Aria's POV:
I wake up and for a minute I have no idea where I am. I feel the soft covers, the fluffy pillows and am confused – surely this can't be where I was before. In that mental hospital. I open my eyes and blink until the room comes into focus.
It's a room I know all too well and breathe a sigh of relief. Ezra's room. I'm so happy – for two days I actually don't have to be back there, for two days I'm free to see my friends and don't have to stay locked up in that room.
I roll over to look out of the window, but instead of smiling, I scream. Alison is standing in front of the window, smiling at me. "Good morning, Aria." She smiles, coming to sit on the bed next to me. I'm automatically awake and sit up, jumping out of bed.
"Get out, Alison." I say, trying to stop trembling.
I have to fight this. I have to learn to stop these stupid hallucinations. Because then I can get out of that hell hole and get back to normal – go to school and see my friends, be with Ezra and just have a normal life again.
"Don't be scared, Aria. You know I'm just here to check up on you." She smiles, one that I've never forgotten.
"You're not real. You're not alive. Get out, Alison." I say, biting my lip to stop me screaming.
"Aria, I have some information on A. That imposter pretending to be me, I need you to listen to me before Ezra gets back."
Ezra isn't here. Oh my god. I only just realised that Ezra really isn't here. What if she tries to hurt me again. Oh my god. "Get out, Alison." I scream, "Get out! Leave me alone!"
"I will when you let me tell you who A is." She says calmly, taking a step towards me.
"You're not real. You're not Alison – Alison isn't alive anymore." I say, mainly to myself, trying to calm myself down and stop this.
"A is trying to hurt you, Aria. Let me help you."
"No!" I scream. "I don't need your help!" I put my hands over my ears and close my eyes and start to hum loudly, trying to drown out Alison's words.
She's not really there. She isn't alive. She doesn't know who A is. It's just your imagination, Aria. Just stop it. If you want to get out of that hospital, you have to stop this. I'm still humming as I tell myself these things over and over again.
I only stop to scream when someone grabs my shoulders. I open my eyes and see Ezra, his eyes full of worry and his arms around me. "Ezra," I choke, hugging him. "You left." I say.
"It's alright, I'm sorry." He says, stroking my hair. "I'll stay here from now on. But guess where I went?" He says with a smile, brushing my hair out of my face.
"Where?"
He steps aside and I see Emily in the doorway. I can see she's nervous, but I rush at her and hug her. "Em!" I say. "I've missed you so much!"
It takes her a moment before she hugs me back. "I've missed you too!" She says. "It's not the same without you around, it really isn't."
"Where are Hanna and Spencer?" I ask, thinking maybe they didn't want to come and see me.
"They're on their way. We've had an actual encounter with A." She says and I frown. "Mr Fitz nearly caught her."
"Her?" I ask and Emily nods.
"She followed me into the graveyard. I'm 100% sure it was a girl."
I frown again. "Why were you in a graveyard alone? And why was Ezra there?"
"It's a long story, I'll explain when Hanna and Spencer get here." She says, then smiles at me. "How've you been? You look... not as bad as I thought you would."
I can't help but laugh. "They let me out because they think my being with Ezra is helping."
Emily nods. "I'm sure it is. Do they treat you well?"
I shake my head. "No. It's hell in there. I'm just so glad to get out for a bit." I pause. "But I want you to tell me all about A. I want to help bring her down."