The Stripper Alliance

Chapter 21

I run out of my room and look from my left to my right, trying to find any signs of life. I hear nothing, except for the deafening tone of sheer silence. I can’t even hear my father’s semi-heavy breathing, but I think that’s because he stepped out for a few minutes.

            I run downstairs, trying to get away from the man who may or may not be in my house at this very moment. The stairs below my feet are soft, but I can’t take time away from my ultimate goal, living.

            Out of breath, I finally reach the bottom of the staircase. The stairs seem to get longer and longer every day. I look to my left, which holds a corridor leading up to the front door. I look to my right, which holds the kitchen, living room and back entrance. I quickly whisper, “What if he’s outside my house?”

            I decide to jet right and run into my living room. My first reaction is to reach for the remote and turn on the television. It’s still fairly early, so maybe some news will calm my nerves. I turn the television on, and sit in my dad’s favorite chair. The TV is already on channel 9 news.

            I fade out as they talk about sports, but then I hear an announcement signaling breaking news. My eyes pop open. The scene that the television has plastered on it is a gruesome, horrific one. They’re at the lake where I thought I killed my rapist.

            My eyes glue themselves to the screen. I cannot take my attention away from the screen for a single second. I may miss some vital information. Angela Kirasawa, their leading reporter, is rapidly explaining the scene of the crime. I focus my attention to the scene behind her, where I see a team of divers hoisting something out of the water.

            I gasp in relief. It’s a body. A corpse to be exact. I hear Angela’s serious voice say, “The body of twenty-four year old, Manny Caspian, has been found at the bottom of this lake. From what I hear, police are already ruling out all options beside homicide. A cement block was tied to his foot and he was pushed from some kind of boat or jet-ski. His head suffered a concussion and he lost large amounts of blood. Police are also suspecting that he was not the intended victim, but this was done out of self defense. We will have more information about this homicide in the near future. For channel nine news, I’m Angela Kirasawa, back to you Robert.”

            She flashes a fake smirk, then the camera cuts to Robert Jamison, and he is talking about news that is so unimportant to me at this point. I turn the TV off and stand up. I want to leap with joy, but then a sudden realization comes to my head. I whisper, “If it’s not my rapist, then who is stalking me?”

            Thoughts of many people rush through my head, but I still come to one major answer. I never believed in them before, but I think that Manny’s ghost is haunting me. He wants revenge. If he cannot harm me physically, he will harm me mentally. I have no idea what to do. How am I going to defend myself against a ghost? I know of no ways to defend myself. Ghosts can’t hurt me, but I can’t hurt them.

            I begin to pace around my living room. Ideas are rushing left and right. Bullets would go through him. Knives can’t penetrate him. Magic is unfathomable. I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place.

            I hear the front door begin to unlock and my first reaction is to jump behind the couch. I peek over, and see my father entering the household. I climb back over the couch and angrily ask, “Where have you been? When I woke up I was worried sick about you!”

            My father pulls a bottle from his jacket and holds it up. He laughs and says, “Calm down. I stepped out to get you some ibuprofen. I thought that it would help with your lightheadedness.”