Haunted(15)

I hung up and wiped the tears that were on my cheek. I decided to cook one of the Kraft dinners since I had twenty. After forty-five minutes, I had the dishes washed and I headed for the shower. I took a long hot shower and washed my hair twice. Damn, my hair is too long. I needed to get a haircut, but I didn’t miss the blue. When I was done, I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around me.

That’s when I saw it. On the mirror was written:

Row 8

Plot 30

You’re Next.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

I opened the door to the bathroom and ran down the hall to grab my cell phone. I texted Phoebe, thinking it might be a joke from when she was here, but I highly doubted it.

I texted, Did you write on the bathroom mirror today? As a joke maybe? Phoebe responded, Uh…nope. What does it say?

Oh shit! I couldn’t tell her about this. She would think I was going insane. Phoebe would not hesitate to put me in a psych ward if she thought I will hurt myself.

I responded to her with a smiley face. Then I added, Joey probably did it. I have him tonight.

Phoebe wrote, Good, give him a kiss from me.

I just lied to Phoebe. She wouldn’t know. I walked around the house with my cell. I checked everywhere and nobody was in the house except for me. I checked my doors. All dead bolted. Only three people had keys: Phoebe, Eve, and Eric.

I knew it wasn’t Eve because she had to work a double today at her business because a girl called in sick. Phoebe was the only one who knew about the Nikita saying, but she wouldn’t f*ck with me like that, considering everything I had been through. I walked by the bathroom and looked at the mirror again.

Nothing! The message was gone.

Shit! I was going crazy. Nobody could be in the house. Could it really be some kind of Post-traumatic stress? Or was my depression evolving? Could it do that? Joe’s depression evolved into him being bipolar or was he always bipolar? I needed to search some shit up on the computer. I put on my night shirt and went into the kitchen and took my meds. On top of that, I took a Xanax. I never really pulled them out unless I had some sort of huge trauma or an extremely shitty day.

I sat down at the computer and started my search. After a two-hour search, I was more confused than ever. I needed to go to bed. I closed my laptop and went to my room. I decided to shut the door all the way because I was scared.

I fell asleep fast due to the extra Xanax. But I awoke abruptly to a loud noise.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

It sounded as though the banging was on my bedroom door. I shot straight up in bed. Oh shit, I nearly pissed myself. Fuck this. I grabbed a baseball bat from under the bed and ran to the door to confront whoever is in my house. I would not be afraid in my own f*cking house!

Nobody was at my door! How was that possible?

I was going mad now. I grabbed my laptop from the living room and brought it into the bedroom. I sat on my bed and typed seeing things and hearing things, then I hit search.

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder often characterized by abnormal social behavior and failure to recognize what is real. Common symptoms include visual hallucinations, auditory hallucinations, confused or unclear thinking, inactivity, and reduced social engagement. People with schizophrenia are likely to have additional conditions, including major depression and anxiety disorders.

“Well, f*ck! I guess I am becoming a schizophrenic.”



Chapter 10 – Beth



I woke up the next morning in a fairly decent mood and decided that all of it was a bad dream or Post-traumatic stress. I would live in denial. It was the power of the mind, and I was happy to report my mind felt almost normal. Well, I didn’t think I had ever been normal but normal for me.

I had a wonderful day with Joey. We saw a movie and went out to eat. We even listened to Phantom on our way home. Hearing Roman’s voice after so long felt weird and bittersweet. I was so happy for the time we had together and I would always love him, but I was choosing to be content. Joey asked me questions about him, but I diverted his attention with the prospect of ice cream.

I came home excited to be feeling a bit like my old self. I decided to blast the stereo and clean my house. Blink 182 came on. It was a song about Jack and Sally from the Nightmare Before Christmas and something about missing someone. I listened without crying.

Huh…I am getting better.

I smiled and I cleaned hardcore for three hours, and when I finished, I felt good. I always felt as though I was on cloud nine when I had a clean house. I showered fast and contemplated reading a book. I hadn’t read in forever. My fingers skimmed over my beautiful book collection and stopped on The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis, one of my favorites. I started to pull the book off the shelf when my phone rang, and I heard the song “My Sharona.” I went to pick up my cell phone, knowing it is Eve.

“What’s up?”

“You sound so good.”

“Feel kind of good, ya know? The meds are finally kicking in.”

“I am about three miles from the house, can I stop by?”

“Of course, you know you don’t have to ask.”

“See you in a minute.” She hung up.

I grabbed the book and went to sit in my reading chair. Five minutes later the doorbell rang. I opened it and Eve walked in.

“You cleaned your house, and before you ask how I know, I see the vacuum tracks.”

I smiled. I always tried to keep a clean house. It usually always looked clean but knowing it was felt like heaven. We sat on the couch.