I can still remember when my life went to hell, the day my mother was murdered, the day that changed my life forever. 

We were at home watching a stupid movie, but I didn’t care. Anytime I could sit with my mom and watch TV, I was grateful for the experience. My mom worked long hours Monday through Saturday, so Sunday was the only day we could sit down and see each other. My dad died when I was four, so I don’t remember him much. 

Someone knocked on our front door as the movie was nearing its final act. The first time the person knocked, my mom ignored it. She told me people could call first if they were coming over. We tried to go back to watching the movie afterward. 

But the person knocked again, this time with so much force that it knocked a picture off the wall closest to the front door. We got up and I slowly moved to the TV to look out the window behind it. There were no cop lights, there wasn’t even a car outside. I went for my phone immediately and dialed 911, but my mom told me not to call them yet.

“It’s possible that this person is just drunk, sweetheart. Don’t bother the police for this just yet.” My mom whispered to me as she turned the volume to the TV down. I could tell by her expression that she was nervous, or maybe she was scared. 

There was another knock, this time I was sure the door would burst off of its hinges. This person wanted to get into the house but my mom kept telling me to wait a second, she was so sure whoever was outside was going to leave. We waited for five minutes before I finally felt like I could sit back down. 

The moment my body hit the couch the window shattered behind the TV, in a flash a man was coming through our living room window. I was frozen, it felt like all of my joints were locked shut. 

“Stella! Run!” My mom screamed at me. I looked up at her for just a second before finally getting off of the couch. My legs felt like jello, my heart was threatening to leave my chest. Despite being scared I managed to hold onto my phone. 

I turned my head as the man finally made it through the window, holding down three buttons on my phone. I called 911. 

“Someone is breaking into our house!” I screamed into the phone as I watched the man stand fully. The woman on the other end was speaking to me but I don’t remember what she said. The man standing in our living room was wearing a black suit with a matching black hat. His face was completely smooth. Where his nose and eyes should've been there was nothing. He didn't have a mouth either, but there was an indentation where his mouth should've been. 

“Stella. Run.” My mom said as she turned to look at me. She looked so calm. 

I screamed out our address to the woman on the phone and ran into the kitchen to grab a weapon. I was pleading with the woman to get the cops here faster, she tried to assure me everything would be okay. She told me to hide, but if I went to hide my mom would be left alone. 

I grabbed a kitchen knife from the counter and ran back into the living room, I was ready to fight for our safety. I thought if I came out with a weapon the man would turn around and leave. 

As I ran back into the living room, I paused right at the doorway. The man was holding my mom by her head, his thumbs stuck into her eyes. There was blood everywhere. He turned his head to look at me, despite having no eyes I knew he was looking right at me. He tightened his hands, and I watched as my mother's head cracked and popped before being crushed completely. 

I could hear ringing in my ears. 

“Mom?” I spit out before watching the man rise to his feet. He shook his hands, blood flew onto the couch. 

I dropped my phone and took off running into the kitchen. I could hear the man's shoes hitting the floor behind me, he was following me. I grabbed the back door and tried to rip it open, but it was locked. I could hear him entering the kitchen behind me. 

I let the doorknob go and ran for the counter. He wasn’t running after me, I guess I looked like a trapped mouse to him. With all of the strength in my body, I rammed my body into the window, it cracked and I fell out, slamming my face off of the pavement. 

I didn’t wait for him to come after me, I ran around the house and onto the street. I was trying to run as fast as I could. I could hear our front door open and slam behind me, he was following me. 

I took the opportunity to turn my head back as I ran. The man was chasing after me, his body hunched forward and his arms pumping madly.

“Help!” I screamed. 

“Please! Somebody!” I called again. No one was coming outside, no one even bothered to turn on a light. Our neighbors have never been so selfish, if anything they were too friendly. Now when I needed them, they weren't answering me. 

The man was catching up to me, and that’s when I saw the bus! We have one on our street but it normally didn't run this late. I didn’t care though, I ran right to the bus stop and when the doors opened I jumped inside. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t have money on me right now. But if-” I was cut off when the bus driver waved his hand and told me to take a seat. I turned around to see if the man was still following me but he wasn’t. He waited a couple of feet from the bus stop. He stood there watching me sit down. As we drove I could see the cop cars coming down the street but I was so tired, it felt like someone had given me a sleeping aid. I couldn’t keep my eyes open, I must’ve fallen asleep. 

-

“Miss?” A man said to me as he shook me awake. I gasped loudly and forced myself to sit up, I couldn’t believe I had fallen asleep on the bus. My whole body ached, and for a second I thought I was going to throw up. 

