The Devil Made Me Do It

9

^^(Addy)

I had the same dream about my parents' dying, but it felt more real this time. I could feel the heat on my skin and it scared me. Mama and my sisters were absurd to me in the morning, but I was so consumed in my thoughts that I didn't realize they had cut me. I cracked my injured hand while they snickered at me.

I left without eating and walked to the bus station. Even though the bus was there, I waited for Jer. As usual, he picked me up. He could tell something wasn't right, but I refused to tell him right now. I promised to tell him after school. He nodded, but would rather if I release the burden now.

After school, Jer and I walked to a park bench and sat down. He turned to me and spoke.

"What's wrong?" Jer placed a hand on my shoulder.

"My dreams." I whispered.

"Oh, you still have those?"

I nodded while he sighed. Jer knew all about my dreams and the terror they caused me. He knew about my parents' deaths, but he had the same reaction as the police officers. Everyone that I told what happened chalked it up to a 5 year old manufacturing a scary man to protect her fractured mind. I had been taken to several psychiatrists, but they all reported I was normal except for the glowing eyed man.

I already knew how this conversation was gonna go. I took in a deep breath and turned to Jer. He wore a sympathetic expression, so he definitely knew how this conversation was about to go down. Maybe, I can change his mind today. I won't stop until I have someone believe that I'm not crazy.

"Addy-"

"It really happened, Jer." He sighed and looked away. "Jer, please look at me." He reluctantly met my eyes. "There really was a man who killed my parents and then blew up my house."

"Addy." He held my hand. "They ran an investigation and concluded it was a gas leak."

As with every crime scene, an investigation was conducted. Unfortunately, the investigation disapproved my accounts of the events that transpired. They concluded that it had been a gas leak from the stove rather than a man carrying a container of propane and igniting it. My parents bodies were burnt to a crisp, so they couldn't find any traces of severe trauma. Meaning that no one killed them... it was just an accidental death, but I knew that wasn't true! I gripped the pendant on my necklace and looked at Jer.

"There was a man, Jer. He was interacting with me from outside my window and then- my dad went to confront him and I heard his screams. My mom then hid me before screaming. And then there was a fire and-"

"You were 5." He cut me off. "It's perfectly normal for you to believe a man harmed your family rather than something as random as a gas leak."

"I know what I saw, Jer. And I'm not crazy. I-"

"I'm not saying you're crazy." He held my arms. "I don't think you're crazy. You envisioned a-"

"But you don't believe me." Tears lined my eyes. Jer sighed and averted his eyes. "It's true, Jer." I stood up.

"Addy, please-"

"I need some time." I sniffled and wiped my tears. "Mama is expecting me and- I have to go."

I then ran off before Jer had time to react. He yelled after me to stop, but I kept running. I could hear his footsteps behind me, so I slipped into an alley. I ran up the hill and found the tear in the fence (Gad had shown me it). I carefully entered the tear so I didn't cut myself. I then quickly jogged down the hill and hid in the foliage.