Did this mean they had cameras, too? Just like the government, always watching?
My gaze bounced to the artwork hanging on the walls that trembled like an earthquake, to the hallway closet, and then to Mr. Volkov’s door.
Mr. Volkov.He was in trouble from the aliens!
I flung his door open and sprinted to his bedside, looking for his phone even though it was hard to see in the dark. He popped his head up, his sleepy eyes narrowed in a glare. “What are you doing, sunshine?”
“They’re listening!” I grabbed his cell phone from the nightstand and ran into my bathroom. After tossing it into the water, I bolted out of the room and down the stairs. I plugged the drain in the kitchen sink and switched on the water.
What if they now knew what I was doing? What if they planned to abduct and perform experiments on me?
Voices filled my head, but I couldn’t understand what they said. It sounded like I stood in the middle of a huge crowd, but it was hard to make anything out because everyone talked at once.
I snatched the TV’s remote and threw it into the rising water. My mouth moved with silent words. A few times, I whispered them.
“I have to save us from planet Uraoon. They told me I’m a disaster.” I rambled and tossed more appliances into the sink.
Breathing became harder as panic tightened my chest. Something gripped my heart and wouldn’t let go. My gaze bounced around the kitchen as I stood in the middle, searching for cameras or anything the aliens could watch through.
“Emma!” someone called behind me as I grabbed the toaster.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw Mr. Volkov. The air around him trembled, and he looked like he was close to me but also so far away. My depth perception became wonky, and it was hard to stay balanced on my feet as the floor beneath me shuddered.
Turning back to what I was doing, I yelled, “They’re listening!”
Hands gently grabbed my shoulder and dragged me back into a chest. I shrugged out of their hold, shrieking because of how awful the touch felt.
“No one is listening, sunshine. Listen to my voice,” Mr. Volkov said quietly. “Let’s get you in the shower.”
“Yes, they are!” I yelled, ignoring his suggestion.
I dropped the toaster into the running water, which began to overflow. Mr. Volkov reached past me, turned it off, and gently turned me to face him. He avoided looking me in the eye and folded his arms over his bare chest.
“Talk to me, Emma. Tell me about what you’ve been reading lately,” he murmured.
I looked at the microwave. My breath caught in my chest.
There are microphones in it. I need to get rid of them.
My gaze bounced to the refrigerator, and my eyes widened.The aliens are hiding in there!
“Emma?”
I reared my head back and blinked. The grip on my heart tightened, and I gasped for air. “I-it’s an office romance.”
Mr. Volkov gently guided me out of the kitchen and back upstairs. I hesitantly followed him into his bedroom, but I couldn’t stop myself from studying everything and looking for risks. He walked through a doorway, and we entered the bathroom.
“Take a shower and talk to me, sunshine,” he said with the same gentleness. He turned on the water, and I slowly backed away as panic still seized me.
“What are you getting at? You won’t take me to them!” I shook my head.
He turned to me with a blank expression. “I’m not taking you to anyone. But I need you to get in the shower and talk to me about what you’re reading.”
I took another step back and shook my head. “Y-you’re lying, lying, lying.”
Mr. Volkov slowly raised his hands, palms out, in a gesture for me to calm down. “I can join you in the shower, if you’d like.”
I shook my head and wrapped my arms around my chest to stop my body from trembling with adrenaline and fear. “You’re covering for me. You know about all the bodies and thedemons!”
