Chapter Four

A young woman's life is consumed by terror and tension after encountering a strange, eerie man hidden in the back of her closet.

First came the scratching noises, followed by the key, the cupboard and the letter. Now came the disembodied voice. It rose within my bedroom, as soft and murmuring as a stream that just begins its meandering flow. Initially, I thought it was the wind breathing against the house or the waves echoing from the distant beach. But the more I listened, the more I began to realize the voice, however faint, belonged to a human. Specifically a male, judging by its low tone. It wasn’t my grandfather or brother speaking, either; this voice was completely foreign, unfamiliar. The strangest thing was that it only spoke in darkness, and fell silent whenever I turned on the light.

I couldn’t fall sleep at all that night. Even though I discarded my room to sleep on the living room sofa, sleep refused to come. I continued to think about all the strange things happening around me, which only fueled my terror and filled my mind with wild presumptions. Micah didn’t understand why I was so averse to my bedroom. But as I hadn’t yet told him about the cupboard or the voices, I could understand his bewilderment. Every morning he passed through the living room on his way to work and saw me curled up on the sofa, weak daylight spilling over my face. One time he saw that I was awake and paused to talk to me. Brushing my hair from my face, he asked, “Why do you always sleep on the sofa? Is your bed that uncomfortable?”

“No. I just…” My voice trailed away and I lowered my gaze.

“Just what?” he prompted gently.

“If I tell you, I don’t think you’ll believe me.”

Micah raised one eyebrow. “Try me.”

“I think…I think there’s something…a ghost…in my bedroom.”

“So who you gonna call?” My brother looked as though he was about to burst out laughing.

I tried to fight back my tears. “I knew you’d take this as a joke.”

Micah’s laughter faded as he registered the seriousness in my eyes. “You’re really worried about this, aren’t you? What makes you think there’s a ghost? Has something happened?”

“I…” I paused for a moment, not knowing what to say to my brother without sounding utterly insane. “Never mind.”

“Miranda?”

“Never mind,” I said firmly.

“Is there something you want to tell me? I’m sorry I laughed before. Say something. I’ll listen.” But I pressed my lips together and gave my head a quick shake. Micah stared at me for a long moment before blowing out a sigh and rising to his feet. “Look, I’ll be honest, Miranda. I don’t think assumptions about a ghost should keep you from both your bed and much-needed rest. Where’s your sense of realism, little sister?” He poked me on the shoulder. “But…if you’re really bothered by this, then don’t be afraid to talk to me about it some time. I really mean it. I’m here for you.”

He started to walk away. But in a sudden burst of desperation, I called, “Wait!” Micah glanced back over his shoulder and returned to the couch, studying me with a questioning gaze. I wrung my hands before whispering, “I’m telling the truth about the ghost. It’s after me.”

Micah shook his head. He looked worried. “Nothing’s after you.”

I reached out to grab his hand, a teary plea rising in my voice. “Please believe me,” I begged.

“Miranda…”

And in that moment, the realization that my brother did not believe my frightened words hit me like the force of a wrecking ball. I stared at him for a long moment then shut my eyes, one tear spilling down my cheek. “It doesn’t matter,” I said briskly. I brushed the tear away and sprang to my feet, trying to ignore my older brother’s face, which was both pitying and apprehensive. He rose, too, and took my hands.

“Ghosts don’t exist,” he told me easily. “Now, if you’re seeing or hearing things that you might think is a ghost, then there must be a reasonable-”

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” I snapped, and walked out of the room. I went upstairs and rifled through the trash until I found the black letter I’d thrown away. I held it in my hands, studying it. I felt the strange desire to burn the letter to a crisp. But in a less dramatic act, I tore it to pieces and threw it back inside the trashcan.

Though I no longer slept in my bedroom, I still used my bathroom to prepare for the day. After locking the door behind me, I proceeded to fill my bathtub with liquid. When the tub was half full, I removed my clothes and slipped inside. I dunked my head beneath the water and stayed like that for as long as I possibly could, absorbing every bit of the watery silence. When my lungs began to burn, I resurfaced and let my eyes wander to the ceiling. The water was steaming hot but I was still freezing cold. And even though I was all by myself, I could not chase away the feeling that something - or someone - was watching me.

I slipped back under the water but kept my eyes open, staring up at the ceiling that was now looked blurry and distorted through the crystalline liquid. Then a shadow, also blurred, appeared on the edge of my vision. I froze.

