Free A Night at the Asylum by Jade McCahon

looney
bin.”
    “Of course.” Jamie grinned at him.
    “What can I say, I’m a nostalgic guy.”
    Jamie turned around in the seat. “Do you
think it could have been Ead who chased us?” she asked. The passage
of time had numbed us to the terror of the whole ordeal.
    I shrugged, but the thought did give me some
pause. At the same time, I was almost too tired to care. We’d told
Cole about the chase, but kept the part about Bonita to ourselves.
It would be embarrassing enough to have to tell Raymond we were
spying on her, let alone anyone else. Jamie had known without words
what I was thinking, of course, and had kept her mouth shut too…
just like a good little stray.
    We pulled over at the Gas N’ Go, and I
groaned as its bright lights invaded the car. I really didn’t want
to be back here again. Technically, though, history wasn’t
repeating itself: this was the West Side station, meaning it was on
the west side of town, the twin of the building I’d first seen
Emmett in tonight. “You coming in?” Cole asked me as he hopped
out.
    “No way,” I grumbled.
    “Need anything?” Jamie asked.
    “Definitely not.”
    She nodded, skipping cheerfully inside after
Cole. “Jeez,” I muttered under my breath. “Play a little hard to get.”
    A noise sounded in my pocket…my phone battery
was going dead. I’d have to remember to charge it at home. Perfect
– another thing that would keep me from collapsing into bed
immediately. That was just what I needed.
    My eyes scanned the parking lot worriedly. I
was still a bit paranoid about Ead. If he had been the one chasing
us, had he done it just to mess with me? I thought of our
non-exchange after my questioning, deciding that was too
farfetched. He was probably just ten kinds of crazy and didn’t
hesitate to use it on whoever was in the wrong place at the wrong
time.
    Apparently I was a hit with the Sutter boys
tonight.
    Huddling in the backseat, my teeth
chattering, I cursed myself for forgetting my jacket yet again in
Jamie’s car. The same cold breeze that blew through me when we were
all talking about Jenny traced an icy path up my back. I reached
over to roll up my window and saw that it was already closed. They
all were.
    There was a sudden static, an electric
crackle in the air, as if someone had just turned on a TV. The
entire atmosphere changed almost immediately, like invisible
shadows coating everything even remotely within reach. I looked
left, right, pulling my legs up to my chest. There was the distinct
feeling that someone was watching me here in this car, their eyes
boring into my face.
    I could hear my own breathing, quiet and
steady. In. Out. In. Out.
    The hair on the back of my neck stood at
attention, my skin prickling with fear.
    My heartbeat thudded. Quick. Consistent.
    Someone was watching me. I sensed it the way
I had sensed Ead’s disgusting gaze in the hallway at the police
station. There were eyes staring right at me.
    Eyes that were not so far away.
    There was a whoosh of cold air near my ear,
an exhalation from an unseen mouth. I swallowed a scream, unable to
deny the feeling that someone was here. In this car. Sitting right
next to me.
    Someone I could not see.
    The Gas N’ Go’s sliding doors parted just
then, and Jamie and Cole came out, giggling at each other and
carrying armfuls of convenience store acquisitions. The presence
I’d felt immediately dissipated, either into the night or back into
my imagination. Jamie climbed into the passenger seat, and when she
turned to look at me, her eyes widened. “Are you okay?” she asked
me. “You look like –”
    “Don’t say it,” I interrupted. Like you’ve
seen a ghost. “Just please. Get me home. I need sleep.”
    Cole got in and started the car. Jamie handed
me a paper sack. We left the bright lights of the Gas N’ Go, easing
back out onto the dark streets.
    I peered into the bag. “What’s this?” Inside
was a pack of donuts, a soda, and a small square object in