Status: This is my first story in a few years, go easy on me!
The Sleepless
Chapter Two: Monsters Don't Always Hide In Dark Places
'How could I forget?' Tabitha shrilled, mad with panic and full of self- frustration. She packed her books away hastily, Jada at her heal attempting to keep up with her quick paste.
'I only really came to find you to see if you wanted to put your bag in my locker during the exam, you could leave it here but... So you haven't revised then?' She poured out and quickly inhaled deeply to revive her lungs.
'Briefly. Not enough though. I can't believe I thought the exam was next week.'
'Well you have been pretty busy.'
'How have I? And even if I was that's no excuse. I'm going to fail this and it's going to be no one else’s fault but mine. My final exam over all and I'm about to screw it up.' she mumbled trying to hold back tears. Jada just smiled sympathetically not really knowing how to argue her case.
She couldn't face walking with Jada, she couldn't stomach the idea of looking perfectly composed as the feeling of guilt welled inside her. You haven't done good enough the voice screeched. Feeling as though her brain was bleeding, she slumped down against Jada's locker taking a moments rest to clear her head. After a few minutes her time was evaporating and she decided it was better to turn up and fail than not turn up at all. She pulled out the basics of stationary and threw her back into the locker not really caring all too much about it's contents. 'You better not fail me- there will be punishments later. As soon as you get your sorry ass home you are going to suffer more than you ever have.
She took her seat and began the exam begging the voice to stop so she could concentrate, but it never stopped. Constantly digging, whispering. At first she thought everyone could hear it, occasionally she'd forget that only her knew of this presence and would, often in moments of silence, start shouting 'shut up' over and over. She would explain to teachers how someone was clicking their pen and it was driving her crazy.
The bell rang and the exam was over. As the paper was collected she sank in her seat dreading the questions to follow like 'how do you think you did?' and 'that question was hard, don't you think?'. All she wanted was leave and now that she had to reason to stay in school she could. So she walked home as swiftly as possible often misplacing her foot and kicking the one in front. She over took old ladies, mothers with pushchairs and screaming children. She practically ran past the bakery into Northshore and almost stumbled to her front door. She turned the key. All was silent and she was glad of this. Her mother still on a business trip and not expected back for a week or so at least. Her dad?- Gone. And although she had no idea where and missed him greatly, she never questioned his absence. She supposed it was because she felt so abandoned and all too guilty that she forced herself to believe that she was doing just fine without him and it had been that way for seven long years.
When her father came to collect her from his neighbour's house to find a timid version of the little girl he brought into the world stood exposed and frightened at the hands of his trusted friend and neighbour he spent months over crying into his hands in the study, tugging at his hair, hardly eating, always drunk. He never forgave himself for allowing his little baby to suffer.
*
‘’I know what little girls like you do. You pretend you don’t want to, but I know you do. I like it, I think it makes you more attractive’’ he said with a dirty gleam in his eye. Tabby -- That’s what her father called her as a child, the name had kept his place until he left and she couldn’t bare anyone calling her that-- recoiled, flinched at his touch and leaned back. ‘’No-’’ she pleaded. ‘’ please don’t. I don’t like it. It hurts and it makes me feel strange’’. She yelped slightly and fell backwards.
And he did his work of evil. And when it was over, he’d tell her ‘’remember it’s our secret. Mummy and Daddy would know how horrid you are if they knew. They’d know for sure it was your fault and they’d send you away.’’ and silently she’d nod. ‘’Come by tomorrow’’ and she walked out, across the garden and through the front door where she’d sit in silence, not really knowing how to speak or feel. Life was silent then.
As if water the pictured rippled and faded into black. Soon after the alarm yet again rang, and she stood up. She watched her toes wiggle. She felt her hair, her arms, she even checked she had breasts. She sighed and hurried on with the day putting her nightmare back into it’s place in the back of her mind. Numbly, she turned her alarm off again staring at the ceiling, this time not getting up until the phone rang hours later.
‘Hello?’
‘Hello, may I speak to Tabitha Gray please?’
‘Speaking. How may I help you?’
‘This is principle McCard. I would like to speak to you today. Would you care to come in and have a little chat with me in my office?’
‘What is this regarding?’
‘I wouldn’t like to say it over the phone. Tell the receptionist I’m expecting you. Goodbye, now’ he said and hung up.
Confused she stared at the phone as she placed it back in it’s hand set. They couldn’t know… Could they? she gulped.
