SHIVER

Chapter 11 - And So, It Begins

I have been sitting on the swing in the abandoned park for about an hour and a half before the rain begins to fall. I then decide to get a bus home, after a voice tells me to. I don't question it as I stand. I am exhausted and filthy. I smell like vomit and I have dried tear tracks on my face.

I clamber on the bus, still trying to dry my eyes. I try not to pay attention to the stares I am getting. I plonk myself down into a seat, leaning my head against the filthy window. I pinch the bridge of my nose trying to fight off a pounding headache. I have nothing to stop me from feeling travel sick, so I try not to think about it. I have already vomited today, and if I vomit again it will be sore as nothing has been left in my stomach. At the thought of an empty stomach, t growls at me, telling me I need to eat.

Unfortunatley the bus journey is long, and I try not to doze off. I know that I will end up waking up screaming and startling the other passengers. It is bound to happen, especially after the day I have had. To stop myself from falling asleep, I sit forward, my head touching the back of the chair in front of me. We hit a bump and I smack my head of the chair, causing me to groan in pain. i am having the worst day ever.

Eventually we pull up to the closest stop near my house, which just so happens to be half a mile away from it. I have to walk back to my house in the pouring rain with a pounding head and a sore stomach from lack of food. The rains chills me, and a droplet of water rolls down the back of my neck causing me to shiver violently.

I eventually enter my house and I stumble toward the kitchen, grabbing some bread and then continuing down the hall to my room. If Charlie, Sarah or Joe arrive, I shall pretend I'm not here.

I hear a voice, telling me to sleep, and I obey it, too tired to care anymore. I collapse onto my bed, after eating the bread. The source of the voice is unknown, but I pass out within five minutes not caring. I beg for a peaceful sleep, knowing that it is not likely.

I wake to the sound of banging on my door and yells. The voice is Sarah's, apologising about earlier. I get confused. Why is she here? Another voice tells me not to answer the yells and knocks, and that I should hide, so I crawl under the bed. I slow my breathing and try not to panic. If I panic I could end up hurting myself. I close my eyes, but another loud bang on my bedroom window startles me. I yelp and cuddle into a ball.

"Emily! EMILY! I know you are in there! Sweetheart I'm sorry! Come speak to me please!?" Sarah yells. She sounds like she is crying, so I crawl out to go and comfort her. I push the panic to the side as I edge my way to the door.

Before I open the door however, a screech in my head has me collapsing on the floor yelling in pain and holding my ears. It continues on, and I begin clawing at my ears and face trying to stop the noise. I scream as the pitch rises. I feel as if I will go deaf soon if I can't stop it.

"Emily!! Emily! Charlie, break down the door!" Sarah yells. I barely manage to hear her over the screeching of both whatever I can hear and myself. I continue to claw at my ears and face. I feel something wet and know instantly that it is blood but I can't stop.

The screeching stops, then a voice begins, telling me that I should have kept hiding and that because I didn't, I should kill myself. I beg with the voice saying that I was sorry. It repeats what it said and I begin to claw at myself again.

The door groans as Charlie kicks at it, then it cracks as they both burst through the door. They both find me on the floor sobbing to myself. Charlie rushes over grabbing at my hands to prevent me from clawing myself again. They both hover over me as I continue to tell an unknown voice that I was sorry, sorry, sorry.

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