In the shadows. (H.S) [A.U]

Chapter 11

I can't find Ethan. Where is he? He isn't in his room. Mom and Dad aren't home as well. Where is everyone? Maybe I should check the backyard. I open the back door, and walk out into the backyard.

Why is it so dark outside? I start walking, suddenly I'm not in the backyard of my house. I'm in the woods. I keep walking, calling out for Ethan, Mom and Dad. But I stop in my tracks when I see a figure standing in front of me. 

Oh God. It's him. Alex. What is he doing here? I thought he was not real, or so I was told. This can't be real. No. No. No. I start walking backwards, I turn on my heel and start running. But he's standing in front of me again. He smirks.

"Long time no see, Eliza." shivers run down my spine at his words.

"Why are you here? Leave me alone!" I yell at him. He just won't go away.
"He's not real. He can't be. It's just my imagination. No, he's not real." I keep mumbling to myself.

"Oh no, Eliza. See that's where you're wrong, baby. I was real enough for you back then. What's changed? I'm still the same Alex. I am real. And you can't escape me."

"NO. NO. YOU'RE NOT REAL." I close my eyes and cover my ears as tears run down my face and I fall to the ground on my knees.

"Eliza, baby, come on. I have missed you. And I came back. Just for you," he crouches down in front of me and chuckles as he says it.

"Stop calling me that. I must be hallucinating. Mom! Dad! Ethan! Liam! Someone! Help me!"

"No one is going to be able to help you this time, Eliza. You can run but you can't hide. But I won't do anything. If not me, he will come for you," he smirks and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.

"W-who?"

"Oh you already know who I'm talking about."

Harry...?

"No..." I start to move away from him, crawling backwards.

"No. No. No. NOOOO"

I scream and my eyes shoot open, tears running down my cheeks. I'm shaking.

"No. No. No. It was just a nightmare. Nothing more. It wasn't real. HE wasn't real. He never was."

.

.

.

"Liz... Elizabeth!"

I hear Christina say from beside me. I look at her and her face is full of worry. I turn to look at Niall only to be met with the same expression.

"Yeah? What? Sorry I wasn't listening."

"Liz, are you okay? What's going on? You seem so lost today," Niall says as he holds my hand.

I zoned out. We were at the same cafe, getting food after our classes as always.  However, I don't even remember what happened today. It was all so blurry. I was so lost in my thoughts about that nightmare.

Even when Zayn was trying to talk to me, I just left. I didn't say a word to him. He couldn't even finish his sentence as I walked away. He called after me but I kept walking.

"No. Nothing. I'm fine. I'm not hungry. You guys can eat, I'm gonna head to my house." I say as I pick up my bag and my stuff.

"Wait. What is it? Something is clearly bothering you. Come on you can tell me," Christina says.

"Umm, no it's nothing. I'm just tired that's all. It's been a long day."

"Do you want us to come over again? We can come over and watch a movie. If not, then you can come over to my place. We can watch any show that you want. Lucifer? Friends? The office?" Niall keeps on asking. It's pretty clear that he's worried about me.

I just want to stay away from everyone. I feel like cutting off everyone from my life today. All I know is that I want to be alone.

"No, it's totally fine, Niall. I'll call you if I need anything or a cuddle," I force a smile. Both of them make an expression clearly calling bullshit.

Stop ittt.

"Bye." I say and walk out of the door of the cafe before any of them have a chance to respond.

I need to be alone. I don't want anyone coming close to me. I didn't even hug Niall today. The hurt was clear on his face. But I just want to be alone. I need to be alone.

I make it to my house as soon as I can. I go straight to the kitchen and sit on one of the stools. I put my head in my hands, tugging my hair. I groan.

"Today has been absolutely shit." I say to myself.

What did that nightmare even mean? Alex. Why was he back? What does he want?

No. No. He's not real. Again, he's not real. He was just a part of my fucked up imagination. Then turned into hallucinations. But, he wasn't real. And he still isn't.

He's just someone that I created as a kid. Every child has imaginary friends. So did I. But the difference is, my imaginary friend turned out to be uncontrollable.

I remember I created him when my parents had stopped caring for me. Everything was about Ethan. I was just the jealous one. In reality, I was never jealous. I was just sad. I loved Ethan so much. But the double standards of my parents messed up my childhood. I used to lock myself in my room. I never had any friends except Christina. I used to have Ethan, but then he turned on me. He never cared for me. 

It was then, I created Alex. He was the one who believed me. Who was there for me. My parents never minded. I became so obsessed with the thought of him that he appeared even when I didn't want him to. He never left me alone. I saw him everywhere i went. I just couldn't get rid of him. He began to terrify me. He became even more horrifying each time I saw him. I was threatened by something that was just a figment of my own imagination.

Things got worse with time. I used to cry every time I saw him. He threatened to kill my family if I told anyone. When it all got out of control, at the age of fifteen, my parents finally noticed that it was getting out of hand when Liam stood up for me. They got me treated. After that, I never saw Alex again.

That's the reason I didn't believe that there was actually someone following me all this time. I moved to England a year after Christina did. I wanted to get away from my parents.

I could never forgive my parents for what they did or more like didn't do. They knew that something was wrong with me but they never paid attention to it. 

It took them five years. Five years to notice that I was totally not okay. Five years of torture and suffering. Five years of me trying to to get them to believe me but according to them, I was just trying to get their attention by acting this way.

Even Ethan knew. He knew about Alex. He just made fun of me. He never told my parents about it. He left me to suffer too. Siblings are supposed to be there for each other. Even when I was being treated, he just never seemed to care.

It broke me. They broke me. My family was the cause of my messed up childhood.

It took them too long to realize their mistake. It was too late for them. Ever since I moved here, they have been trying to contact me. I don't want to talk. Just take the hint! I don't want to be near you.

But what happened in that nightmare is terrifying me even more. He was gone. Forever. And now, he came in my dream out of nowhere. He said he was back for me. But he said that he wouldn't do anything. That's even worse because he said he wouldn't but he will.

Harry will.

-_-_-_-_-_-

A.N:

Tom Ellis (aka our beloved Lucifer) as Alex.