The darkness began to envelop me. "I flailed around, trying to move my body, but it was heavy as if bound; water filled my lungs gradually, and my breaths disappeared." "Flames clung to my clothes, and my body felt hot, trembling violently with my screams. The fire devoured my limbs and spread through my body as if it possessed it. I was in indescribable pain. I lost consciousness, watching my burning hands while writhing, trying to push the fire away. My life flashed before my eyes, and then the pain vanished." "I was unpacking the last box in our new apartment, and now I could see the entire place. We had officially moved. As I wandered around, I noticed something odd halfway through the room; the sound of my footsteps changed. I continued stomping the floor to confirm the sound, but my thoughts were interrupted by my little brother screaming my name. I turned and saw the fan about to fall. Indeed, it did. My brother cried loudly. Thank God for him, or I would be dead now. The fan shattered the floor. Something caught my eye in the sand beneath the floor. I pulled out a wooden box." "My brother ran out as soon as he heard the door because our mother had arrived. She entered with a look of sorrow. I asked what was wrong, but she didn't answer. I think she concluded the electrician didn't secure the fan properly." "I tried to open the box in my room, but to no avail. I got tired and went to bed. I closed the window and fell into a deep sleep. I woke up feeling cold from the window. I curled up under my blanket, too tired to close it. I went back to sleep but was startled by a loud noise in the room. I tried to get up, but my body felt glued to the bed, unable to move. The noise continued for about two minutes, and I didn't realize when I fell asleep again." "I woke up in a good mood but then remembered the night. The window was wide open. I was sure I had closed it. I always opened it only from one side. I got up and stepped on something. I looked down and saw the box was broken. Fear took over me until I spotted a beautiful necklace inside. It was a red heart-shaped gem on a chain. I also found a book, but it was in poor condition, with burnt edges." "Several peaceful days passed, but I was puzzled by my family's behavior and their neglect, as well as my mother's sadness. It seemed my uncle was sick again." "I was in the bathtub, upset, having overheard my aunt wanting to get rid of me to inherit my father's wealth, especially since my mother had passed away. Minutes later, my aunt opened the bathroom door, grabbed my head, and dunked it in the bathwater, holding it there before letting go. She looked at me triumphantly and left. She also took my necklace." "I sat on the bed with a candle and a book about the Pharaohs. Tutankhamun's tomb had been discovered, so I decided to read a historical book until the discovery was broadcasted. As I read, the candle fell on me, and I started to burn. I screamed in pain until my parents came in and put out the fire. I suffered severe burns, but it wasn't as bad as I thought." "The past few days felt like years. Sleep eluded me, and food no longer reached my mouth. Nightmares haunted me even when awake. I saw a girl burning, another drowning. I realized the necklace and book were connected to what I saw. When I tried to read the book, I dozed off, hearing screams all night. The necklace whispered my name, and the window always opened wide." "I threw the necklace at the mirror, breaking it. The sunlight disappeared, and my room became desolate. A girl entered; she was the one drowning in my dreams. She picked up the book and tossed it at the wall, which swallowed it. Another girl entered; she was the one on fire. She held up my picture with a black ribbon. I realized my fate would be like theirs. Why are we here?" "Death played its role quickly. I was betrayed by those closest to me. This house was our grave and the path to our return or just one of us. The house has a portal to the world of the living, allowing only one to pass. Our struggle will be fiercer than that of humans, as each of us longs to feel her heart beat again. The portal will determine who wins days in the world and who remains lamenting her fate. As much as the suffering has been, so will the struggle to escape. Fate is determined in the blink of an eye."