1. White eyes
chapter one 

Friday
03:00 am

The digital numbers on the clock illuminated the bedroom and made it harder for Jake to fall asleep. The curtain fluttered as the wind passed by the window and as it did the dim light pushed the shadows back to the corners.

Jake sighed and pulled himself up. His tired eyes glared unfocused out into the darkness that was coming back into the room. He pulled the cover around his waist and tried to give the wet t-shirt he wore some breathing room. It didn’t work. It got sucked up onto his sweaty back as soon as he let go. He massaged his neck as he hunched forward. His shoulder had started hurting again. His fingers continued rubbing his neck and slowly moved up onto his temples and onto his aching forehead. He felt the deep frown and pushed at it with his thumbs. He wished he could just relax. Between his fingers he saw the red numbers.

03:19

He closed his eyes and hid his head in his hands. His shoulders trembled. He could feel the beating of his heart. Again, he looked toward the clock and didn’t blink until it shifted.

03:20

In the distance, he heard a door close. It was impossible to say whether it was from his staircase or the neighboring one. The familiar thundering of heavy traffic reached his ears, and his thoughts drifted toward it—the highway that stretched across the country. The far-reaching asphalt river. It held so much promise. So much freedom.

His fingers twitched, and he tried to stretch his stiff neck. He heard a crack somewhere behind his ear. Without thinking, he reached his hand behind him and grabbed the phone with trembling fingers. The screen lit up at his touch, illuminating the entire room. Jake frowned and quickly turned the brightness down.

He hesitated, but his thumb moved anyway. It found the text from his mother and opened it. He had lost track of how often he had done that. Sometimes not even reading the words—just staring at them.

Hi Jake,
I hope you are doing well. I know you are busy, but I wanted to let you know that your brothers funeral is on Friday at 13:00.
I hope you can make it, but I understand if you cannot.
We would like to see you there.
Love, Mum.

Jake took a deep breath and watched as the screen shut itself off. He continued to stare as the darkness surrounded him. The curtain swayed, and the clock changed numbers. He let the phone slide out of his hand and onto the cover. He leaned forward and closed his eyes as the familiar ache in his shoulder took over his focus. He grunted and massaged it absentmindedly with his hand. The pulsing followed the rhythm of his heart, moved up through his neck, and into his mind. The muscles around his ears sent out a shuddering sound that enclosed him in a thundering bubble.

He sank back into the pillow and pulled the cover over his chest. Placing his hands over his heart. It was hammering hard against his chest. He took a deep breath and tried to count quietly to himself, but the echo behind his ears disturbed him. He turned to the side, pressed the pillow against his shoulder, and pulled the cover up to his chin. He stayed perfectly still. Eyes closed. Breathing.

He yawned.
His eyes opened and he turned his head to look at the red numbers.
03:35

Was it mocking him? He turned back and closed his eyes, but only a few heartbeats later they opened again, staring into the corner where the outside light crept in. He yawned again, turned over, pulled the cover in close, and hugged himself. He stared into the darkness.

Two white eyes stared back.

Jake blinked and sat up straight. The cover fell around him, and he heard the pillow drop to the floor. The corner where the eyes had been was empty.

05:46