Empty

Chapter 32

Somehow, he found his way back to his house and didn't bother to change before getting into bed and closing his eyes.

Maybe it was the cold, maybe it was the silence, maybe it was just the stress, but he couldn't sleep. After what seemed like hours, he checked his watch. It read, 12:26. Mentally shaking himself, he tried to close his eyes and wait. He wouldn't be sleeping again the next day, so he had to get as much as possible while he still could. He lay still, trying to breathe evenly in and out. His chest was tight, and he was still so cold in a way that he didn't think had anything to do with the weather.

Groaning, he stood up and went to get changed into his pajamas before getting back under the covers. It was icy cold in his room. He suddenly remembered the muddy handprint on his window and got up cautiously to check if it was open. It wasn't, but he knew it wouldn't be difficult to break if necessary. It was unlikely that changing his report would completely protect him from attacks, but at least it wouldn't be a problem for much longer.

He glanced at the clock on his bedroom wall; 12:29.

It was going to be a long night.

He was about to close his eyes when he heard a faint whimpering from the next room. Listening closely to check it wasn't just his imagination, he heard someone mumbling quietly, something incoherent. Standing up, he went to see what was the matter.

He heard the noise just inside Jess's room and waited outside the door, listening.

"Kill them... Kill quickly, slowly, it makes little difference..." Jess mumbled. "Not the time to play. You will have all the time in the world."

Feeling his stomach drop, Luke called out to her, "Everything okay there, Jess?"

"You... I don't..." She continued, and Luke opened the door hesitantly and turned on the light. She was apparently still asleep.

"You have no idea..." She continued, starting to grow restless. Her expression was blank, but she kicked at the blankets like they were ropes tying her down. "I will kill, sir, no theatrics."

Luke shook her gently. "Jess...?" He said quietly, trying not to let panic show in his voice.

"You can rely on me. Let me prove myself. I could do more. I could kill just as easily and efficiently as him..."

He pulled a corner of the blanket away from her, starting to panic. "Are you- "

She opened her pitch-black eyes and her hand closed around his throat.

"I would do it quickly," she said, looking him in the eye.

He tried to remember any self-defence lessons from survival classes, but his mind had gone blank. He just closed his eyes and waited to black out.

She let go of him suddenly with a sharp intake of breath. He fell to his hands and knees, gasping for air and rubbing at his neck where she'd held him.

She looked down at him with large white eyes. "I'm... I'm sorry... " She babbled, looking at her hands. "Are you okay? Please say you are okay."

"F-Fine, I..." Luke swallowed, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat. He realised that Jessie was staring up at him with wide eyes and managed to catch his breath and straighten up. "See, no damage done."

"I was dreaming... I didn't think I'd wake up like that." She looked down at her hands, terrified. "I shouldn't have woken up like that, that doesn't usually happen."

"What... What were you dreaming about?" Luke asked her, rubbing at his neck.

She sat down on the bed, looking close to catatonic. "I do not want to talk about it please," she told him.