#and I didn't even register it as weird until I'd left his office

[tj-crochets]

Hey y'all, weird question time again! Is there anyway to word "I appreciate how unintimidating and unthreatening you are being" as a compliment that does not sound at all like an insult? One of my doctors is the absolute best at it, and I genuinely think it must be a skill he's deliberately cultivated, but I cannot figure out how to word it in a way that doesn't sound slightly insulting. Like, it's a good thing! A very good thing, especially in a doctor! But I cannot figure out how to word it in a way that conveys that

[benevolentcalamity]

...

I don't know how to explain this, so I'm just going to dive straight into it.

A small disclaimer: I'm not gonna tag what this is because surely someone knows already, and quite frankly I'd rather not touch the series ever again. XD So enjoy it while it lasts, okay? I also know none of the lore and I don't intend to, so if nothing's explained, complain to someone else.

CURTAINS!

Edit: ALRIGHT FINE

The first thing that greets your eyes is the sharp, jagged pen lines across the paper, making out symbols and numbers you no longer understand. Aware you may have some of the ink on your face you sit up, stretching until your bones pop and your muscles creak. Right when you're on the verge of giving yourself a Charlie-horse do you register the sharp ringing of your phone.

To be more specific it's one of the house phones, because the reception is a bit weird in this county in that it doesn't have the towers very close by to support mobiling.

Now, you don't really care that much about not getting to use your cell for the moment - it's not like anyone called you aside from scams and telemarketers anyway. Even your friends have lost touch, not that it's really their fault or yours. That's kind of why you're here, as your dad being the owner of the contracting company doesn't stop him from raising you.

Yawning, you reach out, picking up the clear pink phone and holding it to your ear. "Hello?"

"[Name]." Your dad's voice has an uncharacteristic lowness, only heard when there's something very important.

"Dad?" You ask. "Is something wrong? ... Are you gonna be home late again?" You don't like when you're by yourself when it gets dark here... The kinds of people that pop out have always given you the creeps.

To be fair, there are freaks in every part of the world, both good and bad. Everyone you've seen when you're on your way home while the sun's going down... just didn't feel right. Like they belong here, but nowhere else - freaks of nature only to be gathered in one place.

"No, I'll be home in about twenty minutes." It's comforting, but you're still confused. "Listen. I need you to go into my office and log into the security system."

Lamenting that you can't travel with a landline, you tilt your head. "Why?"

"I don't know, it- ... Something doesn't feel right about tonight, okay? Just stay in my office and keep an eye on the cameras. Lock yourself in, and do not open the door for anyone. There's a landline in that office, too - I will call you the second I'm home, do you understand?" His instructions are strict, reminiscent of your gym teacher back before you moved.

Swallowing, you nod despite knowing he can't see. "Okay."

"Alright. There's a notepad of instructions in the top left drawer. Get to it, now!" And with that the telltale click.

Well... No room for hesitation, ah?

Sliding straight off your chair you about scurry down the hall, narrowly missing a box with your foot as you go. Everything rocks with your every step, pace quickening until the office's distinct thick black door breaks the mix of coffee and blue. With some exertion you push through it, hurriedly locking every lock on it and grabbing the stop bar. Now most assuredly safe you take a deep breath, looking around and turning the lights on.

The room's a little boring, with file cabinets galore for... Well what do you know? A sneak peek would be ideal. Maybe a little one won't hurt, after all.

Do I dare? Still your feet gravitate towards the inviting cabinet. Beckoned by forces unknown you pry one open that's labeled, innocuously, "Mandela Miscellaneous". Still, what a funny name for somewhere to live. It's almost creepy.

Betraying the rampant curiosity, a deep, biting chill shoots through you the moment you touch the metal handle. One that not only screams in your ear with a bodiless voice that holds no words, but also commands that you do what dad asked you to do. That whatever is inside this file cabinet is not only not for your eyes, but will hold severe consequences. Even a preteen would understand this sort of feeling.