Someone was leaning over the edge of the tub, staring at me.

My eyes flew all the way open while bubbles whisked through my nose. But when I shot to the surface, terror and water dripping down my face, an empty bathroom greeted me. I was alone…but was I, really? I still felt the chilling sensation of eyes on the back of my neck, which made me hug myself in the tub. I hadn’t been able to glimpse the intruder’s face, but I knew that they had been there. Perhaps they were behind all this - the voice, the noises, the cupboard. Questions reeled through my mind, but the most prominent of all was whether or not I was seeing an apparition or just a delusion cast from my own mind.

After I’d calmed down from the scare in the bathroom but still felt chilled as hell, I made Benjamin breakfast and joined him for a coloring contest shortly after. But his medication made him sleepy, so we put away our drawings and I tucked him into bed.

“Where’s Bones?” he whispered as I slid the blankets up to his chin.

I hesitated, and then said, “He’s not in here?”

“Nope.”

“I’ll look for him,” I lied quietly. “But for now, you need to have a nice long nap.”

I kissed him on the nose. When I pulled away, Benjamin sleepily murmured, “Why are you so sad, sissy?”

I stared at him in shock. “I’m not…”

“Everything okay?”

Sadness swept down upon me like falling water. “Everything’s all right,” I assured him, sweeping my fingertips across his shaved head. And then I exited the room, leaving him to tumble into his quiet, unburdened dreams.

While my little brother slumbered, I decided to pay my grandfather’s office a short little visit. I knew what I had to do. After conducting a bit of rummaging through Jack’s desk drawers, I managed to procure a sheet of parchment, a pen, and an envelope. I did not know if this plan was going to work, but I knew I had to do something. I threw myself into the chair in front of the desk and pulled up my sweater sleeves. For a moment my gaze trailed outside, watching the gray storm clouds spiral above the darker waters. Then I brought the tip of my pen to the paper and began to write.

Listen, I need to ask you to give me a moment of your time and read this. These past few days have been challenging - but only because you’ve made it so. What I don’t understand is why you’re doing this. I have done nothing to disturb you. I’m just a twenty-one-year old trying to take care of my little brother and spend some quality time with my family. I know that you want to talk to me. I know that much. Why else would you try and communicate with me through a letter? But I don’t think we should talk on paper. We need to meet face to face so that we could settle this. Either show yourself or quit spooking me. It’s as simple as that. I’m not scared of you.

In all honestly, I did not want to meet the person or creature that had taken to haunting me, but I knew I had no choice. I had to do something. I couldn’t keep leading a life of terror, especially when I had other worries on my mind. Gritting my teeth tight, I stuffed the paper into an envelope, sealed it, and went into my room. I did not even dare to venture in the closet, so I simply sat the letter on my pillow instead. I knew this ghost - or whatever it was - would find it soon. Now I could only wait and see what would happen next.

Jack had the day off from work - which wasn't saying much since he owned the surf shop he worked at - so he stayed at home to watch Benjamin while I went out. I needed to get away from the house and find something to do before my thoughts went haywire. Jack had mentioned some hiking trails yesterday, so I decided to drive out to them and go for a nice run. Though the sky was still cloudy, the air wasn’t too damp and the winds were scarce. I passed several hikers on my way up the mountain, my muscles smoothly covering the path with each hasty stride. After about three miles in or so, a blanket of heavy fog began to pour through the trees, weaving across the earth like spilled milk. I cut easily through it and continued onward, refusing to stop until I reached the top of the mountain. When I finally came to the summit, I found another runner stretching.  He looked as though he was in his early thirties, his brown hair all blown about from running. Hearing my approaching footsteps, he turned. I caught sight of his narrow face and his hooded eyes, which were colored a very dark brown shade and had a weary, pensive quality about them.

“Hello,” he said brightly. “Nice run?”

As I was still struggling to catch my breath, I ended up gasping, “Oh, hi. Yes, yes I did. How about…about you?”

“Mm, I had a good, strong run. Could have been a bit better. But you know…and I hope you don’t take this the wrong way…I’m surprised to see you up here. I’m not doubting your running abilities or anything like that, it’s just that very few people come all the way up to the five-mile mark. Is this your first time on the trail?”

“Yes. How’d you know?”

He shrugged. “I run up here twice a day, and I never really see anyone.”

