Phantom Lens

Chapter 4

Noah Coleman didn't believe in ghosts but there was no denying that someone or something was in his son's nursery. A geyser of adrenaline burst through him as he realized his son was in danger. He shoved the laptop towards his wife and picked up his discarded baseball bat as he stomped out of their bedroom.

Gwen's eyes were mesmerized on the footage streaming from Caleb's nursery. She watched as the dark shadow slowly disappeared from the camera's view. The light switch was flipped on, illuminating her husband's entrance. She observed him cautiously look around the room, the bat closely drawn to his body.

After realizing he was alone, he turned towards the camera and said, "There's no one here, Gwen."

She heard his voice through the baby's monitor and the grip of fear that had been holding her frozen in place finally relaxed. Through the screen she saw her husband turn his back to the camera to check on their son.

If she had blinked, she would have missed it. A sudden flash of something dark raced across the screen, knocking her husband over.

A strangled yelp from Noah came through the monitor followed by a piercing cry from their son who was now awake. Gwen raced to the bedroom, unarmed.

"Noah!"

She found her husband on his knees, struggling to get up, "Get Caleb and Harmony and lock yourselves in the bedroom. Now!"

Gwen picked up her son, trying to soothe him, "Noah, are you okay? What are you going to do? You can't fight a ghost."

"Dammit Gwen. It wasn't a ghost. It was a man! He pushed me and ran out. He probably went down the stairs. Now get the kids and go to our room!"

"But Noah-"

"Just do it! I'm calling the cops!"

Gwen didn't have a chance to explain what she saw. Instead she took a deep breath and slowly made her way down the unlit hallway towards Harmony's room.

Bad things happen in the dark.

She straightened her shoulders and tightened her hold on her son. Now wasn't the time to be afraid.

She could see the soft blue light from her daughter's night-light spilling out from the door which was slightly ajar. She stopped a foot from the entrance when she heard a soft humming noise.

"Vamos a dormir. Vamos a dormir. Vamos a dormir, bebé."

A wave of nausea rolled through Gwen as she listened to the gentle lullaby.

Was that Harmony's voice? It couldn't be. Harmony doesn't know Spanish.

"Viene El Cucuy. Viene El Cucuy. Viene El Cucuy, bebé."

Gwen slowly pushed the door open to reveal her daughter sitting up in bed, holding a small baby doll. She began singing the lullaby again until Gwen flipped on the light switch, "Baby Bird?"

"Mommy, you couldn't sleep either?" Harmony asked, slowly standing up on her bed, her nightgown unfolding around her.

"Tonight, you and Caleb are going to sleep with Mommy and Daddy, okay?"

Harmony held her doll in her arms as she walked towards her mother, "Did you see him?"

"See who?"

"El Cucuy."

Gwen didn't understand Spanish, "Baby bird, I don't know what that is. Where did you hear that word?"

"Maria taught me."