“Sorry,” I mumbled to the guy before turning my head to look at him. 

The bus driver looked down at me with a small smile, “It’s not trouble at all ma’am. We have reached the final destination so I’m afraid I have to ask you to leave the bus.” 

I got up and walked to the doors, without asking any further questions I stepped off of the bus and that’s when it hit me, “Wait!” I turned to ask him how I was supposed to get home but the bus was gone. 

I turned to the building behind me and felt a wave of relief wash over my shoulders. “The Hyacinth Motel and Spa,” I mumbled. Out of instinct, I reached into my pocket to try and find my wallet. Remembering I lost it, I sighed loudly and walked inside anyway. I was hoping they could at least give me some directions. 

As I walked in I took a moment to examine the floor, the black carpet seemed to stretch out for miles. In reality, it ran the length of the floor to the stairs. For this place being labeled as a motel, the inside looked more like a hotel. 

“Hello?” I called as I looked around the room before landing at the front desk. 

“Hi.” A woman said to me as she leaned over the counter. 

I eyed the woman, she seemed nice and very approachable. I don’t know what I was expecting but this wasn't it. I watched as she ran her hand through her thick brown hair, “Honey, I think you’re lost.” The woman said to me as she watched me lean on the counter. 

“I am lost. I was trying to get away from a man, and I got on a bus, and now I am here. Where are we exactly?” I asked the woman. 

“You landed in Ravenswood.” The woman said with a small frown. 

“Where are your parents?” She asked me seriously. 

“My mom was murdered. I was supposed to speak to the police.” I said as I put my hand to show my phone, but I didn’t have it. I think I dropped it when I jumped out of the window. 

“Is there any way I can leave? I don’t have money but I could work for it maybe?” I asked the woman seriously. There had to be something I could do to get out of this town.

“You have to get a bus ticket, honey.” The woman said before turning to look at the keys behind her. 

“You can get one from Betty over at the soda shop. If you can’t get home, come back here and I will have your room ready.” The woman said softly. 

“What’s your name?” I asked her. 

“Barbara.” She told me before turning to organize the keys. 

I watched her for a second before turning and leaving. It felt weird like time was weighing on my shoulders. I wanted to rush through and get this ticket and leave as fast as possible, but something felt like it was beginning for me to stay and look around. 

As I searched for whatever a soda shop was I took the time to get a glance at the buildings around me. The motel was gorgeous on the outside, it had a large glowing sign out front, I bet the colors were pretty but it was too light outside to see them. 

The library was one of the biggest libraries I have ever seen, two stone birds sat on each side of the staircase. One of the birds was black and the other was white, they both had blue marble in their eyes. 

I passed a couple of really pretty homes. Each one was painted white or blue, the laws looked flawless. I thought white picket fences were only a thing in the movies, at least when they looked like this. Ravenswood looked picture-perfect. 

A few cars came up and down the road. I couldn’t recognize any of them but I’m not a car person. Walking down the sidewalk put me in a good mood. The sun felt nice as it hit my skin and for a moment everything was perfect until I noticed there weren't any other people walking around me. 

I went from feeling relaxed to uneasy, I stopped to watch some cars go down the street, there was no one inside of them. I decided to focus on finding Betty, maybe she could tell me what was going on. 

Eventually, I found the soda shop and it was the most beautiful building I have ever seen. Betty’s Soda Shop looked like it fell out of a movie. As I walked in I took the time to admire the checkered floor. 

“Betty?” I called out and waited for a response. It felt weird coming into this place for a bus ticket. It only took a couple of minutes for a woman with long blonde hair to come out from behind the counter. 

“You must be the girl who needs to go home?” Betty asked me as she placed a soda on the counter. She slid it in my direction and I moved quickly to grab it. I didn’t hesitate to take a sip. 

“Yeah.” I gasped as I pulled the drink away from my face. I was so thirsty, that I thought I would finish the whole cup in one sip. Betty reached over and gave me two bus passes. 

“One is for when you want to come back. Now, go catch the bus.” Betty told me with a smile. 

I sat there to finish my drink before thanking her. I was so grateful to her and I wanted to make that known, since I didn’t have any money I told her that if I came back I would bring her a tip. Though, I was sure I wasn’t going to want to come back for any reason. 

I put the cup down and ran outside to find the nearest bus stop. It only took a couple of seconds for the next bus to arrive. 

“Leaving so soon?” The driver asked me as I got on and handed him one of my bus passes. 

