Knock Knock... Don't Invite Me In

Chapter 5: The Invitation

He won't go away. I'm suffocating. He's here so often I feel like I can't even breathe. I've asked my mom for help but she doesn't do anything, she won't listen. He needs to go away, leave me alone. I do not deserve this. Speak of the devil, he is here again..

"Karoline! How nice to see you."

"Hi, Caleb." I said, with a twinge of disgust in my voice. He chuckled.

"How are you doing?"

"Fine." I replied flatly.

"Anything interesting happen today?"

"Nope."

"'How was your day Caleb?' Aw, Kar, how nice of you to ask. My day was jam packed with school, how fun."

"Then why don't you go home and do your homework or something?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"Look, Kar, I know you don't like me, you make it quite obvious, but you will thank me someday. I just want to be here for you. Especially now that you thin-"

"KNOW. I know he's back." I said, shooting him a dirty look.

"Okay whatever. Now that you 'know'" he said, motioning quotations in the air, "that your deceased boyfriend is back to be with you... In ghost form."

I didn't reply, I just stared out the window.

"Kar, I know the last three days have been suffocating." He said, stealing the thoughts from my head, "but I think of you as a friend now, and I care about my friends, especially when they are hurting. I know you may not think of me the same way yet, but I will always be here for you. I know what you're going through, I'm here to be a friend to you." When I didn't reply, he added, "and I brought over The Green Mile to watch. You interested?" My eyes lit up and I spun to face him.

"Uh, definitely!" Gosh, I was unable to keep mad when anything Stephen King related was brought up.

Caleb walked over and sat next to me on the bed. Despite my mental protest, I felt a warm jolt run through me. I don't know what it meant, but I knew that no matter how much I denied it, I really enjoyed his company. It kept me from doing something I may regret. The movie began but five minutes in, the TV went to static and turned to full volume; the noise was insane and making my head spin. Caleb immediately jumped up, holding his ears and turned off the TV.

"What happened?!" He asked, staring at the black TV. I shrugged and looked away when a thought suddenly occurred to me.

"Jake happened. He was showing me he's here." A huge grin spread on my face as I said it. Caleb looked at me, worry in his eyes.

"Karoline, please don't start with the ghost stuff again."

"It is him though. Why can't you see that?"

"Because I don't believe in ghosts, that's why. I think you are making up an imaginary Jake so you can move on."

"Whatever Caleb, I don't need you to believe."

"Say that was Jake, hypothetically, why would he do that?" The worry growing.

"Maybe he wanted my full attention!" I said, jumping out of bed. "Jake?! Are you here? You can watch the movie with us, it's okay! You're invited." Caleb stared at me wide eyed.

"Karoline, if there really is a spirit here, Jake or not, I don't think that's a good idea...I don't think inviting any spirit into your life is a good idea under ay circumstance" As he said that, the curtain started to blow and the room temperature dropped to nearly freezing. I couldn't contain my excitement.

"Jake! Show me you're here!" I said, looking around the room frantically. Suddenly the one wilted rose I had kept from him lifted off my dresser and flew to the ground. Caleb nearly fainted in shock.

"That was just a gust of wind Karoline."

"Shut up Caleb, the windows are closed. I knew he wouldn't leave me that easily!" Suddenly, a brush from my dresser flew and hit Caleb in the side of the head. Instead of running to help him, I looked at him and frowned. For whatever reason, I suddenly had a feeling that he wasn't wanted here. I narrowed my eyes and pointed towards the door.

"Caleb, get out."

"What?! No way!" He yelled, rubbing his head.

"He doesn't want you here, I can feel it." I said, an evil grin spreading on my face. "I hear him. He said to get out before he makes it so you'll be crawling out, wishing you had left when he told you." Caleb's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head.

"Karoline, I don't know what is happening, but this is not your Jake." He said, grabbing onto my shoulders. I stared, as if in a trance. It was as if I couldn't control my own thoughts or movements. I pushed him away with a strength unknown to me and heard a voice in the back of my head.

'Get. Him. Out.' Clear as a bell.