Chapter 5

Charlotte

I woke up late the next morning. Despite having slept so much, I felt tired and pulled the sheets over my head. After lying still for a while, I accepted that I couldn’t sleep anymore and got up.

Drowsy, I made my way to my bedroom door. Amore looked up, and at the last minute, she jumped off the bed and followed me as I went downstairs to the kitchen.

“You look like a zombie.”

“Morning, Mom,” I mumbled.

Andrea was pouring herself a cup of coffee while Ned was reading the newspaper. Sunlight shone into the house and created a happy, healthy atmosphere.

“I would also like some coffee,” I said groggily.

I took a seat next to my father, and he kissed me on the forehead. “If I did not know any better, I would say you have a hangover.”

I rarely drank, and I never came home drunk. I was responsible, and my parents knew I did not drink and drive.

A part of me wished I was hungover—a hangover would have felt better than this sad, empty, tired feeling inside my chest.

“I didn’t sleep well,” I said.

My mother brought my coffee to the table for me. I took a sip and pulled a face. “It needs more sugar.”

“You don’t like coffee,” Andrea told me.

“I need something to wake me up,” I moaned.

My mother took the cup and added sugar before she returned it. The coffee tasted better, but still not nice. Andrea made us breakfast, and Amore begged for bacon.

I fed her a piece, although she was very fat. I blamed her round belly on her lack of exercise, not her diet. Just like me, she did not enjoy walking.

I clenched and unclenched my fists nervously at my side. This was the perfect moment to tell my parents about last night, but then I’d have to explain why I had left it until now.

I wanted to tell, but I didn’t know how, so I ended up eating breakfast in silence.

Afterward, I went upstairs and took a warm bath in my en-suite bathroom. Then I put my sheets in the wash to clean off the dirt, leaves, and thorns. I shouldn’t have gone to bed in my dirty clothes.

It was past noon when Juan’s friends dropped her off at home. From my bedroom window, I watched their car pull into the driveway, then went downstairs to greet her.

There were bags under her eyes, and her hair was a mess. I had no doubt that my sister had not slept much and that her head was killing her.

She did not greet anyone, nor did she acknowledge me standing at the foot of the stairs. She went straight to bed.

***

It was six o’clock PM when Juan woke and came downstairs, looking like she was on the verge of death. Andrea and I were making dinner while Ned kept us company.

“Hi,” Juan managed to say, and sat down next to our father.

“How are you feeling?” Ned asked.

“Like I’m dying,” she said.

“Let it be a lesson to you.”

She groaned. “I’m hungry.”

“The food is almost ready,” Andrea said. “The lasagna is in the oven. We are just finishing the garden salad.”

“Yum,” Juan said. “Hello, Charlotte.”

“Hmm,” I responded. I hadn’t been focusing on their conversation because, in my mind, I was picturing the lady dying.

“You’re very quiet today,” Juan said.

“I’m always quiet,” I countered.

Juan raised an eyebrow, as if she didn’t fully believe me. I was nervous because she knew something was off. Luckily, she didn’t push me to talk about it in front of our parents.

“Do you girls have anything planned for Wednesday night?” Andrea asked.

“No,” we said simultaneously.

“There is a moonlight horse ride on one of the ranches. I was hoping you girls might want to go.”

“It’s in the middle of the week,” I said, in an attempt to join the conversation and act like nothing was wrong.

“I have class during the day,” Juan reminded them.

“You already don’t have a routine,” Ned said to my sister. “I’m sure one night of horse riding won’t make a big difference.”

Juan sighed and touched her head. “I do like horses.”

Juan was always the adventurous sister. She liked dirt biking, hiking, and white water rafting. I was not a sporty person. I was an indoors, play-it-safe person.

“Please, Charlotte.” Andrea looked at me with big eyes before I could say no. “It will be such a nice family outing.”

“I don’t know,” I said.

“It’s a guided tour,” Andrea said. “We will walk most of the time.”

“There is always some idiot who thinks he can ride and ends up falling off,” Ned told her. “We can laugh at that idiot together.”

“Dad,” I said, “I will probably be the idiot that falls off.”

“Yes.” Juan smiled for the first time since she had sat down.

“Nonsense!” Andrea said.

“Can’t we do this over the weekend?” I asked.

“It’s cheaper during the weekdays,” Andrea said.

“Alright, I will do it.” My soft side had given in, like it mostly did around the people I loved.

Andrea kissed me on the cheek, delighted that I had decided to join. Then we set the table and ate a quiet but comfortable dinner together. Afterward, I followed Juan up to her room and sat down on her bed.

“How was the party?” If I directed the conversation to her, she would forget that something was bothering me.

“You missed out,” Juan replied.

“Did you see Quinton after I left?”

I should stop thinking about the judgmental way he had looked at me, but I could not. I couldn’t help but wonder if he would tell his friends that I was crazy and feared that they would make fun of me.

Juan hesitated. “Yeah . . . ”

“How did he look?” I wondered. Was he pale? Was he distant? Was he freaked out?

“He looked like he was warming up to some brunette,” Juan said.

“Was she pretty?” I felt a stinging pain in my heart. I was not in love with the guy, but it was not a nice thought that a moment after he kissed me, he was chasing after someone else.

“She looked as cheap as her hair dye,” Juan said.

I smiled. “You always make me feel better.”

“You are welcome,” Juan said, and changed into her night clothes. “Did you drive home alright? I know you don’t see well in the dark.”

“I don’t see well in the light either,” I countered.

Juan was the only one in the family who did not wear glasses or contact lenses. It was one of the things I envied about her. I wondered what it felt like to wake up and be able to see.

Juan got into bed and pulled the sheets over herself. Amore sat on the bed—next to me.

