Monster by Abigail Livinghouse (chromebook ebook reader .txt) 📕

 "I didn't kill them." She murmured to herself.

 I know you didn't, Ana.

 Someone was speaking to her. It sounded like the same person from earlier in the hospital room. She sat straight up in bed, her eyes wide and searching her room. It was small and cozy, with very little hiding places for an intruder. The only real option would be her closet.

 Slowly getting up, Ana made her way over to her two door closet, reaching under her bed quickly for her old little league bat, just in case. Thank God she never cleaned out her room and gotten rid of her old stuff like her mother had suggested.

 With a quivering hand, Ana reached out and flung the doors aside, holding her bat at the ready. It was empty, aside from her hangers of clothes. She gingerly moved the clothes to get a better look, but it was obvious no one was in there.

I'm not a physical being you can find, much less bash over the head with a bat. Sorry to burst your bubble.

 The voice was back and mocking her. Ana spun around, sweat popping up on her brow.

 "Who are you? What do you want from me?" She asked, sounding silly even to herself speaking to someone that wasn't even there. But they had to be there . . . somewhere.

 I suggest you relax and face the fact that you're not going to find me. I'm in your head, not your room. 

 Now in fury, Ana tore apart her room. Going through drawers, flipping over the contents of her dresser, destroying her closet. There had to be a recorder hidden or something, replaying this voice to her. It was here somewhere, she just had to find it.

 After a thorough investigation of her room, it was left looking like a tornado had ripped through it. Nothing was where it was supposed to be, but Ana had gone through everything and found . . . nothing. She dropped what she had been holding, a shoe and a pair of jeans, and sank to the floor on her knees, holding her head in her hands.

 "This can't be happening." She muttered in disbelief.

 I wish it wasn't.

 The voice had chimed in again, and Ana clapped her hands over her ears, shutting her eyes tight.

 "You're not real, you're not real. I'm just imagining this, I'm in shock. I'm not crazy, I'm in shock." She said in almost a mantra to herself, but that didn't stop the voice from speaking again.

 You're either going to have to learn to deal with me, or lose your mind in the process. It's one or the other Ana, I'm not going anywhere so you have time to think it over.

 She bit her lower lip to keep from screaming. Her chest was tight with fear and apprehension. Ana was unwilling to face the fact that she was hearing voices, well, a voice. She wasn't crazy . . . she wasn't crazy . . .

 I never said you were crazy, but you are stubborn.

 "No!" Ana shrieked, rocking back and forth on the floor. "No, no, no, no, no . . ."

 The door to her bedroom flew open, the lock ripped from the frame. Her mother and father came rushing in her room, distraught and panicked seeing her curled up in a ball on the floor, crying and muttering to herself. They picked her up and took her downstairs, placing her on the couch in the family room so that they could keep an eye on her.

 Her mother sat on the ground by her side, holding Ana's hand reassuringly in hers. "Sweetie what happened?"

 Ana was at a loss for words, and she fumbled for what to say. In her blind fear and confusion, she said the only thing that she could.

 "I'm not crazy . . ."

Her father had to go to work for 3rd shift, which left Ana's mother to look after her. They had barely left her alone since her return and frankly, Ana didn't want to be left alone. When she was with her parents, she didn't hear the voice. She was afraid the moment they left it would come back.

 She was still searching for a rational explanation for it. A recorder had obviously been ruled out, a physical being near her speaking was also improbable, but Ana was determined to find out where it was coming from. It just couldn't be coming from inside her head, it couldn't . . .

 "Hon, I have to run to the drug store to pick up my prescription. With all that's been going on I haven't gotten the chance." Mrs. Walcott gently told her.

 A stab of fear hit Ana in her chest, but she forced an understanding smile. "It's alright Mom, go ahead."

 "You sure you'll be alright?" Her mom asked in concern.

 Ana could tell her mother was worried about her, but she had to let her live her life. The murders had happened only two days ago, but to achieve somewhat of a sense of normalcy would be a blessing. So, she let Mrs. Walcott go.

