“Come on, Alicia, open up!” Rachel called from outside the door, her voice a mix of concern and annoyance.
“I’m fine, Rachel. Just need some space,” Alicia responded weakly, her eyes still fixed on the spot where ‘he’ had been moments ago.
“Look, I know things have been weird, but you can’t just ignore me like this,” Rachel said, her voice now pleading. Alicia leaned her back against the door, feeling the cold wood press into her skin. Weird? That was an understatement. Her entire world had flipped upside down.
Finally, Rachel’s footsteps retreated down the hallway, leaving Alicia alone in the deafening silence of her apartment. She took a deep breath, her heart racing in her chest. The realization that her mind had conjured up this entire relationship was terrifying, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more to it all.
Her eyes scanned the room, looking for any trace of ‘his’ existence. The half-empty whiskey bottle on the table caught her eye. It was his favorite drink, or so she had thought. Now, it just looked like a sad prop in her twisted play of reality. Alicia walked over and picked it up, the liquid swirling inside like a tiny storm. With a shaky hand, she took a swig, the burn calming her nerves slightly.
Her thoughts were a whirlwind, trying to piece together what was real and what was a figment of her imagination. How had she let this happen? How had she not seen the signs? The more she pondered, the more she felt like she was losing her grip on reality. But then again, what was reality? It was all just a perception, a story her brain had told her to believe.
The room spun as she sat down heavily in the chair, the bottle clinking against the table. She had to get out of here, get some air. Alicia stumbled over to the window, pushing it open with all her might. The cool breeze rushed in, sending a shiver down her spine.
“See you soon,” she whispered to the empty room before climbing out onto the fire escape. The metal was cold and unforgiving under her bare feet, but she didn’t care. She needed to feel something real. As she descended the rickety ladder, she felt a strange sense of freedom. Like she was escaping from the prison of her own mind.
The alley below was dark and damp, but she didn’t care. She needed to be out in the world, to feel grounded again. She took a deep breath of the city air, the scent of rain and exhaust fumes oddly comforting.
Alicia walked aimlessly through the streets, her mind racing with thoughts of ‘him’ and what her life had become. Every face she passed was a blur, every sound a muffled echo. She was lost in her own world, searching for something she knew she’d never find.
Her legs carried her to the local park, where she often went to ‘meet’ him. The swings swayed gently in the wind, creaking like the hinges of an old door. She sat down on one, the chains cold and unyielding.
“You know, you’re not real,” she murmured to the empty air, her voice barely audible. “But you felt so real.”
The park was eerily quiet, the only sound the rustling of leaves and distant sirens. Alicia felt a tear roll down her cheek as she swung back and forth, trying to convince herself that she could move on from this.
But as she looked up at the moon, a sudden chill ran down her spine. There, standing under a streetlight, was ‘his’ silhouette, watching her with that same enigmatic smile. Her heart skipped a beat, her grip on the swing tightening. Was she losing her mind completely?
The figure took a step forward, and Alicia felt the urge to scream, but no sound came out. This couldn’t be real, could it? But what was real anymore?
“I am you,” the voice echoed in her head, sending a shiver down her spine. “And you are falling.”
With that, the ground seemed to give way beneath her, and she was plummeting through darkness, the wind rushing past her ears. Was this it? The end of her delusion? Or was it the start?
