously. 

Neither of them knew where the other could be or if they were okay, but it was almost sundown and neither liked to drive after dark. 

Alex sat waiting, staring at the old grandfather clock watching the time pass away. The time seemed to be counting down, it was going backwards and it was now at 4:00. Which Alex thought was odd, but the clock made a calming noise which slowly drifted her to sleep. She dreamed of Sophia again, seeing all that she had before, but this time she got very close to the ending. But, before she was able to see it, she sprung up from her slumber, because of a loud banging of cabinet doors from the kitchen. The cabinets flickered in and out making a loud banging sound every time they moved. 

She fell off the couch and crawled back to the tall cabinet which held the T.V. screaming. Suddenly, the cabinets stopped moving, the whole house went quiet. The only thing Alex could hear was the sound of rustling leaves outside. Alex couldn’t move; she was stiff with fear. She sat hidden from the window just between the T.V. cabinet and grandfather clock. She held her knees as close to her as she could trying to make even her breath sound invisible. 

But sitting there she realized what she hadn’t after she first arrived at the house. Alex was living Sophia’s story, the cabinets, the loud noise from the door, the odd grandfather clock. It was her story! “But, what’s the ending?” she questioned. It was impossible to dispute this was her dream, what she had written was everywhere. Alex was living her nightmare, this may not be the story her readers would love but maybe the book her readers may never read. But, that didn’t matter to her now, the only thing that matters is getting out of the house. 

Alex peered from behind the grandfather clock and stared waiting for any movement from the window next to it on the wall. There was nothing she could see. Alex began to stand slowly, then bolted towards the door hoping to make it to her car. However, now the door wouldn’t budge and the keyhole to unlock it was missing! She ran to the couch to grab her phone but it wasn’t there either. In fact the only thing she had left was an empty bag. 

She looked up and saw two glowing eyes in the window. Alex began to back up to try any way to get out. But, she bumped into something taller than her. The object was unbelievably cold and as stiff as a tree. Alex slowly turned around hoping it was just the door or a wall. It wasn't.

It was a tall, strong looking man dressed in a hunter’s outfit. But, he didn’t move or speak, there was something off about him. Alex noticed she could see the door right through him. She was so close to getting away but this figure was too terrifying to get past. “How… Who are…” she began but was suddenly stopped by a sharp warm pain in her stomach. She looked down to find a hunting knife sticking out of her. Attached to the end of the handle was the man’s hand. 

Alex collapsed to the floor; she laid there scared but almost relieved to finally figure out the ending of her book. However, she was sad no one would ever be able to read it. “What a dream... to be a part of my own book.” she sighed through faltering breaths. Her book was finished, and she could finally stop worrying about the ending. Eventually, she grew cold and fell unconscious. Eventually, she woke up and found herself being carried by the man then the feeling of falling. But, after the fall she never woke up again.