Ghost

Chapter 1: Early To Rise

I know something is wrong from the moment I wake up. I rub my eyes in an attempt to get rid of the heavy feeling in them as I sit up. I yaw, stretch, and crack my neck like I do every morning, but it isn’t morning. There was no more light in the room than there was last night. I glance out the window, and see that the sun has yet to rise. Odd I think I never wake before sunrise. I glance over at the window only to see that the alarm clock reads in big red letters 3:17.

I groan and fall back with a soft thud on the bed, only to wake Emily Dickenson from her slumber. She looks at me and I look at her, and eye contact between us is held for around ten seconds before she looks away, and lays her head down once more, as if in disapproval.

I let out a breathy sigh. I know that I’ll never be able to fall back asleep now, and it’s useless trying. So, I get out of my bed, slip on a plain white tee-shirt, and exit the room. The hallway is dark as I fumble around looking for the light switch. I absolutely loathe being in the dark alone for long periods of time. I always have, and I always will.

I’m not quite used to the layout of my new surroundings it takes a little searching to find it. Eventually, I find it and I flip the switch. The lights flash on, temporarily blinding me because my eyes haven’t adjusted to the light yet. Stunned by the light, I stumble and trip over my feet and land flat on my bum with a loud thud. “Ouch!” I cry out from the painful land. I blink a few times as my eyes begin to adjust and I’m once again able to see. I had landed not three feet away from the stairs. If I had fallen or walked a little farther, I would have fallen right down the stairs, and the injuries from that would be far worse than falling on my bum.

I slowly get up from my place at the landing, wincing slightly from the pain, and I rub my lower back. I cross over to the bathroom, and head towards the mirror. I turn where I stand, causing my back to face the mirror. I gaze over my shoulder, and look into the mirror and raise the back of my shirt revealing my lower back. Already there is a large pale blue bruise starting to take shape.

“Oh fuck me!” I almost yell.

I release the shirt and let it fall over my lower back, and exit the bathroom turning the light off as I walk out into the hallway. Now irritated by the bruise, I walk to the foot of the stairs, and quickly descend them to the foyer/great room. I round the corner at the foot of the stairs, and strut into the kitchen. The light was off, only this time, I'm much more careful than when I was upstairs. 

I cling to the wall as I slide my hand carefully over the wall looking for the light, but I can't find it. I know you're in here somewhere I think to myself, but it's no use. After around three minutes of groping the wall, and succeeding to no avail in finding the light switch. I accept my defeat and sigh. 

"I hate the dark," I whisper in fear and annoyance. 

I slowly step into the kitchen with my arms outstretched in front of me, praying that I don't run into anything, and of course the first thing I feel is my kneecap slam into a chair. I cry out in pain, and clutch my knee causing me to lose my balance and trip and fall, however it wasn't a normal fall. It felt as though I had tripped over something. 

Quickly I pull myself together, and try to get my bearings. My eyes had become adjusted to the dark, and now I can faintly see the outline of objects in the pale blue moonlight that is streaming in through the window above the sink. 

I immediately try to start looking for what I had tripped over. It felt as thought it was something hard and smooth, but had a soft exterior, almost like an apple or something else with skin. I look, but I don't see anything. There is nothing in the room at all that I could have possibly tripped over.