"Me and Ashley came straight over when we heard from your parents that you were here," Julie said to me with that beautiful smile.
"But you guys were with me, I swear my last memory is seeing Ashley ripped away into eternal darkness." I was completely blown away by what she was saying to me. "Your eyes were bleeding and the next time I seen them they were so red they were glowing and you were speaking in tongues."
Their smiles began fading when they realized I was thoroughly convinced that they were with me at the metal building in the middle of nowhere. They told me that a passerby seen the building in flames and called 911. When they pulled me out, they said I should have been dead from smoke inhalation. Doctors tell me I will make a full recovery, the lacerations I had were superficial, said they came from the building falling apart. They told me there wasn't a car, that my friends weren't with me, and they are perplexed as to why I was out there. 20 stitches and some bags of fluid coursing through me was a small price to pay, or so they tell me. My parents tell me that I didn't tell them I was leaving, that they didn't even know I was gone until they got a call from the hospital. Ashley's car is in the parking lot, and neither girl says we were together last night. I'm so confused.
My head is spinning, I don't understand any of it, what does it all mean? How do I continue from here?
"They are discharging you in a couple hours, do you want me and Julie to take you home or are you gonna leave with your parents," Ashley asked me, still sporting the same sloppy bun I remember at the gas station last night.
"I will let you guys take me home, I wanna stop by the gas station and see if they remember me from last night." I winced, I was still in pain from the stitches, the pain killers were doing nothing for me.
A nurse came in to tell me that my discharge papers were waiting at the front desk and that she would bring a wheelchair when I changed and was ready. My mother brought me some fresh clothes and I hobbled into the bathroom to change. As i pulled on my shirt I thought about my cell phone. Where was it? Did I have it with me last night, I close my eyes to try to remember and all of a sudden all I can see are those glowing red eyes, whether from the mystery beast or from DemonJulie I couldn't tell. I could smell that putrid, disgusting smell, then the smoke and oddly enough the enchanting smell of Julie's hair. I opened my eyes and kept wondering how I could make such a memory if it didn't happen, how could I remember the smell of her hair if she wasn't with me? Did I somehow make it all up? Was I losing my mind?
Julie wheeled me to the front desk so I could fill out my discharge, then she wheeled me to Ashley's car, which was waiting for us right out front. Ashley's blond hair in that sloppy bun was all I could see, she was clearing off the front seat. She looked up and seen us coming, so she jumped out and ran around the car to open the door.
"Julie you know you ride up front, I'll be fine in back," I said as Julie stopped me at the passenger seat.
"Nope, not this time, you just went through a nightmare, you get to ride up front." Julie insisted.
We left the hospital parking lot as the sun was setting, the sky was beautiful, reds and purples with dots of clouds on the horizon, I remember thinking that I was lucky to get to see another sunset. We arrived at the store from last night as the last rays of sunlight dwindled into the night. I stepped out, thinking how painful it was to just walk the fifteen feet to the doors. When I walked in I recognized the cashier from the night before, he looked me dead in the eyes, turned around and walked into the back room. I waited at the counter for a couple minutes before a different cashier emerged from the same place he just walked into.
"Hi, I was in here last night and was wondering if I could see the footage from your cameras? I got into an accident and I want to see what time I was here to try to piece my night together." I asked the cashier.
"Sorry sir but I'm not authorized to access the security feed, that's something that only the manager does, and he won't be in until Monday."
I asked him if I could talk to the other cashier that had just walked into the back room.
"Oh, yea he is actually on break, he walked out the back door to smoke. He will be back in around 10 minutes." He seemed really nervous about that.
I turned to the girls and told them I would be right back. I walked out the front doors and started around the building when I heard squealing tires, and caught a glimpse of the cashier from last night as he sped out of the parking lot. He looked disheveled, like he was running from something. I peered around the corner of the building that he just sped off from; there was nothing but another car, presumably the other employees. I returned to the store, as I walked in I had terrible deja vu. There in front of me was Julie and Ashley, smiling and pushing each other away, laughing, with no care in the world. They had the same messy bun, the same shoes on just like last night. When they looked up and seen me staring at them so intently, they both blushed.
"What are you looking at weirdo?" Ashley shouted.
"Just happy to see you guys."
I approached the counter and told the other cashier that his buddy just sped out of the parking lot like a bat out of hell.
