Say Your Prayers, You're Really Gonna Need Them.

★ ★ ★ - Indicates point of view change.

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I was screaming now, I found my voice finally and the noise that came shattered my ears.
But I couldn’t stop, I was awake and so glad that what I’d just experienced...as terrifying as it was to the soul, was only something my fucked up mind had conjured.

After about 5 seconds I realized my mouth was still open, I shut it swiftly and the sound stopped.
I was frightened to open my mouth to exhale, just in case it was still there and I couldn’t control it.

But I was so hyped up, the dream excelled my heartbeat and for a second whilst I got accustomed to the waking world again I swear for a single second I felt the blood rushing through my veins.
I breathed, taking greedy gulps of the air before sitting forward, swinging my legs off the bed and attempting to stand.

I had to get out of here, I felt trapped and stifled.

I threw a quick glance towards the clock; 12:03 pm.

Was Harlan back yet? Surely he would have come to see the reason I was screaming if he was.
But regardless I opened his bedroom door and began walking around; I didn’t endeavour the stairs, no I decided to have a look on this upstairs landing.

What I’d fail to notice in past visits of this house was that there were two more rooms upstairs I knew nothing about.

One before you came to Harlan’s bedroom and another past it; just before the bathroom.
The realization of these rooms made me curious, and it was this curiosity that spurred me to open the first door, it was a large empty room; nothing exciting at all.

I sighed before pulling it closed and spun round on my heel before making my way to the second door, but it was locked.

I frowned a little, but was by no way going to give up, if it was locked it just meant that there was something worth seeing on the other side and trust me, I wanted to know what.

I went back into Harlan’s room and had a look to see if there was anything that resembled a key in his room, I looked through the bedside drawers but saw nothing that might be able to open it.

I huffed in frustration, and continued to look around.

I didn’t find a key, but instead a small letter opener with a very thin blade.

Now I'm no James bond, but I’d seen this trick on TV and decided maybe it was worth a try.
First I attempted to pick the lock which didn’t work as well as I hoped.

So after that I tried pushing the door and slipping the knife into the space between the door and its frame and practically squealed with happiness when after about 5 minutes of wiggling the knife around managed to push the lock away? I guess that’s what must have happened because the door was open! It was totally open.

I smiled to myself before evaluating the room, it was full of boxes.

Unmarked and some unopened, I left the door open; wedging a small box in front of to keep it that way as the last thing I needed was to get locked in.

I ambled through precariously, sitting down and pulling a medium sized box in front of me to fumble through.

There were lots of little things in there; old comics, small toys and eventually I stopped when I found an old looking photo album.

I ciphered through it, turning each page which delicacy so as not to rip or tear anything.
The photo which caught my attention immediately was one of someone who looked exactly like Harlan.

I pulled it out of the album to get a better look; it depicted a little old lady, and who I can only guess was a slightly younger Harlan next to her, his arm was round her shoulders and they both looked so relaxed and happy.

But it couldn’t be, judging by the clothes this could have been taken in the sixties.
I turned the photo over and surely enough it had an inscription;

After the fair,
August 3rd 1969

I frowned before turning it back over to gaze again.
“What the...” I whispered to myself before placing it on my knee.

I looked back through the box, the comics then I noticed where actually dated from the fifties.
“How did you get in here?” the voice asked angrily, tearing through the air and making me jump almost 4 foot into the air.

I spun my head round so fast it practically made me dizzy, to see Harlan standing at the door.
His face a mask of rage, so bad it actually made me want to tremble.

I opened my mouth to answer but the words seemed to stick in my throat, besides it seems like all plausible explanation was futile at this point.

He was in front of me in seconds; face so close to mine that I could hear his shallow breaths.
“Please...” I whispered, not being able to think of anything else to say.

As soon as those words were out of my mouth his face softened, even if only slightly; which was my cue to stand leaving him at my feet and I practically ran out of the room and down the stairs.
I tried the front door again, but the bastard had re-locked it.

“Argh” I growled, frustration fuelled and for the second time in the past 5 minutes jumped out of skin when I felt a cold hand on my shoulder.
Harlan spun me round to face him, and meeting his eyes I actually felt a deep blush set on my face.

“I'm sorry.” I whispered earnestly, he said nothing in return only moved his hand lower down to my arm and pulled me towards the kitchen.

“Sit.” he commanded and as opposed to arguing I did so, before waiting for him to sit across from me.

Neither of us said anything for a long while, I stared at him and he just stared at the photo in his hand.