“Yeah, I need to go home,” I told him honestly before taking a seat. I looked around to see if anyone else was coming but they weren't. The whole bus was empty. 

“What state are we in?” I asked the man as he continued driving. 

“What’s that?” The man called to me. 

I could feel my eyes getting heavy. I pinched my nose and went to stand up but I couldn't. I put my head back and fell asleep, again. 

-

When I woke up I was sitting on the bench of the bus stop that was down the street from my house. I don’t think I have ever been more confused in my life. My head was pounding, the events of yesterday washed over me like ice water. 

My body was suddenly filled with fear, anger, and regret all at once. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I got up as fast as I could and went running back to my house. I was trying to mentally prepare myself to find my mother's corpse on the floor or something. The more I thought about it, the more tears streamed down my face. 

I forced the door open and tried to brace myself. 

“Stella! You’re home!” My mother said as she came running out of the kitchen. She put her arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug. My blood was running cold. I wanted to throw up, I was so sure I saw her die. 

“You’re alive?” I mumbled into her chest. 

“Of course.” She said as she ran a hand through my hair. 

“I was so worried about you.” She said before giving my back a couple of soft pats. 

I pulled away from her and used my sleeve to clean my eyes. 

“Why don’t you go get cleaned up and we can talk about it when you come back downstairs.” She offered. I could smell her making dinner, it smelled like garlic bread and pasta sauce. 

“Okay,” I mumbled as I licked my lips and rubbed my face again. I turned and went upstairs to my bedroom. 

I haven't been downstairs for dinner yet.

My “mom” called me down for dinner three times before telling me I could come down when I was ready. I was scared when the man broke into our house, I was scared when my mom screamed at me to run, and I was scared when I watched her head get crushed. But when I walked into the house and heard her voice, I was terrified. 

Either I didn’t see my mom die and I am having a nervous breakdown, or she did die but somehow is still alive. The options weren’t good either way. If I was having a breakdown it would explain why the guy had no face. Maybe I never called the police? There was no police tape outside of the house when I got home. 

I took the ticket from my pocket and moved it around in my hands. 

If I was having a nervous breakdown, how did I get this ticket? I must’ve gone somewhere. The bus and the town had to be real. People don’t make bus tickets when they’re breaking down, do they? 

“Stella?” My mom called from the stairs. 

“I’ll be right down,” I called back. It was hard to raise my voice above a whisper. I cleaned more tears from my face before forcing myself out of bed and putting my boots on. For a moment I considered jumping out of my window and making a run for it. I wasn’t sure if I could land that fall without breaking my neck. 

The possibility that my mom being murdered was all in my head was looming over me. I felt sick to my stomach, I tried to replay her death as many times as I could in my head, but every time I thought about it, it just made me cry. 

I opened my bedroom door and walked down the stairs as slowly as possible. By the time I got to the kitchen, I was trying to move in slow motion.

“Stella, you look pale.” My mom pointed out as she watched me enter the kitchen. I sat down at the table and looked at the bowl of pasta and garlic bread in front of me. I took a second to look around, the window behind the counter was still broken. It couldn’t have all been in my head. 

“The food smells good,” I told my mother as I twisted the fork to take a small bite. I barely raised the fork because my hand was shaking so badly that it would be extremely noticeable.  

“Thank you, dear.” She said as she started eating with me. 

I don’t think I have ever been so uncomfortable in my life. Listening to this woman slurp down her spaghetti was making my skin crawl. Once she smacked her lips together I nearly jumped out of my seat. 

“Mom?” I asked as I picked at the food. I didn’t dare try the bread, my mom had never once made garlic bread. She would always tell me it made the house stink too much. 

“Yeah?” She responded without looking up from her plate. When she took a bite of the garlic bread her lips smacked so much I thought I was going to puke. 

“How did dad die?” I asked her as I watched my pasta. 

I could hear her fork hit the plate, I glanced up to meet her eyes. It was like looking into the eyes of a glass doll, this woman was not my mom. 

“Go to your room.” She snapped at me. 

I slid my chair out from the table, my whole body was tense. 

“Go to your room! You spoiled bitch!” The woman screamed at me. I held my breath all the way upstairs, when I got to my room I closed the door as softly as possible and searched for my wallet. 

I grabbed the wallet from my dresser and moved my desk chair to rest under my doorknob. Once that was finished I took two bags and a backpack out of my closet. I was moving as fast as I could to pack anything I wanted to take with me. For a moment I considered calling the police but I didn’t know what I would say. I grabbed all of the spare cash from my closest and finished packing my bags. I made sure to take a pillow and my blanket, plus a few luxury items because I knew I would need something to keep me occupied. The only thing I couldn’t find was my cell phone. 

