Blank Stars

chapter 9

I went upstairs after my very uneventful meal, it was now time for me to figure out how in the world I was going to contact Alec, I had never had a phone and hence didn’t know his phone number. I sighed and resorted to the only method of communication that I seemed to be able to do efficiently; writing letters. 

I sat down on the floor and produced a piece of paper and pen that I had swiped from the kitchen. I drowned out all external noise by creating my own kind of static, I’m not entirely sure how I managed it if I’m being honest, it’s just something that I learned to do. I put my pen to paper and my feelings flowed out, more eloquently than I could ever manage in person. I put my emotions into every word and curve of a letter. Choosing my words effectively and efficiently, making sure to get my point across. 

When I finished I allowed my internal static to fade and tuned back in to the subtle noises of the house; The sound of water flowing through the pipes in the walls, leading who knows where, the sound of scratching from the attic sent chills down my spine as I thought of what could be causing it. I calmed myself as I reminded myself that I somehow became prone to hallucinations at some point; I folded up my letter and carefully wrote an address on an envelope that I had picked up from somewhere, I don’t actually know where I got it from.

I slipped it into a bag, put on a warm jacket and then tiptoed down the stairs; I walked past the living room heading to the door but paused as I heard a small whimpering emanating from the room. I looked in and saw Sophia, curled up on the sofa staring at a photo of my dad and crying; I felt so bad, so selfish and I knew that I was just going to become more selfish by going to send this letter rather than stay and mourn with her…

I turned on my heels and quietly opened the door, wrapping my jacket tightly around me as the cold bit into me, I silently closed the door behind me and quickly made my way to the post box; which if I remember correctly was close by. I felt apprehension grip my being as I made my way through the now dark streets, I looked up at the sky and sighed at the abyss that I awaited me, then I saw something. Only for a moment, but there was a twinkle in the sky; I rubbed my eyes, refusing to believe them and surely enough it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. 

I shook my head, I really needed to get these hallucinations under control.

“Damn brain, stop fucking up.”

I muttered to myself, cursing the day that my mind broke whenever that may have been.

“Tut tut, that’s no language for a young lady to use.”

My body froze as I heard a familiar, bone chilling voice; I slowly turned around and looked into the menacing eyes of the man from my nightmares. Surely he was a hallucination, maybe someone would come along and ask me why I was talking to myself, there was no one here though, I was on my own with this monstrosity.

“Who… Who are you?”

I stammered, through my now chattering teeth.

“Oh, I don’t think you need to know that yet my dear.”

He took a step towards me and touched my face, mimicking what I had done to Alec earlier, I shuddered, does that mean he had seen that?

“What do you want from me?”

He smiled slightly and leaned backwards, relieving the pain which had been building in my chest from my heart hammering against my ribs.

“Oh nothing dear… Well not at the moment.”

I fell to my knees, my legs too weak to support me any longer; I watched him walk away into the distance until he was completely gone. I pushed myself up and walked as quickly as I could until I found the post box, I quickly shoved the letter into the small dark slot and ran back home at double time.