Chapter 5: Power’s Out

“Josi, I’m kind of busy right now. Can we just talk later? Please?” Merideth begged from the other end of the phone line, but Josephine was not listening.

“No! I’m alone in my room, and I think someone is stalking me, and I need you here right now!” Josephine demanded, speaking loudly and anxiously.

“Ughh…” Merideth sighed with faint voices breaching through the background. “No one is stalking you, okay? You’re gonna be fine! I promise!” Merideth did her best to calm her down, but her words continued to fall on deaf ears.

“Who are you with? Are you with someone? Is that why you won’t come and take care of your BEST FRIEND?? What if somebody kidnaps me, huh? How would you feel then knowing you could have been here for me?” Josephine switched up her tactics, trying to manipulate Merideth through her emotions.

And it almost worked. Merideth took a moment to think about her proposition, feeling the guilt of leaving her friend alone while she was shaken and afraid, and potentially pursued by a stalker. However, that all quickly changed when Merideth could no longer hear Josephine on the other side.

“Hel... re… ou… er?” Josephine muttered through the phone, leaving Merideth confused.

“Yes, Josephine, I'm still here. Look, just wait it out and call Kairus. I’m sure he’ll come. I gotta go!” Merideth hung up the phone, leaving Josephine to face her paranoia alone.

“Oh my god, Merideth…” Josephine sighed, realizing that her friend had hung up on her. She tried calling back several times, but there was no answer. Ugh… should I just call Kairus? She thought to herself.

She eventually gave in to the temptation and called him.

After a few rings, he answered, “What’s up, Jos? What do you need?” He asked in a slightly irritated tone.

“The power’s out and I think someone’s stalking me. I need you to come here right now!” Josephine demanded with a very childish voice.

“I wish I could, but I’m stuck at work. Can’t you call Merideth?”

“I tried, Kai! But, that stupid slut won’t answer!”

“Well, I’m at work anyway. I can’t help you. Sorry.”

“I’ll come to you then. I just don’t want to be alone with a stalker roaming around.”

“Yeah okay. How are you even gonna get here?”

“With my legs obviously! I’m gonna walk or run or something! You work at the library, right?”

“The cafeteria… Jos’. Just be quick. If you’re really worried about a stalker then you don’t want to be out there too long, right?” He patronized and Josephine rolled her eyes in response.

“Of course, Kai! I know that. I will be there in 5 minutes, okay? Make sure that door is unlocked before I get there!”

“Okay, Jos. I’ll be waiting for you. See you soon.”

“Yeah. See you soon,” Josephine concluded, hanging up the phone.

She got up from her bed and opened her closet, reaching in for a yellow raincoat and a pair of boots. She got dressed and ready for the rain, then headed out of her dark room. The lights in the hallways still seemed to be working, so she didn’t need her phone’s flashlight to see anymore.

Josephine strutted down the hallways through the front door, passing only one other student who looked like they were on their way to the break room.

Immediately blasted by heavy rain and forceful wind, Josephine was nearly blown back behind the automatic doors.

The wind blew hard then comparatively still, constantly oscillating as Josephine traversed the severe weather conditions. With her hood held tightly over her head, she protected her face as much as she could from the wind and rain.

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She could hardly see in front of her as the warm but chilling air was saturated in a thick veil of water and vapor. The sidewalk beneath her feet, the asphalt streets all around her, and the lights coming from nearby buildings, all looked distorted and blurry as water began to settle in her eyes.

She almost couldn't breathe now. Running slowly against the wind, she fought for every step and every single breath she took on her route to a building that was only a quarter of a mile away.

Damn it. This sucks, Josephine thought to herself as she continued to power through the harsh suppressing weather.

Her eyes were fixed on the Cafeteria building not far from reach when she thought she noticed something in her peripheral vision, a thin figure with a top hat. She glanced quickly in that direction, with her heart rate instantly doubling.

