The brisk movement of a shadow behind me caused me to jump. A sudden surge of fear crawled slowly under my skin like a liquid filling up the space within a container. I turned my neck sharply in all directions, scanning the area for anyone else who was still in the library with me. There was no one. Normally, I would have dismissed the fast moving shadow but today I didn’t. I was sure it was there just a moment ago. The hairs on my arm stood erect, revealing the sea of goosebumps that had formed on my skin. Someone was there, I was sure of it. I quickly returned the books to the shelves and placed my paper into my backpack. The library was beginning to creep me out and I needed to get out of there fast.
I hurriedly made my way out of the library, earning a curious stare from the new librarian. I didn’t care. I just focused on getting away from all the creepiness, and back to the safety of my dorm. As I walked back to my room, I turned around constantly to see if any person or shadow was following me. Again, there was no one. A few pockets of college students were found standing here and there along my walk path. Night crawlers was what they were called in Campus vocab. The term was used to refer to students who remained outside in the dead of the night. It was supposed to be normal, but today it creeped me out.
“Don’t tell me you’re letting the fables from those books get to you.”
I smiled at the thought and continued walking. I knew it was right. I was scaring myself for no real reason. There was clearly no shadow stalking me. When I got back to my dorm, I looked around one last time. Still no shadow. It was just me standing in front of my door. I turned the knob to see if it was open. It wasn’t. That meant either Alex was asleep already or he still wasn’t back. If the latter was the case, I already had a ‘you’re getting unserious’ speech handy to read out to him when he finally got back.
I took out my key from my backpack and opened the door. Turning the light switch on revealed the most horrific image I had ever seen in my life. Alex was lying on my bed, dead. There was a single slash to his neck, obviously made by a knife or another very sharp object.
I let out the loudest scream of terror my entire hostel had ever heard.
Chapter Four
I opened my eyes and found myself in a dark room. Memories from my last conscious moment slowly drifted back into my mind, causing me to sit up sharply. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I walked away from the bed I was, feeling my surroundings for anything solid to grasp. I couldn’t believe Alex was gone, and in such a despicable manner. It just wasn’t fair. I thought about all the times I teased him. It was just a joke then but now I felt different. I blamed myself for assuming he was fine when I couldn’t reach him. Maybe I would have been able to save him if I had just raised an alarm when he stopped taking his calls and replying to his messages.
My grief shook my being for all of five minutes, as I wandered around the dark and lonely room. My rationality kicked in soon after, reminding me of the inconsistencies in my reality.
“Where am I?”
The last thing I remembered was screaming in terror at the sight of Alex’s lifeless body on my bed. How I moved from my dorm to this dark room remained a mystery. I had no clue where to begin with deciphering the technicalities of my movement to my current location. I continued walking blindly and soon, my outstretched hand hit something solid. I quickly realized what it was – A wall. I felt my pockets for my cellphone to provide some light in the darkness, but it wasn’t there. I remembered slipping it into my backpack at the library. That was the reason I couldn’t find it on me. The next rational thing to do was to feel the walls for a light switch. I proceeded with that task, my tears slowing down with the distraction.
I felt frustrated and helpless, not knowing whether to call out for help or not. Who would keep me in a dark room all by myself?
“Have I been kidnapped?”
I remembered the fast moving shadow I thought I saw at the library.
“Was that actually someone stalking me?” I wondered.
I immediately went into panic mode, as fear formed a slow moving stream under my skin.
“Don’t scream. Keep it together.” I mentally consoled myself.
If I had been kidnapped, screaming would not be in my best interest. I had to get a good view of my current location, noting the possible escape routes – if any. The first step to achieving that was getting some form of lighting and that became my number one priority. The more I searched, the more frustrated I got. There was no light switch anywhere. My tears had run dry at this point because it was clear I had more pressing issues to deal with.
“What if I’ve been kidnapped by the same person that killed Alex?”
The thought made my blood freeze within my veins. Fear was slipping into every available cell in my body, numbing and paralyzing me in the process.
“Focus, Selena. If whoever kidnapped you isn’t here yet, it means there’s still time to plan an escape. Besides if this is a bedroom, there should be bedside lamps.”
I quickly retraced my steps back to the bed I woke up on. After bumping into the stand a couple of times, I finally made my way to the part I believe was the headboard. I felt around the headboard for a few minutes before disappointment sank my heart to my feet. I found nothing. No lamps, no switches. There was absolutely nothing to provide light in the room.
All of a sudden, the scenery around me changed. I was no longer in a dark bedroom but in a dimly lit bedroom that looked like something from a movie shot in the 1870s. It had plain white pillars and black satin drapes which were blown about by the wind. I was still in my state of confusion when he showed up.
“My Selena.”
His voice was deep and scary. It sent instant chills down my spine. What made my blood run cold was the terrifying and unnatural speed with which he approached me.
I didn’t see him come in through a door or window but he was upon me in an instant. The only expression of how startled and afraid I was, was the guttural scream of terror that escaped my trembling lips.
Chapter Five
I awoke with a start, to the beeping sound of several machines. Clarity came once I turned my head to observe my surroundings. The white walls, slim bed and surrounding monitors told me I was most likely in a hospital.
