Work Text
I know you the way a ghost know it's shadow.
- Mia Hollow The sun was setting fast while I waited in traffic. I glanced at my dashboard and it's almost eight o'clock. Great. I'm not a fan of driving at night. I'm not a fan of the night period. The sky was darkening with heavy purple and rust tinted clouds. The air was very humid too. There's a storm building."God, I hate traffic," I complained to myself. I've never seen the boulevard so backed up before.A flash of lightning broke the darkening sky and brought a roar of rumbling thunder with it. I've gotten use to the Nevada weather. I live in Henderson and it's mostly just hot here and every once in a while we have a summer storm but it's spring....I laughed to myself because of the irony. I guess mother nature knows my dislike of both night and storms. Thanks for humoring me.The traffic started moving again after fifteen more minutes but it was so slow. I started tapping my steering wheel as I grew more impatient. This is my own fault. I work morning shift at Paseo Verde Library and it's like my second home. I love my job and the people that work there. They act more like my family then my own flesh and blood. Occasionally I stay after work to bury myself in books. It's so easy for me to lose track of time and I should know better by now not to let myself do that. Traffic is something I haven't gotten use too. It's normal here because Las Vegas is so close. There always seem to be thousands of people flying in for vacations and weddings on a weekly basis but it's never been this backed up.I was three cars behind the green light now. There was multiple red and blue flashing light's ahead. Police officers and paramedics was everywhere but there was only one officer directing traffic. The streets was covered in shattered glass. There was a smashed up blue mustang in the middle of the crossing. My chest started feeling tight.... It looked so bad. There's no way that somebody could had survived that. The other car was already on the back bed of a tow truck covered up in a grey tarp.Out of nowhere the rain began to pour down. Pedestrians that had stopped along the side walk to watch the scene took off running to take shelter inside the restaurants and shops but there was one person that refused to move. All I could see through the rain was that he was dressed in black and his shirt had the initials G.A.C. in big bold white letters within a white outline of a coffin. It looked like he was arguing with one of the paramedics. From the corner of my eye I thought I seen a dark figure walking toward my left. I turned my attention to it, thinking that it was a police officer, but there was nothing there. A sick feeling hit my stomach instantly and the chill's ran up my arms. No, not here, don't go into a panic attack, I told myself over and over again. I started taking deep breaths and I tried to focus my attention on something else. The man that was arguing with the paramedic was gone, so I kept shifting my eyes to find something to focus on but I knew it was too late. I started hyperventilating but I forced my body to be still to not to make it so obvious in case someone was looking my way.Lucky for me it was my turn and I got out of there as fast as the speed limit allowed me. I don't need to explain why I have these attacks to a police officer which would send me back into a second one. I'm not sure how I made it home. It was all a blur. It seemed like it took forever for me to unlock my front door because my hands was sweating and shaking so bad. Soon as I was safe inside my house, I started to calm down. I decided to forget dinner and take a hot shower since my stomach was still weak. I stood there for a good five minutes to let the warm water relax me. Don't let the past take over your life, Rebecca.... It's been almost four years now. I thought to myself. Four years....The shower ended too soon but I went straight to bed. I cocooned myself in my blanket's to stay warm. I blocked everything out from my mind and let the soothing rain from outside relax me until I fell to sleep. I sat up in my bed and took a deep breath to make sure I wasn't going to have another panic attack. I didn't feel sick and my lungs felt clear and easy, and my heart is at a normal pace. I stretched and got up from my bed. I'll be okay today, I willed myself.I went to the bathroom and was horrified when I seen myself in the mirror. My hair was a frizzy mess. That's what I get for going to bed with wet hair. I brushed through my thick jungle-like hair until it was smooth and then pulled it up to a stylish sloppy bun. I didn't like wearing to much makeup because my skin is very olive from my native american heritage which makes it hard to find the right colors and concealer that goes well and matches my tone. And eye-shadow can be a nightmare. I love the smoky eye look but it's not flattering when you have grey eyes like me. Seriously. We grey eyed people look like vampires or something.I grabbed my black eyeliner from my makeup case and thinly lined my eyes and then added mascara. I finished with a almost nude lip gloss. I went back to my room to change clothes. I dressed in a plain white short-sleeved t-shirt with a V neck and ripped hollow out jeans from my favorite online clothing store. I put on my black sneakers and went downstairs to the kitchen and made some scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast. While I ate, I turned my laptop on and surprisingly I had a message from my mom but I didn't want to open it. She'll probably be pissed when she doesn't get a reply back soon. I call and text both of my parents and they never answer or reply back to me. I don't have much of a relationship with my parents anymore. They didn't like my old job or.... hobby as they referred to it. And they definitely don't like my job now. They wanted me to go to college and become a doctor or a lawyer like my cousin Teresa. I swear, my family makes everything a competition. It's always jealousy and drama. And since I didn't follow in my parents footsteps or have a lavish paying job, now I'm some kind of embarrassment and big disappointment to them. It's sad but whatever, my life has been better off without them. The only time I hear from them is when there's a family reunion or a funeral. So this email is probably about one of those two. But the family reunions are during the summer. I wonder who died....I checked on Facebook to see what's new and how my friends are starting off their Friday morning and to also see if any of my family members have posted anything about someone dying. I regretted as soon as I began to stroll down. Channel 13 had posted a link to their website of a story they covered about a deadly crash in Henderson that claimed eight lives and the thumbnail was a picture of the same scene I witnessed last night. What happened and what I felt last night.... I didn't need to see this to know that they was already dead. I quickly signed off and threw away my half eaten breakfast in the trash. I felt like I wanted to cry but I knew what it would turn into and that would be followed by more regret.The ground was still wet from the storm last night but the air was cool and breezy. I got to the library at the same time my friend Tiffany was just getting out of her car. Her brown eyes lit up and she smiled her big white smile and waved at me. She was super tall and had gorgeous blonde hair. She was born in England in a large town called Luton but she was raised mostly in California. Her family is very wealthy but she has parental issues as well and when she decided to leave home, they didn't give her a dime. She was bubbling with excitement when I parked my car next to hers. "It's to early to be in such a happy mood, Tif." I rolled my eyes and laughed as I got out of my car. She laughed too. "Here, this will wake you up," she said in her pretty accent as she handed me my favorite Starbucks cappuccino. "Oh my gosh, you are a lifesaver!" On top of the problems I already have, I'm also a caffeine-addict. I took a sip, didn't care if it burnt my tongue. I needed something to get my energy level up. We walked to the library, well actually I walked, Tiffany was skipping her way up to the front doors. We said our "Hello's" and "Good morning's" to our co-workers and the early birds that came to check out a book."Oh, look who came to grace with me with her presence this morning," Paul chided as we passed the computer lab. Tiffany stuck up her nose and kept her eyes ahead. Paul didn't like to be ignored. He peered around the corner and began to walk with us. He was the same height as Tiffany and he had dark hair and his brown eyes was so dark that they was pitch black. His nice facial features told his family linage of obvious Italian descent which I knew was one of Tiffany's weaknesses. He beamed as Tiffany walked ahead of us. "Yeah, I see how you are," he said. Tiffany kept ignoring him and this made Paul laugh. "You are so sexy when you're mad." He knew that was going to set her off. "Shut up, Ken!" She called over her shoulder. "Not a chance Barbie," he threw back at her. "Jackass," she