"That's weird man. He still has 5 hours of his shift left. I hope he's coming back." the kid exclaimed.
We left the gas station, now I was even more confused. Why would the guy who seen me last night take off like that? It was like he'd seen a ghost when I first walked in. I thought maybe I was just still groggy from my experience. I asked the girls to take me home, told them I would come back Monday and speak to the manager about seeing the tapes.
We jumped back into the car, this time I ran to the back door so that Julie didn't have a choice but to sit up front. But then she really threw me off and got in the back on the other side. So now we were both in the back seat and Ashley was like our chauffeur. She seemed a little annoyed that I sat in the back. On the way to my house I kept catching her looking at me in the rear view mirror. Julie asked me about what I remembered from last night, she seemed very curious about what happened, but she gave me a vibe like maybe she really didn't care, like she was just asking me because she had to. Like it was a job or something.
We pulled up my house around 10pm, and my parents were just getting home as well.
"Honey we picked up the prescriptions the doctor gave you. He prescribed you some pain killers for the week and also some nerve pills and muscle relaxers. He told us you need to stay off your feet for a few days, and to make sure you were taking your medicine," my mother told me. She was a school nurse for many years before going back to school and becoming an anesthesiologist, so she had that worried mom and concerned nurse voice.
"Thanks mom, do you work this week?" I asked her.
"No, Dr. Thelman told me I could have the week off to make sure you were doing well." Dr. Thelman was the director of the mental institution my mother worked at.
"Do you think he would see me sometime this week if I wanted to talk to him?"
"I'm sure he would honey, is everything all right?"
"It's fine, I just would like to hear what he thinks about it." I turned to Julie and Ashley, "thanks for the ride guys, when I'm feeling better we definitely need to hang out."
"Bye, hope you feel better." They both sang out, almost in unison, their voices melting me.
I went up to my room and slumped down onto my bed, still in pain. I took two of the percocets and one of the muscle relaxers the doctor gave me and laid back. I couldn't help but think about Julie, just like I did most nights. But now, while thinking of her, Ashley started to cloud my thoughts too. Normally when I think about her I don't feel the same way, but it's almost as if I feel the same way about her as I do Julie. Was I starting to fall for her? God I'm such a nerd, why can't I work up the nerve to ever tell Julie the way I feel? Man, all I can think about is last night, and how i could feel her skin change, how her eyes were glowing. And Ashley's face before she disappeared into blackness.
The pills were really kicking in now, my eyelids were really drooping, I could hardly keep them up anymore. I closed my eyes and started to give into the euphoria.
"COME BACK TO ME!!!"
I stood straight up out of bed, heart racing. Was there somebody in the room? The voice sounded demonic, slowed down almost. Am I just hearing things? My eyes adjusted to the darkness of my room, I look at my alarm clock, it's blinking 12:00. How long were my eyes closed? Was I sleeping? I turn on my desk lamp, my watch says 4am, I guess I fell asleep thinking about my night.
I go to the kitchen for a drink of water, there on the counter is a flashlight, oddly enough it looks just like the flashlight that I pulled out of Ashley's trunk the night before. I pick it up and all of a sudden I feel it. The flashlight is burning hot, like the door knob. I let out an audible sigh, thinking that this is all too much to handle. At that point I was debating on whether or not to take more pills and try to go to sleep. I grabbed a glass of water and turned around to head back to my room where my medicine was, and there standing in the door way was Julie. Red glowing eyes demon Julie. I drop the glass of water and it shatters as it hits the floor, spraying my socks with water and bits of glass. I look down for a brief second and when I look back up, nothing. She was gone, just as quick as she was there, gone without a trace. I decide that I don't need any more pills tonight and walk upstairs and go to bed.
The rest of my night was uneventful, I put some music on to keep my mind from drifting and went to sleep.
I awoke the next day to the sounds of my mother in the kitchen, doing dishes and cooking breakfast. As I descend the stairs I can hear her talking to somebody else, a voice I recognize but can't quite put my finger on it. When I enter the kitchen I'm greeted by the smell of home-made pancakes and syrup, eggs and bacon. Also the smell of way too much Stetson. Dr. Thelman.