"... Damn it..." You sigh, retreating back to the desk and sitting down. It's a standard comfy black chair, with the exception you can't find the recline control lever. Even the desk is clean, unlike dad's old one back in Pennsylvania. It's completely contrast to the work he does - it's too clean.

Am I thinking too hard? The thought is pushed to the back of your mind as you type dad's password in and open up the camera feed.

Flipping through the monitors, you wonder for a moment if this is why dad was never that keen on tall furniture. Even the cabinets are wider, with the larger stuff just in piles next to them. You're no expert on furniture layout or anything, but it's bothered you since you moved here. Really, the only exception is bookshelves - tall cabinets are a no go.

Rrriiiing! Rrrriiing!

"AAAH!" Jumping out of your skin, your hand goes up in a fist before you note the blinking of the phone's port. Shoulders heaving with a sigh, you pick it up, still flipping through the cameras. "Hello?"

"[Name]?" Dad!

"Yea, dad, I'm here." You can't relax. "Why are there so many locks on that door? It's so heavy."

"My office is safe, [Name]. If something breaks in, you'll be able to stay in there until help comes." Until help comes...? As the air grows heavier, you drag a lip between your teeth. "Listen, do you see anything on the cameras?"

Taking a moment, you flip through each camera again, from the front door to the back yard to the laundry room and everywhere in between. If anything something falls over sometimes, but that's about it.

"No...?" You tremble.

Looking through it all... A dreadful bubbling settles in your stomach. Some sort of shadow upon your shoulders, whispering with cold lips that something is deeply wrong. In mere moments the action of flipping through, to just seeing the normal rooms, is a challenge and a half. Each cycle raises your hair ever more, tightens the twisting in your stomach and the clenching of your ribs.

Something isn't right.

A harsh gulp, and a quick look around the office... No, nothing strange... But what is the dark cloud over you right now?

"Dad...?" You ask.

"I'm still here, babygirl," He responds. "You're doing great, okay? I need you to take a deep breath."

One hand falling to grip the desk, you suck a shallow breath through your teeth, the room feeling as though it'll close in on you at any second. With every ounce of courage you can muster you continue flipping through the camera feed. Swallowing harshly, you jolt here and there from self-deceptive shadows and curtains blowing in the breeze of the ceiling fans.

Is this a drop of sweat on your face, or are you crying? Has the heat died, or has terror taken your warmth?

"[Name]." Dad's voice rips you back to alertness. "Can you hear me, [Name]?" His voice is firm; he knows you're terrified.

"Y-yes." You can't feel your legs.

"I'm almost home, sweetheart. Just hold on a little longer." There's a sound like creaking metal in the background, popping your ears. "Do you see anything on the cameras?"

Your lips open to respond, but the start of your voice is drowned out by the camera feed flashing with a notification in the corner. Blinking, you lean closer to the screen and squint, reading the fine text.

Motion detected at front door.

Swallowing, you flip through the camera feed. Ears opening with the doorbell ringing through the audio, you grip your one leg to keep it from shaking. You're far from ready to see whatever's going to happen, but you have to see to defend your house. Harshly clearing your throat, you finally make it to the front door camera.

What you see isn't what you expected. Rather than, really, some grotesque monster, there's a person. Quite an odd-looking person, really... The cameras are infrared when the house is this dark - no need to have the lights on when you're not downstairs - so you can only make out this person being... Well, unnaturally pale, if anything.

The hair is wavy, but crunchy, suggestive it's been a while since they've bathed. Regardless it trails down their back, teased by the occasional movements of ringing the doorbell and trying to peek through the covered windows on either side of the door. Each movement billows the long gown, until they simply settle with standing properly, hands behind their back.

"... Dad?" You ask.

"What do you see, [Name]?" Dad sounds... concerned.

"I... A person...?"

"What do they look like?" Dad's voice is demanding now, urgent - and a whole new wave of nausea passes through you.

"Umm... Long hair, long dress...?" You swallow. "I don't know..."

"[Name]." Dad's voice is firm, but fearful. "Do not speak to them."

A chill in your arms. "What do you mean?" Your gaze is drawn to the phone.

"[Name], listen to me," He explains. "I'm sorry I didn't explain everything when we got here... That person isn't human."

