Day 14.
The first night I thought it was just a dream. I had smoked a new type of weed from a new dealer I met and figured it was something in it that, that caused it. It felt so real. I was lying in bed with my eyes closed when I heard something rustle on the floor and when I opened my eyes there it was. This shadow standing next to my closet door. I couldn’t move. It was like all my limbs forgot how to work. I remember thinking “Holy shit that’s some good weed." I didn’t feel scared. The shadow just stood there, then I woke up to my alarm. The sun shining through my blinds. I guess it was a nightmare to say the least.
I guess that’s why I’m writing this now…. Two weeks later, 14th night of it happening and I haven’t even smoked at all since then. Every night the figure gets closer and closer to my bed, and it seems to be starting to take more of a human fawn like form. I haven’t told anyone about this. Just you… journal?... file? Laptop? Whatever.
I haven’t been able to sleep right since that first night. The moment I close my eyes to sleep the room darkens and there it is. And the second I find myself slowly getting the strength to move I wake up and it’s morning. It doesn’t even feel like more than five minutes.
Day 20.
It happened again. But this time it spoke to me. It hovered over me, and it spoke to me in its own language. I was terrified this time. I couldn’t move an inch. I don’t even think I blinked. I don’t even remember falling asleep. Val came over for the night and after we had sex I didn’t want to fall asleep but I figured if I did, she might be able to wake me up if this was really happening to me. Only when it was hovering over me, I saw from my peripheral that she was asleep facing the wall. She didn’t know it was happening at all. It was a dream, right? It had to have been. I woke up with a heavy chest. Like something had been sitting on top of me. I took the day off work today to process what was happening.
“Hey Val.” Tommy walked into the kitchen where Val was helping herself to whatever was in the kitchen.
“Hey babe, I made some coffee.” She said turning around and freezing in her tracks. “Jeez, you don’t look very good.” She placed the coffee pot back onto the burner and leaned back on the counter bringing her cup to her lips.
“I feel like hell. My chest feels like I got hit by a car.” He said plopping onto the stool by the island.
“Yeeea, you need some coffee.” She turned around and grabbed a cup.
“No, it’s alright. Thanks though.” He said with a strain in his voice.
“Are you sure? Isn't today inventory day at the bar?” Val walked closer to the island placing her cup down lightly.
“It can wait until tomorrow. I just don’t feel right.” He replied rubbing his chest, “Hey… did you notice anything weird happen in the room last night?”
She raised an eyebrow and half smiled, “No, everything seemed fine to me. You knocked me out last night." she smirked looking at him winking bringing the cup to her mouth again. "Why?"
Tommy let out a laugh, “No reason, I guess. I don’t even remember falling asleep.”
“Well, if it counts for something, neither did I.” she said shrugging her shoulders taking another sip of her coffee. “I’d love to call off as freely as you do but I gotta run. I have a psychology test that I did NOT study for and need to cram it all in, in two hours. So, get some rest! Maybe I’ll see you tonight.” She placed her cup in the sink and grabbed her bag caressing Tommy’s arm while she walked past him towards the door.
Val and Tommy had a friends with benefits thing going on. They met at the bar that Tommy was bartending at the time. She was out on a girl’s night and was dared to buy a drink and ask for his number. Tommy was drawn in the moment she ordered. She was wearing a leather jacket with a red lace tank top, her lipstick matching the fire engine red of her shirt. He usually talks to the women who try and flirt with him but never really seals the deal. But she was different, he could tell she wasn't very interested but as they got to talking they found they had very similar personalities. They flirted the rest of the night; he gave her his number before they left. Over the course of the week they texted each other and the following weekend her and her girls were over his apartment for a small party he managed to throw together and that was it, their benefits started that night. She knew the ins and outs of his apartment and bedroom at that, but they had little to no expectation towards each other. She was a psychology major over at the state university and had no time for commitment. Tommy was now the bar manager of the same bar they met and usually started his days in the evening. They liked it this way, it was easy for them.
Tommy got up to turn off his coffee maker and turned around quickly when he heard the door open abruptly.
“What did you forget?” he said aloud waiting for Val to emerge from around the corner. “Val?”
He waited a couple more seconds before he walked towards his front door. “Val? Was that you?” When he turned the corner, he saw that the door was wide open. His instincts were telling him to check his apartment but instead he looked down the hallway. The lights started to flicker as a shadow stood at the far end of the hallway.
“What the hell?” He said stepping back into his apartment and slamming his door shut and locking it quickly. He ran down his hallway to his bedroom to check if anyone came into his apartment, but he didn’t find anyone or anything. “What the fuck was that?” he thought to himself. His chest started to feel heavier. He peeped out into the hallway through his peep hole the light was still flickering. His phone rang making him jump back.