mumbled as she went to the backroom. Paul looked down at me with a accomplished smile on his face. "She loves me," he declared. I couldn't help but to laugh. "Don't worry, I won't say anything to her," I promised and crossed my heart. "Good, it's to much fun fighting with her," he laughed. "Have you use this tactic before to get a girlfriend?" I asked curiously. I have known guy's before who loved to fight with the girl that they saw as a future mate. I never understood it. "Nope, just her. She has a fiery spirit." I laughed again and shook my head. Love is something I know very little about. I have came close to it once before but that's it. Since then, it's hard for me to get close to anyone but I also never met anyone else that I desired to be with. Maybe I'm destined to be alone. It's even hard for me to be close with my friends. Of course they know almost everything about me except for a few things that's even forbidden for me to think or talk about. Sometimes I feel like I'm lying to them and I hate that.I sat down at my desk and took a big gulp of my cappuccino. I took a deep breath before beginning my work. Tiffany came out of the backroom with her smile planted back on her face. She started working on collecting the returned books and putting them back in their rightful spot on the shelves. What the hell? I looked over at Paul who was now working on replacing a shelf that had broken and he was also looking at me with the same dumbfounded expression. We watched her in amazement because no offense, but she doesn't really do much around here. Me and Paul usually get's stuck with her work most of the time while she claims to work in the backroom but really she's on her phone or listening to music. Funny thing is, we don't mind. We understand what kind of family she was raised in and she isn't use to work, I guess.After she finished stocking the shelves, she came back to start filling out paperwork that she has been asked to do for over a month now. "Are you okay?' I asked concerned. Tiffany turned around with a funny shocked expression on her face. She looked around and then back to me again. "Me?" she gasped. "Yeah you," I laughed. "You are almost revolting to watch right now. Why are you working?" Paul asked sarcastically. Tiffany's face went red and she sucked in air getting ready to argue with him. "What Paul meant was, why are you in such a good mood?" I asked before something got started but I knew Tiffany wasn't going to let his comment go. Tiffany flicked Paul off but Paul returned it back to her. Tiffany rolled her eyes and flipped her hair and returned her attention back to me. She became a giggly middle school girl. This has to be about a guy."Okay, have you ever heard of Ghost Adventures?" She asked. Wait, what? Ghost Adventures? Well, I was way off. What is Ghost Adventures? My stomach started to turn."Um... No," was all I could say. I quickly lost all interest. I concentrated on my breathing. I really don't want to suffer another panic attack. Especially since my friends are here and they don't know that I have them. "Are you kidding me? You never heard of Ghost Adventures?" She shook her head disapprovingly. "Good for you Rebecca. You have common sense to stay away from fake shit like that," Paul said. Just keep breathing.... I took a sip of my cappuccino. "Excuse me? Am I talking too you? No! And it's not fake," Tif snapped at him. "Shhh! Geez! Don't get us in trouble. And it is fake. All them paranormal shows are fake. There is no such thing as a ghost or else I would had seen one a long time ago," Paul lowered his face. "Oh please, if I was a ghost, I wouldn't want to be near you either." Before Paul could say something smart, they was both scolded by a old woman who was reading a trashy novel. If I hadn't of been concentrating so hard on not going into a episode, I would had laughed at them."Don't listen to him, he doesn't know what he's talking about," Tiffany whispered. "Anyways, it's a great show but it can be scary sometimes. But it's all worth it to see Zak Bagans! He's the lead investigator on the show." I let her babble on about it but I didn't want to play close attention. I didn't want to risk it. "Zak and his crew are here in Henderson right now. He doesn't live that far from here. I'm hoping I get the chance to meet him," she gushed. I laughed at her and try to look like I was paying attention. A crush I could deal with. The other part, I can't. This Zak guy must be a real heart breaker. "I still can't believe you never heard of this show," she said. I cleared my throat. "I don't watch TV that much," I admitted. It wasn't a lie. Tiffany gave me a wide eyed look and then went back to her paperwork. I took a deep breath.
This is going to be a long day.....
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
I just got to chapter sixteen of Memoirs of a Geisha when my phone started chiming Blank Space by Taylor Swift.Crap! I forgot to put it on silence! I dropped my book and grabbed my phone from my pocket. Tiffany's name was lit up on the screen. I smiled apologetically as I jogged my way outside. Judging by the looks that people give me, one of them will surely send in a complaint to my boss for sure. I answered my phone, "Hello?", I breathed. Tiffany laughed. "You're still at work," she guessed. "I lost track of time again," I admitted. "When do you not? So listen, me and the girl's are going out to Club Fortune Casino tonight, wanna come?" She asked. I really don't like going out that much but I was in need of a girl's night. I haven't been out in ages and at least it would keep my mind from wondering.... "Sure, what time?" I asked.Tiffany gave me the details and she'll be picking me up around nine o'clock. I hung up my phone and went back into the library. I avoided looking at people, afraid that they are still giving me dirty looks. I returned the book back to it's place and closed up my desk at the counter. "Goodnight Cherie," I whispered. My boss just nodded and got back to work. She's one of those strict proper librarians. Sometimes I don't think she's human. I took a shortcut home just as I did when I went to work this morning because I knew there would still be left over shattered glass from the accident last night on the boulevard and I couldn't afford to let myself freak out again. When I got home, I ate dinner and changed into my fitting navy cap sleeve lace sheath dress and I traded my sneakers for simple black heels. I didn't know what to do with my hair, so I let it fall naturally.Tiffany pulled up in her cute red 2013 mini cooper and I could barely make out what kind of dress she was wearing because it's neon pink material hurt my eyes. If Paul was here, he would really have good Barbie jokes to throw at her. Courtney and Brianna was retouching up their makeup which unfortunately is very caked on. They are already beautiful, they don't need all that. Courtney is tall like Tiffany, but she has dark brown hair and her sparkling light green dressed brightened her unique green eyes and intensified the brown starbursts in the middle of them. Brianna is shorter then my five six but don't underestimate her. She is a jiu jitsu fighter that has our backs no matter what. She has short pretty auburn hair framed around her blue eyes. She was wearing a simple short light blue strapless dress."Damn, you need to wear dresses and go out more often. You look like a movie star!" Tif complemented. "No way, you guys look way better than me," I said flattered. Even from my side view, I had to squint my eyes because the pink neon was so strong. "Go ahead Tiffany, tell Rebecca what happened," Brianna laughed as I got into the car. "Oh no, what did I miss?" I asked. Tiffany pursed her lips in a hard line and shook her head back and forth. "Paul!" She said through her teeth as she pulled out of my driveway. I looked over at Brianna who had a wide smile and wagging her eyebrows up and down. "He asked her out tonight," Courtney finished. She sounded annoyed or jealous. "Somehow he thought he had a chance with me," Tiffany rolled her eyes but there was something else in her expression that I could see in the rear-view mirror. "What did you tell him?" I asked curiously. "I said no," she said simply. Courtney and Brianna started laughing but Tiffany wasn't. I don't get it. If she likes him then...... Or is she playing the same game as Paul? Who knows.... Love is strange.After a few minutes, Courtney and Brianna chatted happily and made bets on who will lose the most money by the end of the night. Tiffany slowly got into the conversation and started gaining her enthusiasm back. I let myself zone out. I hated doing that but I wanted to protect my mind from anything that might set me off. We made it to the casino and the parking lot was jam packed. But that was expected because it's Friday night and this is Nevada. Tiffany found a parking space after ten minutes of driving around. We had to park in the furthest parking space from the building. So we had to walk a good distance in our heels. The casino turned out to be the right place tonight to drown out my mind. The song, Do I wanna