SHADOW OF MYSELF

Chapter Six(ii)

The day's events solidified a growing sense of urgency. I needed answers, and I needed them fast. My eyes darted towards the phone. It was time to call Joshua.

Three rings. Panic surged through me as Joshua's voice filled the receiver, laced with worry. "Prisca! Are you okay? Please tell me you're not hurt!"

He knew. Somehow, he knew about the near-accident. Curiosity warred with a prickle of unease. I forced my voice calm. "Yes, I'm fine. Why so worried, cousin?"

A beat of silence, then a strained cough. "Just checking on my favorite little cousin, that's all."

Before I could question the oddity of his concern, a new voice cut in - my aunt's, sharp and frantic. "Is she alright, Joshua? Did that car..."

The line went dead. My hand trembled as I hung up. My family, hundreds of miles away, seemed to know about the incident. Was I being stalked? A cold dread settled in my stomach.

Back in my apartment, a strange scent hung in the air - perfume, unfamiliar and unsettling. Someone had been here.

Fear prickled my skin. Grabbing a bookend for defense, I searched the apartment, finding it empty. The silence pressed in. Was I truly being stalked?

My breath caught in my throat as the thought of staying alone with Leon washed over me. Upstairs in my room, reaching for my phone to call Lizzy, a voice whisper in my head, clear and chilling. 'Don't you dare, Prisca.' Was it me? Was someone there? I spun around, searching the room, but there was no one there.

The phone clattered to the floor. Terror flooded me. I scrambled onto the bed, yanking the covers over my head, gasping for breath. Who was that? Was I hallucinating?

Peeking out cautiously, I saw a dark shadow on the door. My scream ripped through the room. After about an an hour under the blanket, a figure emerged - a small one. Peeking out cautiously, I recognized Leon's mischievous grin.

Relief washed over me, replaced by a surge of annoyance. "Leon! You scared the living daylights out of me!"

He doubled over in laughter, oblivious to my near heart attack. "Come on, Prisca, you look like a scaredy-cat!"

"Not funny, Leon!" Despite myself, a smile tugged at my lips. He always knew how to lighten the mood, even if unintentionally.

His laughter subsided, replaced by concern. "What's wrong, big sis? Did something happen?"

My smile faded. How could I explain the unexplainable - the near-accident, the strange voice, the feeling of being watched? Deciding to keep the details hidden for now, I simply mumbled, "Just a bad day."

Leaving Leon on the bed, I retreated to the bathroom for a long, cooling shower. The water washed away the sweat and grime, but not the unsettling events of the day. A new resolve hardened within me. I had to get to the bottom of this.

Lost in thought, I barely registered the voice in my head again, warm and familiar. "Go to Lizzy's, Prisca. You'll be safe there."

Joshua. Relief washed over me. He cared, and that mattered.

Emerging from the shower, I grabbed a duffel bag and started packing essentials. Leon sat on the edge of the bed, chewing on something.

"Where are we going, big sis?" he whined. "Lizzy's annoying. Can we stay here?"

"No arguments, Leon," I said firmly. Ignoring his protests, I packed enough clothes for both of us. Stuffing my phone in my pocket, I hoisted him off the bed, practically dragging him downstairs.

A taxi pulled up, and we piled in. Leon sulked in the backseat, muttering under his breath. His dislike for Lizzy was a constant source of amusement, and a mystery I couldn't quite crack.

At Lizzy's door, I was surprised to see Zach answer. He looked as grumpy as ever, but I ignored him in favor of greeting Lizzy. A warm hug from my friend calmed my racing heart.

"What brings you here so suddenly?" Lizzy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Before I could concoct a lie, Zach interjected. "She's here to keep you company, Lizzy. You two can catch up on your reading."

Lizzy's eyes widened in excitement, and she crushed me in another hug. "Great! We have so much to talk about!"

I glanced at Zach, wanting to thank him, but he was already gone. Leon, who'd been staring intently at us, finally burst out, "You two are so clingy!"

My patience snapped. "Go upstairs, Leon! Now!"

He scampered away, tears welling in his eyes. Guilt gnawed at me. I hadn't meant to yell, but the day's events had left me on edge.

Lizzy squeezed my hand. "Don't worry about him, Prisca," Lizzy soothed, her voice laced with understanding. "He'll come around. Now, come on, spill! What's really going on?"

With a shaky breath, I sank onto the couch, the weight of the day pressing down on me. "Lizzy," I began, my voice barely a whisper. "There's something I haven't told you." My hand instinctively reached for hers, seeking comfort and grounding. Taking a deep breath, I continued, "It all started with this dream..." Hesitantly, I recounted the chilling vision from the labyrinth, Felix's veiled threats, and the woman's cryptic warnings.

Lizzy listened intently, her eyes widening with each revelation. When I finished, a heavy silence hung in the air.

"Whoa," she finally breathed. "That's... a lot to take in. So, you think Felix might be bad?"

I chewed on my lip, uncertainty gnawing at me. "I don't know. He seems nice enough, but the dream... and the way he reacted in the library... it just feels off."

Lizzy nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe you're reading too much into it. Dreams can be weird."

"Maybe," I conceded, "but there's more. Today, I almost got hit by a car, and then when I came back home..." My voice trailed off as I recounted the strange scent, the feeling of being watched, the voice in my head.

Lizzy's eyes narrowed. "Wait, a voice in your head? What did it say?"

Everything about it felt crazy, but I poured out the details - both the chilling command to stay and Joshua's voice urging me to Lizzy's house.

Lizzy listened patiently, then rose and began pacing. "This is serious, Prisca. Talking voices, near-miss accidents, a creepy stalker vibe... something strange is definitely going on."

Fear coiled in my stomach. "Do you think it has something to do with the dreams?"

Lizzy stopped pacing, her eyes meeting mine. "It's possible. But first things first, we need to figure out if you're really being stalked. Did you see anyone suspicious around your apartment?"

I shook my head. "No, but the feeling was there. And the perfume... I don't recognize the scent."

Lizzy's brow furrowed. "We need to get in touch with Joshua. He might have some insight into what's going on."

"I tried earlier," I said, my voice tinged with a hint of suspicion, "but the line went dead right after my aunt spoke."

Lizzy grabbed her phone. "Let's try again. And maybe we should call the police too, just to be safe."

A wave of relief washed over me. Having Lizzy by my side, a voice of reason amidst the chaos, made me feel a little less alone. As Lizzy dialed Joshua's number, a new thought struck me.

"Wait," I blurted out, a cold dread creeping into my voice. "What about the voice telling me to stay home? What if it's connected to the bad voice in the dream? What if going to Lizzy's is exactly what they don't want?"

The pieces weren't fitting. The dream, the near-accident, the voice - everything felt orchestrated. Maybe the woman was right. Maybe Joshua was the key to unraveling this mess.

Exhaustion gnawed at me. All I wanted was a normal life, like Lizzy's, free from these unsettling mysteries. But for some reason, I was at the center of it all.