Chapter 1 (First Tale Of Terror) The Boarder

• Josie surveyed the room. It was bright pink, making it obvious that the previous boarder was a woman. She instantly liked it at first glance. She brought her belongings with her when she returned to the house. It was convenient because it was close to her workplace.
• The couple who owned the house had kind faces. Their only child had gone abroad, so they decided to rent out the room.
• Her attention was drawn when the husband, carrying her rather large suitcase, entered the room.
• "Thank you, Mang Roger," she said with a smile, assisting him with the luggage.
• "You're welcome. We're happy to have someone stay with us. It's lonely with just the two of us in this house," the man, who seemed close to fifty, replied with a smile.
• His wife, who looked to be in her early forties, entered the room as well.
• "Would you like help arranging your things?" the woman asked kindly.
• "Oh, no need, ma'am. I can manage," she replied, feeling shy.
• "Alright then, Josie, isn't it? We'll leave you to rest now," the woman said, pulling her husband out of the room.
• "Yes, my name is Josie. Thank you again," she said politely.
• Mang Roger smiled at her before closing the door. She had already paid two months' rent to his wife, Aling Margie.
• She flopped onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. The mattress was soft, and the bedsheet was pink too. She quickly got up to organize her things. There was a large cabinet where she could store her clothes. All she brought were clothes, nothing else.
• Her rent included daily meals. During mealtimes, the couple asked her many questions and shared stories, particularly about their child.
• Josie had the habit of showering before bed. There was only one bathroom in the house, located near the kitchen. It was close to 10 PM, and the couple had already retired to their room. She carried her towel to the bathroom, quickly showered, and wrapped the towel around herself as she exited, knowing she was the only one awake downstairs. She nearly screamed when she saw Mang Roger sitting in the kitchen.
• "Did I scare you, dear?" he asked with a smile, glancing her over.
• "Yes, Mang Roger. I thought you were asleep," she replied, feeling self-conscious in just a towel.
• "Sorry about that. I just came down for a glass of water," he said, his gaze lingering.
• "I'll head to my room now," she said politely, quickly leaving.
• She felt a chill, sensing his eyes following her. She shut and locked her door, scolding herself for thinking ill of the man, even though the couple had been nothing but kind.
• Shaking off the unease, she got dressed and dried her hair before lying down to sleep. She fell asleep almost immediately.
• "Help me... Help me... HELP ME!!!"
• She jolted awake, sitting up abruptly as though someone had screamed near her ear. Sweating, she scanned the brightly lit room. It was just past 3 AM when she checked the clock.
• Thirsty, she got up to drink water. She didn't turn on the kitchen light, relying on the fridge's glow as she grabbed a glass. As she closed the fridge, darkness returned. Her eyes caught the shape of a woman sitting on a chair near the table. Startled, she opened the fridge again to check. No one was there.
• Josie wasn't easily scared. Whenever she thought she saw something odd, she always made sure it wasn't just her imagination. She shrugged it off, closed the fridge, and left the kitchen without looking at the chair again.
• Back in her room, she turned off the light, lay down, and tried to sleep. She needed to be up before 8 AM for work. Falling asleep again, she began to dream.
• In her dream, she saw a woman in a school uniform standing with her back to her. The woman was crying. Josie approached hesitantly.
• "Miss, are you okay?"
• The woman didn't respond and continued crying. Josie reached out to touch her shoulder, but before she could, the woman turned around suddenly.
• "Leave!" the woman screamed at her face.
• Josie's eyes widened, not from the scream but from the woman's horrifying face. Her eyes bulged unnaturally, her nose seemed barely attached, and her face looked crushed as if by a heavy object. Blood covered her face and uniform.
• Loud knocking woke Josie.
• "Josie! Josie!" It was Aling Margie's voice.
• The knocking and shouting were loud and urgent. Josie, still dazed, got up and opened the door to see the worried faces of the couple.
• "W-what's wrong?" she asked, confused.
• The couple exchanged glances before looking back at her.
• "You screamed. We thought something bad happened," Aling Margie explained.
• Josie blinked, recalling her nightmare.
• "S-sorry. I think I had a bad dream," she said, embarrassed for disturbing them.
• "What did you dream about?" Mang Roger asked.
• "I can't remember," she lied, not wanting to recount the nightmare.
• The couple studied her for a moment.
• "Are you sure you're okay?" Aling Margie asked again.
• Josie gave a timid smile and nodded.