know? by Arctic Monkey's was blaring loudly. The slot machines was full and the bar was busy. There was a big group surrounding a poker table, there must be a good game going on. I'm not much of a poker player but I enjoy watching. My friends wanted to hit the bar first but I wasn't up for drinking yet. The bartender placed a bowl of pretzels on our table and then took their orders. Tiffany had only one glass of red wine because she has to drive us home, and Courtney and Brianna was taking shots of vodka. I nibbled at the pretzels and watched the poker games. After Brianna had enough, she went over to the poker tables and she clearly was buzzed. I don't think that was wise of her to try to play after drinking but, oh well. She's having fun. When a few slot machines was finally freed, me and Tiffany made our way to claim them while Courtney stayed at the bar. I always had bad luck with slots but I never gave up hope on winning. "I'm glad you came with us. I didn't want to be alone with Courtney and Bri," Tiffany said with a pleasing smile. "I needed a girl's night out," I smiled back. "You should go out with us more. Have fun and meet someone. You're twenty eight and single for crying out loud!" She laughed. I shrugged and kept my eyes on my game. "What about you and Paul?" I asked before I had to tell her about my short dating list. "Between you and me, I do like him a lot but...... It's just complicated," she said sadly. "We both know how he is. Paul is just Paul. But he is a good guy, he just has a funny way of showing it," I explained. "I know.... but it's not just that," she said. Before I could ask her what it was, she turned it back around on me. "I'm curious, how many boyfriend's did you have?" she asked watching me carefully. Shit...."Uh.... well," I paused briefly trying to think of something to say that wouldn't be painful. "Back when I use to live in Indiana, I didn't have a lot of time for boyfriends. I was busy a lot with stuff, you know. Um.... my parents was all about grades and college. I did, kinda have one..... but it didn't work out," I half-lied. Tiffany was silent for a moment. "Wait, you mean you really never had a real boyfriend before?" Tiffany was shocked by the fact. I nodded. "No, not really," I said. "Wow, that's crazy! Are you interested in anyone right now?" She asked curiously. She watched me with so much anticipation. "Not right now," I admitted. "I'm going to have to set you up with someone," she laughed. I looked at her with complete shock. "You better not do such a thing!" I warned. "I'm not making any promises," she grinned. Oh no.....I decided it was time for a drink. Courtney took my place at the slot machine. Hopefully if Tiffany decides to snitch on me about my lack of dating, Courtney won't remember any of it. I got a beer and walked around the casino for a little bit. Brianna was laughing and flirting with men at the poker table to try to distract them which was working because she was winning. The music changed to soft rock and it wasn't enough to drown out my thoughts but I didn't panic as I should had. Yes, I've came close to love. My old friend.... my fellow investigator..... Rodney. My heart started to race as I thought of him. Even after all this time that I made myself not think of him or the past, he could still make my heart pound. No Rebecca, stop it. You can't keep doing this to yourself. Let go of the past....My reverie was broken by a loud scream from someone in the room. Chill's ran up my arms as I didn't know what was happening. My heart felt like it stopped several beats. "Oh my God, the Ghost Adventures crew is here!" I heard a women yell. I heard another scream that I was for sure that came from Tiffany that time. The people that crowded the casino was now running up to the entrance doors and screaming "Ghost Adventures!" and some we're screaming for "Zak!" and "Aaron!"I couldn't see any of them from where I was but I wouldn't recognized any of them anyway. Courtney and Brianna was running behind Tiffany as they made their way up to the massive crowd. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It was just a over reaction.... I walked over back to the bar to place my empty glass on the counter. "Refill?" The bartender asked. "No thank you," I replied. He started snickering. "Not a fan, huh?" He jerked his chin toward the crowd and laughed. He was kinda short with grey hair and a bold spot. He looked like he might be somewhere in his late fifties. He had a strong jersey accent. I looked around the empty room and then glanced back at the crowd. Me and him was the only ones not freaking out over the new arrivals. "Nope, definitely not," I said as I turned my attention back to him. "I'm a skeptic myself," he laughed and I couldn't help but to laugh with him. I looked back over at the crowd and decided to escape through one of the back exit doors to get some fresh air. I'll just let my friends get it out of their system. How many times do you get to meet someone famous?Even though I do dislike the night and darkness, I loved looking at the stars. I looked up at the clear moonless night sky. The stars we're surprisingly bright and beautiful. Sometimes it's hard to see them due to the city lights. But I wasn't just stargazing, I was waiting for it.... Sometimes these attacks can have a delay. But as the minutes went by, nothing came. I felt so relaxed and at peace. I was scared that my body was playing some kind of trick on me....It happened so fast that I didn't have time to think. A man running from around the corner of the building ran into me and knocked the wind out of both of us. We caught each other before we fell on our asses. "I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" He breathed. I looked up at him startled. He was wearing a black hoodie and black glasses that he was obviously trying to hide behind. I could see his face a little in the darkness but not enough to be able to get a good description of in case he turned out to be a robber or something worse. I looked down and he still had his hands wrapped around my forearms as if I needed support. I'm not sure how I must of looked to him but I didn't feel like I was having or going into a episode. I gently pulled my arms out of his hands and stepped back away from him to give us a good distance. "I'm fine. What the hell are you doing?" I asked. My voice was surprisingly steady. He took a deep breath to calm his breathing. "Oh, you know. Just running like everyone else. That place started making me feel claustrophobic," he said trying to play it off. I don't trust him at all. "I see.... You know, most of the casino was cleared out besides the entrance. Did you get caught in the crowd or something?" I asked trying to study his expression through so little light we have. "Um.... yeah. I got pulled in and trapped by a dozen people. They're all going crazy in the parking lot right now," he laughed nervously. I just smiled and nodded. There was a moment of silence that seemed to stretch on. It looked like he was trying to study my face too and it became very awkward and kinda nerving since I couldn't really see his face."So...." he started, "why are you out here alone?" He asked. All my senses was telling me to run back into the casino. "I needed some fresh air," I said but it sounded like a question. He just nodded at my answer. "Well, I'm gonna get back. I'm sure my friends are waiting for me," I finished and I had my hand on the knob. Please, don't follow me..... "Yeah, I need to go find my friends too," he said quickly and he took off running again to where he was heading before we collided. I hurried into the casino where everyone was talking loudly and getting back to their games. I met up with my friends at the bar and Tiffany had tears in her eyes and was fanning herself. She had the biggest grin I ever seen planted on her face. I started laughing at her. "Did you get to meet them?" I asked. "No, unfortunately. But I did see a few of them. Even Zak! He's so much cuter in person. The crew saw us coming and they took off running and scattered all over the parking lot," Tiffany said. "Lucky for you, you pushed me into the wall and tripped Brianna. We didn't get to see any of them," Courtney said bitterly. "I'm sorry, it was the heat of the moment," Tiffany snickered. They both rolled their eyes at Tif.Courtney and Brianna who looked like they ate to many warheads decided they wanted to go home. It was probably the best thing since they was already very drunk. Tiffany wasn't kidding about all the bar stories she told me about them. They can put away a lot of alcohol. As Tiffany drove us home, I couldn't help but to think that I survived so many situations tonight that could had triggered my panic attacks. Maybe I'm finally getting better and eventually my attacks will go away forever.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Despite my luck Saturday night, I was still waiting for it when I woke up the next morning. I didn't trust myself. I've been having panic attacks for a long time now. I knew how they worked. But several minutes ticked by and to my surprise, nothing came.