I slowly opened my bedroom window and glanced down. I was hoping my phone would be near the kitchen window. The drop wasn’t too far but was far enough to make me nervous. I stopped moving completely when I heard the shower turn on. It was the best chance I was going to have to leave without a fight. 

I tossed my bags out of the window and slowly stepped out. I grabbed the ledge as tightly as I could and dropped, my ankle rolled, but luckily I had my bags to break the rest of my fall. I knew my landing like this must’ve made a lot of noise. 

I slowly got up and stumbled for a second before grabbing my bags and speed walking towards the kitchen window. I crouched down when I heard my mother, she was sitting there sobbing. I had never heard her cry like that before. I tried to move as slowly as possible and check the surrounding area. When I saw my yellow phone case I quickly grabbed it and crouched around the house until I felt it was safe to stand up. 

I couldn’t help but wonder who was in the shower if my mom was in the kitchen the whole time. 

I broke into a run when I got to the front of the house. I could hear the front door swing open and slam the side of the house. My ankle was killing me but I didn’t care. I was not as fast as before but I still had a great time at the bus stop. 

“Stella!” My mom screamed from behind me. 

“Stella!” She cried out, this time making sure to draw out my name for as long as possible. 

There was a moment when I wondered if I was making the right choice. It wasn’t too late to turn around and go home. But once I saw the bus stop my choice became clear, I ran right to it, and just like it did last time, the bus came down the street right on time. 

“Brought bags this time?” The driver asked me with a sad smile. He could probably tell that I was once again running away from something. 

“Yeah,” I said as I took a seat and watched the man close the door. I felt weirdly at ease on this bus and if I could’ve I would’ve chosen to make it my home. 

“Ravenswood?” He asked me as he started driving. 

“Yes,” I said as I put my head back and let a few tears run down my face. I knew I was going to fall asleep and this time I welcomed the reprieve from the insanity it felt like I was constantly facing.

“Miss?” the bus driver called to me as the bus came to a complete stop. 

I slowly sat up and coughed into my hand. The nap was a welcomed one but it was starting to wear me down. I didn’t feel good. When I got up I reached into my pocket and pulled out my wallet, I took a dollar out and put it in the tip jar before turning and grabbing my bags. 

“Thanks for everything,” I told the man sincerely before leaving the bus. The sun hitting my face felt nice, I couldn’t remember what time I left my house. Ravenswood felt warm and inviting, and best of all my “mother” wasn’t here to scream at me. 

I walked right to the Hyacinth Motel and Spa. 

“Barbra?” I called out as I looked around. I walked over to the front desk and waited for her to come out. It only took her five minutes and I used the time to gather my thoughts. I didn’t want to break down crying to a person I didn’t know. 

“Back already?” Barbra asked me as she reached under the desk and took out a room key. 

“Staying at home wasn’t an option, I think,” I mumbled to her before looking at the room key. 

“You knew I was coming?” I asked as I took the key. 

“I had a hunch you’d be coming back,” Barbra told me. 

“I can pay this time, at least for a night.” I offered as I reached for my wallet. 

“No. You can stay for free.” Barbra said as she pointed to the staircase. 

“Room 32. Go up to the second floor and you’ll find it. If you need anything make sure to ring the front desk.” Barbra smiled at me. 

I was deeply confused, why was I getting a free room? Did everyone get a free room when they came here? I briefly wondered how this place would keep its doors open if everyone got a free room. 

“Thank you,” I said before heading upstairs. The rooms were completely out of order. The first room I saw was room 50 and at the end of the hallway was room 3. There were a couple of ice machines and even a vending machine. I stopped and put a dollar in to grab a chocolate bar. 

Afterward, I took the stairs to the second floor. There was an elevator but it was out of order. Rooms 32, 5, 42, and 70, were the only rooms on this floor. I had never seen a motel like this before. 

I took the key to my room and opened the door. I had a desk, a box TV, a DVD player, and a king-sized bed. There was a separate bathroom with fresh towels and a small fridge and microwave. 

I sat on the edge of the bed and broke down. I was crying so hard it felt like my chest was going to crack. I was crying over my mom, my dad, my house, and my mental stability. I cried because I couldn’t get the image of my mom's head being crushed out of my head. I cried because I knew she was dead and whatever was inside our house wasn’t her. 