“Honey, you’re awake!”
My mum rushed to my side from a chair by the side of the room. Her face was full of concern as she squeezed my palm softly.
“Oh, honey. Thank goodness you’re awake. You took a pretty nasty fall.” She said, leaning in to give me a hug.
“Fall?” I wondered. “Where did I fall from?”
My thoughts were still mixed up. I couldn’t decipher where my reality stopped and where my dreams began. I didn’t know how much of my immediate past experiences were real.
“You remember what happened, right?” My mum asked, looking at me like I was supposed to say something I hadn’t said yet.
I looked at her, not quite sure what the right response to her question was. I remembered a lot of things but I wasn’t sure which of them happened in reality.
“I’m so sorry about your roommate, Alex.” She continued.
“So, that bit is true. Alex is really dead.”
Tears welled up in my eyes, spilling down my cheeks. I felt like an invisible force was squeezing my heart. My lungs weren’t faring much better either. I felt like the air around me was thinning and I continued to cry my eyes out. My mum pulled me into a hug, squeezing on my shoulders ever so slightly.
“I didn’t mean to upset you, honey.” She consoled me.
I blinked several times, trying to dismiss the horrific image of a dead Alex from my mind. It didn’t help. My tears were beginning to blur my vision and I heard the monitors beeping faster – but it sounded like the sound came from a distance. I heard the muffled voice of someone else in the room but couldn’t make out who it was. Shortly after, everything went calm. The hospital scene was gone, and I was back in the 1870s bedroom I was before.
Chapter Six
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“My Selena.”
I heard the sound of his voice again and it terrified me just like it did the last time. I had no idea why he referred to me that way but I certainly wasn’t his ‘Se-lee-nah’. This time, he didn’t approach me. I couldn’t see him anywhere around but I could hear his voice.
“You’re shutting me out. Let me in, please.”
I didn’t know what he meant, but there was no way I would let someone who terrified me that much anywhere close to me.
“You have to let me in.” He continued. “They’re out to get you. They’re closer than you think. Don’t let it happen again, Selena. Please. Don’t let me lose you again.”
I had no idea what he was talking about. Who was out to get me? The only person close to me was him.
“I have to…”
He started speaking again but this time, he added the terrifying appearance from thin air. I screamed at the top of my lungs and awoke one more time – in the hospital room.
I panted heavily as my surroundings solidified in front of my eyes. I was relieved to see myself back in the safety of reality. At least, the hospital room kept me away from the terrifying man in my dreams. I knew I couldn’t keep going in and out of that dream for the sake of my sanity. Doing that repeatedly was sure to make me lose it soon. I turned my head in the direction of the chair my mum sat the last time I was awake but she wasn’t there. Instead, a man I didn’t recognize sat there. I sat up immediately, my eyes widening from crippling fear. For a minute, I thought it was the scary guy from my dream.
“Please don’t be scared.” The man said, placing his hand in front of him in a reassuring gesture. I saw his badge and relaxed a little. I still wasn’t a hundred percent comfortable with his presence, especially after the terrifying dream I just had.
“I’m detective Howard. It’s okay, you’re safe now.” He said.
“Where’s my mum?” I asked, still looking at him skeptically.
“She went home for a change of clothes. She’ll be back in a bit.” He replied.
I couldn’t believe my mum left me alone after what happened with Alex. My dad didn’t even show up at the hospital. Didn’t they care enough about me? What if the people who killed Alex were out to get me?
A doctor walked into my hospital room and checked a few of the readings on the surrounding monitors. When he was done, he turned to me and smiled.
“How are you feeling now, Miss. Ryder?”
“Okay… I guess.” I replied.
I wasn’t okay. I had just lost my roommate in the most horrific manner, and I was going in and out of terrifying dreams. Who will be okay in a situation like that?
“This is detective Howard. He’s here to ask you a few questions about what happened.” The doctor continued.
I blinked, saying nothing.
“Detective, she’s been traumatized and is still fragile. Try not to push too hard.” The doctor said, before walking out of the room.
“Doctor.” I called out after him. “Can you stay here, please?”
I didn’t want to be alone with the detective. I didn’t know if I could completely trust him, and I just wasn’t comfortable alone with an unfamiliar face.
“Sure.” The doctor smiled and took a seat at the far corner of the room.
“Miss. Ryder, I know you’ve been through a lot, but I need you to tell me anything you remember from the night Alex was killed. It will really be helpful in tracking down the person who did this.” Detective Howard said, pulling a chair close to my bed.
“I came back to the dorm and found him on my bed.” I said, tears choking my words as they made their way out of my mouth.
“Was he already dead?” Detective Howard asked.
“Yes. I screamed when I saw him, and that’s the last thing I remember. I woke up here.” I replied.
“Okay. I know it was terrifying to see him like that and I’m sorry. You’ve been really helpful and I appreciate it. I don’t intend to get you upset but I need to know everything.” He said, handing me a tissue.
I wiped my tears and nodded my understanding. I was not only devastated by what happened to Alex, I was also terrified that whoever did it to him might come for me too.
