Haunted II: Awakening

by Christian Burch

  His phone vibrated on the table and a glance down showed a text from a blocked number.

  It was a jumble of letters and numbers strung together with no apparent order.

  ‘G7R18E5G7I9T20S19C3O15M13I9N14G7’

  Greg entered his code to unlock his phone and went to open the text. It must have been a glitch because the text was gone. He turned his phone off then on to see if it would bring it back. No luck. He shrugged and went back to wrapping up the second review. If he could finish both reviews in one morning, it would be a productive morning.

  Chapter 3

  Her thumbs hovered above her phone. She’d found herself in this position numerous times over the past few months and could never make herself act on her thoughts. Swearing lightly to herself, she dropped the phone back to her bedside table and lay looking at the ceiling. Frustration, sadness, and hope warred within her. A snore from next to her pushed the frustration and anger to the forefront of her being.

  Jason had long ago lost his appeal and she was starting to wonder how in the hell she’d fallen for him in the first place. The only logical answer was that he was a phase. She’d had a momentary lapse of judgement and sanity which had brought her to her current shitty situation.

  Over the past few months she had debated texting Greg, saying that she wanted to talk. She knew he was with that Zoe woman but she didn’t care. He needed to know how she was feeling. Didn’t he?

  Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought about how she’d treated Greg over the past couple of years because she knew the chances of him taking her back were slim to none. Honestly, she couldn’t blame him. The day Greg had beaten Jason up was the major turning point for her. That was when she fully realized her mistake and had become filled with regret.

  Jason’s face was facing her, the smell of booze assailing her nostrils with his every breath. His drinking had increasingly gotten worse along with his behavior and mood. Clenching her eyes shut, she turned away from her and nuzzled into him, imagining it was Greg she was pushing her body into. That thought vanished with Jason turning away from her.

  Grinding her teeth, she reached out and pulled her phone towards her again. This time she didn’t afford herself the luxury of hesitating. Clicking on Greg’s name, she texted him.

  Chapter 4

  Waking up to a text from Jessica was unexpected to say the least. Greg couldn’t even specifically recall the last time they’d talked about anything other than setting up the times for picking up and dropping off their son. It wasn’t an earth shattering text by any means. ‘Hey Greg, just wondering if there was any way you would be available to meet up and talk soon. Just the two of us. Please. Not sure what your schedule is like with the writing, but mine is flexible. Let me know. Thanks, Jess.’

  The one thing that threw him for a loop was her ending the text with Jess. For the past couple of years, she’d hated it when he called her that. Sometimes he’d even used it just to get a reaction out of her. Why was she ending a text with his preferred name for her?

  The last thing he wanted was to cause any unnecessary problems between him and Zoe. What would it hurt to meet up with her? It probably had to do with something concerning Joey so he didn’t see any harm in it.

  ‘Sure. With the writing, my schedule is pretty open too. How is next Thursday around 1?’

  Feeling behind him with his hand revealed an emptiness where Zoe should have been sound asleep. A whine from DJ brought his attention towards their bathroom which was currently occupied.

  “Zoe,” he called out.

  The answer was the toilet flushing and some shuffling from behind the door.

  “I’m good,” her voice called out weakly.

  Dropping the phone on the night side table, he bolted out of the bed and walked to the door. He knocked gently.

  “Can I come in?”

  He heard the lock click and knew she wasn’t good or else she wouldn’t have locked the door.

  She stood at the sink, head down, eyes closed, hands gripping the sides.

  “I’m thinking something just didn’t agree with my stomach.”

  Rubbing her back soothingly, he leaned in close to her.

  “Maybe you should stay home and rest.”

  Her eyes opened and she shook her head.

  “No way. I can’t call in sick on the first day I’m supposed to be on my own,” she wiped her eyes and sniffed once. “I’m fine, promise.”

  Greg nodded, not believing her for a second but knew better than to argue.

  “If you feel worse or get sick again, leave work and call me please. I’ll be home in a heartbeat.”

  He pulled a wash cloth out of the drawer, got it wet and placed it against her neck. She gripped his hand with hers and smiled.

  “I know you will. Thank you. It’s probably just the Chinese we had last night. I thought the chicken tasted a little off.”

  The lie came too easily for her. She squeezed his arm and walked past him to get ready for work. She didn’t tell him that this was the third time this week she’d woken up and filled the toilet with the contents of her stomach. Zoe knew buying a pregnancy test was the next step but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. That made it seem more real even though she knew how ridiculous that line of reasoning was. She told herself she’d stop by Walgreens on the way home after work.

  Was she ready to be a mom? Was she ready for their relationship to become that serious? She loved Greg with all of her heart but having a baby was a huge next step. She couldn’t help but wonder what his reaction would be. Her mind tended to play through worst case scenarios to mock and abuse her, even though deep down, she hoped he would be as excited as she was finding herself. She didn’t even need the test to verify that she was pregnant. Somehow, she just knew.

