Kenneth Manor (Haunted)

Chapter Seven

A woman’s voice rang in my head. No one will ever find you…. Her voice seemed oddly familiar. I just wonder whose voice that was.

All of a sudden, there was rustling behind me and the knife dropped out of the person’s hand. I look around me, but all I could see was the setting sun shining in my eyes. A wonderful familiar voice was the next thing I heard.

“Angela? Are you okay?” asked Trevor.

I laughed, relieved that I wasn’t going to die.

“Oh my God! Trevor? How did you find me?” I was about to cry as the intensity of what could have happened had Trevor not saved me hit me.

“I was riding my bike to your house; I wanted to know if you wanted to be lab partners for chemistry. But then I saw a shadow drag you into the woods and I decided to follow it. It turned out to be a girl. I saw her tie you up to that tree and...I snapped. I was going to call the police. I got out my phone and...she saw me, and she just disappeared. Like she was only an illusion…” he trailed off.

“No. She was definitely real. Can you describe her?” I asked.

“I can’t; not really. I mean. The closer I got to her, the more transparent she became. I had just thought she was one pale woman, but...I know this is going to sound crazy, but I think she’s dead.”

“You wouldn’t believe my definition of crazy these days.”

“Are you hurt?”

I placed a hand on my neck, thinking that I was fine, and I needed to go home and sort everything out, but as I removed my hand, I was surprised to find it wet with my scarlet red blood.

“It’s just a nick,” Trevor said, examining my cut. “Don’t let your mom see. I don’t think it will bring good to the both of you if she sees you with a bleeding neck and her having a nervous breakdown.”

“Yeah, I’ll just go through the back door.”

“You want to talk about what happened?” he asked me.

“No,” I sigh. “I really don’t. Thanks for helping me though. I don’t know what would have happened if you weren’t there.”

Trevor didn’t say anything, but he gave me a friendly hug, and walked back with me to my house. Leaning against my house, was his bike, and he rode off without a word. Hopefully, my family is off doing their own thing so I can go to the bathroom in my bedroom and wash off all the dirt that’s on me. Making sure that the coast is clear, I cut across the kitchen, into the hallway where the stairs are, took the steps two at a time, opened and slammed my bedroom door, and examined my neck in the bathroom mirror.

It wasn’t that bad. Nothing a bandage couldn’t fix. I guess I can’t have my hair in a ponytail for the next few days if I want to hide the Band-Aid from my parents’ line of vision. I took a shower and changed into a nightgown. I used my hairdryer to dry my hair, and I opened City of Bones, and I started to read.

However, I couldn’t concentrate on what I was reading my mind was too focused on what happened to me. Who would want to kill me? I am just an innocent fifteen-year-old high school girl. I do recall Amy telling me that there would be people who want to kill me because of my supposed “powers”. I don’t even know what it is yet.

I laid my head down on my pillow and shut my eyes for a second. I heard a piece of paper being crumpled so when I opened my eyes, I found a sticky note ball on my lap.

 

Are you okay?

 

Amazingly, the ink disappeared three seconds after I read it. I wrote on the sticky note back to Amy.

 

Yeah, I’m fine. What happened?

 

I’m not sure. I can’t summon enough energy most days to communicate like this. I did see someone come by earlier, but I had thought it was your mother.

 

No. It can’t be. I’m positive it was someone else.

 

There were no messages after that. I guess she lost connection from the otherly world or something.

I suddenly felt all alone. I had no one to talk to about this. My parents wouldn’t understand, and neither would my brothers. I could talk to Trevor, but I’m deathly terrified of losing my one and only friend here. My thoughts swirled into a mess, and I couldn’t think straight. Up was down, down was up, left was right, and right was left. I didn’t know which direction was which anymore, and I didn’t bother trying to make sense of it.

As the sun finally faded over the horizon, I bookmarked the page I was on in my book, and I tucked it away in my disorganized bookshelf. I walked over to my bed, and as soon as I tucked myself underneath my bedsheet covers, I fell into a world of dreams.

Another day of school, which meant another day of me hearing the annoying sound of my alarm clock. I smacked the clock, and I stretched.

Last night wasn’t a good night for me. I must have woken up about three times during the night, each time more terrifying that the last. I would have a nightmare, which would always end as the knife made contact with my heart. I would then wake up in a cold sweat and scan my room for any sign of intruders. I then fell back asleep, and the process would start all over again.

I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror, and there were definitely some serious bags under my eyes. I splash water on my face, and though I normally don’t apply concealer on my face, this is an emergency. I brushed my teeth, straightened my hair, made sure that the bandage was covered, and I changed out of my nightgown.

I made it to the bus on time, and Trevor and I grabbed the seat closest to the front of the bus.

“You don’t look so well; are you okay?” Trevor asked.

“Not really,” I mumbled.

“Did your parents notice?”

“As far as I know, they didn’t even realize I was gone,” I said as my stomach growled, and I realized I didn’t eat breakfast.

“At least they aren’t freaking out,” he said.

Though this was the second day of school, I came home with a heavy backpack, a depressed mood, and absolutely no inclination to do any of my homework. What I really wanted to do was find answers. The problem is, I needed help.

During my classes, Trevor gave me his phone number. I picked up my phone, and I dialed his number.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“Can you meet me at Oak Park? It’s about something important,” I told him.

“I’ll be there before you say ‘hey’”

 

“Tell me again; why are we here?” Trevor asked.

“Because,” I replied.

“Because isn’t an answer.”

“Because.”

“Fine. I guess I’ll just leave…”

“No!” I yell. “Ugh, fine. I’ll explain everything I promise. I just have to wait for this guy.”

“It always has something to do with a guy, doesn’t it?” he asked.

“No, it’s not like that!” Man I need an aspirin.

Just then out of nowhere he appeared.

“Hello, Angela,” he said. “Let’s talk."