‘This is creepy’ I said as I stepped into the house

I felt it immediately as I crossed the doorway. A feeling of not being wanted. It’s hard to put a finger on. Like a guest who has overstayed their welcome and the host wants you to leave.

‘Please help me!’ She pleaded frantically.

As soon as I stepped through the doorway I froze and the hairs on my arm stood up.

Sensing tingly I could feel there is something seriously wrong here.

I turned to her and gave her a smile. ‘All good. don’t worry. I’m here now.’ I said touching her shoulder. I wanted to assure her that she was safe.

‘I need to step out for a bit to do some shopping.’ She said as she was putting on her jacket.

I was shocked. She is going to leave me? What the hell am I doing? She could have just come to my house! I thought as I looked down the hallway.

I noticed that the hallway was a lot darker and longer than normal. ‘Yea sure. Take your time.’ I muttered back and a chill ran down my spine.

‘Call me if anything happens. Ok?’ She said walking out the door.

The closed and sound of it locking caused me to jump.

‘Will do. Be safe.’ I answered back but the door was already closed. I stood there for what seemed an eternity staring down that hallway. I could have sworn I heard whispering.

I start down the hallway. I don’t remember this hallways being so long before. Each step I started to feel cold. The hairs on my arm were standing straight. Fear crept up inside me. I had the feeling of fleeing that something would attack. Maybe from the living room? Or that closet?

Attacked by what?

After a few steps, I wanted to call her. I wanted to hear her voice. I wanted to feel safe.

I couldn’t. I am the man in her life. How would this look? I was given an assignment. I shall do my best.

I had been to her house many times. Slept there quite a bit. I should feel at home here. But I didn’t. The structure of the house seemed familiar but things seemed out of place. The air felt different. It didn’t feel the same.

I heard a noise in the distance. I stop and listen. Something on the other side of the wall. I stand there looking at the wall.

“Jesus Michael get a hold of yourself.” I said and laughed. I wanted to hear my voice. It made me feel in control.

Instead it sounded flat. No echoes off the wall. No sense of my voice traveling to other rooms.

It felt as if I was speaking in one of those quiet rooms. The walls or the air seemed to soak up any noise I made.

I move on.

I was feeling a bit betrayed, she just left me and here. Why didn’t I just go with her? Why leave me here with God knows what lurking. Or maybe it’s something that God forgot. Anger started to replace fear.

We should be together through shit like this! I would happily carry her bags than stay here in this place. I thought as looked at the pictures hanging on the walls. I couldn’t see the faces of the people in these pictures.

Now I have always had a gift, or curse, to see and feel spirits. What I felt now not a normal feeling. What I felt was sinister presence. I felt pure hatred for me. I felt I was being watched.

I had never experienced this before.

I scooted into the bedroom with a feeling that something was rushing towards me down the hallway. It was one of those feelings that made you run either like crazy or shit your pants standing still.

I needed to use the bathroom now.

In her bedroom, I sat on the bed and stared at the phone in my hand. I should give her a call.

It’s been long enough right? How long has it been? I asked myself.

I didn’t care. Fuck this. I should get out of here and go find her.

I look down the hallway and got a feeling I would never make it to the door in time.

“How fucking long is this hallway?” I said as I tried to make out the door.

It seemed too dark to see. My God, this scares the shit out of me.

I look back down at the phone and dial.

The phone wouldn’t connect. I look at the signal. Seems ok. Just nothing on the other end. No clicks, no indications of answering. Nothing. Dead silence.

Dead silence just like that that surrounds me now. Dead.

Maybe it’s her phone. I think to myself. Trying to be rational.

I send her a txt. Several of them. “Hey, are you ok?” “Where are you?” “You coming back soon?” I type. It felt good to have something to take my attention away from this creepy place.

I scan through my phone. Looking at other chats. Checking out photos. I start to relax a bit.

I see a reflection in the glass. I quickly look up. Nothing. I decided not to investigate.

I check the app again. It says sending. No ‘delivered’ delivery status yet.

‘Shit…’ I mutter.

I become worried. Panic is now racing through me. I don’t want to be here anymore. I want to flee.

I’ll just leave her a note to turn around come straight to my house. Put it on the outside of the door. Fuck it.

I thought I was strong but whatever this is, it’s definitely stronger. Meaner. Scarier.

I feel the tingle of knowing that there is something dangerously mischievous in this house.

Maybe it was my imagination getting the best of me. I just couldn’t shake the feeling. I really needed to go to the bathroom now!

It works. The phone starts dialing. I can hear the search tone and then it starts to ring.

‘Hello?’ I hear her voice. She is starting to break up.

“Hey! It’s me. Can you hear me?” I yell.

‘Hello? Michael? Are you ok? I saw…please…ok? Get…line…ok?’ She is breaking up.

‘Hey?! Where are you? Please come home! I don’t want to be here anymore. Let’s just go to my house.’

‘Click’

My god did she get that? My eyes were starting to water. Hands are shaking. I’m trying to piece together what she said. Funny how you spend so much time trying to make things out in your head.

I hear laughter off in the distance. I am ready to run for the door.

I notice movement out of the corner of my eye. Fear grips me. I thought I saw a shadow rush past.

I don’t want to turn my head but I can not control myself. I need to look.

I notice something crawling on the floor in the kitchen. I hear a ‘swooshing’ sound as it drags itself. No. Not drags, it looks more like it is swimming across the floor.

The shape looks like a woman. I can’t be sure. I can’t make out any details. It seems shrouded in a shadow.

My heart is racing now. I am helpless and have no clue what to do.

I am alone with something that I originally felt as a presence and now I see something crawling around the floor as evidence of my fears.

I rub my eyes and squint to get a better view. There was a pale rectangle of light from the living room window that ran across the kitchen floor.

I could see that it had long dirty matted hair. I could see facial features. Nothing clear. It didn’t seem to have a nose. Just a mouth, black eyes and pale skin.

I cautiously slid off the bed and laid on the floor to hide and try and get a better view and then it disappeared.

I look at the door down the hallway. My heart was pounding so hard that it drowned out any other sound. I gotta run for it. I start to panic even more. Heart racing. I know I will have to get off this floor and boogey.

More laughter. This time with a hiss at the end.

I kept still on the floor. Trying not to breathe. I was staring out the door and then at the kitchen.

My eyes were focussed on the patch of light just below the kitchen sink when it appeared suddenly in front of me peering around the door frame and then lurched at me.

I woke up immediately with a start in my own bed and realized I was sweating and panting.

The dream scared the hell out of me and I laid there recalling images of the dream.

I could hear my son in his room watching a video and laughing at something. His laughter was calming and I slowly started to relax.

Then I heard it. It was faint. A rapping sound on the wall just above my head. The sound was strange. As if it was in my mind. Am I dreaming? I thought.

My son came out and went to use the bathroom. Still the “tap, tap, tap, tap” sound continued.

If he hears this then it is real. I said to myself waiting for him to come into my room to investigate.

He never did. He finished his business and went back into the bedroom leaving me in a state of terror.

It was that thing. Tapping on the walls of my subconscious. Calling me back to sleep. Calling me back to the dream.