4. Ana
4
ANA
I jerked awake with a soft gasp. Crap . I must have fallen asleep in the library. All the lights had been turned off and panic set in. Crap. Crap. Crap. I quickly gathered my belongings and threw them into my bag. Internally, I began chanting to calm myself down. I grabbed my phone and tapped the screen to use it as a source of light. Using the faint glow, I returned the books to their shelves.
It wasn't the darkness that scared me, but rather the fact that I was alone in here. With everything back in place, I hastily put on my coat and quietly made my way towards the door. Luckily, it wasn't locked. Closing the door gently behind me, I walked down the dimly lit hallway, with only the moonlight casting intricate patterns through the windows. This building was one of the first ones built in Red Falls over a century ago, adorned with Rococo-style carvings and paintings. Normally, I would have stopped to admire the beauty, but the eerie emptiness of the halls made me uneasy. No one was around. Anything could happen to me, and no one would know. I tripped, nearly falling on my face, but I righted myself. I was about to pick up my pace when goosebumps suddenly broke out on my skin, followed by a low buzzing sound in my ears. Someone was watching me. I looked down the hallway, but no one was there; I turned to a dark corner right beside me and my breath caught. I couldn't see them, but I could somehow sense them. Someone was there. I turned quickly and was nearly jogging by the time I reached the door to exit the building.
I walked into the cool night air and was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but then I noticed the buzzing in my ear hadn't stopped. I should call someone. I thought as I walked quickly. But who? I had no one. I could call Nathan? No, you can't, idiot. He is probably at his family’s extravaganza . Nathan Hawke was one of the few guys I actually spoke to. I’d say he was a friend, but I don't know if I could claim that. He came over on occasion to hang out with Julia and her boyfriend and was always nice to me. He did try asking me out on a date once, but when I politely declined, he didn't push further and continued being nice to me; we became somewhat close after that. Footsteps behind me broke me out of my thoughts and I whipped my phone out, scrolled to Nathan’s contact and dialed before I could think better of it. I was shocked when he immediately answered the phone.
“Hey, what’s up Ana” He said cheerfully.
“Uh.. Hi, I.. Sorry this is going to sound weird but I’m walking home from the library and I think I'm being followed,” I explained and bit my lip waiting for him to tell me I was crazy and to never call him again.
“What? Ana, where are you? Do you want me to come get you?” He said, concern filling his voice as the background noise began to fade as if he was walking away from the crowd.
I was stunned that he would even suggest that. “No,” I immediately blurted.
“I uh, just wanted someone on the phone with me while I walk home.” I offered instead.
He said nothing for a minute and then sighed. “Okay, but I would have preferred to pick you up. Julia would kill me if something happened to you. What are you doing walking alone at…two o’clock at night, anyway?” He asked.
“I was studying in the library and fell asleep,” I said sheepishly, still embarrassed by that fact.
“Ana, that's dangerous. You should not be walking out so late,” He said, almost scolding, and I frowned.
He seemed more angry about it than concerned now. Then he sighed and gentled his tone and went on a rant about the dangers of a lone woman walking out at night during the red haze festival. I listened and hummed in agreement as I walked. I didn't care what he was talking about as long as he stayed on the phone. I knew perfectly well the craziness of this town. My parents died because of it. I shuddered as the memories threatened to push to the surface, but I shook them off.
I walked down the long driveway to my house and finally let Nathan know I was home and safe. He stopped talking and let me know he would check on me tomorrow. I tried telling him he shouldn't bother, but he insisted, and I grudgingly conceded. Locking the front door behind I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass, filling it with water from the sink and walked up the stairs to my room. I still felt uneasy, but I shrugged it off to the day's events. I was clearly spooked. I placed the water on my nightstand and shrugged off my coat and bag, then I grabbed the water and practically inhaled it. I sat on my bed for a minute just breathing and then felt the urge to close my curtains I walked up to it and briefly looked out the window at the dense wooded area and quickly looked away closing the curtains, if someone or something was out there I feel like maybe I’d rather not know. I took my shirt off and then my jeans and got into bed with my underwear and, for the first time since I was a kid, I slept with the lights on.