Cursed To Hold My Breath

Lost

"I understand completely, officer." Mom said to the uniformed man who escorted me home. I was silent as I felt her iron grip on my shoulder.

Going through the interrogation from them was unbearable, and they finally let me go seeing I was too much in shock from the event, assuming they had all the information they needed.

"Right, good night, Mrs. Johnson, be safe." The officer nodded at both of us as he retreated to his vehicle and drove off.

After nearly getting all the air squeezed out of me from a thankful Lillie - minding Levi having to pry her off of me – I had spoken to Alex a little more before he finally let me go, believing I was calm and safe enough. I was grateful that he worried about me, though what I was dealing with was nothing he could help me with. I slightly frowned, knowing I was really on my own with this.

Mom pulled me inside the unfamiliar place of my home, I just knew something felt off. She sighed dramatically, looking at me with weary eyes. "Go up to your room, you need to rest."

I gaped at her. "What? You're not like screaming at me for almost dying? Coming home late with an officer with me?"

Her shoulders sagged, and she lowered her eyes. "Emmalyn, sweetie." She kept her tone even. "There's just...issues I have to deal with here, and I'm quite exhausted." Mom looked back at me with a pleading look in her eye. "Please, just go to your room. If you want, I'll yell at you once I get my energy back, but for now, you need some rest."

My mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. Something had definitely happened to my mom. Her skin was flushed, eyes wide and alert, though also showing a major amount of dreariness. Her hair was a disheveled mess, and she wore an old wrinkly sweater with long pants and slippers. Knowing her, she'd dress at least more decent than that, even in her own home.

I nodded silently, slowly stepping backwards, still watching her, before I turned and ran upstairs to my room. I entered my dark room, shutting the door quietly behind me, and leaned against it as I sank to the floor, letting the darkness envelop me. 

I woke barely a few hours later, at the crack of dawn. My eyes felt puffy and sore, probably from crying last night or even in my sleep. Not only that, but my body felt sore as well.

I dragged myself across my bedroom floor and pulled myself onto my bed. I groaned, my sore muscles screaming in pain, as I slowly sank into the covers. Sleep wouldn't come.

I lay in bed for a few more hours, watching the morning sun slowly rising up and it's rays filling up my once dark room. I haven't heard from Haley since the incident, and I think it'd be best if she didn't talk to me ever again. I didn't know what she remembered, but she might know enough to think I was demented, and I tried to drown her.

Tears came to the corners of my eyes, and I blinked them back as I rolled onto my side, facing the wall. I still had that feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach, and it only intensified when I came home, and I couldn't shake the sort of knowing that something was off.

I couldn't even bring myself to scope out the house, if there was a secret killer, I'd wait until they barged into my room and slit my throat. But no, it felt like it was something else, I could feel a strange tension in the house, like tremors were being sent through the walls itself.

It wasn't long before my digital clock was now ticking away into the afternoon, and yet still no word from anyone. I didn't think I could even utter a word, my throat felt tight and my tongue was like rough sandpaper against the top of my mouth. I licked my dry, chapped lips, slowly sitting up in bed.

Glancing out my window, I saw that some dark clouds had developed over the horizon, but I paid no mind. Then my eyes traveled down to the street, where a group of young females looked at me with their burning gaze. A tall one with completely black eyes pointed at me as her mouth yawned open, the rest started doing the same.