The Death Loop

I jolted awake, sitting straight up. Darkness still swallowed everything around me.

I tapped my phone screen. As expected, it was 11:11 p.m.

The rhythm of the snoring beside me, even the steady ticking of the pendulum clock in the living room… Everything was exactly the same as the last four times.

Every time I died, there had been no pain. I didn’t even know how I died.

The only thing I knew was that sleep was the trigger.

I dragged a hand down my face, irritation surging through me. How was it possible for a person not to sleep? This was a dead end.

Then, suddenly—

A faint rustling sound.

My body went rigid. I swept my gaze across the small bedroom, every nerve on edge.

The memory of my inexplicable deaths sent a chill crawling over my skin. Goosebumps rose instantly as I pressed my back tight against the wall.

I slammed the light switch on and grabbed Emmett Berkeley, shaking him hard, my eyes scanning the room without blinking.

"Honey, what is it?" Emmett squinted groggily, raising a hand to block the light.

Cold sweat broke across my forehead. I clenched my teeth and hissed under my breath, "There’s someone in our room. Emmett, get up. Now."

He snapped awake immediately and pulled me behind him. "Don’t be scared. I’ve got you."

I rolled my eyes, jumped off the bed, and bolted out of the bedroom. In the kitchen, I grabbed the sharpest boning knife I could find. Without hesitation, I rushed back in and locked the door behind me.

The bedroom wasn’t big—only a few dozen square feet.

There were only two places anyone could hide: the balcony or the bathroom.

I tightened my grip on the knife and stared at the curtains. A bulge pressed against the fabric, trembling.

"Who’s there? I’ll count to three. Come out now, and I might not hurt you.

"One.

"Two—"

Before I could reach three, lightning split the sky outside. A deafening crack of thunder exploded through the night.

My heart slammed wildly against my ribs. Every nerve in my body snapped tight.

Behind me, Emmett swallowed hard and whispered, "Honey, even if someone’s there, it’s probably just a kid."

"That’s not possible…"

I didn’t wait for three. I swung the knife down hard at the person behind the curtain.

Whoever it was hiding in the dark, killing me over and over, I was going to kill them.

The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. My grip tightened, and I brought the blade down again and again, mercilessly.

Sweat dripped into my eyes, stinging me, but a strange thrill surged up from somewhere deep inside me.

I didn’t blink as blood soaked through the gray curtains, spreading into a dark brown stain. The shadow cast against the wall looked like a butcher delivering judgment.

I kept going.

Until the curtain was shredded and collapsed into a heap.

Until the resistance I’d felt at the first strike turned soft, limp.

Only then did I step back, wiping the sweat from my forehead, finally letting out a breath.

"Alright… let’s see what the hell you really are."

I reached out to pull the curtain aside.

A hand suddenly grabbed my arm.

"Honey, I—I’ll do it."

At that moment, something flickered past the frosted glass of the bathroom door in my peripheral vision.

Annoyance flared. I shook him off and kicked the bathroom door open, but there was no one inside.

Just a bird. Somehow, it had flew in.

I frowned, and killed it without hesitation.

At this point, I was on edge about everything. Anything alive was a threat.

Behind me, Emmett stared at the blood smeared across the wall. His face drained of color as he swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "H-Honey… have you lost your mind?"

Anyone who died four times and kept their memories would lose their mind.

Without thinking, I licked the blood from the corner of my lips. It tasted… oddly sweet.

My throat tightened with a sudden dryness. I wanted more.

I licked again, then forced the strange feeling down. Holding the bloodstained knife, I tilted my head and looked at him, a chilling smile curling across my face.

"Yeah. I’ve gone insane. I think someone in this house is trying to kill me.

"Honey, for my sake… why don’t you die instead? Otherwise, when I die, you’ll die too."