The stories that killed their writer

Chapter 35: It's growing stronger

Lana's POV

After dinner, Melody wanted to watch a movie and then have 'dessert' in the bedroom. She had told me that before and during dinner. However, when Stephanie left and we watched tv, I felt myself getting really tired. It seemed all the emotions of the day had worn me down more than I thought.

Melody didn't seem to mind though, she agreed to go to bed early. While she was in the bathroom, getting ready for bed, I was in bed already. I was watching around, I was still anxious Shax might appear...

"So..."

I turned to my right, towards the window, and saw Wednesday appear. "Wednesday?" I smiled. "I'm glad to see you're ok."

She sighed before sitting down on my bed. "Lana, that dinner was a disaster, didn't you see that?"

I frowned before looking down, thinking about the tension I did feel. However, I thought it was me, my worried feelings about Melody finding out about the cheating I had done...

"I'm pretty sure Melody knows."

My head shot up towards Wednesday. "You're kidding?"

"No," She sighed. "You didn't see it but the conversation Melody and Stephanie had in the kitchen right before dinner..." She let out a breath, nodding slowly. "That was bad."

"Oh, God..." I covered my face. "What do I do now?" I then looked at Wednesday. "Should I just tell her?"

"I told you to be honest from the start, why are you still asking me what to do?"

I shrugged.

"Shax is growing stronger," She said, changing the subject. "When was the last time you actually wrote?"

I looked away, thinking back at when I wrote last. I then looked at Wednesday. "I suppose a few days back," I frowned. "I didn't realize it was so long ago..."

Wednesday nodded.

"I'll try to get some writing done tomorrow, when Melody goes to the store or something..."

"If she goes..."

I looked at Wednesday. "Why wouldn't she?"

She looked at me with an unamused face. 

"What?"

She facepalmed herself before getting up. "I'll be going," She said, walking to the window. She was looking outside, at the night's sky. "I need to be with Bree now."

"Wednesday?"

She turned back around, facing me.

"Do you think I'll ever win?"

Her facial expression softened.

"Do you think I'll..." I looked down, gulping. "Do you think I'll ever be able to just be me?" I looked up and saw she had vanished. I was surprised she did that until I considered the most likely reason for her to do that... Melody was here. I looked at the door and saw she was indeed standing there, just watching me. "Hey, Mel."

She was looking at me with a different look in her eyes. She gulped. "Let's get some sleep," She walked to the bed and got in. "Goodnight, Lana." She then kissed my lips before turning around and turning off the lights.

_____________________________

All day, I had been thinking about Melody's strange behavior. I wondered if she would have seen something. Or maybe she wondered why I was talking to nothing...

Usually, I'd talk about these things with Stephanie but what Wednesday told me last night bothered me. Did Steph and Mel really argue? Why did they? Did Mel really figure it out? But Steph promised to keep it quiet though...

I was seated on the couch in the living room. I was waiting for Melody to go to the store. She'd always go grocery shopping on Saturday. When she would leave, I'd write.

"So Lana," She said, walking to me. "Is there anything else you need?"

I shook my head. "I don't think so."

"Ok," She put on her coat. "I'll be back for dinner."

"Ok." I smiled at her.

She leaned closer to me and kissed my lips. "I love you."

"I love you too." 

She smiled at me and walked to the front door, she then left. I got up to watch outside the window, I watched her drive away. Now I knew she was really gone.

I walked to the desk and took Melody's computer. I opened it and continued writing the story. I was almost at the end. I knew that, but I didn't know what the ending was going to be like exactly. It sounds strange, I know, I guess I'll figure it out when I get there...

"Hey, Lana."

I looked to my left and saw Leila and Christina. I smiled at them. "Hey, how are you two?"

They looked at each other before looking at me. "We're good," Christina replied. "But how are you? I heard from Wednesday Shax was here last night..."

I sighed deeply. "It's getting stronger," I motioned to the laptop. "It's why I'm writing."

They both nodded.

I looked back at them, somehow they seemed quieter than usual. I raised an eyebrow. "Is everything alright?"

Christina smiled a bit, kissed Leila's forehead, and vanished. Leila then looked at me. "Yeah," She nodded slowly. "We're just worried about Shax."

I frowned, I could feel she wasn't telling me everything. "And?"

She raised her eyebrows. "And nothing," She then leaned in closer to the screen, looking at what I was writing. "You wrote about your affair too?"

I slowly nodded. "I figured, since I'm in this book too, I should be as honest as possible."

"But Lana," Leila sighed before taking a seat on the desk. "Isn't Melody going to find out then when this book gets published?"

"Normally, yes," I looked down then. "Since I'm not a writer anymore, it won't get published..."

Leila sighed too. "Remind me why you quit."

I looked at her. "It's better this way," When I had said that sentence, I heard loud footsteps upstairs. I looked up. "Shax..." I gulped and looked at Leila, who also looked frightened. "Hurry, hide."

"W-what about you?" She asked but got up immediately, seemingly ready to flee.

I motioned to the computer again. "As long as I'm writing, I'm immune."

She gulped. It seemed she wanted to say something to me again but was stopped when we both heard the noise getting closer. She looked at the stairs, her facial expression spoke volumes. She looked at me, a face of terror, before vanishing.

I gulped, took a deep breath, and went back to writing. I felt Shax behind me, I knew it was looking at me and the computer. Please, go away, I thought.

For the next hour, I continued to write this way: Shax behind me while I was writing. I cannot stress enough how terrifying this experience was. I'm just glad I made it out alive.

When Melody came home, after an hour, things returned to normal. I was just glad that I could move again. Though I knew it was a matter of time before I wouldn't be able to fight Shax anymore...