The Story of Emmaline Seigas

Lend An Ear

You're back. I can feel your breathing, it's vibrating the room. Or maybe that's me. Maybe you aren't here and I'm talking to an empty room. Maybe I'm not here. Maybe I've already died and this is my punishment. To spend an eternity in pain. But I've already described the pain to you. You don't want to hear about that. You want to hear about Absolom and Bailey and Bryce and Caleb. You want to know why this is so important to me. Why I need someone to hear me out. Why I talk to you even if I don't know if you're real. I need someone besides myself to know. I'm not even sure why. It's a compulsion, forcing me to give you all the details. So here we go. Lend me an ear and I'll indulge my compulsion one more time.

It was starting to grow even more. That sense that someone was following me. I got goosebumps and I felt eyes on me. Always, all the time. The feeling that people around me were starting to whisper about me when I wasn't around. This was validated by stares from people everywhere I went. From conversations suddenly stopped when I entered. From my name being whispered among friends, and enemies. Or, at least, I thought it was validated.

It was many weeks later when Absolom returned. Thoughts of him had faded away completely. I suppose that's what startled me so badly. But I can't just go diving in. This is a story. I have to make sure you stay interested, because if you stop listening I don't know what will happen. This driving need to share my story is all that's keeping me sane.

I was at my locker, with Bailey. We were inseperable, the two of us. Everyone knew it. I miss those times.... Being with someone so close to you could swear you were the same person. Yet so different from you that every time you hung out it was new and interesting and exciting.....

"So, got anything special going on tonight?" Bailey asked, leaning against the wall as I fiddled with my combination lock. The suggestiveness in her voice made me frown and glance up at her.

"What do you mean? What's that tone for?" I asked, rather accusingly. Bailey grinned and ruffled my dark brown hair, even as I attempted to avoid it.

"Oh come on! You can't tell me you're not noticing...." Bailey trailed off at the complete lack of comprehension on that part. Shock washed over her and she stood up straight, staring at me.

"OHMYGOD!" Bailey yelled. I winced and glanced around, blushing, as people passing by stared at us. Typically, Bailey spared them no glance or even a thought. She was intent on my apparent ignorance.

"You really don't know? Come onnn, Em! It's so freaking obvious!" Bailey exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air. I just stared at her for a moment before deciding it wasn't worth pursuing. If Bailey was actually going to tell me, she would've spit it out already. It was only when she had some news she had to keep to herself that she built it up so much. I just turned back to my locker and continued to fiddle with the lock.

"Em, don't ignore me!" Bailey poked the side of my head.

"You're not going to tell me. I have to go, my mom wants me to be home right after school," I replied. Bailey sighed, but didn't argue.

"See you later, Em."

"Bye, Bay."

Oh god. Now that I think back on it, was it really that important? Did I have to obey my mothers every order? Couldn't I have just asked her to come with me? Was there anything I could've done to change this mess? The answer is no. He would've found me and it he would've made me pay for evading him. Perhaps this was the best course.

I was walking home and he was there again. Off to the side, unobtrusive, but there. For me. I knew it and I didn't want it to be true because if it was it meant I couldn't get rid of him. Still, there was a tiny part of me, the part where he had planted the tiny kernel of mistrust, that thrilled at seeing him again. The fear threatening to choke me at the very sight of his coat faded as he approached. As I mentioned before, his very presence eased the emotions roiling around inside me and made me calm.

"Why are you back?" I asked, still trying to fight back. Still thinking I could fight back. He let out a raspy chuckle, clearly amused at my weak resistance.

"Did you think you could get rid of me?" Absolom asked. I shook my head slowly, dark brown hair falling into my face and for a moment obscuring it like his. For a moment my fear was free of it's bonds and for a moment I had the clarity to think I should run. Then his hand was on my chin, forcing me to look up. My hair fell away and I stared into the dark sliver between his hat and cost. A shadow I could never penetrate, though I half expected to see red eyes glaring at me.

Absolom was angry at my momentary freedom. I could feel it radiating off him. His anger was dark and thick, laying over me like a stifling blanket. It gave me the sensation that the universe was closing in on me and there was no escape. The moment he held my chin as he stared at me seemed like millennia. He released me and I stumbled backwards, gasping. Oddly my heartbeat was normal, even slow and no adrenaline pumped through my system.

"I will be back, Emmaline. You may not see it now, but I am your savior," Absolom whispered to me, his words sugary and sweet. I blinked and he was gone.

My heart began to pound and I collapsed to the ground, weakened and drained. Sweat soaked my forehead and slid down my back in sticky drops. My vision was fuzzy and my head ached. It seemed each encounter with him was draining me more and more. I managed to get to my feet and drag myself home, fear making me jump and twitch at every little noise.

Already these encounters were draining me. I had to fight to keep myself from doing everything Absolom wanted. I couldn't even understand why I would want to. He was a stranger to me, or he should've been. But I couldn't help but want to please him whenever he was around. I leaned against my door, gasping for breath and my energy. It was a moment before I managed to close my hand around the doorknob and stumble inside. The hallway was lit with a single lightbulb that guided me to the kitchen. Butter yellow walls eased the terror inside of me. Surely nothing bad would happen in my own house.

"Emma? Is that you?" my mother called out from the interior of the house. I opened my mouth to reply, but all I could manage was a raspy whisper. My throat was bone dry. I fumbled for a cup as I turned on the sink and waited for the water to turn cold. I filled the cup up to the very top and drained it, relishing the taste.

"Yeah, mom. I'm home," I called back, wiping my mouth. My mind wandered back to Absolom and fear squeezed my heart once more, making me gasp in pain. How was it that when he was actually around I was docile as a lamb, yet when he wasn't I found myself terrified at the very thought of him?

I listened with only half my mind as my mother talked about chores and homework and if I had any plans. I couldn't just sit back and wait for the next encounter. I had to be in control. I had to reserach this, see if there was anyone that could advise me on what to do. I knew, without a doubt, that I had to take Absolom down.