The stories that killed their writer

Chapter 7: I failed

Lana's POV

The next day I woke up and noticed I was all alone in the bedroom, in bed. Immediately, I looked all around me, looking for Shax.

I didn't see it but I could feel it. It was near, it was really close. But where was it?

"Shax," I gulped, I couldn't believe I was doing this. "I know you're here," I sat up and looked around in the process. "Can we talk?" I gulped once more. "Just the two of us?"

I looked around the room, I saw nothing in front of me but I would see something in the corner of my eyes. But, when I looked at that spot, nothing was there. Shax was playing with me...

I sighed before getting up. I started getting dressed while keeping an eye out for Shax. When I was done, I heard a noise downstairs.

I gulped before slowly leaving the bedroom. I walked around the hallway slowly, I was tiptoeing to the stairs and stopped there. I looked down the stairs and saw a shadowy figure pass by. And it freaked me out.

I gulped before going back into my bedroom. I closed the door and locked it, as if that would help. I looked around, for my phone. Where was it? Where did I leave it?

I walked to my bedside table, looking around it and under it and inside of it for my phone. It was nowhere...

Then it occurred to me: where was Melody?

I looked at her side of the bed and I frowned. Did she have to work today? What day was it? I couldn't remember. I wish I had my phone, so I could look at it.

Then loud and heavy pushes were heard on the door.

I looked at the door and gulped. What was that? Was that Melody or Shax? But, if that was Melody, wouldn't she just say something? Or call out to me? This was Shax, it had to be. There's no one else who would be here at this time.

The pushes got rougher and louder. It was clear they wanted to enter badly, but why? What would happen if they entered?

"Mel?" I called out hesitantly. "Mel, is that you?"

I waited for a few moments but received no answer. The pushes, however, kept getting rougher. And suddenly, I feared for my life. I had seen a shadowy figure downstairs, it came upstairs and is trying desperately to get to me. And where is Melody? What if this shadowy figure hurt her? Or killed her?

I swallowed my sadness before looking around. I needed to get out of here. I needed to save myself.

I looked at the only possible exit: the window. I walked to it and opened it, I then stopped as I noticed this was the first floor of this house. It's too high, I thought.

Then, I heard the door swing open behind me and, without looking back, I jumped.

_____________________________

I slowly opened my eyes but saw nothing but bright white light. And I wondered, is this heaven? Did I die?

I immediately felt a burning pain in my chest when I breathe. But, if I feel pain, I can't be in heaven.

I blinked a few times and the bright light seemed to dim. I then noticed this wasn't home, this was the hospital.

"Lana," Melody, on my left side, got up and caressed my cheek. "Hey."

"Hey, Lana." I noticed Chelsea and Isaac on my right side.

"Is she going to be alright?" Melody asked a doctor, who was next to her.

"Besides 2 broken ribs and a sprained ankle, she's alright. She was very lucky." The doctor nodded.

Melody nodded too before the doctor left. She then looked at me. "Hey, can you hear us?"

I slowly nodded. "Yeah."

She let out a breath before sitting down again. She then looked at me. "What got into you?"

I gulped.

"How could you jump out of the window?" She let out a breath.

"Mel, I'm sorry."

She looked at me. "Lana, why didn't you tell me? Or them?" She motioned to Chelsea and Isaac.

I looked at Chelsea and Isaac, who also looked worried. I then looked at Melody. "Tell them what?" Suddenly I was worried they might know about Shax and Wednesday and all of them.

Melody sighed. "Lana, come on, do we really have to spell it out for you?"

I looked from her to Chelsea and Isaac. "What's going on?"

"We would like to know too, Lana." Isaac said to which Chelsea nodded in agreement.

"Lana," Melody sighed. "Why didn't you tell us?"

I gulped.

"We could've helped you, we could've listened to you, we could've found someone for you to talk to." Melody said.

I frowned. "W-what do you mean?"

"Why did you try to commit suicide?" Melody asked.

"Suicide?" I blinked a few times.

"Lana, we would've understood if you needed some time for yourself." Chelsea said to which Isaac nodded.

"I rescheduled the book signings." Isaac showed me a small smile.

"I've arranged for you to talk to a therapist, we go there on Friday." Melody said.

"But - "

"Don't worry, Lana," Melody took my hand in hers. "We'll get through this together. But you have to keep talking to us, ok?"

Chelsea nodded. "We can't help you if you don't talk to us."

"And you know," Isaac continued. "We're always here for you."

I let my head rest on the bed, I closed my eyes as I was trying to escape all of their worries and overflowing 'support'.

As I had closed my eyes, I did continue to hear them talk. They clearly assumed I was asleep as they talked about me in the third person.

"I should've seen this coming, I should've seen the signs." Melody sighed.

"Melody," Chelsea said. "You couldn't have known. None of us saw a thing."

"What's important now is that we all support her, we need her to feel safe. She needs to feel supported and loved." Isaac said.

"I failed." Melody said quietly.

"You didn't fail." Chelsea said.

"I did," Melody sighed. "She's my wife, I should've seen the signs. This is all my fault."

"She's fine now, and we'll keep it that way," Isaac said. "Together."

"Together." Chelsea repeated.

Melody sighed. "Together."