Page 17 of While They Watch

Maya let one in, and it took her. I tried to save her but I couldn’t, so I followed them. It took her into a hollow tree. I know how it sounds… but I think it’s where they live. There is nothing for me to protect now. I don’t care if I live. If anyone is reading this. I tried.

I love you, Mom, and Dad. I love you, little Maya. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.

Maya? My mind flashes to the locket I found in the grass--the one I thought had a small M etched onto its surface. I hop up and run down the stairs and back to the kitchen where I left my jacket. I set the notes on the counter before digging in my pockets, pulling out the dainty gold necklace. I can’t believe I forgot about this.

Now with the light from the cabin I’m able to see it's definitely an M on this locket. I clumsily try to open the heart, the wear on it making it difficult. I don’t want to break it, so I take a moment to slow down. I take a deep breath before gently pulling it open.

I can barely see the pictures that have been placed on each half of the heart. I bring the locket closer to a light, holding it directly underneath. The pictures are water damaged and faded. One so badly damaged I can’t see anything at all but the second picture is of two girls. It’s hard to tell much about them but could this necklace have belonged to little Maya? I shudder at the idea, knowing how her story ends. If it is, this other girl must be the author of the notes. Putting faces with those entries makes them even more terrifying.

What do I do with the information, with this story? How did these pages get tucked away into a Bible? Was she the one who put them there? I want to believe that it’s a horrible prank, that it can’t be real but if it’s true, it reads like a warning. I don’t know what to do. I can’t just stand around, obsessing over this.

I grab the notes along with the necklace and take them over to the bookshelf. I pull out the Bible, shoving the notes back inside before taking it all to my suitcase and placing the book inside. Lastly, I lay the locket inside the Bible’s cover before gently closing it.

I feel momentarily guilty at the idea that I’m stealing these things but I have to. When we get out of here, I’m going to do something. I’m going to find some kind of information about this family. I don’t know how but I’ll figure it out.

A clap of thunder startles me from my thoughts, bringing on a new worry. I hope Luke isn’t going to get caught out in a storm. Maybe I should go after him? He should be back by now. Will that make things worse? The last thing I want to do is get lost in the woods by myself, especially with these cryptic notes floating around in my mind.

I walk back over to the small window in the door, hoping I will see him walking up but the yard is empty, not even any little animals scurrying around. I sigh and walk back to the kitchen, grabbing a slice of leftover pizza. Having something in my stomach feels like it will help. Hopefully make my mind feel less frazzled. At the bare minimum it might give me more energy. Although, I don’t think anything is going to cure this horrible feeling of waiting and not knowing.

I pace around the kitchen, cleaning everything in sight, just to keep my hands busy. My mind is going through every worst-case scenario. I create a cycle of sitting, pacing and looking out different windows as the minutes turn into hours. Eventually, when exhaustion starts to slow me down, I decide to try and rest. I don’t want to be all the way upstairs though, so I can keep listening for Luke. I sink onto the couch and let all the emotions I have been holding back finally come out. I knew once I opened myself up to those feelings, there might not be any stopping them. I don’t have the willpower to care anymore. I’m alone, scared, cold, and unsure if Luke will come back. I let myself feel as deeply as I need until I get so tired that my eyes won’t stay open. I don’t know how long it takes, but eventually sleep takes hold of me.

Chapter Fourteen

I see myself from far away. I can’t feel myself though. My mind is only partly my own. My thoughts feel more like distant memories in this place. The other part of my mind is loud. It’s taking more and more, barely leaving any of me behind. As I watch myself, I don’t have good thoughts. I don’t like this version of me, this girl I watch. I have a strong urge to run at her, to hurt her. No. That’s this new mind, like a virus. Screams start ricocheting around the trees like bullets.

I jolt awake. A quiet memory of a scream echoing through my mind. It’s so dark when I open my eyes that I can’t remember where I am. Slowly, as my conscious mind takes more control, the events of yesterday come back. I sit up quickly, wondering if Luke is still gone. I call out to him but I get no response. I look around the room, not remembering turning off the lights, although that doesn’t mean anything in this place. I reach into my pocket, remembering the flashlight I found. As I switch it on, the light flickers before fully illuminating. As I shine the light around the room, nothing seems different. I’m still in the living room and I’m still alone. I find the nearest light switch and flip it, but nothing happens. The power must be out. The thought makes me pause long enough to realize that it’s raining. I can hear the pattering on the windows. I walk to the closest window but it’s so dark outside I can’t see anything.