I'm fine. I'm completely fine.
Monday was awkward as I knew it probably would be. Paul was so quiet and never even looked at us when we walked into the library. Tiffany acted as if he didn't existed and all she could talk about was Ghost Adventures and her almost meeting Zak Bagans. From the corner of my eye, I could see Paul shaking his head back and forth in irritation. I could tell he was overflowing with remarks he wanted to throw at Tiffany."I just still can't believe how close I was to actually meeting them!" Tiffany said gazing off in la la land. I can't believe she's talking about a paranormal investigation group and I haven't freaked out yet. "Tiffany, we have a lot of returned books that came in this morning. They've already been sorted and put in the cart. All you have to do is put them back on the shelves," Cherie told Tiffany in a low voice. Tif gave her a appalled look. "I have work to do in the backroom today," Tif used her normal excuse. She grabbed her purse and left to go do what she considered work. "Don't worry about it Cherie. I got it," I smiled. "Thank you," she said. She always looks so tired after talking to Tiffany. I rolled the cart and began making my rounds through the bookshelves. Of course, most of the lower shelves was stocked full and I wasn't tall enough to reach the top and standing on my tippy-toes does not help at all. I gripped the book that I was holding and debated on rather if I felt like going all the way in the backroom to get the ladder or attempt fate and throw the book and see if it falls into place. Secretly, I have done that many times. I look down at the old black leather book and I decided right then, I didn't want to risk messing it up. I examined the book and there was no title. It looked like a journal. I flipped it over to the back and there in the middle was engraved - Mors. My heart fell into my stomach. Mors.... the Latin word for, death."Need help?" Paul asked. I jumped and almost dropped the book. "You scared me!" I hissed but was then relief that it was just him. Paul laughed at me. "And yes, thanks. I need you're height for this one," I said as I handed him the book. I hope he didn't notice my hand shaking. I took a deep breath as he placed it on the top shelf. My head hurt a little but I was totally fine. "Sorry for the cold shoulder earlier. I have nothing against you," Paul said as he began placing more books on the shelf. "It's alright. I know it must've been kinda awkward for you. She told me what happened Friday night. I'm sorry," I said. "Sorry for what?" he asked confused. "She turned you down," I said. He dropped the book he was holding back into the cart. "What?" He said way too loudly. We both looked around and nobody was around or near to overhear us. "Are serious right now? That's not what happened," he lowered his voice. "She asked me out."I looked at him in disbelief. "What? But she said-" Paul cut me off. "Forget it. She is a twisted person Rebecca. More twisted than you realize. Unfortunately, I didn't find that out until Friday," he said and it almost sounded sad. I knew how Tiffany was but.... "What exactly happened?" I asked. He pulled his eyes away from me and pursed his lips. Is this about me? It look like he was debating or having a argument with himself. "What is it Paul?" I asked again. I started to grow impatient. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, they was on me. "Would you believe me if I told you?" He asked flatly. "Of course. I trust you," I told him honestly. "Okay...." he began, "Well, Friday she came over to my house, looking like a fucking las vegas barbie." I mentally laughed at him. I knew he would have something to say about that neon pink dress. "And I thought it was sketchy that she would come to my house to talk to me. She's never done that. But basically, she wants you fired from here and offered me a deal that if I helped her, she would go out on a date with me," he said. What the actual fuck?!"Paul, do you know what you're telling me right now?" I said bewildered. "I know how this sounds Rebecca and it took time for me to process it too but I'm telling you the truth. Without you, Cherie can't fire her," he said. "But that still doesn't make sense. If Cherie was planning on firing her, she would had done it a long time ago. Plus, she has you too," I said. "But it takes me, you and Cherie to run the first floor. Cherie doesn't need her and Tiffany knows that because why else would she try to get you out of here? Cherie thinks she is some poor rich girl who doesn't know how to survive in the real world. We all was fooled by her. And Cherie told me personally today when I came in that she thought about firing her and a few other people who also aren't doing their jobs on the second floor. And also, come to find out, Tiffany didn't leave home. Her parents kicked her out. She was constantly draining her father's bank account and when he tried to put a limit on her, she started stealing and lying. I bet you don't even know she has a drug problem too," he said kinda too loud. I let all this sink in and no matter how many times his words repeated in my head, I was still in denial and I knew Paul could see that. "She isn't a good person. Just watch you're back around her Rebecca," he said as he turned around and rolled the cart back to the front desk. I stood there and tried to think back on a time that I could see that maybe there was truth in what Paul just told me. The only thing I could think of was the strange expression she had after she told us Paul asked her out. There was definitely something more to the story....For the rest of the day, I watched them both closely. Paul stayed quiet and Tiffany was her normal self. I decided to go straight home after work. I didn't want this situation too mess up my mental health because I was too content with finally feeling some normalcy. When I got home, I kept my mind busy. I've already read every book that I own multiple times, so I decided on catching up on laundry and cleaning house. I still hadn't opened my mom's email she sent me last week. She hasn't sent a second one and she hasn't called or texted me. Which was odd because she usually found away to get in contact with me one way or another to tell me how angry she is at me for not replying back. Maybe I should answer it. I finished doing the dishes and dried my hands. I went upstairs to my room and sat at my computer desk. I felt nervous for some reason. I took a deep breath and went to my emails. My mouse cursor hovered over the unopened message for a few minutes. This is ridiculous, I thought to myself. Just when I was about to click open, my door bell rung. Perfect timing. I exhaled and got up to peek out my bedroom window. There was a huge shiny black forza RV parked in my driveway. I unwillingly went downstairs. The bell ranged several more times before I got to the last step. If I had known who was at my door, I would had never opened it....There was three guys standing there. A strange feeling hit my gut and I knew then I shouldn't had opened the door to people I don't know. The closest who seemed like the ringleader was tall, probably about six foot one. He was wearing a black t-shirt that had a white gothic-style cross on it and he wore matching black pants and boots. He had a good strong frame but he wasn't overly ripped. He also had a strong and handsome face with little facial hair and soft hazel eyes. His hair is dark and shiny from all the gel that's helping the cascade of spikes to stay up. The second guy who was standing closest to his left who was holding a big camera in my direction, he was also dressed in all black. He was tall too but lean. He was bald and he had a kind face with a black goatee connected mustache. I couldn't get a good description of the third guy who was standing behind them but I could see that he had a white folder in his hands. "Hi, are you Rebecca Powell?" Hazel eyes asked me. He had a cute grin. "Uh.... yes," I said caught off guard. "I'm Zak Bagans, it's nice to finally meet you."
