She can never know what I've done. The deal I've made.
I know everything's beginning to fall apart.
I can't do anything about it now, only 'e can. But I don't know where 'e is.
I'm so sorry.
I'm desperate to get out of the classroom as soon as possible, I need to get out of there. The heat is strangling, the worry for my mother and anger at Mary for abandoning us like this floods my body and mind until I can barely think. Chris hangs around for a few more moments before 'e disappears off somewhere – I suspect that 'e's gone to examine the school 'e would 'ave gone to 'ad 'e not died before 'e could until I'm out of 'ere.
The sound of the bell is music to my ears, I grab my briefcase from beside me and shove my exercise book inside. I stuff my blazer in as well, make sure my hair isn't sticking to my collar and march towards the end of row intent on leaving as soon as I can.
"Emma, can you stay for a second please?"
I stop and turn back to face Miss Granger, attempting to lose a guilty look I seem to acquire on my face anytime I think I've got into trouble.
It's the first time I've had a proper chance to look at her, I sit towards the back of the room and you can't really make out the finer details of her face other than "Dark hair, average height." She's rather pretty – prettier than I am, for sure – and in the late-afternoon light from the window she's almost glowing. Today 'er 'airs tied back in a simple low ponytail, she wears a pair of flared trousers and a white wide-collared shirt peeking out underneath a brown and orange jumper.
"Yes, Miss?" I ask.
She spins her chair round to face me, a serious but welcoming expression on her face. I can tell she's trying not to let her fear affect 'er.
"Who was that man outside the window that you were showin' notes to?"
When Chris first appeared, way back during the summer, we did a few experiments after no one ever seemed to notice 'im. 'e'd yell in people's faces, make stupid faces behind them in full view of everyone else and all those sorts of things. We concluded that I was the only one who could see 'im and interact with 'im.
It appears not.
I look over towards the door, resisting the urge to run out screaming. I feel my heart rate rising.
"'e's no one, Miss." I blurt out. "Just an old friend."
She doesn't look convinced by a country mile.
This is bad. This is very, very bad.
"Why was this friend 'ere when you were meant to be payin' attention to my class?"
I swallow. "'e was telling me that something 'ad 'appened with my family, Miss. Something quite urgent, that I actually need to get 'ome to." I trail off quietly.
"Why couldn't 'e 'ave told you this after school? By the school gates?"
She doesn't understand. No one really, truly does.
"My older brother died when I was 8, Miss. My mother has never fully recovered and my father ended 'is life because of 'is grief." I whisper. I 'ate saying the facts out loud. "My older sister was looking after my mother but she's just quit and I need to get 'ome so I can talk to my other sister about what we do next."
She looks like she's about to say something but she never gets the chance to say it because the door opens and an all too familiar 'ead pokes through the gap.
"Emma, what are you doing? We need to- "
'e stops once 'e sees the deer in headlights look on my face and the serious look on my teachers beside me.
{xXx}
"Sam!"
I run out of the room at the moment I 'ear the conversation Sharon is initiating with Emma, calling for my 'usband as I run past door after door after door.
"Annie?" 'e sticks 'is 'ead out of the door to the bar. "What's wrong?"
It takes a few moments for me to catch my breath once I reach 'im. Nelson comes up behind.
"Something's 'appened. With Emma and Chris."
Sam and Nelson share a glance, Nelson nods.
"Come on." Sam says quietly, taking off down the corridor followed by me and Nelson.
"'ow many doors can there be 'ere?" I remark as we 'ead back to the room where I appear to be living now.
"Too many." Sam mutters.
The lights 'ave gone out by the time we make it back, Sam grabs 'is torch from 'is pocket and shines it around the room. The screens are pitch black, for the first time since I started watching them. Nelson flicks the light switch a couple of times but nothing 'appens, the power's completely gone.
"'e's cut the power." I remark the obvious.
Sam nods. "Whatever's going on in there, 'e obviously doesn't want us to see it."
"Something's gone wrong then." I say. "'e wouldn't cut the video unless something doesn't go the way 'e wants it to."
"Get out your torch, Annie." Sam says. I do as 'e asks. "Shine it at the ceiling."
I do, as does 'e. The room is suddenly a lot lighter, but in a creepy way that sends shivers down my spine. You can actually see the blankets and books I've 'ad to occupy myself during the long 'ours in 'ere.
"'ow does that work?" I ask, moving the light up and down to make the room brighter and dimmer.
"The light reflects off the white paint on the ceiling, which means that the room's light." Sam says and stands 'is torch on a filing cabinet and I do the same.
'e looks around for any power switch but turns up with nothing. Nelson and I just stand there.
"What 'appened just before you came to get us?" Sam asks, leaning against the desk.
I clear my throat. "Chris 'ad been giving messages to Emma through the window during 'er English lesson, Sharon 'ad obviously noticed and asked Emma what she were doing after class." I pause. "It were obvious she'd seen 'im."
"And whoever's doing this wants Chris to only be visible to Emma." Sam says.
"Chris came in just before I went to get you." I say quietly.
"So we have no idea what's going on?" Nelson asks.
