Your Worst Fears

Chapter 6: Denial

When I woke up, I was confused and had no idea where I was. As I looked around my room, soon realizing that it was in a hospital, I started to panic, remembering why I was there... and the last thing I'd seen.

Sitting up in my bed, my IV tugging at my arm, I scanned my room for any signs of... of her, but Mom was quickly by my side, forcing me to lie back down. "Sweetie, it's okay," she said, rubbing my arm, which I now realized was extremely sore. "You had a bad reaction to the pain medicine they gave you. You're okay, so calm down." She kissed my forehead. "It's okay. You dislocated your shoulder and broke your collarbone, but other than that, you're fine."

"Then why am I still here--" I looked down at myself "--in a hospital gown and hooked up to an IV?"

"Well, when you... when you had that reaction, they wanted to monitor you overnight, just to make sure you were okay." She smiled nervously. "You really scared that x-ray tech to death, screaming like that."

I thought back to what had caused my screaming. "Yeah, I'm sure I did."

"But you're okay, now, and we'll be going home soon. I'm just waiting for your release papers."

She told me that Dad had gone on to work once he realized I was okay, and that Kylie was at school, so I'd be able to rest once we got home, since it would be quiet. I could only hope.

A few hours later, I was in the comfort of my own bed, high on whatever medicine they'd given me for my pain. My phone kept vibrating on the nightstand by my bed, but I ignored it, in no mood to talk to whoever it was, having to explain--or lie about--what had happened yesterday. 

Craaaazy, craaaazy. Her creepy voice was playing in my mind like my iPod was skipping, so I tried to sing another song to push it out, which only made me feel that much more insane.

"You're not insane. You're not insane," I told myself. But then again, maybe the first sign of insanity was denial.

It was in the middle of my sanity check when my mom walked into my room. "Amber, I'm going to the store. Is there anything you need me to get while I'm there?"

No, don't go. Don't leave me alone. "No, I'm fine." It was the middle of the day and I was already scared. How pathetic. 

My phone vibrated again, causing Mom to pick it up. "Hotness? Who would that be?" she asked with a smirk.

I felt my face heat up. "Oh, that would be Erik."

She crossed her arms. "I didn't know you liked him. I've always wondered why you're into that ghost hunting stuff, and now I know. It's not so much the ghost hunting as it is the ghost hunters."

"No, it's not like that. I went before Erik joined our team."

She smiled that smile that let me know she didn't really believe me. "Anyway, it looks like he's sent about ten messages and called, too, so here...." She handed my phone to me and kissed my forehead. "If you think of anything you need, just call me."

"Okay."

Once she left and I heard her pulling out of driveway, I messaged Erik back. What's up?

Two seconds later, my phone was ringing, and before I could even say hello, Erik was practically yelling at me. "Why haven't you answered my calls? Or my texts? Nick and I have been worried sick. Well, Nick said you were probably fine, but I was worried. I knew you'd ignore him, but I didn't think you'd.... Anyway, what happened? Kylie posted something that said you were in the hospital, that you fell."

Once he finally stopped talking, I explained what had happened, from the toothbrush incident and me running from something that wasn't supposed to exist, to falling down the stairs and seeing Eleanor, if that's even who it was, come after me in the x-ray room. "I feel like I'm losing my mind." I let out a nervous laugh, which made me sound as crazy as I felt. "Have you... have you seen her? Like I have?"