God, just kill me now!
Zak extended out his hand to me and I forced myself to do the same. We shook hands and I tried to place a friendly smile on my face. "Well, I'm not sure how familiar you are with our show but we are the Ghost Adventures crew, that's Aaron Goodwin," he jerked his chin toward the guy with the camera, "and that's Billy Tolley," he pointed back over his shoulder with his right thumb. "We've been looking for you and-" Zak was cut off from Aaron's laughter. Zak shot him a look I couldn't see. "I'm sorry bro, that just didn't sound right," Aaron said. Billy snickered and Zak looked back at me with a funny expression with his lips pursed into a hard line. He realized he made a bad choice in his use of words. "Was that creepy for you?" Zak asked in a lowered joking voice. I might had laughed too but I didn't have no tolerance for jokes right now. "I've had worse," I said truthfully. This made him laugh. "Well, I actually have been looking for you. I heard about you're story in the Dem-"I raised my hand cutting him off before he could say anymore. "How did you even get my address?" I asked. I could feel myself beginning to fume. All joking and smiles was gone. "That's kinda a long story but if you let me explain, you see-" I cut him off again. "I'm sure you're here to tell me the same story that everyone thinks they know. Well guess what buddy? You and them people who think they know it all doesn't no shit about me and what happened in that God forsaken house," I said through my teeth. Zak flinched but took a few steps closer to me and held his hands out cautiously. "Listen, I'm not here to make you upset. I understand completely what you are going through. I think I know you and that house a lot better than you think," Zak said with pure sympathy coloring his tone. I believed him. But also.... there was something familiar about him. His voice, maybe? He studied me closely too as if he found something that was familiar to him as well. "Have we met before?" He asked out of the blue. "I'm not sure. I was getting ready to ask you the same thing," I said. He studied me a few more seconds but then decided to drop it and cleared his throat. "Anyways..." He started in a distracted tone. "You and I both know you're friends didn't commit suicide," he lowered his voice. My heart started racing and I could feel myself breaking out in a sweat. That was it. That was the end of me. The end of normalcy and living a life without panic attacks. And how dare him to tell me this? The only ones who are allowed to say that they know or understand me and that demon house is my friends..... But they aren't here. They are dead and it's my fault. I should had....I couldn't let myself think about it. I'm not going to let this Zak Bagans send me back into my old zombie-like mental state where I only read books and block people out. My anger boiled over and I glared at him. "Like hell you do," I replied grimly. I slammed the door in his face and my knees gave up on me. My back hit the door and my heart was hammering against my rib cage. My anger released and my tears fell uncontrollably. I heard their RV pull out of my driveway. I don't think I'm going into a panic attack because my breathing hasn't started quickening. I've worked so hard to block out the past. I know what happened in that house. I know what I saw and felt. I know what happened to my friends. Kaitlynn.... Steve.... Mhika.... Nathan.... and Rodney. I bit my bottom lip as I felt my heart crush into pieces thinking of them. I haven't allowed myself to think of all five of them since the days that followed after their burials. I remember the demonic presence that I felt that night and I know that it was the same presence that possessed them. I remember the strange looks they had in their eyes. I remember the air was so cold that it was almost hard to breathe. I remember the sounds of their screams. I remember the piercing sound of gun-firing. I remember everything that happened that night so clearly as if it was just yesterday. I didn't let my mind go any further. It's done and it's over with. Zak and his crew are gone. There's no one else here to remind me of that day. I wiped my tears away and got up off the floor. I went upstairs to my room, my feet felt heavy. I shut my computer off - my mom's email completely forgotten - and I went to bed early. It was just now turning six o'clock but I was so mentally and physically exhausted. The same exhaustion that I use to get when spirits would use my energy to-..... I stopped myself again and grounded my teeth.
Don't think about it, Rebecca. You're not a ghost hunter anymore. There isn't no one here. You're just tired. Just don't think about it anymore. Let the past go....
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
I opened my eyes to a familiar place. The sunlight was odd and the neighborhood was completely silent. I was alone but I wasn't afraid. I was calm and standing in front of the unchanged white triangle house with it's enclosed porch and grey steps. The Demon House....How did I get here? I promised myself I would never come back here. There was a strange noise that started filling the silence. I looked down at my hands and I was suddenly holding a white noise box. I stared down at the box and cradled it like a baby. I waited for something to interrupt it's frequency but nothing came. The overwhelming sense of dread came over me. I dropped the box on the sidewalk and watched it break into pieces. The noise stopped and I was surrounded by silence again. I looked back up at the house and my feet started pulling me forward. I opened the door and stepped into the enclosed porch. There wasn't anything besides a old radio on a beat up table to my right. I tried opening the front door but it was locked. The fear started setting in and I began to panic. There was a strong odor of gasoline emerging from somewhere and my lungs started burning. I turned back around to make my escape but the porch door was locked now too. I paced back and forth, beating my fists at my temples, and screaming on the top of my lungs but that only made it worse. Why couldn't anyone hear me? Where are the neighbors? I tried to break through the door but soon as I touched it, it disappeared and was replaced by another window. No! I went to the windows next and tried to open and bust through them but nothing was happening and I wasn't strong enough. Chills hit my core like a cold sharp knife and I knew I wasn't alone now. The radio started making noises as it turned on by itself. I held my breath and waited for whatever happens next. The music that started to play was Retrograde by James Blake. I've heard the song before and as it played I tried to listen to the lyrics as if there was some important message within the song that I had to hear but I couldn't make my mind work to understand them. I felt a strong urge to turn around and when I did, my heart dropped."Rodney!" I screamed. He looked just as he did the last time I seen him. His hair was still slick black and styled the same as Gerard Way when he had black emo hair. His eyes are the same deep blue color that I remember. And he was still wearing his favorite Slipknot t-shirt. He smiled at me. I missed him so much. He was one of my best friend's and a excellent paranormal investigator. He was better than the rest of our crew and he had good instincts. I loved him.... The gasoline smell was gone and the song stopped playing. Rodney's lips started moving but nothing came out of them. I looked at him and he seemed confused and worried. "What is it? What are you trying to tell me?" I began to cry. But his lips continued to move without sound. Somewhere in the distance I heard the screams of our friends and my vision tunneled out until I was falling into darkness.I woke up and sat up in my bed. My heart was pounding and I was covered in sweat. I looked around my room and nothing seemed to be out of place. I closed my eyes and started taking deep breaths to calm myself down. When my heart recovered, I opened my eyes. Ugh! My head was hurting so bad. I glanced over at my clock and it was seven in the morning. I've been sleeping for thirteen hours! I got up out of bed and took a shower to get rid of the sticky perspiration. I put on a simple t-shirt and jeans and went downstairs to take four ibuprofen. I sat down in my living room, absorbing the peace and quiet. My head still couldn't wrap around what happened yesterday. First, there's Tiffany and Paul. I didn't know what I was going to do with those two. I trust Paul but I don't want to believe it at the same time. The idea of Tiffany trying to get me fired so that she could