WITHERBRANC

Chapter3:The Red Eyes and The Voices

It was 9:00 PM.

Derek had stayed the whole afternoon after shopping and had left only 20 minutes ago, but his question was still stuck in my head. Does he know something?

While I was lost in thought, I felt it. That cold feeling of being watched.

I glanced slowly at the window.

There it was. The same tall figure as before, standing right outside. Its red eyes locked directly on mine.

I slammed the window shut. "What the hell was that?!"

1... 2... 3... Breathe, Thea. It must be your mind playing a trick on you. It has to be.

I splashed cold water on my face and went back to my room. Should I open the window again? My hands were shaking, but I did it anyway. I opened it just a crack.

Nothing. No one was there.

"Definitely my imagination. Ha... ha..."

Just as I was closing the curtain, my phone rang. I jumped.

It was Rebekah.

Thea: "Hi, Rebekah? Why are you calling so late?" I tried to steady my breathing.

Rebekah: "Hey, Thea. Just called to check on you. You okay? You sound breathless. And I wanted to know if you had fun today shopping with me. Also, do you want me to pick you up for school tomorrow?"

Thea: "Uh, yeah, of course! I was just moving some stuff, you know, got a little tired, haha. And I'd love that, if it's not a problem."

Rebekah: "Not at all. I'll pick you up at 7. Try to sleep, okay? Good night."

The call ended.

I stared at the ceiling. I couldn't stop thinking about those eyes. I grabbed my laptop and typed: tall dark creature red eyes outside window.

Results:

1. Reddit r/ParanormalEncounters - "Red eyes outside my house, has anyone else seen it?" 2. Article - "Sleep Paralysis or Night Visitors: why we feel watched" 3. An image. A tall, pitch-black creature with glowing red eyes. I zoomed in. "What the hell..." I slammed my laptop shut and threw myself on the bed. My mind is definitely playing tricks on me. I tried to sleep. I couldn't sleep at all. BEEP BEEP BEEP.

Crap, I didn't sleep at all. I looked at the time. 6:40 AM. A message from Rebekah.

Rebekah: Hi Thea, leaving in 15 minutes!

I had no time. I jumped in the shower, dried my hair fast, brushed my teeth. I didn't even notice how fast time passed when I heard Rebekah's car horn.

HONK HONK HONK!

I ran down the stairs and got in.

Thea: "I'm so sorry, Rebekah, I have so much on my mind and I couldn't sleep yesterday."

Rebekah: "It's fine, girl. Don't worry. But tell me what's on your mind, if you want."

Thea: "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Rebekah: "Try me."

Thea: "Okay, so... two days ago I saw a figure eating an animal behind my house, but it was too dark to see its face."

Rebekah: "Are you sure? It was probably just a coyote or a fox."

Thea: "At first I thought so too, that it was just my mind, but... last night I couldn't sleep because of it. That figure was there again, but this time it was looking straight at my window. It scared me so much and I didn't know what to do. And remember when you asked why I was breathless? It was because of that. I didn't tell you about the image I found because I didn't want you to think I'm crazy."

Rebekah frowned. For a second she said nothing. "I... look, Thea, I think you definitely need sleep. That stuff doesn't exist... right?"

I looked at her, annoyed. "Are you saying it was all my imagination, Rebekah?"

Rebekah: "That's not what I meant. I'm just saying you didn't sleep well and that's probably the reason."

Thea: "Yeah, you're right. It must be that. It's nothing, right?"

We arrived at school. I went to my class and there was Ezra. He looked different, distracted. I know I'm going to regret this.

Thea: "Hey... Ezra, is everything okay?" He didn't hear me. "Ezra? Ezra, are you there? Hello, real person calling Ezra?"

He finally snapped out of it. "What? What did you say, Thea? Sorry, I didn't hear you." I raised an eyebrow.

Thea: "So I'm not 'wet girl' anymore? Is something wrong?"

Ezra: "It's nothing, just a little bored."

Thea: "Wow, great answer. I shouldn't have asked." Then I saw them. Bruises on his neck. "Hey... what are those bruises? Did you get into a fight?" He covered them quickly.

Ezra: "It's none of your business. I was just playing with my friends."

Whatever. Not my problem. One minute later the teacher came in. I noticed Ezra kept touching his neck, it clearly hurt. So I raised my hand.

Thea: "Professor, can I go to the bathroom?"

Professor: "Yes, Miss Thea, but please don't take long."

Instead of the bathroom, I went to the infirmary and asked for an ice pack and some bandages. I came back and hid them in my backpack. 25 minutes later class ended.

Thea: "Hey Ezra, wait. I want to give you this." I handed him the ice pack and bandages. "I saw in class that you were in pain, so I thought this might make you feel a little better. That's... that's it." He was about to say something and I already knew what it was. "Shut up, don't even start." I walked away fast, a little embarrassed, and I didn't know why. Ezra stayed behind, smiling and holding the ice pack.

"Wow... didn't know wet girl had a heart," he whispered softly.

Later, I was in my other class and saw Derek.

Thea: "Hi, Derek. How's it going? Why are you always here when I come? Are you a statue or what?" I laughed.

Derek: "Who knows. That's why I save my seat. And yours. I just like sitting here, you know, looking at the window."

We talked for a while, and I didn't know if I should ask him about that night, but I did it anyway.

Thea: "Hey Derek, do you remember you asked me about that unknown figure..." Derek stopped smiling. His body went rigid. "What about it, Thea? Did you see something else?"