What? "What do you mean... isn't human?"

"If that's who I think it is... [Name], do not speak to him. Don't even look at him, understand?"

Deciding it'd be wise to just switch cameras, the second your gaze falls on the feed you shriek, all feeling shooting back into your limbs.

"[NAME]!" Dad's voice rings in your newfound clarity, your one hand gripping the desk so hard it'd splinter if it weren't actually good wood. "[Name], what's happening?"

What has you so startled isn't that something's replaced that person, but they're still there. In actuality they're - he's - turned fully to the camera, staring dead into it.

Staring right at you.

A friendly smile is on his face, an innocent tilt of the head along with it. Stepping back, he lifts one arm, pointing towards the side. At first you shudder, looking towards the side of the camera, not daring to change feeds. After a moment of ignorance you follow the unnatural thinness teased by the baggy sleeve to the side of the console.

Then your gaze finds a red light - and the word, "Mute."

"... Dad?" You quiver.

"What's happening? Are you alright?" Dad's voice shakes, worry clouding whatever else he could be feeling.

"... How can you tell that I'm 'muted' on this thing?" It's the stupidest thing in this world, and yet you might've fucked all of this up on one oversight.

"... The red light is blinking." Then you both seem to realize. "... [Name]..."

You hurriedly reach to push the button, praying on the one motion that you haven't messed anything up yet. Gulping, you tremble, the bubbling fear in your stomach not as tumultuous, but still threatening to burst if anything more happens.

"Please tell me you're almost home, dad..." You whimper, tears lining your eyes. "I don't know if I can do this..."

"It's okay, sweetie." Now his voice is soft, assuring; finally your shoulders unclench. "I'm turning into the subdivision now. You just wait now, okay? Take a deep breath."

"Are you going to hang up?"

"No. I'm gonna be right here until I pull up. Anything happens, I can give you more directions." He swallows. "You should be proud, you're doing a great job. When you finish school, you'd make a good security person. Preferably not here, though... This town's better left to the pros." That you can get behind.

Turning your gaze back to the cameras, that man's still there. He's swaying side to side, hair swishing like a pendulum, hands at his sides. It's like he's bored, waiting for you to do something, or something else to happen. As though noticing he has your attention again his movement pauses, and he looks at you again.

When the silence is at his heaviest, his lips finally open.

"... Hello." You don't know how to describe his voice. It's comforting, but there's an odd malice deep within. Like a siren's song it draws you in, but go too far and you'll be drowned. "[Name], right? It's nice to meet you."

Huh...?

Tilting your head, you walk the chair back.

"[Name], don't say anything to him," Dad orders.

Swallowing, you nod, managing to turn your eyes away. Bringing up your knees you hug them tightly, dragging a lip between your teeth. Weirdly, there's a relief in the motion, a comfort. At last, you feel like this horrible night is coming to an end. Nothing can touch you, nothing can harm you - nothing can reach you.

"[Name]~" There's a waving motion in your peripheral vision. "Little lamb? Are you not there? It's bad manners not to greet your guests, you know." Then it stops. "Don't be afraid. Just come here, and open the door... I have a housewarming gift for you."

There's a flash, and your head snaps up. Light slowly creeps through the far side of the camera, and your chest heaves at the telltale shape of dad's truck. A disappointed hum from the strange man, and he steps back - and you look at him once more.

Another smile, but this one feels... wrong. "It's okay, little one, I forgive you. We'll meet properly soon, okay? I'll be waiting."

A quick turn, and he calmly strides into the shadows, disappearing in what feels like a blink. The phone beeps as dad pulls into the driveway, and your head spins as you stand from the chair. Lumbering to the door you take down the rod and undo all the locks, managing to pry it open and peer out into the hall. Flicking the lights on, you push off the walls dragging yourself towards the stairs.

"[Name]?!" Dad shouts through the haze.

Your legs give out, and you collapse onto your knees.

"[Name]!"

You're lifted up, and you pull yourself together just long enough to see dad's badge.

"It's okay now... You did great. Good job, kiddo."