keep her job is unreal. But I've spent four years blocking people out so that my panic attacks won't be triggered off. So many things could of happened without me not realizing it because I was blocking people out so much. I exhaled and closed my eyes. I was so mad at myself for letting it get this bad. And then coming home to my safe haven and having a paranormal crew come knocking on my door didn't help things. And my dream last night only made it worse....I opened my eyes and got up from the sofa and went into the kitchen to make me breakfast. Afterwards, I decided to get to work. I didn't care how early it was. When I got there, it was just me and Cherie. "Good morning Rebecca, you're here early," Cherie said surprised. "Yeah, I had a rough day yesterday and I went to bed early and slept way too long," I said. "Oh, I've done that many times myself. I hope things are better today for you dear," she smiled. "Me too," I smiled back. When it's just the employers here, Cherie is a pretty nice person. Her hair was almost white and she's in her late sixties. She has no kids or husband, and she's been working here for who knows how long. On her lunch breaks, all she does is read and she barely touches her food. I remember watching her countless times and fearing that maybe I'm looking into my own future. I always wondered if it was her choice to be alone or it just happened that way. Maybe she has a past we don't know about that made her this way."Wow, you're here before me!"I jumped and my heart fell into my stomach."Paul! Stop sneaking up on me!" I yelled at him. "Well, excuse me," Paul said and busted out laughing. "I'm not doing it purposely. You need to pay more attention to you're surroundings.""I try," I mumbled and started polishing the desks and counters. "Have you talked to Tiffany?" Paul asked. And just then, here comes Tif walking through the front doors with two cappuccinos and a shocked face. Paul walked away to the computer lab. "When did you get here Rebecca? We usually always meet in the parking lot," she said in a strange tone. "I got here early," I said. Why was she acting so strangely? Does she think that I got her early because I'm making sure I keep my job or something? "Why are you here early?" I asked. "Oh, am I early?" she ask trying to make her voice sound normal. "Ha! I didn't even realize. My phone alarm must be off." I watched her suspiciously as she handed me one of the cappuccinos. I was almost scared to drink it but she never poisoned me before. What Paul said yesterday is going to have me paranoid now. I took a sip of it and it was caramel macchiato which is my favorite. It didn't taste off, so I took another sip. Maybe I should just talk to Tiffany and see what this is all about.... I don't know. I don't want anything to ruin my friendship with both Tiffany and Paul. Especially since we have to work together. "Me and the girls are going back to the casino tonight. Want to come?" Tiffany asked setting up her desk. She's actually going to work today? Hmm.... "No, thanks anyway. I'm not up for the casino tonight," I said. "Don't tell me you are going to stay here and read books all day after you get off work." I looked over at her and I couldn't help but to feel irritated by her. "No, actually I'm going out," I lied. I'll have to make plans when I get home. Maybe I'll go see a movie. "Really? Where are you going?" Tiffany asked skeptically.
Thank God for Paul!
Before I had to answer, Paul slammed down a stack full of papers for Tiffany on her desk. "These need to be filled out by tomorrow. I found them hidden in a binder stuffed under old newspapers in the bottom of the file cabinets. They was suppose to be filled out a few months ago. You need to get to work," Paul said and winked at me with a big smile when she wasn't looking. Paul walked away and Tiffany glared after him and than looked at me. "Ugh! He is a psycho," she said through her teeth. "He's doing this to me only because I wouldn't go out with him. My wrist is going to be killing me later and I'll probably end up with carpal tunnel," she ranted. So she says.... "I'm not sure what he's going to do when he finds out that I'm going out with someone this Saturday.""Who are you going out with?" I asked curiously. "His name is Dylan. We met through mutual friends on Facebook. He's a really sweet and funny guy. He's taking me to Rubicon Club & Grill," she gushed. She went on and on about her new boyfriend and not knowing what she's going to wear for their first date. At least she wasn't questioning me anymore. But Tiffany seemed like her usual gushy self. Her using Paul to get me fired is just too weird for me. It has to be something else. After work, I didn't go straight home. I wasn't sure where I was going but I hated lying and I'm sure Tiffany would ask me again tomorrow. I ended up at a bar called Sierra Gold. It had a nice atmosphere and it was filled with people but it wasn't loud like the casino. I sat at the bar counter since there was only a few people there. I had a italian style pizza and strolled around on my phone. There wasn't much besides storm and flood warnings issued for tomorrow from all the news stations. What is going on with Nevada's weather? I took my last bite of pizza and washed it down with pepsi. My favorite soda ever. The cold and pure sugary carbonated liquid comforted me. I closed my phone and was ready to leave. I got up from the stool and placed a good tip on the counter. I turned around and there they was. Sitting in one of the private booths in the far end of the room away from everyone else chattering away. "You have got to be kidding me," I mumbled. There was four of them this time. From the way it looked, Zak was discussing something serious with Billy. And Aaron and the fourth one was focusing on a computer screen with headphones connected to a two way jack. Before I could sneak out, Zak's hazel eyes met mine. I was like a deer caught in the headlights and there was nowhere to run. He looked surprised and he smiled his cute grin and wave. I couldn't make my feet move. I managed a smile and awkwardly waved back at him like a dork.Aaron, Billy and the fourth guy glanced in my direction. Zak said something to them and got up and started to approach me. His friends stared after him and my stomach was doing weird flips. I wished so much that I hadn't of paused and just kept walking when I seen them. Guess I'm just going to have to deal with this. "Hey Rebecca," he said still smiling. "I see you're following me now," I said jokingly. "Nah, it's just a coincidence this time," he teased and then his expression shifted. "I want to apologize about yesterday. I should had been careful and more sensitive about what I said and Aaron erased the whole tape.""It's fine," I said. I meant it. "I.... I just have a hard time... talking about it." He nodded understandingly. "If you don't mind, can we sit down and talk?" He asked. I really didn't want to because I knew it was about the demon house. But I didn't go into a panic attack after our first conversation, so.... "You don't have to if you don't want to," he said after a long moment. "No, we can talk," I agreed. He looked pleased. How can he be so happy to talk about a demon house? He must be a dedicated paranormal investigator. Just like Rodney....I sat back down at the bar stools which was now thankfully cleared and I won't have to worry about people eavesdropping in our conversation. Zak pulled out the stool next to me. I felt awkward with him this close. I could practically feel his body heat coming off him. I nervously started picking at my nails. A horrible habit that I thought I quit in seventh grade. I turned my head to the right, waiting for him to begin. He was doodling something on a napkin, probably trying to think about what he was going to say. At least he was going to be careful this time. He kept his eyes on his design while he spoke."Last year, I started a documentary about the Demon House with my crew," he suddenly paused for a minute to look at me, waiting for my reaction. I kept a poker face. He went back to doodling. "At the time it was just me, Aaron and our former member Nick Groff. Something drew us there. I can't explain it. But when we first stepped foot in that house, we knew something sinister was in there." I remember that feeling. "We have been on so many investigations through the years but we never came across something like this before. I've never felt such a strong diabolical presence. I probably should had just stopped the production but I was drawn in too deep. I couldn't let it go." I couldn't either. "In November, we had to stop filming because the house became