When Worlds Collide

Chapter 29

I was curled up on Ethan's couch, anxiously biting my nails. How could I have been so stupid? I should have never assumed I would be safe anywhere, and now I've put Ethan and his family in danger. I couldn't do anything right, I was a liability. They always told me I should just put myself down, you know, be a martyr and sacrifice myself for the good of those around me. It was me they were after anyway, not anyone else, but they'd kill anyone just to get to me. And then when they find me, they'll murder me slowly and painfully, just so they could be sure I was suffering in the worst way possible. What more do they want from me? I did everything they asked, I spit out my pills today just like they told me to, why are they so mad?

"What are you thinking about?" Ethan asked from next to me, leaning forward, his attention diverted from the movie we had playing in the background.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. I don't know," I murmured, my thoughts scattered just like the words that spilled from my mouth. Ethan looked completely lost, and utterly hopeless. He had a strange expression on his face, the kind where you try so hard to succeed, believing you truly could- until you couldn't. A look of defeat.

"Why don't we get some water and head to bed, alright? You must be really tired," he detangled himself from the blanket and stood, offering me a hand. I grabbed it and he helped me stand, and we walked hand in hand to the kitchen. He let go to leave me standing in the middle of the room, and I watched his back as he puttered over and reached up to the overhead cabinets.

"Here's your glass, Ivan," he said, holding it out to me. I shuffled forward to grab it so he could get his own glass, and turned so I could fill it with water from the fridge. I halted quickly as something caught my eye- a figure peering in through the kitchen window.

It was him. He's here.

I felt the glass leave my hand and smash onto the floor with a horrifying crash, but the voices in my ear and Ethan's panicked tone were like buzzing flies around my head.

Frozen in fear had never made so much sense to me as I looked at the figure looming against the side of the house, stalking it's prey. That man. The one who has been looking for me this entire time. I had been found.

He had no face, was around seven feet tall and wore a black suit with a wide brimmed hat. Everything was darker than the surrounding night, he was like a void in the fabric of reality. Darker than something nature could even conjure. The energy and emotions radiating from him were enough to paralyze me, and he didn't need eyes for me to know he was looking right at me. I felt a tear roll down my cheek. He was going to tear everyone apart and drag me to a place worse than hell itself.

"Is everyone all right?" I heard Ethan's mom say quickly in concern somewhere behind me.

"Mom, call Mrs. Clarissa. Something is seriously wrong," Ethan hurried out, and I finally registered him trying to pry me away from the window. I blinked rapidly a few times, and the man seemed to grow blurry and dematerialize into the surrounding night within a second. This was the end.

"Ethan, Ethan," I turned to him, tears streaming down my cheeks. He sat me down in one of the kitchen chairs, and I pulled the fabric of his thin white t-shirt into my fists. "I need to go. He's not here for you, he's here for me. You need to let me go, you need to save yourself," I pleaded, and Ethan just looked at me completely horrified, shaking his head as his eyes glistened with unshed tears.

He needed to listen to me- why was he not listening!

"You're safe here, Ivan. Just stay right here," he pulled a chair in front of me and sat down, cradling my head against his chest.

"She's on her way," said a voice, but I was so worried about making sure Ethan was safe, I didn't concern myself over trying to figure out who it belonged to. Was it real or in my head? "I'm going to clean up this glass. Stay over there, I don't want either of you to hurt yourself."