It happens. You just have to get back up dust yourself off and keep moving. It gets easier with practice and developing a positive attitude. Hold fast and keep sailing into the sunset...good luck.

Though only partially aware of ceramic breaking, her mind sluggishly worked out that something had happened around her which drew her away from the peephole. As she stepped back from the door her foot landed on a shard of her mug, the pain making her gasp in the breath she never noticed holding. she was unsteady and light-headed, before she knew it she slipped in the spilled coffee around her and was sent to the floor. As she lay on the floor looking up at the ceiling her mind worked to process what had happened, soon rationality started returning and everything crashed back to reality. It took her a moment to realise she was screaming at the top of her lungs, screaming at the memory of what she had just seen through the peephole and from the pain in her limbs. She turned on the floor and rolls to her hands and knees to claw and crawl away from the door. The only thing her mind could do was let out screams of terror and pain. The image of the creature burned in her mind. She knew it was real, but her mind refused to accept it, something like that couldn’t be real. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sliding and soft clack of metal which froze her where she was and her scream in her throat. She looked back and felt her blood run cold as the second deadbolt moved slowly and allowed the door to creak open. The creature snaked its sickly tendrils between the door and door frame, opened just enough for them to fit as it delicately searched out the door chain. It was getting in. She fearfully whimpered and got up, limping lightly as she ran to her room for safety. She closed the door and pressed her back against it. The creature unlocked the chain and gently pushed the door open, its hinges lightly groaned from age and unoiled use, the chain banged against the wall. She stifled a cry as she heard it enter, her instinct to hide overpowering her as she quickly grabbed a chair and wedged it against the door knob and turned to her closet. She pulled them open but before she could enter she was stopped by what she saw. Instead of her clothing she stared down at the dozens of pages tacked to the wall and scattered on the floor. Confused she knelt and picked some up to get a better look at them. In the dim light coming through her window she looked them hastily over and found they vaguely pertained to something like that creature, but with how crudely they were drawn and how dark it was she couldn’t tell for sure. But she felt as though she had seen one of these before, not that long ago. The wooden floor outside her door creaked and brought her back to the reality that she wasn’t alone, she looked over and saw the handle being turned. She opened her window and tossed out one of her shirts before she crawled over and closed the closet doors with her inside. The chair gave a soft rasp as it was slowly slide along the floor and wall. She crawled to the back of the small closet and her hand landed on something thin and hard. Holding it up she saw it was a thin charcoal pencil, she looked between it and the bifold closet doors. The creature silently had made its way to the room and its shadow was cast against the doors as it looked out the window, she clutched the pencil and closed her eyes tightly praying it would take the bait and leave out her window. She was trembling with fear as she looked up and screamed, the horrid creature's face inches away from her as it leaned into the closet, tendrils rushing towards her. After that, there was only blackness. “Nicole?” A gentle and warm voice wakes her. She jumped slightly out of surprise and the folder that was sitting on her lap fell to the floor, the photocopies of crude drawings spilling out. She looks around fearfully. “I didn't meant to scare you like that, are you alright?” The doctor says gently. She looks up at the doctor and sighs, seeming confused and embarassed. “Yes, I'm sorry. it was just a nightmare but....never mind” She stops, trying to remember details of her dream but shakes her head, giving up before proceeding to gather the pictures. fighting back tears she remembers where she is and why. She received a call from the hospital on her sister's behalf, neighbors heard screams from her apartment and called for help. The police took Nicole to the side, wanting to discuss what could have happened to her sister, using phrases like 'self-inflicted' and 'psychotic break'. Nicole asked if someone had broken in and did this to Lindsay, but the answer she got was that the police had to break in to get to her. The front door was properly locked, her bedroom door was barricaded lightly, and she was found in her closet. “Are those the pictures she was found with?” The doctor asks as he helps gather them, snapping her from her thought. Finding it hard to speak with the tight lump in her throat she just nods and clutches the folder tightly. The doctor tells her that Lindsay is sedated and sleeping, but she can go see her. She nods again and follows him, everything washing over her as she felt her mind reeling from all the information about her baby sister, feeling numb as she was lead to her sisters room. Not fully grasping the situation or what the police and doctors told her, her mind was swimming until she saw her sister with her own eyes. As the sight and understanding washed over her she couldn't hold back the tears she had fought off since she first got the call about Lindsay. She almost collapsed, stumbling a little and only recovering from the doctor catching her. She turned away and clung to the doctor, unable to look at her sister any longer. Lindsay's head was wrapped up, the gauze pads placed on both ears and eyes were held down by the bandages to keep from developing infections. They could only speculate that she or someone else drove pencils into the girl's ears, but they couldn’t shed any light on why. Her eyes were clawed at with a low chance of her recovering her sight. Her hand was lightly bandaged, it and parts of her leg and feet were treated for mild burns and cuts. Finding bits of her mug her in feet and limbs. As Nicole choked back her tears she turned from the doctor to look back to her sister. she gave a startled scream, pointing at the window. The doctor looked to where she was pointing then helped her to sit. "I could have sworn someone was out there." She was embarrassed and The doctor seemed very confused and walked to the window, looking down for the same reason she knew it was impossible for anyone to have been out there. the room they were in was on the third floor so nobody could have been out there. Nobody.