Revelations

by Elizabeth Hartl

  “He won’t come out. It’s too late.” Jack grabbed the sleeve of Mark’s jacket. “If you go in there, you won’t come out either.”

  Mark wrestled his arm free of Jack’s grasp. “Get off me, man.” Mark continued past the treeline, disappearing into the woods after Eric.

  A high-pitched wailing sounded. The bushes rustled. Chad shuffled closer to Jack. “What… I…” Chad wiped his palms on his jeans.

  Jack and Chad froze when they heard painful screams coming from the woods.

  “They’re not coming out.” Jack turned back to the house and hurried inside.

  Chad looked into the woods, then back to Jack, who was already closing the back door, and hurried to catch up.

  Inside the kitchen, Jack reached for the whiskey bottle as he slumped into a chair. He took a long sip off the bottle, then offered it to Chad. Chad bounded over to Jack and slapped the bottle out of his hand. It shattered on the tile floor. “What the fuck?” Chad’s anger shocked Jack.

  “What the fuck what?” Jack stood, towering over Chad.

  “What are they gonna do? Huh?” Chad’s voice rose.

  “Not my problem.” Jack got in Chad’s face. “Eric’s the asshole who can’t stand to be stood up, and Mark’s the dumbfuck who follows whatever he does.”

  The back door opened and shut so quietly Jack and Chad didn’t hear it. They didn’t notice someone standing beside them until Merideth spoke. “Where’s Eric?”

  Jack and Chad stopped their bickering to stare at her. “Where did you come from?” Jack’s confusion written on his face.

  “I went for a walk. You’re all so boring.”

  “Eric and Mark went into the woods looking for you. They’re probably hurt. We have to go after them!” Chad stammered as he rushed to get the words out.

  Merideth nodded and walked toward the living room to retrieve her book. Her calm demeanor set both guys on edge. Jack looked closely at Merideth as she walked away and nudged Chad sharply. Jack pointed to Merideth’s shoes. Chad’s eyes widened. They both looked to the hem of Merideth’s jeans, covered in blood.

  Homeowners

  “Never rejoice at the misfortune of others.”

  Katie lifted her nine-week-old baby, Margaret, out of the car seat while Derek lifted the hatch on their SUV and grabbed the first box. Gently bouncing Margaret, Katie gazed up at the looming house with tears in her eyes. “It’s great, huh?” Derek sidled up beside her.

  Katie bobbed her head up and down. “It’s great.”

  She turned and kissed Derek on the cheek. Margaret cooed. This was the first time Katie had seen the house. Intended to be a birthday present for her 30th, Derek kept the secret as best he could, but ultimately had to tell her about the house. He didn’t, however, tell her it was her dream house.

  Derek rushed ahead of her. “C’mon. Check it out.” He seemed more excited than she was.

  She was taking in the last of the breathtaking details of the outer structure. Lush trees cradled the white, two-storey farmhouse with a balcony and wrap-around porch on three sides. A hammock peeked out from the backyard. Katie saw two houses through the trees, both on either side of her new house. “Neighbors.” Katie smiled. She glanced behind her, thinking they would have to get the quarter-mile dirt driveway paved.

  “Hurry up!” Derek called from the front porch.

  “All right!” Moving Margaret to her left arm, she looked at the house to her right.

  Katie saw a woman on her knees in the yard, moving the dirt in front of her with a trowel, but the woman wasn’t interested in the dirt. She stared at Katie. Katie gave a smile and waved. The woman gave a scowl in return, but kept staring at the mother and daughter.

  Katie’s smile faded as she watched the woman. As she and Margaret headed up the front steps to the door, Katie watched her new neighbor. The woman watched her back.

  The interior left Katie breathless. Newly remodeled, the interior had an open floor plan, hardwood flooring throughout, and a fireplace. Katie was in love. Ever skeptical, Katie touched Derek’s arm as he gazed at the vaulted ceilings. “What’s the catch?”

  Derek glanced at her, then back at the ceiling. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean we can’t afford this.”

  Derek shook his head and looked squarely at his wife. “Yes, we can.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely.”

  *

  “The moving truck just left.” Katie glanced at the boxes that surrounded her.

  “Touch nothing. When I get home, I’ll help.” Derek’s voice was tinny over the poor connection.

  “Well, how long’s it going to be? I’d like to get started.”

  “Half hour at most.”

  Katie sighed. “Okay.”

  “I’ll see you soon.” Derek disconnected.