I let my body fall backward onto the bed. I knew the situation I was in was weird. I knew it was weird that I couldn’t see anyone driving cars, that the bus always came when I needed it, and that it was especially weird that I fell asleep every time I came and went from this town. 

I moved to curl up on the bed and cry myself to sleep.

-

When I woke up I turned to look at the window, it was still light out. I went to check the clock, it said it was 8:00 AM. I must’ve slept for a full day. I felt better, at least physically. My ankle didn’t hurt as much and my body felt much more relaxed. 

I walked over to my bags and took out my pillow and blanket and tossed them on the bed. I kicked my boots off and curled up for another nap. I went back to sleep with ease. 

I assumed when I woke up it would be darker out, but no. As I sat up and rubbed my face, when I noticed that the sun was still out I turned to look at the clock. It was still 8:00 AM. Convinced the clock was broken I got up and walked to the bathroom to take a shower. 

When I came out the clock had the same time on it. I signed and made a note to get a new clock as soon as possible. I would also need a way to get money, so it was time to look for a job: The thought of it all was stressing me out. I wanted to turn back and curl up in my bed. 

When I went downstairs to explore the town, I was stopped at the front desk by a man I hadn’t seen before. He was older and looked permanently sad. 

“Before you can live in Ravenswood, you have to slay your demons.” The man told me with a frown. 

I was confused, but only for a second because it started to dawn on me that I only had one demon. The faceless man. 

“How? The last time I saw him he was at my house. He murdered my mother and left, as far as I know.” I told the man behind the counter. 

“You won’t have to go far, child.” The man said before turning towards the door, “Go to the edge of town and your demon will be waiting for you. Be prepared to win, or die trying.” He warned me. His voice was monotone, I wanted to assume he was joking but after all of the weirdness I have been facing, this seemed to be the thing that made the most sense. 

As I left the motel, I looked down the street. No cars were coming, I could hardly see any of the buildings. So many questions were running through my mind. If I had to slay my demon before being allowed to live here then why was I allowed to stay? How did they know that the faceless man was my demon? The biggest question I had was, how was I supposed to defeat it? I didn’t have any weapons. 

I walked down the sidewalk, heading in the direction the bus usually came from. I figured this was the way towards the edge of town. Everything felt so weird now, so distant. I pinched my arm a few times to make sure I was still alive, maybe it was me who died during the break-in and this was all just a dream? 

I took one last look backward, to see the motel, to see the town. If this man killed me I wanted my last good memory to be of something beautiful. Ravenswood, the town that doesn’t exist. 

-

The more I walked the further it felt like I was walking away from life. It’s hard to explain but leaving Ravenswood on foot feels like having an out-of-body experience. 

When I reached the Welcome to Ravenswood sign I paused. I took two steps back to read under the words, Population 1, it said. I blinked, that couldn’t be true. There are houses and I know I met at least four different people. I walked up to sign to see more, the number looked like it was shaking back and forth. 

I walked around the sign and put my arm out. I could feel my eyes getting tired but only for a second before the feeling went away completely. I found myself standing on the sidewalk, the sign was gone but I knew Ravenswood was behind me. The man wouldn’t tell me to leave if I couldn’t come back, at least I hoped he wouldn’t. 

I closed my eyes to try and get my bearings and when I opened them I found myself standing in my living room. I could hear the banging at the door, my mom was telling me not to call the cops yet. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. 

I was holding my phone, ready to call 911. 

“If I don’t call, you’ll die,” I told my mother. 

“Honey, don’t be silly.” She said to me, 

“I’m calling,” I told her as I pressed the call button. The moment my thumb hit that button, my eyes snapped open and I was lying on my bed in the motel. I was just dreaming. I ran out of the room as quickly as possible. 

I was moving down the stairs so fast that I almost tripped and went flying. 

“Slow down,” Barbra said to me with a warm smile.

“Barbra. I just had the strangest dream.” I ran through the whole dream with her but she didn’t look surprised. 

“Ravenswood has a way of making you face your demons,” Barbra told me. 

“But I never fought the faceless man,” I told her as I pressed my palms on the counter. 

“He wasn’t your regret,” Barbra told me. She placed one of her hands on my hand. 

“The phone call,” I mumbled. How could I have been so stupid? My demon was my regret. I should've called 911 as soon as I felt like I had to. 

“People like you and me Stella, we have to learn to trust our instincts. Always.” Barbra told me before she let me go. 

I stood there for a moment before tucking my hands in my pockets. I decided I was going to stay in Ravenswood. Nothing was waiting for me at home, and although I would always regret not trusting myself that day, I knew that the only thing I could do was keep moving forward.