CHAPTER 29

“We should tell it to Helene,” Lexy told Adam as soon he sat in front of them. “She has to know the truth.”

Adam heaved a sigh. Arianne called him and asked him to meet them at a coffee shop near Helene’s apartment. Based on Arianne’s shaky voice, Adam concluded that they have found out about the strange things happening to Helene.

“Should we call her mother?” Arianne suggested. “She has the right to know what’s happening in her daughter right now.”

“But her mother is an OFW. If she found out that her daughter is not doing well, she might get worried and couldn’t work well,” Lexy said and sighed. “We should try some ways to help Helene before we tell it to her mom.”

“I agree, but we still need to give Helene’s mom some updates about her,” Adam said and placed Helene’s phone on the table. “An IT friend unlocked it, and I found out that Helene stopped updating to her mom a week ago.”

“A week ago?” Lexy asked, brows furrowed. “She also avoided us just a week ago.”

“When she started to be friends with Minerva, she’s not talking to us,” said Arianne.

Adam lowered his gaze to the table. He knew why Helene suddenly became distant since she hung out with Minerva, but she doesn’t know if he has the right to tell them.

“What are we going to do now?” Lexy asked worriedly. She brushed her hands on her face and looked as if she was about to cry. “I can’t take to see Helene in that situation.”

“Why don’t we talk to the guy she’s with and tell him to leave Helene because we already know what his real motives towards her?” he suggested. “Let’s threaten him. Then, if he didn’t leave Helene alone, we have no choice but to tell it to the Police.”

Lexy and Arianne looked at him in puzzled expressions. It was as if they weren’t sure of what he said. “What?” it was Lexy.

“What are you saying, Adam?” Arianne asked in a knotted forehead. “I thought you already knew about Malcolm?”

“He’s Helene’s boyfriend, right?” Adam said, brows furrowed in confusion. “Isn’t he?”

Lexy heaved a sigh. “So, you haven’t gone inside Helene’s apartment?”

He shook his head. “I told you, she never let me.”

Arianne held his stare, and Adam can see in her eyes that she’s worrying so much for Helene. “Yes, Malcolm was Helene’s boyfriend, but…” She glanced at Lexy. “But he’s not real…”

Adam knotted his forehead. “Not real? I don’t understand…”

“Malcolm is just an illusion. He’s just Helene’s hallucinations,” Lexy said and started to cry. “And it’s scary to see her talk and cuddle with a pillow she believed was Malcolm.”

Adam’s lips parted in surprise. “T-Then who was the shadow that I saw inside her apartment?”

Arianne looked at him. “You saw a shadow?” She brushed her shoulders. “What was that? We didn’t see any shadows inside her apartment.”

“We should help Helene,” Adam said and raised from his seat. “I will try to get her attention and bring her to a specialist.”

“Do you think we can do that easily?” Lexy asked. “I’m sure she’ll shun us again.”

Arianne reached for her friend’s hand. “Let’s try, Lexy. Let’s save Helene.”

After they talked about keeping Helene’s mind busy, Adam, Lexy, and Arianne went back to Helene’s apartment. It was past seven p.m., and the stairs towards Helene’s apartment were so dark that Lexy has to open her flashlight for them to see the stairs.

In front of Helene’s apartment, the light post was flickering, giving an eerie feeling around the dark and old place. The rooftop was vacant, with no plants, but only abandoned furniture and other boxes.

“Don’t tell her that we’re here,” Lexy told him before he knocked on the door. They hid behind a pile of boxes behind Helene’s entrance when they heard the double locks clicked open.

“Adam? What are you doing here?” Helene asked in her usual cheerful tone. However, she was also smiling and looked like she just got out of bed. “What brought you here?”

“Are you with somebody?” Adam asked, trying to sound neutral, even though he wanted to grab her arm and hugged her tightly. “Can I come in?”

Helene hesitated to answer. “I’m with Malcolm,” she said, then looked inside her house. “He’s watching TV. Is it okay with you?”

Adam swallowed hard. “O-of course, I won’t take long,” he said and smiled. “If it’s okay with him too, why not?”

Helene laughed. “Malcolm won’t mind, I’m sure,” Helene widened the door and let him in. “Have a seat.”

The room was dark, and only the TV lightened the room. Adam looked at the couch. No one was there. Adam’s chest started to hammer.

Helene went to the couch and looked down as if she’s speaking to somebody. “Malcolm, my classmate Adam is here.”

Adam followed her gaze, and he found a white bolster sitting on the couch. It’s not moving. But Helene thinks that the pillow was Malcolm.

“Helene,” Adam walked towards her and held her hand. “Can you come with me?”

Helene pulled her hand from him. “Don’t hold my hand in front of Malcolm. He might get jealous,” she said and sat on the sofa. She leaned her head on the bolster pillow and whispered sorry to it. “He’s just a friend, Malcolm.”

“Helene stopped this!” Adam grabbed her hand and forced him to stand up. “Helene, wake up! Don’t do this to yourself!”

Helene looked at him in a knotted forehead. She tried to snatch her hand, but Adam held still. “Let me go, Adam!” she shouted. “Malcolm, no, don’t hurt him. He’s my friend.”

Adam felt cold air on his back, but when he looked back, no one was there. Helene took that moment to push him. Adam bumped with the coffee table, making the bottles of soda fell noisily on the floor.

“Adam, I think you have to leave now,” Helene said. She was hugging the pillow that she thought was Malcolm. “Leave now, before Malcolm could hurt you! Leave!”

The door burst opened, and Lexy and Arianne went running inside. Arianne went to him while Lexy just looked at Helene.

“Helene, please stop this…” Lexy said. “Please, come back to us.”

Helene looked at them. Her brows were furrowed in confusion. “Malcolm, what’s wrong with them?” she asked and hugged the pillow even tighter. “Why are they acting like this?”

“Stop it, Helene! Malcolm is not real!” Lexy shouted. Tears ran down her face. “Malcolm is just your imagination. He didn’t exist. He’s just an illusion! Wake up, Helene! Wake up!”

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