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They say that if you stare into the abyss, it will stare back at you… I guess that's what I got for being too curious about a lady from across the street. The onset of the rainy season is cause for celebration in my homeland. The street is where public festivals and parties take place. It's insane in a positive way! It's also time for kids to be off from school, so it's the finest deal around. But I couldn't go anywhere this time due to my knee injury. My knee problem prevented me from going anyplace, though. I had a hard time even getting out of bed. Each night, I unwind with some web surfing, during which I routinely re-watch the similar assortment of internet memes. I also have a serious case of sleeplessness. I could tell things were not going well for a reason. It was obvious that I would not have a successful season. Moreover, my folks were in a foul mood. They were having some sort of difficulties, but as far as I can remember, nobody close to us passed away or anything like that. So let's just say I was totally on my own. And you wouldn't believe it, but all the time I spent online had worn me out. One night during a downpour, I was just staring out the window. It became an odd but pleasant routine. After only a couple of evenings, I felt comfortable in my place and recognized the routines of my neighbours. Some of the most interesting information I uncovered is something I could share with you. My neighbour Mr. Robinson used to let his dog out at midnight to poop in front of one of the houses directly in front of mine. There was never a time when he cleaned up his dog's messes. On the other side of the street, the youngest of the siblings would sneak out every night to meet a young man on the bike who waited for her at the end of the street. Days had passed, and it was once again a pouring rainy night. I was expecting the same street character as usual, but everything went wrong this night. The dog's owner never went outside, and neither did the girl. So I was just ready to call it a night and settle in front of the computer… when I noticed her. There was an old woman with black eyes and a terrifying smile staring back at me from that lonely, abandoned house in front of mine. I stared at her in disbelief for a few seconds before rubbing my eyes, double-checking, and finally hitting myself in the face to snap out of my daze, but she was still there. I was unable to move from the paralysing terror I felt. When I heard a knock on my door, I snapped out of my trance; it was my mother, reminding me not to stay up too late. I was worried the situation, so I jumped out and called my mom to check on that lady from the front house, but when we got there, the house was empty. My mom then just gave me the usual sermon about how horrible it is for me to waste my time watching so much "crap" online and how I should spend my time instead reading a book. When I realised that she wasn't going to come around to my way of thinking, I decided to drop the issue. The following evening, it happened once again. Night after night, with no one else around, this strange woman stood staring at my window with that freaking face of her. And let me tell you, If I had insomnia before, I was losing my fucking mind by this point. After a week, my knee cast was removed and I was able to walk again. Even though it seemed like everything was winding down, I was able to squeeze in one more block party before heading back to class. Around five o'clock that evening, I left my house without taking one more look at the house on the front street, knowing full well that I would immediately return to my room if I saw her again. I must say that at that party i felt that my humanity was restored, and I had a terrific time partying and making new friends. Tipsy as I was, I stumbled home wondering what the old lady saw in me every night that kept her peeking into my chamber so I decided to pay her a visit. I went to her house, knocked on the door, and found a strong aroma of incense and the faint sound of drums. Honestly, when I saw the house, I just had to go in. There was a voice beckoning to me from beyond. When I initially came in, it was completely black. On the second floor, near where I normally saw the elderly woman smiling, the incense scent had transformed into a foetid stink. With determination boiling up within me, I declared, "To hell with it, here it is!" I followed the odour upstairs and found a door; after opening it, a cloud of flies flew out and away from the building. I activated the flashlight app on my phone, and LO AND BEHOLD, there she was! But she wasn't the ghost I remembered; she was a corpse. Just above a chalk pentagram, her practically mummified body lay to the eternity.