Waking up in a cold sweat was starting to become my norm. I kept having the same feeling every night, that someone was watching me. Its like mid dream everything just stops and my eyes blaze open and my body subconsciously shoots up and im already gasping for air, my body just does it on reflex i have no control over it anymore. But sitting there in the blackness of my room with only the clock blinking 3:37 like every night before it always said the same thing, I was starting to think that it was broken. I laid back down and tried to close my eyes but they were glued open, all I could do was lay there and stare at the ceiling watching the occasional reflection of car lights on the ceiling. I didnt bother looking at the clock anymore for the fear that it still might read 3:37.
Dragging my feet out of my truck I almost tripped myself. There was only a few people in the parking lot but they all got unamused by me falling a couple days after I started here. I breifly looked up to grunt at the big woden sign stating Welcome to Honey Springs. I had barely slept in the last 2 weeks I am starting to run out of steam. My hood was lunked over my head to help block the sun, my eyes were starting to become light sensitive. The last few weeks have been unusually sunny for Honey Springs, the weather here is normally gloomy and dreadfull but lately it has been seemingly beautiful. I would probably enjoy it more if I could sleep, I wouldn't be like a walking zombie. There is only so much more I can take on so little sleep, all of the laughing every time I walk into something is making that threshold shorter and shorter. My last class of the day I didnt even make it through. I could no longer concentrate on school. The only thing on my mind was my bed. I left my truck in the school parking lot and decided to walk home, Id rather not kill someone because I cant sleep at night. I made it about 3 blocks from the school when I fell to my knees. my legs would take me no further. I had nothing left, my engine was stopping right here. I moved enough so I was propped up on the fence that lined the sidewalk infront of the house I almost collapsed infront of. I held my head on my arms and just sat there trying to muster up the strength to walk another 2 blocks. I started to wonder if my sleepless nights were trying to tell me something. My own personal apocolypse? Did I have a medical issue? Or was I just thinking about something to hard my brain wont shut off.. I couldn't come up with an answer. After sitting on the sidewalk for about 20 minutes I tried to get up. I had enough strength to stand, now lets see how far my feet will take me before I fall again. My phone rang in my pocket, I normally like my ringtone but right now I wanted to break my phone, it was loud, high pitched and very annoying. I puled it out to see a mesage from Layne the message read, 'Where are you, your truck is here but your not!' I smiled a little when i realized someone noticed that I was missing. Layne and I were friends even before I came back to Honey Springs. I responded, "I am stumbling home, didnt sleep again last night. Didn't feel safe enough to drive home' It didnt take long before i got an answer back, 'I'll catch up with you' Won't be to hard I thought to myself. I was about a block away from my house when my legs gave out again, this time I knew it was different, i didnt even have the strength to move my arms to prop myself up. All I could do was lay there.
"Jay!" I could hear Layne running towards me, but I still couldnt move. "Jay are you okay?" He rolled me over and I just looked at him, "What happened?" His hand found the side of my face,
"I fell, I dont have enough strengt to get up this time, I fell about a black back and I had to sit there to gain some strength back" I realized that I was fighting back tears, "I just want to go home" I closed my eyes and a tear escaped my grasp. Layne leaned down and hugged me,
"Jay it's okay, I'll get you home alright" He held my shoulders with one arm and my legs with the other and carried me the rest of the way home. I didn't want my mom to see him carrying me, "Stop wiggling, I'm going to drop you" Layne was trying not to laugh as I tried to flop around,
"Put me down, I ddont want my mom to see this" He put me on the ground and wrapped my arm around his shoulder so he could still support me, I opened the door and heard nothing but creaks coming from the living room, multiple voices... Again. "Great, my mom is working again" I rolled my eyes. They felt like they were going to get stuck, Layne started walking to the stairs so we could go to my bedroom. As soon as I saw the clock I wanted to throw up. "What time does the clock say?" All te blood felt like it drained from my face,
"2:30 why?" Layne was as confused as all hell, he was starting to sound worried,
"Nothing, dont worry about it." I shook my head, the clock once again said 3:37. What the hell was going on here? We sat on my bed, I laid backwards on my pillow, I could tell that Layne was about to leave, "Hey" I was barely whispering, "Please don't leave, if I know my mom she's on something and there is a strange man in my living room, please don't leave me" Those tears were about to start breaking the surface again. I didn;t know what else to do, I had no strength to do anything else. The a moment the sky darkened and my eyes stopped hurting, I thought it was going to stay dark, but within seconds the sun was beaming through my window again. I squinted to let as little light through as possible, I didnt even have to say anything, Layne got up to close the curtains. I could no longer hold back the tears. Two weeks this has been going on, no sleep, seemless days and nights, the clock agonizing always reading 3:37. I didn;t know what else to do except cry, I was breaking.
"Jay what is wrong, talk to me" He laid down beside me proped up on his elbow so he could see my face. I could tell he was worried, concerned, and frightened. He has never seen me like this before.
"Layne, I dont know how to explain it. Every time I close my eyes i get this over whelming feeling that someone is watching me, and my eyes just open, I can't help it. Once that happens the clock seems to be glued on 3:37. That's why I asked. I don't know what else to do. I've tried pills, I've tried everything except alcohol, and I dont drink you know that. Please help me" I sat up and just couldn't hold it in anymore, I broke down, my hands craddled my frangile face as tears seemed to just stream out of my eyes. Layne moved so he was beside me again, his arms felt warm against my cold skin, it felt good, my head found his chest, his hand found the side of my face again. We sat there slowly rocking back and forth for a while, the tears seemed endless.
