What If I told You?

Tik Tok Went The Clock...Where Did you Go? (Ch.2)

My eyes pop open, sweat on my forehead, nightmare still fresh in my head. I look at my clock. 2:00 am. Really? When this kind of thing happens, I need food and water. In other words...kitchen break. I normally sleep with a pair of comfy shorts and an oversized shirt. I put some socks on even if we are in summer. Yes I go to school in summer. Anyway, I get out of bed and walk blindly downstairs. For some reason I go down even more than usual. I walk straight forward and open a door. I feel cold air on my face. I go in, mom probably turned the air conditioning on by accident. I touch the walls trying to find the fridge, but instead I feel something cold like ice. I touch the wall even more determined to find the fridge. I'm hungry for god's sake! I touch a small hole in the wall and that's when I hear something move. The floor does a 180 and I find myself blinded by lights. I try to run but I am stuck, Can't run or move. I turn around and try to leave. Hopefully I happen to find a big red button with the engraving ''OUT'' carved on it. I press the button with no hesitation and find myself in the cold, freezing, ice cube room. I run out and up the stairs and head straight back to bed.

This morning my alarm did not bother me. I was still shocked by my discovery. I do as usual and get ready; head downstairs ready to leave at 7:30am.

-Someone can't wait to go to school. Mom had a scared look or maybe worried.

-I love school... or something like that.

-What's wrong donut face?

-I love you too, Bye-Bye!

I sprint out and decide to walk to school today for the sake of calming down. This time the dead houses of my neiberhood give me the creep more than usual. I'm feeling watched by everything. Even by the trees. I decide to walk faster to escape the darkness of this neiberhood. I start slowing down when I have the school in sight.

-BOO!

-PLEASE DON'T KILL ME I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE! I exclaimed feeling my heart racing at the speed of a race car.

-Chill out, It's me, the locker guy, Brandon? Remember? His eyes distracting me once more.

-Dude back off, you gave me a freaking heart attack.

-Someone is stressed out... what's wrong. His black hair put up in the air complimenting his skater bad boy style.

-Do I look troubled or mental or what? I. Am. Fine. Ok?

-Girl, you need help.

He walks past me and opens the door for me and I decide to avoid having a chat with him in the lockers for my very good sake of not having to socialize. I take a right turn to the bathroom and I can already smell the sour smell of soap. As I walk in I feel a breeze coming at me just like the one I felt in the basement. Must be a window. In fact there is a tiny cubic window... which is locked and closed. I head to the mirrors and take deep breaths. The air gets heavy and the mirror starts freezing. I feel my lungs closing in the air, strangling me. I struggle to the door. I let myself drift away into my thoughts. What if this was it. We all have an end, one day or the other.

That's when I feel someone grasping me and dragging me out of the washroom. Luckily my lungs start functioning again, but my eyes... if only what I could see was fake. A man. He's wearing a grin on half his face, bright red eyes, dark skin. I blink and get back to reality. I lift my head and circle of teens are blocking me. Like sharks around their prey. I help myself up, head down and walk away. Just as I thought my nightmare was over I feel a hand, cold, on my shoulder. I turn around and see my mom. I tilt my head and next to her is standing a handsome man. Dad. I let a gasp out of my mouth and collapse, the weight of my body crumbling like a tower on the floor.

***

-How is she?

-Who authorized you to be here?

-I'm... euh... her brother... long lost brother.

-Name?

-Brandon... Cales something...

-You don't know your own family name?

-Fine. I'm her boyfriend.

-Just go see her I'm sick of having you bug me around.

-Thanks Miss... Nurse lady something, I'll be out soon.

Shit. Brandon. Maybe I don't want to see him but he's my best chance to know what happened. I keep my eyes closed with a tiny piece of me hoping he won't notice that I'm actually awake. I turn to the side and think of the previous events. What terrified me was not seeing my dad... but more my mom. I always new dad was still protecting us. After his "accident" I would feel chills on my hands and cold spots a bit everywhere in the house. When I said my mom wanted to move for a fresh start, I deep down knew it was for something else. Without forgetting the salt, which makes sense now. She knew he was still here... and they never actually found dad's murderer. Once again my thoughts are interrupted by this jock of the year, Brandon.

-Hey.. Are you ok?

-...

-I know you're awake Vanessa.

-I'd be better alone, thank you for asking. I finally decide to turn and face him.

-What happened back there?

-I blacked out.. I look him in the eyes and feel this shiver as the blue fades away to a brownish orange.

-Before, someone had to drag you out of the bathrooms.

-I.. Then the red-eyed man flashes into my memories, what if he tried to kill me.

-I don't bite.

-You know exactly what happened.

-What?

-Your eyes. I saw one of yours or whatever you are. They wanted me, you wanted me, why?

-Sorry?

-WHY?


-I'll talk to you soon. I see his eyes shifting back to the same blue they were when we met.

Five minutes later the nurse releases me from school and lets me go back home. I decide to go through a forest. Smaller, I would think that trees wanted to kill me and whenever the wind hit their branches I would hide behind my dad. He would take me home and tell me it was only the wind. My mom would look at him with a fierce look, I would imagine fire spitting out here eyes. She never loved my dad, but she did love his money. She got married with him, or should I say with his money. When he died she asked the lawyer to give her all the money, as I was only 15 and too "young" to handle such money. At that time I didn't care, I became a drop out. I would ditch classes, run away from my house. I never wanted to believe that my dad had been murdered. I would go to sleep saying that one-day it would be all over.

As soon as I get home I look out the window. Mom is still alive and healthy. I head in and get into my room. The only thing I can relate those entire things to is the basement's hideout. I never got a good view of it so I can't know what it is or was. I decide to go tonight for the sake of not having my mom running around the house peeking at my discovery.

I get ready to go to bed and wait for the good moment. 1:00am. This is it.