 Now alone in their house that seemed all too big, Ana was left with her shaking fear and faulty sense of stability. She knew that she would crack if she heard that voice again. She was holding onto what little sanity she had left by a thread, and she really didn't want that thread to rip.

 You're overreacting, it's not like I'm physically hurting you.

 "Oh no", Ana moaned, her heart dropping into her stomach. Just as she had feared . . . it was back.

 "What do you want from me?" She asked in despair.

 Whether you choose to believe it or not, I want nothing except to help you.

 Help her? How on earth could this anonymous voice inside her head help her? It was a sign of insanity and was helping her into a mental institution, but other that Ana saw no way that this voice could be of any assistance to her.

 I know you didn't kill Lisa and Kristen, Ana. Out of all of the people involved in this horrible mess, I know that you're innocent. 

She screamed. She couldn’t help it, she let out a high pitched shriek that rattled the whole house. It only lasted a few seconds but when she was finished she could barely catch her breath.

 Good God, are you quite done?

 The voice sounded irritated, but Ana just didn't care.

 "Leave me alone, and get the fuck out of my head!" She yelled in fear and anger, her eyes wide and darting around the room. As if she could find it anywhere in there.

 I cannot leave, Ana. Not until this is all over.

 What the hell did that mean?!

 "Get the fuck out of my head." She repeated through gritted teeth, breathing harshly.

 You are one stubborn girl. Don't you understand that I'm here to help you, not drive you insane? Although you're doing a fine job at that all on your own.

"Look, whoever you are just leave me alone please." Ana was back on the verge of tears. She wasn't sure how much more strength she had left in her before she collapsed again. "I don't care who you are or what you want, just leave." She begged the unknown voice.

 Ana just listen to me.

 Like she had a goddamn choice.

 I know you're scared and going through a lot right now but you need to think clearly and get your head in the game. In a matter of days Detective Morris and Gillian will be returning with your arrest warrant and they will be charging you with Lisa and Kristen's murder. I don't want to see you put away, neither does your family. And I highly doubt you want to spend the rest of your days in a jail cell.

 Ana's stomach rolled just thinking about it. But what right did those two detectives have to falsely accuse her and send her to jail?

The cards aren't exactly in your favor. Remember the clothes you were wearing that night?  All that blood? You were right when you questioned how it could've all been yours. It wasn't.

 No . . . oh God, no. But even as she thought it, she had a sinking feeling in her gut that told her the voice wasn't lying.

 Lisa and Kristen's blood had been all over her that night. She had been walking around with her friend's lives splattered on her body and she hadn't even known. Ana was about to be sick.

I have a few more things to say before you succumb again. You can't remember a thing and you were found in the exact location Lisa and Kristen's bodies had been discovered. Do you see how the odds are extremely against you? It seems almost planned, as if you were framed. Of course no one in court would believe that claim. Except, I know who killed those two girls. And even though you can't remember anything, it wasn't you Ana.

 "Wait." She spoke up, her hands shaking and heart pounding. "Who killed Lisa and Kristen?"

 It was crazy that she was asking a voice in her friend for the identity of the murderer of her friends, but she literally had no other option. If the voice at least gave her an idea as to who it was, it would be better than nothing.

 I'm going to help you find him. That's why I'm here.

 "But that makes no sense!" She shouted, fury turning her face red. 

"Ana baby?" Her mother came through the door, closing it behind her. "Who are you talking to? Are you alright?"

 Ana fumbled for her missing sanity and gripped a bit of it, enough to plaster a smile on her face and stand up, wrapping the blanket from the couch around her.

 "I'm fine Mom, just really tired. I think I'm gonna take a nap." The voice had strayed, as far as she could hear, for which she was grateful.

 "Don't you wanna stay down here? I was just about to start dinner." Mrs. Walcott set her purse down on the counter and began gathering items from the cabinets for a meal.

 Ana's appetite hadn't been present the past few days. She could barely stomach the chicken  broth