Midnight

Bella - 1

11:59PM

It's there again. That feeling you get when someone's staring at the back of your neck. Except it's more than just a feeling, and it's the middle of the night. And, I'm alone in my room. I should be alone in my room. Five months have gone past since moving to Forks to be with my dad, and I'd barely gotten a decent night's sleep.

Outside it was dark, wet, cold. My bedroom was heated, but I still had to wear socks and long sleeves to cut back on the chill. Two blankets and a comforter helped, though I felt pinned down. I pulled the comforter over my head and closed my eyes tighter, still feeling exposed and naked despite the many, many layers.

My own heartbeat rushed thickly in my ears, and my breathing was shallow and feathered against the covers. Sweat lined my hairline from the barricaded heat, none of it helped me feel safer. Or, safe at all I should say. Acting braver than I felt, I pulled the covers down just enough to peek one eye out. Nothing was in my room that I could see, but that did nothing to calm my rabbit heart. Everything was perfectly still in that way that felt unnatural. Then, suddenly, there was a flicker in the edge of my vision.

I looked to the other corner of my room where two bookshelves met next to my window. There was a small space between them that was too dark to see clearly. But I knew, there, right there, someone was watching. They'd been there before, enough times that I'd long stopped telling myself it was my imagination. My bottom lip trembled, all I wanted to do was look somewhere else, but felt ensnared by that invisible stare.

Instead I clamped my eyes shut again and whispered every prayer I could remember. Not that I'd ever been religious, but at the moment I couldn't think of anything else to do. In and out, breathe in and out. Heart tremble, fingers shake, whimper tap against the back of my teeth; all of these things were happening at once and unrelenting.

I wanted to go downstairs. I wanted to go home, my real home where the sky was too big and the air was just dry and hot enough. More than anything I wanted my mom. And to figure out teleportation in the next three seconds.

Go away. Go away. Go away! My eyes opened and my heart choked in my throat. There was a glint of moonlight shining through the leaves of the tree outside of my window. That light caught against two shining orbs in that crevice between my bookshelves. Then they were gone. I bolted upright in my bed and scrambled back against the headboard with little more than a nightstand lamp to defend myself with. Whatever had been there hadn't gone anywhere, it was just smart enough to close its eyes.

There was maybe one second to act, but I'd have to look away to get the light on, find my phone, and if none of that worked then maybe scream. If there was time. I pumped myself up and looked to the side, half lunging towards the nightstand and hitting my head against the edge as my hand slammed around for the switch. Light flooded my room, warm, amber, safe. When I looked back at the space there was nothing there.

A quick survey of my room told me I was finally, truly, thankfully, alone. But that was for tonight. What would happen tomorrow night? What would happen if I tucked back in and tried to sleep? My phone was pulled into my chest and I kept it hugged there like a talisman. By the time birds were chirping outside and sunlight had replaced moonlight, I hadn't even realized I'd fallen asleep.

I quickly jutted my hand out, pointing my phone like a dagger, watching as it shook from side to side. My room was still empty, but my neck and back were killing me from sitting up all night. Where I'd hit my head on the nightstand stung and throbbed, and I winced sharply from the pain. There'd definitely be a knot. Also, my mouth felt like sandpaper. For better or worse it was time to go to school, but just the idea of creaking myself out of bed made me want to cry.

Whatever was stalking me every night needed to stop toying with me before I lost my mind. Charlie was awkward, but he wasn't dumb, and had already noticed the circles under my eyes. Well, the darker than usual circles at least. It didn't matter, I told myself. The alternative to school was staying at home, and the last thing I wanted to do was stay here a second longer than I needed to. So far the nightly visits hadn't extended past my room, but the whole house started to fill me with dread.

So, I did the only thing I knew how to. The only thing I'd managed for the past five months. I went on autopilot.