A Veneer

Chapter 13: Welcome to the Lair

The night I went back to my dorm, I felt relieved. No Hadley, no Aiden. No battles with foam pool noodles. I felt at ease. At home. When I collapsed on my bed I felt something hard under my pillow slam against my head. I lifted the pillow and identified a dark gray smooth rock, about the size of my palm. Why would there be a rock under my pillow? While examining the rock the bathroom door opened to reveal my roommate,Raea.

“What’s up?” she asked.

“Did you put this rock under my pillow?” I asked back.

She looked at me puzzled then answered slowly, “No. I didn’t why would someone put a rock under your pillow?”

“That’s what I was asking. We’re on the third floor it not like someone just reached in the window and did it for kicks. Someone meant to do this.”

Raea shrugged, “I wouldn’t worry about it too much.”

“How did someone even get in the room?”

“Lock pickers,” she began to towel dry her hair.

I lay my head down again after setting the rock on my nightstand. As I started to doze off Raea’s voice brought me back to consciousness, “Oh! You got this note last night. I was out and when I came back this was here, stuck to the door.”

I sat up, giving up on sleep. I reached to the foot of my bed where Raea dropped the letter. Slowly I tore it from its package and unfolded it.

I GAVE YOU A CHANCE. YOU WERE TO STAY AWAY. YOU’RE MAKING ME DO THIS. WATCH YOUR BACK.

Hadley, this had to be Hadley. It came last night. After Aiden had put his arm around me, after Hadley came over. I began to shake and shake hard I couldn’t breathe. Raea watched me waiting for me to calm down. When I didn’t she removed herself from her bed and relocated to mine. She began rubbing my back, “What is it? What’s wrong?” She asked and I pointed to the letter. After she finished reading it my phone began to ring. She answered.

“Hello, Caelyn can’t talk right now... she’s having some kind of panic attack.... no, no i’ll tell her to call you back... yes i’m sure there is no reason to come over... yes I’ll tell her Aiden called..okay, bye.”

I still couldn’t breathe normally. Raea wrapped her arms around me. “I sure it’s just some stupid prank.”

I nodded, just some stupid prank. “Try and sleep” she suggested when I began to calm down.  I laid back on my pillow. I wanted my mother. But she was probably in the Florida keys with her new boyfriend. I sighed and let myself drift into a dream that I would never remember.