The Psychic Next Door

Chapter 4: Leave

I phoned Polly, because I didn't know who else to call. I didn't have anyone else to call.

"What's the matter?" she asked, her voice sharp with concern as soon as she heard my whimpering. I probably sounded completely pathetic, but I didn't care.

"My apartment... my apartment..." was all I could manage between painful gulps of air; I was sobbing, and I hadn't even noticed until now. There was no way to even put what had happened into words. "I... I... I'm sorry to bother you... but... but I'm scared."

Polly abruptly changed gears. "Don't worry," she cooed, her voice turning gentle and soft in a way I had never heard. It was like she was soothing a baby. "Where are you?"

"At a c-café near my new p-place," I mumbled, slowly regaining control of myself. "Just half a block down on Main. It's called Kracker's."

"Okay." Polly had driven me home after happy hour last week, so she knew where I lived. "I'll be there in ten minutes. It's gonna be okay, Rach." Then the call cut out.

She was coming to help me.

I guess this meant we were friends now.

I put my phone on the table and wrapped my arms around my knees. Curled up in the far corner booth, I rocked back and forth on the seat, trying not to have a complete meltdown. The lone waitress was watching me like I was about to snap, keeping her distance.

Polly was true to her word; she was there in less than ten minutes. When she saw me, her mouth fell open, and her eyes went wide. I must've looked absolutely deranged; no wonder the waitress wasn't keen on getting too close. I tried to pull myself together, to regain any shred of dignity.

"Rachel!" Polly gasped. "What happened to you? Are you okay?" She slid in the seat across from me and grabbed my hands.

"Oh God." I broke into fresh tears as my resolve melted away. I thought again about the horrible animal-like scream, and my heart began thrashing in my chest. "Oh God, Polly, I really think I am going crazy. I don't know what else it could be. I must be losing it. I am losing it!"

She gently shushed me, as she rubbed my white knuckled fists. Her hands were surprisingly warm, which had to mean that mine were like ice. Now that I realized it, my whole body shook with cold.

"Why, Rachel? Why would you think that?" she asked, looking at me with a pained look. I could see the pity in her eyes, but I didn't care; I was just glad it wasn't disgust. I felt another swell of fondness for her.

"It's my apartment," I whispered back, my tears finally beginning to slow. I paused for a moment to inhale deeply, and Polly squeezed my hands. "God, there's... there's something in my apartment." I shuddered involuntarily.

A flicker of confusion passed over her face.

I breathed deeply again, and I hoped her understanding would extend to this. "I think my apartment is..." I wrestled with the word, with the absolutely insane thing I was about to say, "...haunted or something."

Polly was quiet for a moment. "Haunted?"

I dropped my gaze, not wanting to see her face as I continued with my crazy theory. "At first, it was just little noises and a few things disappearing. Like my keys. But today..." My voice shook. "Today, it was my laptop. And when I screamed in frustration... something screamed back."

It was quiet for a moment, so I snuck a glance at Polly's face. Her eyes were narrowed, her brow knotted, like she was processing what I was saying but she couldn't put it together in a way that made sense. "Someone was in your apartment?"