"None at all." Sam flicks the light switch again to no avail. "And I suspect we won't for a while."
The lights flicker above us and shatter into a million pieces. Chris shrieks and covers 'is 'ead, letting the door slam behind 'im. I look outside to find that the sky is dark and ominous, foreshadowing a storm to come.
"Chris." I say, gesturing 'im over but never taking my eyes off the ceiling.
"It's you." Miss says behind me, quiet. "The man I saw in my dreams."
A swirl of wind begins to blow, which centres in the middle of the room as it blows paper and strands of dark hair from our scalps. Chris and I share a glance.
"What's going on?" Miss shouts of the sound of crackling paper.
"I don't know." I reply, too quietly to be 'eard.
I notice that she keeps looking at Chris, like she can't believe 'e's 'ere. I don't know 'ow she knows my brother and to be honest, I don't want to know. What I saw during that dream was enough.
"Could this be connected to- "
"I think so, yes." I swallow. She looks absolutely bloody terrified.
I look into 'er eyes and for one second I think I see a different version of 'er, in a police uniform except it isn't a uniform I've ever seen. I freeze for just one moment before something shifts and I turn my attention onto the rapidly spinning tornado.
A shadow is beginning to appear, the outline beginning to form and growing. I seek out my brother's 'and in an attempt to offer some comfort. I never take my eyes off the beast.
"Emma?" Chris whispers softly.
"I don't know who or what it is, Chris." I reply.
It continues on its path of growth, bigger by the second as the features, for a moment, fill out and the turn fuzzy and undefined. It settles on its final form, slick black 'air and undefined features like I'm looking through smoke or water. Miss obviously recognises the figure, as she begins to back away towards the blackboard in fear. I recognise 'im as well though the last I saw it was more undefined and mysterious.
"Hello." It steps forward, out of the carnage. "Sharon, Emma and… Chris, isn't it? I don't believe we've met before."
"What. Are. You." I say through gritted teeth and grabbing a rolled-up piece of paper from Miss's desk.
It laughs. "I'm your worst nightmare, Emma." It marches over and grabs the piece of paper, ripping it into pieces.
Miss looks at me and the paper, as it falls to the floor.
"What are you 'ere for this time?" She asks it.
"Just checking up on my favourite people." It announces. "Seeing how they are."
It strokes the 'airs underneath my chin, I bat its hand away.
"Look at you three." It says. "Two of the Skelton siblings, and Sharon Granger." It pauses. "It's not a very good name, is it? No wonder you're lost to this world."
"You can't do anything to us 'ere." Miss says. "One shout and I can get the entire English department running down 'ere."
"Oh, can you?" It laughs. "I don't think you can – but I can do so much more." 'e clears 'is throat. "For example."
It waves its hand at Miss Granger and she stumbles backwards, 'olding onto 'er 'ead.
"Where am I? What's going on?" She looks over at me and Chris. "Chris? Is that you? Where are we, what's 'appening? Where's Ma'am and the Guv?"
"Or this?" It says, and waves 'is 'and at Chris.
Chris turns to me and all I can see is 'im in the water, sinking lower and lower as the rain drums on the leaves above. 'e's back to being 11, a skinny scrap of a boy with a soaked mop of dark 'air and no raincoat. 'is clothes are soaked through to the skin, 'is eyes a deep dark 'ollow of dark and black.
"Emma?" 'e asks, the same voice from all those years ago but drenched in reverb.
I screw my eyes shut and throw my 'ands over my ears, blocking out the rest of the world.
You can't escape from me, Emma.
It's invaded my mind and now I know that its been lurking there, hidden for months. Watching all of my thoughts and laughing behind my back.
"No… no…" I whisper.
"You're Emma?" Miss – or someone who looks like 'er – asks. "But Chris said that you'd gone."
The word gone reverberates over and over again and I feel the sleek drip of water on my back, a memory tries to push through but its unable.
"What are you doing?" I burst out, feeling it soak into me and my clothes.
"Rescuing you. Rescuing all of you from a construct." It growls.
It kneels down and presses its hands to the floor, reforming the shards of glass from the lights into something more sinister and pointed.
"Oh yes. One last thing." It whispers. "It's time to show all of you what could have happened if I'd not saved you."
It hangs in air for just one moment before it flies towards me, so quick I can't react. I feel it puncture all of my organs, the pain not hitting until its all too late. My 'ands jump to my abdomen and I feel warm, sticky blood coat my 'ands.
I can't breathe. I can't breathe. Every breath is coated in red and flashes pass on my eyes. I stumble for a moment and collapse to the floor, Chris on top of me.
"Emma, it's going to be alright. I promise." 'e grabs my 'ands.
"But will it?" It asks from behind 'im. "You don't know that."
"'ow could you do this to 'er, she's 16." Chris says shakily. "You can't do this, not after- "
"Oh, coming back to you is it?" It laughs. "Not for long."
"Chris." I manage to get out through the pain and haze.
"You'll be fine, Emma." 'e says, tears pooling.
"I love you."
"Emma! No, no you can't go."
"Emma!"
It's so strange, this feeling of weightlessness.
I'm free.