She had, what they call a healthy smile. But whenever I looked at her, she gave me the creeps. There was just something about her that I didn't like, something that just seemed off. I don't know if it was because of her too straight and too white to be natural teeth, or that look in her eye whenever she flashed them. Every time I crossed paths with her I made sure and tried my best that it was short and sweet. I didn't want to be around her for longer than what was necessary.
Every encounter seemed to drag on, no matter how I tried to wrap it up. First, whenever she came into my work and ordered something to go, I swear it was like I was talking to someone who had lives at least nine lives and remembered everything about each and everyone of them. She would not stop talking and before you call me rude, it's not that I don't enjoy talking to people it's just that there was something about the way she talked. She would drag out her sentences, over annunciate everything, and her eyes never seemed to blink. It was at this point that in my head I started calling her the cheshire cat.
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Sunday afternoon walks were mandatory. But sometimes, I hid in the kitchen and cooked huge pots of food. This Sunday, however, I didn't do either. The reason for this is because once I woke up this morning something seemed off. Ignoring it, I went and put my tennis shoes on had some breakfast and stepped out the door and was immediately greeted with a moving truck across the street. And you'll never guess what who stepped out of it.
The cheshire cat herself.
Getting sick to my stomach I turned around, shut the door after me, and locked all three of my locks. I may be a bit paranoid. I try and remind myself that she is just a person and probably a completely normal one as of that and I should probably make her some welcome to the neighborhood cookies but just couldn't pry myself off the door, peeking out the door hole every now and then. I probably was imagining it, but she almost seemed to have caught my eye through the peep hole on several occasions, flashing that smile every time. My heart felt as if it would beat right out of my chest but I knew better. She was probably just smiling at a passing butterfly, or bee, or one of the people who was helping her unpack had probably said something funny, right?
+++
I don't know how long I was sitting there. Peeking out the peep hole every so often, the more I realized that she looked completely normal. The longer I watched her that more I realized that I was the creep. I sighed and shook my head. I was being judgmental and honestly an idiot. She doesn't deserve this scrutiny and I should just go over and formally introduce myself as her kind, caring neighbor that will cook her a huge bowl of something as a housewarming gift.
Gaining the courage (finally), I open the door in one fluid motion. In that moment, right as opened that door we made eye contact and a book that she was holding dropped from her hands and landed face open on the ground.
Time seemed to still. The book began making a low humming noise and started to vibrate on the ground. Her eyes morphed into slits and something started to grow out of her, fur, I realized. I couldn't move. My legs seemed to be stuck in cement and my arms failing to move. I was a statue. My eyes couldn't blink. They were focused on her, who was now grinning at me in the most terrifyingly corrupt way I've ever seen. She started walking towards me. Her body transforming into something otherworldly and I thought that my heart would beat right out of my chest. The closer she got to my the more I tried to scream. Closer, closer and closer she came. Reaching out to touch me, her fingers formed into talons and then--
Gasping I sat up. A high pitch beeping noise rang in my ears and I saw white. A lot of white. Someone touched my shoulder.
"Sir? Are you alright?" I jumped and the contact and almost fell off the bed if it weren't for the sting in my arm. Sting in my arm? I look down. An IV? Looking around I'm hit with the smell of disinfectant. Hospital. I'm in a hospital. "Sir?" The voice echos again in my brain. I look up at the voice and almost scream. Smiling down at me with eyes like emerald and slits instead of pupils is her.
"Should I give you something to make you sleep better?" That sing song voice bounces around in my ears and I flinch. It's her.
The monster from my nightmare.