I lowered my voice. "That's the problem, Derek... I don't know if it's my mind but I saw it again. This time looking right at me. Its eyes were red and I got so scared I hid. After a few minutes I searched on my computer and found a lot of things, but one caught my attention. It was a photo of that figure." I showed him the photo on my phone on the sly. I saw his whole body tense. "s**t," he whispered.

Thea: "Is something wrong, Derek? Is that something bad?" He grabbed my hand a little too tight.

Derek: "What else did you see? Tell me."

Thea: "Derek, you're hurting me, let go, please." He realized what he was doing. "Forgive me, Thea... I didn't mean to. I just don't want anything bad to happen to you, okay?"

Thea: "I get it, Derek, but I promise I'll take care of myself, I always do."

Derek: "Please, Thea, if you see it again, call me, okay?" I nodded. He handed me a bracelet. "Keep this close. It will protect you."

Thea: "Protect me from what? Like a bracelet is going to save me from bullets or thieves?" I laughed, but when I saw how serious he looked I stopped. The bell rang.

I gave Ezra one last look. He still looked worried. I was walking lost in my thoughts when I bumped into Tiffany and her friends. BAM!

Tiffany: "Watch where you are going, scholarship girl, or do you want me to hit you?"

Thea: "It wasn't that big of a deal, Tiffany, I already said sorry, don't exaggerate! So move."

Tiffany: "And what if I don't, scholarship girl?"

Then I felt it. My blood started to boil for no reason. Voices inside my head.

[Cold Voice] ...her pulse... I can hear it... how easy it would be to silence her forever...

[Savage Voice] KILL... HER! BREAK... HER... NECK! SHE... SMELLS... LIKE... FEAR... MAKE... HER... BLEED!

[Hissing Voice] ...shh... poor stupid girl... see how she trembles? Make her piss herself with fear... burn her hair... make her beg...

[Voice 4 - Whisper] Too close... danger... It smells like a threat! It's going to happen again... like that night... you couldn't save him... Don't let her touch you! Don't be the victim... React, Thea, react! MAKE HER GET AWAY!

Tiffany: "Now you talk to yourself, crazy?" She snaps her fingers, laughing.

The four of them speak at once. No, the first three whisper: Finish her. The last one screams inside my skull.

I step back, shaking, hands on my head. "Shut up... please... shut up..."

I was sweating, my hands shaking. Tiffany walked closer with her two friends, laughing. She lunged to push me and I don't know how I reacted, but I had her pinned against the locker. Her friends were frozen. I was panting.

"Hah... hah..."

I looked her straight in the eyes. "Shut up... SHUT UP!!!" My eyes flashed yellow and purple. Then I came back to myself and stumbled back. "I... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to," and I ran out of the school.

From a distance, Ezra saw everything and decided to follow me.

Meanwhile with Tiffany, she discovers she is bleeding.

Friend: "Tiffany, you're bleeding on your arm. The scratch is red and burning and it won't stop bleeding."

Tiffany: "Oh my god, I'm going to die! That b***h damaged my beautiful skin! I'll make her pay! Let's go to the infirmary!" She didn't know her life had just changed forever with that scratch.

Thea could barely stand, her head was about to explode, when hands grabbed her.

Ezra: "Hey, hey, careful, wet girl, I don't want you to get hurt, okay? And ruin that pretty face." He tried to joke, but when he saw Thea's expression he knew it wasn't the time. "Come on, I'll take you somewhere you can calm down." He took her arm carefully, put his helmet on her, made sure it was secure.

Ezra: "Hold on tight, Thea, just a little longer, I promise you'll feel a little better."

He drove to a hill with a beautiful view. They sat at the edge, feeling the wind on their faces. Thea finally calmed down and leaned her head on Ezra's shoulder. He froze a little, but didn't move.

Thea: "I don't know what happened to me. I bumped into Tiffany and I said sorry but she didn't accept it and when she started telling me I didn't belong at the school, that she was going to hit me, that I was a b***h, I don't know what happened... my mind went blank and I started to hear voices telling me to hurt her, to kill her and I started to feel so dizzy and that was what happened... I don't know what to do, I'm scared, Ezra." I looked at him with tears in my eyes.

Ezra: "Come on, wet girl, it's okay, you're strong, I don't think anything scares you that much, or does it? Besides, you're scarier alone than anything else, haha."

Thea: "Ugh, shut up, i***t, you always have to be sarcastic." We laughed, but then he told me that no matter what happens he will try to help me.

Far away, 3 figures were talking.

Stranger 1: "She will soon discover the truth of who she really is. We have to do something."

Stranger 2: "And what do you suggest? That we kill her? Because if you forgot, we can't. If we do something we'll make it worse."

Stranger 1: "So we just stand here with our arms crossed while that monster recovers everything and its memory? Now is the chance to do something."

A hooded woman arrives.

Woman: "Silence!! I decide what we do and what we don't. And for now we will only observe and see what she does. Any objections?" Her coldness made them tremble.

Stranger 1 & 2: "No, my lady."

Back to them.

Thea: "What a beautiful night today. I wish a comet would pass so I could make a wish." I laugh softly.

Ezra: "Hey, don't be like that, you'll see one will pass right now, so come on, cheer up or I'll annoy you forever." He laughs, looks at the time. Thea says it's late, that her parents will scold her even if they don't care, but she doesn't want a scene. They get on the bike and ride toward her house