Figments

The measuring tape rolled across the floor and hit the wall with a silent thud. Jonathan stared suspiciously at the extended tape. Didn't it extend further yesterday? It was a miracle that the tape had found it´s way past all the rubbish filling up the floor in this messy apartment, but it had and Jonathan didn't care for the message it tried to convey to him.

The coffee cup was heavy as Jonathan stared out the apartment window. He had to go outside, this was something that bothered him. For months he had had this feeling that someone was following him around, and he had seen dark shades in the periphery of his vision. When he turned to look they always disappeared, one time he was sure he had seen a dark shape standing next to a tree, observing him from a distance. His apartment was a mess, but he had a feeling that someone was searching through his stuff when he was gone. One thing he was sure off, somehow someone was moving the walls. He hadn't yet figured if they were putting up extra wallpaper when he was shopping or if they actually physically moved his walls closer. It was obvious that the room was shrinking on a weekly basis, it was something that bothered Jonathan a great deal. He also wondered who these people were and why they were taking an interest in him. He had his theories, it had to be either the government or someone worse. This thought frightened him. It was one of the reasons why he was chronically tired, he had dark rings under his eyes and generally looked like a mess. But no matter who they were and what they wanted with him, he had an edge, for the past year he had been observing all the strange things that happened around him and he had taken notes and tried to figure if there were any patterns in his observations. This had only increased the number of sightings but it gave the intruders a motive, luckily Jonathan had had enough foresight to cover his tracks.

So you made a map? Pete asked, he extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray and leaned forward with his arms crossed. Yeah, a pretty extensive one, I've marked all the places where there have been sightings. Pete lifted one of his eyebrows, thinking things over. Isn't it risky to leave stuff like that in your apartment? If, and this is a big if, there are people searching the place on a regular basis? Jonathan got nervous, Pete was right, what if these wall moving people found his map? But he had also taken his precautions. It is hidden, I don´t think they are aware of where it is. Pete seemed to be less worried by this answer. Anyway, I have something to tell you, there´s been a breakthrough recently. I had a personal experience this weekend, when I was driving on the usual stretch between my home and the town. It was right in the middle of the woods, you know that road? He waited in anticipation. Nothing...well I was driving when I saw something really f*****g weird. Look, the hair on my arms are raising just thinking about it. Here´s the thing, I saw a light, a very bright light coming from inside the forest. You got this place on the map, right? And I saw a light, I can´t exactly explain it, and I didn't see a heck of lot more than that, but this can´t be a coincidence it just fits perfectly! Pete was staring at Jonathan in anticipation. The room was silent, he started to feel the awkwardness creeping in.

When Jonathan returned to his apartment he saw a light, someone was inside. Shadows moved past the windows, hurriedly he hid in an alley next to the entrance. Hours past, but no one was coming out of the apartment complex. Jonathan started to drift and sat on the ground where he fell into a deep sleep. It was almost dawn when he awoke, the shadows seemed to be gone but the light was still on. Everything seemed normal when he entered the apartment, but then again, how could you tell with all this mess? He moved towards the bookshelf, where a couple of books were placed to lazily create an illusion of it being an actual bookshelf. He calmed a bit as it didn't seem like anyone had been near it, he started to move the shelf revealing what, with a bit of imagination, looked like a map engraved in the wall. The engravings were covered in lines of red string and post-it notes with microscopic text. All the engravings seemed to be marking places in the area and in the centre of it all, was Jonathans apartment.

Jonathan was sitting in the tiny part of his couch that wasn't covered with paper and empty bottles, he was thinking about his meeting with Pete. They had been talking for a couple of months, at first Pete had been sceptic, it had taken a great deal of talking to get him to help, and now he suddenly believed everything he had told him? It didn't seem right, but then again, if he had seen what Jonathan had seen why shouldn't he believe him?

I don't really understand, but who am I to say. It's just, I don't know, it just seems like you'd have to disregard a lot of evidence to believe in this stuff. Like, this one guy saw a light that flew back and forth against the wind and then suddenly it just takes to the skies at an impossible speed and there's no way that he's either lying or mad? Maybe he saw something else, maybe it actually was a weather balloon this time, but no, it has to be aliens, it's always aliens. And then you'll ask why these things always happens at the same places, that has got to proof something. It's the same story as with ghosts, houses rumoured to be haunted are more prone to house sightings of the supernatural. Why is that? She turned to look Jonathan in the eyes. I don't know what to do about you, I can help you but for that to happen you need to make a larger commitment. These short sessions aren't doing much good, and I really need you to back away from this stuff, it can be all consuming.

Jonathan was violently awakened by the ear piercing sounds of the ringing telephone. It was late and still very dark, he put the speaker to his ear. I´m sorry for calling late, but something has happened. Petes voice was fearful. I've been seeing the shadow people that you've been talking about. This evening I saw them inside my house, they might still be there for all I know. I'm at my lake house, I don't think they know where it is, but I really need your help. What am I going to do if they find me? Ah s**t, there's someone outside, I need to be quiet I have to...His voice was gone and it was replaced by an obnoxious beeping from the phone. Confused and tired, Jonathan put the speaker down and fell back in the bed. Should he go to the lake house? He had made a deal with Linda the month before, they had agreed that he should take a break from the mysteries to heal his mind. It had worked, after the first couple of weeks he had stopped seeing the shades, he had felt more safe in his apartment, he had even reached a moment where he had managed to clean up the mess he had made. But they had made the deal after hour long sessions of therapy where they had come to the conclusion that it wasn't real. Jonathans mind was racing when he heard a sound from the street outside of his living room. He looked out the window and he saw shades gathering, he had to get out of here before it was too late.

He hurried through the door to the back alley, no one was here yet, he got to his car and drove away, avoiding the main street where he had seen the shadows. He had to get to the lake house, luckily he had been there before. While he was driving he started thinking about Linda, why was she so eager to get him to stop his investigation? It had become obvious that the shades were real, so why was she trying to convince him that it was his imagination? That's when it became clear to him that Linda had to be an agent, she was hired to stop Jonathan from uncovering the truth. He cursed himself for not realizing this earlier. When driving he could see them all over the place, they were hiding in the forest that surrounded the road, they weren't easy to see, but he noticed them. The closer he got to the lake house, the more of them there were. He pushed harder on the speeder and drove with his eyes fixed on the road.

It's morning and Linda is awake, she knows that the alarm is going to go off any minute, and yet she refuses to get up before it does. In the living room the red light was blinking on the voice mail. It seemed like she would have lot of work to do in the coming months.