Damn, that’s creepy.
I catch a glimpse of Bill’s face as his eyes widen. Then he shrugs, still holding the empty bucket. “Well, that didn’t go as planned,” he says. “Now what?”
“Go get Roméo.”
I feel so helpless, trying to come up with something that can snap her out of her hallucination.
Just then, Amber stands up and charges the wall opposite her bed. I leap toward her and wrap my arms around her waist, but she fights me with all her strength.
“Amber, wake up.”
She doesn’t hear me or respond to me. I don’t exist to her at all. An eerie feeling comes over me, like when Zeus barks at something that isn’t there. Her eyes are so intense; I wonder what or who she sees.
“Leave her alone,” I yell at whoever she’s seeing. “Get out of here, before I shoot.” But nothing happens.
“Who are you talking to?” Cole yells over the noise as he and Zeus enter the room.
“I think she’s hallucinating; I’m trying to snap her out of it.”
“So, you just threatened to shoot … what, exactly?”
“Come hold her,” I say.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
Zeus spots the pillow in the corner; he pounces on it and tears it to shreds.
“Why did you come for me?” Amber asks. “I no longer belong to you, don’t you get it? We aren’t married anymore. I left you.”
She attempts to wrench away from me, so I quickly tighten my grip.
“She was married?” Cole asks. He takes her in his arms, and I start yelling at her ex-husband. I’m not a superstitious person, but at this point, I’ll give anything a try.
“Leave her alone,” I say to her husband.
“Lexi, have you lost your mind?” Cole looks concerned.
“No, I’m trying to make him go away.”
“There’s no one there.”
“I know that.”
“She can’t hear or see any of us,” Roméo says, appearing at the foot of the bed. “She only sees what she imagines in her mind. It’s a hallucination.”
“Somebody help me!” Amber screams so loud my ears ring. “Help me, please!”
“So what do we do?” I ask.
“Unfortunately, we can’t do anything. The virus is attacking her brain and waking up her fears.”
Amber stops screaming for a moment, and we all stop to stare. Cole releases her slowly. He comes up behind me and rubs my shoulders, but I remain tight as a drum.
Amber looks around the room, a glazed look in her eyes. I’m guessing she still doesn’t see us.
“She looks a bit nuts,” Bill says.
“Do you hear that?” Amber asks. Her voice comes out raspy and hoarse. Her entire body shakes nonstop. I find myself stepping back, bumping into Cole.
Something’s happening again. I can feel it.
“Let’s play a game,” Bill says. “Who can guess what’s coming next?” I give Bill a dirty look. Now isn’t the time to play games.
“Oh shit, it’s getting louder,” Amber says. She shuts her eyes and covers her ears while rocking in the corner. “No, please, no. They’re coming in through the holes.”
Amber’s legs begin kicking, her arms swinging, and she shakes, sending chills down my spine. Her piercing screams rattle me. I clap my hands to my ears and cringe.
Roméo’s eyes meet mine.
“Isn’t there anything you can give her? Roméo, I can’t watch her suffer like this.”
“Then leave.” His eyes are stone-cold.
His reaction shocks me and makes me remember how badly I wanted to choke him earlier.
Amber alternates between screaming, crying, and blubbering. She jumps to her feet and starts running but slams into the wall and falls backward, landing on her back. She gets back up and spins around while flailing her arms everywhere. Then she collapses.
It doesn’t end there. She continues to yell, “Get these bats off of me!”
I make my way over to her, cautiously, and throw my body on top of hers to keep her from thrashing and banging her head on the floor. She fights me, scratching and clawing at my arms and hands. She bites the meaty flesh of my thumb, and I cry out, but don’t give up. When I look at it, the skin’s not punctured. I try to pin her down, anything to make it stop. She writhes below me though.
“Lexi, what the hell are you doing?” Cole asks.
I wrap my arms around her and hold her while she fights the demons in her head.
“Trying to keep her from hurting herself,” I say in my best “you’re-not the-boss-of-me” voice.
Cole’s pissed. But instead of arguing, he comes to my side and holds her legs.
After what feels like hours, Amber’s screaming becomes soft cries; her voice is shot to hell. Her breathing slows down, and then all at once her rigid muscles relax, and she finally goes limp.
A sigh of relief escapes me, and I look at Cole. He lifts Amber’s slack body, places her gently in her bed, and covers her with the blanket.
I put my hands over my face as my shoulders slump. I feel so defeated.