  Chapter 5

  September 1999

  “You didn’t see it Bradley! I know how crazy it sounds and I wouldn’t believe it myself if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.”

  Bradley stood in front of his hysterical wife in the living room. He’d come home after receiving her phone call. He couldn’t understand a word of what she’d said on the phone so he’d left immediately and come home to her pacing back and forth on their front porch. Now she was sitting on their couch, rocking back and forth, repeating her story for the second time for him.

  The first time he almost laughed but caught himself upon looking in his wife’s eyes. Elizabeth was truly terrified and believed what she was saying.

  “You’re not crazy. Is it possible you fell asleep for a bit and dreamt it?”

  The second the words were out, he wished he could suck them back in.

  “You don’t think I know the difference between a fucked up nightmare and reality?! No, I wasn’t dreaming.”

  He apologized, hands up in surrender.

  “I’m just trying to get my head around this. That’s all! Look at it from my perspective for a minute. You’re telling me that you saw our thirteen year old daughter floating a good foot above her bed, speaking another language, in a different voice. Sorry if I’m trying to explore different avenues because that sounds pretty fucking dreamlike to me!”

  Elizabeth shook her head as fresh tears appeared.

  “Stop trying to rationalize everything that’s been happening Bradley. There is something seriously wrong with our daughter. The incidents with school, talking to someone when no one is there, the noises from her bedroom, things being moved around seemingly of their own accord. When do we admit that something isn’t right?”

  Bradley sank down into the chair next to her and put his head in his hands. He couldn’t pretend everything was okay and ignore what was going on.

  “I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to admit that something was wrong with our little girl,” he covered his mouth with his hand, “So what do we do Elizabeth? I’m scared and at a loss for words. I don’t even know where to begin.”

  She reached across and took his hand.

  “So am I. I think it�
�s time we look to a psychic, hypnotist, or someone with experience in thing like…”

  A banging from upstairs followed by their daughter’s scream yanked them both up from their seats. They bolted up the stairs and flung open their daughters door.

  Elizabeth fell to the ground with a scream. Bradley stood, mouth open, in utter shock.

  Everything in Zoe’s room stood about six inches above the floor. The dresser, clothes, the bed, pictures, table, and the bed floated on air. Bradley’s mind had trouble processing what his eyes were seeing but no matter of blinking changed the scene before him. Zoe, eyes wide with fear, was curled up in the center of her bed crying.

  “Daddy, help me!”

  Her voice laced with fear broke through his confusion and he took a step towards his daughter.

  Without warning, everything slammed to the ground with a loud bang, shaking the floor. Bradley rushed to his daughter and scooped her up in his arms before carrying her out of the room, his wife close on his heels.

  Chapter 6

  His eyes were wide open and sleep was the furthest thing from his mind as his mind kept replaying the events from his daughter’s room earlier that evening. What the hell had happened in there? What could cause everything in that room to levitate like that? One thing was certain. They needed outside help.

  A sniff from his right broke through his reverie and he saw his wife’s shoulders shaking slightly. She was crying softly.

  Gently, Bradley moved his daughter to the other side of him so he could move closer to Elizabeth. Zoe’s remained in dreamland during the shifting of places and curled up into a ball once settled again.

  He inserted one arm underneath her pillow and interlocked his hand with hers, and wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her close. His heart broke as he felt her body trembling against his.

  “What’s happening to our daughter?” she whispered.

  Resting his cheek against hers, he struggled to find the right answer that would take away their doubts and fears.

  “I don’t know sweetheart, but I promise we will find someone to help us and figure this out.”

  She nodded her head and nestled in further into his arms. Within minutes her body relaxed and her breathing deepened. Surprisingly Bradley was soon to follow.

  * * *

  Light snores coming from the bed were the only sounds in the room. At two forty five in the morning the house was silent as one would expect. Not all of its occupants were asleep though.

  Little Zoe looked down on her parents with dark, haunted eyes that spoke of an intelligence far beyond her years. She blinked occasionally but her gaze hadn’t shifted from them for the past thirty minutes.

  Her head cocked to the side as her father rolled over to face her. Thankfully for his sanity, his eyes were shut.

  Zoe was tucked into the top right corner of their bedroom, back resting against the ceiling, legs braced on the walls to her right and left, arms splayed out against the ceiling.

  A light giggling came from her mouth that was part her voice, but underneath had a deeper, guttural quality that would have raised the hairs on anyone listening. Voices fought for dominance in her head; some were loud screams, others were insistent whispers.

  But she only listened to one. Her friend told her not to be afraid, that the other voices were only temporary and to ignore them. Just listen to her voice and to trust her. She was starting to question whether or not she was actually a friend due to recent events.

  A frown appeared on her face as she fought for control of her own mind and body. A sharp pain in her head brought tears to her eyes but she pushed through.

  Why are you fighting me Zoe? I thought we were friends. Friends don’t act like a spoiled little bitch now do they?!