  Katie set the phone on the granite countertop and drummed her fingers. They had been in their dream home a month, and they had finally received the last of their things from their tiny apartment. The moving company had the wrong address and sent their kitchen and dining room stuff, along with half of their furniture, to another state.

  To top it off, two weeks ago Katie had gone to visit her neighbor, the one she nicknamed ‘the watcher’ because of her behavior that first day, and had gotten a door slammed in her face. Katie had seen her opposite neighbor, an older man, in his side yard on her way back to her house from the door-slamming. He, too, gave her a chilly reception when she called out a friendly, “Hello!”

  Katie ran her fingers through her hair. The house was a dream, but maybe it was a mistake. She had heard that this community looked out for each other and took care of their own. Katie didn’t understand why her neighbors seemed to hate her.

  As Katie shook off the memories of her awful neighbors, she remembered the mail. Hanging her head, she headed out into the twilight, bracing herself for the interminable walk down the driveway. Margaret was down for the night, so Katie moseyed down the driveway, enjoying the crisp fall air. The coolness of the night was a welcome change from the heat of the sun. The walk was pleasant, mostly because her neighbors were nowhere in sight.

  Katie reached the mailbox and yanked the hatch down. Inside was a single white envelope. Katie removed the envelope and stared at it. It had her and her husband’s first names on it. That was it. There was no postmark or stamp. It was odd, but Katie flipped the envelope over and tore it open. Inside was a typewritten sheet of computer paper with only one line printed on it.

  “Welcome to the neighborhood. You don’t belong here.”

  Katie furrowed her brow. “What the hell is this?” She flipped the paper over. It was blank.

  Katie fumed all the way back to the house, keeping a close eye on both of her neighbors’ houses. No one was outside, but she felt as though she was being watched. Trees obscured most of the visible windows on each house, but she couldn’t shake the feeling. Katie reached her own house, entered, and locked the door.

  *

  Katie didn’t tell Derek about the letter, but when she found another one in the mailbox a few days later, she thought she probably should have. It read:

  “Do not ignore me. I would hate for something to happen to your daughter. I will get my house back.”

  Katie had to tell Derek about the letters. At dinner that night, Derek read both letters and flung them aside. “It’s a prank. Don’t worry about it.”

  Katie’s jaw dropped. “Don’t worry about it? They threatened our daughter.”

  Derek shrugged. “Nothing will happen to Margaret.” He reached to his side and stroked Margaret’s chin.

  “It had better not.” Katie grabbed her plate and stood. She had lost her appetite.

  *

  Katie woke early the next morning and shuffled downstairs to make coffee. Half asleep, she opened the cabinet above the coffeemaker, reached for the container of grounds, and her hand slammed down on the bare shelf. She looked up into the cabinet. The coffee disappeared
.

  Katie turned around and began a search of the kitchen. She found the coffee grounds in a cabinet on the opposite side of the kitchen, behind a stack of paper plates. Shaking her head, Katie carried the container over to the machine and made coffee.

  When Derek came down for breakfast, Katie glared at him. “Thanks for making me search for the coffee.”

  “Huh?” Confusion written on Derek’s face.

  “The coffee grounds? You moved them. I found them behind the paper plates.”

  “I didn’t move it.” Derek poured himself a cup of coffee and sat at the breakfast bar.

  “Mm-hm.” Katie dropped the subject.

  A few minutes later, without looking up from his phone, Derek added, “Come to think of it, my toothbrush was in a unique spot this morning.”

  Katie looked up from the piece of toast she was buttering. “Where?”

  Derek nodded. “Not in the holder, but in the cupboard under the sink.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Mm-hm.”

  “That’s weird.”

  Derek looked up from his phone, directly into her eyes. “Very.”

  Katie retrieved the mail and flipped through the stack of bills and coupons. The flipping stopped when she spotted a plain white envelope. No postmark, no stamp. Margaret cooed on her blanket on the floor, batting a rattle back and forth. Katie held her breath as she opened the envelope.

  “I love what you’ve done with the place, although I wouldn’t have chosen white for the bedspread. I’m surprised Derek doesn’t snore.”

  Katie dropped the stack of mail on the shiny, hardwood floor. Margaret whimpered at the sudden noise. On the verge of hyperventilating, the back of Katie’s legs found the couch, and she sat down heavily. Someone had been in her house while her family slept.

  Pounding on the front door startled Katie out of her stupor, and Margaret began to cry. The pounding stopped. Looking behind her, toward the curtained window next to the front door, Katie’s heart beat furiously. She didn’t see anyone, but the pounding began again, making her jump.

