The Offering

Chapter 6

Tick...tick....tick....tick....tick....tick, thud...thud....thud....thud...thud....thud.

For three hours I'd watched that clock tick away but it felt nearer to a lifetime. At some point my thudding heart had managed to sync itself with the clock and despite the time passing it refused to slow itself.

It was almost midnight, I felt like I hadn't slept in weeks. I pulled the loose blanket around my shoulders tighter. I wanted to be home, in the comfort of my own bed, I should never have come out from there in the first place.

I was sat on a bench in the local police station, my face was stained with tears and I was unable to stop my body shaking even hours after I had escaped Jake. I was terrified I'd see him again, the police had been unable to find him at his home. So he was out there right now, a cold blooded killer on the loose.

I was sure he'd be looking for me. It was as if in that moment in the alleyway Jake realised that I knew what he'd done. He'd seen the way I'd looked at him, the sick psychopath who'd murdered my best friend. I still couldn't believe he'd let me go.

"Okay, thanks again."

I heard my mothers gentle voice from behind me, I looked to see her emerging from an office and shaking hands with the same police officer I'd given my statement to.

Of course I'd had to lie about my strange 'vision' if that's what it was, I'd never experienced anything like that before and that was partly why I was still so shaken up.

What was happening to me? First my changing dreams that I'd always been able to control before and now this 'vision'. Was it possible for me to get anymore strange? It seemed so.

In my statement I'd told the officer that Jake had followed me home from school and attacked me. During this attack he had confessed to me what he'd done. Confessed to killing his ex-girlfriend Clara. I'd managed somehow to break free of him and run for my life.

I'd said exactly what my mother had told me to. What we had rehearsed over and over before we left the house. That was the truth after all, that's what I'd seen, Clara's lifeless body in the passenger seat of Jake's car.

I knew from the newspapers that she'd been found dumped by the side of a desolate road leading out of town. Left to rot like she was worthless. I believed what I saw in that vision and to my surprise so did Angela.

Upon her return from work Angela had discovered me hiding in my bedroom, cowering in the corner with my legs tucked into my chest. I was convinced Jake would soon hunt me down and kill me too.

Eventually she'd managed to get some sense out of me as I explained what had happened. I hadn't expected her to believe me, I'd predicted an expression of deep concern for my sanity. Instead Angela had believed me without question and told me that we had to go to the police. It was as though she had had been waiting for this day to happen somehow.

"As soon as we pick him up we will be in touch," the officer assured us both, giving a warm smile.

Angela smiled back and collected me up into her arms, holding me in the soothing nook between one arm and her torso. I lay my head on her shoulder and wished she could keep me there forever, it felt so safe there.

"Come on sweetheart, let's get home."

All I could do was nod, I barely had the energy to stand, my legs buckled slightly with each step I took. Angela held me tighter. Somehow I found my way to my mothers car and slid into the passenger seat. She fastened my belt and wiped a tear from my cheek before climbing into the drivers seat.

We started for home, my eyes were so heavy I didn't think I could keep awake until then. There was a comfortable silence in the car, the sound of the tires rolling became almost hypnotic, my eyes drooped feeling heavier than they ever had before. They closed and I fell into deep sleep immediately.

I was in a graveyard surrounded by tombstones. It was dark, the sky was starless and the only light came from a half moon. I could see Clara, she was led on the ground, one hand covering her bleeding abdomen and the other outstretched holding her phone. She coughed and spluttered, choking on her own blood and trying desperately to cry out.

"P...pl...ease," she croaked.

We hit a bump in the road and my eyes flew open, I was back in the car with Angela. My heart was racing again and tears gathered in my eyes as I couldn't shake the image of Clara bleeding to death alone on the floor.

"Almost home," my mother said, reaching over and taking my hand in her own, giving a gentle reassuring squeeze.

Sure enough we were home moments later. I don't even remember getting out of the car but I soon found myself in my own bed, Angela tucking me in like I was a little girl again.

"What's wrong with me?" I asked.

My mothers face folded in concern, she pushed a sad smile from her lips and insisted,

"There is nothing wrong with you Alice. Nothing at all."

"I think I might be crazy," I claimed, my voice a barely audible sad whisper, my eye lids drooped again.

"We will talk about it tomorrow... Happy Birthday Alice."

By the end of her sentence my eyes were closed, I fell instantly into a deep, dreamless sleep.

***

I woke several hours later. My eyes shot open as if I'd been suddenly resuscitated. My body bolted upright and I pinned myself instinctively against the headboard. I drew my legs up into my chest, making myself as small as I possibly could.

My body felt like it was on fire and I was sweating profusely, I felt a bead slide down my forehead and across my cheek. The sound of my heart drumming in my ears was deafening.

The room was pitch black, I couldn't see a thing but I knew I wasn't alone. Every single hair on my body stood to attention. I swallowed hard, it felt like there were razor blades in my throat I was so dehydrated.

"Who's there?" I managed to choke.

Nothing but silence. Then the temperature around me dropped. My body went from feeling like I was in a furnace to freezing within seconds, so much so my teeth began to chatter slightly.

A tingling sensation ran up my arm. Like static electricity which started from my wrist and ran up to my elbow before disappearing. I nipped my arm in, holding it protectively against my torso.

"I kno...w y...you're in here," I stuttered.

I yelped as I felt something on my cheek, like instant freezer burn. It applied just enough pressure for me to know I wasn't imagining it. Like the tips of fingers against my skin. Then it was gone again.

I swung my arm out, expecting it to make contact with something and a struggle to ensue. Nothing but air. My body began to tremble and I was just about to cry out for help when my bedroom door clicked open.

Angela's silhouette stood in the doorway, dimly lit from the hallway light behind her. She rubbed at her eyes and asked,

"Is everything okay?" Her voice cracked with exhaustion.

In a flash the cold was gone and the sudden suffocating heat of before hit me once again. Using the light from the open door to guide me, I managed to switch my bedside lamp on.

Without saying a word I clambered from the bed and scanned the room. There was nowhere to hide in my tiny shoe box bedroom and there was nobody else in there but me.

Feeling foolish I lied,

"I'm fine, I just had a nightmare."

"Okay well try to get back go sleep," Angela advised, she left, closing the door behind her.

I slid back between my bedsheets, pulling it up to my chin despite the heat radiating from my body. As I willed myself back to sleep I kept the lamp beside me switched on, afraid of the cold returning.

Please don't forget to vote :)