I don't really know what to say. You could say I'm speechless I suppose. I mean who wouldn't be. There's a coffin in the living room. My living room. I mean there's no explanation for it, no way somehow someone placed this creepy thing without me knowing.. yet the matter of the fact is. It's there.. a wooden coffin. The wood seems old and slightly deteriorating like it should be rotting but somehow isn't. To add to the fact that a random coffin isn't scary enough, somehow it's wrapped in thick metal chains, crisis crossing its body like it's in some kind of twisted bondage.

All I know for certain is that this wasn't here yesterday evening.. for sure.. Argh!.. I clasped my head in pain as I tried to recall yesterdays events. Weird it's hazy somehow and I can't quite remember what I did yesterday. I knew for sure I went to bed I remember that so vividly yet I don't remember falling asleep or tucking myself to bed. I remember waking up groggy, my eyelid crusted from my very peaceful slumber. Deep and without the bonus of night terrors that normally accompanies me in my dreams. It has all been very normal, I rolled off the bed as I usually do, check the time on my phone unsurprisingly I woke up at exactly 8 o'clock. I'm used to it, I mean you would be if you always get up at the same time without any aid from any alarm clock, doesn't matter if I slept at 7oclock in the morning having pulled an all-nighter, somehow like clockwork my body always stirs awake at this time. 

I mean there's nothing weird or scary about that. I mean the human body especially the brain works in intricate and mysterious ways so I suppose albeit very rare, this strange stuff does happen. I mean its not within the realm of impossibility like this.. this coffin.

The coffin. This strange supernatural object that barged itself into my life. I've been standing here for an hour now frozen in disbelief. My brain going into a minor shock trying to wrap my head around this impossibility. This strange existence.. this..  

Finally, I somehow gathered the courage to take a few steps forward. I made sure to creep up silently to make sure.. I don't know.. I mean surely no ones inside it.. like this isn't some kind of sick practical joke that being played on me by my friends. Well, that's a scary thought since I don't have any. Sure I have acquaintances that I talk while at work but never close enough to hang out outside of it. I don't have any neighbours not for miles so surely that one possibility off the list.. still the fact of the matter is.

THERE IS A COFFIN IN MY LIVING ROOM.

Breathe.. 

I placed a hand to my chest in a ridiculous attempt to calm myself down. At least I'm off today.. so I have the rest of the day to process this and maybe come up with a solution. I edge closer carefully my muscle tense and ready to run at any sign of anything strange or if I sense any movement from within the coffin.

I notice writing scrawled very badly on the front of the coffin. Like its been engraved with a very bad blunt instrument and it reads.

'Here to collect on what you have promised..'

'Open or don't.. whatever the choice... it will be the same..'

I took a step back in fear, cold sweat started pouring down the side of my temple. 

"What.. w-what.. ?" I couldn't help but mumble in shock.

That's when I notice the padlock holding the chain altogether at the bottom was a key. Then I remember what it said. 'Open or don't'

Yeah, that's a definite don't. I am not one of the stupid characters in scary movies. I will not gamble my life on the chance that this is all just nothing.

"Heheheehehe.."

What? What was that? I look around frantically, my eyes darting around every corner of the room. A laugh. I know I definitely heard a laugh.. it sounded like a girl, high pitch and somehow eerie and shrill. I'm not sure if it's just in my imagination but somehow the temperature of the room dips sharply.

I exhaled and smoky substance came out of my mouth like I was somehow outside in the middle of December. This doesn't make any sense since its July.. its summer for Pete's sake. Then the strange phenomenon vanished as if it was all in my head and the room felt as it always had warm and welcoming.. just the way I like it.

I scrutinise the coffin and shrug my shoulders. There is no way in hell I was going to touch it. What if it was cursed or something. Maybe I should move out, that could be a realistic option. Realistic? Yeah right as if I could afford to move out into a new place, I was already struggling to pay the bills. Electricity, gas, car and the huge chunk of tax that gets taken out from my salary barely allowed me to save. Besides at least I didn't have to pay rent since the house is technically mine; well my parents but this is all they left me ever since the car accident.

I shake my head to try and not think about the unpleasant memories. Unfortunately, they didn't have life insurance so yeah. I'm penniless. Since all my time is consumed by work and sleeping on my day off, I didn't get a chance to create any remarkable relationship certainly not a girlfriend, I simply don't have the time or could be bothered for that matter. As far as I can tell their not worth the trouble.

I moved into the living room somewhat in a trance. Automatically out of habit I filled the kettle with water, grab a cup and put one teaspoon coffee and two teaspoons sugar and then proceeded to grab the milk from the fridge.

Somehow listening to the water starting to bubble calms me down. I placed both hands at the edge of the counter as I leaned into it lost in my thoughts. 

"Heyyy..." 

I hear a breathe a whisper. I could feel a presence behind me and I couldn't move. I so badly wanted to turn around yet my body feels stiff and heavy. Like I've turned to stone. I didn't miss the fact that all the hairs in my arms stood in attention or the fact that suddenly its cold again, like freezing temperature cold.

I feel an arm wrapped around me and it was like being touch by ice. I shivered.. my breath stuck in my throat. Teeth chattering both from fear and the icy temperature encircling my body.

"Sooonnn..." 

I hear a voice whisper with a longing sigh and just like that everything returns to normal and I was alone again.

I must be losing my mind.