Worlds Away

chapter two

I don't pause to ask how or why she's here in my bedroom. I'm still screaming by the time my brother bursts into the room, followed by my parents, all with a panicked expression. They look around quickly and then back at me, their panicked expression now replaced with annoyance.

"Alyssa please explain to me why you're screaming your lungs out at this time of the night?" My father asks, his patience visibly thinning out by the second. My father is a quiet man who hates unnecessary noise, so his anger is quite understandable.

Breathing hard, I point a shaky finger to the little girl still standing in the same spot, with the same calm expression on her face, now with an added look of amusement. At this point I'm more confused rather than scared anymore. Why would she follow me all the way home and wait till I'm about to sleep, to show up in my room and talk to me? And why, for the love of God, is she so calm and confidently standing here?

My mind races with possible reasons. Perhaps she's lost, or not okay, or just creepily obsessed with me. I look on as she gives a little wave to my family, still standing there bewildered.

"You see what I'm talking about?!" I exclaim, knowing now for sure my family sees what I see and that I'm not pointlessly screaming here alone. My parents and brother exchange looks between the little girl and I, a perplexed look still on their faces. I don't understand why they haven't reacted to her yet, do they find it normal to have a random girl in your room in the middle of the night?

"You think this is funny?" My father asks angrily, now focusing on me.

"No, I do not find her funny. I'm freaked out!" I reply with emotions of annoyance, anger and frustration flooding through me.

"And who is this her you speak of? Your new imaginary best friend?" My brother asks sarcastically, glancing again at the spot where the girl stands, and back at me.

Before I can react, the girl lets out a little chuckle and I turn to face her, annoyed. "You know, you're only looking crazier by the second. They can't see me, only you can."

"What nonsense." I snap back at her and see my family exchange confused and worried looks, which is when I start to realise that she may be speaking the truth. I take a deep breath and analyse my family's faces, trying to look for any hint of them playing a joke on me, but there's none of that. As weird as this is, they really cannot see her.

"Oh I'm sorry, I must have had a bad dream, probably got confused..." I trail off, pretending to be sleepy and confused, "I need sleep." And with that, I slink right back under the covers before they can say anything else. I wait until they're done grumbling and leave the room and get back up again, throwing the covers off me, standing up stiffly to face her.

"Who the hell are you?" I ask straight out and I see her mockingly flinch.

"I'm a little girl, you should really watch your language around me Alyssa."

I'm flabbergasted and simply stare back this time, not knowing what to say, or how else to react to this strange situation.

"I'm afraid we haven't properly met, my name is Alice." She says with a friendly smile.

"Alright Alice, what do you want from me?" I ask warily.

"I just want to talk to you." She replies sweetly, raising my suspicion even more.

"Why? We don't know each other."

"But I know you. That doesn't matter right now though, all I want is some of your time, and I'll be gone before you know it." I continue to strangely stare at her and she continues, "Don't worry, I'm not one of those girls from the horror movies. I'm not wearing a white frilly dress, I won't kill you." She ends with a little laugh.