It's one of those nights again, when Alex can barely get any sleep and all she can do is sit and stare at the moonlight shining down on Ergastulum. Her skin crawls as the shadows grow longer and darker, a sense of foreboding training down on her.
She hears the drip drip of thick liquid and the stumbling steps of a damned man.
Alex whirls around on the couch, her heart beats simultaneously rocketing upwards and stopping. She knows that crooked smile and empty eyes. She knows how that blood got over his meticulously cleaned shirt and shoes.
"Barry…" she manages to breathe out.
(But it can't be be. He's dead. She knows this for a fact. She's made sure of this.)
Barry–or the phantom of him–smirks even more, revealing missing teeth and a murderous intent. He moves forward. "Alex, why are you still here? Nobody want you around."
"You're not here. You're dead," Alex mutters, not taking her eyes off the man. "You're dead."
Barry takes another step, so he's right in front of her. She can smell his rancid breath and feel the blood drip onto her cheeks. She wants to recoil, but she can't. "But you know what I'm saying is true, Alex. You're a worthless piece of shit."
"I don't believe you," she whimpers. (Oh, but she does. She knows the truth. She's useless and a burden to everyone.) "You're a liar and you're not here!"
(He's not actually there, Alex knows Barry is implanted into her mind. She knows that the terror and fear of him remains, even if his soul has gone to hell. Sheknows, but she can't bring herself to believe.)
Her nails are digging into her skin. It's not just his blood on her hands now. "You're not here!"
I'm so scared.
Someone help me.
Please.
It's then she feels a warm hand land on her shoulder. She's too shocked to scream, only able to jerk her head to see Nicolas staring down at her. There are lines of worry etched faintly on his face.
"Why are you still up?" Nicolas signs with one hand.
Alex takes a glance back at Barry, but he's gone. It's just her own blood on her hands now and her entire body is slick with cold sweat. "It's nothing."
Barry's not here.
Nicolas just looks at her. He's wordless, searching her face for something. Then he deposits something into her lap and turns back to his bedroom. "Go get some sleep."
It's her pills that Nicolas gave her. Wondering when he got them, Alex swallows them down and curls up into the couch. She clutches the pillow as she watches the door close behind Nicolas.
The warmth of his hand remains on her shoulder.