Home of Alice Mae and her family.

Since their visit to the witch tunnels, Alice Mae had been more dependent on Caleb than she'd like to be. It had been easy for him to come and go since her parents started their divorce proceedings. Her dad was no longer staying at the house, and her mother was out almost every night trying to find herself a new husband.

"Are you sure your family will be okay with me coming for Christmas?" Alice Mae had only met Caleb's family a handful of times despite dating for almost two years. It frustrated her. She didn't like going into the unknown unprepared. It didn't help that she'd become highly paranoid recently, which was why she needed Caleb to stay with her. Luckily, he'd been super supportive through all of it. Since the tunnels, Alice Mae started having nightmares and waking up in cold sweats. Most recently, she started getting nosebleeds—something she'd never experienced.

She paced back and forth in front of her bed while inhaling Caleb's vape. It was the only thing that could calm her at night. Otherwise, she couldn't get the images from her nightmares out of her head. Alice Mae preferred her head to be empty before bed. It was less scary that way. After a few more minutes, Alice Mae finally stopped pacing and climbed into bed next to Caleb. She had always felt safe with Caleb and now was no different. If anything, she felt safer. He knew what they both experienced was real. Unfortunately, it impacted Alice Mae differently than everyone else.

She snuggled close to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Have I told you lately that I love you?" Alice Mae grinned ear to ear. "To infinity and beyond," she added. "And thank you for always putting up with my bullshit," her smile faded slightly. She knew it hadn't been easy for him either.

Caleb was a skeptic. Just about any crazy theory that the girls had about the Shadyside murders, he could think up a few logical explanations for why it wasn't possible. He didn't believe in the "witch", Shadyside was a shitty place to live and as a result, some of the residents just snapped when they'd had enough. However, he couldn't explain away what they saw and heard in those tunnels, and it was honestly bothering him more than he was letting on. What was bothering even more was what was going on with his girlfriend. He knew something was up, even if she wasn't letting him in on everything and what he did know had him worried.

"Yeah, totally." he replied as he continued to play a racing game on his phone. This was the first year that his mom was hosting Christmas since grandma had decided last year that she wasn't going to do it anymore. As a result, his mother had been going crazy the past couple weeks making sure everything was "perfect". She had been very receptive to his news of Alice Mae coming because she figured that meant Caleb would be on his best behavior.

"Shit." he muttered to himself as someone ended up stealing first place from him at the last moment. Tossing the phone down on the bed, he pushed his hair back out of his face and watched Alice Mae as she paced. The worried look on his face disappearing the moment that she decided to climb into bed next to him. His arm instinctively wrapped around her, and he placed a quick kiss on the top of her head. "You have, but I love hearing it so I'm not complaining." Caleb chuckled, trying to lighten the mood and stop the scary thoughts trying to creep into his own mind.

"I love you too, babe. You're my girl, forever and always. I got you, and you got me. We got this." They were Sunnyvalers, nothing bad ever happened to their kind. It just didn't. Then, why did he still feel so worried? Grabbing the vape, he took a couple hits before setting it next to his phone and wrapping both arms around pulling her in as close as he could before pulling back enough so he could look her in the eyes. "You're my girl, I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. I promise. Okay?"

“And just think, a few weeks ago, I was telling you not to talk to me anymore,” Alice Mae teased. They weren’t typically the type of couple to break up and get back together. He had hurt her feelings the last time, and that’s why she reacted the way she did. Alice Mae still felt terrible for the way she handled everything and letting her emotions get the best of her. At least they were able to reconcile quickly with no harm done. She was going to try and handle her jealousy better.

Alice Mae wanted to believe Caleb this time, but she knew if what she was seeing was real, there was no way Caleb could protect her without putting himself in danger. Alice Mae didn’t want that for him. “You know, I like the sound of forever and always with you,” Alice Mae decided to focus on something else as her body melted into his. New worries quickly filled her head. “What will happen to us when you go to college next year?” Alice Mae asked. She was a junior, and he was graduating. “And then, who’s to say we even end up attending the same college?” She let out a frustrated sigh, annoyed with herself for opening this can of worms.

