Mommy

Chapter 46: The Couch

"Wake up, wake up, you hear now!? Get up Harper, keep on moving! Get up!"

I startled awake by the sound of a voice, Alex's voice. I could see nothing, and my heart was pounding heavily in my aching chest. For a moment, I thought he was here. I thought he was by my side, making sure I could make it past the obstacles. I thought he was still alive.

But by the way I could hear nothing but silence, and the once realistic voice has now faded into a gentle mist, I could tell it was only a dream. He was only speaking momentarily through my mind, to wake me up, to keep me going. He was only here in my imagination.

My chest ached as I sat up, spewing up horribly tasting water, my throat stinging. My legs burned with the scratches and open wounds. I gently touched the swollen areas, the blood still fresh and thick. My rib cage ached more than it did before, and I was now sure it was fractured or broken. My wrist cracked and I gasped in immediate pain and horror as I tried to use that wrist to help me stand up. Even in the darkness, I could still tell that my wrist was swollen and twisted at an awkward angle, slightly moving it causing me extreme pain..

Tears began to flood from my eyes, the pain becoming too much. My nails were bloody and broken off, and it hurt to even breathe. Along with that, I was scared.

I had no clue where I was, or how I got here. I couldn't stand up, and the Babysitter could be anywhere right now, waiting to catch me as she pleases. I had no where to go, and as far as I knew, Jen and Aki could've already won, and Anna could've already been dead.

Or they could've died too.

I shakily managed to stand up, limping and crying through the darkness. I didn't know what I was doing, or where I was going, but I had to go somewhere. I couldn't stay here. I couldn't stay still, alone in the flooding darkness.

My eyes searched and longed for a source of light, unable to find one. My head began to ache as my eyes strained in the darkness, and I decided on closing my eyes, settling on the fact that I wouldn't be able to see no matter what I did.

I struggled to breath, the chilling air burning my moist skin and my lungs, making it hard to walk. My legs were sore and I could feel the blood rushing from my wounds. I was dizzy and tired, and all I wanted to do was to lay down and go to sleep.

All I wanted to do was to get this over with, to wake up from this horrible dream. To wake up and see that Alex and Carson were still alive. They were still happy, and talking. They still were here.

I thought about Carson and what he did. How he decided just to turn and leave. Just to walk back towards the threat. He was brave, but courage doesn't solve everything. It gets you into situations you can't get out of. And Carson never stood a chance.

Thinking about that made me cry more, and my heart broke. I was all alone...

I bumped into something and I stumbled backwards, falling painfully on the floor. I grunted in pain, my ribcage aching and burning with the action. I held my wrist painfully to my side as I stood shakily up, feeling for the source that knocked me over. The air smelled sour—a familiar tinge to it.

My hand grazed something. Something soft. Something sturdy. Something familiar.

I gasped at the realization at what it was.

I bumped into the couch, in the living room. I shook my head in confusion. No, I couldn't be in here, I should be in the basement, or at least below it. What am I doing in here?

I felt around it a little more, and the more I touched the moldy furniture, the more I became certain that I was back in the living room. I knew I was. I had to be. The air, the smell, the room felt so familiar—I didn't even bother to think how I got here.

I stood in silence, waiting. Listening. I heard nothing but the sound of my own shaky breath and my heart hammering in my chest. There didn't seem to be anyone in this room, but me. And if I was unlucky, the Babysitter—watching me with her cold, eyeless sockets. And in that case, I knew what I had to do.

I had to find the wall.

I don't know what it was, but something inside of me told me this was the end. That the wall was near. That I just needed to move a little further until I reached it. Before the Babysitter reached me.

I stumbled forward, searching for a wall. Any wall. All I needed was to let my fingers just barely graze the wood and it would be all over. Anna would be safe and Kai would be safe...and I would be safe.

I began to limp faster, hurrying to reach my destination. Close, it was so close...

I could hear the sound of the Babysitter behind me, the wheelchair squeaking louder and faster than before. She knew I was near the end. She knew I was heading towards the wall, and that I was moving fast. She knew she needed to stop me.

The sound was nearing me and I could feel the hair on the back of my neck rise. Suddenly it was coming from all directions, and I began to lose focus. I knew she was behind me, I knew the Babysitter was trying to slow me down. Just enough for her to catch me. But I couldn't stop. I couldn't let her catch me. I had to save Anna.

I could hear her whisper and begin to screech with a blood curdling pitch, which only caused me to move faster. I could hear the raccoon scratch at it's owner and I could feel it's tiny, sharp paws try to cling on to the back of my shirt, stopping me. I began to cry in horror, my lungs burning with the shallow breaths. "Come hereee Harper...Let me see those pretty eyesss..."

I slammed into the wall, losing balance and falling to the floor. I gasped in relief, my head spinning. It's over...

Well, I thought it would be.

The squeaking of her wheelchair didn't stop, and my legs were now too sore and weak to get back up and run again. I touched the wall, I did. Where's Mommy? Why won't the Babysitter stop?

I pressed my hands against the wall, hoping that would stop the Babysitter from nearing, but that only made her move faster. I shook in horror.

The wheelchair squeaked as it came to a stop inches away from me, and I could feel her sour, warm breath on my face. I squeezed my eyes shut, shivering in terror. My eyes continued to leak tears, and the thought passed through me that this must be the end. "Open your eyes Harper...it's okay..."

I shook my head, facing away. I couldn't look, I couldn't let the Babysitter get what she wants from me.

"Open your eyes..."

"Open your eyes..."

"..."

"Harper, it's okay now. Open your eyes."

The voice wasn't the Babysitter's anymore. No, it wasn't at all. It wasn't from Jen or Aki or even Mommy. I could feel relief flood through my veins.

I opened my eyes to see light, and Carson.

He was smiling, shaking his head in relief. "Almost lost you there for a second," he laughed, and I smiled. I thought he was dead, he turned back—how could he be alive?

I hugged him, crying tears of relief. I don't know how it happened, or why. But the sun was out, lighting up the room. And the Babysitter was gone. And Carson wasn't dead after all.

He swatted down next to me, smiling with what seemed to be ecstatic joy. "You did it kiddo! You won! You saved Anna!" I smiled, the pain fading away as the relief settled in. It didn't seem a smile would leave his face, and it probably wouldn't leave mine but for the fact that my body was exhausted and I was practically a walking corpse.

But that didn't matter now.

Anna was safe.

And we won.

But something seemed to change. Something wasn't the same as before. Something seemed...off.