Stare.

Chapter Three: Holly, Jolly

As I opened my eyes to see my bedroom ceiling, a groan left my lips. I felt like shit. That 45-minute walk home had done more damage than I thought, especially since it was also a goddamn school night. 

I rolled over in bed and suddenly heard a voice down the hall say, "Will? Will? Sweetheart, can you hear me? Will...please...Will..." I sprung up and got out of bed, running to Will's room, and so had Jonathan.

Opening Will's bedroom door, we both saw Mom sitting on Will's bed. "It's me. Just talk to me. Talk to me. Just say..." 

"Mom?" Jonathan said, stepping into Will's room, and I moved into the doorway. 

Mom looked over at us. "Jonathan! Y/n!" 

"What the..." I said as I looked around the room. Mom had put a bunch of different types of lights all around the place in Will's room. Jonathan and I had the same look on our faces, our brows furrowed together. 

"Come here. Both of you come here." She says to us, motioning us over to the bed.

"Mom, what is this?" I said to her. Why does shit like this always happen before school? 

"Come here. Come here." Jonathan and I both walked over to Will's bed, sitting down hesitantly. 

"What's going on?" 

She looked like she hadn't gotten any sleep, her cheeks were wet from crying, and her hair was a mess. "It's Will. It's Will, he's...he's trying to talk to me."

"He's trying to talk to you?" Jonathan asked as Mom looked around the room. 

"Yeah, through...through the lights." She pointed to the lamps that had no lampshades on them. 

"Mom-" He shook his head. I couldn't take my eyes off the lights in the room, how did she even manage to find so many?

Her eyes widened. "I know. I know. Just...just watch. Will...your brother and sister are here. Can you show them what you showed me, baby?" I looked over at Mom as she spoke before looking away to the lights that were everywhere. "Please..." 

We were all silent for a second before Mom quickly pointed to the light in front of her. 

"Did you see that?" 

Jonathan turned to Mom quickly, grabbing onto her arms. "It's the electricity, Mom. It's acting up." He quickly said to her.

"No--"

"It's that same thing that fried the phone." 

"No! It is not the electricity, Jonathan. Something is going on here! Yesterday, the wall-" She started tearing up, looking around the room before pointing at the wall. 

"What? What about the wall?" 

"I don't know. I don't know." 

"Mom, first the lights, then the wall?" Jonathan yelled.

They both started to argue as I watched on. 

"I just know that Will is here." She sighs, defeated, and I reach out, putting my hand on her shoulder.

"No, Mom." 

"Maybe I should get more lamps-" She stood up, and my hand dropped from her shoulder. Tears dropped from my eyes that I didn't even know were there. 

Jonathan stood up with her, grabbing her face as he spoke. "No, Mom. You don't need more lamps. You need to stop this, okay? He is just lost. People are looking for him, and they're going to find him." 

"Okay." Her chin wobbled. 

"This isn't helping." 

"Okay, okay. Okay, I'm sorry." She nodded her head slightly, her hands grabbing onto Jonathan and I.