Annabel

As Abigail awoke in the dead of night, a chilling sensation gripped her spine. The girl with the missing face was sitting at the end of her bed once more, her shadowy figure melding with the darkness that engulfed Abigail’s room. Abigail tried to ignore her, but she couldn't escape the haunting sound of the girl’s ragged cries, a constant reminder that she was no mere product of her imagination. The girl visited every night, and her eerie presence persisted, always awakening Abigail at 2:33 AM. However, this night was different. She moved closer, revealing herself under the faint glow of Abigail’s lamp. Does she realize I am watching her? Abigail thought, She seemed to be a young girl. I'd say she’s no older than 10, there’s no chance she’s any older than Annabel… well.. not before she…

In the dim light, she wore a checkered dress and clutched a peculiar-looking doll. Its familiarity struck Abigail, it was almost if not, the same dress and doll that Annabel treasured dearly. As she attempted to get a better look, she found herself locked in an unsettling gaze with the void where the girl’s face should be. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, until the girl suddenly leaped off Abigail’s bed, and the room plunged into darkness. Frantic, Abigail fumbled for her lamp, but it had vanished. Abigail’s hands groped along the wall, attempting to find the light switch, only to find it strangely sticky and damp. Eventually, she located the light switch and, with a flicker, the lights slowly illuminated the room, revealing a horrifying sight. 

Her room had transformed into an all-white nightmare. The walls, dresser, bed, and desk were all stark white. A trail of bright red blood marked where Abigail had grabbed the walls. Abigail looked down at her hands, smeared with crimson. The lights flickered off once more, and when she rushed to turn them back on, her room was drenched in blood. The only color in the room was the tattered doll, laying on the corner of her bed, watching her.

She went up to try and pick up the doll when she suddenly felt an icy cold hand grip her neck and slam her against the wall. Her head throbbed as a result of the impact. 

“H-hi Abby…” 

The faceless girl let out a deafening screech, her icy fingers still tied around Abigail’s throat. Abigail's heart raced as the girl's vice-like grip tightened around her throat. Struggling for breath, she desperately clawed at the girl's fingers, attempting to break free. The room seemed to spin, the blood-soaked walls closing in around her. With her vision blurring, Abigail's instincts kicked in. She swung her leg upward, delivering a powerful kick to the girl's abdomen. The girl recoiled, her grasp loosening just enough for Abigail to gasp for air. She stumbled away from her attacker, adrenaline pumping through her veins.

In the dimly lit room, Abigail could now see the girl more clearly. Her face, or the lack thereof, was a nightmarish void, and her eyes glowed with an unnatural, malevolent light. Abigail realized she was dealing with something far beyond the ordinary.

Summoning her courage, Abigail shouted, "Who are you, and what do you want?" Her voice quivered, but determination shone in her eyes. The girl with the missing face let out another spine-chilling screech, and the room quaked with a sinister energy. Without warning, she lunged at Abigail, clawing at her eyes, her spectral form moving unnaturally fast. Abigail's survival instincts kicked in again, and she sidestepped the girl's attack, sending her crashing into the wall.

Breathing heavily, Abigail scanned the room for any way to defend herself. Her eyes fell on the tattered doll, which seemed to be the source of the girl's power. She grabbed it and, with all her strength, tore it apart. The room quaked once more, and the girl shrieked in agony.

As the doll disintegrated, the girl's form began to fade, dissipating into the dark. Abigail watched in disbelief as the girl with the missing face began to transform. Her shadowy figure started to take on a more familiar shape, and Abigail's eyes widened in horror as recognition set in.

The faceless girl slowly revealed her true identity, and to Abigail's shock and remorse, the girl's faceless visage shifted into that of her childhood friend, Annabel, who had died years ago. Abigail had accidentally pushed her to her death when they were just kids.

Abigail's voice trembled as she whispered, "Annabel? Is it really you?" Tears welled up in her eyes, and she felt a surge of guilt and sorrow. Her long-lost friend's ghost had returned to seek vengeance.

Annabel's spectral form, now bearing the pain and sadness of her demise, slowly nodded. Blood oozed from her eyes, creating a gruesome reminder of how she looked when she died. There was a haunting sadness in her eyes as she started to disintegrate.

“Anne, wait!” Abigail begged, “Please I promised I didn’t mean it! I didn’t mean to push you off that cliff! Please!…It was an accident! I'm sorry!” Abigail sobbed. “I lied!… I'm sorry I lied! I shouldn’t have but!… but…”

Annabel’s expression softened as she watched her old friend break down in front of her and croaked, “I-it’s… o-ka-y…I  don't forgive you… but it was an accident… I still missed you.. well, I guess this is bye then…” then the ghost of Annabel along with every trace of her disintegrated completely.

Abigail was left sobbing in place. Her room slowly returned to its normal appearance. The nightmare had dissipated, but the guilt about what she did still haunted her, she’ll never forget the way that jagged stone pierced through Annebel’s face, full of horror. Abigail realized that her nightly visits from Annabel's spirit were a painful reminder of the lies she told back then, but she can never take back what was already done.