An Ani the Wight Spinpasta

## An Ani the Wight Spinpasta by Doros70

(Ani the Wight was created by LostWight.)

I've been awake for what felt like hours. It's almost four in the morning and I can't help but shiver. I'm in the same room with my younger cousin and I can't do anything. His expression is burned into my mind, and I can still sense his sadness and betrayal, but I know he's not judging me. Not anymore, at least.

There's an unbearable cold that attacks me from every direction, and my only defense against it is this blanket. It is so cold here that I can clearly see my own breath every time I exhale. My teeth are chattering quietly, and a thin layer of ice had formed on the furniture.

I want to scream for help, but the source of the cold is right outside the door. She is waiting for me to make a mistake, to have a reason to burst through the door and end me. I keep glancing out the window and I've been trying to think of a way out, but there's an awful snowstorm right outside and I can barely see what's out there.

Either way, I will die and no one can help me. All I can do is think about when everything went horribly wrong.

...

A few days ago, I told my aunt and uncle that I'd visit them up north. They've rented an awesome log cabin close to the woods that served as a vacation house, so at least I'd get some fresh air. I also didn't need to worry about school because the winter holidays were around the corner, so I thought it'd be fun to spend my spare time throwing snowballs at my cousin, Jake.

I got off the plane, and my uncle was already at the airport to pick me up. When I got to the log cabin, I saw that it was bigger and more beautiful than I expected. Once I got inside, I was bombarded with welcomes, kisses, and phrases like "You've grown so much!"

Jake was just as excited as them because we haven't seen each other since elementary school. We spent a whole day catching up, watching movies, and drinking the best hot chocolate I've ever tasted. I was told that I'd be sleeping in the same room as Jake, but on a separate bed, which was awesome.

After a few nights, Jake's parents told us that they'd go stay with some friends for a while and that they'd return the next afternoon. When late afternoon came around and it started to get dark, it started to snow. This reminded Jake of something he wanted to tell me for a long time.

He told me that he heard about a recent urban legend some time ago and he wanted to share it with me. He closed the blinds of the room and held the flashlight under his face for 'dramatic' effect. That's when he told me about "The Wight".

It was the story of Ani, a young woman who got lost in the woods when her friends played a prank on her. Things became worse for her when a terrible blizzard swept over the forest and she hadn't been found since. A few locals believe that Ani's spirit now haunts the woods near us, and she awakens every winter in search of human souls to devour.

After telling me the story, Jake gave me a dead serious look... only for us to burst into laughter seconds later. I thought it was a very clichéd ghost story made to scare gullible idiots and we moved on with the evening as the snow continued to fall. Despite not doing much, we became tired and decided to go to bed early. After all, there was no harm in that. Plus, there was nothing to do outside.

And that's when everything started to go wrong. Even though I felt tired, I just couldn't fall asleep. The hours rolled by slowly, and Jake had already entered dreamland without me. All I did was look at the ceiling and think about my place in the universe as my cousin slept like a log.

I suddenly got thirsty and made my way to the kitchen as quietly as possible to get some water. Once I got my water, I decided to pull an all-nighter for the sake of it. I looked out the window and I saw that it was still snowing, but the snowflakes were falling a bit faster. A sight like that was always rare and mesmerizing, so I sat on the couch and stared at the snow. I think the sight was a bit too calming because my eyelids started to feel heavy after a while.

I almost closed my eyes, but a strange sound prevented me from falling asleep completely. I only heard it because of how quiet it was in the house. It was faint at first, but as time went on, it got loud enough that I could hear it clearly.

It was a woman's voice singing a strange song. Have you ever imagined how a siren would sing? That's the closest I can think of to compare it to. The song combined with the calming snow made me feel relaxed. I knew that the song was coming from somewhere outside, but judging by its clarity, it sounded like the source was right next to me.

After a while, I looked ahead and noticed a faint light shining from the woods. I noticed that it was moving slightly, giving the light vague shapes. It moved away and the song started to fade. I don't know what came over me after that, but I suddenly felt disappointed and I was wishing for more. I wanted to hear more of it. Badly.

I grabbed the thickest coat I could find and got the boots on. I went outside and followed the voice into the woods. I know that was pretty idiotic of me, but I just couldn't stop.