“Do you remember anything suspicious before you found him dead? Did he complain of anything? Enemies, maybe?” Detective Howard asked.
“Um… That morning, I saw a note from him on my pillow. He wrote that I was going to die on Halloween’s day.”
I started recounting the events from the morning of Alex’s death when something struck my mind. I had written ‘a single slash of the throat’ on that note, and that was exactly how Alex was killed. How was I supposed to explain that I had no idea who did it when they did it in the exact way I described?
“Okay, Miss. Ryder. What else do you remember?” Detective Howard prodded.
“I thought I saw someone move swiftly behind me when I was applying my makeup but when I turned around, there was no one there.” I replied, intentionally leaving out the part where I wrote ‘a single slash of the throat’.
If they hadn’t seen the note yet, then I still had a chance to get rid of it. There was no need implicating myself and making the police waste precious investigation time on me when the real killer was out there walking free.
“Do you remember anything else?” Detective Howard asked.
“No.” I shook my head.
“Did you hear from him after that?” He asked.
“No.” I shook my head again.
“Where did you spend the rest of the day?”
“I went to class, and after that, I went to the library to work on my research assignment paper.” I sniffed.
“Thank you very much for your help. I hope you make a quick recovery. If we find anything, we’ll let you know.” He stated, getting up to leave.
I nodded, and watched him leave my hospital room. The doctor smiled at me, leaving right after the detective.
Once I was left alone with my thoughts, something else stood out to me. It was a memory I had almost forgotten. There was a brown book at the library with my name on it. It had a passage in there that talked about Selena’s best friend, Alexander Orwell dying from a single slash to his throat.
“Could it be just a coincidence?”
It was a little too coincidental that the 1870s Selena had a friend with the name Alexander who died just the same way my roommate, Alex died. I knew I had to go back to the library once I got out of the hospital. I had to read more of that Selena’s story. I was going to figure everything out but first, I needed to get to my dorm and discard that implicating note.
Chapter Seven
The car pulled over and I glanced at my mum’s pretty features. Her full lips had a smile on display, but her green eyes belied her true feelings. She was worried about me and how I was going to cope on my first day back in school after the incident. That much was clear, but because I wanted her to believe I bought her facade, I said nothing about it. Most people said I looked nothing like her. I really didn’t look like any of my parents, to be honest. For a long time, I believed I was adopted. But my parents said I wasn’t. My birth certificate also said I wasn’t, so I had to believe it. The only resemblance I had to any of my parents was the color of my eyes. They had the same shade as my dad’s and that was pretty much it.
“Try and have a good time in school today.” My mum said, pulling me out of my mental zone.
She handed me my sandwich in a brown paper bag, which I accepted with a smile.
“I will, mum. You don’t have to worry. I’m fine.” I kissed her on her cheek.
I don’t know how convincing my smile was, but it seemed to work. My mum watched in silence as I got out of the car and hung my backpack on my shoulder. I waved her goodbye and watched her drive off before continuing my walk to class. Since the incident with Alex, I moved back home on my mum’s insistence. She claimed to need the company because my dad was out of town but I knew that was just her cover
story. My dad was always out of town on business, ‘making the money to give us the comfortable lives we live’ – his exact words. Since I wasn’t exactly ready to go back to my dorm after what happened, I agreed to my mum’s demands.
I got into my history class and placed my textbooks on the table. I switched my cellphone to silent mode and waited for Mr. Ross to come in. I didn’t really feel like listening to the sorrowful condolences coming in from my classmates, so I plugged my headphones to my ears and put my favorite playlist on repeat. At exactly 8 am, Mr. Ross came in and began his lecture. I managed to remain invisible, following all his stipulated rules to avoid his verbal attack.
“Hey, Selena. Have you heard about Harper’s party? Everyone’s going.” Tim Ropes whispered, halfway through the lecture.
I gave him the death glare and signaled to him to shut it. Thankfully, Mr. Ross didn’t notice and the class went on. I really didn’t grasp anything that was taught because my mind was all over the place. Somehow, I managed to maintain my ‘focused’ demeanor which feigned concentration. All I saw was Mr. Ross’s lips opening and closing – and that was when I wasn’t completely zoned out. Mr. Ross concluded the day’s topic and wrote the assignment for the next class on the board.
“This class is over, make sure to pick your graded papers on your way out.” He said, reminding me of my paper which I never turned in.
Students made their way out of the class, leaving Mr. Ross who stayed back to pack his teaching materials neatly into his briefcase. He supervised the collection of graded papers until everyone was out of the class – except me.
When we were alone, I walked up to him and handed him my paper. I knew his rules about late submission, but I had to at least try. If not for the incident, I would have turned my paper in on time. I mentally prepared for whatever the outcome was, but that didn’t help release my breath which was caught in my chest.
“Mr. Ross, here’s my paper for the last assignment. I wrote it before the deadline but couldn’t turn it in because my roommate was found dead on my bed and I collapsed from shock. I’ve been in the school’s hospital since then.” I said, fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall out of my eyes. Talking about the incident always brought tears to my eyes but sometimes, it was unavoidable – like now.