"Floor Four" - A Novella of Horror (Haunted)

Chapter 4 - Washing Dishes

The groundbreaking of the new hospital was only one day away. Brandon hadn't given it much thought in the days before, but now with it looming, and with the newspaper running a big article about it, his thoughts went back to the past events and secrets he held inside.

The night before the ceremony, Brandon watched TV later than usual and dozed off a couple of times, making him hungry. He walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge door, revealing just one piece of his mom's homemade apple pie. He smiled as he pulled it out and set it on the table. He didn't want to be the one to eat the last piece, so he grabbed a knife and fork and began to cut it in half. He heard footsteps coming from down the hall and looked to see his mother walking towards him, smiling. He blushed, feeling he was caught in the act.

Her smile changed to a shocked expression as she called out to him. "Brandon, what are you doing?!" She wasn't looking at his face, only at the table below. She ran to him.

Brandon's smile turned grim, puzzled by her reaction. He looked down at the table, to the pie and knife, and to his own horror, there was no pie. He trembled when he saw the knife had cut his hand with blood flowing from the cut onto the table. He let go of the handle as his mother rushed over to him, throwing the knife to the floor.

He looked up at her, not understanding what just happened, as she began to cry.

"No, Brandon, no," she cried. "This isn't the answer, baby." She held him close, her hand tight over his bleeding cut.

Brandon was in shock, hoping to wake from a dream.

"Daniel! Get in here!" she yelled. "It'll be okay. It'll be okay."

Brandon looked down the hall to see his dad running toward them. Just before Brandon passed out in shock, and with his vision blurring, his dad's face turned to that of a smiling, David Henry Coleman.

The investigation into what happened required extra time. Brandon was kept in the hospital for the night and most of the next day.

The cut on his hand took eight stitches, but would heal, and Brandon felt fine. The bigger problem, a cruel but necessary one, was evaluating his mental state, to determine his risk for suicide.

His parents claimed it was an accident, but were inwardly concerned, and because of Brandon's past in dealing with the murders, doctors remained skeptical and wanted to keep a close eye on him.

The groundbreaking for the new hospital came and went with Brandon still in the small hospital across town. Missing it was fine by him, but being under observation was almost too much to take. He often tried to eavesdrop on the doctors' conversations to get some idea of what they were thinking. By the end of the next day, they released him to his parent's care.

His parents always smiled at him, even if he could see the worry on their faces. He was just as worried as they were but glad to be going home, with no memory of him cutting his hand. He did know that Coleman was tormenting him, and again, he found himself feeling alone, with no one to turn to.

In the week after being released from the hospital, Brandon's parents, as any would have, kept a close eye on him. During that week, Brandon thought a lot about Jake and his warnings. Some days his thinking was very clear, but on other days, as if he was controlled by his ever-changing emotions. The one thing bothering him the most after he cut his hand was seeing Coleman's face instead of his father's. He felt weak and vulnerable when he thought about that dark moment as if he was being drawn in, with no way to stop it.

Over time, Brandon's parents felt comfortable enough to let him go out on his bike and do most of the things he had always done, except his time allowed away was cut in half. Their concern was to be expected.