D U S K ✔

Chapter Four

  "Fuck."

I jolt awake, an explosion of sound woke me, with the sound of a curse word muttered afterwards. My head flinched as I scrambled to reach the window. I pulled a strand of hair out of my mouth as I realised I had fallen asleep, still writing my essay.

Another crash was heard and I rushed towards the window, trying to see what was going on. 

The room was veiled in darkness, usually, if I wasn't clouded in sleep, I would've been able t make it to the window without falling over. And for a moment, I almost thought I had made it. 

But I failed miserably.

In my rush to get to the window, I collided with the lamp I stupidly had balancing on the side of my bedside table. Not only slipping off in the process, but somehow managing to burn the edge of my thigh on the light bulb. 

It fell in slow-motion. I was sure. Crashing onto the wooden bed post, something definitely smashed, or cracked. In this mess of it all, I managed to get the wire wrapped around my foot. 

I watched horrified as the light began to flash like a strobe. On and off. I could've been signalling for a helicopter with the brightness of it. 

And the curtains were open. I was signalling to everyone within a ten-mile radius that I was awake. Or having a really good party.

Screaming internally, I flinched away from the window. My eyes wide and my arms flailing about as I frantically tried to find the plug socket. It would've looked a lot cooler if I wasn't half blind and being shocked with light every millisecond. 

In a blinded panic, I crumpled to my knees patting up against the wall in hopes to find the socket.

Is this what cardiac arrest felt like? I gasped for air, as the strobe attacked my eyes but in seconds I had found the plug.

Without hesitation, I yanked it from the socket. Dread clenching my stomach, as I crawled back to the window, my eyes shut tightly with horror. Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God. I pressed my back to the ledge. I couldn't look. 

Yet curiosity and plain stupidity got the better of me, and I found myself peeking over the window-sill and over to the abandoned house next door. 

  I dropped to the floor.

The figure had been standing on the porch of the house, leaning over the balustrade with one hand on a white wooden column. He was easy to spot, he was staring directly into my window. 

Oh God. 

I contemplated hitting my head against the wall, so many times that I would have to be hospitalised. Anything was better than the creeping embarrassment pumping through my form.

  Maybe I wouldn't have to go into school tomorrow. 

  It had definitely been him. I knew that for sure in the moment, I was able to recognise his face as soon as our eyes made contact.

  Our eyes made contact.

  Oh God.

  His head was tilted up in the direction of my room, obviously noticing the stupid, flashing mistake that had completely murdered my cover.