The Third Word

Chapter 24

Mom took dad to the couch while I hurried upstairs to get the First-aid.

When I opened the door of my room, I stopped dead in my tracks.

I could see it.

There was something black behind the curtain, near the window.

"Gwen! I'm taking your dad to the hospital so stay here!" I heard mom from downstairs but I didn't shift my eyes away from what was 10 meters away from me.

"Come out." I said," I can see you!"

The dark figure didn't move or speak at all. I stepped closer," I know you're not a hallucination. Talk to me. Why are you after me?" I asked.

No movement at all.

"Stace, what would you say now? A visual hallucination?" I was talking to myself.

I breathed in and strode towards it. My hands were trembling with fear. For a moment I thought of stepping back and running away but I decided to see what it was.

I removed the curtain with a jerk and it was gone.

"What the fuck?!!" I yelled in frustration, "Stop hiding! I know you're here! Stop it!" I pulled down the curtains and the rod fell on my arm, right on my elbow. I cried in pain and sat down on the floor, rubbing my elbow. I didn't even know if I was hallucinating or was there really something.

No one could answer my questions. I couldn't share it with anyone. All I could do was believe that there is someone around me, and it's listening to me, and I had to talk to it.

"I know you can hear me." I stood up, rubbing my elbow.

"If you tell me what you want, I can help both you and me." I said but there was no movement or whisper anymore.

I thought I was stupid, talking to nothing but air. I walked out of my room slowly and climbed downstairs.

"Look, I know there is a reason why you're doing this to me. Please, I beg you to talk to me properly and tell me the reason." I said as I reached the living room.

I checked behind every curtain and then closed the main door which mom had left open in a hurry. I had almost forgotten that dad was injured.

I called mom from the landline since I had left my phone upstairs.

"Mom, how's dad now?" I asked as soon as she answered the call.

"I'm still driving. I'll take him to the city hospital and stay with him so could you cook yourself dinner and stay at home?" She asked.

"Don't worry about me. Take care." I said and hung up.

The fact that I was going to stay alone at home that night made my spine tingle.

I didn't have an appetite so I went upstairs after switching off the extra lights.

"Let's just act like there's nothing here." I told myself and sat down to study. I had to have control over my brain and avoid thinking about it anymore in order to keep myself sane.