What the fuck was that? Josephine saw nothing, but the image she thought she saw had burned into her mind. Officially terrified, she quickened her pace and nearly sprinted to the opening of the cafeteria and ran through calling for Kairus.

“KAI! KAI! WHERE ARE YOU?!” She exclaimed, panting, and searching frantically for him.

“I’m up here, goofy!” Kairus called from the second floor, nearly echoing throughout the empty building, void of other people.

“Okay!” She called out. “I’m coming!”

Josephine rushed to the elevator, got inside, and came up to the second floor to greet Kairus. She embraced him with a tight, soaking wet, hug, giving him goosebumps, and making him shiver.

“I guess someone’s excited to see me,” he said in a low, dull, tone.

“I just didn’t want to be alone. Don’t get ahead of yourself,” she responded, shaking in his arms. She then released him and took a seat next to the small library section.

“Whatever you say, Jos. Whatever you say,” he said as he returned to work, dusting shelves, cleaning up trash, and wiping down tables. “You know you’re gonna get that couch all wet.”

“Boo hoo. It’ll be dry by the time someone comes here. Incase you don’t recall, it’s fucking storming outside,” Josephine responded with a snarky attitude.

“You know if you’re gonna come all the way here just to be comforted by me, the least you could do is be nice,” Kairus suggested while grabbing a broom to sweep the floor.

“I’m sorry,” Josephine muttered softly.

Kairus’ eyes glanced back at her and he smiled softly, “Thank you.” He continued sweeping near the bookshelves and closer to Josephine.

“Shit,” she exclaimed. “I never got a chance to charge my phone and I didn’t bring my charger! My phone’s gonna die! Ugh!” Josephine groaned, flailing her smartphone in the air.

“No electricity in your room at all?”

“Nope! None. You’re gonna have to take me to the gas station to get some snacks and maybe a flashlight in case the power outage gets worse.”

“I have to take you? Specifically me?”

“Yes, you! Who else, Kai?”

“I don’t know. Maybe see if Phil is around?” Kairus teased in a petty voice.

“You’re such an asshole. I want you to take me, okay? Not Phil!” Josephine insisted and Kairus shook his head laughing.

“Alright alright,” he agreed. “We’ll go in a little bit. I’m almost done with my shift anyway. Let me just finish sweeping and we’ll be good. Okay?”

“Okay! Hurry up,” she agreed nervously.

After a few minutes, Kairus finished cleaning and put away his supplies. He then walked up to Josephine who was quietly scrolling through her phone.

“That’s a good way to conserve battery,” he said sarcastically.

Josephine looked up to him and rolled her eyes. She then stood to her feet and started walking towards the elevator, leaving a damp mark on the couch where she sat.

“Nice ass print,” Kairus said with a smirk.

“You like it?” She asked jokingly, walking into the elevator. Kairus followed in a moment later and pressed the button for the first floor.

“Yeah actually it’s ver–”

“AHH!!!” Josephine suddenly screeched at the top of her lungs, flailing her arms, completely panicked. “HELP! HELP! HELP!” She begged desperately until Kairus, slightly confused and slightly alarmed, noticed the very non frightening issue.

He pressed the “open doors” button on the elevator, freeing Josephine’s thick brown ponytail from the Elevator’s terrifying grasp.

“Oh… I uhm… nevermind I guess,” Josephine laughed nervously with her body softly trembling from this traumatizing experience.

Kairus just stared at her with a face of embarrassing disbelief and shook his head repeatedly.

“What? It freaked me out, okay? I’m just a little bit startled…”

The elevator descended and Kairus continued to stare at her, shaking his head. “Yeah. I can see that very clearly. What would you do without me?”

“Mhhm…” she ignored him, exiting the elevator first as it stopped.

“Probably in your room crying would be my guess.”

“Sure, Kai. I’ll let you think that.”

Josephine approached the automatic doors and paused for a moment as they opened. She seemed frozen, staring out into the darkness, completely still.