Chapter 4

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The next morning, Jacob got up fifteen minutes before his mum usually entered to get William out of bed. He had been awake for a while and for some reason, he couldn't cope with just lying in bed, he felt restless.

He was stood in the bathroom and brushing his teeth when the voice spoke.

"I hope you slept well last night."

Jacob closed his eyes and spat out his toothpaste. He ignored the voice and cleaned the sink. Once that was done, he put the plug in and started to fill it up with cold water. He watched as the clear water splashed the white marble and curved against the shape.

When it was full enough, he dipped the tips of his fingers in. As predicted, the water was freezing. He needed a shock to his system to clear his head. He would've had a cold shower but it was too much effort for his inactive brain.

"And I hope you have a better morning than yesterday."

Jacob took a breath and pushed his face into the icy water. He closed his eyes and allowed his senses to go a little crazy.

He liked it when the water went into his ears, it muffled the noises of the birds chirping and his parent's conversations. It relaxed him to the point where he felt like he could concentrate, just for a moment. The cold made him shiver. He liked how it distracted him from thinking about his irregularities.

"Do you like swimming?"

Even though Jacob loved the tranquil stillness of being underwater, the voice could never be silenced.

He pulled his head up and gasped for breath.

"You're not real," He mumbled out loud, just as his father walked past the door.

"That's what you think."

"That's what I know," Jacob thought back. "I'd be even more of a freak if I thought you actually existed."

"You're not a freak."

"You don't know me."

"But I do, I've been inside your head for half a year. I know your thought's, your emotions and I can hear what you're thinking all the time."

"You're not real."

"I am, you'll see soon."

"Why do you keep saying that?" he said out loud. "You're in my head, you don't exist."

"I'm sorry Jacob, I know how hard this is for you and I know you're struggling. This will all make sense-"

"Will you just leave me alone," he sighed, sitting on the edge of the bath and dropping his head into his hands. He allowed the sorrow to wash over him. Jacob felt defeated by a voice. It was tearing him apart and there wasn't a single thing he could do.

"Son," Scott said softly but his heart was racing. Jacob's head snapped up to see him standing by the door with kind eyes and a warm expression. "Come on, I want to talk to you."

Jacob chewed on his bottom lip and followed his dad out of the bathroom and towards the garden. The sun was poking through clouds and the day looked like it was going to be nice. Jacob always liked it when the sky was a little moody. Storms made him feel comfortable. Maybe because the sky looked sad and he could relate.

Scott opened the back door and lead him towards a wooden bench at the bottom of the garden. Jacob still had his pyjamas on as he sat next to him.

They both took a moment to embrace the fresh air and allow the soft morning breeze to hug their skin.

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