“Hey… Val.” He answered, out of breath.
“Hey, I just wanted to call and tell you that you had a package in your mailbox. Looked important… you, okay? You sound like I scared you. Is your chest bothering you that bad?” Val replied.
“Yea... yea. I’m fine. I’ll be alright” he said while rubbing his chest. “You said I have a package downstairs?”
“Yea. It was too big for the mailbox so it’s right under it. Just thought I’d let you know. And hey… if your chest is bothering you that bad then maybe go get it checked out. Chest pains usually aren’t a good thing.” Val said before saying bye and hanging up.
Tommy held his phone in his hand watching his screen go black. “Damn, I really don’t want to go out there after that, but I’m not expecting any packages.” He thought to himself. He grabbed a hoodie and slipped on his Nike slippers and opened the door slowly. He peered his head out first before fully stepping out and walked out into the hallway. The light was no longer flickering and he could hear the hustle and bustle from the street. He walked down the steps to the mailboxes and sure enough there was a package on the ground addressed to him in bold letters and with no return address. He picked it up, it was lighter than he expected it to be.
When he got into his apartment, he placed the box on top of the island countertop and looked it over again. It looked like it had travelled far to get to him. The corners smooshed in and scraped. He pushed the side of the box to get the tape loose and pulled at it until it all came off. He felt a cold chill pass by his spine. He opened the flaps only to find another box inside. It looked like a box of chocolates. He smirked, “Oh c’mon Val. Is this your attempt at trying to make us official?” he said out loud in relief. He took it out and unraveled the bow and opened it. Inside was piece of paper with his name on it and a bracelet.
The paper read, “You’re being watched. This is a bracelet of protection. Always wear it to keep the ojo at bay.” He grabbed the bracelet and brought it to eye level. It had black stones roughly cut but smoothed out and attached to silver links, it was a masculine bracelet for sure. “You have got to be kidding me.” Tommy whispered. His phone rang, again making him jump. It was Val.
“Hey, nice prank but I’m not falling for it, Val. What is this?” he said upon answering but he heard nothing on her end. “Val? Hello?” the other end remained silent and then he heard breathing. “Vaaal. Hello???!” Just as he was about to hang up, he heard whispering. It sounded like the whispering from the dark figure from the night prior. He immediately hung up tossing the phone on the counter. His chest started to feel heavy all over again. He took a short breath and grabbed his phone and called Val, she picked up on the second ring.
“Hey babe. Did you get the package? What was it?” She answered.
“Hey, yea I got it. Did you just call me by accident? Is this some type of prank?” he mustered up a laugh placing his phone between his ear and shoulder.
“What do you mean?” she replied, confused. “You think I left that for you?”
“I mean… until you said it like that… yea I did.” He said again holding up the bracelet to eye level.
“Nope wasn’t me. Why what is it?” she asked.
“It’s a bracelet.” He said placing it back into the box.
“Oooo a secret admirer? I've had my phone in my hand this whole time trying to read some notes by the way. I’m just about to get to the library, I gotta get a study room before they are all gone. I’ll call you later and we can talk more about your mysterious gift.”
“Ok but Val wai--.” He tried to keep her on the line, but she hung up quick.
He looked at the small box again and let out a yawn. “It’s too early for this.” He told himself. He left it and went to his couch and turned the tv on. He was surfing through the channels when he stumbled on the news. The reporter was on site of a homicide on the other side of town. A man violently killed his girlfriend and then killed himself. The reporter interviewed a neighbor, who described them as a very happy and friendly couple and would have never thought in a million years that they would ever come to a dispute that ended the way that it did. Tommy watched as the camera showed a wide frame of the police and ambulance surrounding their home and the neighbors trying to see what was happening. It was then that he heard a loud crash in his room. He got up quick and turned the tv off. “What the fuck?!” he walked slowly towards his room only to find nothing out of place. He looked around, opening the closet door and rustled his clothes that were hanging. Nothing.
He walked back into the living room. The dark figure stood right next to the tv. Tommy stopped in his tracks, as it slowly moved towards him. He couldn’t move, his whole body petrified. The figure moved close to his face and the room felt darker. It didn’t have a face, but he felt it breathing on him and listened as it whispered something to him. Tommy stood there still unable to move, he kept his breaths short, unable to understand what this figure was whispering to him or what it even wanted from him.
As soon as he was able to blink the figure disappeared and he was back on his couch, the news still on the same reporter ending her segment and returning to the reporters at the desk. He looked around; his heart racing and his breathing heavy. Had he just fallen asleep? He turned to look at the kitchen island the bracelet no longer on the counter where he left it, instead it was on the floor.
This is an original piece of fiction written by Desiree Gaitan. All stories belong to her. Names, characters, business, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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