It was no secret that Alice Mae was a mess. All she wanted was to go to bed, but she couldn't turn her brain off. It was like she had a dozen tabs open in her head. Alice Mae buried her face into Caleb’s chest and entangled their legs together. After a few minutes, she finally broke her silence. “Would you believe if I said I thought I was cursed?” She asked, a bit muffled. Alice Mae knew it sounded crazy, but it was the only reasonable explanation for everything that was currently happening to her. She pulled back slightly, “Like, what if I touched something I wasn’t supposed to? And I got my first nosebleed down there,” Alice Mae pointed out. “I don’t get nosebleeds, Caleb,” she added with a matter-of-fact tone.

She knew her boyfriend had been skeptical beforehand, but they hadn’t talked much about the tunnel since. They could both agree that some freaky shit was happening down there.

Caleb rolled his eyes, "I try not to think about that." He had put his playboy ways aside the moment he started dating Alice Mae. Still, he had a hard time shutting down his natural charm and that was something that he needed to work on. It was too easy for him though; looking the way he did, all it took was a little charm and he could have nearly anyone eating out of the palm of his hand. It was addicting in a way.

'I thought we were trying to relax...' he thought to himself as he shifted slightly on the bed. It's not that he didn't think about these things, but he found it easier to push them aside until they were problems that needed dealt with asap. College was almost a year away and they would figure it out one way or another. "Don't think like that, babe. I'll go next year, get a lay of the land, I'm only a couple hours away so I'll come back often. Then next year you can get there, and everything will be back to normal." First, they had to figure out how to get her nightmares and nosebleeds to stop.

Caleb began stroking her hair as snuggled in closer, hoping that she was finally ready to sleep. He was nowhere near close to falling asleep himself but at least if she got some rest, he could stay up and take over the worrying. What the hell had Heather gotten them wrapped up in? They were Sunnyvalers, they didn't have to deal with this kind of shit. "Babe. Listen. Curses aren't real. Neither are witches. Maybe you touched some poisonous plant or mold or something. I don't know. Maybe it's time you go see a doctor, okay? There's got to be a logical explanation for this." He pulled back more so that he could look her in the eyes. She looked scared and a little sad.

"Hey. I don't know what's going on, but I know one thing for sure. I'm going to do whatever, and I mean whatever, it takes to make sure you are okay. You hear me? I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Caleb was raised to be a protector. His father taught him that the moment he took on the role or boyfriend or husband, that meant it was his duty to protect his woman. Unlike his father though, Caleb was a little more laid back about it because he wanted Alice Mae to have the ability to do things on her own. But he would always be there to have her back whenever she needed it most.

College wasn’t a preferred topic, but she tried her best to occupy her mind. So when Caleb shut down the conversation by reassuring her that everything would be okay in the end, she let him.

Alice Mae thought Caleb would believe everything he saw, but he didn't. He instead said the curse and witch weren’t real and began listing logical explanations as to what was happening to her. It wasn’t until Caleb commented about her seeing a doctor that she got upset. She didn’t have the energy to argue with him, but she couldn’t help herself, “How could you say that after everything we saw down there? Why are you in such denial?” Alice Mae needed her boyfriend to believe her, so she knew she wasn’t going crazy. “If I see a doctor and tell them everything that’s been happening, they’d have me fucking committed,” Alice Mae told her boyfriend.

She was about to turn her back on him, but what he had to say next made her stop. “Yeah, well, you’re still an insensitive jerk,” Alice Mae scrunched her nose at him, rolled her eyes before finally turning her back to him. Alice Mae may not have known what was happening to her, but she knew it wasn’t an allergic reaction to something she touched.

"Hey, woah. Hold up." Caleb threw his hands in the air as a sort 'white flag'. "I didn't mean it like that. I wasn't saying tell them everything. But like, maybe they can help with the nosebleeds and nightmares. Those happen for normal reasons too, that's all I'm trying to say. I'm sorry it came out wrong." Caleb didn't know if he was putting his foot further in his mouth, but he had to say how he felt. They had to at least be open to the idea that there were more rational explanations for the things they'd seen. Besides, they were from Sunnyvale, they didn't get cursed. That was Shadysider shit.

Grabbing his vape off the bed, he took a few hits before putting it back down, contemplating what he was going to say next. He felt like he was losing his grasp on reality. Were they really lying her talking about witches and curses? Like, there was just no way all that hocus pocus shit could be real. Just because they didn't have a logical reason for everything they'd seen and heard, didn't mean there wasn't one. He couldn't rule that possibility out yet. Now he was kind of wishing they were still talking about college.

