WHO CHILLED YOUR BONES?

Could it be real?

"I can't believe were leaving" I said; reality finally setting in after a day and a half of driving.
"I can. And it feels great." Travis said looking out the window.
"How is this so easy for you? I don't get it. You've lived in the same house your whole life. You won't miss it?"
"Nope. Eighteen years in the same place can't be healthy anyway. California here I come!" The small brunette exclaimed excitedly.
"I know. I get it. It's just that... My house in Houston is the only place I've ever felt safe living in. My first house sucked."
"How do you even remember anything from your first house? We were both like, six when you moved in across the street."
I knew that I'd never told my best friend about the paranoia I suffered through as a kid. I thought about it awhile and decided that if I can trust Travis enough to live with him, I can trust him to not judge me for some stupid childhood nightmares.
"Well yeah I remember a few things. But I don't even know if they really happened. It might have been a dream or something. Or maybe I just remember it wrong, cause..." I hesitated. "I used to see ghosts." I said half laughing.
"Ghosts." Travis repeated. "What do you mean you saw ghosts?"
The subject had never really been discussed between us before. I knew that he was a fan of Halloween so I'm sure he liked the idea of ghosts. But I had no idea what he would think if I told him what happened to me. Too late to turn back now.
"When I was a kid, my parents left me at home alone some nights. At the time, I didn't realize how bad that was. But the thing is... I wasn't alone. When my parents left, that's when they would come." Now I remembered why, after all of those years, I never told anyone. I didn't want to talk about it. I didn't want to think about it. "They were horrible."
"Who, the ghosts?" Travis asked, not taking me seriously.
I wanted to just say 'nevermind' and brush it off. But I knew that would only make Travis more curious. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I let it out. He'd understand. He won't just tell me I'm crazy like my mom did.
"Yeah, the ghosts. There were two of them. I could tell they were there when I heard them. They called me names, teased me and said the meanest things a 6 year old could possibly fathom. And they weren't even kids. They were awful, awful men. And that's when they would appear. Two young guys."
"So they were people?" Travis interjected. "Or...? I don't know if I'm getting this. Are you implying that this all really happened?"
"Dude, I don't know. I'm just telling you what I remember." I said frustrated. "They were pale though. Like, really pale. Almost white. And I don't remember them even coming into the room. One second, I was alone and the next thing I knew. They were right in front of me."
"So these 'ghosts' would just come and make fun of you when your parents were gone?"
"That's not all they did."
"What else?"
"Bad things, dude. Stuff I tried hard to forget." I said with a lump in my throat. I really never wanted to think about it again.
"Oh" There was suddenly a melancholy tone in Travis' voice. "I think I understand now."
For some reason I got the feeling that he really didn't. It was clear that Travis saw the 'ghosts' as a metaphor. But maybe he was right. Maybe I subconsciously replaced reality with a fantasy so I wouldn't have to face what really happened.

But the memory was so vivid.