Haunted Nights ✅ Completed

Chapter Three: Somebody's Watching Me

Maya walked through each room of the first floor in search of a phone. There were three parlors on the first floor alone as well as a dining room, library, solarium, and a large kitchen, all of which had seen better days.

 Every room in the house was cold and empty. There was a thick feeling of sadness that seemed to lie just beneath the layers of dust and grime coating every surface within the house. She dug in her bag and pulled out her phone, not surprised in the slightest when she couldn't get a signal inside the ruined estate.

Why would she? There probably wan't a cell phone tower within fifty miles of the place.

Refusing to let her current situation get to her, Maya retraced her steps through the large kitchen and headed back for the main hallway. Maybe she'd have better luck getting a signal upstairs. She wasn't even sure where she was exactly, but she didn't pay AAA every year to not use them in an emergency. Maya was positive with modern technology someone could figure a way to locate her current position, send help and get her on her way. Really, what were all those satellites in space good for if they couldn't help a single woman out of a seasonal hurricane?

Besides, her spider-sense had started to tingle the minute she'd crossed the parish line and had grown steadily stronger since finding shelter. Years of experience had trained Maya to know when to turn around and walk right out of a situation but with the storm she couldn't take any chances.

Even if she was being watched.  

Maya ignored the sensation as best she could and walked back the way she'd come. Since she'd crossed the threshold of the abandoned plantation, she couldn't shake the feeling someone was leaning over her shoulder laughing at her discomfort, almost egging her on further into the house.  

Come inside my parlor said the spider to the fly.

She shivered as she remembered the old poem. Poor fly, Maya knew exactly how it must have felt. Just leave it to her to find a creepy haunted house in Louisiana. Then again the whole state was one big convention for the dead anyway. There were probably a dozen wayward spirits in this house alone.  

"You would think at least one of you wouldn't mind dusting once in a while." She mumbled under her breath. "Just because you're dead doesn't mean you have to live out your afterlife in something out of a bad Goth novel."

"I may be bored but I'm not that bored," Daniel muttered.  

Maya turned her head slightly in his direction, her eyes moving around the hall.

Daniel felt like the woman was starting right at him. Or at least he thought she was. Her eyes searched the narrow hall, as if targeting the direction his voice had come from.  

He materialized in front of her, "You can hear me can't you?" Daniel asked incredulously. "You can, can't you? You can actually hear me. Can you see me?"

Maya felt her stomach drop to the floor. Crap! Why had she acknowledged the sound? She knew better than that. Her aunt had taught her about not giving herself away. If she wanted to be left alone she had to ignore them, had to pretend she couldn't hear them. She was usually good about it too, but her nerves were shot and she'd let her guard down. The man's voice had been so close to her, so clear! It was a voice darkly smooth with just a faint hint of Southern drawl mixed with a little something else. It sent goosebumps down her arm. Then again, that could have been hypothermia setting in. Either way, Maya knew whatever had spoken must have had a strong presence in life to keep so much power in death – her reaction to him was a clear indicator of it.   

She tried her best to ignore him, hoping if she did he'd just go away and leave her again.

"Answer me woman. Can you see me or only hear me?" Daniel demanded.