A bolt of lightning strikes somewhere in the distance and the flash gives off enough light that I can see it’s not only raining outside, it’s pouring. I turn away from the window pointing my flashlight toward the hallway as a clap of thunder startles me so badly that I drop my light. I bend down and pick it back up. As I shine it down the hallway again, I see the front door is wide open, the rain blowing inside. I feel like I can’t breathe as I try to ignore my mind telling me to find a place to hide.

Instead, I run toward the door. As I get close, another lightning strike illuminates the yard, giving me a glimpse of an abnormally tall, humanoid figure standing in the middle of the yard. I don’t let the pure terror I feel stop me as I slam the door shut and lock it. I repeat in my mind that this isn’t real. I say it to myself until I almost believe it, until my breathing slows. I look toward the stairs but I can barely see them with the limited amount of light I hold in my hand. My heart is pounding wildly in my chest, as I once again wonder if someone could be in the cabin with me. I tell myself that it could be Luke. It has to be.

The notes I found are playing over and over in my head. ‘Don’t let them in.’ I smack my head, forcing myself to remember this isn’t real. Something pounds on the door, but when I look back, all I can see is darkness. I run up the stairs as fast as I can and when I get to the hallway, the lights turn back on. The sudden brightness startles me, causing me to trip over my own feet and almost fall but I catch myself. The intense feeling that someone is behind me creates an overwhelming need to reach the bedroom as I push myself to run a little faster. I burst into the room, turning around and slamming the door closed behind me.

When I turn to look into the room, there sitting on the bed is Luke. My first reaction is one of relief but as I keep looking at him, uneasiness creeps back in. His hair is soaking wet, dripping down into an open gash on his forehead. Blood and water are mixing as they soak through his shirt. I slowly walk over, not wanting to scare him. As I crouch in front of him, I lay my hands on his cheeks and stare up at his pale face. He doesn’t react so I scoot closer, wrapping my arms around him to hug him. His arms stay limp next to him, but I don’t care. I breathe in his familiar scent as I let myself sink into him further. It’s then I realize that I’m shaking. My teeth are chattering even though I don’t feel cold. I feel like I’m suffocating with anxiety. Replaying every negative thought I had while he was gone and every fear I have about what comes next. Suddenly, I feel his arms wrapping around me, pulling me close.

“Hey, what's wrong, Babe?” He says it tenderly. I look up at him, his eyes are filled with so much care and worry.

“This is all a dream, right? We’re really at home in bed and fell asleep watching a scary movie. But none of this is real, right?”

“What do you mean? Did you have a nightmare? Let’s get back into bed. I’ll hold you until you fall back asleep.

“No, Luke. We can’t just go back to sleep. We need to talk about what happened last night. I was up all night, waiting for you. Why didn’t you come find me before coming up here?” I ask, my frustration growing the more dumbfounded he looks.

“What are you talking about? We just had a great day. Granted, a weird afternoon, but overall, I thought the trip was turning around?” Now it’s my turn to feel confused.

“You mean, you don’t remember trying to leave, the car not starting, the stranger who was screaming in the woods?” My eyes are wide and I can’t understand how he doesn’t remember any of this. I spend the next few minutes trying to remind him of everything that has happened since yesterday morning, but he continues to only look more confused. “You really have no memory of any of this?” He shakes his head, anxious energy rolling off him.

“The last thing I remember is our picnic by the lake and then coming back here and having pizza.”

“Do you remember us getting lost in the woods?” He thinks for a moment and then nods.

“Yeah, you were upset with me, but I also remember it ending on a good note. We made it home and had a good rest of the night.”

“Yes and no. There was a lot of weird stuff that happened last night. A lot of weird stuff has been happening since we got here and honestly Luke… I’m having a hard time being able to tell what’s real and what isn’t. I’m seeing a lot of stuff that you don’t seem to be. And… when I get stressed… I have a past record of this sort of thing. I mean… it wouldn’t be surprising if…”

He cuts me off, “Hanna. Stop. Stress affects people in a lot of different ways. This isn’t like what happened before, and I know I wasn’t around back then, but you can’t let your past define the rest of your life.”

I lean back into him, nodding into his neck and whisper, “There’s something wrong here. Something is outside. Watching us. Waiting for us to make a wrong move. If you trust me, then I need you to stop running off and help me figure out a way out of here.” Before he can answer, he starts coughing violently. A sound from deep in his chest as his body stiffens in my arms. I sit back so I can get a better look at him. His face is turning purple and his eyes are wide. I pat his back instinctively. Once he stops, he looks up at me with bloodshot eyes. With his next blink, it’s like he resets. He stops coughing and stares at me with emotionless eyes.