A/N: This is something I wrote a year ago, and I'm not really sure what I think of it. I'm trying to pull something together for another contest. Thoughts? Critique? Love it? Hate it? Any kind of constructive criticism would be nice.
Keep in mind this is only an unedited version.
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“Sometimes I get a feeling, one of those annoying itches that trail up your spine and tickle the hairs on the back of your neck. It’s almost as if it’s trying to warn you, of what, you can never be sure. If you listen closely enough though, it could eventually save you, but sometimes it can be the end of you.” I bite my lip at the end of my statement staring into the dull emotionless eyes that watch me now.
“When did this itch start?” The pudgy woman in a size-too-small black suit asks me. Her name plate says “Ms. Shumling”. I digest her question, tilting back in my chair and crossing my ankles, tapping my finger against my right ear.
“I’ve always had it, but if you’re looking for when I started listening to it, that’d be,” I rub my temples trying to think, “About a month ago.”
“I see, and when you ‘listen’ to it what did it tell you to do?” Ms. Shumling asked me as I moved my gaze to the little recorder on the table next to her. I could feel my wall start to crumble as I tried to remember how his body had ended up so crippled in my hands, how the blood had ended up all over my new dress.
“It told me,” I swallowed, blinking away tears, seeing those eyes gaze death back up at me, horror bubbling in my stomach and threatening to show my breakfast.
“Yes?” She urged, leaning forward, “What did it tell you?” I focused on the button that had slipped out of place on her blouse, my tongue feeling numb as I formed the words we were all waiting for.
“It told me… that if I do what it says, I will never be hurt again.” I could almost feel the breath trickle down my neck as it’s voice whispered in my ear as it had so many times before.
“And one of those things was killing Chase?” She pressed on, but I didn’t say anything, I couldn’t. The voice in my ear was calling to me again, making the back of my neck tingle. “Ms. Calder, please answer me, was one of those things killing Chase Saunders?”
How dare they think that I killed him, I didn’t do it, I wouldn’t do it. “No.” I said quietly.
She frowned, “I can’t hear you, what was that?”
“I said, no. I didn’t kill him, why the hell would I do that? No, I wouldn’t do that!” I stood up from my chair and leaned over her, wishing her dead for even suggesting that, no one would believe me, but I wasn’t lying. “I didn’t do it! Why are you blaming this on me, it was him who did it, I want him gone he promised me that I wouldn’t hurt anymore, but he lied to me! I didn’t kill him, why won’t you believe me!?” I could see a small spark of emotion in her flat eyes as I yelled down to her, was that fear or acknowledgment? She thought I was crazy, and that only made me angrier. I continued to yell as a couple of men came in, grabbing my arms and forcing me back down onto the cold metal chair. “I didn’t do it,” I said, quiet once more. “I didn’t do it… why can’t you see that…” I could feel a tear slide down my cheek, and Ms. Shumling watched me for another second before standing up.
