Helen

 

"I can't believe you fell in love with 'me' - the weirdo", I said with teary eyes. "Who wouldn't fall in love with you?!", he said softly and brushed away the hair from my face as his lips touched mine.

I sat there on the couch with a tub of popcorn in my hand as he went over to the cupboard in my living room, and started reading the titles on the movie tapes. I had a fascination for thrillers and horror movies ever since I was a child. Consequently, I had a huge stock of movies, which ranged from 80's classics to recent releases. He returned with three tapes in his hands - all classic horrors and slid one of them in the video player. I had wanted it to be a cliché date - movie at the theatre with candle light dinner later. But he insisted on coming to my place for a horror movie marathon.

By the time the marathon ended, it was 2AM. We were both so tired that we immediately went to sleep. I was woken up by his shaky voice, "Stacy, wake up! Wake up, please, quick!" With my narrowed eyes trying to adjust to the light in the room, I saw him sitting up on the bed, panting and covered with sweat. "At first, I thought it was because we watched horror movie and I was imagining stuff. I saw someone standing right next to the bed. Sh-she was watching us sleep. I am pretty sure there was some girl in this room Stacy."

Still feeling hazy from the deep sleep which I was in, I sat up and asked him, "Did she have long black hair and was she wearing a tshirt with a skirt?" He almost shouted, "Yes! Yes! Did you see her too?" I smiled at him affectionately and said, "I see her everyday. She is my imaginary friend Helen." His mouth opened wide in horror and in order to ease his nerves, I immediately continued, "I have schizophrenia, remember?! I imagine things and people - she is one of them. Relax, David!" 

He gave a sigh of relief and lied down. Just as I was about to turn off the lights, something occurred to me. I tapped David on the shoulder, "David, I see her because of my condition. But you do not have any health issues. Then, how come you saw the same girl?" 

And as we stared at each other in horror, Helen walked into the room and stood there, smiling at us!