"I'll stay Jay, just say the words" His voice was meaningful and soft, but I was speechless, I just nodded and he got the message. Once the streams stopped running from my eyes, I actually felt tired, like every night, the difference was could I actually sleep. When I laid down, Layne left the room, I don't know where he went but I didn't feel as comfortable, once again like something was watching me. The clock flashed but this time it read 3:12. At least it wasn't the same. When Layne came back he had a sandwich and water. "You need to eat missy" I wanted the water first, my mouth felt like there was coton balls in it. The glass was empty and the sandwich looked delicious.
"Thank you" I grabbed his hand and just loked at him, like really looked at him. His gorgeous ice blue eyes were smiling with the rest of his face, his dirty blond hair was still spiked from school, he hasn't gone home yet. His eyes just dug into me, I couldn't help it. He was my best friend, has been since we were 4. When I realized what time it actually was i remembered something, "You are going to miss you football practice" I tried to sit up but he wouldnt let me.
"Jay it's alright, I can miss one practice" His smile was radiant. He laid down next to me, I was quick to cuddle up to him. I laid my head on his chest and wrapped my arm around him. I could feel his warm arm on my back, it made me shudder. His heart beat would quicken every time i moved. I closed my eyes and I did end up falling asleep, I was asleep for maybe 4 hours when I had the feeling I was being watched. My body shot up and once again I was left gasping for air. My gasping was loud enough to wake up Layne, "Jay are you okay?" He was looking around, for anything that wasn't supposed to be in the room. But I knew where it was coming from, the window. it moves from window to window, one night i would be from the street window, the next the forest window.
"I'm fine, I felt it again" I didn't want to look at the clock, "What time is it?" I took in a deep breath waiting for the answer,
"3:38" He said no more, I let out my breath, He laid back down pulling me with him, I did eventually fall back asleep, with some assistance. Layne rubbed my back until I was asleep. The next time I woke up it was because there was a loud breaking noise from dowstairs. I heard what sounded like a bottle and a scream. I got out of bed with Layne on my heels to catch me if needed, I got to the stairs and wasn't sure if the guy was still here, "Let me go first" whispering we slowly crept down that stairs. He lifted his hand telling me to stop when we got to the bottom. The kitchen light was on, I could see my moms showdow, then the male voice came in,
"Get out now!" My mom screamed again, "Get out! You are done here now GET OUT!" there was another smash, that one was full. Layne grabbed my hand and we crept to the kitchen,
"What are you going to do? You are alost out of wine bottles baby. I still got 200$ worth, Maybe your daughter would like it this time. I could ust imagine that pretty face" His voice was smug, Layne tightened his grip on my hand the same time I did. I am so happy he stayed now,
"Dont you dare touch my daughter" My mother was drunk I could hear her having trouble talking, "Your business is with me not her" We were peeking in the kitchen now, The man was about 5 feet from my mom, he was only wearing boxers and my mom the same only in her underwear. He was about to turn towards the door when she stepped to him, "I mean it do not touch my daughter" She grabbed his shoulder,
"Are you going to stop me?" His smug voice made me want to throw up. Silence fell throughout the house. There was a loud smash that came from my room. My mom and the guy looked in our direction and we ducked behind the wall. I immediately felt uncomfortable, something was watching me again. I tightened even more on Layne's hand. "I didnt think so" The man turned towards the door again and started walking our way,
"She might not be able to stop you but I can, and will" Layne stood up and put his hand infront of him to stop the guy from walking any farther, "I think it's time that you leave" Layne's voice was stern, he wasn;t messing around.
"What are you going to do Junior?" He looked Layne up and down and just laughed, They were about the same size but I didn;t want this to turn into a fight. "Exactly, now i' going to finish my business here so get out of my way" The mans hands thrust towards Layne's shoulders and shoved him back. I could hear my mom in the kitchen stumbling towards the man, "Woman you touch me and you get it" He turned halfway to threaten her, Layne took advantage of it. He tackled the man to the ground and held him there,
"You do not threaten women. Did you not grow up with manners?" The man was struggling against his grip, He must be on something to, because this wouldn't be so one sided if he was sober. "Jay get the rest of the money from your mom so this guy can leave now" Layne shoved his knee harder into the man shoulder blades. My mom got me the money and Layne liften the man to his feet, We walked to the door, the man trying to fight out of Layne's grip the entire way down the hallway, once we were at the door, I tossed the money outside and Layne shoved him out. "And don't ever come near here again" The door closed in his face. The house was silent again, there was another sound from my room. This time it was a bang. Layne grabbed my hand and we slowly went upstairs. He pushed my door open and turned the lights on. What we saw after was new. The window that i felt something watching me from was broken, one of the panes was completely shattered and the rest were cracked. There was also a huge dent in the drywall above my bed, it was oval in shape about two feet by a foot. I didn't feel anything watching me though, It felt like every other time i was in my room, the clock didn't even read 3:37. it was 4:14.
"What, the, hell." Layne was standing there shaking his head,"Has this ever happened before?" his head slowly turned to face me, I just shook my head, wide eyed and scared i wanted to curl into a ball and fall over. But I had my strength back. "We are going to my house" He walked into the room, being careful of the glass and grabbed his stuff, as well as clothes for me. I may have had my strength back but I was scared. Nothing of this magnitude has ever happened before.
