Epiphany

Chapter 17 Part 1~He caught something...

I couldn't believe it.

I was laying on a bed and covered with a grey duvet that protected me from the chilling weather. Not in a cold room. Not even in the basement.

But why? Why would they give me a small room at the end of the corridor to sleep in all by myself?

Of course, I couldn't sleep. Even though the door was locked, anyone could barge in at any minute. The key was still with them after all. With Chase to be specific.

As soon as he had locked the door, the first thing that had popped in my head was to escape. And I almost had teared a chunk of hair from my scalp at the sight of the barred windows.

I couldn't have believed it. When did they have the time to fasten the window with bars?!

They probably had it barred before I came here. But the idea annoyed the hell out of me.

I sighed as I turned on my side, and my mind began to come up with different scenarios in my head. At normal days I would always daydream about peaceful stuff, and what I wished my life would have been instead.

But right now, unsettling scenarios that sent me shivering were intruding my thoughts instead.

My heart rate increased at the thought of someone creeping in when I fall asleep. Taking several steps closer to my sleeping form then pushing a sharp blade deep into my chest, leaving me suffocating with my blood.

And this triggered a memory that I was trying to bury deep inside the depth of my brain.

...

I instantly jerked my head to the side as I thought I'd heard a sound, a knock to be specific.

I stopped my breathing and narrowed my eyes to try to see anything. But the whole house was dark, not even the light in the corridor was open, so I couldn't see any shadow from under the door to make out if there was someone or not.

I was either going insane, the weight of this whole thing finally crashing onto me, causing me to make stuff up, or there was really someone waiting for me to open the door for him.

I hated both possibilities. But if I had to choose one, then I would choose the—

My thoughts were then thrown like a pebble off of a cliff when my eyes caught a movement.

The door.

It was movin—opening.

I started to doubt my eyes because not a single squeak of the door was produced, making it seem as though it was unreal.

It stopped moving and a tall shadow slid through, appearing like a person wearing a full cloak.

The door then was closed shut, making me further contemplate my own reality.

The figure blended in with the darkness, making it seem as though the door was never opened and as though no one slipped through.

But I didn't doubt my eyes. I was sure there was someone in there with me right now.

The damn door just opened and something entered.

Sh!t.

The scenario that I just made up in my own goddamn head was coming to life, but I was awake rather than being asleep, this simply meant more agony. More pain would be felt when he would dig the dagger into my chest.

"Hey." A whisper was released from somewhere, and I brought my knees closer to my chest. His voice was low but it was loud enough for someone in the next room to hear. "You awake?"

My eyes were wide open, but because it was pitch black, I assumed he couldn't decide whether they were open or not.

I sat up slowly, gulping down the dread that was throbbing in my throat like a slimy heart.

It's not Ryder, I reassured myself, after deciding that this guy's voice wasn't as gruff as Ryder's.

"Who? J-Jesse?"

"Yes."

I released an audible sigh.

"It's me."

It was only him. Even though they were all bad, but he was much better than the others.

I hoped...

"What are you doing here?" I was sure he heard the uneasiness in my tone.

"I came here to talk."

"About?"

It was obvious.

I pulled the duvet away from my body and attempted to stand up.

Of course I wouldn't stay in bed when someone was in here with me.

When I pushed my body off of the bed, I clamped my toes on the ground to steady myself as a bolt of dizziness struck me that sent a massive dull ache around my brain.

"You'll answer my questions and in return I'll answer yours," he said amidst my migraine episode.

I had to bring my hand to my head and apply pressure to it for the throbbing to subside.

When it dampened completely, I lifted my head to try to look at him.

I still couldn't make him out.

"Is that a trick?" I couldn't help but query.

The idea of him coming here in this particular room in the middle of the night put me on edge.

This was fishy.

Maybe my scenario was right after all.

"You can relax." I squinted my eyes to try to make out what he was doing—if he was doing anything. This guy seemed invisible or something. "I'm not the kind of person to miss out these few minutes of sleep just to do a stupid prank."

This didn't relax me. It did. But only a tad. We were still in the dark. God knows what he was holding right now, or what he stored in mind.

"Where are you exactly?"

I did sense him close by, but I needed to see him.

Click.

The light flickered open, knocking the sight out of me. It took a few seconds for my vision to return and when it did, the breathe got knocked out of my lungs.

A person stood leaning against the door with his arms crossed.

With a face I didn't recognize.

Is that... him?