Chi Chi 🌺

Footsteps in the middle of the night 2. The voice kept calling my name. I looked up and saw my mother walking up the stairs, still calling out to me. I was about to follow her when another voice came from behind me. It was my mother again. "Where are you going?" I froze. I turned towards the staircase. Nobody was there. But my mother was sitting right beside me. She looked at me strangely, then called my siblings and told everyone to get ready for bed. As they gathered their things and headed upstairs, I remained standing, completely confused. "Are you not sleeping?" she asked. "No. I want to finish the movie first." "Don't stay up too late." They all went upstairs. I tried to push what had happened out of my mind and returned to the movie. About fifteen minutes later, I heard the footsteps again. This time, they were coming from the dining area. Slowly, they moved towards the kitchen. Then came that low humming sound. I sat still, listening. Suddenly, the kitchen door handle began to rattle. "Who's there?" I called. It rattled again. My heart started racing. I got up and slowly walked towards the kitchen. The humming grew louder, but something about it had changed. It sounded like someone crying. Just as I got close to the door, the rattling stopped. Then— BOOM! The door swung open. I almost screamed. It was my mother. She stepped out of the kitchen and asked why I was standing there. I couldn't answer. I looked towards the staircase, then back at her as she walked past me, picked up the remote and reduced the TV volume. "Have you finally washed the plates? I thought you said you would leave them until tomorrow." I walked into the kitchen. Every single plate had been washed. But I hadn't washed them. I returned to the living room and sat beside my mother. "Mom, I didn't wash those plates. And there's something strange about this house." She laughed. "It's because we're new here. You'll get used to the place." She tapped her lap, inviting me to rest my head on it. I did. She began stroking my head gently. Then she started humming. The same humming I'd heard coming from the kitchen. My body went cold. Not just uncomfortable cold. Her skin felt like the night breeze. Her voice sounded like rushing water. And there was a strange smell of smoke coming from her. Goosebumps covered my arms. I quickly lifted my head. "I'm going to bed." "Okay. Go ahead. I'll switch off the TV and join you." I began climbing the stairs. But something made me turn around. Her hair looked longer than before. She was standing perfectly still, her eyes fixed on the television. I continued climbing. Just as I reached the final step, the TV volume suddenly shot up. Every light in the house came on. Then the upstairs door opened. And there stood my mother. The real one. "Why haven't you switched off the TV? And why did you increase the volume?" I stared at her. "But you told me to go upstairs. You said you'd switch it off." She frowned. "Are you okay? Didn't I leave you downstairs before coming to bed?" My heart nearly stopped. I looked downstairs. The living room was empty. Nobody was there. Only the television was playing. My mother asked me to go back downstairs and switch it off. With trembling legs, I began descending. When I finally reached the living room, I picked up the remote and pressed the power button. The screen went black. But just before it did… I saw something standing behind me in the reflection. TO BE CONTINUED…

What separates you from everyone else is Inbuilt David didn't learn music in school Solomon didn't get wisdom from books Saul didn't learn how to fight in a Shaolin school And Joseph didn't learn management in economics school Look inside.... Everything is there