"How are you feeling Brian?" He asked as I sat down at the table. "Your mother told me what happened, and that you wanted to talk to me about it. If you're feeling up to it we could talk to day, if not, no pressure."
"I think I can handle it Doc," I said as I covered my pancakes in syrup.
"Good, tell me about your experience."
I told him everything the way I remember it from the other night, leaving out how I feel about Julie, he doesn't need to know that. I also left out the part about the gas station, I don't want anybody else to know, I want to ask the store manager tomorrow about it. I'm really paranoid that somebody is trying to cover something up. As if he could read my mind he asks, "You don't have anything else to tell me do you?"
"No that's it. Do you think maybe I'm crazy?" I ask, only half serious.
"Of course not, when we are put through stressful times our minds will do anything to cope. I think maybe your brain is trying to fill in the gaps, like maybe you had a head injury and that's why you're remembering things the way you are," he stated.
"Could be I guess." I really just wanted to figure out why its all been so strange, but I didn't want anybody to know I was investigating it all.
I finished my breakfast and excused myself, I thanked Dr. Thelman for his time and told my mom I was going to go to my room and lay down for awhile. I took some of my pain killers and one of the nerve pills I was prescribed, thinking maybe I was too high strung and that's why I was feeling so paranoid. I laid back on my bed, still thinking about that night, trying to recall everything, some things were a little fuzzier than they had been the day before. I remember when I was down on the ground looking into the blackness that there were tire tracks. Had there been a car there recently?
I could feel my eyelids becoming heavy again, the pain killers weren't doing much for my pain, but they were sure impacting me in other ways. I succumbed to my heavy eyelids, closing them all the way, feeling that sweet surrender of sleep coming on.
"SHE'S MINE NOW, YOU'LL NEVER HAVE HER"
That voice woke me up again. What the hell was going on? What was in these pills anyway? I look at my watch and see that I slept for around four hours. It felt as though I had just closed my eyes. I walk downstairs to get a drink and maybe a snack before dinner. I had slept through lunch so I needed something to hold me over. The kitchen is empty, living room the same. Family room and dining room both vacant. I holler for my mom, no answer. There is a note on the fridge.
"I had some errands to run, I'll be back soon to start dinner. I checked on you a little while after you went upstairs, you were squirming around and sweating profusely. You had a bit of a temperature, so I called the doctor and he told me it was fine, they were normal side effects to your medication. I'll be home soon. Love mom."
I wonder how long she's been gone? I make my way to the back porch, I figure some fresh air will help me. As I grab the door knob I pull back immediately. Burning hot, just like the flash light and the knob to the metal building. I start to have a panic attack. I think back to last night when I seen Julie and I dropped the glass of water. I didn't clean it up and my mom didn't ask me what happened. Why? Did it not happen? It was so real, the fear in my chest, the feel of the cold water hitting my socks. I peer out into the yard. At the fence line is a row of trees. There, standing behind one of them is a figure. It looks like a female, only slightly distorted, like maybe they were melting. Her left shoulder sagging much further than her right. Her head tilted to an impossible angle. I am frozen in fear, trying to figure out what to do next. I blink and now she's closer. I start to freak out, my breathing gets shallow. I look around to see if there is anything I can use to protect myself. I glance back outside and she's gone. I calm down a little, thinking that this medication is really screwing with me.
BAM!
The front door swings open with a loud thud. Wind whipping in. It's my mother, back from her errands. I am so relieved. I tell her about my weird dreams and the voice I hear each time it wakes me up. I don't tell her about what I just witnessed in the back yard. I don't want her thinking I'm hallucinating. She assures me it's just side effects of the pills. I want to believe her, but deep down inside I know that there is more to it.
I walk back up to my room. I started to wonder how Julie and Ashley were doing, I hadn't heard from either of them since they dropped me off last night. I then realize that I haven't had my phone since the other night before we went on the adventure to the building. I started searching my room for it, I opened my desk drawers, I looked in my closet, in dirty clothes. I couldn't find it anywhere. I go downstairs to ask my mom if she knows anything about it and there it is, lying on the coffee table in the living room.
I pick it up to dial Ashley's number, but before i could I notice I have 17 new messages. I open up my messenger app and all 17 messages are from Ashley, sent two days ago.
Help!
Submitted December 18, 2016 at 06:07AM by justmyprisonaccount http://ift.tt/2gOvdme
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