  Her back arched in spasms as she continued her attempt at winning back control. She dropped to the carpeted floor with a grunt and she smiled despite the pain of landing on her backside. She looked to the bed worried that her parents had heard her fall but sighed when she saw they were still asleep.

  Don’t think this is over my feisty friend. This is just the beginning and you can’t keep me out forever. You can’t beat me!

  Chapter 7

  Present Day

  “What were your thoughts for dinner tonight? I should be home around five thirty.”

  “I didn’t take anything out and figured we could go out tonight, treat ourselves.”

  Greg knew that Zoe liked to cook but she also knew how much he enjoyed going out to eat and would succumb to his pleas at least once a week. Her cooking was fantastic but there are times where one just craves the dining experience. Sometimes she beat him to hit and asked before he got the chance to beg which always made him smile.

  “You know I’m not going to argue that. Since you suggested going out how about you…”

  “Not this time. I put forth the idea for eating out so you have to pick where we go. I’m not the one who’s secretly picky. I hope your appointment goes well and I’ll see you after. Love you!”

  The phone went dead. She didn’t even give him a chance to try and refute her statements. How well she knew him. God, he loved her. Looking at the time on his phone he saw he had twenty minutes until his appointment with his therapist.

  Greg was sick of having to bear that patronizing gaze each time he spoke of the past. Which was why he’d kept certain things in the dark and left gaps in the story. Dr. Monroe hadn’t gotten his title for his good looks and was far from stupid. Last session had ended with Monroe leaning forward in his chair, making direct eye contact and saying, “Time to cut the bull shit. Next week let’s shed some light on these issues and discuss what really happened. No more of this skirting the issue talk or dressing it up as something it’s not. You’re not going to get respite from the night terrors until you face this thing head on.”

  Greg pulled into the parking lot and looked towards the window on the second floor to his left where he knew Monroe was probably prepping in his office.

  “You want the real story? I’ll tell you things you’ll wish I’d kept secret Doc.”

  His office was neat and organized to an unnatural degree. Greg had been having sessions in this room for close to three months and not once had anything been moved or switched around. To work in the same office day after day and have the work space remain the same… boring wasn’t a strong enough word to describe it.

  Monroe sat in his designated chair, in front of his spotless, oak desk, legs crossed, glasses poised on the edge of his nose. Upon Greg’s entry, he pushed them to their desired spot and smiled.

  “Good morning Greg,” he held out his right hand, and glanced at the watch on his left wrist. “Punctual as usual. It’s always nice when clients respect our time together.”

  “Want to make sure I’m getting my money’s worth. Morning Dr. Monroe.” He shook his hand and took a seat on the plush, maroon couch in front of Monroe.

  A knowing smile was the response he received. Monroe had about as much humor in him as one of the Queen’s Guard. Greg interlaced his hands in his lap and sank back into the comforts of the couch, wasting no time. Monroe’s eyebrows rose in mild surprise.

  “So last time we met, you wanted to dirty details of what I experienced last year. This will probably take close to the entire hour and I hope you’re ready to take some in depth notes. If I go to fast, just tell me to slow down Doc.”

  “Just like that, you’re ready to discuss things you’ve kept hidden from the first day we met?”

  “I understand your hesitation to believe me but if it keeps you from digging around into my life like some insane chigger that just won’t quit, it’s worth it. Get comfortable Doctor Monroe,” Greg wiggled on the couch and put his hands behind his head. “I guess I’ll start from the beginning of when all the weird shit started happening.”

  Greg jolted upright suddenly as if he was electrocuted by some contraption that was hidden away in the cushions of the couch. His face became serious.

&
nbsp; “On my mother’s soul, I promise you that everything I’m about to tell you is the God’s honest truth!”

  Monroe’s curiosity was building within himself as he nodded his head in understanding.

  Chapter 8

  Zoe’s appetite was insatiable.

  She was beyond restless at work and had re-arranged her office twice and the A-G of the Young Adult section in the past two hours. Her mind was running a million miles an hour and she was having trouble focusing on the tasks she had to get done by the end of the day.

  Was she pregnant? Would it be a boy or girl? What would they name him/her? How would Greg react? When should she tell him? How should she tell him?

  Question after question crashed around in her head like an out of control bumper car ride.

  A ringing brought her attention to the phone on her desk. How long had it been ringing?

  She picked up and was relieved to hear Greg’s voice.

  “Hey baby. How’s your day going so far? Have you re-organized the entire library to your satisfaction yet?”

  She couldn’t help but relax and smile to herself. His voice alone could settle her nerves.

  “Not yet but I’m getting to it. How’d your session go this morning?”

  A sigh. “Let’s just say that the answers he’d been trying to pry out of me, I provided.”

  She waited for more elaboration but he quickly changed the subject to dinner. Reminding herself to bring up his therapy session at a later time, she allowed him the diversion.

  “I told you this morning. You want to go out, you choose the restaurant.”

  “Fine. How’s Marachelli’s?”