“You can’t seriously want to sleep more,” I said.

“Oh, yes I can.” Juan yawned.

“You slept most of the day!”

“My head hurts,” Juan complained, and closed her eyes.

I groaned as I realized I wasn’t going to win this one. “Sleep well.”

“Close the door behind you.”

I picked up my dog and did as my sister asked. Back in my room, I brushed my teeth and got into bed. I switched on my night light and read my book for a while, my dog by my feet.

The house was quiet for a while, and the only sound was Amore’s breathing. Then I heard footsteps. I did not look up from my book. Amore started to growl protectively.

“Amore.” I nudged the dog with my foot. “It’s probably just Juan who can’t sleep anymore.”

Amore looked at the door as if she expected someone to enter at any moment. No one did. The walking did not stop either. I wondered if my sister had her earphones in and was dancing in her room.

When the footsteps died down, Amore finally closed her eyes. After a while, I put down my book and switched off my bed light. I was lying in the dark for about ten minutes when I heard the footsteps again.

Amore growled softly. “Yes, I know. I have one inconsiderate sister.”

I closed my eyes and fell asleep to the sound of feet treading the wooden floor.

The next morning, I was already dressed when I headed downstairs. The sweet smell of pancakes filled the kitchen and drew me closer like a butterfly to a flower.

Andrea was cooking breakfast for the family while Juan, still in her sleepwear, was eating the first pancake at the kitchen table.

I greeted everyone as Andrea switched off the stove and placed a plate stacked with pancakes on the center of the table. I helped myself to breakfast. “This looks delicious.”

Ned entered the kitchen. “Morning everyone.”

We greeted him, then Andrea handed him coffee with a kiss on the cheek. He sat down next to Juan. “You look like you’ve just finished hibernating.”

“I slept so well,” Juan said with her mouth full.

“Next time try not to be so loud,” I said, trying to keep the edge out of my voice.

“So loud?” Juan asked.

“When you can’t sleep. Try not to walk around your room like bigfoot.”

Juan frowned. “I was not walking around. I fell asleep right after you left my room.”

Juan got up to go and get dressed, and nothing more was said. Her college classes started later than my school.

I checked my phone and realized that if I didn’t leave now, I’d be late. So I picked up my pancake, as if it were a sandwich, so that I could take it with me.

I headed to the front door but turned around before leaving. “Mom, Dad, were either of you walking around the house last night?”

“No, we both fell asleep early,” Ned said. “Why do you ask?”

“I swore I heard someone walking around.” Syrup dripped from my pancake, and I twisted my hand so that it would drip onto me instead of the floor.

“Maybe it was a dream,” Andrea suggested.

I licked the syrup from my hand before answering. “Yeah, maybe.” Although I knew that it had been real. I had heard those footsteps as clearly as I just heard my parents speaking.

***

That night, Monday night, I had a lot of homework, and it was my turn to clean the kitchen. I hated cleaning and always felt frustrated afterward. Once I was done, I said good night to my parents, who had gone to their room early.

Our house was big, spacious, and sound traveled through it. I could hear my parents were watching television and that Juan was listening to music.

Her room was next to mine, which meant I could hear her every move. My parents’ room was down the hall, so I couldn’t hear everything clearly.

Amore lay next to my bath as I washed my hair. I lay there for a while and tried not to focus on the lyrics coming from my sister’s room. I preferred peace and quiet, while my sister always listened to music.

After my bath, I went to my desk and started doing my homework. It was getting later and later, but I focused better at night than in the mornings. I was a night-owl, but school forced me to get up early every day.

Eventually, the television and music was switched off, and I could focus.

Amore growled. “Shut up,” I mumbled.

The footsteps had started again. I did not put down my pen. I could not tell if the footsteps were coming from the hall or my sister’s room. Amore would not stop growling.

“Amore, shut it,” I ordered.

I continued studying, but my mind wandered to the footsteps and my growling dog. The footsteps were irritating me immensely.

Why was my sister walking around so much? I figured my sister would be tired after going to the gym.

My temper got the best of me, and I tossed my pen. It landed on the desk and rolled off it and under the bed. I got up and stomped to the hallway.

I switched on the light and went to my sister’s room. The door was closed, and I flung it open.

“What?” Juan growled. She was in bed and sat up. My sister had been sleeping, and I had startled her. She rubbed her eyes. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry I bothered you,” I said, and closed the door.

If it wasn’t my sister, could it be my parents walking around? Usually, they fell asleep early, and their room was far away, so I didn’t think that I’d hear their footsteps so clearly.

The hallway was long, and at the end of it was a big mirror. To its right was my parents’ room. I approached the mirror. I liked heading toward it because I could watch my back. It was clear that I was alone in the hallway.

I reached my parents’ door and put my ear against it. I could not hear anyone walking. I did not hear them talking, either. Judging by the hour, I assumed they had been asleep for some time now.

Amore had stayed on my bed, and I suddenly felt the need to hug her. All of a sudden, the house felt too big.

I had to return to my room. That meant I had to turn my back on the mirror. Although I had already seen that I was alone, the thought of walking back to my room made me uncomfortable.

I was overreacting. I had been up and down the hall so many times. Aware of how tense my body was, I started walking. My footsteps sounded on the floor.

I stopped and listened when I was in the middle of the hallway. I could hear footsteps that did not belong to me.

The hairs at the back of my neck started to rise as I realized the footsteps were coming from behind me. They were getting closer and closer...

I spun around and faced my reflection in the mirror. There was no one there, but I had no doubt that I had heard footsteps. I took a deep breath.

The light went off.

My heart nearly stopped beating, and I sprinted to my room in the dark. I slammed my door and didn’t care if I woke someone. I locked it behind me.