Followed

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

I run straight to my brother's bedroom and bang hard on the door.

"Tyler wake up, we need to leave."

Across the hall my parents are asleep-completely unaware of everything. A rustling noise comes from behind the door.

"Rielly! What the hell! It's summer. Leave me alone." My brother says in a groggy voice.

I clench my jaw and plow into his room. Tyler lays sprawled across his bed, draped in a blanket. The disgusting smell hits me as soon as I open the door. BO, rotten eggs and old cheese is clearly identifiable. Breathing strictly through my mouth, I swiftly hop over the piles of dirty clothes on the floor. Tyler is a pig and he refuses to change. The rest of my family and I try to stay away from his room at all times. My father gags every time he just passes by. No matter how hard we try, the smell just won't disappear from his room. We cover the house with air fresheners so the stench doesn't spread. It's been working so far.

"I said we need to leave. Now get up or you'll be left behind!" I say shaking my brother's motionless body. He whips his arm out, punching me in the leg. It's clear he doesn't want to wake up. "Damn Tyler! Was that really necessary?" I exclaim, leaning against a wall. Ignoring me, he sits up and rubs his eyes. "What do you mean leave?" He says.

"The people that nearly killed me in the forest are following us." I say.

"You mean there's more than one?"

"Yes. There's two of them. And they want us dead."

My brother swallows and looks at me with worried eyes. I continue "Tyler I need you to listen to me. I forgot to tell Mom and Dad and few details." I hurry back to the den and grab the note that was taped to my watch. Being able to breath through my nose again, even for a few seconds, is relieving. As I walk back to my brother's room, a large curtain-less window catches my attention. It faces the street across from my house. A black truck is parked near my driveway. My heart begins to beat faster. I close my eyes and try to remember what I was doing before spotting the truck.

"Rielly" a voice says suddenly. My eyes jet open. That voice. The sound that haunts my thoughts. It's him. The man that was in the forest. The creep that was on my phone minutes before. The man that is trying to kill me.

"We're coming for you. Every passing minute brings you closer to death. Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Rielly, it's too late. We're here. There's nothing you can do."

I look around and no one is in sight. These words just keep replaying themselves over and over again in my head. I don't know what to do. It just won't stop. He's gonna kill us! They. Who. I don't know! My head is throbbing and he just won't stop talking. But he's not talking. It's all in my head!

I close my eyes and cover my ears. Tears stream down my face.

Why won't this stop!

I open my eyes and look through the window. My vision is slightly blurred from the tears. I can just make out the black truck as it begins to slowly drive off.

My heartbeat slows and the voice fades away. I sit down on the hard wooden floor beneath the window, and close my eyes to think.

Rielly get a hold of yourself. It was just a truck making a pitstop. Don't let paranoia take over. You're better than that!

Suddenly, a hand taps me on the shoulder. I open my eyes immediately to see the concerned face of my brother. "Are you okay?" He asks me.

I take a deep, relieved breath and stand up. Tyler is now just below eye level. With the note in hand, I throw my arms around him in an embrace. He might think I'm crazy, but once I tell him about the phone call and about the details I forgot to mention he will understand. Every moment is one to be grateful for, because it may very well be the last.