Anxiously she neatened her hair and tied it up. She pulled out a knitted sweater from the cleanly folded and washed laundry basket waiting to be put away and a pair of faded black jeans. She slipped on a pair of pumps she reserved for interviews and important affairs. She needed to look well. And she almost did.
'I only really came to find you to see if you wanted to put your bag in my locker during the exam, you could leave it here but... So you haven't revised then?' She poured out and quickly inhaled deeply to revive her lungs.
'Briefly. Not enough though. I can't believe I thought the exam was next week.'
'Well you have been pretty busy.'
'How have I? And even if I was that's no excuse. I'm going to fail this and it's going to be no one else’s fault but mine. My final exam over all and I'm about to screw it up.' she mumbled trying to hold back tears. Jada just smiled sympathetically not really knowing how to argue her case.
She couldn't face walking with Jada, she couldn't stomach the idea of looking perfectly composed as the feeling of guilt welled inside her. You haven't done good enough the voice screeched. Feeling as though her brain was bleeding, she slumped down against Jada's locker taking a moments rest to clear her head. After a few minutes her time was evaporating and she decided it was better to turn up and fail than not turn up at all. She pulled out the basics of stationary and threw her back into the locker not really caring all too much about it's contents. 'You better not fail me- there will be punishments later. As soon as you get your sorry ass home you are going to suffer more than you ever have.
She took her seat and began the exam begging the voice to stop so she could concentrate, but it never stopped. Constantly digging, whispering. At first she thought everyone could hear it, occasionally she'd forget that only her knew of this presence and would, often in moments of silence, start shouting 'shut up' over and over. She would explain to teachers how someone was clicking their pen and it was driving her crazy.
The bell rang and the exam was over. As the paper was collected she sank in her seat dreading the questions to follow like 'how do you think you did?' and 'that question was hard, don't you think?'. All she wanted was leave and now that she had to reason to stay in school she could. So she walked home as swiftly as possible often misplacing her foot and kicking the one in front. She over took old ladies, mothers with pushchairs and screaming children. She practically ran past the bakery into Northshore and almost stumbled to her front door. She turned the key. All was silent and she was glad of this. Her mother still on a business trip and not expected back for a week or so at least. Her dad?- Gone. And although she had no idea where and missed him greatly, she never questioned his absence. She supposed it was because she felt so abandoned and all too guilty that she forced herself to believe that she was doing just fine without him and it had been that way for seven long years.
When her father came to collect her from his neighbour's house to find a timid version of the little girl he brought into the world stood exposed and frightened at the hands of his trusted friend and neighbour he spent months over crying into his hands in the study, tugging at his hair, hardly eating, always drunk. He never forgave himself for allowing his little baby to suffer.
*
‘’I know what little girls like you do. You pretend you don’t want to, but I know you do. I like it, I think it makes you more attractive’’ he said with a dirty gleam in his eye. Tabby -- That’s what her father called her as a child, the name had kept his place until he left and she couldn’t bare anyone calling her that-- recoiled, flinched at his touch and leaned back. ‘’No-’’ she pleaded. ‘’ please don’t. I don’t like it. It hurts and it makes me feel strange’’. She yelped slightly and fell backwards.
And he did his work of evil. And when it was over, he’d tell her ‘’remember it’s our secret. Mummy and Daddy would know how horrid you are if they knew. They’d know for sure it was your fault and they’d send you away.’’ and silently she’d nod. ‘’Come by tomorrow’’ and she walked out, across the garden and through the front door where she’d sit in silence, not really knowing how to speak or feel. Life was silent then.
As if water the pictured rippled and faded into black. Soon after the alarm yet again rang, and she stood up. She watched her toes wiggle. She felt her hair, her arms, she even checked she had breasts. She sighed and hurried on with the day putting her nightmare back into it’s place in the back of her mind. Numbly, she turned her alarm off again staring at the ceiling, this time not getting up until the phone rang hours later.
‘Hello?’
‘Hello, may I speak to Tabitha Gray please?’
‘Speaking. How may I help you?’
‘This is principle McCard. I would like to speak to you today. Would you care to come in and have a little chat with me in my office?’
‘What is this regarding?’
‘I wouldn’t like to say it over the phone. Tell the receptionist I’m expecting you. Goodbye, now’ he said and hung up.
Confused she stared at the phone as she placed it back in it’s hand set. They couldn’t know… Could they? she gulped.
Anxiously she neatened her hair and tied it up. She pulled out a knitted sweater from the cleanly folded and washed laundry basket waiting to be put away and a pair of faded black jeans. She slipped on a pair of pumps she reserved for interviews and important affairs. She needed to look well. And she almost did.