  Katie spotted the deadbolt. She had never engaged it after she returned from getting the mail. Katie dove toward the door and slapped the latch into place. The pounding continued.

  After a few minutes, the pounding stopped. Katie waited to see if she could hear someone making their way down the front porch steps. She couldn’t. Katie carefully slid the curtain aside and peeked out. There was no one on her porch.

  *

  “Did you call the police?” Derek asked after he half-listened to Katie’s retelling of the incident.

  “No. What would I say? Someone knocked on the door too hard?”

  Derek shrugged. “If you were that scared, you should have called.”

  Katie knew what Derek was insinuating. She had a tendency to be dramatic. This made Katie question whether or not she was blowing this out of proportion. She slumped on the stool at the breakfast bar next to Derek and put her head on his shoulder. “Why is this happening?”

  Derek stopped chewing his cereal. He waited so long to respond, Katie wasn’t sure if he was even going to. “I don’t know.”

  It was time to get the mail. Katie held her breath as she opened the front door and stepped out onto the porch. She quietly closed the door behind her and locked it, replacing the key in her pocket. Katie made her way cautiously, but quickly, down the driveway. She spotted the neighbor lady in her yard again, watching Katie the whole time. It was all Katie could do from sprinting down the driveway.

  Once at the mailbox, Katie sorted through the stack of mail. Sure enough, there was a plain white envelope. Katie replaced the other pieces of mail in the box and took the envelope to the house.

  She passed the neighbor lady and waved. The woman didn’t wave back, choosing to scowl at Katie instead and continue her raking. Katie ran up the front porch steps, fishing the key for the front door out of her pocket.

  Key in hand, Katie read the letter before she went into the house.

  “Margaret is beautiful when she sleeps.”

  Katie’s pulse quickened. She jammed the key into the lock and turned it, but there was no resistance. The door was already unlocked.

  Adrenaline rushed through Katie as she raced into the house and sprinted up the stairs to Margaret’s room, where she was napping in her crib. Slamming the door to the nursery open, Katie found the crib empty.

  On the verge of hyperventilating, Katie’s trembling hands felt for her phone in her back pocket when she heard footsteps behind her.

  *

  Derek returned from work and found the front door to the house standing open. “Katie?” He called inside before entering.

  Silence.

  Derek cautiously entered the front door and spied bloody footprints on the staircase leading down from the second floor. He carefully stepped around the footprints, quickly making his way up the stairs. Derek found Katie in a pool of blood in front of the crib. Someone had cut her throat. The crib was empty. In the blood next to Katie’s body was a letter.

  “I’ll have my house back now.”

  Finality

  “People are not curious except about themselves.”

  I see you.

  You can feel my presence. I am the shadow on your bedroom ceiling at night. The one you stare at for hours as you try to stop the whirring thoughts of your daily misdeeds from consuming you. I creep closer, gaining valuable information. You render me harmless, but I assure you, I am not.

  I watch you through windows, rain, and crowds. I follow your every move, waiting for my time to strike. You are so beautiful; I struggle to believe that you can act the way you do.

  Who am I?

  Perhaps I am the faceless woman at the bank drive-through. The one you never say “good morning” or “thank you” to, but always gives you a smile and a “have a nice day!” You are in too much of a rush for niceties.

  Perhaps I am the homeless man on the subway. You know the one - dirty, torn jeans, holey t-shirt, stained overcoat. You wrinkle your nose at my stringy hair and general lack of hygiene. But I helped you pick up your papers when they fell out of your bag. You didn’t so much as look at me.

  Perhaps I am the woman with the free samples at the grocery store. You walk by with your shopping cart, looking away as you pass, ignoring me when I ask if you would like to try the off-brand cake donut. But barely two feet away, you turn your cart around and return. I knew you would. You take a few samples off the tray and shove them in your mouth. Mm… Delicious.

  Did you know there are chemicals that can have you leaking blood from your orifices?

  You grab a mug of coffee from the office lounge every morning. It is always the mug that says, “#1 employee.” That’s your mug. You never rinse it first. That’s a very useful habit.

  Barricade yourself in your house, assuming you haven’t already let me in. Assuming I haven’t broken in. Your bed is fireproofed now. I filled it with asbestos. You’re welcome.

  I live in a town just like yours. Perhaps we are neighbors. We may have even had a drink together. I like block parties, just like you. While you were laughing at my jokes, did you see me put something in your drink?