unsafe. One of my production crew quit on spot because-" he paused again and I realized his hands was shaking. The doodle on his napkin was a dark figure with no face. He didn't finished on why one of his production crew quit but I'd rather not know anyway. "I had to call a priest to come exorcise the house afterwards. We had planned to resume filming in December but the exorcism was unsuccessful and.... things continued. Nick was the second one to quit. He didn't tell us why but sometimes after these investigations, things follow us home and bring havoc in our daily lives, relationships, family and friends. Nick always struggled the most when our investigations turned demonic. We thought he would come back. He continued ghost hunting though. I tried talking with him a few times but he changed. He's not himself anymore and he's angry all the time. His wife almost took their daughter and left him. He sent us a letter stating that he didn't want to be shown in the Demon House documentary, so we had to start all over again. And of course the internet blew up when he announced his departure and I had to tell lies to reporters. As of right now, everyone thinks the Demon House had nothing to do with him leaving and he had no involvement what so ever in the documentary," he rolled his hazel eyes and continued. "In January, I decided to buy the house and we recently tried to start production again but the house is still unsafe. It's like the exorcism made things worse," he said and then looked at me again. I couldn't say anything. I was kinda relieved to know that I wasn't the only one that had a bad experience in that house. But it still doesn't answer my question on why my friends are dead. Nick made it out and never went back like a smart human being. "I'm not quick to run away from a ghost or a demon. I want to still do the investigation but I need to do some more investigations and study other places with demonic presences before I can go back inside that house again. I need you with me.... I mean, we need you with us," he stumbled a little. "First off, you guys made it out alive. You must have a death wish," I joked and shook my head back and forth and laughed. "I'm not a paranormal investigator anymore. I can't help you. Besides, you don't even know me." But soon as I said it, I knew deep down that I was wrong. I remembered his hands shaking just now as he talked about what happened to him and his crew in the demon house."True. But in away, I do feel like I know you, Rebecca. I can't imagine what you went through four years ago but I understand what you are going through now. When I first heard you're story, I knew I had to meet you. If we can do this investigation together, we might be able to solve what happened to you're friends. I know that you want to figure out what's going on in that house just as much as I do," he said. His hazel eyes pierced right into mine. "You still haven't told me how you got my address," I said changing the subject. That irritated him. Good. This guy is getting on my nerves too. I wish he would stay the hell out of my head and my life. Why did he have to come here anyway?"You're parents," he said. That shocked me. My parents didn't like my ghost hunting days at all and thought it was a waste of time. "My parents?" I gasped. He smirked. "Yeah, they are the ones that told me where you lived. We would had met sooner but you're house was hard to find," he laughed. "They find out about our documentary at the Demon House and they contacted me and told us your story." That's strange. Why would they do that? The past ten years they barely talked to me because of my career choices as ridiculous as that sounds. Is this away of them making amends or something? Shit! I forgot about that email my mom sent me..... I never read it. I looked down at my hands as I spoke. "Zak, I can't go back to that house. There might had been a part of me that wanted to find out what happened to my friends but that's gone now," I said sadly. "I don't believe that." I looked up at him angrily. "Normally when I asked someone if they want to come with my crew on one our lock downs and they say no, I would just take it. But I know you Rebecca," he was starting to get angry too. "You think you know me," I snapped back. "I can help you," he almost whispered. I swallowed hard to keep myself from crying. "You're parents told me that you loved being a paranormal investigator. You would travel place to place and be gone for weeks. They never seen you so happy. Despite what they wanted selfishly for you, they was happy and they feel bad for how they treated you," he whispered. It took all I had in me not to cry. That's the worse thing I could do in front of him right now and I didn't want to see pity in his eyes. I didn't want pity from no one. Zak took another napkin from the holder and started writing again. "This is my number. I love doing what I do and I don't let anyone or anything stop me. Please, just think about it," he said. My stomach felt really sick because I honestly didn't know what I wanted. It should had been easy to say no. "Okay," was my only reply. I took the napkin and got up from the stool and left Zak there. I didn't glance back at him or looked over at his crew. I breathed in the fresh outside air and it made me feel better. My mind was numb on the way home but when I got inside the house, there was nothing to do to keep my mind busy. My house was no longer my safe haven to protect my mind. I had a lot of thinking to do and a big choice to make.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Did that just happened? I asked myself as I sat there on the sofa, starring up at the ceiling. My parent's getting involved in something like this baffles me. If they wanted to make amends, why didn't they just call me or something? Why send paranormal investigators? They hated my job. At one point they made me feel like a complete failure and dead seed in the family. I remember going to family reunions and my aunts, uncles and cousins, including my own parents, barely acknowledged me. They would put my cousins on pedestals and brag about what they've done and what kind of jobs they have. They would say it loud enough to make sure I heard it. But I was in the background laughing mentally at them and I was completely content with what I was doing with my life. I traveled and seen more things than they did in college. It didn't matter what they thought. And the more I acted insignificant and oblivious, the more they got pissed off. I can't picture them contacting Zak and telling him about my story. What's in it for them? Are they trying to get me to come back to Indiana? Perhaps they are planning a reunion of some sort to make fun of me for working in a library?"Ugh!"I got up from the sofa and in irritation, I marched upstairs. I probably looked like a child right now. I couldn't help it. I went to my room and sat at my desk. I took a deep breath before opening my laptop. I went straight to my inbox and opened my email that my mom sent to me without hesitation this time. She wrote,
Rebecca,
I know things haven't been good between you and me, and you're father. But that's our fault and we are sorry. We wanted the best for you but we did it the wrong way. We didn't think about what you wanted. I'm pleased that you love the job you have now but I know in my heart that you are still unhappy. We know we are partially to blame for that as well but the other half is that you are not doing what you loved most. Maybe if we would had supported you and your career as a paranormal investigator and gave you strength through them tough days you faced four years ago, things wouldn't of got so bad. You was hurting so much but we stood by and did nothing. I'm so sorry and there's no excuse for what we did. I understand why you took off to Nevada. But if anything that I taught you was not to give up. I'm sure you are going to be angry with me but there was a paranormal group called Ghost Adventures that came to Gary, Indiana, five weeks ago. I watched their show a few times. I know, me watching a paranormal show... Crazy, right? I got concerned when they said they've been trying to shoot a documentary in the Demon House. But judging by their show, they seemed to know what they are doing and I decided to contact them. We told them about you and what happened.... The leader of the crew, Zak Bagans, seems to understand what happened to you and thinks he can help. And I believe he can. He reminds me of you. I gave them your address. I hope in the end, whatever you decide, you can find closure and happiness. That's all we want for you. Me and your dad loves you so much.
