Page 50 of Pride

I tried to open my mouth to speak. I wanted to grab onto the world. I could hear people talking around me, but I couldn’t seem to find my grip on reality. It was as if it was all slipping away from me, and all I could do was let it happen.

I driftedin and out of consciousness for what felt like days. Maybe it was hours, maybe weeks. I didn’t know. I had no concept of time in my current state.

But eventually, I woke with a start to a dark, empty room.

My eyes shot open, and I managed to move my head to the side to look around the bedroom where I lay. This room was foreign to me. I knew, on instinct, that I was still in Alex’s home. I could sense it. But I felt so dizzy, so disorientated, I didn’t know what day it was, what had happened, or what to do next. My body felt lifeless, and even though my arms lifted when I wanted them to, the effort it took was beyond exhausting. I felt stiff, groggy even. I wasn’t yet in full control of myself and my body.

Slowly, I moved my hands under the covers to feel what I was wearing. It seemed to be some kind of oversized T-shirt, not the clothes I’d come here in, but my underwear was still on. I prayedhis housemaid had undressed me. I didn’t think I could bear any more shame.

I went to speak, but all that came out was a croak; my throat was so dry. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I noticed a bottle of water on the bedside table, so I pulled myself up the mattress a little, so my head was further up the pillow, and I reached for the bottle.

And that’s when I saw it.

The dark figure standing in the corner.

Hiding in the shadows.

I stilled, staying motionless as I weakly called out into the room, “Hello? Is someone there?”

The shadow didn’t move, but I kept my eyes on it, waiting for my brain to kick into gear and show me it was nothing but a pattern from the moon, or perhaps a trick of the wallpaper, anything other than what I dreaded it could be.

Seconds ticked by with me staying still, watching, staring into the dark corner like I was waiting for it to expand like some hell hole and swallow me whole.

And then it moved.

The shadow stepped forward.

And when I saw what it was, my voice wasn’t croaky anymore. It transformed into an ear-splitting shriek of fear.

I screamed loud enough to wake the dead, scrambling up the bed, clinging to the headboard as I stared at him wide-eyed, in his blue boiler suit with the cloth sack over his head.

He took another step towards me, and I shrieked louder, my nails clawing at the wooden frame of the bed as I tried to think of a way to escape.

And then the room flooded with light, and Alex came bounding towards me in sheer panic as he raced over to the bed.

“Emma, you’re okay. You’re safe,” he assured me, pulling me into his warm embrace. The comforting smell of him helped to ease my panic slightly.

My breaths were rapid, my head growing dizzy from each laboured pant I took, but as I peered around the brightness of the room, I couldn’t seehim. There was no blue boiler-suited freak standing in the corner, threatening to pin me to the wall and cut out my heart and tongue. Just Alex, holding me, giving gentle shushes as he rocked me to calm my erratic state.

“It’ll be okay. You’re going to be okay,” he hummed.

I couldn’t help but blurt out, “He was here. I saw him.”

“Who was here?” Alex pulled away slightly to look at me.

I didn’t know how to answer him without sounding completely unhinged.

“I thought I saw someone,” I replied, keeping my insanity to myself.

“You’ve had a rough few days,” he said. “Your body has been through a lot. You’ve been running a fever, too, so it’s probably your mind playing tricks on you.”

I didn’t think it was, but I didn’t want to come off as crazy, so I nodded, agreeing with him. Feeling my body growing weaker by the second.

“I’m here. I’m not going anywhere,” Alex assured me. “Are you hungry? Do you want me to get you something to eat?”

I shook my head.

“No, it’s fine. I just need water.”