Can You Hear Them?

The most disturbing thing to ever happen in my life happened about 9 years ago. I admit, I was just a stupid 8th grader, I was oblivious to how much suffering and horrible things this world houses.
But this story isn't about me, it's about a girl that was in my school. Let's call her Jill. I didn't know Jill very well, she was really quiet, almost never spoke in class, bit her nails a lot and always had her hair covering her face.
She was always frowning, or had an indifferent expression. Her eyes were probably the strangest thing about her. They were dull blue and sunken in deep. They always had a sad or glazed look to them, like she was sleepwalking or just finished crying. 
The day things got creepy was sometime in November.
It was almost Thanksgiving break, so most students, including me, were just waiting for the days to run out. I was in history class, reading a chapter on the 1800s, when a noise detracted me. It sounded like someone yelping, but it was very faint.
I looked behind my desk, to see Jill asleep, her nose was twitching and it looked like she was clenching her mouth shut. Trying to be a good person, I nudged her awake before the teacher saw her. The way she woke up was strange too, her eyes popped open like people do in movies, and she was breathing heavy. I asked her if she was having a nightmare to be polite, she shook her head then went to reading the textbook she's fallen asleep on.
I thought that was a little odd, but it wasn't until a few hours later that things got really weird. I only had a few classes with Jill, so I didn't see her until two hours later.
My science teacher sent me to the office to get copies of a worksheet, since she'd forgotten to do that the day before. When I got there, something was a little off, the usual staff wasn't in the room and the nurses office was shut.
Curiosity got the best of me, so I walked to the nurse's room and put my ear to the door. This was what I could make out:
"...after me! Why won't anyone listen!"
"Listen, no one is trying to get you, you need sleep."
"No! If I close my eyes they'll find me!"
"Please stop screaming, don't start a scene."
"Why can't you see it? You're just like everyone else!"
That short conversation was followed someone screaming also with sobs laced in. I pulled my ear back, backing away. The only thought running through my head was 'What the hell is going on in there?'. Next, the doorknob started to shake, like it was locked and someone was desperately trying to get out. A few second later, Jill came out the room.
Her face was blotched and her eyes were bloodshot like she's been crying, which was probably what happened. She ran straight into me, so we crashed to the floor.
"Help me..." she said. She was trying to scream, but her voice was faint and raspy.
"Please help me...can you hear them too?" she asked. As much as I wanted to respond, I was too scared to. The look in her eyes wasn't sad or sleepy, she looked to be on the brink of insanity.
When I didn't say anything, she stood up and ran out of the office, and into the lunchroom. It was empty at the time. Jill fell to her knees, holding her head and screaming, just screaming.
After that day, I never saw her again. Rumors spread that she was taken to an insane asylum, but no one ever confirmed it.
Almost a decade has passed, but I still have nights when I think about what happened. There are some nights where I can sleep, because all I see is her eyes.
Her glazed over, insane eyes.
Category:Mental Illness