The woman moved further and further away, but even though I was practically dragging my legs through the snow, I was catching up to her. With every step, the song got louder and louder, the snowflakes fell faster and the snow beneath my feet changed. I don't know if it'll make sense to you, but the snow became frozen, as in the surface became dense and hard as ice that I could walk on it without sinking an inch or leaving footprints.

As I walked by the trees, I caught a glimpse of the woman from a few yards away. Her back was turned, but she continued to sing as if she wasn't aware of my presence. She was wearing a deep blue coat and a black beret over her pale blue hair.

Once I caught her in my sight, my body started to feel strange. The air was so cold that the muscles of my face became numb, and the clothes barely kept me warm. My body shivered uncontrollably by just sitting still. I wanted to take a step back as quietly as possible, but my foot twitched and hit the ground harder than I intended.

My heart sank as the brief thud echoed throughout the area. The woman stopped singing and stood completely still. Everything was dead quiet except for the wind and the snowflakes falling on my jacket.

My mind told me to turn around fast and run back to the cabin, but I was frozen both literally and figuratively. The woman slowly turned around and I finally saw her face. She didn't look human, that's for sure.

Her skin was a grayish blue, giving her the appearance of a frozen corpse. Her eyes were dark, but her pupils were giving off a bright blue light. The light also seemed to shine through some holes in each of her cheeks. If it weren't for those strange features, she would've looked like a normal, innocent girl.

I squinted my eyes for a bit while I looked at her, as I was trying to process what I was seeing, I remembered the story Jake told me earlier.

Out of instinct, I accidentally said her name.

"Ani?"

I wasn't planning on showing any emotions towards her, but my voice gave away the anxiety I tried to hide. But she didn't react at all, she simply stood still like a statue. She didn't even blink or breathe.

The silence between us didn't last forever, though. In just a few seconds, her face had changed. I watched in anticipation as her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and her mouth became larger than normal. The holes in her cheeks had disappeared, and the light from within grew brighter. As soon as she opened her mouth, I heard countless voices screaming in despair. A horrible realization set in as I remembered the end of Jake's story.

Ani then closed her mouth and her face returned to normal. She gave me one more look before she made a different gesture at me. Her movements were slow and stiff, but she still pointed her finger at me.

"It is time to join them."

Her threat gave me the energy to move from my spot and run back to the log cabin. I didn't look back for even a second. Even in my disoriented state, I kept track of the footprints I left behind not far from the entrance of the forest. Eventually, I found the cabin and entered as fast as I could before locking the door.

I discarded my jacket and boots, went upstairs and straight back to bed. Even with all the noise, Jake hadn't woken up. I hid under the covers and covered every single inch of my body while shaking.

I wanted to stay awake for as long as possible, but the exhaustion finally took its toll on me. Eventually, I did the last thing I wanted to do. I drifted off. But I wasn't asleep for very long.

A cold feeling returned once again, but what truly woke me up was a loud groan. It sounded like my cousin. A few seconds later, I heard footsteps moving toward the door. I peeked from under the covers and saw how a silhouette exited the room before closing the door.

Once the coast was clear, I finally rose up from the covers and sighed with relief when I heard the footsteps moving away from the room. But as soon as I looked at my cousin's side of the room, I saw a sight that is burned into my memory.

Jake's skin became similar to Ani's; blue and lifeless. He had a look of shock on his face, and his eyes were focused on me. Out of instinct, I let out a loud gasp, but when I remembered that Ani was still nearby, I covered my mouth.

The footsteps stopped for a moment, but a few seconds later, they moved back to the door. I expected to see Ani burst through the door and make me share the same fate as Jake, but she didn't. She stood there in silence where I couldn't see her. I wanted to escape through the window, but that's when I noticed the awful blizzard outside. I had nowhere to run.

But then it got worse.

"It's so cold here... Mom? Dad? Where'd you go? Cousin. Help me... I'm freezing."

I heard a different voice coming from the other side of the door. It was Jake's voice, and he kept repeating those phrases. I tried to call for help, but my phone won't make any calls.

I sat near the wall, praying to be left alone... But she won't leave.

I've thought hard for a while, and I think there are only two options left. Will I stay in this dark, cold room in one spot until I die, or will I join my cousin and all the others?

Either way, it will all be over soon.