Whisper

Chapter 3, Lost Ties

I stand alone in a dark room, my hair whirls around me as I franticly turn around to find the sound that has alerted me. Seeing a faint outline on the window, I slowly walk towards it. My footsteps echoing throughout the dwelling, I approach the silhouette. A crackle of light stretches across the night sky, illuminating the figure that stands before me, I gasp in horror as I view the being. Staring at me from a few feet is an old woman dressed in a white straight jacket, which is now torn, setting her arm free, clutching a knife in her left hand she stumbles towards me. I scramble towards the door, and frantically twist the handle as she makes her way towards me. It doesn't budge. I steal a quick glance behind me I see that the woman is now looming over me. Now realizing that there is no hope for my escape, I turn around and face my attacker. The old woman lets out a terrifying screech as she thrusts the knife towards me.
I awake from my dream screaming, instantly back in my room I sit up and take in my surroundings. No old woman. Sighing in relief, I brush the caramel colored hair out of my face with the tips of my fingers. Replaying the events in my dream in my head, I get out of bed and walk over to the bathroom. As I look up from splashing water in my face, in an attempt to come back to reality, I am greeted with the sight of the old woman, standing behind me in the mirror.
As I whirl around to face her, I am only greeted by her absence. Relieved, and worried, I do yet another scan of my room to see the old woman's presence. Nothing. Looking towards the door I see my mother standing in the stairwell. Her face echoing the same worried gaze that I had been seeing a lot of lately. Responding to her silent question, I say,"It was just a bad dream." She attempts to comfort me with a smile, but I can see the true worry hidden in her eyes.
"Okay, let me know if you need anything." She adds, before turning around and heading back downstairs. Wandering over to my bed I pick through the covers and clasp the diary into my hands, holding it close to me. Last night I read through the book, and I must have drifted off into sleep before I could finish it. Opening the cover I page through, until I find the entry that I ended on. Unfortunately I couldn't seem to find it, I remember reading all until the last entry, which seems to be a little foggy in my memory. Deciding that it is in my best interest to re-read the last passage I take the book in both hands and begin to read it over again.

August 9, 1807
It seems to be that I am being followed, everywhere I look there seems to be someone there. She haunts me everywhere I go. I can't eat or sleep without her in my head. I ask others around me if they see her, but they tell me I'm crazy. No one seems to have figured out that she is the one who is causing all of this. I fear that the mere mention of her name would cause a major catastrophe. For if she may lay death upon us by a flick of her finger, then we must fear her. Only a fool wouldn't fear her, unfortunately the majority of Pines is made up of such fools. Most adults of the age that I am are open to the reality of the truth. Now, all the townsfolk live in fear of being the next victim. My brother believes me to be crazy to believe such superstitions, he says that the old woman that I've been seeing is a figment of my imagination. Can you believe that, my imagination, what idiocy. I've got to go, someone is at the door. I will write again tomorrow.

And just like that, it ends. I poke through the rest of the book looking for some indication that she had even seen the book after that. Even finding a small piece of paper tucked behind the last page would lessen the aching that I feel inside me. Now looking up to the window I see the faint outline of the morning sky, seeing as it is I have school today, I waddle around my room picking up scraps of paper, and stuffing them into my wire bin that I have for just that purpose. I open the cupboard that I have hidden behind the staircase, I take a clothing hanger out and slip off the top clinging to it. Opening the drawer that resides beneath I pull out a pair of shorts, and toss them both on my bed.
According to the report that I found online, that day was the last time she was ever seen. It's horrible to think that someone could have so much ahead of them, then have it stolen from them, just like that. Sarah didn't even know that she would not even clutch her diary, ever again. It would be similar to my going off to school, and disappearing between english and history.
As I look towards my wall I am reminded of the time limit of finding Maggie alive. Taking my coat in hand, I race out the door taking with me my tan book bag and an umbrella. Feeling spurts of water hit my face, I push the black button on my umbrella, causing it to spring into a rain protectant shield. I hoist the umbrella above my head, and begin walking down the sidewalk. When I see the bus speed past me I look to my shoes and conceal the bag in my coat. By doing this I give off the impression that I have a larger stomach than I actually do, but I don't care. Seeing that the driver didn't stop to let me on, I know that my plan worked. Feeling a flutter of nervousness in my stomach, I press onwards, greatening my speed as I go.
Pulling a roll of parchment from my bag, I compare the photo that I'd gotten online to the stone building that I stand in front of. Walking towards the boarded up entrance, I wedge my flashlight in between two boards causing one to release its grip on the opening, enabling me to pull of a few more, and sneak inside.
Flicking on my flashlight, I aim it towards the columns standing before me. The cream colored beam of light illuminates the rows of books resting atop dust covered shelves.
Unloading yet another sheet of paper from my bag, I glance at the bottom of the page, reading that what I'm looking for should be located in the shelf inscripted with the letter c. Now walking along the far edge of the building, I angle my flashlight along the tops of the shelves, I stop at one close to the wall. Entering the space between the two shelves I search the shelves for a bit before spotting a title that catches my eye, I remove it from the shelf and quickly stuff it into the bag that I hold in my hand. As I continue my search for the book on the other side, I crouch down on the ground to get a better view of the books near the floor. I find what I am looking for on the shelf second from the bottom.
Holding the tan book in my hands it seems almost unethical that it is still here, after all of these years. Not wanting to push my luck I get up from my crouching position, and walk towards the door. As I pass what is left of the front desk, my eye catches a glimpse of the picture hanging on the wall behind it. I stop walking as I realize that the woman in that picture looks vaguely familiar. I begin running through my thoughts trying to remember where I've seen her before, then in a crackle of thunder I am thrown back into the past.
I watch, stiffened in realization, as I see the silhouette of the old woman outlined on the street, in the window, at the police station. She has been here all along. The dream that I had last night was not the first time that I'd seen her. Back in reality, I stand in front of the desk, frozen in fear that the same old woman that I see now is the same person as the woman Sarah saw. I make my way towards the door, knowing that if I stay any longer it will only bring consequences.
Now back on the sidewalk, I make my way to the outskirts of town to check out a property westwards, about a mile out of town. As I walk in the rain, I begin to ponder the odds of the existence of the place that I'm searching for, and also wonder if it might be better to explore the lead on a less gloomy day, and just head home. Remembering that I skipped school for the purpose of exploring my leads, I continue along the cracked old road. Looking ahead, I can now make out a faint outline of a structure in the distance. Drenched from walking in this downpour, I hastily make my way towards the building that I see in the distance.
Approaching the wooden structure, I see that the area is overgrown with raspberry bushes and thistles. Finding a weak spot in the undergrowth I make my way to the rotted wooden fence that outlines the entrance to the building. Placing my hand upon the top plank, I hurl my body up the stone foundation, exposed by the eroded earth. Swinging over the top of the fence, I make my way towards the gaping hole in the panels. As I walk into the building, I rub the pale scratches that cover my legs. I look around seeking for an answer to my questions. To my left, I see an elongated contraption hanging on the wall, beckoning me to come towards it. I turn around as I hear footsteps behind me. Seeing no one, I return to investigate the strange mechanism. Turning my attention back to the contraption, frightened, I jump backwards, causing me to spin into darkness.