Chapter 10: The Invisible Girl in Room Thirteen by Stephen Simpson
After dinner, Rachel approached me and pulled me gently by
the arm into the courtyard to the side of the dining hall.
I glanced around, suddenly feeling isolated with just the
two of us, out of view of the other students who were still eating or had gone
up to their rooms. “I have homework,” I told her. “I should go.”
She took a step closer to me. “Alison, what do you think
Lily is trying to tell you?”
“Nothing…”
“After you came out of that room, I noticed straight away
you were different. You are acting strange and then that message on the cubicle
wall next to Shannon...”
“How do you know about that?”
“I know someone who knows someone who works at Constable
Fraser’s house and you know how people never see the help, so she’s overheard
some stories...”
“Like what?”
“Like your dad is the one who broke Lily’s heart and left
her for your rich, snobbish mother.”
“So? What’s it to you?” Why was this happening to me? How
many people knew? Was I now forever linked to the reason why Lily killed
herself?
“So,” she said sarcastically. “I put two and two together
and realised that message on the cubicle wall was for you, and I was wondering
what it meant?”
“I really don’t know what it means.”
“I think you do, though.” She smirked as she lifted her
forearm and her bangles dangled down to her elbow so that I could clearly see
the scars on her wrist. “See. I can relate.”
I closed my eyes, feeling a chill.
From across the courtyard, there was a sudden soft sound.
Scratch… Scratch… Scratch…
We both turned in the direction of the sound.
Rachel asked, “Who’s there?”
There was no answer, but a breeze ruffled the leaves of a
small bush nearby. I peered into the darkness.
Rachel asked in a soft whisper, “Was it the wind?” Then she
asked louder, “Who is that?” Rattled she started to back away from me and the
darkness toward the door of the entrance hall.
I turned to face her and saw someone standing behind her.
Rachel was backing up right toward the figure. “Be careful. Behind you,” I
warned her.
She swung around quickly.
The figure disappeared and I thought it might have been just
a shifting shadow from the way the light was coming through the windows, and
the gentle breeze moving through the leaves of the trees.
Even though I knew it could have been no more than shadows,
I was unable to shake the feeling we were not alone.
We both jumped when her phone started ringing and she
quickly pulled it from her pocket. She said, “Sure. Of course. I’m on my way.”
She ended her call and looked back at me. “There’s something seriously creepy
going on here.”
I agreed, as I looked up at the building and saw a dark
silhouette in the window of room thirteen.
With a resigned sigh, I sat down on a low wall and pulled my
phone from my pocket. Scrolling through my contacts, my finger hesitated on my
dad’s name whose number I would never delete from my phone. I felt a deep,
painful loss just looking at his number and knowing I could not phone him. In
the past, since he died, I had often felt this way but now the feeling was more
intense. I could feel it burning in the pit of my stomach, a feeling so intense
I had never experienced the sensation before.
I looked up at room thirteen again, but it was empty now.
Just a window which would stay empty and dark forever.
My phone vibrated in my hand and I looked from the window to
my screen.
It was a message from Oliver: Are you still safe?
I replied: I think someone’s messing with me.
Oliver: Like?
Alison: I keep seeing shadows and things. Sorry! No one else
to tell.
Oliver: You can tell me. Anything.
Alison: Do you really think there’s a psycho killer running
around? Revenge for Lily, maybe?
Oliver: Sometimes.
Alison: Am I just going crazy?
Oliver: NO. I don’t think you’re crazy.
Alison: Would you believe me if I told you what’s happened
since I went into room thirteen or would you just make fun of me?
Oliver: I’d believe.
Alison: You could use my texts against me in a court of law!
Oliver: I could, but I wouldn’t.
Alison: I think I’ll keep my secrets for now. I was just
feeling a little freaked earlier.
Oliver: You sure?
Alison: 100%
Was I really the reason why Lily killed herself?
Yes. My dad cheated on her.
Yes. He cheated with my mum.
Yes. My mum got pregnant.
With me.
Then I realised why Lily blamed me. I realised what one plus
one equals three meant.
My dad was one.
My mum was one.
Add them together and the sum would be me.
Two people and a baby.
An incredible sense of dread washed over me.
I stood up from the low wall and on autopilot, I walked into
the brightly lit entrance hall, turned to my right and walked up the wide
staircase to the first floor. When I reached door number thirteen, I stopped
and placed my hand on the door handle, turning it at the same time.
I was a little shocked when the door swung open even though
I expected it to be locked. Rachel and Sinéad must have forgotten to lock it
again when I left it the other night in a sheer panic. If I was so scared the
last time I was in this room, why did I come back?
After I closed the door behind me, I found my way across the
floor to the bed and sat down on the edge.
I was barely breathing, waiting for something to happen.
Nothing happened.
“I don’t understand,” I said softly. “You wanted me to come
here. You wanted my help.”
Everything was silent. The room seemed to be somewhere in
space where no sound could reach it because I was sure girls were talking in
the hallway outside, going to the bathroom, laughing, playful yelling, yet not
a sound managed to enter this room.
I curled into a ball on the bed, facing the door, ignoring
the smell of years of dust on the bed covering.
I must have fallen asleep, because dreamlike images flashed
before me of my mum and Lily sitting on this bed, in this room.
Lily asked, “Is Roger ever going to actually ask me out, or
will he just keep giving me that look whenever he sees me?”
Dianne glanced at Lily. “He will, I’m sure. He’s always
looking at you with that lost puppy look. Maybe if you made the first move?”
Lily laughed. “Now you’re just being silly. Girls don’t make
the first move.”
“Really? This is the year two thousand, haven’t you heard
you don’t have to wait for a boy to ask you to the dance. It’s okay to be the
one doing the asking.”
“My mother would have a stroke if she found out I asked a
boy first. Etiquette, my dear.” Lily mimicked a snobbish accent.
Dianne shrugged her shoulders. “If you don’t ask him, I
will.”
Lily gasped. “You wouldn’t.”
“I would.”
“You like him too?” Lily looked at Dianne with a shocked
expression.
Dianne looked away, unable to meet Lily’s penetrating stare.
“Is it true? When were you going to tell me?”
Dianne huffed. “Yes, I like him, but he only looks at you.
Besides, John told me Roger is asking you to go with him to the Year-end formal
so it doesn’t matter if I like him or not, he doesn’t even know I exist even
when I am always by your side.”
“I cannot believe you’re doing this to me,” Lily exclaimed,
standing up to pace.
Dianne looked at Lily with a look of despair. “We cannot
choose whom we fall in love with, but you’re my friend and as long as you are,
Roger will forever be off limits to me.”
Lily said loudly, “As long as we are friends, he’ll be safe?
Meaning if you weren’t my friend, he wouldn’t even be interested in me?”
Dianne sighed loudly. “That’s not what I meant, Lily, and
you know it.”
“Get out!” Lily shouted.
Dianne looked at her confused. “What?”
Lily screamed, “Get out! Get out! I’d rather have no friends
than have friends like you!”
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