Alone

Hear It

I don't know how long I had been asleep when the droning hum woke me up, it had scared me awake and it seemed to be shaking my eardrums even though it was a faint sound.

"You okay?" I heard Dan ask me, his voice didn't sound like he was asleep or had even been asleep.

"Do you hear that?" I covered my ears with a pillow.

"No." He answered after a moment "Lets just go back to sleep."

"Are you kidding me? You don't hear that? It's like shaking my eardrums." I groaned.

"No, I don't hear it." His voice seemed higher than normal. I got out of bed and looked out the window but just saw the black nothingness of the city.
This was the first time I had heard the sound with him around, and it was just as eerie as ever, it still sent chills up my spine.

"You hear it." I said as I went back to the bed but this time sat there looking at him instead of laying down.

"I don't know what you're on about." He denied.

"Really?" I asked in disbelief "Am I just crazy?" I felt like I was starting to believe it until I heard him sigh.

"I hear it." He finally said. "I've heard it since you went off to try to find other people. It was terrifying, and it still is. I guess that's why I've been denying it. I mean whatever it is can't hurt us right?" He reasoned.

"It's fucking scary." I said and I don't know why but I started to cry. "What if whatever it was took all the others? I don't want to get taken too."
Maybe I was still scared of something.

I felt his hands pull me gently back down in the bed into him.

"It's alright Amelia. I know it's scary and it's unexplainable, but it's not going to hurt you, not because it's just a sound and your fears aren't valid, but because I won't let anything hurt you."

I wrapped my arm over his chest and gave it a slight squeeze.

"You're okay, I'm okay." He assured me.

When I woke up the noise was gone.
Dan was still asleep beside me.
I decided to sneak up and plan out what I was going to be doing today.

I took the old car that I had hot wired last night, and I left still in my pajamas.
It was hot, like smothering hot today.

I just drove around and tried to think of something else for us to do. I would of had dozens upon dozens of things for us to do if people still existed to run things, but there wasn't.

I guess there was something we could still do that seemed like fun, I doubt he would find it fun though.

It took me literally more than half the day, but I did it. It took so much skill, careful planning, running around, hiking, and hard work in the horrible heat, but I had actually done it somehow.

I was so proud of myself as I drove back to the hotel, Dan was going to be so amazed.

Unfortunately, he wasn't.

"Oh my god." He said as I found him wandering the halls looking completely worried.

"What?" I asked.

"Where have you been all day?" His voice went high.

"Just out. I'm sorry I didn't leave a note or something." I apologized.

"I woke up this morning and you just weren't there! I was so scared that- that sound had taken you or something."

"But I'm okay!" I said and gave him a cheerful smile. "And I have something to show you. That's where I've been all day."