Mom
I couldn't stop the tears from flowing. It's no wonder she didn't send me a second message, or tried to call or text me. Since I didn't answer last week like I should had, she probably thinks I'm still angry at them. And I'm not. I can't be anymore. This is what I've been waiting to hear for years. Now, I'm only angry at myself. I wish I could go back to that day. None of this would of happened and my friends would still be alive. I knew something was wrong about that house and I knew I should had got my friends out of there but I didn't. And Zak, the way his hands shook. The look in his eyes. I think I saw myself for the first time today. He to knew he should had left but he can't. We was both drawn in. It was like a addiction or something. He's lucky that him and his crew hasn't been killed yet. But if he continues to investigate that house, he might end up on the other side with my friends. "I can't do this. I can't go back," I whispered to myself. But that's not going to stop Zak and his crew from making a stupid decision. I decided to answer my mom back.
Mom,
I'm sorry that I didn't reply back soon enough. Honestly, I didn't answer it until after I talked with Zak today. I appreciate this so much but I'm not sure if I can go back to that house. I'm still trying to figure this all out. But I don't want you guys to blame yourselves anymore. I forgive you guys and I want to let the past go. Anything that I did do or will do or might do, all falls back on me. I'm responsible for my life. No one else is. I love you guys so much. Thank you.
R.
The next day was rough. I barely got any sleep that night. I checked my email soon as I got up. It was a simple message and they both wished me the best on whatever my decision might be but I already knew what the answer was. Hell no, I'm not going back to the Demon House. I was literally dragging myself to work. When I pulled into the parking lot, I was surprised to see that Tiffany was already inside the library. She always waited for me. Rebecca, don't be paranoid. I got out of the car and cautiously approached the building. You would think I was waiting for it to explode or something. When I walked in, Paul and Tiffany was face to face with each other. Clearly, I walked in on a good argument because both their faces was red with anger. "What's going on guys?" I asked looking back and forth between them. "Why don't you ask Tiffany," Paul said sarcastically. Tiffany threw him a look. "Tell her what you told me just now," Paul said after she wouldn't answer. Tiffany looked back at me with a guilty look. So this is how it's going to be then. What Paul said was true. Cherie walked in and was looking at us to try to figure out what was going on. "Rebecca, I-" Tiffany started but Paul interrupted her. "No, tell her what you told me," Paul repeated himself. Before she had time to answer, Courtney walks around the corner from the bookshelves. She looked at me with the same guilty expression. "What is going on?" I asked again. I've never seen Courtney come here before. "I'll tell you," Paul said. "Stop it Paul! You don't even know what your talking about. Don't listen to him Rebecca!" Tiffany almost screamed. Her voice was shaking. "They was trying to set you up," Paul said. I looked at him in shock. "No! He's lying! He's jealous of my relationship!" I knew Tiffany was lying at this point now. "Tiffany was going to have Courtney plant drugs in your car and call the police," Paul said. I looked over at Courtney and I didn't noticed at first but she was carrying a black bag. "What the fuck? So it's true then! Did you put drugs in all my cappuccinos too, so when I have to take a drug test, it would show up in my system?" I asked through my teeth. "No! I wouldn't do that. I-" I cut Tif off. "What kind of motive was this then? How can you frame me when there's no proof that those drugs are mine? I can't believe you Tiffany! You can't go through life sitting on your ass. You have to work to get what you want. How could you set up your own friend like this?" I asked. Tiffany started to cry. "I don't know," she replied. "I don't know why I do the things I do." She's actually admitting it right now. Cherie snatched the black bag out of Courtney's hand. "I think I'll hold on to this. I'm calling the police on both of you right now," Cherie said as she pulled out her phone. Courtney took off running and escaped through the door. Tiffany tried to follow her but Paul blocked the door. "Let me through!" She cried. "No! You are going to get what's coming. You are not going to get away with it," Paul said. "He's right, and you are fired Tiffany. You should be ashamed of yourself right now. I gave you a chance with this job. No matter what you did, I always hoped you turned your life around. But now, I know that's not going to happen," Cherie told her. Tif looked back at her with pain filled eyes and then she tried to fight her way through Paul again but he was too strong.The police came to investigate. The bag was filled with meth and different types of odd shaped pills. Because I had witnesses, Tiffany was arrested and so was Courtney later that day. But to make me feel better, I went down to the clinic to have a drug test done to make sure she didn't put anything in my drinks. Within 24 hours, the results came back clean. Thankfully, Cherie closed the library for a day because I had to much on my mind to work. Zak and the Demon House was forgotten temporarily. My heart dropped when I heard knocking at my door. I peeked through my window and was relieved to see that it was Brianna. I ran downstairs to open the door. "Rebecca, I just heard about what happened," she said as she gave me hug. "I had no idea what Tiffany and Courtney was planning." I trusted her and of course they wouldn't had involved her. She's too loyal. She would had warned me just like Paul did. "I know you didn't. Paul try to warn me that she was up to something but I didn't want to believe it," I said. "How could she do something like this? If she wanted to frame you, she should had thoroughly planned it out better. What a dumb ass," she said and we both laughed. "I'm going to be honest with you. After feeling relieved that my drug test came back clean, I almost feel sorry for Tiffany," I admitted. Brianna looked at me confused. "I know, it sounds weird. But I can't get what she said out of my head," I began. "She said that she doesn't know why she does the things she does and she also said that she wouldn't had poisoned my cappuccinos she brought me. Yeah, she didn't thought her plan out well but I think it was because she was so into drugs that she didn't know what she was doing. Drugs turn you into fiends. She would had gone through great lengths, even betraying her own friend, to keep her job because that is what's paying for her drugs. But the fact that she didn't poison me, tells me that she still cared enough not to harm me even though she did try to frame me but she had to use Courtney to do it and she even tried to get Paul in on it. She couldn't do it herself. That says a lot. Maybe I'm a fool for thinking that way...."Brianna considered that for a moment and her confused expression soften. "No, Rebecca. You aren't a fool. You have a heart. But that's the difference between you and me. Personally, if I was you.... I couldn't think that way. Drugs or no drugs, she still planned it and had someone else to do it. And she actually thought it would work. I can see your side. I really do. But I don't want you to be hurt or screwed over by her again. Plus, she had enough drugs in that bag to last her for a month or two even if she had gotten fired," she said. I nodded in agreement. I respected her caring about me and her honesty. After a few minutes, I really wanted to change the subject. "By the way, I have something to tell you," she said. I looked at her skeptical. "I contacted your boss. I'll be taking Tiffany's place for a while. The dojo is slow right now and I'm looking to make a few more bucks. I start tomorrow," she said with a smile. I looked at her surprised. "That's great!" I smiled. At least it'll feel less weird tomorrow....