Chapter 1: The First Crack

Jeanette had always been the calm one, the steady one. But lately, she felt the calm slipping through her fingers, like sand in the wind. The days were starting to blur, and her mind… her mind was no longer her own. The whispers were back. Soft at first, like a distant murmur, but now growing louder every night.

She barely slept anymore. When she did, her dreams were nightmares, filled with dark figures and distorted shapes that shifted just out of focus, making her heart race. The worst part wasn't the dreams themselves; it was the feeling that they followed her, lingering when she woke. Sometimes, the shadows seemed to move on their own. Sometimes, she thought she could hear voices calling her name.

Brittany had noticed her distance. As usual, though, she was too wrapped up in her phone to say anything more than a passing comment.

"Jeanette, you look like you haven't slept in days," Brittany had said without looking up. "You good? You can come hang out at the mall tomorrow if you want, just like old times."

Jeanette had smiled weakly. "I'm fine, really."

Eleanor had noticed too, of course. She always did. Her sister's concerned gaze was hard to ignore, especially when Jeanette knew she could see through her forced smiles. "Jeanette," Eleanor had said softly, "Are you sure you're okay? You don't have to keep everything bottled up, you know."

"I'm fine, Ellie," Jeanette had assured her, not believing her own words. I'm fine, she repeated, even though the shadows were starting to make their way into the corners of her mind, more persistent every day.

--

That night, it was worse.

The whispers started as soon as she closed her eyes. They were so quiet at first, almost like a breeze, but then… they grew. They grew into words she could barely understand, jumbled and distant, but still… there. She tried to ignore them, but they kept coming back, louder, clearer, until she was certain they were more than just figments of her imagination. You can't run from them. You can't hide.

Jeanette sat up in bed, her breath quickening. It's nothing. It's just in my head. But the shadows in the corners of her room seemed closer now, more pronounced, as though they were watching her. I need to get out of here.

She stood up, her legs shaky, her mind a jumbled mess. The house felt too small, too suffocating. The shadows stretched towards her, reaching out as if trying to pull her back. No, I'm fine, she thought again, but the feeling of being followed wouldn't leave her.

--

She didn't knock when she arrived at Alvin's house. Instead, she just walked right in. Alvin was sprawled out on the couch, eyes glued to his phone as usual, looking like he couldn't care less about anything happening outside his little bubble.

"Hey, Alvin," Jeanette said, her voice hesitant but firm. "I need your help with something."

Alvin barely looked up, one eyebrow raised. "Oh, really? The nerdy experiment queen needs my help again? What, you need me to fix your computer or something?"

Jeanette hesitated. She had no idea why she was here, really. Part of her just wanted to hear a familiar voice. Another part of her needed something else, something to help her figure out what was happening to her. But she couldn't explain that. Not to him. Not to anyone.

"It's not that," Jeanette said, her words coming slowly, as if she were choosing them carefully. "I've been thinking about the mind... about control. How easy it is to lose it. How you can slip away without even realizing it."

Alvin finally sat up, sensing something was off. "Wait, are you talking about losing your mind? You sure you're not just trying to be dramatic, Jeanette? I mean, come on, you've been reading too many psychology books or whatever. This is me we're talking about, right? I don't exactly look like I'm losing control of anything."

Jeanette's heart raced, and the whispers in her head started up again, louder this time. He's so confident, so strong-willed. He could handle it. He could help me figure this out.

"Maybe... Maybe I could test it on you," Jeanette murmured, the words slipping out before she could stop them. He's the perfect candidate, right? Strong-minded, always in control…

Alvin narrowed his eyes. "Wait a minute—test what? You want me to go crazy just so you can figure out how losing your mind works? That sounds like a whole lot of stupid, even for me."

Jeanette's breath caught in her throat. But what if it works? What if he could help me understand this? The thought terrified her, but the idea felt oddly comforting. She couldn't explain it, but she needed him to say yes.

"I just... I need your help. I can't explain it any other way. I need to understand," Jeanette whispered, the quiet desperation in her voice clearer than she meant.

Alvin stared at her for a moment, then leaned back, crossing his arms. "You're telling me you're losing your mind, and you want to use me as your guinea pig? Is that it?"

Jeanette flinched, but before she could respond, Alvin's smirk returned, his usual cocky self. "Fine, whatever. But don't expect me to sit here and watch you turn me into a test subject for your little science experiment. I've got better things to do than that."

Jeanette was still caught up in the swirl of thoughts in her mind, barely registering his teasing tone. Maybe this will work. Maybe if I do this experiment, I'll figure it out. She didn't know exactly what "it" was, but she had to do something.

Before she could say another word, Alvin gave her a quick look, his grin widening. "But hey, Jeanette... why didn't you ask Simon for this? I mean, the guy's all into science and stuff. He's your actual genius, right?"

Jeanette stiffened. She hadn't thought of Simon. Of course not. This isn't about him. It's about me, trying to figure this out. But Alvin's words stuck with her, twisting something deep inside her chest. Was he implying something?

"I—" she stammered, suddenly self-conscious. "I don't need Simon for this."

Alvin just smirked and shrugged. "Whatever you say, Jeanette. But I'll help you out... for now. Don't get any ideas, though. I'm not your experiment, and I sure as heck am not Simon."

Jeanette swallowed, her mind still whirling. As Alvin moved to set up for the experiment, she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that this would be the biggest mistake of both of their lives.