Climbing out of the bed, he kept his eyes on Alice Mae because he knew it would cause her to roll back over toward him. "Listen, I don't think either one of us is ready to fall asleep so let's, I dunno, do something fun." Caleb turned on his signature charm and held out his hand to her. Once she'd crawled out of bed, he led her living room. "Let's see. We could watch a movie or... play a board game. Strip twister?" He joked, trying to cheer her up some.

Alice Mae focused on the wall while Caleb apologized. It didn’t last long, though; she immediately rolled over when she felt him start to get out of bed. Alice Mae couldn’t stay mad at him. He was the only person she had right now. If she pushed his button too far, he’d leave, which was the last thing she wanted. She took his hand and let him lead her into the living room. It was depressing and only reminded her that her family was no more.

She knew Caleb was trying his best. Alice Mae did crack a small smile when he mentioned strip twister. “If you want to see me naked, then say so. We don’t need to play a stupid game,” she teased. If she tried to be in a better mood, his attempts to improve everything might work. “If I’m not mistaken, that’s how you got me into bed the first time,” Alice Mae added. His charm could be undeniable at times.

Alice Mae fell back into the couch and patted the empty spot, inviting Caleb to sit next to her. “I can’t stay mad at your stupid ass,” Alice Mae admitted. “I’m just susceptible because of everything that’s going on.” Alice Mae could be dramatic, but it wasn’t usually this over the top. “You’ve been great, and I shouldn’t be acting like a brat,” she added, scooping up his closest hand with hers. “I don’t feel much like myself right now. It makes it hard for me to want to anything.”

"I wanna see you naked." he muttered under his breath with a smirk and slight chuckle. It was true though. He almost always wanted to see her naked but right now honestly didn't feel like the time. She'd have to be the one to initiate if anything were to happen. Caleb was too worried about her mental state at the moment, last thing he wanted to do was pressure her into doing something she didn't really want to do.

Caleb happily took his spot next to her on the couch and stared up at the ceiling, both trying to listen to what she was saying and figure out something for them to do at the same time. "Thank you because I'm definitely a stupid ass. But I am trying. I promise, I am," he gave her hand a soft squeeze before continuing, "And you're not acting like a brat. You're dealing with a LOT of shit right now. You have every right to be stressed out."

"Don't feel much like yourself you say? Alright. Maybe that's why you don't feel like doing anything. So... let's do something that you wouldn't normally do? Not like something you don't do because you hate it but like something you wouldn't do. Does that make sense? Made sense in my head but now that I'm saying it out loud, I don't know anymore. Feel free to tell me to shut up, whenever."

“I know you’re trying. You may say stupid shit, but your actions never go unnoticed,” Alice Mae reassured him with a slight nudge into his side. “You’re sweet and thoughtful and probably the best boyfriend I’ve ever had. I’m the lucky one,” she added. Alice Mae knew she was always too worried about the little things that she had difficulty seeing the bigger picture. “My parents may be getting a divorce, and I may be stressed, but that doesn’t give me the right to be a dick to you.” Alice Mae tried to be the bigger person in any situation. This one is no different. She flashed him a small apologetic smile, “I’m sorry.” Alice Mae wanted a clean slate going into the rest of the night, and she was going to try not to be the moody brat she had been.

By the end of Caleb’s ramble, he had Alice Mae smiling again. She let go of Caleb’s hand as she readjusted herself on the couch to be closer to him. “Yes, you make sense, Caleb,” she answered with a chuckle. He could make her upset, but more often than not, he had her laughing to the point her stomach would hurt. “We can do something I like but don’t often do tomorrow. It’s almost ten, and most places are already closed,” she reminded him while moving one of her hands to the back of his neck and extending her legs over his lap.

Alice Mae rested the side of her head against the back of the couch cushion, quietly admiring all his features as she played with the hair on the back of his neck before moving to the hair by his ear. Oddly enough, it was able to soothe her, and for the first time all night, Alice Mae didn’t feel like she wanted to jump out of her skin. When she got bored with his hair, Alice Mae slid her index finger down one side of his jawline and then around his chin. He had stubble, and she smiled because she liked it. Alice Mae moved her finger slowly across his face, connecting his moles and freckles with an invisible line. She loved every beauty mark on his body.

After outlining his lips, Alice Mae saw a glimmer in Caleb’s eyes, causing a slight shift in the mood and her. Alice Mae leaned forward, pressing a delicate kiss against his lips. “It’s okay,” she whispered when she felt Caleb cautiously kiss her back. It'd been a rough night for the both of them, so she didn't blame him for being careful.