Unhinged

Chapter 13

  "Alexis are you okay? What's going on?"

The light was switched on to reveal Alexis holding on to her comforter in the middle of the bed. Nicholas saw the wild look of fear in his sister's eyes. 

"Alexis," he said cautiously.

"He's here, Nicholas. I heard him," Alexis whispered.

"Who's here?"

"My stalker." Alexis looked as if she was going to scream again.

"Did you see him?" Nicholas began whispering as well.

Alexis shook her head. "I heard him."

"Okay, I'm going to look around." Nicholas proceeded to check under her bed and through the closet and adjoining bathroom. He didn't see anyone. He even checked the window to make sure it was locked. "Alexis, no one is here. Are you sure you heard someone?"

"Yes, I'm sure!"

Alexis watched the look of confusion on her brother's face turn into concern.

"I'm not crazy, Nicholas! I swear I heard someone."

Nicholas nodded. "Well I didn't find anyone here so what do you want to do? Should we call the cops again?" 

Nicholas glanced at Alexis' cell phone which was charging on her nightstand.

"And tell them what? That I'm hearing someone whisper to me in the dark? I'll sound like a lunatic."

"Then what do you want to do? Tell me so I can help you."

"I don't know." Alexis began biting her thumbnail. It was a nervous habit she hadn't engaged in since she was a teenager.  

Nicholas walked over to Alexis and grabbed her pillow and comforter. "Follow me."

"What are you doing?"

"Just follow me." Nicholas walked downstairs and tossed her blanket and pillow on the floor.

"Nicholas!"

He then went to his room and grabbed his blanket and pillow. "We're going to do something we haven't done in years, Alexis."

"What's that?"

"A living room camp out!"

"Nicholas, we're too old to be sleeping on the floor."

"Speak for yourself, woman!" Nicholas tossed their blankets on the floor along with their pillows. The house was dark except for the glow from the television in the living room. 

"I know you've been stressed out lately. I didn't see anyone upstairs so let's just sleep downstairs for tonight until we can figure out what you heard in your bedroom. Maybe it was just some random noise that you think sounded like someone whispering to you like the AC vents turning on."

"It wasn't an AC vent but fine...just for tonight, Nicholas."

Nicholas laughed. "Do you want to tell ghost stories?"

Alexis didn't respond. Instead she tossed a pillow from the sofa at him.

"I'll take that as a no," Nicholas muttered. 

The two of them settled in on the floor and slept. Alexis was grateful Nicholas wasn't directly calling her crazy or a coward. She felt like both.

A few hours later, Alexis woke and sighed. She wasn't getting much sleep because the floor was too uncomfortable. She thought about sleeping on the sofa but it would also be uncomfortable. She recalled what what Nicholas had said earlier and wondered if her mind was playing tricks on her. As a psychologist, she understood more than most how stress could affect a person's mind. It was totally plausible it was all in her head. She hated being afraid in her own home and she resented the man who had sent her the notes and texts in order to scare her.