“That’s a shame,” I remarked, staring out into the distance. The evergreens rippled down the mountainside in a single emerald sweep before meeting the town of Berg Harbor; the buildings down there, nestled amongst the timbers, looked tiny and tranquil in the chilly gray light. I listened to the birdsong echoing beautifully across the verdant trees. I smiled. “It’s lovely up here.”

“I couldn’t agree more. Sometimes a view is worth running the extra mile, or miles, as you can no doubt see.”

I laughed. And after a moment’s hesitation, I stepped forward to introduce myself. “My name’s Miranda Cooper.” I held out my hand, and we shook.

“Joe Pfeifer.”

I ended up jogging back down the mountain with my new acquaintance. Joe was actually pretty friendly, chatting about all sorts of things as we continued our descent. With each passing minute, I learned more things about him. For instance, I now knew that he had lived his entire life in Berg Harbor and also that he was a lieutenant at the local fire station.

“But listen,” Joe said, as our feet thundered down the meandering, pine-needled path. “I’ve just been talking about myself this entire time. Rude of me, don’t you think? Let’s hear about you.”

I laughed. “I don’t really know what to say. I’m a pretty boring person.”

“You just ran six miles uphill and now you’re running six miles downhill. If you ask me, that isn’t so boring.”

“Okay, okay. What I meant to say was that…I’m a vegetarian. I’m not religious. I like the color blue. I’m a light sleeper and an early riser. One of my favorite things to do is to spend time with my little brother. I hate lousy drivers and I love getting post.”

“Vegetarian, eh? That’s something we have in common.”

“You’re a veggie, too?” I had to admit I was surprised; I rarely came across vegetarians anymore with the exception of my family members. “How long have you been?”

“Hm, if I had to surmise a guess…I’d say forever.”

I chuckled. “Same.” Silence fell between us as the run continued. Soon I had no breath to spare for talk. The trail seemed to wind on and on through the emerald shadows, and before long I began to wonder if my legs were going to fall off. When at last we reached the parking lot in front of the hiking trail, I put my hands on my hips and paced back and forth, breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth. Joe glanced at me and grinned. “That was a real workout, wasn’t it?”

“It was intense.”

“But well worth it.”

“Agreed.”

“At least we didn’t die.”

I clutched at my side, still winded. “That’s might be debatable in the next couple seconds.”

Joe gave a sheepish laugh and said, “What would you say to joining me for another run tomorrow? Same time? I’d love to have some company.”

I looked into his kind brown eyes and agreed without hesitation. “Of course,” I said. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“Right. Sounds good.” Joe nodded at me and left me with one last smile before walking to his car.

I couldn’t stop grinning as I drove home. While the run had left me refreshed as well as energized, meeting Joe had brightened my day. I liked his charismatic attitude and the way he seemed at peace with running. I just couldn’t wait to see him tomorrow again.

My high spirits plunged as I pulled into the driveway and remembered the note I’d left on my pillowcase. Of course, I thought bitterly, even the happiest moments had to be ruined. I prepared myself for the worst as I slammed the car door shut, walked Benjamin inside the house, and headed upstairs to my room. The first thing I noticed was that my room was not in the same state I had left it in. There were changes everywhere, and despite their subtlety, I noticed them all the same. My pillowcase had been turned inside out. A corner of bedspread had been flipped up. The painting on the wall, which depicted an empty colorless meadow, tilted slightly to the right. One of my books lay flat open on the bedside table. A hissing noise came from the bathroom, and when I went to investigate, I found the faucet on at full blast. The sink was already overflowing with water and large puddle dominated the tiled floor. I cranked the faucet off and then returned to my room, terrified. Any joy I had felt earlier with Joe had been completely obliterated.

I sat on my bed for a moment, gulping great breaths of air and staring up at the ceiling with teary eyes. Then I noticed another black envelope sitting on my pillow. At first I refused to touch it, and eyed it was though it were some type of deadly spider. But then I picked it up and split it open. A note had been left for me, once again written in silver ink.

Dear Miranda Cooper,

You take this quite seriously, don’t you? I see it as more of a game. I’m not trying to make your life challenging, I’m just looking to have a bit of fun. You say you want to meet me face to face. I’ve no problem with that, but on one condition: you have to find me. And when you do, I’ll no longer be that maddening, elusive shadow hovering over your shoulder. I’m right here, Miranda. You don’t need to look too hard - this will be like an easy game of hide and seek. Why don’t you try places your eyes have already known? You might find a significant change.

Author's Note

You're about to meet him!